September 13th, 2011 · No Comments
Some time ago a magazine writer asked me a probing question. She asked, “In your opinion and experience, what are the three most destructive things a leader can do to wreck an organization?” Actually, it’s a profound question with many possible significant answers. I considered both effective and ineffective leaders I had encountered in my business experience. I pondered what could be, in my opinion, the three worst things a leader could do. Although many different things came to mind, I settled on three attributes that I had personally observed, or been subjected to, as being most destructive from a strategic point of view. It was necessary to discount numerous tactical behaviors that may appear destructive at the moment, but in the large scheme pale by comparison to the more strategic negative behaviors.
A few of the leadership behaviors I considered before I gave my final answers included such things as poor communication skills, poor delegation skills, poor team building skills, too much tactical thinking, poor coaching skills, poor empowerment skills, and poor feedback skills. Any of these behaviors could be the three worst leadership behaviors, but I opted instead for things that I had personally observed as being highly destructive to not only people, but also to things, activities and processes.
My three answers were: 1) Personal Arrogance, 2) Inflexible Position, and 3) a belief in Self-Resolution. Inasmuch as these three attributes constitute a wide range of specific behaviors, permit me to describe each one in more detail.
1. Personal Arrogance. Another way to describe arrogance is pride. Although there are clearly good aspects of being proud, pride can also be a handicap to effective leadership. First, let’s look at the good side of pride. Leaders, managers and individual contributors can take pride in their job, an assignment, a task, or even a procedure. And such pride can be a motivator to perform well, thoroughly, and with a high degree of quality. So taking pride in one’s job can be a positive attribute for any worker.
But unfortunately, there is a negative side to personal pride that I call unhealthy pride. When a person uses pride to the determent of others, then it can be a destructive rather than positive trait. Ezra Taft Benson said, “The proud make [people] their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents or any other device against others.” In the words of C.S. Lewis: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next [person]. It is the comparison that makes [a person] proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition [or comparison] has gone, pride has gone.” So at the heart of unhealthy pride is judging oneself as superior to others.
The truth is that pride is often a liability that people often see in other people, long before they are willing to admit that it exists in themselves. This makes the proud unteachable, untouchable, and often unreachable when it comes to leadership development. Excessive pride in a leader can create executive isolation and insulation where lines of communication are disrupted at the most, or faulty at the least.
It is executive pride and the lack of personal humility that causes a leader to be convinced that his or her decisions are infallible and unchallengeable. Over time this creates in an organization a climate of fear, blind obedience and compartmentalization. Organizational compartmentalization occurs when workers feel most safe with their chin on their chest doing only what is necessary to keep from being disciplined or fired. There is in this dysfunctional climate no creativity, empowerment, risk taking, or free speech. Decision quality is, therefore, very poor. Chin on chest mentality negates the possibility of employees thinking or acting in a strategic manner.
2. Inflexible Position. I currently teach leadership development workshops for several clients. Within these courses is a module titled, “Flexible Leadership.” The primary learning point of the module is helping leaders understand that “one size does not fit all.” People are individuals and situations are situational. So when a leader approaches a situation in an organization he or she must demonstrate enough flexibility of position and ability to treat each person and situation differently. Rigid thinking and inflexible positions typically shut down lines of communication.
It’s surprising how many leaders become dogmatic with their personal opinions, preferences and biases and as a result struggle with flexibility and adaptability. This might relate to unhealthy personal pride, or it could be insecurity, or it might even be inexperience. Whatever the cause, holding fast to an opinion or belief in the face of unconsidered different courses of action seriously limits decision quality. We know from mountains of evidence that decision quality usually follows a path of divergent thinking, following by facilitated convergent thinking. Stated another way, the best idea usually follows many considered ideas. Conversely, the worst idea often follows a leader’s unwillingness to consider the ideas of others.
3. Problem Self-Resolution. Several years ago a large portion of my consulting practice was helping organizations implement a system of process improvement. While assisting literally hundreds of functional and cross-functional teams as they endeavored to create and modify organizational processes, I observed an all too often tendency of some leaders who were supposed to empower the teams. These ineffective sponsors of teams had a belief that if a problem was left alone long enough that it might spontaneously fix itself. Some of these leaders clearly lacked enough courage to confront broken processes and uncooperative employees. Others just didn’t want to upset the apple cart, so they would drag their heels in challenging and motivating teams.
Jack Welch said, “Leaders must face reality as it is and not as they may have constructed it.” The reality is that very few organizational process problems ever fix themselves to an effective level. Rather, most problems dealing with people and processes typically get worse over time, not better. Indeed, sometimes problems may go on vacation for a short time and give the appearance of being resolved, but a few weeks later they crop back up with even more steam.
Effective leaders must have the courage and ability to recognize problems when they occur, acknowledge that they need to be resolved, and work diligently to make them go away. Anything less than that will add fuel to the fire and the problems will grow into major disruptions.
Summary
I am unaware of what happened to the information I gave to the writer who asked for my list of the worst leader behaviors. Perhaps it ended up in a book, leadership development class, article, or trashcan, I don’t know. Nonetheless, the exercise of deciding on three negative attributes gave me an opportunity to consider not only good leader behaviors, but also the bad ones as well.
Perhaps the lesson in this article is to ask the following questions: “Am I guilty of any of these ineffective behaviors? Do I diligently create a climate for my followers that is open, honest, positive, motivating, and beneficial to both people and the organization? Am I willing to self-assess my effectiveness and make appropriate changes?” Give it some thought and tell me what you think.
Dr. Richard L. Williams is a business consultant specializing in leadership development, organizational development/diagnostics, performance coaching, quality improvement, and team development. If you would like to learn more about Leadership Development, contact Dr. Rick Williams or the CMOE team or contact us at 888-262-2499.
Tags: Leadership
For me, leadership is personal. It starts with the individual. Each person brings who they are to the task of leading. If you are a leader or aspire to leadership, I ask you: Is all well in your world? Are you happy? Are you operating at maximum efficiency? If your answer is “yes,” then the world is a better place. Personal leadership is about management of self. You start with you, so that you can effectively lead others.
We have all seen leaders who are not managing their life very well. They are leading, but they are not giving their best. Their leadership skills suffer. We have also seen leaders at the top of their game, who manage their lives well. Their leadership skills thrive and those around them are inspired.
Here are some elements of personal leadership:
Balance
Balance is a state of equilibrium among the various demands of your life. Balance is dynamic as opposed to static. For the most part, you are constantly making adjustments, sometimes minor sometimes major, to achieve balance. Maintaining balance allows you to function effectively and productively as you lead.
Fulfillment
Fulfillment comes when you are living the life you want to live. You are able to give your all and be energized by your work. Your being and your work are a match. Your work flows and what you need comes to you. You are aligned with your destiny.
A Positive Relationship with Time
For years, management consultants and self-improvement experts have advised you to “manage” time. Planners, organizers and linear structures are useful, but in reality there is too much information and too many demands on your time to properly manage them. Time cannot be managed, you have to manage yourself.
Focus
Focus allows you to channel your energies to create the life you want. Without focus, things do not happen. Creating focus begins with identifying the top priorities in your life. Once your priorities are identified, spend your time honoring those priorities and getting them done.
Confidence
Confidence attracts people. As a leader if you project self-confidence, people will want to follow you. Confidence involves self-knowledge and appropriate humility. A lack of confidence belies problems that sabotage your personal leadership.
How are you doing with your personal leadership? Here are some things you can do to build your personal leadership skills.
CONDUCT A PERSONAL LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT
Ask yourself the questions below. Analyze your answers to help you determine how you are doing and if there are any areas you need to work on.
- Are there “energy drains” you would like to eliminate from your life?
- Is your life in balance?
- Do you choose what the components of your life will be?
- Do you focus on priorities?
- Are there elements of your life that are not fulfilling?
- Do you live in the present moment?
- How is your relationship with time?
- Are your relationships and friendships supportive and fulfilling?
- Do you like the way you present yourself to the world?
- Are you maximizing your impact, using all you are?
- Are you healthy?
- Are there any fears that have gotten the better of you?
- Are you speaking your true voice?
OBSERVE EFFECTIVE LEADERS
The power of observation cannot be discounted. Identify several people that you think are effective leaders. Turn the lens of your observing from how they lead to how they manage their life. Read about them. If you have the opportunity, interview them. For each person you observe, do your best to determine how their self-management affects their ability to lead. From this observation identify your key learnings about personal leadership and how you will apply them to your life.
CREATE FOCUS
Identify the top three things you want to focus on in your life. For each thing, identify what you need to do over the next year to achieve it. Set a plan.
ELIMINATE IMPEDIMENTS
What is holding you back from being the best you can be? Answer this question and let go of what no longer serves you.
Your external leadership skills need a strong foundation within. Personal leadership can provide that foundation. Change within will lead to change without.
Ann Vanino is a business coach, consultant and trainer who specializes in helping people find fulfillment at work. Ann’s book, Leadership on Trial: Lessons from The Apprentice offers leadership lessons from the popular TV show. You can learn more about Ann and her work at http://www.MovingForward.net . You can reach Ann at E-mail: Ann@MovingForward.net or Phone: 661-944-6329 (US.)
- Revisiting Leadership [2] (llpathways.wordpress.com)
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Tags: Leadership
Writing tips for managing and resolving conflict is probably a little like developing tips for quantum mechanics. The subject is complex and is not going to be mastered through quick tips.
That being said, keep these tips in mind when dealing with conflict. Managing and resolving conflict requires a quick reduction of stress and balanced emotions. You can ensure that the process is as positive as possible by sticking to the following conflict resolution guidelines:
- Listen for what is felt as well as said. When we listen we connect more deeply to our own needs and emotions, and to those of other people. Listening in this way also strengthens us, informs us, and makes it easier for others to hear us.
- Make conflict resolution the priority rather than winning or “being right.” Maintaining and strengthening the relationship, rather than “winning” the argument, should always be your first priority. Be respectful of the other person and his or her viewpoint.
- Focus on the present. If you’re holding on to old hurts and resentments, your ability to see the reality of the current situation will be impaired. Rather than looking to the past and assigning blame, focus on what you can do in the here-and-now to solve the problem.
- Pick your battles. Conflicts can be draining, so it’s important to consider whether the issue is really worthy of your time and energy. Maybe you don’t want to surrender a parking space if you’ve been circling for 15 minutes. But if there are dozens of spots, arguing over a single space isn’t worth it.
- Be willing to forgive. Resolving conflict is impossible if you’re unwilling or unable to forgive. Resolution lies in releasing the urge to punish, which can never compensate for our losses and only adds to our injury by further depleting and draining our lives.
- Know when to let something go. If you can’t come to an agreement, agree to disagree. It takes two people to keep an argument going. If a conflict is going nowhere, you can choose to disengage and move on.
Tags: Communication
Image via Wikipedia
Apple’s iPhone slogan, “there’s an app for that” extends to the Human Resources as well.
Here’s a list of top Human Resources apps compiled by First Reference.
Acquiring talent
Kenexa 2x Mobile allows hiring managers to run their hiring processes on the go. The application focuses on key hiring tasks so you can execute the most basic actions needed to move the hiring process along. This free app syncs with Kenexa’s SaaS-based applicant tracking system, but users must have a Kenexa license.
Jobvite is an innovative candidate sourcing solution that has a lot of people talking. This application enables your employees to send job invitations (or Jobvites) to members of their networks on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook from just about anywhere. To plug in to this tool, though, you’ll need a Jobvite subscription.
Managing talent
Vortex’s Mobile Manager Connect is a web-based workforce management tool that allows users to manage their operations’ scheduling needs on the go. You can review, edit and approve time cards, violations and time off requests, all of which syncs with existing HR management and payroll systems. The app is free, but users need users Vortex Connect license to use it.
diversityDNA is a mobile diversity training app that offers insights into the impact cultural differences have on workplace conduct. Covering the basics of cultural diversity, this mini course illustrates best practices for communicating in the workplace. This simple, straightforward tool is a great start for businesses interested in enlightening their workforce. The best part? The app is free!
Rypple Feedback is a web-based application that turns performance reviews into a far more engaging experience. Leveraging social networking concepts for a more collaborative experience, Rypple makes it easy for you to recognize achievements and offer regular feedback to your employees. Rypple currently offers various subscription options from free to $9 per user per month.
Additional resources
HR at Your Fingertips is an HR terms and concepts reference tool. Valuable for the layman and guru alike, this application is divided into three sections. The glossary covers 270+ key terms and concepts. The HR Laws section contains information on federal laws, including eligibility and compliance standards. The app also contains a beginner’s guide for writing an employee handbook. This mobile app is currently available only for the iPhone or iPad.
HR Concepts’ Mobile Benefits gives employees the ability to tap into health benefit account information on their smart phones. Review claims and account balances, and submit new receipts by taking a picture with their mobile devices. Transmissions are encrypted and secure, and sensitive information is never stored on your mobile device. This straightforward tool takes employee self-service one step further.
What other kinds of apps do you use to manage your HR function?
Tags: Tools
If current trends continue, Canada’s labour force is going to change drastically over the next 20 years, Statistics Canada said in this report released today:
Using a range of projection scenarios, the labour force is projected to grow to between 20.5 million and 22.5 million by 2031. In 2010, the labour force numbered about 18.5 million.
All scenarios suggest a slowdown in the rate of growth in the labour force, primarily because of the retirement of baby boomers. The overall participation rate, that is, the percentage of the total population aged 15 and over that is in the labour force, is also projected to decline.
Between 1971 and 1976, when the large baby-boom cohorts were entering the labour market, the labour force increased at an average rate of just over 4% a year. This growth rate slowed to about 1.4% between 2006 and 2010. By 2016, growth is projected to be less than 1% on average in all scenarios. Projections show it could slow even further to between 0.2% and 0.7% in the period from 2021 to 2026.
In four of the five scenarios, the growth is projected to stop slowing after 2026, once most baby boomers have left the labour force.
The projections also suggest that, if recent trends continue, the labour force will become older and increasingly ethnoculturally diverse. Close to one person out of four in the labour force could be aged 55 or over by 2021. There would also be higher proportions of foreign-born people and people belonging to a visible minority group (as defined by theEmployment Equity Act) in the labour force.
Projections also show that the overall participation rate would decline and the diversity of the labour force would increase in every province.
Overall participation rate declines in all scenarios
As the growth of the labour force loses momentum, the population of seniors aged 65 and over is projected to grow increasingly rapidly as a result of population aging and the entry of the baby boomers into this age range.
Consequently, according to all scenarios, the overall participation rate is projected to decline during the next two decades.
In 2010, the participation rate was 67.0%; by 2031, it is projected to range between 59.7% and 62.6%, which would be the lowest observed since the late 1970s.
The projected decline in the overall participation rate over the next two decades would be largely attributable to demographic phenomena, such as the aging of the baby-boom cohorts, increasing life expectancy and a fertility rate below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.
Nearly one person in four in the labour force projected to be 55 or more
The aging of the baby boomers, which is largely behind the projected decline in the overall participation rate, has had a major impact on the aging of the labour force. Between 2001 and 2009, the proportion of people in the labour force aged 55 and over rose from 10% to 17%, an increase of 7 percentage points in nine years. The first baby boomers reached the age of 55 in 2001.
This increase is projected to continue from 2010 to 2021, when the succeeding cohorts of baby boomers in turn reach 55. By 2021, according to three of the five scenarios, nearly one person in four in the labour force (roughly 24%) could be 55 years of age or over, the highest proportion on record.
Also, by 2031, the ratio of people in the labour force to seniors aged 65 and over not in the labour force, that is mostly retired people, is also projected to decline.
In 1981, there were roughly six persons in the labour force for each retiree. By 2031, or 50 years later, this ratio is projected to decline to less than three to one, according to all five scenarios. The ratio is projected to decline in every province.
About one person in three in the labour force projected to be foreign born
By 2031, roughly one in every three people in the labour force could be foreign born. Between 1991 and 2006, the percentage of foreign-born people in the labour force rose from 18.5% to 21.2%. If recent immigration levels were to continue, that proportion is projected to reach almost 33% in 2031, according to most scenarios.
For more than 20 years, Canadian immigration has come mainly from Asian countries. Consequently, between 1996 and 2006, the proportion of people in the labour force belonging to a visible minority group rose from 10% to 15%. According to most scenarios, this proportion could more than double to 32% by 2031.
Even if there were no immigration between 2010 and 2031, the proportion of people in the labour force belonging to a visible minority group would increase to about 23% in 2031.
This would be the result of two factors: first, the age structure of the visible minority population is younger than the general population, which means that fewer visible minority persons would retire by 2031. Secondly, the children of recent immigrants would gradually enter the labour force.
In addition, between 2006 and 2031, an increasing proportion of persons in the labour force belonging to a visible minority group is projected to be Canadian born. In 2006, Canadian-born visible minorities accounted for about 17% of all visible minority people in the labour force; by 2031, their proportion is projected to rise to roughly 25%.
Again, this increase is mainly a result of two factors: first, Canadian-born visible-minority people tend to have a high level of education, so more participate in the labour force. Second, the children of immigrants who have arrived since the early 1990s will gradually enter the labour market.
The study “Projected trends to 2031 for the Canadian labour force” is included in the June 2011 Internet edition of the Canadian Economic Observer, Vol. 24, no. 6 (11-010-X, free), from the Key resource module of our website under Publications.
For further information regarding Canada’s labour force projections, contact the National Contact Centre (613-951-8116; toll-free 1-800-263-1136; infostats@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-866-767-5611; 613-951-2320; fax: 613-951-2307;demography@statcan.gc.ca), Demography Division.
Tags: Human Resources Management
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Workplace diversity is a people issue, focused on the differences and similarities that people bring to an organization. It is usually defined broadly to include dimensions beyond those specified legally in equal opportunity and affirmative action non-discrimination statutes. Diversity is often interpreted to include dimensions which influence the identities and perspectives that people bring, such as profession, education, parental status and geographic location.
As a concept, diversity is considered to be inclusive of everyone. In many ways, diversity initiatives complement non-discrimination compliance programs by creating the workplace environment and organizational culture for making differences work. Diversity is about learning from others who are not the same, about dignity and respect for all, and about creating workplace environments and practices that encourage learning from others and capture the advantage of diverse perspectives.
Advantages Of Diversity
Most companies recognize there are advantages to diversity in the workplace. By integrating workers from culturally diverse backgrounds into their workforce companies become stronger. However, many firms don’t understand the importance or challenges of workplace diversity. Diversity needs to be seen as an integral part of the business plan, essential to successful products and increased sales. This is especially true in today’s global marketplace, as companies interact with different cultures and clients.
Among the advantages of diversity in the workplace are: increased creativity, increased productivity, new attitudes, new language skills, global understanding, new processes, and new solutions to difficult problems.
1. Creativity increases when people with different ways of solving difficult problems work together towards a common solution. There is no one best answer to any question–the more ideas you can obtain from different people, the more likely you are to develop a workable answer. Other cultures can offer insightful alternatives you might not consider. This is a tremendous advantage of diversity in the workplace.
2. Productivity increases exponentially when people of all cultures pull together towards a single inspiring goal. Foreign executives are extremely successful in the North America corporate world because of globalization and internationalization. People from China and India benefit US firms with their quantitative skills. European citizens–Swiss, Germans, British, and French–do well here in high-level jobs. Increased productivity is an obvious advantage of diversity in the workplace.
3. New attitudes are brought to the business table by people from diverse cultures. For instance, you may want to consider adopting the perspective other cultures have about time. Our culture believes that “time is money” and “getting to the bottom line” is paramount in business. However, in most other countries around the world “time is for building relationships” and an integral part of getting to know the other party you are considering doing business with before starting a transaction. How much of an advantage would workplace diversity be if you followed this practice more closely?
4. Language skills are obviously needed in today’s increasingly global economy–and diverse workers often have this proficiency. If a company needs specific knowledge or language skills, it may hire foreign nationals for help. In some markets, international job seekers have the advantage. For example, companies breaking into European, Asian or Latin American markets will need foreign expertise. High-tech firms in particular are expanding into countries abroad. We like to believe that English is “the language of the world.” While that may be true for business, our native tongue ranks second in the world behind Chinese and just slightly ahead of Hindustani. To truly build relationships with the other people of the world, we must speak their language. It is a tremendous advantage of workplace diversity if we enable people from other cultures can help us understand not just their words, but also the meaning behind what they are saying.
5. Understanding how North America fits into the world picture is crucial. By relating to people of all backgrounds, you gain a greater perspective on how different cultures operate and experience greater success in global business as a result.The average American believes that the U.S. accounts for about 25 percent of the world’s population. People from outside the US know the figure is actually less than five percent.
6. New processes can result when people with different ideas come together and collaborate. In today’s fast-moving world, there is no longer room for thinking, “We have always done things this way and cannot change.” You must bring multiple skills to the environment, think cross culturally, and adapt quickly to new situations. Those who meet these criteria are likely to do well, regardless of culture–even in tough economic times.
Workplace diversity can make companies more productive and profitable. They also bring differences that we must understand and embrace for those benefits to be realized.
Tags: Human Resources Management · Human Rights
Although not as obvious or often talked about as other diversity issues, generational differences can cause conflict, disruption and team dysfunction in the workplace. By understanding, recognizing, and appreciating the differences, not only can conflict be avoided but value and opportunity can be found in utilizing generational differences to a workplace advantage.
Today’s workplace has four distinct generations working together:
Use the following suggestions to help you get along with co-workers of different generations:
Be self aware.
Think about how people of different generations may view your behaviour and pay attention to your own beliefs and values. For example, Boomers have had to work many long, hard hours in order to stand out among the huge numbers of their generation in the workforce. Gen Xers and Millennials may think that Boomers don’t care about life outside of work because they are focusing on the Boomers’ behaviour rather than the forces that shaped it.
On the other hand, Gen Xers entered the workforce during a time when organizations were downsizing and restructuring. They’ve learned to rely on themselves and to place a high value on their life outside of work. Veterans and Boomers who kept their jobs during the restructuring handled the situation by working harder. To them, Gen Xers may appear too focused on the “life” side of the work-life balance.
Keep an open mind.
Challenge your assumptions. For example, the Veteran who wears a business suit and seems uncomfortable with technology may be highly creative. The Gen Xer who leaves early and files reports from home may not be out partying all night but may be sharing child care with a spouse.
Focus on the goal.
If everyone on the team does their share, it may not matter whether Veterans work at their desks during office hours, whether Boomers work after hours, whether Gen Xers work at home on the weekend or whether Millennials work on laptops in cafés between jobs.
Value diversity.
Accept each generation’s different experiences and perspectives. Veterans and Boomers have the kind of experience that comes from years in the workforce—when it comes to the ups and downs of working life, they really have seen it all. Gen Xers and Millennials can benefit from their experience.
Gen Xers have developed the skills to be independent and self-directed. Millennials learned their teamwork skills in day care. Both have grown up working and playing with technology: cell phones with cameras, text messaging, wireless connections from hand-held computers to company networks. Millennials and Gen Xers use all available technology effortlessly to work at any time, from anywhere. What may sometimes look like youthful arrogance is more likely competence and confidence—Veterans and Boomers can benefit by recognizing the difference.
Support and learn from each other.
Co-workers from each generation have much to offer each other. For example, Gen Xers and Millennials can share their technology skills with Boomers and Veterans. The older generations can mentor the younger. Each generation has something to learn from:
Veterans’ perspectives on loyalty
Boomers’ dedication to the goal
Gen Xers’ skills at achieving work-life balance
Millennials’ comfort with diversity
Discover common interests.
Sports, hobbies, films, favourite TV shows, volunteering—people from different generations may share more interests than they realize. What starts out as small talk in the coffee room may develop into an appreciation for a different point of view or a chance to explore a new skill.
Veterans, Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials all bring a wide range of skills, outlooks and experiences to the workplace. When generations recognize and respect their differences, they stay open to the opportunity to learn from each other.
Tags: Communication · Discrimination · Human Resources Management · Workstyle
Given all the time you invest in recruiting and hiring the perfect employee, it may feel like the hard part is over once the perfect employee has showed up for his first day on the job. But nothing could be further from the truth. Your perfect employee’s first few days on the job are the days that you should be willing to invest your time and effort anew. After all, to keep the perfect employee, you need to make sure he feels that your business is the perfect environment for him and that he adds value to your company. Here are eight keys to keeping the perfect employee once you’ve hired him.
1. Balance the Work. One of the most difficult aspects of adding an employee to your team is the fact that work needs to be redistributed. Those training the new employee won’t be able to keep up with their workloads, and that can cause hard feelings and resentment. Make sure you’ve distributed the work evenly among your employees, and do the lion’s share of the training of the new employee yourself. Your perfect new hire will be glad to get the chance to know you, and your existing employees will feel like you’re looking out for their best interests as well.
2. Welcome By Committee. This committee will be compromised of everyone on the new employee’s team. Ask the perfect new employee’s team to meet with him, to prepare appropriate training materials, and to generally make him feel welcome. This will cut into their productive time, but efforts on the front end will only pay off later.
3. Use the Buddy System. Introduce the perfect new employee to his buddy almost as soon as he walks in the door. This buddy will be responsible for getting the perfect new employee to meetings on time and for answering all of the questions he may have about company protocol and culture.
4. Welcome Them At the Door. Make sure someone is standing at the door, literally, to welcome the perfect new employee on his first day. This shows him that you’re excited to see him and gets the relationship off on the right foot from the very beginning. If you really want to go out of your way, you could meet him at a coffee shop before work starts to visit with him and escort him to the building.
5. Set Up the Work Area. Make sure that the perfect new employee’s work area is perfectly prepared for him as soon as he walks in the door. Don’t scramble around to clean it up while he’s waiting to sit down in his new area. Make sure the computers are networked, email accounts are set up, writing equipment is available, and a desk chair is clean and ready to go.
6. Provide a Training Schedule. It should be one of the first things your perfect new employee receives when he arrives. It will help orient him and help him feel like he has productive things to do with his time for the first few days.
7. Give Him Food. Always take the perfect new employee to lunch within the first few days or work. If the first day isn’t optimal for everyone, then go within a few days. Try to get the whole team to go if possible. If not, make sure his buddy can go with him. One of the most anxiety-inducing situations in a new job is not knowing the company culture surrounding meals. Help reduce that anxiety by going out to lunch.
8. Announce Arrival. Issue an internal press release that includes a picture. Highlight the perfect new employee’s experience and gifts. Also announce it to your vendors and business partners. The perfect new employee will feel much more comfortable interacting with partners and vendors if he knows that they already know who he is.
About the Author: Seomul Evans is a senior Search Engine Marketing consultant specializing in Meta Video Search Engines and SEO articles.
- How to Hire With Fit in Mind (businessbybailey.wordpress.com)
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Tags: Human Resources Management
November 1st, 2010 · 2 Comments
(NC)—In the competitive world of real estate, much of what translates into success between agents and homeowners comes down to trust and relationships. While there’s no substitute to quality face time in real estate, there are some good digital marketing lessons from this industry that can be used by small-or medium-size businesses looking to expand and grow.
At the heart of the matter is Twitter — a service where users post short, public messages of up to140 characters each. While larger organizations use Twitter to monitor consumer engagement with their brands and as an outlet for public relations, smaller businesses can use Twitter effectively to build their network locally. Real estate professionals in particular, are proving themselves to be savvy Twitter users, working to expand their networks and create an online presence that reflects their personality, interests and their expertise in conducting real estate transactions.
Phil Soper, president and chief executive at Royal LePage Canada encourages agents to use Twitter with a less hard-edge marketing approach and more of a flavour of interpersonal sharing. “Yes, ensure people understand what you do for a living but avoid constant patter about that home you have for sale,” Soper advises. “People will be interested in your insights and information. Be yourself. We’re salespeople, and all good salespeople like to share what’s on their mind.”
Sebastian Albrecht, a sales representative at Royal LePage Westside in Vancouver and avid blogger and Twitter user, offers this insight: “I view Twitter as a tool to reinforce relationships, to give people an insight into who I am, and to demonstrate the skill and knowledge with which I conduct my business.” Albrecht also received unprecedented local media attention for his climb of Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain, called the “Grouse Grind,” in which he ascended the mountain 14 times in one day to raise funds for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. “Everyone in Vancouver can relate to the Grouse Grind. Either we have all done it, or know someone who has. As a result, people have a concept of just how difficult it [climbing 14 times] is to accomplish,” he said.
In Albrecht’s case, the local aspect, doing something out of the ordinary for a good cause, and using social media to leverage it appears to be a recipe for success.
www.newscanada.com
Tags: Communication · Internet
September 2nd, 2010 · 3 Comments
By Landy Chase, MBA, CSP
Author of Competitive Selling: Out-Plan, Out-Think, and Out-Sell to Win Every Time
In the perfect work environment, whenever a promotion opportunity became available, the most qualified person would always be selected for the available promotion. Unfortunately, as you know, such an environment does not exist; it may seem to you that job promotions regularly go to people who are not always the most deserving. Well, to quote Clint Eastwood in the classic Western Unforgiven, “Deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it.”
The biggest mistake that most employees make with regards to promotion opportunities is to consider them an entitlement. In other words, they assume that if they reasonably meet their employer’s productivity expectations, then they are “entitled” to a promotion. Making such an assumption is probably the worst career mistake you can make, because in most cases it simply doesn’t work that way.
Doing a good job does not “entitle” you to advancement. Instead, itqualifies you for consideration for advancement. Once you become qualified for consideration, a nasty little word creeps into the equation that, like it or not, plays a significant role in promotion decisions. That nasty little word is, of course, politics. Collectively, I define ‘politics’ as the other, subjective factors not directly related to job performance that either work for you or against you — and, like it or not, they can be a significant determining factor in promotion decisions. How does one learn to play — and win — at the game of promotional politics? Listed below are they most important political factors that come into play when evaluating a person for promotion:
1) Are you dependable? Next to loyalty, dependability is the most desirable attribute that an employee can have. For example, when your boss asks you to do something, does it always get done — on time, every time? Or do you have to be repeatedly asked, over and over, to get a task completed? All things being equal, the employee who has demonstrated dependability has a huge advantage over their peers when promotions become available.
2) Do you get along well with others? I once had a sales person on our team whose customers loved her and who was our top producer — and was a walking, talking nightmare to every other department in our office. Guess who, in spite of their sales performance, was always at the bottom of the list for promotions? I rest my case.
3) Are you a problem-solver? Companies today place a premium value on take-charge, motivated employees who confront problems in an organization and make a positive impact. Conversely, negativity is simply not tolerated, and for good reason.
4) Do you demonstrate leadership within the office? Are you looked at as a “go-to” source by the others who work with you? Do peers come to you for advice and counsel? Are you willing to take risks, even when the chance of failure exists? Are you fair and ethical in your dealing with your peers?
5) Is you workspace well-organized? My rule of thumb for promoting an employee into management is to take whatever is on their desk, multiply it by a factor of 10, and use this new figure to arrive at a reasonable estimate of what their desk will look like with the new responsibilities. How would your work-space measure up?
As a final point, never forget that the most important job that you have is to please the person that you work for, because no one has a more direct impact on your career advancement than your supervisor. Too many employees forget this simple but important point. Don’t be one of them.
© 2010 Landy Chase, author of Competitive Selling: Out-Plan, Out-Think, and Out-Sell to Win Every Time
Author Bio
Landy Chase, author of Competitive Selling: Out-Plan, Out-Think, and Out-Sell to Win Every Time, founded his own sales training and consulting firm in 1993 and has clients in more than sixty industries on five different continents. He has delivered more than two thousand paid presentations as a professional speaker and holds the Certified Speaking Professional (CPS) designation from the National Speakers Association, the highest earned level of excellence in the industry. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Tags: Development · Leadership
