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 | Aug 28, 2019 | Employee Hiring, Selecting Good Candidates
Last week I had a client call me in a panic. He was about to lose a large government contract, because he hadn’t hired a much-needed engineer. We were in the process of filling the position, but we weren’t moving fast enough for the government. Now I have heard it all!
If you know me and my hiring philosophy at ALL, you know that I am not an advocate for fast hires. I believe very strongly that hiring fast means you will hire wrong. It is so easy to make mistakes when you move too quickly, and as Robert Plotkin states in his book Preventing Internal Theft, “It’s better to operate short-staffed for a period of time and rely on your existing staff than hiring someone unqualified or inappropriate for the establishment.”
However, no rule is correct or applicable 100% of the time. When you are in the situation my client found himself in, and you are faced with losing a few million dollars in government contracts, you need to hire fast. My advice for this situation was hire someone quickly, get the position filled, AND continue to look for the right fit. If the quick-hire person works out, (and it does about 1/3 of the time) then wonderful. Everyone is happy. If they don’t work out, remember this was a short-term solution, and be grateful for that.
Hire fast when absolutely necessary. Hire right for long-term success.
by Beth | Aug 14, 2019 | Good Management, Leadership, Lifestyle
This year, I’m taking two weeks off work to move my daughter to college. While this brings about a mix of emotions for my family, I know how important it is for me to be there with her to start her journey as a college student. It brings up an important topic that I preach to my clients often – everyone needs time away from work, whether it be for important milestones in their personal lives, or for a vacation that allows them time to rejuvenate, recuperate, and come back to work in a better place!
The fact remains that people need time away from work, even when you own the company, like me. Some of my clients get really excited when a candidate will tell us in an interview that they NEVER take vacations. I actually think that this is a negative. Inspiration rarely comes to someone sitting in their office answering emails. Inspiration comes from experiences and usually those come after office hours.
As a nation, we are not good at taking vacation anyway. We feel that we can’t get away, we can’t unplug or we might miss something. I think we miss things when we DON’T take time off.
So, when your employees want to take vacation time, praise them for it. Say thank you. Then ask them what you can do to help facilitate their vacation time so they are not performing work while away. Not only will they think that you are the greatest boss ever, but they will come back recharged, renewed and inspired. Your business will benefit, and therefore, so will you. Maybe then you can take some time off too.
I will be back in the saddle soon enough, grateful I took the time to be with my daughter on her journey to college, and ready to tackle work with renewed energy and vision. And, with any luck, I will have that killer tan!
by Beth | Jul 26, 2018 | Uncategorized
On Friday the 13th, I had a meeting planned with one of my favorite clients. I arrived excited to be there and was greeted by the team having a company lunch.
I asked my client, “What is the occasion?”
He replied, “Flood prevention.”
Oh…Wait! What?
Everyone on to the team laughed as they began to fill me in on the joke. Apparently, the company has a cultural tradition of having lunch on Friday the 13th. The one time that the company did not have a lunch on this notoriously superstitious date, their conference room flooded. So now, they NEVER miss having a company lunch on Friday the 13th…flood prevention!
During lunch, there was a lot of good natured ribbing of one another with a very comfortable banter where everyone was included. It was a lighthearted meal that showed how much of a team this group had become. And, I might add, highly productive and efficient.
Very often, leadership refers to the people who make up the workforce within the company as “human capital”. This reference has always struck me as an odd way to refer to the people, not just “humans”, who sell and produce, care for clients and are essentially the lifeblood of a company. They are so much more than “capital’, they are essential. This CEO is an excellent example of how our workforce should be referenced. He greets his employees by name, asks about their family members and supports whatever fun his people may be having. He never refers to his staff as “human capital”, FTE’s or “current head count”. Instead, he uses words like “team”, “crew” and “associates”, much higher titles of respect and acknowledgement.
If you want to change your company culture, begin with your language. Refer to your staff by name, not as “human capital.” Then celebrate the people who create success with the occasional company lunch, even to ward off superstition. Remember to laugh a lot and chime in on friendly banter. And if you happen to prevent your building from flooding, then congrats… 2 birds, one stone.
by Beth | Jan 17, 2018 | Company Culture
Jeremy is a designer for Calvin Klein. He has worked for his boss, Suzanne, for many years in multiple positions and capacities. They have a fantastic working relationship and have for a long time.
Earlier this year, Jeremy’ sister was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer and was given 6 months to a year to live. Jeremy and his sister have always been very close so this was devastating news. For the next several months, Jeremy traveled as often as possible from New York to Texas to spend as much time with his sister as possible, then flying back to go work.
As his sister got worse, death was imminent. In October, Suzanne called Jeremy into her office and said “I want you to buy a one-way ticket to Texas. Don’t come back until this is over. You need to be with your family right now.”
Jeremy got to spend several weeks with his sister before she passed away. He said, “[Suzanne] gave me a gift that I can never re-pay.”
I wanted to highlight a story that shows bosses and employees can be loyal and supportive of each other. We can treat each other as human beings and love each other through the hardest times of our lives. It is called the human experience. This story exemplifies when the work environment and culture are at their finest.
For all the great bosses and employees out there, keep up the good work. And for Suzanne? You are the epitome of the greatest boss ever. Nice work!
