Concert to benefit local schools' music programs

If you want to help the cause of music education in the schools, there is a special concert Saturday night at 7 in the Idaho Falls Civic Auditorium, a concert featuring the music of Stephen Sondheim.

Over a career spanning nearly 60 years, Sondheim's work includes "West Side Story," "Gypsy," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "A Little Night Music," "Sweeny Todd," "Follies," "Company," "Sunday in the Park with George," and "Assassins." In short, there are a lot of great songs from which to choose.

Under the guidance of Roger Evans, performers from the Idaho Falls Symphony, the Idaho Falls Opera Theatre, Teton Chamber Orchestra, Sounds Summer Musical and Idaho Falls Youth Arts Centre will give it their all to support music programs in local schools, whose performing arts budget continue to get cut in the face of shrinking budgets.

Every person who buys a ticket can designate which area school he or she wants to help. Tickets may be purchased online at www.rogersrevue.org, at Chesbro Music, or at the door.

A personal note: I could fill the Hollywood Bowl with people who have told me over the years, "I'll buy my ticket at the door." Buy your ticket in advance! You'll be more likely to attend, and even if you do crap out, the school will still have your money. For more information,  call Erin Nazario at 206-794-4350 (she is local).

Here's one of my favorite Sondheim songs, a lesser-known, hilarious and hugely challenging number from "Company," "(Not) Getting Married Today," performed by the cast of Glee:

Shoshone-Bannock Hotel hires new general manager

Cody Blackman

The Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Event Center has named Cody Blackman of Salem, Ore., as its new general manager of hotel operations. The general manager oversees all aspects of property management in accordance with tribes' goals, including maximization of financial performance, guest satisfaction and staff development.

A member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, Blackman has worked most recently for JP Morgan Chase. He is the oldest of four children and an alumnus of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. He has worked for Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts and Wyndham International. His duties with the hotel and event center at Fort Hall begin full time Sept. 26.

Advertising Federation schedules first fall Lunch & Learn

Michael Watson

As the marketing director of one of the fastest growing credit unions in the country, Michael Watson of Idaho Central Credit Union is prepared to share his perspective on choosing the right marketing mix Sept. 18 at the Idaho Falls Advertising Federation's  Lunch & Learn, at Dixie's Diner from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Part of the mission of the Idaho Falls Advertising Federation is to provide learning opportunities to our diverse membership. We are thrilled that Mr. Watson is willing to share his experience in managing the Idaho Central Credit Union brand,” said Idaho Falls Advertising Federation President Lisa Fischbach.

Managing the credit union's marketing, Watson oversees budgeting, development of marketing plans and campaigns, strategy and managing an agency relationship. He began his career with ICCU in 2000 and has been in his current position since 2004. He is a graduate  of Idaho State University with a bachelor’s degree double major in marketing and business.

The event is open to the public. Cost is $12 for members and $15 for non-members $15. Reservations can be made by following this link.

Touchdown or workplace penalty: Does Fantasy Football belong in the workplace?

NFL kickoff is finally here. Say goodbye to pre-season practice games and hello to the new season.

Football fans everywhere are priming up their television sets, laptops, and other electronic devices to watch the season’s gridiron battle tonight. Tonight is the night weeks of hard work and preparation finally shift into gear and move forward – for fantasy football that is.

No doubt, countless Americans have already paid their fantasy football league dues, completed their drafts, and are primed to jump into this season’s most competitive electronic sports phenomenon.

Trust me when I say your avid fantasy football league participants take a lot of blood, sweat, and tears getting their season ready. To a certain extent, it would defy common sense to think that over the next few months they would leave fantasy football safely away in their parked cars in the parking lot. So why shouldn’t fantasy football be allowed in the workplace? It’s pretty harmless, right?

Logically speaking, one would think that fantasy football would harm productivity during the season and would be problematic in the workplace.

That’s true if not managed properly, but maybe it’s time to explore the benefits of incorporating fun activities like fantasy football into the workplace to increase productivity and employee morale.

According to the Fantasy Trade Association, about 32 million Americans spend $467 per person -- $15 billion total -- playing fantasy football. The hopes of paying minimal and possibly winning more drives energy, excitement and participation for a period of three to four months on average.

Trust me when I say one of those 32 million Americans is probably one or more employees within your company. This means you have employees excited, engaged and participating in a competitive team or league modeled environment. Imagine incorporating that type of model into the workplace – what would the results be?

The answer is pretty easy, at least in my mind. If managed properly, fantasy football could have a very positive impact on the workplace. Employees who have never interacted before suddenly have a common bond, common interest and a place to start building work relationships. Increased interaction, relationship building and team-building does increase productivity and creates a more positive work environment. Employees feel like they are a part of something beyond their job title at work, which creates camaraderie.

The key is, it has to be managed properly, which can be challenging. Not everyone loves football, nor do they want to participate in fantasy football. So that same sense of belonging for some employees can bring alienation among those who do not participate. While productivity may increase in some areas, it may decrease in others.

It also can be a huge time waster during the day. Think of the countless hours dedicated to Internet searches, phone calls and “meetings” in the workplace. Hard to say but it is certain that time management and wasted time is an issue.

Last of all, fantasy football for money is essentially gambling, which is illegal in the workplace. This means the “stakes” have to be lowered if introduced in the workplace. Management would be forced to be “creative” with the ultimate prize for the league champion, which easily could be free lunch, gift card, prizes, etc.

While fantasy football may not have a place in the workplace unless it is the right culture and employee base – and managed carefully by management or human resources professionals -- it should help engage and inspire management to create programs and incentives that have the same impact that fantasy football has outside the workplace.

Monica Bitrick is CEO of Bitrick Consulting Group, an Idaho Falls human resources consulting company.

Startup Weekend set for Idaho Falls in late October

Sponsored by the UP Global and the Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center, the first Startup Weekend in Idaho Falls is scheduled to be held Oct. 23-25 at Eastern Idaho Technical College.

Held worldwide, Startup Weekends are 54-hour events where enthusiasts from every industry come together to share ideas and skills, form teams, build products and launch startups. Beginning with open mic pitches on the first night, attendees bring their best ideas and inspire others to join their team. Over the next two days, teams focus on customer development, validating ideas, practicing LEAN Startup Methodologies and building a minimal viable product. On the final evening, teams demo their prototypes and receive valuable feedback from a panel of experts.

Startup Weekends typically cost between $75 and $150 (less for students). A ticket covers seven meals, snack, access to exclusive resources from our sponsors, and of course, all the coffee you can drink. For the Idaho Falls event, early bird tickets will be available until Sept. 23. Student discounts are available. To find out more, visit this link.

Here is a video that explains more about Startup Weekend: