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Education During the More Relaxed Summer Months

By Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro

School is out, but there is still time for education. Some of the more obvious educational opportunities include visits to museums, historic sites, and reading books. Some schools, of course, have summer reading lists. There are also numerous opportunities to attend workshops and special programs at colleges and universities. There are also college trips for families with rising high school juniors and seniors (though summer is probably the worst time for these trips, because one doesn’t get a realistic preview of the school). Summer also affords a great opportunity for all of us as small business owners, community leaders and as family members to think about our goals and to develop meaningful plans to achieve them.

As small business owners we ought to think about where we are today and where we would like to be in the future. We need to also think about how our business environment, such a changing demographics and technology are changing. We should then prepare a very detailed step by step plan of how we will maintain relevancy and grow. Our plan should include general goals as well as specific learning actions  (with dates) we will take during the current year to prepare us to achieve our goals.

As community leaders we need to recognize that students often do not know very much about business and career options open to them. We also need to recognize that with rising costs of higher education and well as the national need for more STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), having some career goals at an early age is more important now than it was in the recent past. We can help by preparing career programs which are educational, memorable and fun for elementary, middle and high school age students and presenting these to youth groups and school career days during the academic year. Ideas for some specific activities may be found in previous issues of RISBJ.

As family members we need to help all of our family members to achieve their educational goals. Start by asking everyone from middle school up to write down their long term objectives. (Help elementary school children to do this.) Then help them to come up with plans to achieve their objectives, and finally come up with some very specific actions – such as reading specific books or taking specific classes – or talking to professionals in a variety of careers. Be sure that people aren’t overburdened with too many activities, such that nothing happens. Assign dates for the most critical activities. Remove the others from the list. Then, throughout the year be sure that everyone is achieving their goals.

Have fun while learning!

Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro

Independent Consultant in Human Factors

Learning & Human Resources

I would like to thank Industrial Consultant Dr. Margarita Posada Cossuto for helpful comments.

Keep Your Teens Safe on the Road this Summer

Teen Driving

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the US, and according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, about 25% of these fatal accidents involve an underage driver who has been drinking. Distracted driving, inexperience, and failing to use seat belts also help contribute to highway deaths among teen drivers and passengers. AAA reports that teen driver accidents and fatalities increase significantly during the summer months from May through August.
If you are a parent, you surely worry about these deadly numbers when thinking about your teen on the road. There are many things you can do to help your teens stay safe while still giving them room to enjoy their summer.

Make a schedule.

When your teens plan an evening out, have them give you a detailed itinerary of their evening. Make sure you know exactly where they’ll be, when they will be there, and how you can reach them in case you can’t get through on their cell phone. If it helps, explain that you need this information in case there is an emergency.
Plan all the transportation. The schedule should include exactly how your teens will get from one venue to the next and how they will get home. You’ll want to know who the driver is for each trip. If the driver isn’t someone you’re sure about, offer to do the driving yourself or work out driving with another parent you trust.

Have clear rules for teen drivers.

Driving under the influence isn’t the only risk for teen drivers. A high percentage of accidents involving teen drivers are caused by distracted driving, whether from text or cell phone use, or from having friends in the car. If your teen is driving or riding with a teen driver, don’t allow them to drive anyone other than their date (or friend), and make sure they both understand the safety rules you expect them to follow while in the car. (Rhode Island’s provisional license law prohibits a first-year teen driver from having more than one non-family passenger under age 21 for the first year of the license.)

Know who is hosting the party.

If the evening includes a party, make sure you know exactly where it takes place and who is hosting it. Talk to the parents and find out their rules for the party, how many people will be present, and whether the parents will be actively chaperoning the teens. It’s much easier for teens to drink or make other irresponsible choices if the adult chaperones plan to stay in another part of the house.

Have check-in times.

Agree with your teens on a few times during the evening that they will call you to check in. Those can either be specific times on the clock, or they can call to let you know they are leaving one venue or have arrived safely at another.

Have a curfew.

No matter what activities the evening involves, it should end with a clear and firm curfew. Make sure that your teens and whoever is transporting them know exactly what time you expect them to be home. And stay up until they arrive. That way, they’ll know you take the curfew seriously.

Have a rescue plan.

Even the most responsible teens can find themselves in an unsafe situation. Let your teens know they can call you at any time to be picked up if they feel uncomfortable. Many experts suggest that you agree on a “code word” that they can use to let you know they need help, without tipping off peers who may be listening and who don’t think there’s a problem. And if they do make the call, do not respond by scolding them when you pick them up! If any lecturing is needed, save it for another day when both of you are not tired and under stress…

With a little planning, good communication, and a firm grasp of the rules, both you and your teens can enjoy their summer social activities.

Rob Levine & Associates specializes in Personal Injury throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, as well as Social Security Disability and Veterans Disability throughout the country. As “The Heavy Hitter” Rob Levine not only works hard on your case, but also believes in making a positive impact in the communities he serves. Through internal resources, education and volunteerism, Rob Levine & Associates strives to help prevent accidents, as well as raise awareness around the needs of our elderly and returning veterans. For more information visit www.roblevine.com, or call 401.529.1222 or toll free 800-529-1222.

Professional Coaching

By Mary T. OSullivan

Hassled by an uncertain and complex work situation?

Learn about professional coaching and how it can benefit you. Executive and professional coaching is a process of asking questions that uses plausible suggestions without telling you what to do. Professional coaching is a partnership between you and the coach to help you creatively think through real solutions

to real issues, as you define them. The coach’s job is to assist you in the process of self-determined and self-directed problem solving or change, through a process of dialogue between you and the coach.

The coach’s role is to:

  • Encourage your process of problem solving
  • Elicit self-directed solutions and strategies
  • Help develop realistic,achievable outcomes

How can you determine if coaching is right for you? To determine whether you can benefit from coaching, start by summarizing what you would expect to accomplish. When you have a fairly clear idea of the desired outcome, a coaching partnership can be useful for developing a strategy for how to achieve that outcome with fewer obstacles in your way.

Since coaching is a partnership, ask yourself whether collaboration, other viewpoints, and new perspectives are valued. Also, ask yourself whether you are ready to devote the time and the energy to making real changes. If the answer is yes, then coaching is the right path for you.

How is coaching distinct from other service professions? Professional coaching focuses on setting goals, creating outcomes and managing personal change. Professional coaching is not therapy, or consulting. It is the process of uncovering creative solutions to achieving specific goals and outcomes. It is a fluid, inquiry based process.

What are some typical reasons someone might work with a coach?

You may choose to work with a coach for many reasons, including but not limited to the following:

  • Something urgent, compelling or exciting is at stake (a challenge, stretch goal or opportunity)
  • A gap exists in knowledge, skills, confidence or resources
  • A desire to accelerate results
  • A lack of clarity with choices to be made
  • Success has started to become problematic
  • Work and life are out of balance, creating unwanted consequences
  • Core strengths need to be identified, along with how best to leverage them

Love your job again with the help of a professional coach.

SBANE Presents “When Is Too Much Too Much?”

 

sbane

WALTHAM, MA – The Smaller Business Association of New England () is hosting their monthly Rhode Island Breakfast Series event on Wednesday, June 10, 2015, titled When Is Too Much Too Much? with Frank Motta as the featured speaker. The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Warwick, RI from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM.

 Frank Motta, Executive Vice President of CAI Managed IT, joins SBANE for a discussion on IT security, with a focus on cost-effective solutions to minimize and prevent cyber-attacks. With Motta’s extensive experience in IT infrastructure management, strategic direction, and customer relations, Motta’s insight can prove beneficial to smaller sized businesses who do not tend to have an in-house IT division or CIO, which leaves those buinesses at the risk of becoming “soft targets” by cyber criminals.

 To attend this event, register at www.sbane.org, under “Upcoming Events: Rhode Island Breakfast Series.” A breakfast buffet is included. When Is Too Much Too Much? is sponsored by Rhode Island College (www.ric.edu) and Yarlas, Kaplan, Santilli & Moran, Ltd.  (www.yksmcpa.com).

About SBANE:

SBANE (the Smaller Business Association of New England) is a non-profit organization founded in 1938, with approximately 600 smaller business members, located throughout New England. SBANE provides members with the opportunity to join proactive committees which promote/support legislation, facilitate business partnerships, and coordinate programs all in the interest of smaller businesses. Learn more about SBANE, and other programs offered, at www.sbane.org. Follow SBANE on Twitter and Instagram @SBANENewEngland.

 

For More Information Contact:

Katie Mudarri

Events Coordinator

katie@sbane.org

781.890.9070 x221

 

For SBANE Membership Information Contact:

Monica Ataie

Member Relations Coordinator

monca@sbane.org

781.890.9070 x226

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