How Strong Are Your Connections?
As we launch into a new year, my practice is to reflect on the year past and focus on the future. While no longer participating in the exercise of “making resolutions,” I do, however, identify goals. Goals that help ensure I execute on those priorities of importance to me.
I’ve lived in the Washington area my entire life. I’ve spent my entire professional career developing relationships with my colleagues, clients, my team and the community. Together we combine to form one connected ecosystem. The quality of these relationships is what drives a great degree of the success that my team and I can have in making an impact. The quality of these relationships is often a reflection of the level of commitment invested in them.
One of my goals for 2013 is to enhance the quality of these relationships that I so truly value. How that may show up for me is to ensure I’m reaching out and being intentional about connecting. One can’t delegate a relationship and expect to maintain it long. Engage them. Learn about the people in your life. What motivates them, what are their strengths, their goals, their passion? Lead the conversation. Be open to recognizing that the most important conversation in our companies, with our families and maybe even ourselves, is the one that we often are not having.
Last week I was intentional about calling people I hadn’t connected with in some time. People I admire, respect and enjoy being around. I called one or two each day on the way into the office and on the way home. As a result, I found that my own energy level and optimism soared after our reconnection. If that happened in just one week with just a few calls, I can’t even imagine what will happen after a whole year’s worth of reconnecting…but I suspect it will be incredible!
As a society, we often place great value on “networking,” yet it’s the relationships that hold value. And there is no guarantee that networking builds relationships. If we took a moment to reflect, we would agree that we’ve built a lifetime of relationships. My goal this year is to do a better job of nurturing those relationships being intentional in my outreach and my engagement. And for me, my goals are always easier to stay focused on when I “share them out loud” ensuring I hold myself accountable. It’s too easy not to execute on our intentions. Maintaining the relations I value is too important to allow that to happen.
Wishing you a new year that exceeds your expectations!
Leap Year and the Payroll Predicament
By Andrea Parker, HR Business Partner
A leap year contains one extra day in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year. In each leap year, the month of February has 29 days instead of 28. Adding an extra day to the calendar every four years compensates for the fact that a period of 365 days is shorter than a solar year by almost 6 hours.
Why is this information important other than a potential Jeopardy question? It’s because the added day of the year is relative to payroll processing calculations. This means that two days of the week will occur 53 times during a leap year. For typical years of 365 days, only one day of the week repeats 53 times. It might not seem all that complicated, unless that 53rd day of the week falls on a scheduled payday. If this happens, then employers that are used to having 52 paydays per year (or 26 if they pay biweekly) could face a payroll dilemma on how to account for this extra payday.
Companies should consider all the options in recalculating paychecks before making a final decision. There are four options that may be used to deal with the extra pay period:
- Do nothing;
- Change the employees’ pay for 53 pay periods;
- Change the standard hours used for calculating rates; or
- Change the pay cycle.
You will want to do a cost analysis of the monetary savings of reducing the number of payrolls processed in a year. If you are currently paying weekly, you have 52/53 payrolls, but if you pay semi-monthly you would only have 24 payrolls. If your company is still using paper checks, mailing or sending overnight packages, or using an outsourced vendor, these costs can be reduced by changing to a semi-monthly frequency. Whatever your payroll prerogative, the best solution is to have a conversation with your payroll company. It is most likely that leap year payroll is a processing event that your payroll company is well prepared to manage for you.
MLK Day of Service
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?”
Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the King Holiday to serve their neighbors and communities. The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President’s national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. MLK Day is a chance to start the year off right by making an impact in your community. Share with us what you are doing today in honor of Martin Luther King day!
For a list of opportunities in our neighborhood, please visit here.
From Our Team To Yours, Happy Holidays!
Happy Thanksgiving
On this day, the day before the Thanksgiving holiday as I reflect– I realize how much I personally have to be grateful for. It’s been an incredible year, both personally and professionally. I am reminded by a quote I have read from G.B. Stern, “Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” I share my thoughts of gratitude for each of you, with each of you. Helios would not be able to make the impact that it does, without your support. Thank you for your commitment to Helios and to our community. My wish for you is that you too share your gratitude with those special to you.
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday and moments of expressed gratitude.
Fondly,
Kathy