September 2020

  • Worried About Disengaged Employees? Make These 7 Changes
  • Tell Me Something Good: How Are You Keeping Your Team Motivated Under Challenging Circumstances?
  • TLTA Board's Virtual Planning Meeting Includes Updates From Committee Chairs About Plans for the Year
  • September PACathon: Can We Count on Your Support?
  • Transition of Land Title School to Virtual Format a Success; Nearly 250 Students to Complete School Program This Week
  • In Memoriam: Jim Howell
  • A Warm Welcome to Our Newest TLTA Members
  • Upcoming Webinars

Worried About Disengaged Employees? Make These 7 Changes

Entrepeneur.com | Sept. 18, 2020
Successful employee engagement does not just happen. It is a conscious strategy that demands a significant investment in energy, time, and resources. In a competitive market, an engaged workforce is an organization's most significant advantage. Return on investment in engagement strategies can generate financial uplift and create economic opportunities for employers. On the flip side, poor engagement contributes to low morale, turnover, poor customer service and impacts the company bottom line.
 
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, people engagement has hit a new high. Gallup reported that in May 2020 the percentage of “engaged” workers reached 38%, the highest since tracking this metric. “Not engaged” staff represented 49% of people who put in the time but lacked energy and passion to their work, and 13% were “actively disengaged” through their horrible work experiences and permeating their unhappiness throughout the workplace.
 
COVID-19 has disrupted people’s lives, from provoking fears about health and finances to large populations working from home. How organizations respond to the crisis impacts engagement. Some factors are outside an organization’s control, and there are many that leaders can influence to ensure their people feel heard, respected, and cared for. Here is how to get started:
  • Talk but listen more
  • Encourage growth and development
  • Lead with authentic recognition
Read More » 
 

Tell Me Something Good: How Are You Keeping Your Team Motivated Under Challenging Circumstances?

During tumultuous times a lot can be learned by listening, and we've heard some inspiring stories from TLTA members about the unique ways you're keeping your team motivated under these challenging circumstances. We would love to hear from you: as the pace of real estate transactions continues to move at a blinding pace and the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic health protocols wear many of us thin, how are you keeping your team motivated? 
 

 
So, how are you doing it? What works? How are you keeping your teams excited and engaged?
 
Please share your stories with us, and we'll look for best practices we can share with our members. 
 

TLTA Board's Virtual Planning Meeting Includes Updates From Committee Chairs About Plans for the Year

TLTA's Board of Directors  met virtually for their annual planning meeting Sept. 14-15. Following an orientation for new and returning members, the board met with this year’s committee chairs  to identify and discuss issues and projects and a plan of work for the year ahead. This was the first time this annual meeting has been held virtually, but the group made the most out of the new format and the two day meeting was productive and even included a little fun.  A “Board Meeting in a Box” was sent to the group ahead of time that included, among other things, a gaiter-style mask highlighting the importance of our essential TLTA members. 
 

TLTA Board members and staff don gaiter-style masks with the message, We Are Essential, during the icebreaker event via Zoom Sept. 14 
 
The board also heard updates on special projects, including a report on the work of the Digital Closing Task Force by Marvin Stone and progress by the Basic Manual Task Force  from Denise Holmes.
 
Committee chairs laid out their plans of work for the year ahead and took questions from the board on the progress of TLTA member priorities. Among the committee reports was a review of ongoing rulemaking projects by Regulatory Committee  chair Roland Love and an assessment of the unique legislative environment under COVID-19 with Legislative Committee  chair Steve Streiff. Leslie Johnson provided a report on the Judiciary Committee's amicus work, and Brandi Abercrombie described the process by which this year's Land Title School of Texas  was translated to a virtual experience. Webinar topics for the year ahead are being developed, reported Frances Hughes, chair of the Webinar Planning Committee , and Certification Committee  chair Robin Pearson discussed plans for continuing Certification testing despite challenges created by the pandemic. 
 
We are grateful for the leadership and vision of our Board and committee chairs and the hard work and dedication of all our members who serve on committees, task forces or advisory groups.
 

September PACathon: Can We Count on Your Support?

Our 2020 TLTAPAC campaign is headed to the finish line with our September PACathon and we’re counting on you to help us meet our goal!
 


COVID-19 has thrown our fundraising off track and we are facing challenging and uncertain conditions ahead, including the upcoming election in November that could impact our legislative allies, as well as the return of the Texas Legislature four short months from now when the pandemic will continue disrupting the ways we've traditionally communicated with lawmakers.  
  
We know it’s been a crazy year, but now is the perfect time to support your industry and career  by making your 2020 financial contribution to TLTAPAC today.
 
Donate online now, or call us 512.472.6593 and we'll take your donation over the phone. Either way, it's quick and easy to make your contribution now! 
 

Transition of Land Title School to Virtual Format a Success; Nearly 250 Students to Complete School Program This Week

With nearly 7,000 graduates, Land Title School of Texas  is the gold standard in Texas title industry education. And for the first time ever, this year's program is virtual!
 
Modeled after our successful in-person program, this year's School includes the same great curriculum and faculty, as well as increased flexibility in scheduling to allow students to address work and family obligations while working through this year's six-day program.
 
2020 Virtual Land Title School of Texas concludes Tuesday, Sept. 22, and nearly 250 students are on track to graduate and return to work better equipped for the unique challenges of a title industry profession.
 
Thank you to our sponsors for helping make this year's program a success:
 
   

   

   

 

     

In Memoriam: Jim Howell

1942 - 2020
James (Jim) Stanley Howell, aged 78, formerly of Pampa, passed away in Amarillo, Texas, on Aug. 18, 2020 after a valiant cancer battle. Born in Post, Texas, on March 6, 1942, to Horton and Evelyn (Meekma) Howell, he attended school in Lockney, Texas and graduated in 1960. He attended Texas Tech and Lipperts Business School. Jim worked part of his life in sales, at the appraisal district, in real estate and in the title insurance business.
 
Read Jim's Obituary »
 

A Warm Welcome to Our Newest TLTA Members

 

Agent Members

 
Odyssey Title, LLC        
Contact: Maggie Stagg        
4101 Greenbriar Dr., Ste. 122C
Houston, TX 77098        
832.428.5060        
[email protected]        
www.odysseytitle.com
 
Click n' Close Title, LLC        
Contact: Nicki Compary        
15301 Spectrum Dr., Ste. 405
Addison, TX 75001        
469.425.6499        
[email protected]        
www.clicknclosetitle.com
 
Bluebonnet Abstract and Title, LLC  
Contact: Shane Nelson        
114 E. Alamo St.,  Ste. 21
Brenham, TX 77833        
979.353.2553        
[email protected]  
www.bluebonnetabstract.com
 
MIT National Title Services of Texas, LLC
Contact: Marc Israel        
5201 Tennyson Pkwy., Ste. 200
Plano, TX 75024        
212.239.1000        
[email protected]     
www.mitnational.com 
 

Associate Members

 
Ameristar Information Network, LLC        
Contact: Ken Mask        
6616 Davis Blvd.
North Richland Hills, TX 76182    
817.912.0600        
[email protected]     
www.ameristarusa.com
 
 


In addition to the live webinars listed below, you have access to our library of more than 80 On-Demand webinars and videos  covering the title industry topics you need to earn continuing education credits and stay ahead of the curve on the latest industry trends!