Let’s review all of the reasons for their sacred cow status:

• Good, actionable data on why people are leaving
• Closure for employees
• Risk mitigation for the company
• Goodwill and future employee referrals
• Knighted as “Best Practices” by people who know things

Just like with Performance Management, the intent is good. Those are all valid objectives. Still, there is no evidence that any of those are achieved through the prevalent processes. And most importantly, employees hate them. If they are reviled, then the chances for good, actionable data, closure, and goodwill are nil.

Let’s look at it from the employee view. An HR rep, whom you may have met at your orientation 18 years ago, wants to go over a checklist and ask some questions about why you’re leaving. She’s taking notes. Suspicious.

As an employee, I’m wondering why no one bothered to ask me these questions over the past 18 years. It’s a little insulting to be asked why I’m leaving for the sake of good data and action planning. Is the implication that I was expendable, but heaven forbid anyone else ever fall victim to a bad manager and lack of recognition? She’s taking notes, so I’m sure not going to say what I really think, if I know what’s good for me. It’s my last day and all they want is my badge and to squeeze information out of me. Where’s my good-bye cake?

Instead of an exit interview – how about an exit conversation? It’s not the idea that’s broken, it’s the focus. If you haven’t been asking your employees why they stay and what would keep them at least once a year, you’ve missed the point. Then an exit interview is just an awkward gesture of too little, too late. Nobody’s reason for leaving should ever be a surprise. If you want the data, use an exit survey that is confidential and preferably after they have left and had proper time to reflect. But only do this if you are actually going to take action on the data provided.

The exit conversation should not be conducted by HR. The exit check-out process and benefits information can be cold and clinical and handled by HR, but the conversation should be with someone of consequence in that employee’s career. There is nothing sadder than handing in your badge and computer and walking out the door unnoticed.

So, if the exit conversation is not about the data and not about the check-out process, it needs to be about the employee and their contribution – a thank you, a celebration, an acknowledgment; a chance to reflect and offer feedback.

Now that doesn’t sound so worthless, does it?

Barbara Milhizer believes in making it a GOOD-bye. She is a Partner with PeopleResults. You can reach her at  bmilhizer@people-results.com or on twitter @mother_zen. Sign up to receive her and her colleagues’ blog at Current.

As James Rivington writes in Techradar’s “Google Glass: What You Need to Know”, Google Glass is defined as:

an attempt to free data from desktop computers and portable devices like phones and tablets, and place it right in front of your eyes.

Essentially, Google Glass is a camera, display, touchpad, battery and microphone built into spectacle frames so that you can perch a display in your field of vision, film, take pictures, search and translate on the go.

Are you ready for Google Glass?

In the recent Saturday Night Live skit, tech correspondant Randall Meeks, (played by Fred Armisen) hilariously demonstrates the upsides and downsides of Google Glass.

It’s hard to envision people blinking, gesturing or using voice commands as they interact with their eyewear.

For most of us, our knee-jerk reaction to Google Glass is “not for me” or “how ridiculous”. It’s an understandable response. We’re asking our brains to imagine the unimaginable.

Habitual Resistance

But as quickly as we roll our eyes to the absurdity of Google Glass, we might also be creating a state of unconscious and habitual resistance.

Habitual resistance sneaks into our thoughts, our language and our mindset.

•  “We can’t afford to invest there.”
• “That doesn’t fit within our mission.”
• “Our Board of Directors will never go for that.”
• “This technology is fine, it just needs a few bandaids.”
• “Let’s wait and see what happens.”

Habitual resistance is insidious and dangerous. Especially for leaders.

Because when leaders get too comfortable with the status quo, they become stale.

The Danger of Playing it Too Safe

Bad things happen to stale leaders (and their stale organizations).

• Stale leaders miss opportunities.
• Stale leaders are too scared to fail.
• Stale leaders don’t listen.
• Stale leaders squash innovation.
• Stale leaders get blindsided.
• Stale leaders don’t attract or retain talent.
• Stale leaders don’t stretch.
• Stale leaders leave behind stale organizations.

Great leaders constructively challenge but allow themselves to stay open and imagine the unimaginable. They are receptive to the possibilities, the what-ifs and could-bes.

Who knows. In a few years, sporting wearable technology like Google Glass might be as common as earbuds are today. Or, Google Glass could turn out to be the next Segway and a total bust.

But no one will say that Google played it safe.

Marta Steele is a Partner and Community Manager at PeopleResults. Connect with her on Twitter @MartaSteele or through email at msteele@people-results.com.

Google Glass image credit

Stale Bread image credit

That’s right…it makes for a dull person. Not only that, research shows that being “dull” may be the least of problems. You are also missing out on some great health benefits.

Our minds and bodies suffer from stress due to the pace and demands of daily life. In my coaching practice, this is a common issue that arises when working with executives. I have them do an exercise where I ask them a simple question, “What do you do FOR yourself to recharge?”

I’m no longer surprised when the response I get is…”I don’t know. Nothing really.” (said as they get this blank stare, shake their head and slump in their chair.)

Really?

And I think – What a waste. This is such a smart, talented person. Do they realize what they’re missing?

I understand how it happens. People have demanding jobs, often have family responsibilities and they feel guilty for taking time for themselves. Their “leisure time” is now focused on their kid’s sporting events, family & household obligations, doing work in the evenings & weekends in an effort to catch up, or simply crashing after dinner because they have nothing left in the tank.

Studies show that if we don’t take time to care for ourselves, we won’t be able to live a productive, fulfilling life, much less be around to take care of others we love.

Here are a few specific reasons to find interests outside of work and begin enjoying the benefits:

1. Various types of exercise, like playing tennis, basketball, hike, bike, etc…offer clear health benefits in reducing stress, toning muscle and improving overall physical fitness.  Here’s a bonus –  it also helps keep your mind more alert & sharp! Thinking on your feet, coming up with winning strategies and managing the whole eye-hand coordination thing takes brain power!
2. Enjoying a hobby offers a time to relax and divert your attention away from work and chores. Instead of focusing on problems, issues and your to-do list, you can escape the daily grind by focusing on something else. This precious time away from “work” allows you to re-charge and re-engage in work with new-found energy.
3. Your outside interests often enable you to gain new skills and tap into hidden talents. For example, Sudoku, card games or chess can sharpen your analytical skills. Your creativity skills can be nurtured through gardening, reading, singing, drawing, painting or even just playing Pictionary.
4. Getting involved in activities outside work offers opportunities to meet new people, who are often like-minded. If you share an interest in a hobby, chances are you will have other common interests. In meeting new people, you also are more likely to enjoy new experiences, which will give you more interesting things to talk about…the opposite of “dull”.

I’ve seen it happen time and time again in working with my clients, (and from personal experience), finding ways to do something FOR yourself, is a great way to boost confidence,  ignite passion, promote pleasure in daily living and gain a sense of accomplishment.

My challenge to you is to find time EVERYDAY to do something for yourself! I know, I know…”I don’t have time to do that everyday!” My response – you make time for what’s important.  This IS important. Plus, everyone around you will benefit from the benefits you’ll receive.

Come on – you’re worth it!

Martha Duesterhoft is a Partner with PeopleResults.  Follow her on Twitter @mduesterhoft or connect via email at mduesterhoft@people-results.com.

I guess that sounds a little like teaching. But maybe you’re not the best person to teach your employees everything?

Maybe you also have a responsibility to provide an opportunity for them to learn from others and in other situations too. If you’re fortunate enough to work in a company that formalizes some of these approaches for your employees, great.

If not, step up.

Programs such as these can increase employee satisfaction and improve retention.

1) Mentoring

Introduce your employees to others. Encourage your employees to find mentors, both within and outside your company. Mentors can provide a wealth of knowledge and experience for your employees and help them build their network. This is a great way to bring new insights and fresh perspectives into your organization.

2) Shadow Others

Match your employees up with someone that they can shadow for a day (or longer if it makes sense). This can be someone with a related job, or an area that they are interested in learning more about. You can also use this to help them understand what it might be like at different levels of the company. I know of a CIO in one company that regularly selects employees to go with her into key leadership meetings. Watching others “walk the walk” can accomplish more in a couple of hours than a whole host of training programs.

3) Brown Bag It

Create a Brown Bag Lunch series to foster informal training. And encourage your employees to be the ones leading the sessions. It’s a great way to get everyone involved and learning from each other. This can often create a broader understanding of what everyone does and how what they do benefits everyone in the group… and ultimately your customers / guests / stakeholders.

4) Join Industry Associations / Trade Groups

Encourage your employees to join Industry Associations or Trade Groups. They can be good opportunities for learning what others in your industry are doing and are a great way to keep up with the latest trends and changes in your industry. It’s also a nice way to meet local speakers. These groups also often offer great training opportunities that can be low-cost.

5) Formal Training

Last, but not least, make sure that your employees take the time to take all the training that their job requires and support their ongoing education efforts. If you have a budget for outside training programs, make sure that your employees use it!

…But Kirsten, you say, if I give my employees all this exposure, everyone will poach them right out from under me! Maybe. But I guarantee that if you develop a reputation for encouraging, mentoring and developing your people, you’ll have a line out the door of others who want to come work for you.

Until next time … wishing you business readiness success!

Kirsten Jordan is a Partner at PeopleResults. She can be reached on Twitter @Kirstenkbdb. Sign up to receive her and her colleagues’ blog at Current.

In 2013+ we all must have the mindset of life-long learners. A given degree, whether from high school, an undergraduate degree, or a prestigious MBA, provides an important milestone in the learning journey, but by no means a landing point. Most companies offer internal (and external) opportunities to build technical and/or functional skills, as well as leadership skills. Formal education serves as the launching point, not the ending point for the learning.

Here is a real life example…A gentleman in the training class I helped facilitate for a client last week works in a technical training center. Let’s call him Bob (not his real name). Bob helps others build skills to enhance their career within his company.

Bob is new to this role at the technical training center for his company. At first, he described his role as an instructor. But as our leadership training progressed last week, Bob’s mindset changed. He realized he should view his role as a facilitator of learning. This may sound subtle, but it is actually very meaningful.

Here’s why:

• An instructor holds all the knowledge, ready to impart it to class participants. A facilitator of learning guides participants through the process and draws learning experiences out from the participants along the way.
• An instructor feels pressure to have all the answers to every question. A facilitator of learning leverages the collective knowledge and experience from everyone in the class. He/she realizes the answer to a question could come from anyone in the room with equal credibility.
• An instructor mindset often influences through authority. A facilitator of learning mindset often influences by focusing on the needs of others.

I encourage everyone reading this to stop for a few minutes and take inventory. Where might you need to change your mindset? Where are you making assumptions that need revisiting? Where do you need to put into practice your skills as a life-long learner and learn some more about yourself?

As you congratulate the graduates in your life, take pause and think about where you are on your own learning journey.

Betsy Winkler is Partner at People Results. She can be reached on Twitter @BetsyWinkler1 or on email at bwinkler@people-results.com. Sign up to receive her and her colleagues’ blog at Current.

Well, it may not solve everything, but stop and think about how complexity gets in the way of so much of what we do. Organizations are confusing, strategies are misunderstood and the customer experience is disjointed.

It turns out that simplicity is hard. It’s easier to bolt on the new technology to the old version, add four more slides to the 72 page slide deck and narrow down to the top 25 critical initiatives for 2013. Finding the simple truth is difficult and so we punt.

Simplicity takes clarity, honesty, unbelievable discipline and intelligence. Any one of these alone can stop us dead in our tracks – much less all together. It often takes more than one person to achieve simplicity. And, oh by the way, we have a deadline.

There are little examples of how we miss simplicity every day. The leader that talks for 90 minutes about the new strategy, yet no one knows exactly what he just said. The process that is so confusing the customer can never reach the right person to solve her problem.  The 10 page performance feedback document, yet at the end the employee has to ask, ‘so how did I do this year?’

Simplicity Takes Empathy.

In my quest to embrace simple, I picked up a new book by Siegel and Etzkorn, “Simple: Conquering the Crisis of Complexity.” I recommend it.

Siegel and Etzkorn believe there are three key principles of simplicity:

• Empathize: understand others’ needs and expectations
• Distill: boil down and customize what’s being offered to meet needs
• Clarify: make the offering easier to understand, use and benefit

You have to empathize to achieve simplicity. I read this three times. Distill and clarify were more intuitive, but empathize made me connect two important ideals I had never connected before.  You can’t realize simplicity if you don’t empathize with your audience.

The best task force survey or detailed process analysis isn’t enough. You need empathy to realize simplicity.

This is why Steve Jobs simplified how we listen to music and acquire it and we followed. And, he never held a focus group to ask customers what features they wanted. He was a minimalist who went for simple, not simplified.

Our roadblocks to simplicity.

In addition to just being easier, complexity makes us feel smarter.  If Joe has to explain his complex process two to three times to the team, he looks smarter! He is valued and important!

As a consultant, I can say confidently that some of the “best practice” thinking in organizations today was built with a heavy influence from consultants and experts who added complexity. And, oh by the way, the side benefit was to sell more services.  (See competency models.)

Silos – which are alive and well in business – perpetuate the complexity. While each silo is busy getting “better” (and more complex) the overall business process, purpose and experience has lost a clear, simple purpose to the end user or customer.

What can we do?

If we have a complexity crisis, what can we do about it? We can be the advocates for going “back to the basics” on what is really needed and only adding to it when it must be done.  We can be the simplicity champions searching for answers to:

• What’s the real purpose?
•  How do our customers/audience experience us and how can we simply meet their needs?
• Why do we need it?
• What is the simplest way we can do this?
•  How can we get a fresh perspective to be sure we have the simplest approach?
• How can I say this in simpler language?

Our work, organizations and connection to our audience and customer can be so improved with a passion for simplicity.  I’m for making it the universal core value. It’s that important.

And when you think simple is for simple minds, I’ll quote, Siegel and Etzkorn, “Simple is smart.”

Patti Johnson is the CEO of PeopleResults and can be followed on twitter @pattibjohnson or her company @people_results.

We’ve all been caught unaware by a venter – cornered after a meeting or held hostage as a call was wrapping up. The conversation started out so innocently and then turned into a harangue of unrelated complaints and issues without solutions. Short of teleportation, here are 3 easy tips to take someone from destructive to constructive.

1. Limited Time Offer

Set the timer and let them go for 2 minutes. Usually, the ranter is feeling unheard and sees you as a willing listener.  When the tear ceases to be fun for you, the listener, interject that you hear and appreciate his concerns.

2. Keep them on the Hook

As much as they want someone to listen, the venter is also actively seeking a host who will own the issue. After initially disarming the barrage with step 1, put the onus squarely back where it belongs by asking questions:

• How have you raised these concerns?
• What was the result?
• What do you think the solution is?
• What steps do you need to take to get some resolution?

 3. Actively Seek them Out

I’m serious. Engaging a venter and asking about his situation stuns and confuses them. Save some other poor soul the trouble and ask what resolution was reached next time you see the venter. Once he sees you as expecting action, not just a potential recipient of verbal spew, he’ll either wisely move along or you’ll spur some thoughts about how to take action. It’s a win either way.

Barbara Milhizer is a proponent of constructive venting. She is a Partner with PeopleResults. You can reach her at  bmilhizer@people-results.com or on twitter @mother_zen. Sign up to receive her and her colleagues’ blog at Current.

The past week was hair-on-fire busy, and the next few weeks promise more of the same. I was reflecting a few days ago on how to get it all done when I realized that I have learned a lot over the years about myself and how I handle stressful time.

I share some of my truths about keeping work and life in balance, in the hopes that they might help you handle the next time your To Do list exceeds the amount of time available to ‘get ‘er done!’

1. Asking for help is not a sign of my (lack of) commitment, knowledge or abilities. I need to print this truth and put it up above my desk as a reminder to ask for help more often! I have a great group of colleagues and friends and a great spouse who are always willing to step in when I need extra brainpower or hands. The first step, however, sits with me asking them for help, and then getting out of their way so they can do what they say they will (this is the hardest part for me).
2. If I don’t exercise first thing in the morning, I won’t do it at lunch/before dinner/after kids go to bed. My high school calculus teacher used to counsel us that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” He was talking about studying for tests, but his words apply today in how I take care of myself and prioritize my day.
3. A daily shower puts me in the right mindset to tackle what I need to do. Working in my pajamas all day yields pajama-quality work. Flexibility in how and when I get work done is a big help in achieving balance, but I find I take myself, and my work, more seriously when I smell better than my 11-year-old son.
4. There are as many To Do List templates out there as there are ways to format Excel. Finding a way to keep track of what I need to get done is not easy for me because I am always on the lookout for the next best way. Being able to see what needs to get done first, next, and sooner-rather-than-later saves me a lot of headaches. Find a way that works for you and stick to it. Crunch time is not when you want to find out you have lost track of a key deliverable or actions that needs to get done.
5. Setting priorities has made it easier to stick to them. My 14-year-old daughter made a comment the other day that helped me realize I was doing OK here. She said, “Mom, I like that even when you are really busy and stressed out, you still offer my friends a ride home from school when they need it.” Of course, that comment came after we had to return to school to pick up her backpack that fell off the top of the car as I rushed away from picking her up at school! Any sign of support from a 14 year old is good in my book. I am chalking that second trip up to the school as an accomplishment on the #1 Job To Do List.

There is not an easy answer to the question about how to achieve work-life balance; it differs for everyone. I am glad, however, that even during an incredibly busy time I have a few life and career learnings to fall back on.

Heather Nelson is a partner with PeopleResults. You can reach her at hnelson@people-results.com or on Twitter at @HeatherGNelson1. Sign up to receive the PeopleResults blog at Current.

My mom had voluntarily given up driving about a year ago, but for my dad, this is the last bit of independence he had left and he was pissed off! I’ve never really seen my dad that angry. In his own words, he’s “mad at the world” and “we might as well just go ahead and call the crematorium.”

While the doctor did an amazing job in delivering this bad news…it was the message, not the delivery that rocked his world. I quickly realized there was nothing I could say that would make him feel better about the situation. The best thing I could do was to empathize and just say, “this really sucks.”

While I don’t intend to dwell on the bad news and encourage him to wallow in self-pity, when someone gets bad news it’s best to simply acknowledge that it’s bad and you feel for them.

There will be time to offer words of encouragement and reinforce the good reasons to not get behind the wheel, but if the first words out of my mouth were something like, “You have to do what the doctor says or else you could cause harm to yourself and/or others.” that would come across as patronizing and insensitive to his feelings.

He gets it. He doesn’t need another person repeating the bad news.

He needs to know I understand his perspective and how he’s feeling before he’ll be willing to listen to anything else I have to say.

After the bad news has been delivered, it’s time to understand what’s next. What are the implications of this? I gave it a day before I started talking to my dad about how we will manage transportation needs now that he can no longer drive. While everyone handles receiving bad news differently, for the most part people need to time to process the news before they can engage in a fruitful discussion about what’s next.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with details while absorbing the bad news. Therefore, the second important lesson for me was to keep the messages simple and just in time. If I start to talk about things that will happen next week or next month, my dad will have a hard time tracking with it, become frustrated and just shut down.

While this is a personal situation, I think these same concepts are applicable in the work environment. If someone is losing their job, lost a key client or didn’t get that promotion, it’s helpful for that person to begin to accept the bad news if they know that someone can:

1. Empathize – acknowledge how the person may be feeling.
2. Talk about the future/next steps in a simple way and in the right time-frame – not too soon after the bad news is delivered.

While I don’t wish delivering bad news on anyone, the next time you are the messenger I hope you find these two tips useful.

Martha Duesterhoft is a Partner with PeopleResults. Follow her on Twitter @mduesterhoft or connect via email at mduesterhoft@people-results.com.

I have been dealing a repair shop and found the following words coming out of my mouth, “That’s great, but I didn’t know you were doing that.”

Initial conversations had seemed to indicate that it would be a fairly quick fix. But now they have had it for over a week and I haven’t had any status on what they are doing. Turns out they’re working to get a part, talking to the manufacturer, and generally doing what they need to do.

But the point is, I didn’t know. And it’s taking longer than I thought it would.

So they aren’t getting “credit” in my mind for their actions.

Are you making this mistake in your job or project? Ignoring your stakeholders – the folks who care what you’re doing? Are you doing work and not getting credit? Assuming that people know what you’re doing?

Remember to keep your stakeholders in mind.

• Are you keeping them informed? Don’t assume they know what you’re doing.
• Seems obvious to you what’s going on? Check-in with your boss, team members, whoever is expecting the output of your work, to make sure that they are aware.
• Become the master of the short status update. Or if it’s a longer project, make sure you have a regular time to check-in. Be vigilant on setting expectations – and re-setting them as needed.

Or continue down your merry path by yourself. By all means, ignore your stakeholders – At your peril!

Until next time … wishing you business readiness success!

Kirsten Jordan is a Partner at PeopleResults. She can be reached on Twitter @Kirstenkbdb. Sign up to receive her and her colleagues’ blog at Current.