Friday Current Event

Friday, January 20th


Current Event


For this week's current event I have chosen an article from the New York Times article titled "To Advance Their Cause, Foundations Buy Stock." This article from late 2011 revolves around the idea of non-profit organizations buying stocks to help fund their organization's cause. Recently the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested $10 million in stock to help fund their desires in global health, global development, and US education. Many organizations are using this same approach to help fund their organizations in an economy where funds are hard to come by, especially when it involves not-for-profit organizations. The question is where does the idea of non-profit end and the desire to acquire money start. Critics argue that the idea of non-profit organizations using these program-related investments (PRIs) are acting unethically and should not be allowed.

This idea comes into play with the Walter & Connie Payton Foundation. The foundation has been facing hardships in their financial department and this is a valid option for an organization such as this. With the current state of the economy, companies must search for new ways to acquire the funds they so need to accomplish their goals. The Walter and Connie Payton Foundation may come to a point where such an investment may be viable and worth the start up cost to keep the foundation running for years to come. Walter's likeness and vision for a brighter future for the underprivileged children should be continued and going into the stock market may be necessary to keep the foundation going in the future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/25/business/foundations-come-to-the-aid-of-companies.html?ref=nonprofitorganizations

Week 3: Friday Summary

Friday, January 20th 


Part A:

This week's agenda was focused on completing the project and working towards improving the event with the sponsorship brochure, foundation folder, and the foundation year-long handout. The timer was selected and the paperwork has been completed and filed. The brochure, folder, and handout are completed and are awaiting any final changes before they are sent to the final printer. T-shirt designs and costs have been initiated and we look to implement a new "dri-fit" t-shirt option for the participants.


Part B:

Over the course of the J-term I truly believe I have learned some valuable new things and improved many of my skills. One of these is research. The first week was dedicated to researching the new radio frequency tags and their costs. I believe that it is important to understand the concept of the item you are going to spend so much time and money on. It would have been easy to just google the term and find the cheapest product and implement it, but in that way the job would not have been completed to the best of my ability and with the greatest outcome. So I know that my research skills have improved through all the hours of studying and phone calls with professionals in the race timing business.
Time management is definitely something I became more aware of through the project design process. I should have allowed for more time of planning the race and spent less time choosing a timer. I also should have written my journals and posted them earlier instead of waiting so long while the information was fresh in my head.
My communication skills have benefitted greatly during this project. Written through the blogs and emails to supervisors and outsourcers, and orally through my communication with supervisors and phone calls made. My communication skills are a weakness of mine that I have found through my evaluations with my internship supervisor and some of my professors. This experience has no doubt improved these qualities and I look to continue to improve these skills through my educational career.
My design skills were implemented and improved through the project. I completely designed the brochure and company packet with only little help from supervisors regarding what information should be included. This experience is something I look to bring to any organization I happen to work for in the future.

I have learned one major lesson during this experience and that is if something you need to get done, you have to go out and do it yourself and not rely on others to push you or remind you as we have been done throughout high school and previous experience. In the work world there is no one there to hold your hand and tell you what you are doing right and wrong and I found that out first hand in the project. The project may have been slowed due to me not initiating the beginning of the project as I should have. I half expected my supervisors to keep me on task and check up on me but I came to realize this is not how it is done in the real world. This lesson is an important one and I am glad to have learned this early on.

As I continue on into my professional career I would like to improve on a few areas. As I previously mentioned I would like to continue working on my communication skills. Part of this involves being more outgoing in my work and with my contacts. It is sometimes hard for me to initiate conversation with others because I fear the dead time in the conversations and that the awkwardness will be very evident. Another area I wish to continue with improvement is the formalness of business. This is not something I was exposed to with the project and I hope to gain some experience in a formal environment in the remainder of my interning opportunities. Lastly I would like to continue on my time management skills and learn to get stuff done before it is due. It is a great feeling to accomplish something ahead of the due date. That way it leaves time for improving the task and going over to make sure there are no mistakes.

If an interviewer were to ask me about this experience I would describe it as a short, but very beneficial experience. In only three weeks I was able to improve many aspects of my event management skills, something that I will surely use in the future. My communication, design, and planning skills were tested during the project and my work will speak for itself when the time for the event comes around. If and when the event runs smoothly, I can be confident that my work was successful and beneficial to the organization.

Week 3: Journal #3

Thursday, January 19

Part A:

I've been working on and hope to finish the packets for the Sweetness Run as well as the foundation yearly "magazine." The folders have been ordered and I hope to have one to present with my project back at Loras.

Part B:

The past two days have been extremely busy and I've spent countless hours working on the handouts for the sponsors and runners and improving my design skills. I really enjoy this part of the project and am glad that we are working as a team right now to get this accomplished. At the start of the project it seemed as though I would be alone in this project and now I've been working together with my team to make the best possible project. I believe learning to work as a team is an important part of any employee's skill set. I've never created anything like this and how important these packets are to the organization will give me the confidence to create whatever I need to in the future. I cannot wait to see the finished products!

Week 3: Journal #2

Wednesday, January 18

Part A:

Started off the day visiting a print shop and planning the new comany folder that the packets would be inserted into. Continued on to starting the Run packet along with the Company information packet.

Part B:

Visiting the print shop was great experience for me. I was able to view all the sample and be involved in the decision process. Outsourcing to other companies is something that will always be a part of almost any organization and it is important to understand the process of choosing what is best for the company based on quality, pricing, and other factors. The project is finally coming along great and we are working all as a team to get these packets done and the best part is that I get to design it all! I am showing off my skills with computers and design that I have learned and my supervisors seem very impressed! I hope that it will all turn out how I would like it to and that my effort in this project will come together to improve the event and help the foundation receive the support it needs from sponsors, runners, volunteers, and other various people who are involved!

Week 3: Journal #1

Tuesday, January 17th

Part A:

The start of the week has been a great sucess. Started off Tuesday finalizing plans for the timer It's Race Time, Inc. Started planning publications of packet of Sweetness Run info to give to sponsors, potential sponsors, and runners as well as a company information packet of all the events from the previous year.

Part B:

The week has just begun and I already feel a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders! I have selected a timer for the race and have began the process of finalizing information with the company. There are contracts and waivers which I feel is a great thing for me to learn about--all the paperwork that goes into planning an event such as this. Everyone sees the finalized product when the event happens, but not everyone understands what goes into planning such an event. All the paperwork and contracts, waivers, etc. was something I was blind to before entering this project and I'm glad for the experience and it's nice that my sueprvisors are letting me handle it all with only minimal supervision. My formal communication skills are improving, which is something I had anticipated before starting the project.

I am looking forward to starting the foundation's packets in the following days. I enjoy working with Microsoft Publisher and I feel I can bring an expertise to the project that otherwise would be missing. I love working with technological tools that are somewhat new to the business world and I hope to accel in this field to make myself standout in the workforce someday.

Week 2: Sunday Summary

Sunday, January 15

Part A:

The second week of the project proved to be slower than I had originally hoped. With my supervisor returning from vacation, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for her to worry about, as well as Jarrett's baby shower coming up, she was preoccupied.  Also, not being able to reach the timing companies did not help. I look to next week with high expectations.

Part B:

What I have learned this week is about patience and persistence. I was unable to reach the timers at first, but got on the phone with one last Thursday night due to repeated tries through email and phone. I also found out that things aren't always going to go the way you had planned and you need to learn how to work around difficult situations. With being a little behind in the project, I approached my supervisor with my concerns and she listened and we came up with a plan for next week. In this instance I learned more about talking with my superiors even when the subject matter is tough. The time management skills I acquired this week will also be valuable to my career and time at Loras. Communication is something I intended to work on in this project. My communication with people I am familiar with is not what worries me, but my communication with strangers and professionals. I often find myself freezing up and forgetting to ask some questions, but so far it has been great experience with this project with all the phone calls and emails. This next week should prove tough, especially since we are not working on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I shall try and do what I can from home, and get farther along in the planning of the run. My hopes is that I will have the timer selected by Wednesday and a budget done by Thursday. I have found that I should plan goals for my week to aim for, something I have learned through this project that allows limited time. Overall it has been a great learning experience and I look forward to its completion. 

The corporate culture assignment taught me a lot on how to assess the culture of an organization. When you become more aware of the culture it becomes easier to understand the values and fit in correctly. If an employee takes a passive stance on the culture it will be tougher to fit in and they will not have as much of an enjoyable time and good experience with their employees. In my future experiences I will aim to assess the culture of my organization and submerge myself into it in order to become the most effective part of an  organization as I can.

Current Event

Week 2: Journal #3

Friday, January 13th

Part A:
It continues to be a slow week while I have heard from one timing company I am awaiting a call from the other so I can make comparisons on prices and included amenities such as on-line registration, awards, finish lines, and others.

Part B:
Through the phone calls I have been making I believe I am gaining valuable hands on experience with verbal communication. This is one thing I believe I lack are great personal skills and expressing myself in all situations. I have never had this true experience with my internship at school since I have never had to contact an outside vendor for their services.
Something the organization lacks is great communication skills. I can remember times when tasks have been overlooked done wrong due to people not knowing their roles or what the task even is. Being a small organization this makes sense and I know that they are trying to do a better job of this. This is keeping the project behind a bit and I have brought it up to my supervisor that I am not at the exact point in the project that I should be 2/3 of the way completed. I was scared when I did this because I felt that she might get angry and blame it on me, but she did take some of the heat for not being more involved and she made it clear that in the final week it will be the number one priority to aid and help me with anything I need. 
So my plans for the rest of the project is to take great initiative and get as much accomplished with not only the project but with the whole run. I believe going above and beyond what you are asked is something I'm good at and will continue to do in the future. My assumptions for the project relate somewhat but at the same time are different. I thought I would be doing more but as the project grows I find myself looking for ways to up my task load. In the final week I look to not only complete the project but complete much of the pre-work for the run that usually takes place closer to the race.

Week 2: Journal #2

Thursday, January 12

Corporate Culture

Part A: Read article and evaluate culture of my organization

Part B:
Being at an extremely small organization, the corporate culture differs from that of a large organization. The culture at the office of the WCPF is very laid back. If there is not an upbeat, enjoyable atmosphere at the time, something is wrong. When working with people who are very serious, or angry the employees at the foundation appear at a loss. I have made the observation that the foundation operates best when there is a joking, happy atmosphere. This is not always possible though and when it is not, I can tell because my supervisor is stressed and makes many demands. So a standard enjoyable atmosphere is a value of the organization and I do my best to be cheerful and maintain a good sense of humor to fit in.
 Employees are treated very fairly in the organization. Since most of the employees only work part-time seasonally, it is hard to assess their treatment. But since I am one of those seasonal workers I can speak for the fairness. The hours and tasks are never too much to be asked of, and even when sometimes hours are stretched beyond normal capacity, employees are always rewarded. It should be remembered that all the work at the foundation goes towards improving the lives of underprivileged children, and if this mindset is maintained all worries seem to go away. I believe this is big reason for the enjoyable atmosphere that is stressed and evident. Connie Payton always stresses her thankfulness and I have received a holiday bonus every year working for the foundation. I've even been treated to parties and dinners by the family. It is a great atmosphere where one can truly feel appreciated.
There is no dress code at the organization. Like I said it is pretty laid back, and the only time a dress code is stressed is for events where we usually where Payton/Bears apparel or dress for the occasion. The office space is relatively small and space is limited for the supplies. But since the office is connected to the garage of the supervisor, it cuts down on drive time and allows easy access for small tasks that need to be completed.
The leadership style of my supervisor would be hard to assess. Since I have known Kelly for a long time and she has done so much for me, I would compare it a lot like a parent. But as time has gone on I feel more like her right-hand-man then a child. This is a great feeling and something I'd like to feel in all of my future jobs. The person that the boss goes to on tough situations is a great role to have because I know that role is hard to refill. If I had to compare the supervision style to one in the article I would choose mentor, since I feel as though she is teaching me things every day.
I truly feel like I fit into this organization. I know that there have been times when I have not felt included or when I return from a break I feel out of place, but after spending a day with the crew it all comes back. Although I foresee that someday I may be offered a full-time position in the organization, I am not sure that I would take it. I would like to someday work in a larger organization where I could see myself climbing to the ladder and it does not seem possible in the foundation.

Week 2: Journal #1

Tuesday, January 10


Part A:
The start of this week has been very slow. I have been playing phone tag with the two timers I am interested in pursuing for the race. I have been assigned to do other work in the office to pass the time. It seems as though the month of January is a tough time to get much done with the race since it is still a few months away. The supervisors are happy though since they would like to get the event planned sooner to avoid scrambling at the end and to receive better discounts.

Part B:
I have learned some valuable lessons from the start of this slow week. I must be persistent and not give up when trying to communicate with other organizations. Patience must be maintained and I must remember not to get angry or give up. Also, during this slow time, I must stay busy with other tasks as to continue to be useful to the organization; there's always something to be done.
I'm also learning about time management and when is the best time to work on certain things. For instance, I find it easier to make notes for my journals as I am working then to wait until I post the blogs and try and remember everything. As far as time management is concerned, I have had much practice with my intramural internship so I am continuing to use the skills I've learned throughout the first semester in my work this J-term. Not procrastinating and dividing up tasks are some of the key skills I have learned.
I am continuing to experience the independence in this project and I hope to carry these skills to future employment as to not rely on others for help and always waiting for my superiors to tell me every task to complete. Instead taking initiative and being someone valuable to their organization to by standing out as an individual.

Week One: Sunday Summary

Sunday, January 8th

Part A:

Over the course of the week I have undergone the start to this research project. I gathered much information and used this information to start my decisions for the project. Also I have been learning much about the foundation, since I've been working in the office instead of out-of-office work that I traditionally do. Finding the companies that come to events and time them was a great help and my supervisors both agree that this is a great plan. I hope to find a sponsor during this 3 week stretch that would cover the cost of the radio-timing expenses.

Part B:

I've learned a lot after the first week of this project. This type of problem solving process is something that I'm interested in and that will apply to any job that I will have in the future. I could easily see myself working for an organization like this, and even though my career goals are very high, a great impact could be made even at a small organization such as this. As I stated before the project has differed from what I thought it would be like when I first started. I enjoy the independence that I am given to complete the task, but I find it hard to make the decisions on my own since I am cautious as to make a mistake. With my main supervisor being out of office on vacation, the project's beginning was stalled, and the rest should prove to be more speedy. This though has given me the chance to become greatly familiar with the information surrounding the best decisions for the radio timers. The race is an important event for the foundation and I am pleased that the foundation is placing such an important task on my shoulders. I really hope that my solution will help improve the event so that more runners will want to participate. I know that my supervisors will support my decisions and respect my work capability so I believe this will help to complete the task since I will not be overrun or receive opposition from them.

Current Event:

For my current event I'd like to talk about something that happened late in the fall of 2011 that impacted the organization. On October 3rd Jeff Pearlman released his biography on Payton, "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton." This book revealed some truths about Payton that many people were unaware of including infidelity and abuse of painkillers. Whether fans agree or disagree with the publication of the book, it has and will continue to impact the foundation. WCPF will lose some support and respect from the community with the negative hype from the book. I personally see no reason to tarnish the name of such an influential figure in Chicago's history who has been passed for over 10 years and has no way of defending these accusations. It's a sad world when people find it necessary to write negative biographies on public figures.

Week One: Journal #3

Thursday, January 5th




Part A:
Today I worked a lot on researching chip timers. I believe I have acquired much valuable information that I can use to help complete the project. It seems as though the chips are becoming less and less expensive as the developers are finding new ways to cut costs with the timers. I am becoming aware that the distributors do not just post how much a timing system and the chips timers cost. I must contact these distributors and get a quote based on the number of participants. This may be a difficult task.

Also, something that worries me is that the race is not just one race, but 2--a 5K and an 8K. Is it possible to track two races at the same time? If not, this could be a potential problem. I am contacting possible outlets who can answer these questions for me.

Something interesting I found was that it is possible to hire a company to time the event. These are specialists that come to the event and handle all the timing and procedures that go into it. The only downfall is that this can be costly. A great question is whether it would be more beneficial to hire a company to come to the race and do the timing, or to purchase the equipment and learn how to do the timing on our own. I must create lists of the costs and advantages of the different sides and compare these to determine what the most cost effective way to handle the situation is.


Part B:
I am becoming more confident with the project as the week goes on. I am very confident wit the information about the timing companies in the Chicago area who are potential qualified solutions to the race problem. Some key events of this week was the realization that we could hire a company to come and time our event. I look forward to contacting the potential timers in the area and finding the best one if that is the route we choose to take. I must meet with Kelly and Nancy to discuss this option since they are out of the office until Monday. Another potential option I thought of today (with the help of my mother) was that there are many sponsors of Sweetness Run, and one of them might be interested in sponsoring the timing portion. This new addition will add quality to the race and will help the racers track their times more easily.

The race is the biggest event for the foundation and I am honored that the foundation is placing such an important task on my shoulders. I hope that my solution will help improve the event so that more runners will want to participate. I know that Nancy and Kelly support my decisions and respect my work capability so I believe this will help to complete the task since I will not be overrun or receive opposition from them. Something that may hinder the completion of the project is that it is not a big time for runs since the the weather and the holidays are recently closing. I have found that some of the organizations are even closed right now and this will make it difficult to receive the information I need to complete the project.

Week One: Journal #2

Wednesday, January 4th

Part A:

As the start of the J-term, I found it best to start the research on the project at hand. I aimed to learn as much as I can about RFID tags in order to use this knowledge in order to better make decisions and better understand the concept. I used broad search terms such as “RFID tags” and more narrow searches such as “radio transmitters for races” in order to find all the research I could. The rest of this first day consisted of analyzing and organizing the information I collected. I think I will print out all the information and organize it into a binder in order to better recall old information.As I am learning, there is a lot of technological understanding that goes into these systems and it will take a lot of research in order to completely understand the project and its implementation. 

Part B: 

As I have started the research for the project I have been able to make assumptions about the project. With the foundation being run by only 2 full-time employees it seems that I will be working solely on this project with only little assistance from the other 2 employees. Kelly is often away at meetings in the city, and Nancy (office manager & event coordinator) is always answering emails and busy with other tasks. I enjoy the leeway I have been given and feel as if this project is completely under my control. It is up to me to find out if and how the RFID tags can be used in the Sweetness Run and I am worried that with this short amount of time I might not be able to complete the task. I will do everything I can to complete this project and be able to implement the new technology in time for the race. The only thing that worries me is that me being fully in charge and the only person working on this will force me to be in charge of the timing at the race in June. I hope that I can be able to work with someone who understands how this technology works and will be able to assist.

Compared to what I thought this project would consist of, it is more work and time consuming. It is not just finding a system of radio timers and ordering them online like some might think-- it is a new technology and being a foundation run by volunteers it is difficult to implement such a new and challenging technology. As for the expectations of the foundation, what differs is that I thought I might be getting more help with the task. But due to the small staff of the foundation, they cannot afford to spend time on this task when other work needs to be completed. I think I will try to get more help from Nancy and begin to explain with her my findings so that I am not solely working on this project. Having worked with the organization previously I feel as though I am well prepared for the task and knowing everything about the run should assist me in completing the project.

Week One: Journal #1

Tuesday, January 3rd: Organization, Project, and Connection to Organization

Before I begin my research I find it necessary to explain the project and organization I am involved with. The organization I am working with is the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation. From the time that Walter was still playing football for the Chicago Bears, up until his death he was always dedicated to the improvement of the lives of underprivileged children. He always believed that by reaching kids at a young age you are able to change their lives--and that is what the WCPF is all about. This not-for-profit foundation works with the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to provide underprivileged and neglected children with stimulus and hope that "tomorrow can be different." The foundation works year-round to promote Walter's image and collect the necessary funds  to deliver the tools necessary to children all over the Chicago area.

I am connected to this organization through my working and volunteering for the foundation since my freshman year in high school. I was lucky enough to be introduced to the WCPF when a classmate of mine asked if we wouldn't mind helping out her mom with some work for her job. Her mother turned out to be the Director of the WCPF and a great friend of the Payton family. Ever since those few days I have been involved directly with the foundation and whenever Kelly (director) needs help I am always grateful to be involved in such a great cause.

One of the events that the foundation hosts is a 5K/8K run that takes place each spring called the Sweetness Run. All the proceeds from runner entries and donations go directly to the foundation to help the children in need. One problem that the race has is that the race is increasing the number of participants each year. This is great, except that with the increased participants, it is harder to keep track of all the runners. The traditional bibs are hard to collect from the runners as they pass through the finish line. Kelly, myself, and other employees found it may be necessary to switch to a radio-timing system to track the runners. The only problem with this is the cost. I aim to research the most cost effective way to implement this new way of timing into the race and if it is feasible for the foundation to spend this amount in order for the race to maintain its validity.

For any more information about WCPF please go to www.Payton34.com.