Leadership Lexington Youth assesses ‘mid-year development’

Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, January 05, 2012

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During the business etiquette luncheon, students learned that bread should be passed to the right -- even if Grandma always sends it around to the left.

During the business etiquette luncheon, students learned that bread should be passed to the right -- even if Grandma always sends it around to the left.

During the business etiquette luncheon, students learned that bread should be passed to the right -- even if Grandma always sends it around to the left.The Signature Club of Lansdowne hosted the luncheon for Leadership Lexington Youth's "mid-year development" program.Before taking their seats, the group of high school juniors heard a quick description of firm handshakes and courteous greetings. While a first impression is established within a few seconds, it takes seven or eight more encounters to offset a negative introduction.Jan Green, the learning and development officer for Blue & Co., walked the students through the luncheon -- explaining everything from the table set-up to proper disposal of an olive pit. "The goal of etiquette is to be discreet in everything we do," she said.After everyone is seated, it's appropriate to place napkins in laps.The teens learned that one should never partake first of community foods such as butter. Whoever reaches for the plate should pass it to his or her neighbor. "Dining is all about relationships. It's all about connecting with people," said Jan Green, who led the etiquette session.Green also demonstrated how NOT to hold a dinner fork and a knife, noting, "You should never look like you're at war with your food."Amy Carrington, director of leadership development at Commerce Lexington, helped serve the salads, main course and desserts. Leadership Lexington Youth added a three-pronged "mid-year development" component to the 2011-2012 schedule. “It’s good to come into a program that’s been so well-run that you just need to keep moving forward with it,” said Carrington, who is in her first year as LLY coordinator.

Four dozen Lexington teens aced this week’s big test – handling their forks deftly and passing the dinner rolls correctly. They also discovered a name tag should be worn on the right to correlate visually with a firm, full handshake.

“Everything we do sends a message about our level of professionalism,” said Jan Green of Blue & Co., a regional public accounting firm, who walked the students through an entertaining and informative business etiquette session. “It’s so important for them to be aware of how they’re coming across to others.”

Lunch at The Signature Club of Lansdowne was one highlight of the Jan. 4 mid-year program of Leadership Lexington Youth, which enables high school juniors to engage with community leaders outside school one Wednesday each month. Interactive exercises and hands-on experiences cover such areas as arts and media, growth and preservation, health and human services, higher education and career development, and public safety and government.

“It’s a combination of leadership development, networking and discovering what the Lexington community has to offer,” Henry Clay High’s Macy Early said of LLY. “It’s an opportunity to open your eyes to your future in a way that’s more explicit.”

In this year’s lineup, LLY added a three-pronged “mid-year development” component featuring:

  • Self-development with leadership training, plus social media savvy;
  • Professional development via the etiquette lesson; and
  • Community development through YMCA service projects. 

Grace Gorrell, an instructor in Leadership Studies at the University of Kentucky and owner of a consulting business called Lead With Grace, kicked off the morning with a group activity on how to divide and conquer tasks and how to keep everyone engaged in a project.

“In today’s world, knowing how to work with teams through good communication skills and managing the many tasks they are given is so important,” she said afterward.

Josh Archer of Tates Creek High appreciated Gorrell’s advice about when to take a hands-on approach and when to delegate, saying, “She’s really taught us how to be a standout leader.”

The teens followed up with a segment on “Social Media and Your Future” led by Sean Moore, director of training in UK’s Small Business Development Center.

“Social media is not going away – it is only evolving. With the medium being the primary means of communication for today’s youth, they often do not think twice about what they say or do in the format, forgetting that they are in fact having a conversation with the entire world. When that awareness is forgotten, we often say things that can come back to haunt us,” Moore said. “It’s fun to be social and it’s great to know all about social media, but the difference between a positive impression online or a negative one is often not knowing how to use it but how to use it correctly.”

Green, the etiquette expert, also encouraged the students to beware of trying to alternate between casual and business attitudes in face-to-face encounters.  “It’s hard to have two sets of manners,” she noted.

After lunch, the teens broke into four groups for service projects around town, helping the YMCA of Central Kentucky prepare for summer camps, organize a literacy library, set up for kids’ crafts and host cancer survivors in the LIVESTRONG at the Y program.

Macy noted that in addition to gaining new skills, students in Leadership Lexington Youth come up with fresh ideas to improve their community and connect with the people who can make things happen. For instance, several participants have volunteered to partner with God’s Pantry on a high-school food drive this spring.

Lewis Aldridge of Lafayette High School said it’s all about building relationships, whether across Fayette County or within the LLY class.

“I’ve met a lot of interesting people who think at a high level,” he said. “I’m comfortable with everyone in the group, and as the year goes on, we’ll be even tighter.”

 

Resources

Applications for the 2012-2013 LLY program will be available March 1 through high school guidance offices. For more information, call program coordinator Amy Carrington at (859) 226-1610.   

 

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