Fast Lane

Volume 2, Issue 2—October 17, 2005

In the Up to Speed section, you'll find articles related to Business Fellows topics—administrative details, like the travel information you'll read about here, as well as event information and other important things you'll need to know as your Business Fellows experience progresses through the year.

Professionalism in the Workplace
Don't know a fork from a faux pas? Attend the Professional Etiquette Dinner October 18 or 19 from 5 to 8 p.m. Please note that the October 18 dinner has been moved to Cardinal Hall B at the Student Center. The October 19 dinner will be held at the BSU Alumni Center. This program will be an opportunity for you to learn what it takes to make a great first impression and how to navigate through a formal dinner with style. The meal will be incorporated with a networking session in which participants get to practice juggling hors d'oeuvres and punch while greeting people and carrying on conversation. Networking tips will be given during this part of the program.During the meal, you will learn the basics of proper dining from use of the napkin, silverware, and glassware to what to do at the conclusion of the meal. During the four-course meal, Career Center staff members will guide you through the fine-dining experience.

A Look Ahead
Mark your calendars today for the remaining Professional Development Workshops for Business Fellows.
Communication in the Workplace
Saturday, October 29 9 a.m.–3 p.m. BSU Alumni Center

President’s Reception
Wednesday, November 2 4:30–6 p.m. Bracken House

Professional Development Workshops
November 1, 8, 15, 21, 29, 30 BSU Alumni Center
Choose 3 of the 6 workshops to attend
Most workshops will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. or 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Topics and speakers will be announced at a later date.

Important Travel Information
As a Business Fellow you may be traveling to your business partner site to conduct business related to your project. While your faculty mentor will provide guidance for your team related to travel, it is important that you are familiar with Ball State’s travel policies and related procedures.

Camp Adventure a Success
Thank you to all the Business Fellows and faculty mentors who attended the team building event on October 8. Despite the cold weather, the activities were great and gave each team an opportunity to work together and map out plans of action for each task. Everyone is looking forward to seeing the progress of your teams throughout the year. Thanks to all of you for your interest and commitment to Business Fellows. Because of you, we are off to a good start!

In Construction Zone, you'll find articles that will help you build your professional skills. These articles will usually relate to the topics you will be learning about through the Professional Development Workshops.

Servant Mentality Key to Effective Leadership
True leaders lead before they realize they have followers. This idea supports the popular trend of servant leadership. As a servant leader an individual is not interested in the power or monetary benefits that come from leading. Rather, she or he is motivated by the growth or personal goals that they help their followers achieve. A servant leader has a calling, listens, shows empathy, heals, is aware, is persuasive, conceptualizes, has foresight, demonstrates stewardship, grows continuously, and builds community. These characteristics may be inherent, but they can also be developed through a commitment to be the type of leader who makes a positive difference on people.

Take a L-I-G-H-T-E-R Approach to Teamwork
At the October 8 Camp Adventure event, your facilitators talked about the importance of teamwork with your Business Fellows project and with any professional endeavor. Learn more in this article about the L-I-G-H-T-E-R concept of teamwork and how working well with others is essential for both rookies and seasonal professionals.

Diversity Imperative to Creative Work Environments
Diversity is essential to fostering a truly unique perspective and a creative work environment. Accepting and applauding the talents, skills, backgrounds, and opinions of others can be a challenge, however. Learn more in this article about how celebrating diversity can enhance any team or work environment.

In this section, you'll see upcoming events, which are programs that the Career Center offers to all students. You are encouraged to attend these events as well, but it is not required.

September 19-November 2---Focus on Internships
September 26-November 18---On-Campus Interviewing
October 31---Trick, Treat, or Career
November 3--- Grad School Panel
November 8--- Portfolio Jump Start
November 14---Professional Etiquette Dinner
December 1Mix and Mingle Workshop

Learning From Teammates Expands Skills
Your team is comprised of students from other disciplines and backgrounds. This affords you the opportunity to expand the skills you already have by learning additional skills from them. Read this article for more insight on what you can do to use your Business Fellows experience to its fullest extent by expanding your skill base through learning from the expertise of your teammates.

One of the major focuses of Business Fellows is connecting Ball State students with Indiana businesses. We hope your experiences with your community partners will give you a better perspective on the world of work in Indiana, but we also want to provide you with additional information about living and working in Indiana. In The Scenic Route, we'll be keeping you updated on Indiana's economy, employment market, and other information about why it's great to be a Hoosier!

Indiana Ranked as Seventh Most Active State for Economic Development
Indiana ’s focus on creating and sustaining jobs earned the Hoosier state a ranking of seventh most active state for economic development in 2003 by Site Selection magazine. This ranking, as part of The Governor’s Cup awards, is the third time that Indiana has ranked in the top ten. Learn more about what this means for Indiana, as well as how Hoosier cities fared in their individual rankings.

We all need a little diversion now and then, so this section is dedicated to the funny, the strange, and the inspriational—all, of course, applicaple and related to what you're learning through your Business Fellows experience!

The Blind Men and the Elephant
Each of us may experience the same situation at the same time, but we all interpret it differently. Click the link above to read the full text of the poem.

Business Fellows * Career Center * Lucina Hall 220 * 285-1522 * www.bsu.edu/careers/fellows