by Bruce Newman

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

Being the father of a very special needs child opens a person to a wide range of emotions.  I remember when my daughter was born, thanking God for her presence and health.  I hadn’t cared whether my child was female or male; my main concern focusing on his/her health.  My daughter is now a teenager and both physically and mentally handicapped.  Along the way, I learned that special needs people are just that – people, with wants, needs and desires, just like every person on this earth.  My daughter is a wonderful young lady, sweet, curious and quite frankly, a bright shinning light in my life. 

My daughter loves Special Olympics.  For many years she competed in several events and won quite a number of medals.  The thrill exhibited by my daughter - and all of the competitors - can easily be expressed in their radiant smiles of pure joy when winning a medal or ribbon.  (Note: everyone wins a medal or ribbon.)  I remember the first time my daughter ran the 60 meter dash.  When the starting gun went off, she turned around and ran in the opposite direction.  (No matter, race officials quickly intervened and pointed her in the correct direction.)

Last week, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics died at the age of 88.  I never spoke with her or met her, but she was a great lady.  What she has done for all of the Special Olympians is monumental.  She created a movement that focused on the individual and celebrated their achievement.  No, my daughter won’t set the world record in the sprint or even a throw a softball more than 15 feet – and that’s okay.  She competed - as did all the participants.  And they received both tangible awards – medals and ribbons and intangible awards – being honored for their achievements.  In this world of high expectations, that they finished and achieved their goals sufficed which by itself, was a cause for celebration.  (Maybe they could teach us a lesson, here.)  One proud participant wore her medal for weeks after the Special Olympics ended – it meant that much to her.

Mrs. Shriver’s legacy is worldwide.  I used to play tennis with a priest – an ex-navy seal and one of the nicest men I’ve ever met.  (I used to joke that I invited the priest over for dinner but not our rabbi.)  After spending five years in this country, he was sent abroad on several long-term missions.  As of our last correspondence (which unfortunately, was several years ago), he was running the Special Olympics in a northern province in India.

Most people work very hard at all phases of life: their job, their family and even the maintaining of their beliefs.  We all get into ruts where we struggle to survive and don’t have the time or energy to look at the bigger picture.  It takes a special person to have the vision, desire and persistence to make it become a reality. 

In this non-stop world in which every moment of our lives is seemingly occupied, it is crucial to recognize the accomplishments of those rare individuals like Eunice Kennedy Shriver who made the lives of hundreds of thousands of special needs individuals a little brighter.

Bruce Newman is the Vice President at the Productivity Institute, LLC, the editor-in-chief of its newsletter and was, for several years, a Special Olympics volunteer.  He specializes on consulting and social media. Bruce can be reached via email and on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

by Patrick Seaton

This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

The one question I get asked more frequently than any other is “How can you get people to change?” Many managers and business owners I talk to seem to be really stumped by this question. They feel that people are always resisting change, that people want to keep things status quo, and that people fear change.

1. Let People Change Themselves
While there are some very challenging people and change initiatives, changing people is not as mysterious as one might think. I have found that there are seven things to consider when you want to “change people” and the first thing may surprise you – let people change themselves.

Let’s look at the following scenario: An employee (let’s call her Susan) is sitting at her desk on the ground floor on a bright sunny day. A visitor pulls into the parking lot and the sun’s reflection off the windshield comes blinding through the building window and hits Susan right in the eyes. What does she do? Remain as she is, blinded by the light? No. She will most likely change her sitting angle, close the blinds, or move her chair. Does she grumble at the visitor? Probably not. She changes and corrects the situation herself.

Now Susan has just closed the blinds so she can work and her supervisor comes by and tells her, “The quarterly report doesn’t work for me. You need to change it to a monthly report,” and leaves to address her next urgent matter. Susan will most likely grumble because she doesn’t seem have a say in the change. She is being forced to blindly accept the change regardless of what that means to her workload and her process for generating the report. Susan doesn’t support the change as it stands right now.

I don’t think that people resist change. I think they resist being changed when the change upsets their processes, their space, and their day.

2. Focus on the Processes
This step is critical. The majority of our employees are process-minded people. They keep the “machine” (our companies) running as work moves into their workspace, they do their part, and they move it on to the next person. The faster you can bring an upcoming change initiative down to the process level, the better. As we’ve all heard, talk is cheap. However, when you can bring a change idea (talk) down to the level of how it will impact your employees in their day-to-day workload and processes, they can begin to truly understand what the change means to them, the department, and the organization as a whole. Once they internalize the change to these levels, they can express valid concerns or show support and ultimately begin making the change a reality. If they aren’t able to bring the change initiative to this level, they are left guessing what the idea (talk) really means and they are hesitant to give their full support.

3. Secure Employee Buy-In
This is done by involving the employees in the change process, using their ideas and process expertise to your advantage, and by creating a culture where employees are encouraged to raise concerns before a change takes place.

4. Define Internal Positioning
This item might surprise some people, since what it suggests is often either taken for granted or is considered a luxury activity. It is important that all employees clearly understand how they as individuals and how their department fits into the organization and supports the goals of the organization. Developing internal positioning documents create benchmarks that can be used to determine how much an upcoming change will have on the individuals and the department.

5. Recognize Challenges
(This is one of my favorites.) Very often, managers feel as though they are doing their employees a favor if they sugar-coat or minimize the challenges that a change initiative will present.

6. Invest Time Upfront
I am amazed that we feel that we can’t afford ourselves a few hours of planning and preparation time when beginning a change initiative (even when people have concerns and questions) but we always find the time later for 15 hours to undo, rework, and redo the work. Employees would prefer investing time upfront instead of fixing problems later.

7. Use the Proper Tools
And finally, use the proper tools to guide the change process. Find tools, strategies, and training that are designed to connect your strategies and initiatives with the day-to-day workloads. For it is only when these two points are connected when you will begin to realize success with your change initiatives.

So there you go. No rocket science. Just solid people skills and strategies that put a process to that intangible concept called “change.”. Next month we will take one of these topics in more detail – defining internal identity – the luxury item that provides a very critical foundation and benchmark for your employees. Until next month!

Patrick Seaton
Innovative Management Tools LLC
www.innovmgmt.com
pdseaton@innovmgmt.com
715-340-9606

by Katie Mead

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

Communication, even with great content, is nothing without trust.

Elusive and essential, whether personal or professional, trust is an intrinsic part of every successful relationship.  But in our modern age of de-personalization and lightning-quick information transfers, how do you ensure that the necessary trust is developed?

More than words
Effective communication is also an essential tool for relationship development; from a supervisor to her employees or a business owner to his clients, what you say and how you say it has a crucial impact on the ways you build trust.  In our climate of ever expanding social media options, there are countless ways to reach out to our audience; how do we ensure that we really connect?  Every relationship is unique, but here are some commonalities shared by great communicators:

Despite the adage ‘no news is good news’, make sure that you do the opposite. 
There’s nothing worse than being left hanging – as an employee, a client, or a prospective contractor.  Whether or not you’re the key decision-maker, and even if you don’t have much new information to impart, use all available channels to update your audience.  Thanks to applications like Twitter, Facebook, and endless instant messaging options (not to mention the good, old-fashioned phone), it’s amazingly easy to stay in touch.  A quick note apprising someone of the situation will put them at ease and help them trust you – as well as convince them that you will indeed be in touch as soon as you’ve got real news. 

When getting the point across, make sure to tell the whole story. 
Lots of would-be communicators do a good job of relaying the facts, but that’s not enough; they don’t connect the dots.  Giving someone the whole story and telling them how the facts inter-relate is important. If you assume that the information is obvious you risk erroneous interpretations and misunderstandings.   Understanding the ‘why’ will strengthen commitment levels too: people are more invested in their actions when they know why they’re doing them.

Remember that your role as a good communicator includes helping others make good decisions.  To do this it’s essential that you’re truthful – have the courage to tell the truth and expect honesty in return.  That’s not to say that you must divulge every piece of information, but telling someone that you’re uncomfortable saying more engenders more trust than dissembling or telling a half-truth.  It’s only when we’re given all the facts that we can make informed decisions.   An effective communication strategy is one that enables good decisions – your audience will thank you for this, and it will go a long way toward building solid relationships.

You must be accountable for your own message. 
Don’t pass the buck or absolve yourself of responsibility even when the message you’ve got to pass on is a hard one to give.  Don’t hide behind the guise of messenger – email certainly has its place, but a difficult message is better received in person or on the phone.  Choose your words carefully, but remember that people respond to authenticity and this coupled with respect and compassion will go a long way to developing solid relationships, even in tough times.

Above all, building trust takes time. 
Effective communication is an ongoing and continuous process that evolves and develops alongside your message.  Words mean a lot, but when they’re paired with consistent action you’ve got a truly powerful message.  If they are trust-based, great communication skills will continue to work for you as you build morale, boost a profile or grow your business through the referrals of satisfied customers.

The bottom line
Great communicators know the value and power of trust as essential element of effective communication.  Whether your medium is verbal or textual, developing solid trust-based relationships will make your audience sit up and listen.

Katie Mead is the co-founder of Springboard Consulting, Katie is a passionate about good communication.  From a diverse background in the fine arts, she has developed a proven track record of success working in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Her particular areas of expertise include marketing, grant writing, non-profit resource building and management, fundraising, and the design and launch of various keynote projects and events.  Katie serves as a founding member of RECREATURA_Arts & Culture, an international arts organization.  Read more from Katie on her blog site: A Love of Art.

by Galen McPherson

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

I don’t think that you need to have a rural or Midwestern upbringing to appreciate the saw that discusses the merits of closing a barn door after the horse is gone.  Usually discovery of the absence of a favorite equine companion does generate such a response, however, regardless of its highly evident insensibility.

In the highly elusive world of intellectual capital protection, most companies strenuously avoid opening any barn doors, especially on sensitive information or proprietary knowledge.  The provisions range from the alleged practice that only two people know the real formula for Coca-Cola, and each only knows half to strenuous copyright and patent protections that make litigating lawyers salivate, holders breathe easily and potential violators cringe.  Really, only the attorneys have the right to their response, because the sense of security that copyright/patent brings is often false, not nearly so “fireproof” as imagined.

In conversations with a client the other day, we were discussing the company’s most critical core competencies.  We were considering a number of activities: valuating this competency, capturing and documenting the knowledge it represented, and eventually we got around to protecting it as a resource.  We discussed several options, several of which would hold promise, none of which were impregnable, each with its own special and personal Achilles heel.

The conversation turned, as it usually does – because I always ask the question – to “what will you do when this knowledge is compromised?”  Never “if” it is compromised, but “when”.  Some breaches take longer than others, but the knowledge is always compromised, eventually.  A disgruntled employee, a competitor’s research breakthrough, simple reverse engineering, any of these options will result in a compromise.  Then each company leader must know what to do.

The time of the breach is not the time to try to decide what to do- have it planned out ahead of time.  There are so many factors that need to be considered in reaction to knowledge breach, and the guidance through the maze, and the ultimate selection of options, can be a laborious effort.  Without fail, a suggestion that I always make is met with disbelief and shock.  My proposition?  When you discover that knowledge which you intended would be protected and held in strictest confidence has been exposed, amplify the exposure.

Forget closing the barn door, throw it wide open!!  Make sure that your other “protected” horses are “in their stalls”, but as far as the one that is out, make it very public.  Think about it for just a second.  The reason you protected the horse was because it gave you a unique value.  You have capitalized on that unique value for all the while that that horse was protected.  Now someone else wants to profiteer from your horse, a horse they are sharing without your permission.  Since your profitability is now compromised, rather than let your competitor profit from your knowledge, make your knowledge general.  Make it available.  Be seen as a benefactor.  And meanwhile, you are undermining the exclusivity of the knowledge, the value it contained due to its scarcity, and reducing the ability of your competitor to profit from your horse.

It is not always that straightforward, but it is amazing, and satisfying to me – and quite honestly, satisfying to my clients – when they realize that what shocked them initially has so many positive outcomes for them.  And downsides for the “thief”.

Sharing the knowledge opens up all sorts of new avenues for development and enrichment – companies benefitting from your publication of knowledge may be more apt to share with you as they develop the knowledge further; even if the sharing is not altogether straightforward, your release may lead others to further enhancements in the discipline that you would not have pursued.

Your intellectual assets are crucial to your company’s success and survival.  These assets should be valued and protected as is appropriate, but once the horse is gone, there is no need to shut the barn door

Until next time… what are you thinking?

Galen McPherson is an unabashed Intellectual Capitalist, and developer of the K’Nexus model of knowledge exchange.  He believes firmly that every company’s most important asset walks out the door every night, and the owners only hope that it returns in the morning.  With over thirty years in training and adult education, coupled with strong business process improvement credentials internationally, Galen brings an interesting, refreshing, and most importantly profitable angle to how you will view the brainpower of your employees in the future.  He can be reached at 832.298.4940 and galen@intellcap.biz.  His profile is on LinkedIn and Facebook, and he and his partner operate the website www.intellcap.biz.

by Dave Walker

   This cartoon was published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

We welcome your thoughts and comments on this cartoon.

Dave Walker
Cartoon Blog: http://www.cartoonchurch.com/blog/
Church Times Blog: http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/blog
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davewalker

by Melanie DePaoli

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

Every company’s target market is comprised of “busy people.” Busy people are very valuable, but they are busy for a reason – they have their own life, their own challenges and every company wants to connect with them. Have you considered how these busy people perceive the way you are trying to communicate with them? The fact is, you need to accept up front that busy people will only give you their attention if they see value in it. The mere fact that you have targeted them is not a good enough reason.

People are overwhelmed with hundreds of thousands of different communications every day – email, text messaging, online ads, phone calls, television commercials, point of purchase displays, and the list goes on and on. They do not have the capacity to treat every communication experience as equally important, nor do they want to! Just because you think your product, service or message is important and that this busy person needs to hear what you are saying does not mean they will feel that way.

Busy people pride themselves on being unique – not fitting into this category or that. But instead creating the categories they want to be a part of. They look for products and services offered by companies they are able to trust to feed this desire. By learning to be the company that busy people trust to consistently help them feel this way, you have the potential to become the company that sets the standards instead of one of the ones striving to achieve the standards set by others.

Trust is what keeps a business alive and allows it to run smoothly. With trust, businesses thrive. Without it, businesses suffer and corruption takes over. It takes time to build trust with a busy person. There is a good chance your communications will be blown off just because it is their unconscious habit. Another possibility is that you may be using the wrong medium for the message you are trying to convey, but that is a whole other article.

Busy people would rather experience life than listen to what you have to say. They want to enjoy the things they do and the people in their life, so timing plays an important role in how and when you communicate with them. People typically do not like being lied to or treated like they are just another transaction so authenticity is the best approach.

The Authenticity Approach is the best way to connect with busy people and to run your business. Good or bad, the truth always comes out. Being authentic will allow busy people to relate to your company which builds trust. When they trust you, they want work with you.

Mel DePaoli is the president and founder of Omicle located in Seattle, WA. She helps companies create a contagious culture by connecting the way the business is operated with how the business is marketed. Please visit Omicle for more information about how Omicle can become your Catalyst for Discovery. She is also interviewing companies for her upcoming book series, Brand or Culture: Which Comes First. Please visit Brand or Culture.com to get involved in the Brand or Culture Debate today! You may follow her on Twitter @MelDePaoli or become a fan of Omicle on Facebook.

by Bruce Newman

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

There are two aspects involving traffic to your website and blog: attracting visitors and retaining them once they arrive.  In this article, I will focus on strategies that will bring them to your site.  In a subsequent article, I will discuss various visitor retention strategies.  Both sets of strategies denote the importance of social media and utilizing productive strategies.

1. Provide constant, informative content.  This can be done across a wide variety of media – blogs, video, podcasts, etc., with the key criteria being that it must contain good, relevant content.  And, it must be original.  People receive few accolades (if any) for retweeting articles on Twitter.

2. Make comments.  Find industry leaders and leave meaningful comments on their blogs and articles.  Omit such inane comments as, “I learned a lot from your article”, which are very common and of little value.  In fact, they might negatively predispose people towards you.  Instead, spend a few minutes providing some thoughtful response or even a simple but well thought out question.  People will take note of your comments and may respond directly to you.  Most importantly, make sure that you always include your contact information and a link with your comments.

3. Use keywords.  I can’t stress enough the importance of keywords.  Make sure your articles use them – particularly in the titles or in any paragraphs that use bold or italicized text.  Simply put, search engines love them.  If you are not currently using keywords, start using them immediately.  There are several good programs out there you can use.  There are also many keyword “experts” available but be careful - they can charge megabucks and not deliver much value.  The cost of a good keyword service should be around $500.

4. Use social networking.  Remember, it’s not designed to sell – only to inform.  You will get a lot better response by providing the quality content mentioned above than by saying, “Buy my product or service”.  Social media is defined as the sharing of information within groups or organizations.  Join these groups and become active.  The more value you supply, the more people will become aware of your presence and what you have to offer.

5. Join and participate in forums.  A good friend of mine constantly posted to a technical forum, offering quality suggestions and content.  As a result, he received several job offers from companies seeking his expertise – and they approached him.  (He’s also very good.)

6. Offer something for free.  It could be an e-book, a free consultation, information, a contest or survey results (if they participate), etc.  As long as people perceive - and receive - value, you will accomplish two things: first, you will generate buzz and help distinguish yourself as a thought leader and two, you will generate traffic and probably new business.

Building traffic to your website or blog can be a time-consuming and frustrating process.  Furthermore, it rarely happens immediately as it’s truly a gradual process.  However, if done properly and consistently, it should ensure a steadily increasing stream of traffic – and results.

Bruce Newman is the Vice President at The Productivity Institute, LLC, an acknowledged leader in locating, evaluating and matching the specific areas of expertise of consultants to the needs of its clients.  Bruce has started writing and giving talks on the power of social media and how to harness it to improve brand awareness and sales. He is also the editor of the Productivity Institute Newsletter, a free content-is-king newsletter and thought leader.  Follow him on LinkedIn, Twitter and the Productivity Institute blog.

by Carl E. Reid

     This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

You can actually ask for a raise any time you want. No way . . . Yes way. This is one of those rules that is not in the employee handbook. Oh, there is something in there about performance reviews; when, why and how they happen. It’s usually written to be ambiguous, open ended and uniform for “fairness” throughout the organization. This allows managers to have a very wide latitude in determining who, when and for what reasons a raise is given. It gives them the authority to make judgment calls. With that single thought in mind, who says a person can’t ask for a raise in between those predetermined times? How about a raise right after your 3 month probation of starting a job? How about a raise every 8 months, instead once a year etc.)?
Warning:If you’re satisfied with what you currently earn, based on the work you do, then read no further. If 35,000 people say it can’t be done and 1 person achieves it, who’s right?

The hardest part of asking for a raise is just deciding to go for it. It’s just that simple.

Asking for a raise is not exclusive to employees. Self employed consultants or companies that provide services to a client can ask for a raise, as well. Why? Because it’s another unwritten rule we are made to believe does not exist. If it were in writing, then everybody would ask for a raise whenever they determined they deserved one. Now we can’t have that, can we?

While on a very lucrative consulting assignment, a Client accidently dropped my services. I thanked everyone for the opportunity to be of service. I packed my bags and flew back to New York.  2 days later the client realized they terminated the the consulting services of the wrong company.  They called me back. I said “Stop, I need a $15.00/hr  raise”. They said “send a justification”. Since I keep a journal, I was able to provide an email with tasks accomplished above and beyond the “scope of work”. The client approved the raise and flew me back to Charleston to continue the project.

Don’t Even Dream of Asking for a Raise . . . Verbally.

If you ask for a raise verbally, it makes “No” come faster than “Yes”. A verbal request isn’t taken as seriously as a written request. This type of sensitive conversation “never happened”, if it is not put in writing. A verbal request for a raise provides too many opportunities for Mr. Excusitist to appear. Putting the request in writing still may not be enough to get you closer to “Yes”. Unless you take time to analyze, plan, and document before putting your request in writing, asking for a raise is usually a disappointing exercise in futility.

Analyze <> Plan <> Document your way to a raise.

ANALYZE
Perform a self assessment covering the period of time since your last review/raise. Carefully review your job description or scope of work. Answer the questions below.
It’s crucial to be honest with yourself.

Ask yourself:
1. Have I exceeded the expectations on each responsibility assigned to me? Which responsibilities have I only met the expectation? Why? What can I do to improve?
2. Is my area running lean with limited staff resources causing me to do more than my share of work? When have I performed above an beyond the call of duty?
3. What accomplishments have I achieved since my last review/raise? List them. What have I done that saved time, money or improved productivity / team morale / customer service / profits / departmental success / made my manager look good?
4. Have I received any written testimonials from other clients, customers, co-workers or managers / executives?

PLAN
The time to ask for a raise can be tactical in execution, but it doesn’t have to be. Since there is no set rule for asking for a raise, timing has no set rule either. Give yourself at least 3 month intervals, before making your case each time. Be prepared to negotiate your pay raise. Ask for more than you are willing to settle for. If you want a 10% raise, ask for a 15% raise. Similar to haggling with a street vendor, this leaves room for negotiating. Never give away your bottom line. If you only end up with 5%, you’re ahead because you received a raise before the rule book said you were supposed to get it Try it again in 3 more months. Anything is negotiable.
When is the best time to ask for a raise?
- During a hiring freeze.
- When you and your manager are getting along well.
- When 3 months have passed since you last raise/review.
- When someone in your department gets layed off or leaves.
- Right after you or your manager comes back from vacation.
- Have you been voted employee of the month?
- When your manger or co-workers give you credit on a project well done.
- When the department or manager receives recognition.
Any time is a good time, as long as you do your homework to prepare your case.

DOCUMENT
Ensure you have enough documentation to back up your request. I never try to waste brain power trying to remember anything I can look up. Keep a journal. Every few days or once a week, make entries of accomplishments. Exceptional things that happen at work or whatever you feel will help your cause in requesting a raise over the next 3 months, is what you enter into your journal. The journal also covers you, in cases where deficiencies may be identified by your manager. The journal may indicate you were doing a particular task or project which is why you could not complete the task being questioned. Regular journal entries will make it easier to justify, in writing, why you feel you deserve a raise. If all you do results in a “No” anyway, have no fear. Develop the attitude of the world’s greatest sales people. Then try again in another 3 months. After all, no one ever died from hearing the word “No”. The person saying “No” figures they probably won’t hear from you again, until it’s time for them to do your performance review. This is another unwritten rule.

Ask yourself “Based on my current performance and accomplishments, Do I really deserve to have to wait a whole year for a raise?” Who made up that rule?

P.S. - Blind carbon copy your manager’s boss (s/he is also your boss) when you submit your request. You don’t have anything to lose and you might get a serious champion for your cause.
 
Carl Reid landed his first managerial position at age 16. Mr. Reid has over 40 years of business experience, including 26 years as an information technology expert. He is CEO of NetTECH Systems Reid & Associates, Inc..  Carl has been a professional blogger and social media expert since 2004. In addition to being a sought after speaker, he publishes Library of Congress recognized newsletter blogs www.SavvyIntrapreneur.com and www.iTechSpeak.com . Carl is Chief Operations Officer for Empowering Today’s (ETP) Network. Email: CReid3005@gmail.com - Tel: 201-222-5390

by Greg Chartier, PH.D., SPHR

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

I am often asked about social networking and, in particular, Facebook and whether I have used Facebook and other sites to “check out” an applicant before interviewing them.  The questioner usually has two concerns; are there any risks with looking at these sites and, what do I do with the information I find out?

Sites like Facebook commonly contain information such as race, age, marital status, political memberships or interests or other protected characteristics. By viewing this information, you now have knowledge about these protected traits and that knowledge can be used against you to support claims of discrimination by those that are not hired.  It can also give you information or insight into someone’s private life, the organizations they belong to, their sexual orientation, their use or non-use of illegal drugs. This information, while not usually protected, can also be used to support claims of discrimination.

So, does this mean I shouldn’t look at these social networking sites to get a better insight into someone?  The answer is, let’s look, but let’s be careful with the information I find out.

I have looked into someone’s social networking site and I have used that information to make employment decisions.  I have also looked at the sites of friends and relatives and counseled them on the information they must remove from their sites.  Putting private information on the internet is risky and problematic.  And I am not the only HR person who looks.

I advise my clients to make careful decisions about applicants and to narrow the “pool” down, using their regular processes and systems.  Once we have the pool narrowed to 2, let’s look at their social networking site and see if there is anything that concerns us; use of illegal drugs, heavy drinking or other personal traits that we are not comfortable with.  If we see information that makes us question an employment decision, throw that information into the process and let it be part of the entire portrait we are painting about the applicant.  The information we collect should not be the only decision point but it should be included in the decision process.

Does this eliminate the risk?  No, but we create risk by hiring someone.  The more we know or can find out about that person, the better hiring decision we make.  Let’s use the social networking information as part of our “toolbox” to help us make better hires.

Greg Chartier is Principal of The Office of Gregory J Chartier, a Human Resources Consulting firm and is a well-known management consultant, educator and speaker.  His practice consists of two broad areas:  Human Resources management and outsourcing for firms of less than 100 employees and Management Training. His business experience includes management positions with Pfizer, The Chase Manhattan Bank, The Bank of New York and Johnson and Johnson.  Greg is a Board Member of the Business Council of Westchester and the Chair of the Human Resources Council.  He is also a Board Member of the Job Service Employers Council (JSEC) of the New York State Department of Labor.  Greg can be reached at greg.chartier@att.net and by phone at 914-548-1689.

by Jason Klees

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

A strange thing is happening during this recession….. We are not taking advantage of the opportunity that lies in front of us.  Donald Trump and Warren Buffett, both considered to be successful in their businesses, are known to buy low and sell high.  Here at home, my wife is known to take advantage of a “sale.”  A conversation overheard at our house goes something like this: “Honey, do you like my new shoes?  I got them ON SALE.”  Donald Trump is taking advantage of declining prices in real estate to develop more properties that he can put his name on (preferably in big gold letters).  Warren Buffett is taking advantage of the decrease in the cost of materials and services and the increased availability of skilled laborers and capacity for production to invest in companies that are poised for growth and profit.  Buffett’s method is to research not only a company’s P&L statement but to also look at their management structure and culture.

Yet, in stark contrast of these successful people who are known for their ability to produce substantial ROI (my wife included!), look at today’s large company organizational behavior which demands to produce more using less while providing a less than fertile environment for the fruits of their labor to flourish, grow, and ultimately harvest.  Their observed behavior is to slash training and development budgets to the bare minimum required to maintain regulatory compliance; increase the stress on the employees to the breaking point, and let go expensive, higher paid top performers while retaining cheaper moderate to mediocre performers.  Performance bonuses have been decreased or eliminated altogether - further reducing the incentive to put up with the increased environmental stress and produce top results.  In other words, not only are they failing to plant and nurture seedlings during this time – they are also spraying Round Up on the fruit they still have left in their organization.  And I haven’t even mentioned the threat of federal regulation dictating “acceptable” levels of compensation!

Instead, what we should be doing is using George Costanza Theory.  In the popular TV show Seinfeld, was an episode where George, the unemployed, no girlfriend, still-living-in-his-parent’s-home-adult-child decides to use “opposite theory”.  He figures if he does the opposite of what he would normally be inclined to do, he will yield different results.  We learn by the end of the episode that George lands a good job, has a hot girlfriend, and is looking for his own place to live!

Using this theory in our organizational behavior would look like:  increasing opportunities for employee development – after all if you want to do more with less, then the “less people” need to know how to do “more” and do it well (not just well enough) - to allow growth of the company and a successful harvest (increased profit, growth, stock price etc).  This increase in development would foster a higher level of loyalty, trust, and maybe even morale in this tough economic climate.  The ROI would not only be high quality products and services created/demonstrated by the employees but also in the decreased costs of stress that show up in our workplace compensation claims, Employee Assistance Programs, and sabotage/espionage incidents.

Your companies and clients should be increasing technical skills training, increasing business acumen training, and increasing employee recognition programs during this time of decreased spending and recession.  These can be done in a fiscally responsible manner without breaking the bank. In others words, take advantage of the things “On Sale”.  In order to successfully implement, managers need to know “how” and therefore there should be an increase in leadership development.  And with the increased performance of the company should come awards in the total compensation package (not just salary) providing further incentive to perform and rewarding “sticking it out” during the tough times.

Ask yourself, is my company / client doing any of the following:
• Slashing training budgets, delaying training programs, or viewing development as a luxury?
• Simply freezing acquisitions and open positions instead of identifying the needed talent and strengths of positions / employees?
• Placing an emphasis on likeability rather than performance value of employees?  You know this when you hear the statement someone “is well liked in the organization” before the statements of performance or value add to the organization…
• Reducing or eliminating employee recognition (or decreasing the importance of it) – which results in little to no sense of recognition of the employees?

Then they are spraying Round Up during a time when they should be nurturing/fertilizing the fruit to harvest!  It’s time to implement George Costanza Theory!

Jason Klees is just a simple guy from the mountains of North Carolina.  Though not an experienced farmer, he knows enough that spraying Round Up on your fruits will kill them.  Jason is a training and development specialist with the bulk of his career being in Operations as well as Human Resource departments for Fortune 100 companies. An avid follower of Stephen Covey, Jason really believes that if we live in Quadrant II, we can prevent more of the problems that we would otherwise have to solve later.  You can read more about Jason and follow his postings on LinkedIn.