AALAS Connection

How Secrets Made Us Stronger: Giving the Gift of Appreciation

By Morgan McCloud, BA

For Staff Appreciation Day, the AALAS Social Committee planned an initiative to allow members to spend time getting to know each other and express their appreciation. Instead of making one catch-all appreciation note, a “secret pal” that they had to learn about, both their job and their interests, was assigned to each staff member. This was a weeks-long project that presented staff with the opportunity to get creative in learning more about their “secret pal” and their contributions to AALAS. It was presented to the team two weeks before Staff Appreciation Day, giving everyone plenty of time to plan.

The supplies needed to complete this are posterboards, sticky notes, markers, employee names either on paper or digitally, and optional decorations for the posterboards. Once the staff passed around a bucket and drew names randomly, the committee explained that staff members would learn about their secret pal and their work to write encouraging words for them. Optionally, they can even get some treats as an additional surprise.

Following that meeting, the committee placed a poster board in the atrium for people to post positive notes for their secret pals. That one posterboard quickly expanded to four as everyone all came together and celebrated each other for their hard work and commitment to AALAS. Many people began to show their more creative sides by including photos of their secret pal on their notes, adding stickers, and creating fun cutouts of their secret pals. “It gave us a chance to learn more about our coworkers that we might not see very often because they are in a different department,” said Heather Lampi. Reading through the sticky notes allowed everyone to learn about each other and their accomplishments.

This initiative was beneficial to those who are brand new to AALAS. Alison Brown elaborated, “As a brandnew staff member at AALAS, I really liked that this event helped me learn more about my secret pal as a person and a professional. It was also fun to help others be a bit sneaky in planning and delivering surprises to their secret pals!” Departments worked together by exchanging ideas, organizing gift drop-offs while people were away from their desks, or delivering gifts for each other, saying it was from their secret pal.

Friday, March 4, was the culmination of those events: Staff Appreciation Day. As everyone commiserated and

ate doughnuts, it was clear that the AALAS staff took the initiative to heart, and formerly secret pals were now real-life pals. Many phrases like, “I thought it was you,” and “Wow, you really tricked me” were heard all day.

Towards the end, everyone agreed to take their notes to their work spaces as they headed back to their departments. “The main thing I took away from it was how great it feels to do something kind for another person,” said Heather Lampi. “It brought a smile to my face to really focus on positivity with so much negativity in the world right now.” Chandler Carlisle’s takeaway was, “No matter how close you work with someone, there is always something new to learn about them, whether it be personal or work-related. This experience made me venture out and speak to people I usually do not get the chance to talk with a lot. It was also very nice to have nice things about me said; it made me feel more valued as an individual!”

Morgan McCloud, BA, is the Communications Coordinator for AALAS in Memphis, TN.

ANIMAL HEALTH DIAGNOSTICS

For more than 30 years

Our priority has been to ensure our clients accessibility to the highest level of expertise and customer service in the industry. We are dedicated to providing you non-biased high-quality results with fast turnaround times with unmatched customer service.

Quality Diagnostics

THE VRL ADVANTAGE

Reliable Results • Fast Turnaround Times Fast Turnaround Knowledgeable Scientific Staff

Times Customer Focused

Diagnostic Testing

Independent Laboratory

Client & Technical Service

Animal Health Monitoring

• Virology • Chemistry • Bacteriology • Aquatics • Parasitology • Environmental Testing

For a complete range of products and services, request our catalog or view it online at www.vrl.net Visit our new improved website for your testing needs www.vrl.net

Looking for Leaders in Louisville: What Is the AALAS Emergent Leadership Forum?

By Carolyn Malinowski, DACLAM, CMAR, and Drew Martin, DACLAM

Are you a leader at your local branch level and looking for your next ample opportunity to utilize and hone your leadership skills? Perhaps you've always wanted to learn more about the National AALAS committee and leadership participation – what are these roles, and what do they entail? The AALAS Emergent Leadership Forum (ELF), formerly known as Leadership Academy, may be just your ticket! ELF is a one-day workshop organized by the Leadership Development Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the AALAS Executive Committee. Attendees spend the day learning about a variety of AALAS and leadership-related topics including, but not limited to, association structure and governance, including legal policies, tips on how to be successful as a board or committee member, leadership styles and characteristics, and guidance in dealing with the media and public relations. The Forum is open to branch representatives and other potential leaders at no cost and is held annually on Sunday at the AALAS National Meeting.

Registration is open to AALAS members who are interested in getting involved and becoming leaders in the field, whether that be at a branch, district, or national level. It is a chance to learn more about the organization of AALAS, meet the leadership, and network with other like-minded individuals.

The agenda for the day includes meals (breakfast and lunch), ice breaker and networking activities, and interactive talks from AALAS leadership. Speaker topics typically cover AALAS volunteering and the path to participating in branch and national leadership, how AALAS operates as an organization and the opportunities available for individual participation, identifying your leadership style, and learning how to coach colleagues to communicate with confidence, and branch resources. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with the AALAS Board of Trustees at lunch, and the AALAS Executive Committee will participate in the program throughout the day.

Branch leaders and other AALAS members attend the

Emergent Leadership Forum to gain valuable knowledge and experience to incorporate into leadership at their local branches and as they navigate a path to national leadership. Prior attendees shared their feedback on the program:

• "It was a great day that definitely left me feeling more prepared to take on a bigger leadership role in my branch and excited about the possibility of getting involved with

AALAS on a district and national level. I'm excited to bring back potential ideas to implement in our branch." • "I wanted to take the opportunity to learn more about the

AALAS organization and how to get more involved. I also wanted to learn more about what it means to be a leader within the organization." • "I love learning about the opportunities I have and the ways in which I can be a better leader." • "I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the Leadership

Academy. The flow of all events was great, and I would just say keep doing what you are doing-encouraging and educating us. Delighted to have been connected with people near and far in the various parts of the industry." • "I liked the tips on how to communicate. I really enjoy learning more about what I can do to be a better communicator within this field and about what I do." • "I have been an AALAS member for many years but learned so much more about the organization by attending the

AALAS Leadership Academy. I'm excited to share this information with my branch."

This year, the ELF will take place at the National Meeting in Louisville, KY, on Sunday, October 23. Registration for the ELF is limited and opens first for priority registration for branch leaders, followed by opportunities for the general membership to register if spots remain available. Please contact ELF@aalas.org if you have questions about the program or how to attend. Stay tuned for AALAS announcements when registration opens! If you are currently in branch leadership or are interested in assuming a leadership role in the future at the branch or national level, don't miss out on this great opportunity to attend the Emergent Leadership Forum!