MTAS Mustard for week ended 11-20-20

 

Happy Thanksgiving MTAS!
 
This is a short week, so I want to make sure that I get this communication out to you as early as possible. I hope that you are able to celebrate the holiday safely with your family and friends. For me, this Thanksgiving will be one of the quietest ones I can recall; but I still have a tremendous number of things to be grateful for in my life, both personal and professional. While the activities will be subdued, the thanks will not be.
 
Last week we had a birthday and a work anniversary. I would like you to join me in honoring Kay who celebrated her birthday on the 16^th and Doug who hit his work anniversary milestone on the 20^th. While it’s been hard to celebrate during the pandemic, I hope you both were able to feel extra special on your day.
 
Earlier this month I traveled to the Nashville office to deliver the actual awards earned at the MTAS retreat and the IPS annual conference. You’ll recall these events were virtual. The plaques and framed certifications are real, and I am in the process of delivering them to each office. So, here is a photo of the award winners in the Nashville office – masked and socially distanced holding their awards! Congratulations to Sarah (MTAS Customer Service), Elisha (IPS Project of the Year), Gary (IPS 20 year service award), Abb (IPS Collaboration of the Year), and also to those not pictured from Nashville: Emily (MTAS Trailblazer) and Steve C. (IPS Project of the Year).



The end of the calendar year is coming. Yes, I know it’s November 23, and that you can all read your calendars. What I’d like for us to do differently this year is to get our 2021 workplan on paper before the end of the calendar year. That way, when you begin working again on January 4, you will already know what your plans are, and you’ll have a full year to accomplish the plan. With the coupling of the goal setting to the annual performance review that happens in February/March, it seems that the work plan loses about three months’ worth of opportunity. So, in advance, please start thinking about all the challenges that you’d like to tackle for your customers next year. More will be coming shortly, but I’d like you to start thinking ahead now. What great feat will you successfully tackle in the year ahead? What improvement can you help one of your customers make? What efficiency can you make in the things you already do? Please think about why it matters too: our mission is to work with Tennessee municipalities to improve the lives of those they serve. Regardless of your job title, what you do matters to MTAS and to the residents, businesses and visitors of this state. Our vision is that Tennessee municipalities will be a national model of good governance. What can you do that will get us closer to this vision?
 
I looked for images to end this Mustard with this week, and while the one I chose isn’t necessarily in-line with the Work Healthy initiative, since I have a mouthful of sweet teeth, I couldn’t pass on it. So perhaps you eat some pie then go for a walk and count those steps. Happy Thanksgiving y’all!
Margaret