MSU Extension 4-H Adulting 101

And welcome, everybody, to the August, or not August, this is September, September Adulting 101 session. It feels like August a little bit. Professionalism, communicate, dress, and deliver with confidence. So I'm Lori Revetto. My pronouns are she, her, and hers. I'm one of the presenters tonight. I'm a 4-H extension educator with Michigan State University Extension, and I'm based in Wayne County, so just outside Detroit, Michigan. Now let Janice introduce herself. Good evening, I'm Janice Zerbe. I'm an Extension educator. I'm based in Southwest Michigan, and I actually have a dual role with MSU Extension. I oversee the 4-H program in Van Buren County, and then I also serve on the Career Exploration Workforce Preparation Team. So Janice and I get to do a lot of cool work helping young people be beyond ready for whatever is in their future. And this is one of those topics that's helping you now and into the future. So we know that professionalism matters. It shows up in a variety of spaces in our lives. It definitely shows up in our workplaces and our careers, but it shows up in other roles and experiences we may hold as well. And professionalism matters because it really helps us build that trust, that respect, that credibility. And we're going to talk about a lot of those pieces tonight in terms of how we communicate with others, how we're perceived. And one of the questions we wanted you to consider and that we're going to explore tonight is the kind of first impression that you want to make, considering what that first impression is and what are the steps that you're going to take to make sure that you are reflecting your best self in all of the different roles and experiences that you have. So we're really glad that you're joining us for this topic. As a reminder, this is a webinar format, so you won't be able to have your camera showing, but you will be able to use chat and Q&A throughout to participate. We also do have some polls. You can ask questions throughout the presentation. We'll try to respond to those as we can, and we'll also have time at the end for you to ask questions as well. Okay, so as we get started, just want to remind everybody that all of our programs are open to all. MSU Extension believes fully in creating welcoming environments in our program while everyone feels they belong, feel safe and they have a voice and we know that human differences enrich our lives work in community and we embrace our responsibility to be a resource for all and are committed to providing programs to all segments of our community we're really excited that so many of you are here from across the country so thanks for joining us we also have that land acknowledgement on the screen as well so let's talk about our plan for today we are going to cover um the who what what, who, why, what, who, what, what's on there twice, when, how of workplace professionalism. There's a lot of what apparently about workplace professionalism. We also are going to end with some of information on our upcoming Adulting 101 webinars, and we're also going to ask you what you want to learn about in 2026. So this is the time when we start planning the series for next year, and we want to hear from you about what is important for you to be beyond ready in the future. So that's our plan for today. But we want to do a quick poll to get us started to thinking about workplace professionalism. So I'm going to launch that right now. And this poll is getting us thinking about who we might work with and where we might be working. So the question is, what is your current or anticipated job or career. And you can pick more than one choice. So there's a few choices on here that might apply to you. And they are, I work for myself and am an entrepreneur. I work for a company or business. I work for a nonprofit government agency or public serving organization. I work with lots of people daily. I work with a few people or customers. I work with others not listed here. So go ahead and take a minute to check all that apply to you currently or in the future. Looks like we're getting, got more than half of you who've responded thus far. Give a few more seconds. I know we're not going to get a full 100% on our percentages because you can pick so many choices. So, Gabrielle, it depends on if you're on a phone, you might have to click a button on the bottom of your phone to see a poll. If not, it usually pops up on your screen if you're on a computer or a tablet. If you want to answer in the chat, too, that's fine, but I know there were a lot of choices. All right, I am going to end the poll. Let's see what we got, Janice. So we've got a couple people who are going to work for themselves or work for themselves currently as entrepreneurs. Our largest percentage of people are working for a company or business. this. We have some that are also working for nonprofits, government agencies, public service organizations. A lot of people work with a lot of people daily. So that is not surprising. We have some that are going to work with a few people and others are going to, at least one person is going to work with others not listed here. So that's great. Pretty good mix. So let's talk about what workplace professionalism is first. So I mentioned a little bit about this at the start, but workplace professionalism is essentially the way a person conducts themselves in their workplace. So that is everything from the attitude you bring, the way you communicate, how you carry yourself. It's also about the characteristics of how you interact and respond with others. So if you're being responsible, ethical, productive, hardworking, a good team player, having those strong interpersonal and problem solving skills. So it's all the things that you bring to the table that are more of those soft skills of interaction with others and with the community, with those audiences that you mentioned that you might be working with across the board. When we look at this, some of these were in that definition. There are a lot of ways that we demonstrate some of this professionalism. It could be being productive. So if we're using our time wisely, managing all of our projects, our assignments, if we're being professional in our appearance, this is where that dress comes into it. So dress appropriately for the industry, for our organization, maintaining good hygiene, being accountable, right? So taking responsibility for our work and our actions and behaving ethically. That also relates to being a good team player and working with others. Being a problem solver. So brainstorming solutions and alternatives, not just coming at things with problems and saying that these are problems and issues, but also coming up with solutions and ways to resolve issues. Being resilient. So that's developing those coping skills that are important in our personal lives and also bringing them into our workplace where we're able to manage setbacks, we're able to deal with challenges that might come up. Communicating effectively. So this is where we're practicing those interpersonal communication skills, being respectful. And this is important because we need to be aware of that there's other people around us who have feelings and sensitivities and avoiding things that might make other people uncomfortable, whether that be inappropriate jokes or swearing or gossip and those types of things. Being on time, timeliness matters. So arriving early and being on time for any commitments, and then being positive. So that relates to having that positive, welcoming attitude, not bringing all of your troubles and problems with you to your workplace or your interactions with others. And we talked about this at the start, but professionalism really helps you make that positive first impression. It builds successful relationships, and it helps establish a lasting positive relationship and reputation and that's what we're going to explore more as we keep going so first why are we talking about this and the big thing here um well let's get a few ideas in the chat what why are we talking about professionalism why does it matter why talk about professionalism any thoughts any of these things that laurie mentioned important or do you think they're important maybe you've already experienced it too yes i love that gabrielle you do need it in all parts of your life i think sometimes people think professionalism only relates to a career or a workplace specifically but it also relates to other roles that you might have in the community as a community member as a neighbor as a volunteer at, you know, all of these spaces. Even as a student. Yes, as a student too. Yes. Very good point, Janice. Yes. Yes. It overlaps in a lot of areas. Very, very true. I appreciate this. So the big part here is that you only get one chance to make a first impression. You've probably heard that before, but that one chance can really affect that reputation that I mentioned earlier and how much it can impact other areas of your life. And you want to have all of these positive relationships, this positive reputation, because not only is that critical for your own success, but will also help the success of whatever place that you said you're going to be working at. And you all said different places that you might be at, but your professionalism will affect the success of that business or organization or company, whatever it is. It's really also important that you're behaving with integrity, because that one instance of having poor judgment can ruin years of trust. And there's probably a chance that you have been in a situation where trust was broken, and you know how hard trust is to rebuild. So that's why it's important to have that integrity when you're at your workplace as well to maintain that positive relationship and reputation. And then just remembering that your work's going to represent you. So it is a representation of who you are. So your effort and motivation truly matter, and it can carry on beyond that one instance. And I'm seeing some great comments here in the chat. So standards for interacting in appropriate ways with a diverse group of other people and what to expect from them or others as well. It's a great comment. It matters. And it's also true. Making a great first impression and perseverance can keep going, even though it's difficult. And talk to others if you need help. Yeah, we're going to talk about a few resources to help build professionalism as well. So that's a great reminder to you, Colin. Okay, so Lori's mentioned some of the components of professionalism. She mentioned the why. So now we're going to talk about the who, managing those relationships. We're going to do a quick poll to see who you might work with. Lori's going to launch that for us. So who do you interact with regularly at work or in your intended work? Choose all of them that apply. And we'll give you just a few minutes or a few seconds to do this. And if you can't see it, if you want to put in the chat, we have things like co -workers, a boss, a supervisor, clients, administrative staff or support staff, stakeholders, funders, the public, government officials, vendors, or others not listed. So go ahead. And you might interact with a couple of different topics or different choices that we have. Yeah. Janice and I were talking about it and we interact with a lot of these regularly and some not as regularly, but we can't forget that we do. So we got some comments in the chat too about parents or children, mentors or interns. Yeah. Volunteers. Those are some we didn't even list on there. yeah and there's some that people said in the in the poll others not listed so it'd be interesting other ones yes all right we'll end this and see our result because I'm happy people interact with their co-workers but if you work virtually you might not have a lot of co-workers to interact with it all just depends awesome so thank you um managing relationships with others being your co -workers, your supervisors, your stakeholders, your partners, your clients, your customers. There's lots of relationships that arise as part of the workplace. And we're going to talk about how to handle some of those. You want to make sure you're always being professional, recognizing that your behavior is more about more than just about you. Pay attention to organizational culture. What's going on around you? What are some of the expectations? Refraining from gossip. It's great to know what's going on, but it's not always best and it's not always appropriate to happen in the workplace. Be open with others' opinions and work styles, respect and courtesy. Understand other perspectives. It's okay to ask questions, but be open to what they say. Don't always be defensive. Be curious with different perspectives. Instead of getting defensive about your own, ask the questions like, can you tell me why? What's your viewpoint on that? But just be cautious of how you're asking it and when maybe you're asking it. Engage everyone at work, even with different styles. Remember, there's always people that are very outgoing and you're going to know who they are and maybe they're loud. But remember, there's also those quiet people at work. You don't want to forget about those. Make sure you're engaging everyone in the work environment where you are. Show interest in others. Listen without interrupting. If you know something's going on or they have a big, some big event happening in their life, follow up with them. Hey, how did that go over the weekend? You know, ask those questions. Show that you care and then be inclusive. Make sure you're including everyone. There's also boundaries that you want to set at work and it comes to peer pressure. Boundaries can be both personal and professional, and it's good to set both of those boundaries. An overreaching rule of professionalism is respect. Respect everyone. That means your colleagues, your supervisors, your customers, your vendors, elected officials, whoever you may work with. Do not raise your voice or swear if frustrated or you disagree. Remember, you need to stay professional. And in a professional setting, you're not swearing, you're not yelling. Having good boundaries is healthy. Knowing when it's okay to say no is a good thing. Know the organizational expectations and policies. Are you expected to show up on time? Is it expected that sometimes you work late or work the weekends? What are the expectations? What are the policies of requesting time off or handling customers that may be upset? Think about who you may eat and drink around, not only in the office, but outside of work, too. You know, is that appropriate? Not asking super personal questions in the workplace. Some people want to keep their personal life separate from their professional life, and they don't want them to intermingle. Other people are okay with it. So just know that some people might set those hard boundaries that they might not share a lot in their personal life. What you should and shouldn't share on social media. Understanding the difference between personal and professional opinions and being mindful of what you post. I will tell you I'm very cautious of when I post on social media because of the clientele that I work with. And, you know, adults, kids, you know, so be mindful of what you're sharing. Something you may think is funny may not be funny to other people. And Janice, I also know I've heard of many instances where there's very concrete policies from organizations and businesses, too, about what people can and cannot post. because there's proprietary information that some companies and businesses have too. And you're not allowed to share pictures or show a picture behind the counter or inside the delivery truck or something for those exact reasons. And it can lead to losing a job. So just be cautious and know your field. I have a daughter that's working in a healthcare field. You have to be careful once you share or once you don't share and things like that. So just know your policies. And then peer pressure. This can happen at any stage in your life. It's not just high school students or younger students. It can happen in the workplace also. So think about that. Just because you see someone else doing it doesn't mean that it's the right thing to do. If you're always taking a longer lunch, maybe that's not appropriate. If you're using, if you're doing personal things on work time? Is that appropriate? Are you standing around gossiping or talking for an hour when you should be getting work done? So just because other people are doing it doesn't mean that it's appropriate. Take cues from your supervisors. A lot of times your supervisors are going to follow the rules or hopefully following the rules. They'd be the people to look for or if they're saying, you know, maybe they're giving you subtle hints, take those hints. And then your behavior will affect your promotions, your raises, your awards, your references, access to other opportunities, and even your ability to keep a job. And we're going to talk more about it later on. But even showing up on time can affect those things. And then handshakes are also important. I love to teach about handshakes. I think they're very important, but they've changed over the time. A handshake is a great first impression, and we will share some information or resource about a handshake in the chat. And if we don't do it now, we'll do it before the end. But pay attention also to body language, because there's been a change in handshakes over the years. Some people are not as apt to shake a hand, and you're going to tell by their body language. Don't just assume that shaking a hand is standard anymore. And Lori did put that in the, she did put a reference in the chat about a professional handshake. So, but if you're willing to shake hands in someone else's, make sure you're shaking them in a proper way. Have a good, firm handshake. And then relationships is also about integrity. Saying what you mean and mean what you're saying. Are you saying no, but you're really saying yes? or you're saying yes, but you're thinking, no, why did I do this? I can't do that. So think about that. Follow through on the commitments. If you say you're going to do something, make sure you're follow through on that because people are going to expect you to do that. Don't say yes. If you can't do it, this will lead to broken trust and damaged relationships. I was on a meeting with Lori today and it's okay to say no. There's people in our group that said, I'm not taking on anything else. It, that is okay. And then, um, preserve dignity, following, figuring out how to say no in a respectful way. You don't just have to say, no, I'm not doing it. It's, it's also the tone that you use, but it is okay to say no. And then, um, mistakes, mistakes happen, but I would encourage you to own your mistake. I sent an email the beginning of this week that says, I apologize, I forgot to do X, Y, and Z. Own it. Admit that you made a mistake. Coworkers and supervisors might be disappointed, but in a way, it's going to be how you deal with it that will help with the situation. It shows your true colors. If you're willing to apologize and make amends, the situation will turn out much better than if you try to take response or to avoid responsibility. So if you make a mistake, own it. You can also learn from that mistake. Yeah. And I think, again, that's where someone made the comment about like professional and personal and the overlap of like life, because honestly, that's something that's important in life in general, because it's part of that relationship building. Like it's going to go a long way if I make a mistake and I own that to you Janice versus if I just pretended it didn't happen or blame somebody else instead of just taking that responsibility so um yeah and the yes or no someone asked about yes or no and problem solving it is also about I think sometimes when you say no to something it's also offering solutions so it's not just saying no and then being like, that's it. Like it's maybe it's like, Hey, I'd be able to help with that in a month or two, or let's revisit that after I've completed this other project, or I'm not able to, but I do the whole project, but I could do part of it. So it's, it's offering solutions as well. So that's a really great comment, Colin. And I would say even yes, yes, I can do that with help or yes, I can do that with A, B, and C. Yes, I agree. So you can have like conditions, I guess you could say on some of your yeses to make sure that you're able to be successful too. So it's about being a team player and contributing and also being successful so that you're able to follow through on those commitments too. All right, let's talk about the what. We have many what's on our agenda. us. So let's talk about the what. We talked about the what is workplace professionalism, but now we're going to talk about what we are using at work. So that's like the dress, the space that we're in, the equipment. So some of these pieces are that how you show up, how you return items, how you use items will reflect on you, the company, your employer, or whoever that is, and your level of professionalism. We know that there's a variety of things that there might be for equipment and supplies, but there's a lot of things that are pretty standard. So, we're going to talk about that. So, first, we're going to dressed expectations. It might be different than how you might dress for an interview. So, Janice and I get to talk about interviews as well and prepping for interviews. And oftentimes, when you're dressing for an interview, you're going to do a business professional outfit for that interview. But that might not be what you're wearing every day to the actual workplace. So you really need to learn and ask about organizational expectations. So those organizational expectations might be in a handbook, they might be finding out from a supervisor, you're going to want to find out if there is a dress code. That can be something you could ask as part of an interview or ask, you know, when you first meet with a supervisor to find out what the appropriate address is. There may be requirements at your work for safety. So someone just put in the chat about PPE. So personal protection equipment or safety clothing. So you might have to have steel-toed shoes. You might have to have hair covered or pulled back, covered with a net. You might have to wear a uniform. So it really depends on the space and it could be that these are things that you have to wear for safety for yourself or for others depending on the position. There are a variety of dress styles and again this is where you need to find out what's appropriate. The highest would be a business formal where it's going to be suits, ties, dress shirts, skirts, clothes to clothes toed dress shoes. Below that would be business professional, which is some of the photos that we have on there. So it's a step down from that business formal. It's usually blazers, dress pants, dress shirts, blouses, professional dresses. Business casual can often be common in a lot of workplaces as well. So it's a blend of both professionalism and some of that comfort. So it might have a collared shirt or a sweater, chinos, loafers, something like that. And then smart casual and casual go below that. A little bit more relaxed. There might be more colors and patterns. Casual, more tech startup places. Smaller companies might do that. Or you might have special days where you're allowed to dress more casual and wear jeans or a t-shirt or sneakers or that type of thing. But again, And this is important to find out from your HR department or handbooks or your supervisor to know what's appropriate and when. So if we look at spaces, spaces can very much vary depending on what your role is and what you're doing. We're going to talk in particular about some shared spaces. any shared space where you're in a grouping or large grouping with people and there's a lot of people around you it's really important to be mindful of noise levels being considerate about confidentiality when there's other people around so any information you're sharing or discussing you need to make sure that you're either in a closed space if it's something that's private or that you're using headphones if you're hearing information. Don't yell across the room to have a conversation or ask someone a question or answer a question. And that's especially important if it's something that is going to be distracting or is something that's personal. And then definitely recognize people's body language when they need to focus on work on things. you've probably been in spaces where you've been trying to work on something or focus on something and keep getting interrupted or distracted and so focus on when other people are giving you those cues that says I need to just do something else and move on so another shared space you might have is a kitchen, a lounge area, a shared break room. And for these spaces, it's really important that you're cleaning up after yourself. Oftentimes, there's signs that remind people of doing this, but wipe the countertops, wipe out the microwave, clean the dishes or the coffee pot when it's done. And it's just really important that you remember that you are an active member of that community. And so everybody has to do their part to keep it clean and to keep it healthy for everybody else. And then it's also important to be really mindful of the types of food and drink that you're bringing in as well. Remembering that people have sensitivities. Smells can really permeate spaces. So whether that be spicy foods or fish or popcorn. um please also be really aware if there are allergies within your um working space or with any co-workers and colleagues um and if there's there's requirements that you are not supposed to bring in certain type of items into the workplace that you follow those expectations and then of course only eat your own food or your own items that you bring in unless there's invitations to share in community food. So if you want to bring stuff in to share and that's an allowed thing, that's great. But don't eat someone else's lunch. That's also important for relationship building. All right, let's talk about equipment. So there's a lot of different equipment that you might be using. If you want to throw in the chat any equipment that you currently use at your work or that you may use in a future employment position. But some of the common ones we know are things like computers, there's technical equipment, keys or badges to get into locations. And with these, it's really important that you, with any of these, it's important that you return items when you're done with them in good condition. Things are going to get used, normal usage, but you're keeping them well-treated, well-maintained. You need to keep track of any keys or ID badges that you have. You may even have to sign an agreement that you have it and that you'll return it at the end. Oftentimes losing these or misplacing them will lead to costs either for you or for a company or organization because they may have to re-key something or reprogram an entire system. So it's really important to maintain those items and recognize that then your employer may have to take on those costs and there might be a limit to how long they'll be able to do that. In terms of using some of your own electronics and spaces, we talked a little bit about this, but make sure you know when it's appropriate to use cell phones, whether it's texting or scrolling or making your own personal phone calls. It might only be allowed during breaks. You might be able to keep your phone on you, but you might not be able to use it. Make sure you know what it is and follow that. For the most part, consider the fact that when you're at work, you're doing your work. So it's not time to be doing all of these other personal activities unless it's on a time that you're on break and you're not interacting as part of your role anymore. We talked about taking photos and videos of other things, but make sure that if you are, you're taking, you have permissions to have any photos or recordings from other people, particularly if you're going to be posting them or using them. Again, that's a respect thing to everybody who's involved in those photos and those pictures, and also about that proprietary information. And then know the expectations of how you respond to others in your space. So how do you answer the phone? How do you greet customers? Sometimes there's specific scripts. Sometimes there's just general expectations. And those general expectations are to be helpful, to be honest, right? Share the information that you do have. Get the information so you can get back to the individual to get them what they need. Make sure that you're clear, that you're, you know, understandable, you enunciate, you're speaking loud enough, those types of pieces. so great yes I see desktop badges keys telephone those are very very common equipment items so before we move on to our next section which is going to be on time management we are going to do a quick poll thanks for everybody for interacting with the polls and with the chat we appreciate it. So this poll is really personal. What is your personal challenge in managing your time most effectively? Do you feel it's procrastination, putting off tasks, prioritizing what should be done first, distractions, over committing, or lack of planning for how long tasks take or what it requires? that people can permit admit that they procrastinate yes I appreciate people's honesty we're already practicing our honesty tonight and our self-awareness we'll give a couple more seconds we'll see where we land all right Janice it looks like most of our group struggles with procrastination there's a lot of overlap in by the way everybody but procrastination putting off of tasks prioritizing what should be done first which can come into procrastination distractions and over committing those were actually that's the order of of response okay so now we're going to talk about time management we're going to talk more about it learning to manage your time is something that will help you entire life so if you're still in high school, if you're in college, this is something that's going to help you your entire life. And in figuring out what your some of your weaknesses are, what can you do to improve those things? Part of it is just showing up on time to work to meetings to events. I'm one of those people, if I show up on time, I feel late, I want to be early, I have to be early, then I'm okay. If I'm on time, it throws off my whole thing. Some people will walk in right when the meeting starts, and it's fine because you're on time, but making sure you're at least there on time or early. Setting those priorities for projects. I'm asking questions. It's back to that yes and no. Do you have time right now? Can you do it if you have help? Does this need to, it might be okay to ask a supervisor, does this need to come before this other thing that I'm working on? Asking those questions to see where it should fit on the tasks that you are currently working on. Using tools to help you with your time management. Using a planner. Maybe it's an actual physical paper planner. Maybe it's using a calendar online. Making a to-do list. Using charts. Finding something that will help you keep track of what you need to get done. Because believe me, you may think you remember it all, but as you get busy in life, you're going to go, oh ****, I forgot about that. So think about what you can use. Somebody said sticky notes. I have sticky notes. I have lists. I have a planner. I use a combination of a couple different things because I know what needs to be done. Then I'm like, oh, I need to make a list of what I need to get done sooner. So it's finding out what works for you. Setting deadlines and realistic expectations. Communicate to, and that's communicating to your supervisor, to your teammates? Is it realistic to have a deadline? I worked with a group and I said, we need to make sure we have a deadline so that everyone's on the same page. And they're like, well, yeah, everything's due November 1st. And then by April, April 1st. And I'm like, no, no, no. There's lots of things that happen in between there. Let's set more deadlines. So everyone's on the same page. And that's part of time management. also. When do things need to be accomplished? Does you complete something, does your completing something hold up somebody else if you're late? And then stay on topic and agenda. Don't waste the time of others, especially in a meeting. Trying not to get off topic. Stay focused so that you're not wasting the time and that so everyone can move on and get on to their next item. also judging priorities commitments responsibility available time meetings emails customer needs what comes first is it customer service you need to respond to those emails before you complete one of your tasks is it better for you to look at email at the beginning of the day then shut it down look at it right before lunch shut it down and work look at it before the end of the day you have to figure out what works best for you and going from there. And it might be asking supervisors, what are my priorities? And then trying to figure out how to stay focused, avoiding your distractions. Some people like music and that's how they get things going and they are able to check a bunch of things off their list. To other people, music is very distracting. They like it quiet. Some people, phones are distracting because they see messages pop up or they hear a ding. Do you need to put your phone on silent? What are those distractions that keep you from focusing? And then be able to say no if you can't get the task done on time. Again, it goes back to that it's okay to say no. But asking what is the priority? You don't always want to say no. take on some extra responsibility once in a while because that shows initiative also. But as long as you have time. I'll tell you, I got an email this week that a school finally decided on the program they wanted. I'm super excited. It's a new program. So I'm looking at the things, making my list and my shopping list. This program's not for six weeks. I have other things that I need to get done now. And I'm like, Janice, you have to focus. Don't worry about that. You have other time to get that done. Get this task done first. Even though I'm really excited about it, I've told myself I had to focus. I need to get this other stuff done first because it was priority. So it might be asking questions of what is priority? What needs to be done first? Yeah, Janice, that's really good too. We do have a lot of resources. We'll send out an email too as well with a lot of resources because we could go on a whole presentation just on time management techniques. And we in fact do have a presentation on that we do so I think that um you know time management is crucial I think sometimes people think that they will be able to keep everything in their in their brain or in their mind to remember and the challenge is you end up using up a lot of crucial brain power with trying to memorize things remember dates and times and projects and to-dos and if you put it out in on in an organized way, in the system that works best for you, whatever that is, you can relieve your mind of having to remember that. I check my planner, my weekly planner, and my calendar multiple times a day because I don't want to keep it in my head. It's on there. So the more you use the tools, the better off you'll be. And I'm just going to add in this time management also goes to like work-life balance. Good point. Knowing when to say, nope, I need to do something with my family or you know but finding and it also depends on your career or your job at the time because some of you will have very set hours even I mean I grew up I worked in fast food I knew I had very set hours um my career right now is not as nine to five but finding out figuring out when it's okay to say no that nope I need to spend time with my family that's okay that's all part of time management. Yeah. And, and then one other thing too, is that I think that, well, I was just, I lost what I was going to say. Cause that was a really good point, Janice. So maybe it'll come back to me. I was like, Oh, that's a great point. Well, let's, let's move to communication and let's think about the way that we communicate. So before we look at some very specific examples, I am going to launch another quick poll. Oops, I'm not finding my polls. Here they are. Here we go. Professional communication. So this one says, which of the following is the most professional way to communicate in the workplace? And you could choose more than one. So sending clear and concise emails, using slang and emojis and messages, actively listening and responding respectfully or interrupting when you disagree. We've covered a few of these. So as you're responding to that, I'm just going to say we do communicate in a variety of ways, right? There are verbal, there's verbal communication. That can be meetings. That could be online. It could be, yeah, Colin put meetings online, in person. It could be direct interaction with colleagues, customers, stakeholders, clients. Oh, that reminds me of the time management thing. Prioritizing could also be the order of how you handle things too, even with customers and clients? Do you need to clean up your space before you take on a new order or work with a new customer? Or is it important to respond to the customer first, then set up a space to have it ready? I think about that in some of the service industries. So knowing the order of how you should do things is really like what is the priority for the business or organization. So that's really important. So that's some of those direct interactions we might have verbally. But we might also be communicating and writing. So it could be text, notes, emails, any documents, any of these things require professionalism. Of course, we also have our nonverbal communication, which we'll touch on as well. In some workplaces, there can be really direct expectations and standards that you might learn during orientations and through handbooks and trainings. And then In other cases, it's just, again, a standard of professionalism is expected, even if it's not directly outlined. And that's kind of what we're going to talk a little bit about today. So all of you did wonderfully. Like, you do need to have clear and concise emails and actively listen and respond respectively. So awesome job on that. So if we jump into, I mentioned nonverbal communication and how important that is. There are a lot of studies on nonverbal communication, different percentages that I hear on how much we communicate through nonverbal communication, but nonverbal communication is all those cues we give off in all of those ways on that screen there. One study at UCLA indicated that about up to 93% of communication effectiveness is determined by nonverbal cues. Another study indicated that the impact of a performance was determined 7% by the words used, 38% by voice quality, and 55 % by the nonverbal communication. So the choice of words, the tone of the voice, and then the other nonverbal communication pieces. So we know that nonverbal communication is very important to our overall communication as a whole with anyone that we interact with. That's also true in the workplace. This also really affects the first impression that someone has of you. And we talk a lot about this with interviews, and it also applies in your interactions in the workplace with all of those people we mentioned in that first poll. So being a good listener, you're having, you know, that good eye contact. You're not walking away when something's boring or you're not interested in it. You're nodding your head. um depending on the generation or the preferences of the person you're communicating with or the expectations in your workplace you um you know need to make sure that you are using the tool that's appropriate so is it email is it text is it a phone call it's also really important to not email or text or talk on electronic devices when you are interacting with someone. That's typically viewed or doing something else, reading something, writing something, looking at something else. That's not being an active participant in the conversation. Definitely, I like the comment about asking questions. If you think something is not really interesting, you're asking questions to find out more. You're not just walking away or, you know, looking disinterested. Other ways you can display that positive first impression, having that open stance, that uncrossed arms, having that smile, that relaxed brow, a clear, steady voice, a pleasant tone of voice, walking with confidence and purpose, so not shuffling your feet, making sure that you're neat and clean in your appearance, all really important things for your nonverbal communication. And now we're going to talk about the verbal communication, whether it's a one -on-one conversation with a colleague or a customer, or if you're in a team meeting, or if you're doing a presentation, there's some commonalities for professionalism with verbal communication. You're going to always try to avoid those, um, uh-huh, nah, yeah. Instead, pause and think about what you want to say before you start answering that question. I'll tell you, sometimes it's just hard. I know Laura and I have both probably done it tonight that, yeah, it's hard. But practice being a good listener is part of verbal communication. Getting others involved by asking them questions. I like that somebody had put in the chat, ask a question if you're bored. But it's also asking questions to get other people involved. Communicating on what other, commenting on what other people have said, you know, and it's not always just commenting to make a comment as long as you had a point you were trying to make. Some people just always like to ask a question. Don't be that person all the time. Not switching the topic back to yourself and not interrupting when somebody else is talking. Wait until they're done. Focus when you're in a meeting. Try not to multitask. You shouldn't have your email open. You shouldn't be checking your phone. Look like you're engaged in the meeting. Stay on task. Avoid those side conversations. I will tell you when you're in a meeting and somebody else is over here having another conversation, it's also very distracting to other participants that want to be engaged in the meeting. So think about that at the next meeting that you go to. Greet everyone and make good eye contact. Speak clearly. It's always great that you want to make sure everyone can understand you. Limit device or technology that is used, especially if you're sitting in the audience and you have your phone or your computer. Do you really need it? Do you need your computer open? Do you need to have your phone out? If it's part of the meeting, great, but if not, it can also be a distraction. Be ready for the meeting. If you're part of the meeting, make sure you're prepared when you show up. And then for online meetings such as Zoom, such as this, or Teams, mute yourself when you're not talking, so that way people don't hear what's going on in the background. Also think about your background. Can you blur it? Do you have a professional background to put on? Pay attention to your lighting. I have extra lighting on my side because the room I'm in is darker. So think about that. Look engaged. If you're online, try to have your camera on. If it's a webinar, they might not see you like this. But if it's just a meeting, have your camera on. There's nothing worse for the presenters than to talk to a blank screen where you're like, are they still here? Are they listening? So be engaged, keeping your screen on, still asking questions just like you would in person. Janice, I love that too, because I think about it. This is no different than if you were attending in a room with us and Janice and I are presenting. You would not want to have Janice and I with a blank screen because you would not want to go to a in-person event where we were teaching and all you saw was a piece of cardboard or something and voices coming out of it. You would want to see faces, see facial expressions, hear the words coming out of our mouths. And that's the same thing when you're in any sort of online interaction. So that's a really- And I would, yeah. And I would also say, think about your tone. If you're presenting in a meeting, don't talk like this the entire time because you want people to be engaged. Otherwise they're like, oh my gosh, when is this meeting going to be over? And we've all sat through those. Whether it be a teacher or a boss, yes, for sure. Yeah. So the next topic we're going to touch on is written communication. For written communication, no matter the type there, you need to be consistent and you need to be professional. And when I say written, it might be still hand written. It might be a text message. It might be an email. Grammar and spelling and punctuation matters. Even with technology, technology doesn't catch everything. So you can't always rely on that spell check or that grammar check and stuff. So make sure you're checking that. Written communication needs to be legible. If you are writing somebody a note, make sure they can read your handwriting. And I will tell you, in my generation, some of us still write in cursive. I have teenagers and they tell me I'm writing in code. So think about that also. Make sure who you're working with can read it. And not just because it's legible, but can they, do they know how to read cursive or not? Email is not texting. When you're emailing somebody, you need to use complete full sentences along with your punctuation. Texting needs to be clear and professional as well. You should avoid the slang, the emojis, the abbreviations, the IDK or the IYKYK and other communication items that are unknown or could be confused. Because I will tell you, I have teenagers, but I still look up the letters that they're sending me because I'm like, I don't know what this means. And you should think about that in your workplace. Is it appropriate to use slang in your workplace? Should you be writing that out? I don't know is not IDK, but writing out, I don't know. I will check on that and get back later, get back to you later. Formatting counts no matter what you're doing. And I think that's part of formatting. We teach that even in Forage. I had somebody say, well, can I abbreviate that? I'm like, how are you going to abbreviate that? And they were going to use an acronym that they use in texting. I'm like, no, these are secretary minutes. that is not appropriate you have to write the words out so no matter what think about what what you're writing make sure it's professional you're using proper words and punctuation no slang in in the workplace awesome so i think we're gonna janice i'm gonna skip kim's challenge and we'll just do justin's tonight just for the sake of time good yep so we are going to look at um justin's we had two friends of yours that needed some assistance but we're only going to be able to help one of them tonight so um justin's situation is that his uh supervisor has asked him to do a project but he's feeling quite unprepared he doesn't know where to start he feels he doesn't have the skills to do the project and all of this is causing a lot of stress for Justin. So I'm going to launch a quick poll. I'd love for you to tell me what do you think Justin's challenge is? Is Justin's challenge time management, communication skills, safety protocols, or professional development? So any of these could probably apply if you wanted to try to convince me of it, but what's the best bit? And I'm just going to give and actually while you're filling this out if you want to in the chat start telling me uh what solutions would you give Justin what what what advice what recommendations to resolve his issue so start putting that in the chat for me as well I am going to end this poll let's share the results so we've got some time management we've got some communication skills and professional development. So again, all of those could be something that Justin needs to work on. He probably needs to work on some time management to figure out how to to figure out where to start, how to prioritize things, maybe needs how to work on how to communicate with others. But the big one we're looking at that kind of overarchs all of them is professional development. So that's learning new skills to improve in his career. So I ask people to say what are some ways that he could start addressing this um in the chat we have a few in there because professional development is really important because we are never done learning in life we skills will need to continue to evolve and change especially as our jobs change and our roles change and the world changes so as an employee you have to gain additional training to remain current. It's going to keep you competitive. It might even help you get raises or promotions. So professional development is important throughout your life. And you all came up with a few solutions in here. So asking a coworker for help, speaking to a mentor. I love that. Asking a supervisor where you should start, learning how to communicate and being transparent about the situation, asking a supervisor for support and asking what skills and working on stress. So just breathe, Justin, just breathe, which I love. Practice meditation and keeping notes. So yeah, these are all great. So a large part of it is getting some of that support out there. There are professional organizations to help with training and development. Working with a mentor, coworkers is a great idea. Keeping an open mind. Learning can happen anywhere. Keeping current on, you know, news and events and the current things in that industry. Reading books, articles, websites, magazines. He might need to acquire formal training and get some formal education. Might need to explore PD, professional development through the employer. A lot of employers offer that. So what are those opportunities that he can enroll in and take advantage of? Or it could be local learning opportunities, community college or community based continuing education programs. And then of course, ask of the employer or supervisor for ideas, which many of you shared. So this is great. Just knowing that learning doesn't end after college or post-secondary education, that you're going to continue to build those soft skills and those hard skills throughout life. So go ahead and start putting Google it, Google it, Justin. Well, and some of it might be looking some things up too. So I appreciate that. So start putting any questions you might have in the chat so that we can help answer those. But as we are close on time, we want to make sure that we are sharing a few opportunities for you as well. So first of all, I want to share about Future Squad. For those of you who are 12 to 19 and want to join a virtual 4-H club that covers adulting 101 type of topics, you could join Future Squad. Meetings run October of this year till May of next year, and we meet twice a month on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7 to 8. So you are welcome to join that club if you are interested. The next steps for this is this series is that we do have a short survey for you to tell us what you have learned. So I'm going to put that chat or that link in the chat for you. So if you could complete that and tell us what you've learned. And as always, you will receive an email with resources. There's a lot of links that will be shared in there. Rather than put tons of them in the chat, which are hard to capture, you will receive an email that will contain that. And then, of course, we'd love for you to attend other Adulting 101 sessions that are coming up. So we only have two more for this year. October is Enjoy Your Holidays on a Budget, and November is Navigating Tough Talks. But as we had noted in the chat as well, these webinars are recorded, So you can watch them for up to a year on the Adulting 101 website. So we encourage you to go back, look at past episodes, or re-watch this one if you want to follow up on something or re-hear some of the tidbits that we shared today. And last but not least, we promised we want to know what you want to hear about in 2026. This is your journey of becoming beyond ready for the future, and it's not ours to tell of what you want to learn. So please, if you have not already, complete the survey that I just put in the chat about what you want to learn about in 2026. You can also scan the QR code that's on the screen and tell us what you want to hear about. There's a space to put in topics of interest. There's also a wide variety of choices that you can select so that we can kind of rank and see what comes up at the top. But we'd love to hear your thoughts. so if you have done both of those the survey of what you've learned tonight and shared what you want to learn in 2026 and you have no questions for us you are free to go about the rest of your evening we are super grateful that you joined us thanks for being here participating participating in the chat and doing the polls alongside janice and i we stopped the recording Thank you.