MSAE President's Update - December 2020

As my year of serving you as President ends, I look back and hope to have continued the efforts of the board and left it better than before I began my term. Building on the foundation of previous Presidents, MSAE had a direction charted, but was derailed by COVID-19. No one could have predicted the impact this devastating disease had on our personal lives and our professional environments. The MSAE board made the tough decision to move the management of the organization to the board due to the financial impact of hiring an association management company. We have succeeded in this transition because we have the right team in place at the right time.

MSAE President's Update - October 2020

COVID NOW, COVID NEXT

MSAE President's Update - September 2020

MSAE President's Update - July 2020

What are we going to do now? How can we handle this situation? What will be the impact on my association and industry/profession? What changes do we need to make to survive? Who can help us? Will we ever meet in person again? These questions and many more have been going through my mind over the last 6 months. Working for an association of family physicians, we are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health crisis of racism. As president of MSAE, we are here to help you answer these questions through our education sessions, newsletters, and networking. But, MSAE has also been impacted by these issues. What can we do to protect our members and continue the services and benefits provided by MSAE. Our associate members are struggling through these unprecedented times and we are in this together with them!

Best Practices for Meetings and Events

Meeting Space: 

• Attendees should be able to maintain 6 foot distance during the meeting
• Seating styles that work best for this include:
• Classroom setting with 1 person per 6 foot table Theater style with 6 feet between chairs and rows of chairs. U shape or hollow square with 1 person every 6 feet. 6’ round tables (72 inch) with 2 persons seated across from each other, and spaced 6 feet apart.
• Table linens to be changed between each group prior to each meeting. Tables and chairs should be cleaned and disinfected with an EPA-approved disinfectant that is effective against SARS- COV-2
• Handwashing station or hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to be present in the meeting room. 

Audio Visual practices:

• If multiple speakers are using hand held microphones, the microphone should be disinfected between each speaker. Podiums should be cleaned/disinfected between speakers. If the microphone is connected to the podium, just disinfect the podium between speakers.

Registration practices:

• Each meeting needs their own designated registration area that is located away from other meeting spaces. This could be situated directly outside the meeting entrance/exit area or just inside the room.
• Registration areas should not have more than 1 worker per 6 foot table. Attendees should be able to approach the opposite end of the table from registration worker to pick up registration materials.
• Limit the number of people in the registration area. Markers to be used to keep 6 ft. between individuals at registration.
• Keep a list of all participants with contact information that can be used for contact tracing, if needed.

Food and Beverage practices for Meetings:

• For meals, attendees can be seated at round tables or stay seated in the meeting configuration, maintaining a 6 foot distance between all individuals.
• Table linens should be changed between each group prior to each meeting. Tables and chairs should be cleaned and disinfected with an EPA-approved disinfectant that is effective against SARS- COV-2
• No self-service stations should be allowed where customers use shared utensils or dispensers. No shared condiments to be placed on tables. They should be served individually in single serve packets or containers.
• Individually packaged break items can be served at a manned break station or a boxed breakfast or lunch can be served individually at a manned service station. Hot or cold meals can be packaged in “to- go” containers and served to attendees as they move through a line utilizing 6 foot markings.
• It is recommended that all eating utensils be wrapped in a napkin and/or plastic sleeve.
• Another approved service option is the cafeteria style buffet line, whereby plates are filled by servers who are separated from guests by a plexiglass barrier. Each guest is responsible for picking up their filled plate, utensils and individual beverage.
• Extra trash stations should be set up in the meeting room to avoid attendees clustering around the trash cans. Handwashing station or hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol should be present in the meeting room.

Other Suggestions:

• Limit paper handouts at meetings by sending materials to attendees electronically prior to meeting or utilize a meeting specific app.
• Please encourage attendees to maintain physical distancing. Cloth face coverings are recommended when people are in public settings and when it is difficult to maintain physical distance.
• Each individual hotel/venue may have specific guidelines in place and limited capacities. Please inquire with the hotel directly about their properties’ policies and procedures.

Simple Tips for Working at Home

I have a bit of a head start on you. When I’m not traveling for client work/programs/events, I am a home-based worker, and I’ve been one for more than 16 years now. I thought I’d share some of my best tips for maintaining productivity and sanity while working from home.

1.  Set up a dedicated “productivity space” and USE IT! Many people, myself included, think because we have a laptop, we can work from anywhere in the house. And, that is true to a point. However, if you have children home too (and perhaps your spouse as well), they will do everything in their power to distract you while working – loud music, movies, video calls, exercising, etc. If they are old enough, and you let them know you are going into your workspace and you can only be interrupted due to an emergency, most kids will leave you alone. If you camp out on the kitchen table or in the family room however, just expect to get very little done (Trust me on this. Seriously.)
2. Invest in tech and infrastructure. Make your home office/workspace just like an actual home office/workspace. Get a desk and ergonomic chair. Buy a second monitor. Get some office supplies. Get a printer/copier/fax. Invest in needed software – including possibly video conferencing software/tools. Pay for a higher speed Internet (or get your employer to subsidize your higher speed Internet). “Steal” equipment from your office (take it for now, but bring it back when the outbreak dies down). Do whatever it takes to make your home location nearly as productive (if not more productive) than your regular office location.
3. Get on a schedule, and stick to it. Even though you may not have to go into the office, try to stay on your normal schedule (sure, an extra 30 minutes of sleep is OK since you don’t have to commute, but no more!) Get up. Make your coffee. Boot up your computer. Check your calendar, build a task list, get through your e-mail. Take a lunch break. Take a workout break. Schedule virtual meetings and tasks. The closer you stay to your normal regimen, the more productive you will be overall, and the easier it will be for you to transition back to your office when things go back to normal. (Plus, if you show you can be highly productive even while away, perhaps your boss will give you more flexibility to do some remote work in the future!) I read a great quote the other day that I’ve tried to make my own personal mantra: “I may not enjoy structure and regimen, but I certainly thrive on it.”
4. Schedule meetings with yourself. One of the best tips for better productivity, even if not working from home, is to schedule meetings with yourself. Don’t just leave your time wide open – block specific blocks of time each day for different projects, activities, tasks – possibly work and personal. Book time for your most critical projects. Book time for your workout. Book time to read/learn. Give your day some structure, and set goals for better use of time daily.
5. Schedule meetings with others. You can still meet with others! Find out what your company uses – Zoom, Webex, GoToMeeting, etc. Or just pick up the phone. Do a conference call. Set up meetings just like normal and have them. That will also add structure and a semblance of normalcy to your day. I will give you one funny tip I use frequently – do some of your calls from your car in the driveway! You’d be shocked how often I do this – I have kids and dogs in the house, but I can literally go out in the driveway with my phone and do a regular and/or even a video call in near complete silence. And I don’t drive anywhere – I just sit in my driveway.
6. Have kids? Hire them. This is no joke. If you have a teenager and younger sibling(s), hire that teenager as an in-house babysitter. Tell them they will make money, but only if they actually WORK to keep the younger ones occupied AND safe. Paying them a few bucks an hour to keep the interruptions down for you is a good investment (and might build stronger relationships between siblings ... if they don’t kill each other.) Now, if you have kids of an appropriate age, you might even be able to hire them to do some simple jobs around the house – dishes, vacuuming, laundry, little organization projects, etc. You might even be able to hire them to do some simple business tasks as needed – printing, copying, stapling, organizing. Pay them a few bucks an hour or by job – teach them some skills, keep them useful, and keep your focus!
7. Don’t get lured into distraction. Now, we’ve already discussed family, kids, dogs – they are built in natural distractions. However, when working from home, it is SUPER easy to get pulled into social media, streaming the news, having a TV show or movie playing in the background, and those darn addictive games on your phone and/or computer. You need to be aware of your own distractions, and do things to limit them. I allow myself a morning, lunchtime, and end of day news check in – even during this crisis! I don’t need to check any more than that, and I promise you this – in this day and age of “overconnected people”, if something truly huge happens, you will hear about it quickly.

My View - Sarah Luebbert, APR

Happy holidays to all! I hope you will join us for the MSAE Holiday Party as this is always a fun event with great food and company, and an opportunity to support the MSAE Foundation. If you haven’t signed up yet, please do so today at the MSAE website.

My View - Sarah Luebbert, APR

It’s been only a few weeks since I returned from the ASAE conference in Chicago and my mind is still spinning with all the information I gathered while I was there. As the incoming president of MSAE I look forward to implementing some of these ideas to grow our state chapter.

From the President

Keith Sappington, MSAE President

As my term of President of MSAE comes to an end I look back and I can’t believe how fast the year went. It has been an honor and pleasure serving MSAE in this capacity and I look forward to many more years of involvement with this great organization.