November 2024

Welcome: Kaylene Olmeda

Position: As Accounting Assistant, Kaylene’s role supports the accounting department by performing clerical tasks, including processing and recording transactions, preparing reports, managing communications with clients and vendors, fact-checking, filing, and other duties, as needed. She assists with daily tasks and reports directly to Megan Lively, Accounting/Human Resources Manager.

Essential skills for this position include time management, confidentiality, and precision. In addition, Kaylene has expanded her role to include HR responsibilities, such as processing payroll, managing 401k contributions, and updating employee records.

Background: As Billing Coordinator at United Methodist Homes, Kaylene was responsible exclusively for Accounts Receivable tasks. These include processing payments for monthly resident invoices, generating weekly revenue and aging reports, and updating resident account information related to moves in and out of the facilities, and any changes in their care.

At Thomaston Savings Bank, she handled daily transactions involving customer account deposits, withdrawals, and cash counting. Additionally, Kaylene provided weekly ATM service and conducted research on checks and transactions linked to accounts.

Years with Divina/Phoenix: 1 Year, Anniversary date 10/2/2023.

Unique Fun Facts: Kaylene’s favorite places she has traveled to were Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. She says, “I also have a passion for exploring new restaurants and indulging in trending foods.”

Personal Life: Kaylene shares her home with her girlfriend, and they have a one-year-old French Bulldog.

Personal Message: Kaylene says, “In my first year at Phoenix Products, I have acquired extensive knowledge about Divina/Phoenix’s accounting processes and procedures.I genuinely enjoy my roles in Accounting and HR. The positive and productive environment here is something I truly appreciate. I manage incoming calls to assist customers with billing inquiries. I engage with vendors daily to ensure our accounts and communications are aligned. Most importantly, I am always here to help. Feel free to reach out to me whenever you need assistance.”

Divina’s NEW Clear Styling Gel

Both Divina’s new Clear Styling Gel and our popular Clear Blue Styling Gel provide a medium to firm hold depending on hair type, styling method, and amount of product used. Divina’s Gels offer so many benefits, such as: heat protection, shine, pliability, movement, and frizz control while maintaining a touchable hold and shape throughout the day. These gels can be used for versatile hair styling on wet or damp hair, smoothing hair frizz and flyaways to obtain a sleeker look, defining curls and coils, slicking down baby hairs, and adding structure to fine hair. Divina Gels can be used on short hair for the natural air-dried tasseled look. The non-flaking formula along with added conditioners will allow you to create defined styles and shape, or mold the hair. It does not leave a residue. Clear Styling Gel is formulated without dyes and fragrances.

Proudly made in the USA.

Styling Gels Offered In:

Blue – Item #025-371022D04
Clear – Item #025-371322D04
Size – 4x5LB Tubs/Case

Lead Times – From Invoice to Ship

Lead times from invoice to shipment vary based on the product category. Current lead times are:

Divina Brand Products
4 to 6 Weeks

Private Label Products
4 to 6 Weeks

10+ Pallets Divina Brand & Private Label
4 to 6 Weeks

Thanksgiving Day
Closed: Thursday, 11/28/24
Reopen: Monday, 12/02/24

Christmas Day

Closed: Monday, 12/23/24

Reopen: Monday, 12/30/24

New Year’s Day

Closed: Tuesday, 12/31/24 (half day)

Reopen: Thursday, 01/02/25

Effective Communications

With effective and strong communication throughout the workplace, all team members will know their role in achieving the company’s overall goal, along with staying on task to complete projects within the needed timeframe. Good communication builds trust, creates relationships, and establishes a more productive environment. Communicating is about more than just talking. Effectively communicating involves active listening skills and a deep understanding of interpersonal dynamics. Individuals can use these communication skills to bridge gaps, make informed decisions, and strengthen relationships. Overall, workplace communication is courteous, clear, concise, consistent, and complete. Here are some strategies:

Six Effective Workplace Communication Strategies

1—Implementing It Effectively

To be more effective when communicating, first ask these questions:

What is the goal?
What team members are affected and need to hear this?
How should the message be presented or passed along?

Tip – Always communicate directly with all relevant team members to ensure collaboration and cooperation. Choose the appropriate method of communication for the situation, whether it be emails, virtual or in-person meetings, phone calls, etc. Each method is needed for different situations and urgencies.

2—Give It Some Thought

There are many communication frameworks, but if you want to improve your communication skills, start by getting in the habit of thinking through these five questions before any communication is created:

Why are you communicating?
Who is the receiver, audience, or participant?
What is the overall goal or objective?
What do you want the recipient to do or know as a result of the communication?
What format will best accomplish your goal?

Tip – If you struggle to answer these five questions, you should spend some additional time thinking about how and why you are communicating. Then, test your understanding with co-workers or your manager.

3—Give It Time

Take the time to plan out the message you wish to convey and review it to ensure it communicates your intended meaning. This is particularly important for written communications, so remember to revise, revise, revise. Great communication might seem effortless, but it rarely is. Allow non-urgent emails to rest in your drafts for a few hours or even a day or two, giving you the chance to review it. Read it as if you were the recipient to be sure you can easily follow. When you feel comfortable, push send.

4—Make It Easy & Simplify

Workplace communication almost always has a larger goal. People are busy, and so are the employees. Don’t make them work harder to understand what you are saying or what you need them to do. They are not mind readers. Find a clear, simple phrasing to encapsulate your point. Start by stating your objective and main point from the beginning of a presentation or written communication so your audience knows where you are going. Repeat it in the middle and end. Consider using a simple visual or metaphor to make your point clear and memorable. Then, fill

in the details between the opening and the ending.

Tip – Be concise, but not too much, so there is no room for errors. Usually, bullet-pointing steps work great for the reader who skims or a presentation visual.

5—Practice

When it comes to verbal communication, especially an important meeting, I cannot stress enough how important it is to practice what you plan to communicate and how you want it delivered. I have seen where the most boring people have really outshined themselves through rehearsing. They come alive and captivate their audience, whether in a small boardroom situation or a larger-scale meeting/event. Rehearsing prevents stammering for words and ensures your message will be conveyed exactly the way you intend.

On written communications, practice different styles to see what works best to achieve your needs with the desired recipient. If your first email, or your second or third, was not effective, change up how it is said or move on to another method of communicating.

Tip – While practicing verbal communication, if you feel the urge to say a repeated “um” or “okay” while searching for your next thought, simply pause. It’s perfectly fine and much better than those repetitive fillers. Another useful idea is to record yourself during a few interactions to gain insight of how you communicate as a whole with your team. Do you maintain eye contact? Is your facial expression calm and confident, or is it tense? How does your body language come across? Are you allowing time for questions and clarifications? Keep in mind that communication encompasses much more than just spoken words.

6—Reflect & Feedback

Always take the time to reflect and ask for feedback on your communications. Reflect on what went well and what did not in your daily communications. Maybe an email to your colleague was not received as expected. Can you see how it might have been misinterpreted? What would you do differently next time?

Ask a trusted colleague or your manager to rate your communication skills. Start by asking them to rate (i.e., on a scale of 1-10) your written and spoken communication separately. Then ask these three questions:

What one thing should I start doing to communicate better with you?
What one thing should I stop doing in my communications with you?
What one area or skill should I work on to improve how I communicate in this organization?

Implementing and encouraging communication within the workplace is important because it not only boosts employee morale, engagement, and productivity but also delivers complete customer satisfaction. Communication is the key to better team collaboration and cooperation. Effective workplace communication ultimately helps drive better results for individuals, teams, and organizations, maximizing sales potential and streamlining your business to run as smoothly as possible.