On Monday we celebrated our 60th Annual Golf outing and despite some soggy moments it was a great day! Some pictures just are too good not to share, so thanks to Wayne HealthCare for honoring this very special moment at the outing. IYKYK.

We have new members to celebrate this week, ribbon cuttings to share and more!

And let me remind everyone... if you think others in your organization should receive our Weekly Update... just sign them up on our website at https://www.darkecountyohio.com/weekly-update

Have a great week!

Peggy

We want to welcome the following new member to the Chamber of Commerce:

803 Martin Street

Greenville, Ohio

937-564-8131

Greenville Area Dog Club is a nonprofit organization offering classes to help you learn to train your dog. Your instructors are all members of the club who volunteer their time and talent because they love dogs and enjoy working with people. The instructors devote much time and planning in order to provide an efficient program for your enjoyment and benefit. All dogs are welcome to take classes.

Saturday, August 13

11:30 AM

803 Martin Street  Greenville

Sunday, August 14

2:00 PM

Friday, August 19

8:00 AM

Want to know more about benefits that are available to Chamber Members? Check out www.darkecountyohio.com/benefits

Workplace trends come and go like snack carts, but these trends may very well revolutionize the way we work because they are just so darn appealing to most employees.

But before we go into these workplace trends, know that they are not for everyone. Your business may not be able to function if you put them into operation. There are some businesses that simply require employees in seats, seats that are customer-facing in a central location. But if you do have the flexibility to adopt some of these, you may see very big changes in productivity and morale. These things may be what the employee of tomorrow is looking for.

Say good-bye to 8-5 or even shift work. Now, there’s something leaner. Asynchronous work environments don’t have set schedules. They allow employees to work an agreed upon number of hours a week but that work can be done whenever the employee wants to do it. That means Employee “A” could work 8-11 AM and then again 5-10 PM, while Employee “B” works her 32 hours in only three days out of the week.

Some asynchronous office environments have employees in different time zones, but some are in a central office that simply pays no heed to time, only product being moved/created or duties getting done. This is no different than how you might work with a freelancer. You know they’re doing the work and you know the deadline for deliverables. You’re just not in control of when it’s worked on.

Some companies adopted flat leadership environments (or Holacracy) when it was new to the scene in 2007 or shortly thereafter (including Zappos in 2014), but we’re starting to see a resurgence in it embraced by large companies like UBS bank, which got rid of all titles above managing director last year. A flat leadership environment tasks leaders of projects, not leaders of people. It does away with top-down managing and 1-2 people at the top of the company giving orders to everyone underneath them in pyramid formation.

Instead, Holacracy focuses on how leaders can lead from every level and gives younger people a way to lead on individual projects, not through titles. With younger people desiring leadership roles and contributing to a work environment from their first day on the job (they don’t feel the need to earn seniority before sharing suggestions), this idea could become the new trend in work.

With more discussions about the importance of mental health and wellness, employers can expect to make changes based on employee expectations. Managers will start weighing the importance of productivity over “time in seat.” With work from home and hybrid work environments, we’re starting to see the time clock punching mentality lessen its hold on business. Employees are starting to notice that if the goals are being met, where employees are, and when they’re working, is less important.

As of this writing, businesses are trying to recover from the Great Exit, where employees left the workforce in droves. To reestablish trust again, employers are going to have to create environments that are as appealing as the freedom in working for oneself. That requires flexibility and good benefits. 

The next decade will have a great impact on how/where we work and how that shapes the workplace. After all, efficiencies in manufacturing ushered in the industrial revolution. We might just be seeing an employee-led revolution leading into 2030.

Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH) introduced the Stop the Cartels Act. This legislation would create common-sense reforms to reduce human trafficking, increase bilateral efforts to stop crime at the southern border and reduce illegal immigration.

 

“Currently, criminal cartels have more control of our southern border than our border patrol,” said Rep. Davidson. "These cartels are responsible for the human and drug trafficking going on in our country and endangering our communities across America.” Read more...

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced that more than 1,000 K-12 schools across Ohio will receive state assistance to pay for security upgrades that enhance the safety of students and staff.

While speaking this morning at the Ohio School Safety Summit in Columbus, Governor DeWine announced that 1,183 schools in 81 counties will receive nearly $47 million in grant funding as part of his Ohio K-12 School Safety Grant Program. Grants equal the amount requested by each school up to $50,000. Funds will be used to cover expenses associated with physical security enhancements such as security cameras, public address systems, automatic door locks, visitor badging systems, and exterior lighting. 

"With the start of the new school year quickly approaching, we want students, staff, and parents to know that we care about school safety, and we're working every day to make sure that rural, urban, and suburban schools alike have the safety and security resources they need," said Governor DeWine. "Helping schools pay for important security improvements is just one component of our comprehensive school safety approach that also supports the mental wellbeing of our kids and the work of local law enforcement to prevent crime."

Governor DeWine first launched the K-12 School Safety Grant Program in 2021 with an appropriation of $5 million in Senate Bill 310 of the 133rd General Assembly, which was awarded in May to 98 schools in 27 counties. This year, the Governor and legislature partnered to increase the grant program by an additional $100 million with support from the American Rescue Plan Act. Read more...

We thank the Diamond Circle and Executive Prestige level members

for their ongoing support of the Darke County Chamber of Commerce.