Who or what will be first to go?

Now’s the time to see what an organization’s leadership will do in tight economic conditions. What do we (leaders) cut first? Typically the first thing to go is training. This typically leads to employee disengagement as training is but the first line item cut in an effort to trim financials. If this is your organization, the next question you should ask yourself is who will be first to go?

I saw this first hand in 2000. As a similar situation occurred, tough economic times, a company started to struggle and started slashing everything. Employees began to put their feelers out for positions in other companies who were lead by stronger leaders and things began to unravel quickly.

Keeping employees engaged during tough times is a great leadership challenge. The American workforce is up to a challenge if rallied around a common purpose and treated appropriately. Challenge your employees to come up with ideas where there are holes in the current market that your company can fill or brainstorm how you can improve any of your processes.

Furthermore, now is a great time to spur innovation, creativity and training. Training doesn’t need to cost a lot. As a matter of fact, you can implement hip pocket training. This is what we called it in the Army. Soldier’s have a Soldier’s Manual of basic tasks and core competencies. Whenever soldiers had down time or things were slow, they take the opportunity to train. They would literally pull this small manual from their hip cargo pocket and begin to train.

What core competency, basic task, or other training topic can you or one of your staff provide? You won’t have any travel expenses  and you’ll get the opportunity to build trust, rapport and cohesion with your organization. If you feel completely challenged by this, call me and I will conduct a teleseminar train-the-trainer training session for your staff for one hour.  Your staff could then take this program and train your entire organization. This is an extremely cost-effective method of implementing training in a tight economic market.

People Matter

Every individual matters, every individual has a role, and every individual makes a difference. – Jane Goodall

An important literature review was recently conducted that looked at studies linking leadership and employee well-being. It was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.  The study reviewed men and women from many countries. The studies looked at leadership style and employee well-being.

The dimensions of leadership style that were focused on were consideration and support. Guess what they found? Not all leaders are considerate, treating employees kindly and fairly. They also found that not all leaders are supportive, treating employees with concern and encouragement. Wow, there’ s a shocker!

The dimensions of employee well-being were job satisfaction, amount of sick leave taken, and job well-being (anxiety, depression, burnout, lower engagement).

One aspect though was not considered. The impact of leadership style on productivity. However, there is sufficient evidence to support that leadership style does in fact affect employee productivity. Well, back on topic. Leadership style affecting employee well-being. Let’s see, as an employee when your boss is considerate and supportive, do you feel better?

I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles, but today it means getting along with people.—Gandhi

How are you getting along with your people? And what impact is it making on your organization?

 

Work / Life or Life / Work Balance?

I’ve been going Mach 5 with my hair on fire. Well, at least that’s the excuse I use for my receding hair line. Ok, I’ve been busy. Haven’t we all? I’ve noticed over the past few years that I’ve been unbalanced…okay, no jokes. I have close friends who have thought that for years. I’ve found myself putting my work before my life and then I thought…is this priority right for me?

Well let me tell you that there is a distinct difference between work/life and life/work balance. Since changing my focus, I’m happy in my own personal life and my business life. There is a connection but it is not a two-way street. If you are happy at work, it doesn’t mean you are happy at home. However, when you are happy with your home life, you are typically happy at work. The problem that most people have is they get consumed in or by work. As a nation, we are for the most part work-o-holics.

The trick…balance. For me, it is setting aside specific time each day (when I’m not on the road speaking or working with clients) to take time with my wife or just take time for me. Look at your workforce. Are they balanced? Maybe a better question is are their priorities work/life or life/work? Tell someone to take an afternoon off and go spend with their spouse or loved one, maybe pick a child up from school to go to the zoo. Let them know that life is important and you want to help them enjoy it.

What's Your Strategy?

Many businesses I have worked with do not have formal retention programs. They do have a recruitment program. However the recruitment program does not always fit with the organization's culture or values.

There are a few things to consider when you look at establishing your strategy. These include and are not limited to the following:

• Hiring right. You need to know your organization's culture and values well enough to know who will fit and who won't.
• Clear expectations. New hires must know explicitly what they are getting into when they join your company. Also, you need to have a system of regular two-way feedback in place to ensure success.
• Flexibility. Work, schedules, and teams are some areas you should consider having a flexible aspect to your strategy.
• Share the business. You have to give to get and your business is part of the deal. Have a mechanism where employees can take some sort of ownership and feel a vested interest in your company's success.
• Listen. Employees have great ideas. Schedule regular listening sessions with a cross section of your organization for things you should start doing, stop doing or keep doing.

These are just some of the things you should consider when establishing your recruiting, attrition and retention strategy for your company.

Cynical View or History Relived or Just More of the Same?

“Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.” Cicero, 106-43 B.C.

It’s ironic that this was said thousands of years ago. Is this a cynical point of view, or is history reliving itself? Some would argue that it never changed. However, I think you can look back at certain periods of American history to find leaders of great integrity, courage and moral fiber. Leadership has been a challenge throughout man’s history. It’s the people throughout history that make the difference. What difference will you make today?

Your Annual Report

Companies and organization’s produce an annual report. I’ve been thinking that it would be great to have you think about producing your own annual report. The report would give you a snapshot of where you stand as a leader over the past year and where you want to go. The report has several sections. Let’s take a look at each one:

1. Cover – In an actual report, this would reflect the company’s image. For you as a leader, this represents your image. How you present yourself physically, your brand.

2. Narrative statements – your personal mission and vision statement for the past year.

3. Performance / Year in Review – look back over the year:

a. Significant Events

b. Analysis / Significant trends (like employee turnover)

c. Testimonials from employees (why they like working with you and the organization)

d. Things you’ve learned

e. Things you’ve taught to employees

f. Leadership opportunities you created

g. Significant decisions you made or pushed down to the lowest level

h. Books / seminars / tele-seminars / audio books consumed

4. Looking Forward

a. Immediate future plans

b. Long-term plans

c. New initiatives

d. Skills or values to teach

e. Books / seminars / tele-seminars / audio books to consume

f. Your new mission and vision statement or restated statement

I often speak of taking personal assessment or awareness of who you are and where you are in life. In light of the many issues with business leaders in the news, I thought it was appropriate that we stop, take inventory and assess who you were, where you are and where you want to go as a leader in your organization.

The Key Issue Facing Business is ...

Leadership.

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley, AIG and others have dominated the news over the past several weeks. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just the CEO’s who failed these and the other organizations who are struggling or going under in our current economic situation.  Leaders at all levels failed all of the stakeholders; customers, employees, shareholders, etc.

I’ve spoken to many groups about the 3C’s of leadership. Character plus Conduct equals a Consequence. I wasn’t always the greatest math student growing up, but remember this basic rule; two negatives equals a negative, and two positives equals a positive. So what is going on in American business?

Leaders at all levels are not remembering this basic mathematical equation. If leaders don’t keep their character and conduct aligned and positive there are untold consequences to be faced. The issues facing the failing companies are not national secrets. It wasn’t just the CEO who knew what was going on. Leaders at all levels had to have been aware to some degree. Where has all the leadership gone in our country.

My challenge for you today is to look within yourself and your organization. Does your character and conduct align. What little thing(s) are you overlooking, turning a blind eye to, or just flat out ignoring that could be, and should be done right or better? Fix it. There is incredible inspiration that comes from making a decision, even a tough one. Employees will respect you and it will help build an unwavering loyalty.

What action will you take today?

You're No Shinning Star...

During an economic slow-down, your star performers sometimes lose their luster. All too often, valuable information is put out about retaining the star talent or getting rid of the dead weight. However, there’s another group that sometimes get left out. They are the middle of the pack and they are susceptible to leaving, even in an economic slow-down.

This morning, I want to ask you about how you value consistent contributions? How do you show respect and appreciation  to those individuals who show up each day and provide consistent contributions to your organization’s work efforts? What have you done in the last week to show gratitude?

Throughout your leadership journey, you may have heard the term transparency. Your clear, visible action(s) towards the consistent performers says a lot about who you are as a leader, what you value and who you respect. Your ability to communicate appreciation for their efforts is critical especially in a down-turned economy.

It is the value of the consistent performers who continue to keep your organization afloat during the valleys of your business cycle. Here are a couple of things you can do to let them know you recognize their efforts:

1.       Pull them off to the side and Tell them you appreciate them being consistent.

2.       Have a consistency celebration that recognizes them throughout the company.

3.       Create an award for the most consistent performer.

It is important to let your entire organization know that consistency is valued. All of this will help you build stronger relationships within your organization.

 

Remember, leadership is a behavior, not an attitude or position.

 

 

 

Reviewing "Theodore Roosevelt on Leadership"

 

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn about a fantastic President. The book Theordore Roosevelt on Leadership: Executive Lessons from the Bully Pulpit by James M. Strock is well written and contains a wealth of information for leaders. Be sure to read this one.

As a military veteran, I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t know that President Roosevelt had been awarded the Medal of Honor, our Nation’s highest military award. There is an abundance of specific information taken from the President’s own writings regarding leadership that you can immediately apply tomorrow.

There is also some valuable information that pertains to our current Presidential race.What Governor who had been in office less than two years, who had five children, loved to hunt and fish was put on the Republican national ticket? Well, most today would say Governor Palin, while this is correct, President Theodore Roosevelt is also a correct answer.

The insight into his personal life, the challenges he overcame, his persistence, and more is clarified. You also get a good picture of how he ran his office, negotiated, and lead. He spells out the importance of putting others first and making a contribution. President Roosevelt was a values based man, you will see how his values drove him to succeed in life and how you can do the same.

"of the people, by the people, for the people"

How can businesses fulfill President Lincoln’s words? They must ensure that everyone has the tools to participate. Just as our nation needed everyone to do their part in the early years of establishment, businesses need everyone to do their part today to ensure we step up and out of our current economic crisis.

As leaders, you have a responsibility to interpret the role and impact each individual has on the organization. Furthermore, our nation was founded on the premise of making a contribution, citizenship participation. Leaders must create and encourage opportunities for others to contribute, both to the organization and society.

American business is made of the people, by the people and for the people. We all benefit when businesses prosper, either directly or indirectly. The values of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution has served to unify Americans. Do your organization’s values serve to unify your company?

Retention Begins at Recruitment

I’ve recently had some discussions with a client that has a very high turnover rate. Their industry is known for having a high turnover rate. The irony is that the individuals being hired would leave their employer for a quarter more in pay. Unfortunately, taxes will eliminate what little amount of a raise the employee was after.

So why did they really leave? Often the employee that was hired is not the right fit. Many employers are not aware of the value or the cost associated with assessments that can help in the hiring process. I explained to my client that spending less than $100 per potential new hire was less expensive than the cost of hiring, training, the loss of customer satisfaction, and lower employee morale. Using assessments will also reduce your overall turnover rate because you are hiring the right person from the group of qualified applicants. It is important to ensure that you have the values and culture fit for a lasting relationship.

There are many assessments on the market, and you’ll need help to determine the one that best fits your needs. Get a professional to help you with this task. This is something that even small businesses can ill afford to neglect.

What You Measure Gets Managed

Finally, what I’ve been talking about for years is being validated. Some companies use assessment tools as a pre-hire screening mechanism. However, they have been focused on specific job and core competencies. There is now a shift to either include or solely use assessments that measure what some call the softer side of life; attitude and personality.

My focus has been on organizational fit and values; how will the potential employee fit within your organization’s culture. I’ve always believed that you should hire for attitude and train for skill. My years in the military taught me that you can train an individual to perform almost any task as long as their attitude is right.

So my questions to you this morning are: What are you measuring? And are they the right factor(s) to be measuring?

If you are interested, contact me to discuss the proper assessment tool to use in your organization.

Engaging Referrals

Oftentimes employers over look their best source for finding new employees. What is this resource? Their own employees. You may be thinking, what does this have to do with keeping employees? Everything.

The likability factor even has its role in the workplace. As Dr. Robert Cialdini, a noted Social Psychologist from Arizona State University and author of the book Influence: They Pscyhology of Persuasion, states that we like those who like us. This is part of the likability factor. If you allow employees to help you hire your workforce with people they like, they are less likely to move on to another employer. It doesn’t hurt if you provide an incentive to your employee if you hire their referral.

This accomplishes several things:

• You get a larger pool of applicant
• Employees stay engaged
• Employees feel valued
• Employees get to make a contribution
• Employees are more likely to stay

Sharing Professional Knowledge: A Leadership Example

This weekend was another meeting of the NSA/Carolina's chapter in Charlotte, NC.As usual, the chapter's leadership exhibited part of my leadership principles; Give to Get. The board's willingness to give of their time and leadership to provide the highest quality content for the business of speaking was evident this past Friday and Saturday.

Give to get makes me think of Christmas. You've heard the saying, it's better to give than receive. This leadership principle requires a servant heart and that's exactly what was exhibited by the board this weekend.

If your business requires you to speak publicly at all, it would be worth your while to join us for a meeting in Charlotte, NC if you are available. These leaders set the example throughout the year providing a great model for others.

Hope to see you at one of these events.