For the last couple of years I’ve been a resident of a small town in Florida called Oviedo. We relocated from Fort Lauderdale in pursuit of a better school district for Geordan and one that also was close to major universities.

Oviedo is a mix of small town feeling with big city amenities.. it is only a short drive into Orlando and a swift drive to the University of Central Florida. One oddity that I discovered driving through the main street of Oviedo was the chickens! Oviedo is known for a population of chickens that roam the downtown area. There are so many of them roaming the area that they are sometimes the cause of traffic congestion.

So again, it is interesting how one things leads to the other…. since I have to do lots of marketing for my business to let people know of my services and understanding that other business need to do the same I am now co-founder of The Oviedo Villager which is all about bringing local business deals and specials directly to over 12,000 Oviedo Home Owners. *ps: visit the Oviedo Villager link and give me some feedback… I’d really appreciate it.

I drove over to downtown Oviedo this morning and personally took some pictures of the Oviedo chickens just for you!

Come share with me… What makes your city or town special?

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Daisy Says: I Break for Oviedo Chickens!

This weekend we ‘kicked-off’ our new office location down in Orlando, Fl. I must say we had a great turn out and a successful event! We had lenders presenting their new loan products, realtors, processors, we had music and food… it was fantastic!

Team work is essential to the success of an organization. Working with teams is one of my specialties and over the years I’ve learned a thing or two that may help you if you are a team builder or work in a team.

FIRST AND FOREMOST: Get to Know One Another
This may sound too basic, but many teams screw this up. One thing you will eventually learn is that team members have very different abilities, motivations and personalities. For example, there will be some team members that are totally involved, and others that just want to disappear.

If you want the team to succeed, you have to accept that you must actively manage others. If you think “Why should I do that? It’s their responsibility to carry their own weight. I’m doing my part, they should do theirs” you are dead meat: you will need all the human resources at your disposal. Don’t see yourself as a ‘boss’… see yourself as…. an Orchestra Conductor!

One of the first things you should do as a group is make sure everybody knows everybody’s name. Don’t just introduce yourselves once because some people will immediately forget the names or never quite hear them the first time– this will break the ice and showcase each others ‘specialness’.

Since teams are not (just) social groups, it is also important to get an idea about what each person is good at, and what resources they can bring. For example, one person might love teaching, another might have great computer skills, useful for creating presentations, you may even have an industry expert on your team and you won’t know until you get them talking.

One thing to realize is that when teams are new, each individual is wondering about their identity in the group. Identity is a combination of personality, behavior, competencies, and position in the social structure of the group. Some people will fight for dominance. Some want to be seen as smart. Others play the role of comedian. Others want to be liked. As you watch this process occur, it is helpful to think that much of what people do is not so much a choice as a need or a habit.

Daisy Says: Team work makes the Dream work!