Blog

  • Kallie’s Keys to PDA: Network your way to Happy Holidays

    Published: December 12, 2011 by Kallie Bonnell Categories: Food & Drink, Networking & Social, Professional Development Comments: 0

    Around this time of year there are limitless opportunities for networking. From your company holiday party, to a professional organization’s Merry Mingles, to your neighbors’ ugly sweater party, there’s no shortage of networking opportunities. Here is a quick list of networking tips and tricks to get the most out of these events!

    Before: Make a POA

    Having a plan of attack  (POA) is essential for successful networking. If you’re going to the holiday party to just hang out and have a good time, a plan may not be necessary, but if you want to achieve a specifcic goal, remember to follow... read on

  • Kallie’s Keys to PDA: Network your way to Happy Holidays

    Published: December 12, 2011 by Kallie Bonnell Categories: Food & Drink, Networking & Social, Professional Development Comments: 0

    Around this time of year there are limitless opportunities for networking. From your company holiday party, to a professional organization’s Merry Mingles, to your neighbors’ ugly sweater party, there’s no shortage of networking opportunities. Here is a quick list of networking tips and tricks to get the most out of these events!

    Before: Make a POA

    Having a plan of attack  (POA) is essential for successful networking. If you’re going to the holiday party to just hang out and have a good time, a plan may not be necessary, but if you want to achieve a specifcic goal, remember to follow... read on

  • Kallie’s Keys to PDA: Meetings, meetings, meetings

    Published: November 16, 2011 by Kallie Bonnell Categories: Professional Development Comments: 1

    No matter whether you live your day in meetings or you just have a few on your calendar a month, most everyone can agree that meetings can be important and should be useful. Recently, I needed to prepare for a meeting, which got me thinking about the things that make a good meeting. Below is a bulleted list:

    • Know the purpose of the meeting
    • Know who will be at the meeting and their purpose for attendance
    • Identify the time frame you’re responsible for
    • Create an agenda
    • Create time lines to go along with agenda items
    • Identify the goals and desired action items for your... read on

  • Kallie’s Keys to PDA: Get your brand right

    Published: October 20, 2011 by Kallie Bonnell Categories: Networking & Social, Professional Development Comments: 0

    I believe that those who excel do so because of consistency. Just like a finely-tuned athlete, to do well in “the big game” is to do well in practice. It's that simple.

    So, when it comes to professional development, it’s key to consistently manage your brand online, in the event that you find yourself job searching.

    It doesn’t take a “social media expert” to update and maintain accurate, helpful content for potential employers to connect with your brand. Taking the time to establish and consistently contribute to your online brand is akin to the difference between consumers choosing... read on

  • Kallie’s Key to PDA: Divide and Conquer

    Published: September 22, 2011 by Kallie Bonnell Categories: Lifestyle & Wellness, Networking & Social, Professional Development Comments: 1

    A wise woman once said, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.”

    That wise woman was my childhood television idol, Lucille Ball. To this day she remains a woman that I respect for the hard work she put into her career and the foundation she laid for many a career woman, like myself.

    But, the idea seems contradictory, doesn’t it? I mean, logic would say that you should ask a person who is not busy; a person with time on their hands. Not so! It turns out people with time on their hands are generally pretty good at wasting time.... read on

  • Kallie’s Keys to PDA: The Business of Golf

    Published: August 16, 2011 by Kallie Bonnell Categories: Culture & Diversity, Lifestyle & Wellness, Networking & Social, Professional Development Comments: 1

    Golf is a game very close to my heart. I’ve played the majority of my life, which has given me insight into many different “types” of golf.  Let’s see; there is the skill-developing type, competitive type, the grab-a-cooler and go with your buddies type and, of course, the professional type.

    The professional type of golf can be intimidating. Maybe you don’t golf but have been asked to play in an outing. Or maybe you do, sorta-kinda play golf, but are not as advanced as the other members of your foursome.

    If that’s the case, check out a few introductory but extremely important points of... read on

  • Kallie’s Keys to PDA: Six little words

    Published: July 13, 2011 by Kallie Bonnell Categories: Professional Development Comments: 3

    A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post on civility in the workplace and a few weeks before that I wrote about the power of positive as it pertains to the work environment. In both cases I promised to write a follow-up blog about my personal civility and positivity pet peeves. So, without further ado, I will enlighten y’all on how to push my buttons. (Please don’t do these to me or anyone else.)

    First and foremost….

    Say “I’m sorry.” Everyone knows these words and their use, yet so few people use them. Why? I believe it’s because in order to apologize one would have to admit fault. Duh! We... read on

  • Kallie’s Keys to PDA: Civility in the workplace

    Published: June 19, 2011 by Kallie Bonnell Categories: Lifestyle & Wellness, Networking & Social, Professional Development Comments: 3

    Call it civility, call it politeness, or call it common courtesy. Whatever you might call “it,” I don’t see enough of it in the professional world. In the workplace, in the big business meeting, in the networking arenas, the good manners I (and hopefully you) was raised on seem to be heading down the same path as chivalry.

    According to Christine Porath and Christine Pearson, co-authors "The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It” the phenomenon of bad behavior is much more than just annoyances. Their research shows that these negative deeds... read on