by Beth | Jul 24, 2024 | Employee Retention
I have a killer tan. I really do. It comes from several long days at the pool this summer and some very strategic lunch hours in the sun. But my goal is to have the “killer-est” tan of them all, and I am going to get that on my upcoming 2-week vacation in Florida.
I am going to be a complete slug in the sun. Lay there, and do nothing but wiggle my toes in the sand. When I am tired of that, I am going to swing through the kitchen to grab a snack, then head to the pool for more slug time. I. Can’t. WAIT!
What I am not going to do is work while I am on vacation like 40% of Americans are doing this summer. There is even a term for it: quiet vacationing. Read here for more: https://www.newsweek.com/millennials-quiet-vacationing-work-1903454
What is an alarming trend among all generations is the fear of asking for time off. This must change.
What we know to be true is that inspiration does not come from being behind a desk. What we know to be true is that people are more energetic when they come back to work after a vacation. And what we also know to be true is that people are tired and burnt out.
So what can you do as a hiring manager? Here are some tips:
- Set the tone. Take your own vacation and don’t work while you are gone.
- Tell your employees that they must take time off and not work on their vacation.
- Make sure that the employees’ work is covered while they are gone.
- Ask your employee how you can support them being able to un-plug on vacation, and then do it.
If you don’t support vacation time, people will take it anyway and not be rested and rejuvenated. And you need that.
You also need the killer-est of tans.
POWER THOUGHT: Make a vacation goal to not work. And remember to wear your sunscreen!
by Beth | Jun 18, 2024 | Employee Retention
I was sitting in a client’s office a few weeks back when my client offered me some coffee. We went to the kitchen and there was the most beautiful coffee machine I have ever seen. I made the yummiest, most foamy cup of coffee out of this work of art, and the angels sang.
As I ooh’ed and ahh’ed over this cup of magic, there were 2 other employees in the room. I gushed to them: “Are you just in heaven every morning with this coffee machine?” And one of them replied, “Oh no. I drink coffee out of an old pot,” she announced proudly. The other woman nodded and beamed at me. I looked at her like she had grown a third head and said, “What?? WHY?”. Her answer shocked me: “The CFO makes our coffee every morning out of a pot in his office.”
Several years ago, in their old building, the finance department was in the basement, far away from the kitchen. So, the CFO who came in really early, would make the coffee every morning. The habit stuck.
She continued her story with, “He goes to Target once a week to buy a small bag of this coffee. I don’t know why he doesn’t just buy a big bag.” (“Because it gets stale faster”, the CFO informed me.)
Each of these women have worked for this CFO for 5 and 6 years respectively, and neither has any plans of ever leaving.
Maybe it is the love that goes into each cup of coffee – something a fancy machine can never do.
POWER THOUGHT: The best part of waking up is going to a job where you feel valued and cared for.
by Beth | Nov 29, 2023 | Company Culture
I recently conducted a training on how to improve the hiring process, and one participant blurted out,
“What do you do about a brown-noser? We have this guy who doesn’t perform until the manager walks
through the door. Then, this guy sucks up to the manager and the manager doesn’t even see it! It is SO
frustrating!”
“What do you do about it now?” I asked him.
He said, “We call him Rudolph behind his back. Rudolph the brown-nosed reindeer, and we laugh about
it. We have to let off steam somehow!”
There are several things about this reindeer farm that are alarming: First, the company has a bunch of
reindeer that are getting paid to talk about someone behind their back. This is NOT good for reindeer
culture. When your reindeer are focused on the behavior of another, it disrupts the flow of business,
and it inhibits teams from performing well- meaning getting the gifts to the people.
Second, this makes the manager, Santa Claus, look inept. All of the other reindeer, who laugh and call
him names, are secretly wondering why Rudolph hasn’t been fired. They think Santa is too busy eating
cookies to get work done.
And finally, there will be reindeer who quit working, because Rudolph doesn’t do his job. Why should I
do mine?
A brown-noser is ultimately bad for business, and the last thing we want in our reindeer culture is a
reindeer who doesn’t do his job and hides that fact. We have gifts to get out, people! Fire the brown-
noser and get back to business.
POWER THOUGHT: When employees laugh about anyone behind their back, you have a culture ruin-er.
Brown-nosed reindeers must go.
by Beth | Mar 8, 2023 | Company Culture
If you have ever watched YouTube videos, you might have seen one about a bunch of crabs in a bucket. The crabs scramble to get out by crawling on top of each other to get to the top. Fascinatingly enough, once one crab gets to the top, the other crabs pull them back in! The group keeps all members in the bucket, instead of focusing on getting out. Instead of improving their surroundings, the group of crabs keep everyone stuck in the muck.
Turtles, on the other hand… if there is a turtle who has gotten turned over onto its back, and is scrambling to turn back over, other turtles will rush to its rescue. They, as a group, will help that turtle turn back over and land on their feet. The success of one equals the success of all.
If you want to create a thriving, synergistic and productive culture in your organization, you must fire the crabs and find more turtles. No one gets to the top without a lot of help and support, and getting to the next level isn’t easy. Having just one crab on your team can make the difference between success and failure.
POWER THOUGHT: Ask yourself this question: does your company culture revolve around turtles or crabs?
by Beth | Dec 28, 2022 | Company Culture, Firing Employees
As we begin each New Year, many of us take the opportunity to re-group and redefine goals for our businesses. This time is often filled with renewed energy to get our lives and work in order. As a part of your New Year’s goals, it might also be time to fire that one employee that is not contributing to your company’s vision.
The impact of an unengaged employee on your business can be catastrophic. Decreased productivity, lowered company morale, and miserable working environments have been common complaints by my clients as they come to the decision to an part ways with an employee. I say start the New Year fresh!
A past client of mine had an employee who consistently gave her ultimatums. The threats were often “If you don’t do this, then I will quit.” Who wants to work with an individual who is constantly threatening you? The team was struggling to work with the individual, my client was unhappy with the performance of the individual, yet the concept of firing and replacing this person seemed daunting and ill-timed. When my client finally became fed up, they did indeed fire the employee. I won’t sugar coat the transition. It was hard, uncomfortable and came at a terrible time, but my client knew that this was the right decision for the company.
In addition, the busiest day of the year for applicants looking for a job is the second Tuesday in January. Think about this: the people who are fed up with their work environments are also looking to make a change. So, if you want to start the New Year with someone who REALLY wants to work for you, get going! Now is the time.
POWER THOUGHT: New Year, new goals, new awesome employee and new culture!
