FOCM Member and life coach Heather Hollick is writing a series of articles on managing work and life.  Here’s an excerpt from a recent one and the link to the full article is below that. This one focuses on how to look back at a work week gone by.

It’s Friday — and another week has flown by. Cooler weather and shorter days may finally persuade the leaves to burst out in full color any day now.

This is the part of your week where you remind yourself about your intention to live deliberately. Life is flying by at 1,000 miles an hour. The world is changing very fast. The antidote, of course, is to slow down — just for a moment — and let your inner life catch up with your outer persona. Experience is a great teacher, if we will just pause long enough to absorb her lessons.

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=ad969b6d350943dc8287ce5b3&id=1594f48ec8

On March 19, 2014 at Champps in King of Prussia, PA; 3 people received their membership cards.  As those of you who have witnessed the ceremony when just one person gets their card can attest, it is very emotional.  So just imagine a night when 3 people receive their cards.  The looks of sheer joy on these faces pretty much says it all.

Also attending and witnessing the events that night were: Rickie Stevens, Shannon McDonnell and others that were there but I have lost my notes to that event.  Maybe it’s time for a FOCM keeper of the minutes.

You will see that Debi Maloney, Lynn Tanattanawin and Rosie Filling all received their cards that special night.  As you can see, the best descriptions of their reaction to being inducted are: stunned; thrilled, shocked, confused, dumbstruck, speechless and “who are you and what is this card?”

Full-time CRA Job Opportunity

CRAs needed for an Oncology/Immunology Project.  The study will last for 6 years.  

If interested in more information send an email and/or your resume to chris@focmnetworking.com and it will be submitted to the organization managing this trial.

 

Submitted by FOCM Member Nick Hargaden, Algorithm, Inc

A friend is looking to fill a US sales position for a large certification organization. Details in the link:

https://careers-dnvgl.icims.com/jobs/4332/healthcare-north-america-sales-manager/job

I do not know how I missed these photos of a ceremony that took place on March 12, 2014 in Boston.  While attending the ClinTech Summit, Garrett Smith and Vladimir Pyagay received their membership cards.  I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but they received their cards in a conference hotel bar.  A shock, I know.

Today marks the day that 55 years ago Peter Holthe was born.  Peter and I first met in/around 1998 while working at Quintiles.  We traveled the country talking about and demo’ing web-based electronic data capture systems for use in clinical trials.  As many of you know, FOCM has come to exist because of Peter.  The name, the pronunciation and the logo were his idea.

Words that come to mind to describe Peter: larger than life, bon vivant, gourmand, wickedly funny, witty, sharp as a stick, passionate.

The phrase “larger than life” – I’m not sure I knew what that meant until I got to know Peter.  For me, it means, the way he made life fuller, brighter, bigger and more fun.  His exuberant passion about golf, wine, food, plants, fishing, hunting and dogs (in other words – life and living it to the fullest) would exhaust normal people.  But when you were around him, you were energized by his enthusiasm.  Pranks and practical jokes were so well thought out in the blink of an eye.  After we no longer worked together, most of our contact was by phone.  He would make my day by adding laughter and insightful observations.   Peter lived a very full 50 years.  I miss him.

Happy Birthday my friend.

See the link below for a blog I wrote on the website of my employer (Y-Prime).  For this blog, I focused on helping introverts become better networkers.  My co-presenter at the Drug Information Association annual meeting in June, Bob Muzerall was the source for some of the content.

http://blog.y-prime.com/networking-clinical-research

 

 

One of the benefits of paying one’s annual FOCM Networking membership (an incredible value at $20/year – double check to see if you’re paid up for 2014) is that you get either your business or yourself  highlighted in the prestigious “Spotlight”.  The first Corporate Member Spotlight featured RxTrials where FOCM member Adam Chasse is the COO.

In the first “Member Spotlight”, Vicky Martin is featured. Vicky is one of my favorite people in the world.  She’s funny, quick-witted, sarcastic as the day is long, tough as nails and lives on a compound in an undisclosed section of rural central Pennsylvania where her family strives to reduce their carbon footprint.

How do I know Vicky and when did I first meet her:
I probably first met Vicky over the phone interviewing her for a position with ICON Interactive Technologies Group (ITG).  Vicky joined ITG in Business Development in 2004.  We first met in person when she went to Sugarland, TX for training.  Not only was my product and sales training instrumental in her future success, I continue to act as life coach, guiding light and vegetable canning mentor which goes a long way in explaining the zealous personality she has become.

Vicky’s bio (this should be interesting): Vicky comes to the FOCM Network via working with me at ICON.  Vicky grew up in so many places that, if you name one, she probably lived there or within a two state radius (Alaska and Hawaii excepted). She attended 5 high schools in 4 years (no, her parents were not officially gypsies), and graduated with honors from Clear Creek High School (Evergreen, CO).  Vicky se habla the espanol.  As a member of the U. S. Army, she defended America in Operation Just ‘Cuz down alla’ in Panama.  She likes to jump out of planes, she can kill another human with one hand and a pen knife and, as a mother, make you know she means business with one look.

As the mother of 4 children, there isn’t much Vicky doesn’t know about the limitations of parenting skills.  Vicky also speaks Scottish (aka Jockenese) and knows exactly where both Auchtermuchty and Ecclefechan are located as well as the correct pronunciation of towns like Strathaven and Milngavie (which, unless you are Scottish, you will never guess).

Vicky is a reliable member of FOCM, she doesn’t miss many of the PA events even though she has to drive her horse and buggy from Amish Country of PA.  She plans to live forever. So far, so good.

 

Saw this good article by Nina Sunday on LinkedIn:

“When a new hire joins a company their expectations are high. But a common reason they leave is not the organisation; it’s their immediate manager. According to Wilson Learning research on employee engagement*, happiness at work flows from the leadership skills of managers.”

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140728125041-4806191-people-don-t-companies-they-quit-managers?trk=prof-post