Just a few punch list items left including under cabinet lighting.  What a vast difference from our old kitchen!    Getting rid of the dark ceiling and installing tile and counter tops that were white (instead of dark) makes such a difference for this relatively small kitchen. More work space and a much larger sink have made this kitchen much more functional, too.  The cabinet maker and general contractor were some of the best guys I have worked with in a long time.

Tile in, appliances in.  Next week the counters go in, as well as, the sink, disposal and dishwasher.  Getting closer…

So often when the clock strikes midnight on December 31^st, we are in a rush to throw out the old and move onto the new.  But I think it is important to acknowledge where we have been and what we have accomplished.  Frankly, it is an important employee communication piece and an important motivational piece.

Whenever you are in “build mode” it is taxing on those involved.  There is a high degree of heavy lifting in the content development phase and an increased level of anxiousness from a change management perspective.  Subject matter experts are tasked with extra work beyond their “day job” and fellow employees worry about their world changing including expectations and tasks.

In early 2016 I took a project identifying performance gaps in Fortis Construction Inc.’s employee development.    After numerous surveys, interviews and content reviews the gaps became obvious.  The areas of focus became:

• Content Development
• Content Delivery and Storage
• Customized Learning plan
• Onboarding
• Branding.

With such robust focus areas determined, one can imagine the fast and furious pace to achieve some of these items for 2016, given the rapid-paced environment that Fortis works under.  The accomplishments for the year were tremendous.  An on boarding curriculum was created with 14 new classes developed.  New hire paperwork became an electronic process instead of a time- consuming paper process on the new hire’s first day.  Customizable learning plans were developed and rolled out.

There is much more to achieve including a 2017 training strategy, a LMS to figure out and branding to develop.  But it is important to stop for a moment and acknowledge what has been accomplished and the work it took to achieve these audacious goals, so I developed a one- pager titled the 2016 Employee Development Snapshot.

The snapshot highlights development accomplishments, training attended (both required and optional; internal and external).  I also highlighted number of SME hours and freelance hours.  While putting together the snapshot, I learned a few things:

Record-keeping is key.  I learned that as an organization, we haven’t been too good about keeping track of things.  So for next year, I have already created tracking documents.  This is important since I will be developing snapshots for each year going forward.

Short and sweet ensures it gets read.  Given the fast-paced nature of our environment and the information overload that we all deal with, the snapshot is one page, with graphical representation where possible.  It is also a color document so that it stands out visually.  Wording is bulleted rather than full sentences for scanning readability.

Celebrate the wins and lay the ground work for future work.  The snapshot is meant to remind all employees of how far we have come and how the organization values the employee and their development.  It hopefully will inspire some employees to get involved in the next phase of work that needs to be completed, too.

A look back is as important as future planning.  Employees need the “pat on the back” for goals met.  The snapshot ensures employees stop for a moment and recognize what they have achieved before moving forward to conquer the future.

I love to cook but my delectable masterpieces originate from a cramped, dysfunctional kitchen.  The cabinets are falling apart, the bamboo floor is a mess (and don’t match any other flooring in the house!) and the counter space is lacking. So lacking that my sink is actually a bar sink (so that I could preserve as much counter space as possible).

When we moved in the house six years ago we changed the concrete counter to quartz and bought new appliances.  It was a quick way to live with the kitchen for the short term.  Even though I hate that I spent money on a quartz counter top that we were not able to use for the remodel, it has been beneficial to really see how I use the kitchen.  This history really helped me know what I wanted and needed in a new kitchen.

Right now, we are in week two of the remodel.  We went down to the studs, electrical has been updated, a new french door was installed,  drywall put up and currently new white oak floors are going in so that they match the main level flooring.

It will be exciting to see the final product.  I hope to have cabinets installed next week, if all goes well.  Half of my budget went to the cabinets.  They are custom, all wood, soft close with all the organizational bells and whistles.  Appliances are being delivered on February 25th, so that is my drop dead date (if only in my own mind).

Yesterday I went through a flurry of cooking.  I made pizza dough, ricotta cheese, yogurt and blueberry bran muffins.  I consider it a success when my 13 year old will eat bran so when she ate two of these muffins, I knew the recipe was post-worthy.  The recipe is from Barefoot Contessa.  The only change I made was to use frozen blueberries instead of fresh.  The result was stunning!

1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
7 ounces Greek-style yogurt (about 1 cup)
½ cup sugar
½ cup honey
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups wheat bran
1½ cups fresh blueberries (8 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

In large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, vegetable oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon, just until incorporated. Gently stir in the wheat bran until incorporated. Add the blueberries and stir until evenly distributed.

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups with a rounded 2¼-inch ice cream scoop. Bake for 22 to 30 minutes, until the tops are a golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

I love it when I can combine education with vacation.  We recently traveled to DC, NY and Cape Cod with our daughters.  DC on the fourth of July is about as patriotic as you can get.  We watched fireworks on The National Mall.  All 27 minutes of the display were splendid!

We visited the White House and completed an informative and exhaustive tour of The Capitol with a wonderful intern that even captured the attention of the 12 year-old.  The mosaic floors were stunning.

 

 

 

 

All of the museums were educational, enlightening and even magical, at times.  In particular, the American History Museum was a hit given it had an exhibit displaying the original Star Spangled Banner!  The sobering Holocaust Museum did not frighten my kids and although the passbooks with individuals outlined added a personal touch, I thought the museum could have really brought the concept to life, if visitors followed that person’s journey though the exhibits, too, rather than just on paper.

We ended the DC portion of our trip in Arlington Cemetery.  My daughter commented that “true heroes lived here.”  I could not have come up with a more accurate statement.

In New York City we rented bikes and strolled through Central Park, meandered through a very crowded (and eclectic) Times Square, and visited the 9/11 Memorial.  Again, a trip steeped in meaning and lots of questions from the kids.

Cape Cod was also quintessential Americana with American flags draped on just about every building.  Cape Cod was the most low key of the places we visited; no heavy museum tours and miles of walking, just good, relaxing family time.