Horizon Point Consulting

Author: Taylor Simmons

  • Student Leadership – How are You Leading Today?

    Student Leadership – How are You Leading Today?

    Student Leadership – How are You Leading Today?

    Around fall, each year, I typically spend some time with student leadership groups and facilitate activities to help them with their next right thing. (For reference, The Next Right Thing, is a book we love at HPC!) These students are involved in so many areas and often hold leadership roles that help them prepare for future leadership opportunities. 

    Last month, I also had the opportunity to judge student scholarship applications for a non-profit. I’m amazed at what all the students in our community are involved in. Student leadership is not just for the students at the top of the class academically, and it shouldn’t be. There are opportunities for students to lead and serve in so many areas in our schools and community. FFA, First Priority, Sports Captains, and the list goes on.   

    Here are a few just a ways students can develop leadership skills:

    • Participate in a Chamber sponsored Student Leadership Program (check your Chamber’s website for more information) 
    • Join clubs of interest & look for opportunities to lead and serve  (ask your favorite teacher or counselor for ideas)
    • Attend a leadership conference (Leadercast is an annual nationwide conference that can be attended in person at a host site or virtually)
    • Volunteer in class or in your community (serving is a great way to lead!)
    • Get a job & learn everything you can! You may have the opportunity to be in a leadership role too.

    Check out Top 10 Quotes on Servant Leadership. My favorite one is:  “The best way to find yourself is in the service of others.” — Mahatma Gandhi. What’s yours? How will you lead today?

  • Board Service; What is my role?

    Board Service; What is my role?

    Over the past few months, we’ve had several requests to facilitate training for boards of directors. Just last week, I met with a relatively newly formed board. They were receptive, attentive, and appreciative of the nuggets of information I shared.

    Source: National Council of Nonprofits

     

    Board governance is the primary purpose of a board. They aren’t tasked with handling the day-to-day activities, such as staffing. Every training I’ve done has been organized by a competent, engaged director hired by the board. Boards should focus on the mission of the organization, be transparent and make financial decisions that are in the best interest of the organization.

    Being a board member holds many benefits. A few of those are:

    • Giving back to the community
    • Opportunities to network
    • Help drive the mission of the organization
    • A chance to have your opinions heard and used

    Check out Board Roles and Responsibilities from the National Council of Nonprofits for more insight into board operations. Also, a book we typically recommend for board members is Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High.

    Are you a member of a board? Is your organization governed by a board? Reach out to us at HPC today if we can help with training.

  • Atomic Habits: A Book Review

    Atomic Habits: A Book Review

    As summer turns to fall, and the busyness of the last quarter of the year approaches, habits have been on my mind. I recently had a routine doctor’s appointment where my blood pressure was slightly high, and my weight had increased more than I’d like. Following a conversation with my doctor, I reflected on a book I’d read recently about “atomic” habits. 

    The book is called Atomic Habits by James Clear. Clear said it best in this quote: “The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.”

    Atomic Habits is a practical guide with several tips that you can implement immediately to change your habits. Here are a few of my favorite takeaways from the book:

    1. Aim to get 1% better every day – Just a 1% increase every day yields a 37x improvement by the end of the year. He writes, “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement” and “You are what you repeat”. Continuous Improvement: How it Works and How to Master It provides more insight from James Clear.

    2. Habit Stacking: Everyone has daily habits already in place: brushing your teeth, making coffee, etc. Why not tack on a positive habit to something you already do? While making coffee, drink a large glass of water to help you stay hydrated during the day. Habit stacking is a great way to start a new habit by adding it to something you already have in your daily routine. Check out How to Build New Habits by Taking Advantage of Old Ones by James Clear to for more ideas.

    3. The 4 Laws of Behavior Change are Cue, Craving, Response, and Reward. This can be used to build new habits and to break bad habits. Check out How to Start New Habits That Actually Stick by James Clear to learn how to implement behavior change with this technique.

    What habits do you need to break or start today?

  • Here’s to Senior Year!

    Here’s to Senior Year!

    Here’s to Senior Year!hpc senior year group photo

    My daughter is returning home from a surprise senior volleyball girls’ beach trip today, and I’m realizing these are the last days of her final summer as a high school student. A new school year is quickly approaching, and I am trying to wrap my brain around the fact that she will be leaving the nest soon. The days are long, but the years are short has never hit home like it does now. Revisit this post by our Founder to learn more about College Prep for Seniors.

    Here is a collection of blog posts and articles I’ve saved over the past year or so to help me prepare for this year. I hope it helps you too:

    Finally, a dear friend gave me a gift that will help me through this year. Starting 31 Prayers for My Daughter now.

    Did you know we offer an assessment and coaching session for students who need direction? Reach out to us at HPC for more information.

  • Repost! Career Development as Performance Management

    Repost! Career Development as Performance Management

    Career Development is becoming even more relevant in the workforce arena these days. Career Development as Performance Management is a great tool to attract and retain employees. 

    Revisit this blog post from 2021 for ideas on how to use Career Development as a Performance Management (& retention!) tool.

     

    I will be presenting at BSHRM on May 11 on this topic. We would love to see you there!

    Check out where else we will be in the coming weeks here.