Posts Tagged ‘challenges’

Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Friday, October 21st, 2011

Recently, my husband and I were treated to a private tour of the Perot Museum of Nature & Science in Dallas (currently under construction) and had a training course of how building cranes are put together and torn down. It was far from surprising that they both start with an incredibly strong foundation based on what they would be expected to support.

That’s a great principle for construction, and it also works just as well for any organization, as large as a government or corporation to as small as a family unit. The leaders of the organization must remember that it takes a strong foundation to stand, and that the quality of the foundation is instrumental in any organization’s success.

Uncover and dust off that Strategic Plan developed long ago. Is it still strong enough to sustain the load it’s carrying? Reanalyze the objectives one by one. Prioritize whatever needs shoring up, and implement those improvements in stages. Change can be overwhelming, or it can be invigorating as you work toward the future you want to have.

Don’t forget your personal foundation. Never has it been more important to be standing on firm ground. Ask yourself, “Do I have the right supports in place to carry my goals?”

The greater responsibilities and desires for the future, the stronger your supports need to be.

Leadership is never complacent, and never loses sight of the prize.
If you see a crack in your foundation, or you want to add more stories to your building, what are you going to do to make it happen?

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Do you feel lucky to have a job?

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.  ~H. Jackson Browne

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.  ~Confucius

The Dallas Business Journal reports that Americans of all ages and all pay levels are increasingly unhappy at their jobs, according to a report by the Conference Board, an independent economic and business forecasting organization. Researchers interviewed 5,000 households across the USA and found that only 45% of those surveyed are satisfied with their jobs. Younger workers — those under the age of 25 — are the most dissatisfied. Older workers also are hurting, which may cost the nation valuable training of future generations, the report suggests.

Two thoughts come to mind:

  1. Companies and organizations have been called upon to get lean and mean over the past couple of years. The tendency of survival is to have fewer people to do more work for less income. When these companiein to make a profit, will your key people be burned out? Expect to share in the profit? Will they wonder why you are not hiring help? Hint: Consider this a caution not to burn out your racehorses and to do as much lateral training as possible.
  2. There is a positive sidebar to the recession. The boomers did not have the predicted mass retirement walkout, but continued to shrae their experience with the younger generation; who may, for the first time, understand a different form of entitlement based on economics.

Maybe it’s time to push the RESET and REFRESH buttons on your job. Feel blessed rather than trapped in your occupation. Look for creative ways to enjoy what you do. Make it a better environment in which to work, and if you must, consider this a stepping stone for conforming what you would like and EXPECT your future to look like.

No matter where you are and what you are doing, you have purpose — be purpose driven.

To bring Petey to assist you in recruiting, maintaining and appreciating employees, click here.

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Does your vision need LASIK?

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Your Vision

LASIK eye surgery procedures work because a person’s vision is not nonexistent. Instead, the existing vision needs to be clarified and sharpened. In tough times, it takes a focused leader with sharpened vision to navigate through the jungle of adversity.

Be a true visionary. Sharpening your vision includes taking control of the environment, not letting it control you. A true business vision has clear objectives and defines your daily tasks. Know exactly what you want and be strategic in getting it.

Review your map. Check your business vision for clarity and complete understanding across the board of your company. Be proactive in your strategy. Empower your team to outthink and outperform your competition.

Check your “windshield.” Are there “floating objects” that cloud your vision? A true business vision by definition eliminates time-consuming, non-productive tasks.

Elevate your game. True performers perform in the clutch when behind. Think Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Build on existing successes. Change things up if need be.

There have always been visionaries who found a way to succeed no matter how tough the times. You can become one of them by sharpening your vision.

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Will You Work Till You Drop?

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Work Til You Drop

“I’ll work till I drop” used to be a cliché. But with depleted retirement savings and as 401(k) dropping and more than 14 million people in the job market, it looks like more American workers are delaying retirement indefinitely. A recent survey shows nearly four in 10 workers over age 62 say they have delayed their retirement because of the recession. In my book, Blueprint for Success, I note that since boomers (born between 1945 and 1965) are healthier, more active and living longer, are going to work longer, and since other generations are now in and entering the workforce, we are going to have five generations in the workplace as well as expanding lifestyles.

I believe the most effective way to handle this is to create a multi-cultural generational “salad” with an emphasis on hiring employees of various ages and stages who possess creative thinking and passion for what they do.

How do you think the trend of working boomers will affect your company? Thoughts?

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Are You Ready to ROWE?

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Are You Ready to ROWE

The workplace has long been familiar with the notion of flextime and telecommuting. Now, there’s ROWE: Results Only Work Environment. ROWE was created by two former Best Buy employees who wanted to reshape their company’s culture. Now Gap Outlet has adopted the practice for its more than 137 employees.

ROWE is a corporate culture initiative designed to significantly improve employee productivity, accountability and engagement. Departments that implement a ROWE environment empower their employees to work when and wherever they want to – as long as their performance goals are met.

ROWE methodology is different from simple “flextime” in two key ways: 1) it’s employee-driven and 2) it’s self-policing. In a ROWE environment, the emphasis is taken off time/hours worked and placed on performance. The fear of employees abusing ROWE is minimal, as each employee has a stake in their ability to work in an incredibly freeing environment. They’re not afraid to “snitch” on someone who could sink the ship! ROWE deals with nonadaptees in a performance management framework, thus removing the “I worked 60 hours this week” excuses of workers who still don’t hit performance targets.

The program seems to be working: Productivity increased more than 21 percent at the GAP outlet. A post-pilot assessment conducted in February 2009 revealed that productivity increased 21 percent and quality improved 15 percent among the pilot group.

The ROWE program was adopted in San Francisco, one of the worst cities in the U.S. in terms of commuting. They found it particularly helpful to female employees working to balance work and family needs.

In my book, Blueprint for Success, I noted that there will be a sonic boom as part-time baby boomers and flextime Generation X & Y’s collide. It’s important that we hire the best talent that we possibly can, and adapt to their skills and demands. Generations X and Y are highly motivated by autonomy and flexibility.

If your company is considering a ROWE-type experiment, be sure to do your homework. It promises to a remarkably effective generational bridge.

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Get Back In the Game!

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Get Back In the Game

OK, we get it: It’s bad and we know it. More than 7.2 million jobs have been lost since the beginning of this recession. The average growth rate in annual earnings has dipped to 2.5%. With a steady news diet of layoffs, price increases, and other issues, it’s easy to turn into a corporate Cowardly Lion. Even in the best of times, we leaders face one challenge after another. But we also have the power to change the game – if we stay in it. Riding the storm out is not always easy, but it’s the most attractive option. So….let’s talk about some things we can do in the meantime to turn your game around:

Learn the “why” behind the “what”. Find out exactly why things are going the way they are. What’s important to your company? What are you focusing your time and thoughts on?

Touch the troops. Communicate with the people who make it happen. Take time for one-on-one feedback from your sales and customer service staff. What are their challenges? What can you do to make their job easier? Do they feel overworked and underappreciated? What is their feedback about your customers? If customers are leaving, do they indicate why? Why do they stay? Are they staying until they find an alternative?

Thank your customers. Don’t stop reaching out to your existing customers. Think of innovative ways to express your thanks that fall within company guidelines. Be versatile – no one idea will reach everyone. What do they think about your product or service’s quality and customer service? People will likely stick with a company if they perceive quality customer service.

Shake things up – then calm things down. Make courageous, informed decisions. Face the hard tasks head on. If conditions require you to make budget or personnel cuts, reassure and encourage the people you have left.

Take a moratorium on bad news. Famed communicator Mark Victor Hansen (www.MarkVictorHansen.com) states, “For the next thirty days, look, act, think, walk and smell as if business is booming – and it will.” Fear is infectious. So is excitement! When you consistently adopt a spirit of enthusiasm in the face of adversity, success is inevitable.

Even in this sobering economic climate, we can make progress toward a more positive outcome. Those of us who have been here before know the timeless truth from Zig Ziglar (www.ZigZiglar.com): Tough times never last, but tough people do!

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