News You Can Use From NEALSP
Welcome to the New Year for NEALSP! We are going to have a
wonderful year, filled with Service, Learning, Friendship and Growth! I am excited to work with our
new 2014-2015 NEALSP Board: Mimi Mangrum, Vice-President, Dana Beck, Treasurer, Ashley Howell,
Secretary, Tami Dodd, State Director, and Erma Brady, Parliamentarian. These ladies combine
experience and fresh new ideas, and I think they will take us far! Of course, it will take a LOT of work
to even come close to the wonderful things we did last year, led by Joyce Morgan. Thank you so
much to the 2013-2014 Board!
Remember that our symbol for this year is the daffodil, which is a symbol of Spring, of Hope, of
Renewal, and of Prosperity. I know that by working together, we can become better people, better
employees, better members of our community, and always have Spring in our step! Thank you for
your enthusiasm and willingness to work. Remember, I am here to help you in any way I can, as are
the other members of the Board, so just call or email if I can help you!
UPCOMING NEALSP DATES
May 20:
Monthly Member Meeting
5:15 @ Law Library
321 S. Church St
May 26:
Memorial Day
May 28:
CLE: Attorney Phillip Wells
12:00 pm @ Courthouse
Annex Basement
June 2:
NEALSP Monthly Luncheon
12:00 pm @ Sue’s Kitchen
524 S. Church St.
June 10:
EC Meeting
(Officers only)
June 17:
Monthly Member Meeting
12:00 pm location TBD
~Deborah Johnson
2014-2015 NEALSP President
Congratulations to Kara Whitehead as the
2013-2014 Award of Excellence Winner!
Wow! Three years in a row we have had a member from our Chapter be the big winner!
No wonder I am a PROUD member of NEALSP!
Don’t
check
forget
out
to
your
Thank you to Alan Hicks, Investigator with
NEALSP website for all
the Craighead County Prosecutor’s Office, for a
the latest and greatest
very informative CLE. We had a wonderful
on current happenings
turnout and learned how to “polish” a criminal
and upcoming events!
case!
www.Nealsp.org
Grammar Nuggets
Misplaced or Squinting
Modifiers
Sometimes we know what we meant to say, but will it sound the same when read by someone else?
Misplaced Modifiers:
These can be words or phrases that provide the basis for unintended and sometimes humorous interpretations:
Wrong: I suspect that my assistant accidentally dropped the report I had been drafting in the wastebasket.
(What an uncomfortable place to draft a report.)
Right: The report I had been drafting has disappeared. I suspect that my assistant accidentally dropped it in
the wastebasket. (Of course, it was probably the boss that lost it.)
Wrong: Here are some helpful suggestions for protecting your valuable possessions from our hotel security
staff. (Can the staff not be trusted?)
Right: Here are some helpful suggestions from our hotel security staff for protecting your valuable
possessions.
Wrong: One of our assistant vice presidents has been referred to a personal finance counselor with serious
credit problems. (Would you consult such a counselor?)
Right: One of our assistant vice presidents has serious credit problems and has been referred to a personal
finance counselor.
Wrong: Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address while traveling to Gettysburg on the back of an envelope.
(Didn’t know you could travel that way!)
Right: Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on the back of an envelope while traveling to Gettysburg.
Squinting modifiers:
These are modifiers placed in such a way that they can be interpreted as modifying either what precedes it or
what follows it.
Squinter: Traveling abroad frequently can become exhausting.
(Does frequently modify “traveling abroad” or “can become exhausting?”)
Clear: Frequently traveling abroad (or making frequent trips abroad) can become exhausting.
Clear: Traveling abroad can frequently become exhausting.
NEALSP 2014-2015 Committee/Member Roster
Thank you to all who volunteered!
Committee
Bar Liaison
Bosses’ Night
Box Top/Labels Collector
Chapter Achievement
Communications
Community Projects
CLE
Court Observance Week
Courthouse Dropbox
Financial Review
Historian
Marketing
Membership
Nominations & Elections
PLS/ALP/PP Certification
Scholarship
Ways & Means
Web Page
Chair/Members
*Mimi Mangrum
Kara Whitehead
*Deborah Johnson
Tami Dodd, ALP
Ashley Howell
Sharon Davis, PLS
*Tami Dodd, ALP
Belinda Penn, CCM
Tami Dodd, ALP
*Brenda Welch, PLS
April Rasdon
Britinni McDuff
Sharon Davis, PLS
Joyce Morgan, CCM
*Mimi Mangrum
Amanda Porbeck
Joyce Morgan, CCM
*Erma Brady, PLS
Sue Hutcheson
*Belinda Penn, CCM
Tami Dodd
Donna Miller, CCR
Wyvetta Smith
*Mimi Mangrum
Ashley Howell
*Erma Brady, PLS
Tami Dodd, ALP
Dianne Gibson
*Brenda Welch, PLS
Sharon Davis, PLS
Dianne Gibson, PLS
Belinda Penn, CCM
*Mimi Mangrum
Kara Whitehead
Ashley Howell
Remember, this is a TEAM effort. We need your ideas and suggestions, so don’t be
shy (and I know none of our members are) and give them to us!
May 3, 2014: Law Day 5K/10K Run. I’m envious.
It looks like some of our members had a fun
time with a handsome dude!
NEALSP
Member
Ashley Howell
attending her
first Annual
Meeting
2013-2014 AALS Annual
Meeting. NEALSP won The
President’s Award!
NALS and AALS
REMINDERS
DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER FOR SOME FUN WITH FRIENDS!
AALS PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT RETREAT
June 20-21, 2014- Lake Point Conference Center – Oak Lodge
171 Lake Point Lane
Russellville, AR 72802
Friday, June 20, 2014
Mail to AALS Treasurer (before June 1)
Kara Whitehead, P.O. Box 1700, Jonesboro, AR 72403.
Registration Required- DEADLINE: June 1, 2014 Registration form can be found on the AALS
Website at www.aalsonline.org under the News tab.
AALS Fall Business Meeting
September 12-13- hosted by Greater Little Rock LSP. Will be held at the North Little Rock Windham,
North Little Rock. More information as the time draws nearer.
NALS Education Conference
October 2-4, 2014 | Houston, Texas
Hotel Information
Crowne Plaza Houston near Reliant-Medical
8686 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77054
$109 Single & Double Rate
For reservations call 713-748-3221 or (800) 227-6963 and ask for the NALS group rate. Group code is TAL.
Available dates for the NALS rate are September 25 – October 9, 2014, based on availability. Make your
reservations now! If reserving rooms online, click here to reserve online.
Deadline for making room reservations at the NALS group rate is September 16, 2014, or whenever block is full. If
reservations are made after this date, the room rate cannot be guaranteed.
Career Coach: Getting past office politics
The subject of office politics can bring up tales of back stabbing, deceit, gamesmanship, sabotaging
others, ruining people’s reputations and other tactics used by colleagues to get ahead in the workplace. It
seems everyone has at least a story or two to share. Office politics seems to be a fact of life in many
workplaces.
Office politics refers to differences or conflicts of interest between people at work. It often stems
from fear or greed. Maybe we fear losing resources or we aren’t confident in our own ability to perform
well, so we feel the need to discredit others.
The downside of office politics in the workplace is that it breeds mistrust, lower morale and team
problems, resulting in lower satisfaction, productivity greater attrition. Who wants to work in a place
where people are always fighting against each other or looking for the next opportunity to best someone?
How can you deal with office politics?
Remember to focus on the larger business objectives. It is easy to get caught up in “us vs. them”
and to try to just win your side. But often there is a larger perspective that can be taken. This means we
have to be willing to step back and manage ourselves.
Try to figure out why the person is engaging in the behaviors. Is it fear, and if so, why? What
does it stem from? This can help you to potentially address these issues or befriend the person.
Bosses generally don’t like to hear about conflicts between employees. Especially if those
employees are managers. Bosses expect us to resolve conflict on our own.
Focus on what you can control and whom you can influence. Get other informal leaders to help
you.
Find a mentor from outside the organization who you can talk with. It helps to vent your
frustrations with an outsider and then listen to their advice.
Take the high road by being nice and polite. I know this is really tough when faced with a
manipulator or “player,” but it is important.
If people share and try to spread office gossip, try to ignore it and put a stop to it.
Be careful what information you divulge. Manipulators can gain personal information from you
and then use this against you later.
Try to focus on the issues, not the person.
If you are caught in the middle of an office war, you have to decide if you will take sides or let
them fight it out. This depends on what is at stake of course. But if there isn’t an ethical issue, then you
may want to remain neutral so that both sides trust you.
Keep your cool. It is easy to flare up under a personal attack, yet it is really important to control your
temper. If others see you lost it emotionally (by yelling, crying, etc.) then this influences their views of
your emotional intelligence and control.
Hold your enemies close. Try to get to know them to form a friendship with them.
Don’t think about the situation as “fight or flight” only. Take a neutral ground if you can.
Think about taking the time to really understand the other side, so you can better learn what
their underlying interests are in the situation. Why would you do this? If you really want something to
change, you have to understand where the other side is coming from. You could describe the situation to
them (without blaming them) and ask them for their point of view. It is important that they feel heard
since this often lowers their defenses and builds rapport.
If you have been treated badly, eventually you may have to forgive and forget. This is really hard
to do, but holding onto hatred or anger is really counterproductive. Anger and ideas of revenge can
consume you to the point where you just can’t operate. Then your own quality of life is impacted. By
letting it go, you can get on with your own life.
Remember that you don’t always have to have the last word. You don’t always have to be right.
Sometimes it is better to just let it go.
Learn to be tactful.
Smile and do the best job you can. Your positive attitude will be seen by those around you.
Don’t let office politics ruin the rest of your life. Don’t let it consume you so that the rest of your
life is affected by it. This can easily happen, but it is critical that you leave it at work.
Office politics may be a fact of life, but it doesn’t have to define who we are at work. While taking
the high road may be tough to do, you will eventually win. After all, doesn’t good usually trump bad?
Joyce E. A. Russell is the vice dean and the director of the Executive Coaching and Leadership
Development Program at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. She is a
licensed industrial and organizational psychologist and has more than 25 years of experience coaching
executives and consulting on leadership and career management. She can be reached at
[email protected]
Nealsp.org