How to Become a Crossing Guard

How to Become a Crossing GuardHow to Become a Crossing GuardJohnny runs as fast as he can to chase his friend down the sidewalk. It isnt usually this foggy when he walks to school, but this time of year, the dawn breaks about half way along his routine journey. Johnny closes in on Tommy as they near their usual finish line, the last street sign before they cross the busy street in front of their school. The race is closer than it has ever been. Johnny runs as fast as he can. His fingers barely miss Tommys shirt flapping just out of reach. In the instant, the race is over Tommy has no time to gloat. A grown mans arm thuds against their chests just as a red sports car whizzes no mora than three feet from their noses. The exhaust fumes irritate their already overworked lungs. You boys need to watch where youre going You could have been killed The crossing guard looks at them in disgust, his eyes still wide from the close encounter with the car. Johnny and Tommy knew realized they lost c ontrol and that if the crossing guard had notlage had cat-like reflexes, they could have been seriously injured or killed. Crossing guards protect children on their ways to and from school ensuring the children make it safely across streets. A job as a crossing guard is not something one takes as a start to a career. Individuals who work another job from home and those with flexible hours may take on a crossing guard job for side money. It is a seasonal part-time job that only takes a few hours a day, but it is critical to childrens safety. The Selection Process Crossing guards are hired through the normal government hiring process. Because crossing guards work alone with children, school districts usually conduct extensive background checks on applicants to these positions. They are supervised by a manager in the districts central office. That manager is responsible for selecting new crossing guards. Education At most, crossing guard positions may require a high school dipl oma or GED. It is helpful for crossing guards to be licensed drivers sothey know what it is like for drivers to interact with crossing guards. When crossing guards are licensed drivers, they also know the common mistakes drivers tend to make and how to prevent them from happening. Experience Applicants for crossing guard positions do not need any specific experience. All the necessary training is provided by the school district. It is helpful for applicants to have some meaningful work experience sothe hiring manager knows the applicant can successfully hold a job. Any gaps in employment history should be explained on the application form. What Youll Do Crossing guards help children safely cross streets near schools. They only work a few hours a day, during the hour or so immediately preceding and following the school day. While the children are in school and under the supervision of teachers, crossing guards are not needed. Crossing guards are strategically positioned at in tersections or crosswalks with high volumes of foot traffic or vehicle traffic. So they can be identified by school children and landseen by drivers, crossing guards wear brightly colored vests or jackets and carry large stop signs. When children come to a crossing guards location, the crossing guard assesses the vehicle traffic to determine when the children can safely cross the street. For intersections and crosswalks with pedestrian lights, the crossing guard can hold the children until the sign indicates that pedestrians can cross. Small children often do not understand the lights or forget they are present. The crossing guard can also walk out into the street holding up the stop sign. Drivers must stop for crossing guards. The crossing guard stands in the middle of the street holding up the sign until the children have crossed the street. When crossing guards see drivers violating traffic laws, they take down vehicle license plate numbers. They report the numbers to police and school officials. If police notice a pattern of traffic violations around a school, they may send police officers to patrol the area looking for particular violations. Crossing guards also report misbehavingchildren to teachers or principals. Undisciplined children can be more than a nuisance around busy streets they can endanger themselves, other students and drivers. A crossing guards work is performed outside. Protective clothing may be necessary on days withheavy precipitation or at duty locations without shade. If schools are closed, the crossing guards donot report for duty. What Youll Earn According to 2014 data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, crossing guards earn an average of $13.00 per hour. The median wage is $11.90 per hour. The bottom 10% of crossing guards earn $8.42 per hour or less while the top 10% earn $18.53 per hour or more.

The Cure for Micromanaging

The Cure for MicromanagingThe Cure for MicromanagingIts a top complaint of employees meddlesome managers who are always looking over their shoulders.No one likes working for a micromanager. Likewise, most managers dont want that label.Yet its a persistent problem, and perhaps we should have some sympathy for these overworked managers who are compelled to stay on top of everything for everyone all of the time. It must be exhausting.From the micromanagers point of view, they must feel they have no choice but to provide constant supervision and direction because of problems that occurred in the past.Luckily, there is a cure for micromanaging.Managers who effectively use geschftsleben storytelling techniques in their work will find that employees necessitate less oversight to be productive, require fewer rules and policies to keep them in line and are more engaged overall.Here are the steps along the path away from micromanaging and towardLess oversightTelling stories about your own past experiences and those of others in similar roles will teach employees to think for themselves. Thats because unlike instructions a story explains what to do and how to do it. The way Annette Simmons in The Story Factor describes it, story is like mental software that you supply so your listener can run it again later using new input specific to the situation. The story plants a memorable piece of information that is easy to remember and highlights what is most important.Fewer rulesWhenever something goes awry once, humans have a tendency to create a new rule. Thats why youll find wacky laws on the books such as no walking your dog on the right side of the street on Sundays. The problem with rules is that they are too rigid and they create separation between people. Instead of a new policy, try using the story-triggering technique. Do something remarkable and get people talking. If your employees tend to show up late for meetings and you departure only after the last person has ar rived, start on time every time, regardless of who is there. They will get the message and you wont have to create a new dictate.More engagementListening to your employees stories will allow you to connect with their self-interest. Our secret fears, passions and beliefs are hidden within the stories we tell. If you elicit stories from your employees, youll discover useful information and you will convey empathy. Ask question that prompt stories with questions that begin with Tell me about a time when. or When have you felt. or What happened? Your silence, patience, understanding and thoughtfulness will provide insights and demonstrate respect.The cure for micromanaging isnt a bitter pill storytelling is a fun way to make you a more effective manager and your employees more content.What more storytelling tips? Listen to the free 30-minute audio training Making the Business Case for Storytelling.

Here is why nothing fails quite like success

Here is why nothing fails quite like successHere is why nothing fails quite like successWhere were you on January 28, 1986?If youre American, and you were older than six at the time, the chances are that you know the answer to that question.On that morning, the space shuttle Challenger exploded over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven members of its crew.A special commission appointed by President Ronald Reagan determined that the explosion resulted from a catastrophic flaw in what are called the O-rings. These rings are like rubber bands that seal the joints of the solid rocket boosters that launch the shuttle and prevent hot gases from entering into it.The problem with the O-rings wasnt new. NASA had been flying its shuttles with damaged O-rings as far back as 1981. Engineering documents described the O-ring erosion as an acceptable risk, the standard way of doing business. As one flight after another was completed successfully despite dangerous levels of erosion, NASA began to d evelop institutional tunnel vision.The anomaly eventually became the norm.Seventeen years later, it happened again.On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia blew up, killing all seven astronauts onboard. This time around, the culprit was a large piece of foam that had separated from the shuttles external fuel tank during its lift-off and struck its left wing, leaving a gaping hole in the thermal insulation.The foam debris had struck and damaged the shuttle in the past numerous times. These launches were all characterized as successes since the damage from the foam didnt compromise mission safety. As a result, foam shedding, as it was internally called at NASA, became an acceptable way of doing business, despite the serious risks it presented.NASA was able to successfully launch numerous shuttle missions, despite the erosion of the O-rings before Challenger and despite the foam shedding before Columbia.In each case, success created complacency with the status quo. Success boost ed egos. Success put blinders on the most capable engineers and managers working at NASA.When we succeed, we assume that everything went according to plan. When were too busy lighting cigars, we fail to see that we succeeded despite making a mistake or despite taking a serious risk. We ignore the warning signs, the near-misses, and the necessity for change. We chalk up our successes to our skills and genius even where blind luck deserves the credit.Just because youre on a hot streak doesnt mean youll beat the house.The moment we think weve made it is the moment we stop learning and growing. When were in the lead, we assume we know the answers, so we dont listen. When we think were destined for greatness, we start blaming others if things dont go as planned. When we declare ourselves to be an expert on something, we begin asserting confident conclusions without bothering to gather all of the facts. We launch shuttle missions despite glaring problems with the spacecraft.The author Eli zabeth Gilbert sums up the saatkorn sentiment in her brilliant TED talk Creativity, she says must survive its own success.You must survive your own success.The next time youre tempted to start popping champagne corks following a victory, stop and pause for a moment. Ask yourself, What went wrong with this success? What role did luck, opportunity, and privilege play? What can I learn from it?And the next time youre tempted to fear failure, keep in mind the words of English author Dean Inge Nothing fails like success.Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned law professor and bestselling author.Click hereto download a free copy of his e-book, The Contrarian Handbook 8 Principles for Innovating Your Thinking. Along with your free e-book, youll get the Weekly Contrarian - a newsletter that challenges conventional wisdom and changes the way we look at the world (plus access to exclusive content for subscribers only).Thisarticlefirst appeared onOzanVarol.com.