Kennesaw, May 19, 2014 ― VJI Business Development Coordinator Courtney O’Connor participated in a personal effectiveness workshop on Monday, May 12. Sponsored by the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce through its Cobb Young Professionals Program, the workshop was led by award-winning small business advocate Barbara Hickey, the founder of The Coalition of Cobb County Georgia Business Associations and author of Top 40 Tips of Business Etiquette. Hickey, an instructor at the Etiquette School of Atlanta, held the business etiquette, professional effectiveness, and communication workshop at the offices of Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP.

“Barbara was a very inspiring speaker and provided a lot of new information,” said O’Connor. “I particularly enjoyed her discussion of the five ingredients of personal effectiveness: appearance, effective communication, workplace relations, problem solving, and reputation. I found the workshop helpful with some questions I had about business etiquette and appreciate the new ideas Barbara gave me. In the near future, I am going to implement an action plan that will use the five ingredients consistently to enhance my personal effectiveness.”

Several VJI employees are members of Cobb Young Professionals, a group dedicated to the promotion and encouragement of young professionals in the work place. Its members are savvy, diverse young professionals in their 20’s and 30’s who have strong educational backgrounds, a dedicated work ethic, and a desire for career development strategy.