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How Do I Motivate Employees Across the Board?

Posted: 09/07/2010  Category: Retention, Transformation, General Management   ShareThis Article

I have a very diverse staff, but want to keep everyone motivated.  Do you have any tips for motivating employees across the board?

Developing one plan to positively impact all employees can seem like an impossible task. Some employees are inspired by accomplishing meaningful tasks, while others are fueled by a sense of stability and belonging. Here are five universal motivation tips to foster motivated employees:

• Communicate openly, honestly, and often. Solicit ideas, ask for input, and compromise between what is beneficial for your employees and your bottom line.
• Set clear expectations.  Monitor the amount of responsibility given to each person and be careful not to overload anyone.
• Fuel their passion. Encourage people to share their ideas, challenge each other, and brainstorm.
• Break down the barriers. Be careful not to stifle creative license and independence with too many rules, policies, or micromanaging.
• Reward and Recognize. Don’t overlook the benefits of some good old-fashioned recognition and genuine appreciation.

I’m a Technical Professional. How Do I Find the Right Job?

Posted: 09/01/2010  Category:    ShareThis Article

What should I ask for when looking for a new job as a technical professional?

While it can be dangerous to generalize about a group as diverse as engineers, scientists, and IT professionals, similar traits commonly appear.  Make sure a new job offer allows flexibility for these career characteristics:

• Avoid Micromanagers.  Technology professionals work well from precise direction and appreciate being trusted to get the job done.
• Look for Meaningful Work.  Evaluate the impact your efforts will make on organization, your specific field, and the good of humanity.
• Leave Time for Training.  Make sure employers have an open mind about education, conferences, and creative outlets so you can stay innovative and current.
• Stay Connected.  Your professional goals should align with organizational goals to make sure your interests are in tune with the job you will be performing.

How Do I Keep My Tech Employees Motivated?

Posted: 08/24/2010  Category: Retention, Transformation, General Management   ShareThis Article

What incentives can I provide to my technical workers to make sure they stay motivated and excited about their job? 

High turnover of technical and scientific staff can have a potentially devastating impact on your company’s standing as a market leader.  Here are a few tips to keep your technology professionals from taking the bait of a new job offer from a competitor.

• Give Them Independence.  Resist the temptation to micromanage.  Technology workers enjoy controlling the pace and project content of their work.
• Challenge Their Skill Set. Provide tough projects that show you appreciate and trust their abilities.
• Encourage Them to Learn. Provide opportunities for learning, knowledge sharing, and experimenting with new ideas and technologies.
• Build a “Technical Community.”  Create technical peer groups help professionals tie their fields of interest in with the organization.

How To Ace An Important Interview

Posted: 08/17/2010  Category: Transformation, Career Transition   ShareThis Article

How do I put my best foot forward when interviewing with a new company?

Make a good impression throughout the interview process to close the deal and get a job offer.

• Before the Interview:  Put effort into the little details.  Thoroughly research the company by reviewing its organizational charts, annual report and corporate brochures.  Make sure you have directions to the interview site.
• During the Interview:  Take time to ask questions about the company, the position, the corporate culture and other areas of importance to demonstrate your interest.
• After the Interview:  Solidify your relationship by accepting post-interview offers to dinner or a community event where you can casually discuss next steps.

How Do I Recruit a Superstar Candidate?

Posted: 08/10/2010  Category: Sourcing, Recruiting   ShareThis Article

How do I recruit a successful, well-educated, highly desirable individual who is satisfied in their current job?

Build a strong relationship with prospective candidates from the beginning.  It is easier to recruit, interview, negotiate and close an offer when a strong relationship exists between you, your company and the candidate.

• Before the Interview: Send introductory information including a welcome letter, position description, annual report and corporate brochures to the candidate.
• During the Interview: Do your best to “sell” the company to the candidate and give them time to “sell” themselves to you.
• After the Interview:  Continue courting the candidate.  Invite the spouse to visit the community, offer tickets to a community event, or take the candidate and spouse out to dinner to talk about next steps.

How Do I Deal With Diva Co-workers?

Posted: 08/03/2010  Category: Transformation, Organizational Improvement   ShareThis Article

My co-worker has a complete “diva” personality and always grabs the spotlight. What can I do to keep my patience and still do my job?

We all have egos.  They give us self-confidence to succeed, but exaggerations in ego can be extremely damaging to any workplace environment. Here are some ways to cope:

• Demonstrate Respect.  Respect the fact that a variety of personalities and viewpoints make an organization versatile, and interesting.
• Understand Their Perspective.  Talk with the individual on a personal level to grasp background, values and motivations.  Puzzle pieces may come together quickly.
• Nip it in the Bud.  Don’t wait around for the situation to change.  Look for guidance from managers or leadership coaches to learn how to better manage personality conflicts.

How Do I Manage Big Egos?

Posted: 07/27/2010  Category:    ShareThis Article

It seems that my top performers have the most challenging egos.  How to I keep them performing “at their best” and “on their best behavior?” 

Your job is to provide guidance and support for employees to be most effective at their job. Don’t worry about trying to change anyone, just modify how you react:

• Understand Their Motivations.  Spend time getting to know these employees on a personal level so you can offer the right incentives.
• Be Transparent.  The best ego managers establish credibility by being clear about their goals and sticking to their guns to promote trust.
• Coach Rather than Discipline. Make a high-maintenance person feel as though they are receiving guidance and support instead of feeling punished.

Besides Salary, What Other Incentives Should I Look For?

Posted: 07/20/2010  Category:    ShareThis Article

I know salary is part of a compensation plan, but what other incentives should I ask about before accepting a job?

The good news for employees is that compensation packages are moving toward diverse plans that cater to a growing need for a work-family balance.  It may be beneficial for you to sign on with a company that takes an “out of the box” approach by including some of these benefits in their plan: 

• Life, dental, and eye insurance in addition to standard health insurance
• Discounted health club memberships
• Reimbursement for commuting costs
• On-site flu shots and smoking cessation classes

What’s the Best Compensation Plan to Offer Talent?

Posted: 07/13/2010  Category: Retention, Transformation, General Management   ShareThis Article

Does the compensation plan that I offer really make a difference in retaining top talent and increasing performance?

Yes, in an increasingly competitive market, corporations must provide an environment in which its employees can thrive.  One way of doing this is by offering a compensation plan that works specifically for you and your staff.  Here are four of the most popular rewards based plans used today:

• Skill-Based Pay: As employees gain mastery of essential job skills, their compensation is increased accordingly.
• Competency-Based Pay:  Compensation is based on the extent to which employees display character skills such as leadership, observance of details, and multi-tasking.
• Variable Compensation:  Employees receive a below-average base salary, but earn additional bonuses by meeting or exceeding set goals.
• Profit Sharing:  Employees receive a base salary, and receive quarterly or annual profit sharing in the form of stock options, contributions to a 401K plan, or a bonus check.

When Do I Tell My Boss I Need Extra Help?

Posted: 07/06/2010  Category: Retention, Training, Transformation, Organizational Improvement   ShareThis Article

As an employee, when do I tell my boss I need extra help?

Deadlines that require overtime are a natural part of business. But, the continual need for extensions can result in unhealthy work conditions.  Watch for the warning signs and notify your employer before you burnout:

• Are you finding yourself continually pulled away from primary tasks? Make sure you have sufficient hours to complete your core workload.
• Is stress causing you to take more sick time?  You may be overworked if you find yourself increasingly visiting the doctor or staying home.
• Have you accumulated an exorbitant amount of sick time? Avoid playing the martyr. You should not feel you’re the only person qualified to complete your work.
• Do you find yourself uninterested in making improvements?  You might be lacking breathing room to go above and beyond your routine tasks.

To Hire or Not To Hire

Posted: 06/29/2010  Category: Sourcing, Recruiting, Transformation, Organizational Improvement, General Management   ShareThis Article

How do I know when to hire additional employees?

Balancing your company workload with available staff can be challenging.  Especially, in industries that experience natural highs and lows of demand. You don’t want to hire unnecessarily for a short-term fix.  Nor do you want to miss opportunities due to lack of staffing.  Consider these factors to make informed hiring decisions:

• Head the warning sign of missed deadlines.  Inadequate staffing levels can cause serious production delays.  It may be time to staff up.
• Watch for employee burnout.  An increase in sick time taken, health insurance claims, and leave of absences may indicate an overworked staff.
• Don’t compromise quality.  Bring in fresh talent if you notice an overtired workforce increasingly making mistakes.
• Inventory your staff.  Make sure you have appropriate talent on hand to stay in the running if a big opportunity comes your way.

I’m a Temp. How Do I Become a Permanent Employee?

Posted: 06/22/2010  Category: Retention, Transformation, Career Transition   ShareThis Article

My co-workers are all temporary staff.  How do I become permanent?

Businesses hire temporary workforce for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes these positions lead to full-time opportunities.  Here are a few tips to increase your value in the company and improve your chances of staying on permanently:

• Temporary staff is often hired to alleviate overworked employees.  Cover the everyday duties assigned to you so co-workers learn to depend on your help.
• Track your activities in a daily time log and use the record to evaluate your critical contributions to the company.
• Notice how long you’ve been working in a particular position.  If you’re needed in one spot for more than six months, suggest that the company hire you permanently.
• Point out the learning curve required for the position you filled.  It might be worthwhile for the company to bring you in full time to eliminate a productivity gap resulting from rapid turnover of temporary employees.

Which Is the Right Fit for My Business - Full Time or Temporary?

Posted: 06/15/2010  Category: Assessing, Transformation, Organizational Improvement, General Management   ShareThis Article

Should I hire full-time staff or temporary employees?

Unnecessary hires can costs thousands of dollars.  At the same time, profitable opportunities often require staff increases to complete the job.  Use these tips to decide whether permanent or temporary staffing is your best solution:

• Take note of how often deadlines are missed.  If the answer is daily or weekly, a permanent hire might be necessary to meet commitments.
• Keep temporary employees temporary. Consider permanent positions if temporary employees are continually hired for the same job or stay on board beyond six months.
• Monitor overtime costs.  A significant increase in overtime cost is a cue to bring in permanent talent.
• Evaluate the learning curve.  Permanent hires reduce the lag in productivity that results each time a contract staffer is brought in to do work.

How Do I Manage Work Stress?

Posted: 06/08/2010  Category: Transformation, Organizational Improvement, General Management   ShareThis Article

Sometimes I find work to be very stressful and find myself getting upset and frustrated.  Do you have any advice on how to manage work stress?

When you become frustrated, angry, or upset, you are exhibiting an innate Fight or Flight Response.  The response was designed to protect you from bodily harm, but concentration is difficult when you are stuck in this survival mode.  Regain a focused, relaxed, positive attitude in three easy steps:

1. Acknowledge that you are in survival mode. When you become conscious of the state you are in, you have an easier time getting out of it.
2. Actively elicit a relaxation response. Use exercise, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or yoga to calm yourself.
3. Find a new perspective. Think about your best outcome, action steps, or helpful qualities to diffuse the situation.

How to Ensure Peak Productivity

Posted: 05/25/2010  Category: Training, Organizational Improvement, General Management   ShareThis Article

We are ramping up for an eventful year and I want to help my employees prepare. Is there anything I can do to ensure they perform at their peak? 

Achieving peak performance means becoming mentally fit.  Make sure your employees are ready for the challenge by preparing them mentally, just as you would prepare them physically if you were training them for a marathon.  Encourage them to exercise the following traits:

• Maintain exceptional concentration. Peak performers’ focus on what they want to happen, not what they are afraid will happen.
• Remain relaxed despite outside factors. High achievers quickly recover their balance in the face of stressful circumstances.
• Learn quickly. Top performers welcome feedback and integrate it rather than getting defensive.
• Make goals that include personal value. Greater fulfillment is obtained by people who choose clear, inspiring, and personally meaningful objectives.