Top 5 must-have gadgets

By Adrian Kendrick

To be on top of your industry, you can't just obtain the knowledge, you also have to have the gadgets. Those handy devices will set you apart from other professionals in the workplace, not to mention keep you effi cient. The following devices is what's hot for today's
professionals:

Cisco linksys range extender RE 1000

Install the Cisco Linksys Range Extender RE 1000's seamless wireless connectivity. This device extends the range of your wireless network with its multiple input-output antennae. It also works as a bridge to instantly connect wired devices to the network. The extender can be either placed on the wall outlet or on the desktop, depending on the need.

Jabra Speak 410 Series

Handling conference calls at work will be a breeze with the Jabra Speak 410 Series. It's easy to move around, and this device can be set up to make a conference call while on the go or at home. Ideal for taking calls on speaker mode when in a group, it also has a 33 mm jack for one-on-one conversations.

Symantec endpoint Protection Cloud

This security solution provides comprehensive protection for Windows devices and servers, without installing additional hardware or management software. It provides an effective shield as an antivirus, anti-spyware fi rewall, and host intrusion prevention protection with automated updates. It'll keep your business or offi ce safe from all modern day threats.

Hewlett-Packard's z1All-in-ones

This device has been designed to change the way the work station is distinguished. It comes fully loaded with an Intel Xeon processor, ECC memory, NVIDIA Quodro graphics and more. The Z1 also comes with a tool-less chassis, which means you can upgrade or change processors, graphics and more. The 27-inch in-plane switching (IPS) panel can display up to a billion colors making it ideal for design and graphic artists as well as industries that use a lot of visual simulations.

Fellowes Powershred P-35C

The risk of sensitive information and documents falling into wrong hands can be lessened by the use of a paper shredder. The Fellowes P-35c is said to be the perfect desk-side shredder. It crosscuts up to five sheets of paper in one pass into small, unreadable pieces. The shredder has a powerful motor that helps in rending credit cards, staples and even paper clips. To prevent accidental shredding, a safety lock has been included as well.

Source: Techstudy.net

 

SO ANNOYING!

Irritating office behaviors to avoid

By Jessica R. Key

While many employees have the luxury of having private offices, there are some work spaces that have very few walls. Also, collaboration and interaction is an inevitable part of any job.

While people's personalities may differ, the key to a good working environment is simply not getting on each other's nerves. Grumpy co-workers, gossipers, eating pungent food at one's desk, inappropriate clothing, brownnosers, and people falling asleep on the job are obvious. But what about the truly disturbing behaviors that can cause issues within a company? Here are a few bad habits that can irritate your co-workers.

Promotion and/or pay raise seekers who haven't earned their stripes – If you want something different or better than the position you're currently in, then do the work, serve the role, earn the job and make it evident to everyone around you that you deserve it (without blowing your own horn every five minutes).

Being a know-it-all – No one enjoys being subjected to criticism or oneupmanship from co-workers especially if that person isn't the boss. There are no employees at any company, including the CEO, that know every answer to every conceivable problem.

Always playing the victim – Complaining all the time without presenting viable solutions aggravates everyone in little time. Life isn't always a picnic for anyone, but a consistent negative outlook is demoralizing and creates drama to say the least.

Arrogance and control – It's extremely difficult to deal with employees or bosses who exhibit an attitude that they are somehow above the rules, yet also desire to control those around them. To survive and grow from these sticky situations, there needs to be a
culture of open communication that when two people respect each other enough to say what's on their minds and work through the issues or clarify the misunderstandings, things go pretty well. Once the air is cleared, the relationship can grow and the organization
can thrive.

Stubbornness - This person comes to a discussion with a fixed decision in mind, and refuses to listen to or consider alternatives. It's much worse when they've reached the wrong conclusion. It's a hard one to fix, but sometimes gently asking questions will get them to think about their solution more deeply, and they may see flaws in their original decision.

Laziness – Ah, who could leave out annoying employees who simply don't want to work or refuse to apply themselves. Management gets bothered by the efforts and creativeness of lazy employees always making excuses of why the company or they cannot be
successful. They come up with the most creative ways to spend their time to demonstrate their point instead of using that time wisely to become a success. In problematic situations such as this, it's best to help the employee seek out employment elsewhere or perhaps another department within your organization.

Criticizing people – Everyone deserves to be treated with respect. And as they say, what goes around, comes around. Habitually being judgmental or critical of people can backfire and can curb your own advancement. People often don't realize that their peers and others at work can have a major impact on their careers. Criticizing upper management is even worse and can kill your
career. Sooner or later upper management will get wind of your complaints, and if those above you don't think you're
a supportive member of their team, they're not going to promote you.

Claiming credit you don't deserve – When someone deserves credit for something, give it to them. Trying to take credit for something you don't deserve is probably the most annoying thing you can do. Similarly, failing to give people proper recognition, praise and reward is also a very bad habit.

Missing deadlines – Missing deadlines on a consistent basis can be extremely frustrating for people who are depending on you to get your work done on time. If you cannot meet a deadline, try to give as much notice as possible. Talk to your supervisor and explain the problems you are having as perhaps he or she will be able to offer assistance to get things on track.

Being negative all the time– Someone who complains all day is a major pain in the neck. It's OK to grumble about work once in awhile, but if you're a constant whiner, not only do you get on everybody else's nerves, but your commitment is also questioned.

 

Magazine honors 14 Champions of Diversity

By Adrian Kendrick

The Indiana Minority Business Magazine recently honored businesses, organizations and individuals that implement diversity in the workplace and beyond during its annual Champions of Diversity awards dinner.

The magazine is part of the Recorder Media Group, which also includes the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper.

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. received the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Award and retailer Vera Bradley was honored with the Rosa Parks Trailblazers Award. The two businesses received special honors for going exceedingly above and beyond in the areas of diversity and inclusion.

The following is a synopsis of the nominees honored at the event.

Rev. Peter Bosworth, senior pastor of Abundant Life Church and his wife, Debbie

Abundant Life Church

Abundant Life Church was established in 1953 and had two previous locations. Now located at 7606 E. 82nd St. in Indianapolis, it is run by a husband and wife duo, Pastors Peter and Debbie Bosworth. Abundant Life's mission statement includes "living in a vital relationship with God, integrating biblical truth into daily lives, fostering meaningful relationships and establishing exciting avenues of service." Abundant Life works within the community and provides food from its Life Café and Farmers' Market.

The church also has Abundant Life School for the community. Ministries for youth in church include R.A.G.E. Youth Ministry and Cosmic Kids Children's Ministries. For adults various ministries include Men of Integrity, Women's Ministry and Divorce Care. Service hours are: Sunday morning worship at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesday evening ministry begins at 7 p.m.

 

Lorene Burkhart

Lorene Burkhart

Author, speaker and philanthropist, Lorene Burkhart is known throughout Central Indiana and beyond. Her latest book, Bootstraps: How Women Pull Themselves Up Through Hard Times, empowers women seeking hope, inspiration and wisdom in the face of adversity. More books authored by Burkhart include, Sick of Doctors? A Prescription for Patient Empowerment (2010); Animal Tales: It's All About the Tails (2010); Home on the Farm: If Chickens Could Talk (2007); Raccoon Tales-Hip, Flip, Skip, and Boo and Their Friend Stu (2007); Raccoon Tales-Hip, Flip, Skip and Boo Go to the Zoo (2007); and An Accidental Pioneer: A Farm Girl's Drive to the Finish (2006). Burkhart was also honored by Girls Inc. for inspiring all girls to be smart, strong and bold.

 

Dave Sternberg, Catch the Stars board member

Tamika Catchings of Catch the Stars Foundation

WNBA star Tamika Catchings has soared on and off the court. Catching strives to be the best in the competitive world, but her work doesn't end there. In 2004, she created the Catch the Stars Foundation, which provides youth with programs to help them achieve their dreams.

Programs include Discovering the Star in You, Back to School Celebration, Catch the Stars Reading Corner and Catch the Stars Scholar Athlete Reception. Catch the Stars aims to provide goal-setting programs that promote literacy, fitness and mentoring.

 

Shaun Hawkins, chief diversity officer of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Office for Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly Co.

Diversity should be a depiction of what represents America, a melting pot of people's perspectives, ideas and passions to produce a greater outcome. Eli Lilly is not only a leader in the pharmaceutical industry, but also a leader in the corporate world market.

Established in 1876, Eli Lilly, has evolved to advance with with the times. The company understands that to be a leader it is crucial to recognize, groom, and take into account fresh ideas and perspectives of all individuals, regardless of race, gender or national origin.

In 2012, Eli Lilly made Diversity Inc.'s"Top 50 Companies for Diversity" list. It ranked 29 out of 587 companies that completed the survey. Eli Lilly also has eight affinity groups, which provide forums for employees to gather socially and share ideas outside of work. Their boundaries of diversity extend beyond the traditional concepts of race and sex to also include sexual orientation, national origin and religion. Diversity has become an intricate part of the way Eli Lilly does business.

Donnie Twyman, FedEx

Fed Ex

Fed Ex was built upon innovation, and it continues to be an integral part of the company's culture and business strategy. Fed Ex created a new and distinct market over 30 years ago when it began providing customers access to next-business-day delivery service. With nearly 7,000 employees, the Indianapolis Fed Ex Hub is the second largest sorting facility in the Fed Ex Worldwide network. Fed Ex supports numerous philanthropic efforts as well, including the United Negro College Fund, National Coalition of 100 Black Women and the Indiana Plan for equal employment.

 

Cheryl Miller, Head Start of Indiana

Head Start of Indiana

Unfortunately, growing up poor and being raised by a single parent go handin- hand. Head Start of Indiana works to provide single mothers and their children a chance at a better life. What started as a summer program in 1965, today Head Start opens its doors to lower income African-American, Hispanic and Caucasian ethnic groups, and has over 100 Head Start centers in many cities throughout Indiana.

 

Honda division manager Andy Snider

Honda of Indiana

Honda of Indiana is said to be one of the most remarkable entities of Indiana because of its zero waste-to-landfill facility, which means it sends nothing to landfills. Its site stretches across 1,600 acres, yet it was designed to have the smallest environmental footprint of all North American auto plants. Honda prides itself as being built on dreams. These dreams inspire the company to create innovative products enhancing human mobility and benefit society. The company's corporate social responsibility is diversity. Honda embraces diversity across all levels, from their associates to suppliers. Diversity at Honda fosters the kind of innovation and vitality that enables them to dream big and create products and technologies that make people's lives better.

 

Dr. Mary Francis Howard-Hamilton

Mary Francis Howard-Hamilton

As a professor at Indiana State University and researcher, Dr. Mary Francis Howard-Hamilton has published over 90 articles and book chapters. She focuses on multicultural issues, higher education, gender role socialization, and race and oppression. Her efforts have reached as far as South Africa. She has spent her entire professional career in higher education for a total of 37 years serving at eight institutions. Some of her published work includes Diverse Millennial Students in College, Multiculturalism on Campus: Theories, Models, and Practices for Understanding Diversity and Creating Inclusion, and Unleashing Suppressed Voices on College Campuses: Diversity Issues in Higher Education.

Bryan Luellen, Indiana Youth Group

Indiana Youth Group

Starting with weekly meetings in the living room of the founders, Indiana Youth Group's (IYG) offices and activity center is now located in a small grey house on the corner of 46th Street and Binford Boulevard. Indiana Youth Group was founded in 1987 in response to the dismal suicide, homeless and dropout rates of self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youths. For the past 26 years IYG has provided support groups, educational workshops, leadership opportunities, and drop-in times at their activity center.

In 2012, more than 750 youth attended programming at the IYG activity center. Programs are implemented in hopes of helping to build a more welcoming community for the LGBTQ youth.

 

Jim Van Dyke and Kelly Manning, St. Vincent New Hope

St. Vincent New Hope

Established in 1978, St. Vincent New Hope is a not-for-profit, faith based organization that assists individuals with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. Its core values include service to the poor, wisdom, reverence, integrity dedication and creativity. The organization also provides group homes, transportation assistance and nursing assistance among other programs, which offers support services for children and adults. St. Vincent New Hope ultimately connects its mission in the ministry of Jesus, as a healer. They serve all persons with unique attention to those who are underprivileged and helpless.

Reggie Henderson, Telemon

Telemon

Based in Carmel, Telemon recently received the Company that Cares Award from United Way of Central Indiana in making exceptional commitments through United Way campaigns and partnerships. According to their website, Telemon takes great pride in being a Minority Certified Business Enterprise.

Established in 1985, Telemon Corp. specializes in solutions for telecommunications, business transactions, energy, assembly and logistics for medical material. It is one of the largest private companies in Indiana.

Tom Morales

Tom Morales Group

The Morales Group desires to provide people and services that create a strategic advantage for their clients, while positively impacting employee's lives, the community, and the world. Morales Group was founded in 2003. It specializes in the placement of a diverse workforce for temporary and permanent positions, which include warehousing, manufacturing and assembly. MGI is one of the largest staffing firms in Indiana and has been recognized as one of the fastest growing Hispanic owned companies in the country for the past five years.

Morales Group is a Minority Business Owned Enterprise and a member of the American Staffing Association and TempNet. Its passion is helping others and desiring to impact a diverse, multicultural community.

Vera Bradley public relations manager Melissa Schenkel

Vera Bradley

Women of all ages love Vera Bradley. Vera Bradley's headquarter office is located in Fort Wayne. The organization designs, markets and manufactures handbags, accessories, luggage, paper, gift items and eyewear. Its co-founders, Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller founded the company in the basement of Baekgaard's home in 1982 with just $500. Today, Vera Bradley employs 2,200 people and has more than 75 Vera Bradley stores across the country.

 

Beth White

Beth White

Beth White was sworn in as Marion County Circuit Court Clerk in 2007. A native of Bloomington, White is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University at Bloomington. She received her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. White makes an effort to ensure that people exercise their right to vote. In 2008, a year after White took office, voter turnout for African- Americans increased 18 percent. White strives to educate people about voting despite their political affiliation, race or gender.

 

ON THE SCENE

Tuskegee Airmen visit IU Julian Johnson and O. Lawton Wilkerson, members of the Tuskegee Airmen visited the Indiana University Bloomington campus and met with IU Air Force ROTC cadets, as well as with local students, faculty and staff. They also participated in an Air Force ROTC leadership laboratory at the Bloomington American Legion where they shared their experiences and answered questions from the IU cadets.	Young Marine of the Year Sgt. Maj. Corin McKee was named "Young Marine of the Year" for the Division 5 Young Marines. The 16-year-old from Plainfield is a member of the Central Indiana Young Marines. As part of this prestigious award, McKee, along with nine other Young Marines from across the U.S., traveled to Guam and Iwo Jima for the annual Reunion of Honor trip.
	Carson hosts job fair Congressmen André Carson, D-Ind., and Larry Bucshon, R-Ind., joined forces to host the 2013 Transportation Job Fair. The event, which was held at Ivy Tech Corporate College, provided job seekers the opportunity to meet with 30 employers offering transportation-related positions throughout Central Indiana. The first hour of the event was reserved for U.S. military veterans. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard was also on hand to offer his remarks. Pictured are members of the U.S. Army passing out a goody bag to a job seeker.
Dr. Henry Louis Gates visits Ivy Tech Renowned scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates was the keynote speaker at the Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo campus' 50 year Kickoff Dinner. The producer of the hit PBS TV show "Finding Your Roots" spoke to a standing room only crowd of students, scholars and faculty. He explained his career of scholastic achievement, as well as the creative process he went through to produce his hit TV show that traces one's roots back to tribes in Africa.	Super Bowl Legacy Project Commemoration In order to commemorate the 2012 Super Bowl Legacy Project, the John H. Boner Community Center, through a grant from The Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, commissioned a piece from the support of the Indianapolis Art Center. Through a national request for proposals, the artists were Holly and David Combs of Indianapolis. The piece"More Beautiful Together" exemplifies the community spirit that was essential to the success of the project. The couple is pictured with Tony Mason (right), senior vice president of the 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee.
100th Anniversary of St. Joseph Hospital In 1912, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton built a hospital that would deliver exceptional health care to the rapidly growing community. This year, the hospital commemorated its 100th anniversary with a prayer service. Pictured is staff signing an eight-foot long banner pledging to keep the promises of its founders: to serve and keep health care human.	Spirit of Women Day of Dance ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" Chelsie Hightower, who has helped numerous celebrity guests get in step on competition for more than five years, took time out to bring her expertise to Indiana for the 10th annual Spirit of Women Day of Dance hosted by Franciscan St Francis Health. The event, which was held at the Farm Bureau Building at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, offered dancing and other aerobic ctivities aimed at helping women prevent heart disease.