The RESPECT of Florida e-Newsletter
September 2019


RESPECT of Florida is the central non-profit agency for the State of Florida that helps employ about 1,250 Floridians with disabilities through the production of commodities and contractual services that are sold to government entities. If you would like to learn more about us or browse our catalog, visit us at:  respectofflorida.org

A Message from RESPECT of Florida
 
September was a busy month at the RESPECT office. This month we presented the Florida Department of Transportation  with a Commitment Award at the Florida Public Transportation Association/Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged Annual Conference. RESPECT contracts with FDOT employ more than 430 Floridians with disabilities annually. We are so thankful to have FDOT as a trusted partner.
 
We met with five other trusted partners this month; Department of Lottery, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of Economic Opportunity, and Department of Corrections. We understand that the secretaries and directors of these agencies have full schedules and we appreciate their willingness to take their time to meet with us and discuss future projects with RESPECT.
 
On September 25, RESPECT held its annual awards luncheon in Clearwater to recognize the hard work performed on RESPECT contracts. We had record-breaking attendance with more than 200 people attending the ceremony; it was standing room only. This year's luncheon was a phenomenal display of the pride felt by workers with disabilities and support from their friends and family. We are so happy to honor so many deserving individuals.  

Spotlight on Success:

  
RESPECT would like to recognize Willie Carter as one of RESPECT's Outstanding Employees of 2018!  
 
Willie Carter is a hard-working and helpful employee at Gadsden ARC. He works on the litter crew five days per week. His goal is to live in his own apartment, and this job is sure to help him achieve that goal.
 
Congratulations Willie!

Commodity of the Month
  
 
     
The 2020 calendars have landed! RESPECT offers  a laminated wall calendar that features the months horizontally on one side and vertically on the other. Users can write reminders with dry eraser markers and easily erase if you have to reschedule.
 
Our desk calendar features the major holidays and a horizontal listing of all the months at the top of the calendar.
 
Call customer service today or make an order through the punchout catalog. Let us help you plan on making next year a great year!  



RESPECT of Florida Awards Second Micro-Enterprise Grant   


This year, RESPECT received two deserving Micro-Enterprise Grant proposals. We are thrilled to announce that both proposals will each receive a full grant this year. This grant is an opportunity for an individual with a disability who has an entrepreneurial spirit to receive funds that will kick start or enhance his or her business. Our second proposal came from Elizabeth "Ellie" Brown, owner of Brady's Biscuits.
 
Ellie has always loved dogs. A few years ago, Ellie and her family got a new Bichon puppy. She named him Brady after her favorite football player Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. Ellie is Brady's primary trainer and caretaker, and she works with a local dog trainer who helps her with training.
 
Each Christmas, Ellie likes to give out dog treats as gifts to  neighbors and family members. The dog trainer she works with suggested that she might like to make her own dog treats at home to give out. She researched recipes, and with Brady's help, she found a healthy recipe both she and Brady thought was great. The treats were an instant hit, and Ellie soon began receiving requests for more treats. From this, in her own family kitchen, she created Brady's Biscuits.
 
Ellie has a current website and plans to add a "buy now" option with the ability to process payments for convenient online shopping. With the grant funds, she intends to purchase needed ingredients to make more treats for inventory and supplies for labeling and shipping the products. To learn more about Ellie and Brady, visit Brady's Biscuits online.
 
2019 marks the fourth year and the eighth grant awarded by RESPECT to an entrepreneur with a disability. For more information on RESPECT's past   Micro-Enterprise Grant recipients, please visit the RESPECT website.
     
RESPECT Hosts Service Contracts Training in Lake City 
 
RESPECT services staff hosted a statewide training for service contracts in Lake City in August. The training agenda covered the importance of following a contract's scope of work, the Florida Department of Transportation Handbook, RESPECT Program Reviews, Compliance to program policies and procedures, and a panel discussion on Performance and Quality.
 
The training was well attended and was also recorded for individuals who were not able to attend the in person training. RESPECT enjoys providing training to its partner agencies, so we can always ensure the best performance possible on our contracts.
 
This specific training was more focused on FDOT, District 2 Rest Area contracts, but also included broader information about programmatic procedures and compliance. Nine RESPECT staff attended to provide the training and about 14 partner representatives attended.
 

How to Motivate Your Team     
 
 
HR & Compliance Director, Dayna Lenk
Your project lead sits at his desk doodling while the other employees are eagerly completing their work assignments. The day is almost over, and it is clear the employee will have nothing to show for their eight hours of work. As their manager, you want to light a fire under the employee and get them motivated. Apathetic employees can be the ultimate frustration for a manager, but you cannot magically transform an unmotivated employee into the office superstar. It takes effort.
 
The usual tendency for managers to react to disengaged, lackluster performance with threats, pressures and pushes. After all, you are paying for performance and not inactivity. However, research has shown that more pressure in the form of rewards or write ups, yelling, or threatening, typically causes more problems than it solves. While those actions might get your short-term compliance in the long-term this behavior is likely to continue and possibly become worse.
 
So, is there another way to motivate the unmotivated? You must find something that is a motive, something that fulfills them. Or you have got to move them to a place or position where they can do something where they are fulfilled.
 
By definition, unmotivated employees have the capability of doing their jobs, but simply are not producing results. As a manager, it is your job to do whatever it takes to get them involved and wanting to do their very best, but how? There are no surefire ways to inspire motivation in the unmotivated, but there are steps you can take to improve your odds:
 
Accept that you cannot force motivation. Reject the concept that motivation is something you do to others. As a manager you can equip, coach, train, and inspire your employees, but you cannot force them to be motivated. Motivation is internal, an employee who does not want to change will not.
 
Hire right. The easiest way to have motivated employees is to hire the right people for the right job. Look for self-motivated employees, employees who fit into your company culture, employees who are equipped and well qualified to do the job. When you hire right, motivation typically takes care of itself.
 
Demonstrate the behavior. A leader can only inspire motivation if they model motivated behavior themselves. A leader always sets the tone for their team. If you want a successful and productive team, then you cannot demonstrate lazy behavior.
 
Manage by walking around. Managers should spend time walking around the office, watching each person's reactions to events, listening, and taking notes about what everyone is drawn to and what their employees struggle with. Walking around and talking to your employees and inquiring about their work shows you care about their work, that you are engaged and knowledgeable about their work. A manager who is involved inspires motivation easier than the manager who is uninvolved.
 
Ask what is the problem. E ven the best employees can become exhausted, ineffective, or cynical at work. When you notice a performance issue the only way to handle it is to face the issue and have a real conversation. Asking an employee if they are OK, and if there is anything you can do to help, is often enough to begin resolving issues. As a manager, you have an obligation to your team, and it is your objective to establish a relationship that allows for open and honest conversations about any issues when they arise.
 
Recognize Growth. It is disheartening when we feel no progress, when the work we do seems futile. The result of the stagnation is the employee's motivation dies. When progress is being made and victories are being won, there is no better motivator. Progress is powerful. Reflect with your employees on how far they have come, and the good work accomplished.
 
Knowledge is power. You cannot inspire motivation in an employee who you do not understand. Question number one should be to find out why they are not working up to their potential. Determining what the gap is between ability and execution is the only way a manager can assist the employee in solving the problem. The more a manager knows the better chance they will have of uncovering what incentives motivate their employee. Is it money, flexibility, prestige, recognition, workplace relationships? What aspects of the current working environment do they find challenging and discouraging? Once the motivators are known by the manager then they can go about solving the problem.
 
Paint the big picture. To garner the most results, you must be able to explain the big picture. It is easy for an employee to get lost in the tactical details of work, but not understand how all of the details tie together to create the panoramic picture of the organization's mission. Tying the details together demonstrates the value of each small step and how it works to hold the ultimate vision together.
 
Set goals. When an employee understands the goal they are working towards, then it is easier for them to plan and manage their time in order to realize that goal. Not being given clear milestones and timelines is confusing and can make tasks feel useless and a waste of time.
 
Completing projects ahead of time, or achieving over-and-beyond the original target, can be a great boost to motivation, especially when the manager takes the time to acknowledge the accomplishment.
 
Set clear expectations. It is very difficult for an employee to meet expectations when they do not know what the expectations are. A critical success factor is to make your performance expectations very clear. Tell an employee what is acceptable and what is not. An unmotivated, sub-standard performance is never an acceptable goal. Clear communication is always needed when strong performance is desired.
 
Tap their interests. You do not have to pressure people to do what interests them. This option is not always readily available and as a manager you may have to think outside of the box to discover how to make this happen, but when you can the results can be amazing.
 
Allow employees to move on. Sometimes an employee is just in the wrong position. When the employee does not have the skills and motivation needed to perform their role, then the management solution is straightforward: They should not be in the job. It is the role of the manager to either transfer them to a new position or release them to find and fulfill their potential in another organization.
 
All effective leaders want their organizations to be filled with motivated employees, but inspiring real motivation is not a quick task. Bribery and temper tantrums may produce quick results, but those results will come at a cost and they will not last. Long-term motivation comes from within the employee themselves, and the major function of a successful leader is to work on inspiring motivation by focusing on the growth of their team.
 
The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion.


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