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4A – Daily News – Wednesday, June 16, 2010 Commerce business It is a beautiful spring day and I’ve been working diligently preparing this year’s garden. As I finish planting one last heir- loom tomato from Red Bluff Garden Center, I realize that there is some- thing different about this glorious holiday weekend in May. I take a break and rest in the shade while lis- tening to the sounds of nature and the clucking of chickens scratching for bugs. Suddenly I remember, usually I would be listening to the roar of engines as the Nitro National boats race along Lake Red Bluff each Memorial Day Weekend. However, this event is no longer held in our small town and the thou- sands of visitors who used to stay in our hotels, purchase fuel from our stations and eat in our restaurants will now be spending their money in another community. Whether you were a fan or can’t stand the racket, everyone can appre- ciate that the loss of this event has a devastating fiscal impact. As a business owner or manager in your organiza- tion, you’re responsible for leading your employees in their careers and making sure they’re doing their jobs effi- ciently. And when you have great employ- ees, this aspect of your job can seem effortless. But eventually, you’re bound to come across an employee who doesn’t measure up to your com- pany’s culture or standard of work. When this hap- pens, it can make your job very difficult. Having tough conversa- tions with employees who are underperforming at work or having difficulties getting along with co- workers is not something any leader enjoys doing. But, as a business leader, it’s crucial to meet these The Back Packs ARE HERE! The Back Packs ARE HERE! Look for them at local businesses new recreational & On March 2, the Red Bluff City Council voted to create an advisory group to develop and evaluate poten- tial projects that would pro- mote economic development and opportunities to help offset the loss of Lake Red Bluff. Several organizations were asked to appoint representa- tives to join the advisory group and its mitigation effort. I was honored to accept the appointment on behalf of the cham- ber of commerce and look forward to contributing to this valuable process. The advisory group will be referred to as the Lake Red Bluff Mit- igation Committee and have its first meeting this week. The initial agenda items will consist of general introduc- tions, a discussion of the committee purpose, updates of grant applica- tions and available state and federal funding opportunities. Funding opportunities have been identified through a contract with Lisa Hansen types of problems head on. Don’t wait to address the issue. Once you notice there is a problem with a particular employee, don’t sit back and hope things work out. Deal with the issue immediate- ly. Meeting the situation head on will let other employees know what is accept- able and create for a more pro- ductive work- force. Get both sides of the story. When you initiate the con- versation, make sure you give the employee an opportunity to explain the situation, especially if you’re addressing an offense reported by anoth- er employee. By giving the employee an opportunity to explain their actions, you give yourself a better shot at understanding the situation, which can make Feed the Children FOODS DRIVE Collection at participating Downtown Merchants. This is to replace meals local Breakfast and Lunch families in need lost when school let out for the summer. Info 528-8000 Jesse Restaurant Breakfast ★ Lunch Served 6:30am-2pm daily Breakfast Special Harris Ranch Steak 5 oz eye of round Served with 2 Eggs, Hashbrowns or Home Fries and Toast. (With purchase of beverage) No substitutions $499 7875 HWY 99E - LOS MOLINOS, CA (530) 384-1265 Orders to go Health, Life, Auto, Home, Commercial, Professional Liability Free phone quotes 530-824-9900 Monday-Friday 9-5 1610 Solano St. #B Corning Lic.#0C37035 enterprise Mitigating the loss of Lake Red Bluff CTSII approved by the City Council in August of last year. Among the potential funding sources are grants offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to create fish habitat and passage programs and action plans. Other grants are available through the Department of Agriculture for biomass research and development with an emphasis on feedstock devel- opment, bio-based product develop- ment, and their impact on the econo- my and the environment. Many other ideas and opportuni- ties will be introduced and open to discussion. The members of this committee are intelligent, enthusias- tic and innovative. I am confident that by joining forces with our elected officials and city representatives the Lake Red Bluff Mitigation Commit- tee will not fail. Matt Byrne is a Chamber Director and co-chairman of the Governance Committee. Having tough conversations with employees the conversation a lot smoother and more pro- ductive. Avoid negative lan- guage. When you address an issue with an employee, avoid talking down to them or speaking in an aggres- sive tone. When you sound aggravated or speak force- fully, people tend to become defensive, so make sure you’re not attacking the person when you’re trying to solve a problem. The old saying holds true, “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Change your pronoun usage. When you have a tough conversation with an employee, using words that single people out like “you” when addressing certain issues can make the employee feel attacked and keep them from really lis- tening. For example, if your employee has an issue with multitasking, don’t use this format: “you seem to have a problem with multitasking, how are LOSE WEIGHT Nutrition & Energy Digestive Cleansing Weight Control POUNDS INCHES& Healthy, real results! LOSE 30-day product, return refund guarantee. Ask for. 888-564-2079 herbal-nutrition.net/ starhomebusiness starhomebusiness@att.net you going to fix that?” Try addressing it like this, “I’ve noticed a problem with multitasking, and I have a few pointers that may help.” It’s less threatening if you focus on your obser- vation and ability to help your employee – afterall, that’s your job. Simply changing one word can do wonders for the positive feedback you receive from the employee you are addressing the issues with. All of a sudden, you and your subordinate are a team and working together to resolve the issue. Most leaders prefer to have the positive conversa- tions instead. But, you can create a meaningful way of addressing problems and build a lasting impression on your employees by fol- lowing these best practices when havingdifficult con- versations with your team. Lisa Hansen, CPC, CTS is the owner of Express Emplo yment Professionals in Red Bluff. Dandy Lions Children’s Shop 10% off Total Purchase dandylionshop.com 340 Hickory St. Red Bluff Mon-Sat 10AM-6PM 527-7755 Business with a Personal Touch • Business Spotlight –Personal Touch, 405 Solano St., has been in business for the past 12 years in Corn- ing. It is open Tuesday through Thursday 8 a.m. until finished and some Saturdays by appointment only. Staff members take appointments but will take walk-ins if they can. Kelly Snow is owner and operator of Personal Touch and has two employees. It has been a member of the Corning Chamber of Commerce for 12 years. It is a full service salon that includes haircuts, colors, waxing, nails and tanning. It is a friendly shop and very busy and you can’t always get in, so you need to give them a week to a week and a half to book an appointment. To make an appointment call 824-5818. Snow is married to a Corning local, Robert Snow. They have two children, Jordin and Niclas and between the two of them they stay busy. Kelly enjoys doing things with her family. They like the outdoors like camping, boating and swimming. Kelly said, "As long as we have a good time together with family and friends, what more could I ask for?" • Ice Cream Social – 7 p.m., Friday, June 25 the El Camino United Methodist Church is having their usual summer ice cream social at the church, 8345 Hwy 99W in Gerber. There will be homemade ice cream, desserts and music. You are invited to come out and have an enjoyable evening. • Free Publicity – To all chamber members: don’t forget that the Corning Chamber of Commerce offers free publicity for all our members. We will be glad to publicize your special events in this article, post on our window or bulletin board and even do a mass email to our members. You may also insert a flyer in the month- ly newsletter for a nominal cost. Call the chamber for more information at 824-5550. The Chamber is also handling the reservations for the Rodger’s Theatre marquee. The funds that are raised go to the Corning Community Foundation for the renovation of the theater. The cost is $25 a week. There is a limited amount of letters so in order to make sure there are sufficient letters for your announcement you will be required to fill out a form. You may pick up a form at the chamber office, 1110 Solano Street. If you prefer we can email the form if you call 824-5550 or email corningchamber@sbcglobal.net. • Grand Opening – River Valley Community Out- reach Center joined the Corning Chamber of Com- merce in January 2010, and they are having a Grand Opening Saturday, July 10th from 10 am to 2 pm at 290 Virginia Street in Gridley. You are invited to join this new Outreach Center created to help families stay in their homes, reduce the size of our landfills, and con- nect the over-stocked with the under-resourced. They have tile, grout doors, cabinets, sinks, windows and more, all at the price of a donation! For more informa- tion cal (530) 701-4462. • Yoga 101 – 6:30 -7:45 p.m., Wednesday, June 30. Fountain of Health, 1415 Solano St. presents "More Than a Stretch" with Professor Neal Weigman. A pre- sentation of the four main traditional styles of yoga practiced in India, and an overview of 13 modern styles practiced in the United States. There will be a $3-10 sliding scale suggested donation to support yoga and art programs for incarcerated teen-age girls. Call Patti for more information at 689-0222 or e- mail Amaera at abaylaurel@gmail.com. ——— Consignment Boutique Act II Receiving Summer Arrivals Daily 707 Walnut St., Red Bluff 527-4227 This column is prepared and submitted by the Corning Chamber of Commerce. A & R Custom Butchering Meat Pack Specials 30 Lb. Pork Pack 5 lbs. Pork Chops 5 lbs. Country Ribs 6 lbs. Pork Steaks 4 lbs. Shoulder Roast 4 lbs. Boneless Ham 6 lbs. Breakfast Sausage 2.69 per lb. 40 Lb. Variety Pack 6 lbs. Chuck Roast 4 lbs. Top Sirloin 5 lbs. Pork Chops 5 lbs. Country Ribs 9 lbs. Whole Chicken 6 lbs. Ground Beef 5 lbs. Bacon 3.29 per lb. 30 Lb. Beef Pack 5 lbs. T-Bone 5 lbs. Rib Eye 6 lbs. Ground Beef 5.69 per lb. 5 lbs. Top Sirloin 4 lbs. Tri-Tip Roast 5 lbs. Beef Ribs 12600 Hwy 99E, Red Bluff Located 5 Miles from I-5 (530) 527-6483 20 Lb. Variety Pack 3 lbs. Chuck Roast 3 lbs. Whole Chicken 3 lbs. Pork Chops 4 lbs. Meatloaf 3 lbs. Breakfast Sausage 4 lbs. Ground Beef 2.99 per lb. Accepting E.B.T., Debit, Credit Cards Now Recliner’s Save additional $10000 off any recliner over $ 49900 and up Furniture Depot Expires 6/20/2010 235 So. Main St., Red Bluff 527-1657 MON.-THURS. 9:00-6:00 • FRI. 9:00-6:00 • SAT. 9:00-5:00 • SUN. 11:00-5:00 COUPON COUPON SAMPLE! FREE