by Beth | Jan 2, 2020 | Company Culture, Firing Employees, Uncategorized
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 relieve an employee, especially when an estimated 50% of employees will change jobs in 2020! 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.
Happy New Year!
by Beth | Dec 11, 2019 | Company Culture, Leadership, Lifestyle
A few weeks ago, I had lunch with a retired consultant who had been a big wig at Sears in the 1980’s. Back then, Sears was in its hey-day and was worth about 6 billion as a company. I asked this gentleman what he thought made them so successful back then. His response really surprised me. “The CEO had a full time ‘Atta-Boy’ Girl.’
Ummm… what?
The CEO at the time instructed his personal assistant to start looking for people in the company who had done good work, because he wanted to promote great customer service in Sears. She began soliciting the stores to communicate with her stories of people who had gone above and beyond the standard to provide great customer service. Then, the CEO would write a personalized, hand-written thank you note. Eventually her job as the ‘Atta-Boy Girl’ became a full-time job. She would hear about these stories, type up the note, and every day at 4:30, she would take these letters to the CEO, he would read them, sign his name to them, and she would send them out.
Can you imagine what commitment it took for him to do that? Can you imagine what impact that made? Sears ultimately replaced that CEO with another who was not committed to the thank you letter writing campaign and look at their current status. Coincidence?
During the holiday season, during the time of gratitude and gratefulness, If you want to improve your company culture, start with a simple thank you, and grow it to needing a full-time ‘Atta Boy Girl’/ ‘Atta Girl Boy’/whatever.
There is quite simply no better use of your time.
by Beth | Nov 13, 2019 | Company Culture, Employee Retention
Michelle Williams has unwittingly become THE spokesperson for the pay gap in Hollywood. She drew attention to this gap in 2018 when the media revealed that she was paid a mere $1,000 for re-shooting scenes in a Ridley Scott movie in comparison to Mark Wahlberg, who made $1.5 million for the same work. In her brilliant speech at the Emmys, Williams stated that “when you put value into a person, it empowers that person to get in touch with their own inherent value. And where do they put that value? They put it into their work.” (Here is the link to her full speech.)
It seems impossible for one person to make such a large impact in the workplace, particularly in a company or industry culture that has gender or race pay gaps ingrained deeply within. Michelle Williams used her speech as a forum to do just that, and boy was it amazing!
As a female entrepreneur who has dedicated her career to placing people in work that they love and all that entails, I could not agree more. Creating a culture of empowerment, value and equality does in fact change the world. Employees spend a significant amount of their time in the workplace. By creating a place of value, harmony and equality, you promote this not only at work, but in the world beyond. Valued humans spread value in the world, and as a benefit to employers, they become more valuable workers when they are at work.
Be the employer who can proudly say you value your employees and their worth as human beings, regardless of what larger culture may accept or allow.
by Beth | Oct 30, 2019 | Company Culture, Good Management, Uncategorized
Do you walk into your office and see Zombies disguised as employees? Those lifeless bodies that wander around thoughtlessly in packs? Have you ever thought about how they got that way?
New employees are so always excited to start their new job. I have heard many new hires talk about their first day on the job just like they talk about their first day of school… with excitement and a lot of awe. So how is it that years or even months into their employment with a company, they lose their passion for the job?
Because we suck the life out of them with too many constraints and not enough direction. We make it hard for them to do their jobs with petty rules. We don’t spend enough time training our new people, and we really don’t take the time to explain our expectations to them. All of the sudden, we have a lifeless body of the previously excited employee.
If you look around and see zombies on your staff, it is time to take stock in your interviewing process, your training program and your employee handbook. If you are dictating when someone can go to the bathroom, you are running a daycare, not a professional office. It is time for a re-do.
And if that doesn’t work, try chocolate.
by Beth | Apr 11, 2019 | Company Culture, Leadership
I love Mexican food. I mean, I really LOVE Mexican food! The spicier the food, the better I like it! The beans and rice with jalapeños, the cheese with green chilis, the sizzling beef with peppers on my plate of fajitas… yum. It makes my heart sing!
So, whenever there is a new Mexican food restaurant, I am the first to run out and try it. I soak in all the spicy goodness as fast as I can because, like many Mexican food restaurants, the food profile is going to change…dang it!
During the first year in business, most restaurants embark with recipes of authentic Mexican flavor and spiciness. Over the course of time, they begin to make the food less spicy after receiving complaints from people who do not like spicy food. (No complaints from Texans, mind you!) The restaurant appeases this small handful of people rather than to stand firm in their original offerings, and the spice profile becomes less. Sigh…
Don’t get me wrong: adapting to the market is vitally important for a business to succeed. Except when the business changes so much that they have forgotten why the entered the market in the first place. Take care of your clients. Just don’t take care of them so much that you lose your uniqueness as a business. In other words, keep the spice! Please and thank you!
by Beth | May 30, 2018 | Attitude, Company Culture, Leadership
My daughter, Katy, had exactly one week left to finish her Junior year of high school. As you can well imagine, she was in a mad panic about how she was going to get everything done. She had 4 papers due that week, 6 tests, 2 group projects, teacher gifts, cheerleading obligations as the head cheerleader for next year, graduation gifts for her friends, and she promised to make cupcakes for her friend, Nick’s graduation party. For someone who is uber organized and always has a to-do list a mile long, this was still a ton of work to be done!
Completely overwhelmed with the amount of things to do, one night, she just completely lost it and started crying, worried that she wouldn’t get it all done in time. Once she got it out of her system, she rallied, and finished the work that she needed to get done.
So, what happens when this occurs to your staff at work? Here are some things that you can do to help your staff get through a stressful time of year, and/or a huge project that must be completed:
- In the moment, remind your staff that this short term, and it won’t last forever.
- Have very clear expectations about what needs to be accomplished.
- Help your staff prioritize their duties, so that they know how to get the work done.
- Make a plan to celebrate when this period is complete: have a party, give your people an extra day off or plan an outing of some kind.
- Encourage exercise, breaks and healthy eating.
- Have snacks. “We never meet unless we eat!” is a great mantra in general.
- Take a group walk over the lunch hour.
- And finally, show your gratitude for their dedication. Say thank you. Often.
Katy ended her school year with grace and style and outstanding grades. I couldn’t be more proud of her than I am right now. We all get overwhelmed. We can only hope to have as much grace as this beautiful teenager.
