Administrative Office Professionals Day Poem 2013

You’ve found amazing successes

despite your supervisors’ best efforts and guesses.

You offer our customers consistent smiles

though you’re buried in work measured in miles.

You are the yin of organizational order

to our yang full of disorganizational disorder.

You are constantly, amazingly, expertly juggling multiple hats,

so allow me a moment to recognize you truly as “all that”.

You are composed and compassionate

even in the face of customer frustration or discontent.

You are time management and reality’s anchor

when my feet and mind are wont to wander.

You have a selfless service gift given

when my contribution is generally but to enliven.

You’ll, at the counter, save the day

while I’m in meetings wasting away.

You’re the front-line Lieutenant

while I’m stuck debating “ands” in the Senate.

You’re the information and knowledge keeper,

but your work sits there while all glean as hungry info reapers.

Your customer help leaves folks better and different.

The reach of your impact is literally infinite.

Despite dealing with poop that lands down on you from uphill rolled,

it’s unfortunate we allow all our appreciation to sit so vastly untold.

In expertly handing all things most vital, left undone and tough,

we can never say thank you enough.

Your professionalism is truly inspirational.

Without you this place would scarcely be operational.

Daniel Segura, 4/24/13

Social Media- Another Way to Connect

4/22/13 Social Media- Another Way to Connect

I think it would be safe to say that, generally, we are people who desire to connect with other people. We’ve chosen a helping field like education because we like people and we want to make a difference. In the last 6 or 7 years, various social media outlets have increasingly become a more and more ubiquitous part of our lives. Even someone who doesn’t use Facebook, probably hears information in-person about something shared through it. Information moves very rapidly from person to person. This phenomenon is not isolated to certain age groups or socio-economic classes, but happens across the board. Like any medium, this can and is abused, so we must be cautious and diligent with confidential information. But, one thing is true throughout these mediums- we can now create a sense of community and interconnectedness with a very wide range of people across any distance. In our work, we are now almost expected that we will be available 24/7/365 on the web and almost as much through social media. We must meet the imperative to connect with our customers for real-time service across multiple communication mediums in order to continue to exceed  customer service expectations.

Morale?

11/18/11 Morale?

A number of years ago, our college president said in response to a question about morale following a cut of 20 employees that morale is the responsibility of the individual. Hmm… My immediate thought in that emotional moment was that he was crazy and wrong. But, after some reflection, I think that what he was getting at is that we must all choose how we react to emotional and distressing situations; that we are responsible for our own emotions and reactions. Clearly we are. We will have change. We will have very stressful days. But, we don’t have the luxury of sulking in a corner with our pouty lip sticking out. We have customers and students to serve. We must put on a positive face so we can give them a positive experience. The good news is that, even with the occasional difficult and stressful days and a few tough customers or interpersonal relationships, this is a wonderful place to work. We believe in supporting each other and many of us have connected as friends as well as coworkers. I think this comes through with our customers and students as well. Or, maybe it doesn't need to. What they see is that it is a nice place to do business and meet their educational needs. I hope your morale gets a bit of a boost just knowing that our many stakeholders think this is a really great institution/company to be connected to and served by. They've chosen us and YOU are one of the reasons they have! I am thankful for you!

Tax Time

4/8/13 Tax Time!

As citizens and public servants of this nation, April 15 is a vital day for us. It’s a day about responsibility; our individual responsibility to pay our taxes as we are liable to do so, our corporate responsibility as public educators to manage the tax moneys we receive, and one in which our lawmakers must always be aware of their own responsibilities as stewards of the public trust and funds. We are all important cogs in many wheels. As educators and career advisors, we are bolstering each of these aspects of American society. We can be fiscally responsible with the funds we have received to operate our office. We promote an educated citizenry in which people with higher levels of education are much more likely to be an active influence on policymaking locally and nationally. And, we are helping our students and alumni acquire the tools they need to maximize their skills to become gainfully employed; thus taxpaying citizens. We make a difference for our individual students and alumni as well as for the very operation of our nation. Uncle Sam says, “Thank You!”

Our Brand of Customer Service

10/24/11 Our Brand of Customer Service

Many highly successful companies have been recognized for their amazing customer service and satisfaction. But, we are NOT, nor will we ever be, Disney, Pikes Place Fish Market or Southwest Airlines. We aren’t a hotel or a government agency. We aren’t the same as a local university down the road or the next town’s community college. We will only ever be Delta College. We have a flavor and a mission and a customer base all our own. The customer service we provide is best when we realize that we are serving OUR unique customers in OUR unique environment and working to meet THEIR unique needs and uniquely exceed THEIR expectations. Jerry Fritz said, “You’ll never have a product or price advantage again. They can be easily duplicated, but a strong customer service culture can’t be copied.” I agree. Our product isn’t that different from what is offered by other colleges and universities. If it were, our classes wouldn’t transfer. We can look to the kinds of service philosophies those above companies have and choose portions to emulate, but we can never graft them into our culture. The good news is that our institutional culture is one that drives good customer service. We will mold that culture incrementally as a group by our collective actions. So, let’s push daily with an unlimited drive to empower students and community members to develop and meet their educational and career goals. And, let’s provide services that meet only the highest bar for planning and quality. Already, other groups are attempting to copy our models. We know, though, that they will never achieve what we do in the ways we do- because they aren’t Delta College.