THE
INBOX Delivering the latest news to Henry County employees
May ‘16 Published by Henry County Communications Department & Henry County Board of Commissioners Editors Melissa Robinson Samantha Watson Graphic Designer Samantha Watson Contributors Meredith Butler Melissa Robinson Samantha Watson Kevin Williams Chyah Williams-Thompson
Please contribute to the monthly employee newsletter! Email Communications Specialist, Samantha Watson at swatson@co.henry.ga.us. Contributions can include: original artwork, comics, pictures, announcements, classifieds or columns.
How to Give Great Customer Service 1. Be polite. Saying please and thank you will help you get friendly responses and less negative attitude; most people respond well to positive interactions. 2. Be personal. Using a person’s name during a conversation lets them know you’re paying attention and helps them do the same. Try finding common topics of interest when conversing because people tend to like other people who are similar to them. 3. Do what you say you will. People are more likely to think of and respond to you positively if you do what you say you will do. If you say you’ll call back in five minutes, don’t make it ten. 4. Be reachable. Make sure people you interact with know your name how to contact you. 5. Be punctual. Respond as soon as possible to phone calls and emails. Don’t be late to meetings; it could be taken as a sign of disrespect if you don’t show up on time.
By Samantha Watson
6. Be consistent. People want and expect a consistent, friendly attitude from staff members they come into contact with when they reach out to a department. 7. Be truthful. It’s okay to say you don’t know the answer to something; you can’t know everything! Don’t guess an answer, take the time to figure it out. 8. Be an active listener. Four components to active listening are clarifying, paraphrasing, reflecting feelings and summarizing. Practicing these will help a person know you are paying attention and are invested in the conversation. 9. Be memorable. The more memorable you are to a person, the more comfortable they will feel about talking to you again. Be memorable in a positive and authentic sense. 10. Be proactive. People respond well to eager helpfulness. If you can offer a fix to a problem they have yet to tell you about, you’ll gain brownie points.
May ‘16
Getting Strong with sam Desk Essentials The following list was born from countless midshift runs to CVS and visits to neighboring offices in search for obvious, yet overlooked items. These are all the things desk dwellers wish they had in their drawers... • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Pain relief medicine Tums Travel size lotion Nail file and clippers Packaged healthy snacks Hot tea bags/Keurig k cups Tissues Compact mirror Phone charger Plastic ware and hot sauce Comfy shoes Chapstick Compact umbrella Floss and a tootbrush Hand sanitizer Headphones Gum and mints Light jacket “Tide to go” stain pen Band-aids Refillable water bottle Hair tie and hair brush Lint roller Deoderant or fragrance spritz Exercise clothes Baby wipes Lysol wipes The Inbox
Toned Legs
1. Single-leg circle: (left) Lie on your back with your arms by your sides, palms facing down. Point your left foot and raise your left leg up to the ceiling. Inhale and trace a circle on the ceiling with your leg, moving your whole leg but keeping your hips still and on the ground. Trace the circle five times in a clockwise direction and repeat in a counter-clockwise direction. Switch legs and repeat five times. 2. Dumbbell lunge pulse: (right) Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lunge forward with your left leg, keeping your knee above your ankle, straightening your right leg as much as you can and keeping your back straight. Stay here for one minute and softly bounce, or pulse, up and down to create a burning sensation. Repeat on the other leg. 3. Plyometric squat: Stand with your feet shoulderwidth apart. Squat down, bending your knees to 90 degrees. Use the strength in your legs and butt to jump up explosively and then land softly again in the squat position, keeping your knees bent and weight back over your heals. Do three sets of eight reps.
Beginner - Intermediate - Advanced
May Health Observances May is Arthritis Awareness Month, Hepatitis Awareness Month, Mental Health Month, International Mediterranean Diet Month, National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, National Stroke Awareness Month and Melanoma Detection and Prevention Month.
Chickpea Salad Combine all the following ingredients in a large bowl that you can refridgerate. • 1 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed. • 1 cucumber, cubed. • 1 red onion, diced. • 1 container of cherry tomatoes, halved. • 1 green peper, diced. • 1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsely, finely chopped. • Juice of 1/2 a lemon. According to the Mayo Clinic, a traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
Breakfast Fruit medley with a whole grain bagel and plain light cream cheese.
Snack Baba ganoush with carrots and sweet peppers.
Lunch Whole wheat pita sandwhich with grilled chicken, spinach, onion and tahini with a tabouli salad.
Snack Plain greek yogurt with berries.
Dinner Roasted sweet potatos topped with lentals, olive oil and tumeric with hummus and a greek salad.
Snack The diet emphasizes eating primarity plantbased foods, such as fruits and veggies, whole grains, legumes and nuts. The diet also calls for the replacement of butter with healthy fats like olive and canola oil. Instead of salt, food is seasoned with herbs and spices. Consumption of red meat is limited to a few times a month, but fish and poultry should be eaten two to three times a week.
Chickpea salad with a glass of red wine. This sample menu is a simple guide that features whole, unprocessed foods. There are six meals, so each meal portion should be small. Eating multiple small meals every 2-3 hours will decrease cravings, stabilize your metabolism and increase your energy.
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May ‘16
SAFETY FIRST First aid preparedness with Chyah Williams-Thompson
Do you know where your department’s first aid kit is or the last time it was inspected? It is important to discuss a first aid program with your teammembers so that everyone knows where the kit is and what’s in it. Every department should name a “first aid monitor” who can periodically check the kit and restock used items. According to OSHA, a first aid kit/program should be monitored regularly. Training supplies, equipment and policies should all be modified as needed to ensure that safety and health are maintained on the job. All first aid kits should contain the following items:
Police Dept. Memorial Service
The Inbox
• Regular gauze pads (at least 4 by 4 inches) • Two large gauze pads (at least 8 by 10 inches) • A box of adhesive bandages • One gauze roller bandage • Two triangular bandages • Wound cleaning agent • Scissors • At least one blanket • Tweezers • Adhesive tape • Latex gloves • Resuscitation equipment (such as resuscitation bag or airway or pocket mask) • Two elastic wraps • A splint • Directions for requesting emergency assistance
Doris Patterson
Henry County Government welcomed Mrs. Doris Patterson to the County on April 25, 2016 as the new Human Resources Director. She has served for more than 25 years in the Human Resources profession in various roles and diverse work environments, including private industry, government and service sectors. Her government experience began as a college intern while studying at California State University, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communication. Doris has earned numerous accolades throughout her career, including the distinctive career certification of Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) in 2005, and the SHRM-SCP (Senior Certified Professional) in 2015. Her broad HR experience includes leadership and supervision of employment and training divisions, recruitment, employee relations, policy and performance management programs, EEO, HR legal and regulatory compliance programs, safety, benefits and compensation programs, and HR budget administration. Doris regards her life-long career in HR as a privilege, loves what she does and has a sincere passion for serving people. She looks forward to years of service to the staff and citizens of Henry County.
Congratulations to Kevin Romero, son of SPLOST Transportation Projects Director Roque Romero, for earning the rank of Eagle Scout in his Boy Scouts of America Troop 118 of Brooks, GA. To achieve Scouting’s highest rank, Kevin built three wooden benches for Inman Elementary School Pictured l. to r.: Roque Romero, Kevin Romero and Maria Romero. in Fayette County, where two of his sisters study. Kevin started as a Cub Scout at the age of six and has devoted 12 years to the Boy Scouts. He will graduate from Whitewater High School this month and will attend the University of Georgia in the fall to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with the intention of continuing on into law school.
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Office Notes
Massage Therapy • Onsite massage therapy with Lauren Mullennix is offered at the administration building on most Thursdays. Sessions last 10 min. for $10. Call Melodi Ford to schedule an appt. 770-288-6804. Cash only due at time of service.
Office Shoutout • The Henry County Times honored Henry County Senior Services Director Diane Reed in its May 11 edition with a front page story on her retirement from the Geranium Festival planning team after more than two decades as a volunteer.
Retirements • • • • •
Debra Brown - Resource Court Pamela Hart - Tax Commissioners Office Steve Hutchison - Sheriff’s Office Robby Russel - Fire Department Dwain Sayers - Sheriff’s Office
Lunch & Learn • The Extensions Office is hosting a Lunch and Learn lecture with an emphasis on butterfly plants presented by Dr. Kris Braman on June 14 at noon at the Extensions Office in Heritage Park. Participants should bring their own lunch. The Inbox
Scientists researched what to discover the aerodynamics used in the F-117 fighter? The Invictus Games, an international athletic competition for wounded vets, was founded by what famous veteran? Reporter Joe Rosenthal was named an Honorary Marine for taking what famous photograph? Who is pictured on the Purple Heart Medal? The U.S. Naval Academy is located in what state? What cartoon character was given the rank of Honorary Marine Master Sergeant? Union General George Meade defeated Robert E. Lee at what famous July 1-3, 1863 battle? The 2016 Invictus Games are being held where? What war is called “the chemists war” due to the use of poison gases and explosives? Who are the only two Presidents who commanded troops in a time of war? Answers to the triva questions are listed on the employee intranet on the communications page.
It’s hot! I can’t get cool, I’ve drunk a quart of lemonade. I think I’ll take my shoes off And sit around in the shade. It’s hot! My back is sticky. The sweat rolls down my chin. I think I’ll take my clothes off
And sit around in my skin. It’s hot! I’ve tried with ’lectric fans, And pools and ice cream cones. I think I’ll take my skin off And sit around in my bones. It’s still hot! by Shel Silverstein
Summer i-Spy • • • •
Eel Whale Flip flop Sea shell
• Stack of • Cocktail books umprella • Cantaloupe • Volleyball • Fishing pole
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