First-Line / First-Time
Management Workshop
(3 part Series)

As part of a leadership team, you need to know who you are in your management role before you can lead. First-line managers spend most of their time leading their direct-reports. First-time managers usually have a handle on other functions of being a manager (planning, organizing and controlling) but run into problems when leading a group of people. As a first-line or first-time manager we focus the bulk of the time on leading your direct reports. The three meetings in the workshop will use open dialogue, reflective assignments, and contemporary popular literature to look at who you are as a manager and how you interact with your direct reports. The participants will get the chance to interact with their peers in a group setting to work through what it means for them to be a manager.

Location: Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
Date: September 21, 24, and 28 (Parts I-III)
Time: 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $150/session ($400 for all 3)
All Students get 50% off the price of attending
RSVP: Katrina@otavala.com

Corporate accounts, Nina speaking... just a moment

It is the start of a new week and so it is time for me to share some insight or short-sight. Yeah... it's a Monday morning. I would like to note that we still have openings for the Financial Workshop on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. If you're still interested you should contact Katrina Wahlstrom (katrina@otavala.com).

Mike Judge is a genius, a comic genius, or maybe he's had too many 9-5 jobs in his time. Well, maybe I should give credit where it is due... his writers had a lot of crappy 9-5 jobs. The mind-numbing job that makes you punch a time card, sit at your desk and stare at a screen for hours on end. You pray for lunch and savor the time you have. You envy the "lucky" soul that finds a job that is much more fulfilling and you desperately wait for your turn to follow those people.

Okay, let's be honest. We all get a case of "the Mondays" every once in a while. The point is not to make a habit out of it. Go do something to get your energy up during the day or at least get the real work done as soon as possible so that you get something done. Sometimes you just have to push on through a hard day so that tomorrow you don't have to go through it again. And if you're job is crappy day in and day out... get a new job. You obviously don't feel like you're making an impact where you are currently. Don't get stuck in a souless job... like being a lawyer (just kidding) go do what makes you content if not absolutely happy. That's my opinion anyhow!

In layman's terms

In today’s competitive economic environment, it is essential to reach a higher level of financial awareness; as a business owner, it is a matter of survival. The ability to read and understand financial reports that pertain to your business performance allows you to:

• Manage your business more efficiently
• Reduce waste of precious resources
• Reduce business risk
• Increase profits
• Standardize financial reporting within your organization to comply with creditors’ requirements
• Save money on taxes
• Raise more capital for expansion or just for working capital
• Operate more efficiently than the competition
• Increase your market share
• Better plan for lien times

In this course we aim to introduce you to the world of finance and accounting by explaining complex financial concepts in an easy to understand language; Reading Financial Statements is one of several courses offered in this area.
Cost: $375
Location: Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, AON Center
Date and Time: August 26 & 27, 9 am to 5 pm

RSVP to katrina@otavala.com

Wonder and Enthusiasm

Despite what most people think of me, I do like to be around kids. Okay, so I do think that kids can be smelly, dirty, and completely annoying. Which may be why I would rather be around kids of friends and family. I get all of the fun and almost none of the mess. Although, I have had to clean up the occasional mess when someone "loses their cookies". I enjoy children because of their sense of wonder and enthusiasm.

I think that, as adults, we lose our imagination. We tend to forget what life was like before you had to start paying bills, working, or took on debt. Children are free to be and do whatever they can dream up. That's why kids still believe in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny. (Sorry if I spilled the beans on Santa for you.) Maybe Santa Clause and Christmas serve as the best example of what I mean. When children get ready for Christmas-time you see this beaming smile while the adult in the room this staring up at the ceiling trying to remember how much they are spending on gifts. Adults take life too serious sometimes.

Here is a test to see if you take life too serious.

• You check your bank account balance more than once a day.
• The thought of a non-speaking Penguin as a villain in a story is lost on you.
• You are offended by the show Family Guy.

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions you may be taking life too serious! If this is you I have the treatment for what ails you. Hurry and go out of ice cream, a roller coaster ride, get yourself a pet and call me in the morning. Well, maybe don't go so far as to bring a pet into this mess. I don't need to hear from PETA about an animal that is not being taken care of. But do go out and enjoy the world you used to back in the day. You have my permission to enjoy yourself through the eyes of your younger self. Go now, don't think about, just do it!

Sit back and relax

This week I'm back at my parent's house. As a vacation goes, it is not too bad. I've had to move a few pieces of furniture around and go pick up an exchange student Yuri. (She is from Japan) This is my first vacation this summer and it made me think about taking a break. Simply put, how often we take vacation time. (or Holiday time, if you're British)

One of the more infamous statistics I remember is that Dentists and Morticians have the highest suicide rate of all professions. We are measuring taking your life by profession? How stressed-out are we as a society? Okay, I can see Morticians. When you are around death all the time, it may start looking friendly. But Dentists? The only reason you should be depressed as a dentist is if you are tired of the tedious work. If that's the case... take some time off.

In this country children get about three months of vacation for summer, about three weeks for Winter and one week for Spring break. How many vacation days do you get? I know, it is more important that you are working because you have those things called "Responsibilities". At the same time people are not taking time for themselves and now their lives are their jobs. I can't think of many people that get any more mello when they do their job. It is more likely that you get stressed like the rest of us.

Most people I know only take a few days off and cope with the rest of the stress by hitting the local watering hole. Why do we do this to ourselves? What I propose is this... if you can take the time off for vacation, Do! If you don't get time for a vacation... work hard and play hard. Live it up because it is the last chance you will get. If you're doing this right then you may see a decrease of certain activities during the day (i.e. road rage, compulsive coffee drinking, eating at odd hours of the day, and grinding your teeth)