FLEXIBILITY IN THE WORKPLACE
Elizabeth Trcka

Employers see benefits of workplace flexibility.

Flexibility in the Workplace has been in the news a lot lately with the most recent announcement by Best Buy deciding to end its Results-Oriented Work Environment (ROWE) policy, & Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer, banning workers from telecommuting. These decisions have sparked a lively debate with employers and employees.  Still, there are a number of leading employers who continue the movement toward providing their workforce a flexible 21st-century workplace. Years of research from the Families and Work Institute and SHRM have shown that flexibility in the workplace is a business strategy that can help both employers and employees succeed.

Workplace flexibility — telecommuting, flexible hours and other employee accommodations — is an idea growing on employers who are trying to grow their companies out of the recession.

While the idea of workplace flexibility is familiar — companies have been working for years on strategies to enable employees to have some say over when and where they work — “it may become more appealing for firms looking to retain workers stressed by higher productivity demands, and attract those searching for a better opportunity,” says recruiting expert Jeff Taylor with Skywalk Group.

He also states “market forces are making flexibility a more strategic alternative to some of the other ways that companies used to manage growth.”

Longer-term trends may also push firms to adopt more flexible policies. Women are continuing to obtain high levels of education, incentivizing them to remain in the workforce, and creating demand from families for increased flexibility. Also, there’s evidence that younger workers, who will make up a larger chunk of the workforce as baby boomers retire, place strong emphasis on their work product, rather than hours spent in a cubicle.

According to a recent report from the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, the benefits of flexible workplace arrangements — less absenteeism and turnover, and improved worker health and productivity — can outweigh costs.

Coming out of the recession, companies are shifting to more structured policies about flexible work, and away from one-off arrangements for individuals. “More companies are realizing cost savings,” Elizabeth Trcka from Skywalk Group states. “It’s not necessarily a company going from bricks and mortar 100%, to 100% telecommuting. The key with flexibility from a cost and function perspective for employees and managers is to make sure it works for both parties, the plan is communicated effectively, and employees are involved in structuring the plan where it makes sense.”  “Our experience in working with many organizations is that employees don’t want to call in sick when they don’t have to,”  “If they have another option, they would rather pursue that.”

Who gets what?

Not all employees have the same access to flexible workplace arrangements.

Larger organizations tend to offer a greater number of flexibility programs, according to a February report from WorldatWork, a membership organization that provides research about human resources issues. According to the report, workers in manufacturing tend to have fewer flexible options than those in health care and social assistance. Also, the most common flexible workplace programs are: Part-time schedules, flex time, a flexible start and stop time, and specific telework arrangements that allow workers to be home to, say, meet a repairman or care for a sick family member.

It can be tough for employers to find a way to extend flexible arrangements to all workers. After all, someone has to be around to meet customers, or watch a production line. However, some firms are finding ways to offer flexibility to a wide range of workers.  For example, at Skywalk Group, after an initial training period for a new employee, there is flexibility to provide an employee the ability to work from home when it makes sense, while also maintaining regular time in the office.  At Chevron, the firm recently added a program for employees in the San Francisco Bay area to have access to emergency child care; and at some manufacturing plants, hourly employees can trade work hours.

Challenges for flexible programs

Management can be a roadblock even when a well-intentioned human resources manager creates a plan for a flexible arrangement. If top-level managers aren’t on board, a program won’t get off the ground. Middle managers can also object to flexible arrangements.

Trcka states, “Many HR managers agree that managers are being asked to manage people they can’t see, and supervise flexible teams where people are coming and going, and so it really challenges the bottom-line goals of managers, which is to get work done.”

Resistance may be due, in part, to lack of clarity about how flexible programs will benefit the bottom line. According to the WorldatWork report, just 7% of organizations try to quantify the return on investment from flexibility programs. However, the report indicated that an organization enjoyed a lower voluntary turnover rate the higher it rated itself on a flexibility scale.

So how do you know if you can or should provide a flexible program, keeping in mind that a flexible work schedule must operate to meet the needs of the business, too.  Many organizations have successfully implemented workplace flexibility policies through carefully designed and well-thought-out programs. Implementing flexibility programs requires a shift in overall firm culture, norms, and values that cannot be measured in statistics or balance sheets.  The success of flexible work programs is a partnership between the organization and its employees. When employers give greater flexibility in the place of work and provide employees with flexible work options, they give employees greater control over where and when work gets done, enabling them to enjoy an optimal quality of life. This, in turn, creates loyal employees that are more likely to be engaged in helping their organizations succeed, more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, more likely to stay with their employer and more likely to be in better health.

Should social media be a part of your company’s recruiting strategy?  A part of the answer depends on what your products or services are.  If your products have a target audience that actively uses social media there may be a benefit.  The other factor is – how much of your business do people really want to know?  If you sell products for active runners, your audience is the type to be engaged with you.  If you sell trailer hitches, your audience doesn’t really care that much about the ins-and-outs of your business, they just want to buy a trailer hitch.

In order for social media to be a successful recruiting tool, you must have first utilized it as an impactful marketing tool to build your brand.  People will only want to follow you if you give them a reason to do so.  You must first utilize social media to provide news and information that is important for your customers.  About 60% – 70% of your content must drive information that they will be interested in receiving – and be about them.  This information can be tied to your business, but must be focused on providing information to your follower.  30% – 40% of your social media content can be about you and what you want from your audience – product information, sales information, and career opportunities.

At the moment, the top three social media recruitment sites are (in order):

1. LinkedIn – By far the most widely used tool, but is less about your business, and more about the number of connections of the person in your company that is doing the recruiting.  All your open positions should be posted on LinkedIn.  All of the connections of the person who posts the position will see them and someone may know someone that is looking.
2. Facebook – Regularly put out content that matters to your audience and then you can intermittently put out your internal job needs.  If you get people excited about what you provide they will be more excited to consider working for you, or forward the opportunity to friends.
3. Twitter – Twitter audience is younger (millennials), but if you have a product or service that appeals to them, tweet your openings.  Just like with Facebook, you have to build the following first.  You only get 140 characters to play with when tweeting, so it is best to post a link to the position you are hiring for.

All that being said, remember that the best people for your openings are most likely not the ones that are out there actively trolling social media, or the job boards, for openings.  The best people are currently immersed in excellence and not searching.  Social media will not be the silver bullet to hiring challenges, you will still need to actively get on the phone and talk to people that are not looking – and know how to sell your company to them.

While social media is a good tool that should be used, nothing beats the old fashion art of conversation.

Welcome Carla!

Is your company the “coolest place to work in the Corridor?” It’s not just about being hip, trendy and popular. It goes beyond that. A cool place to work is fun, rewarding, progressive, innovative and makes you excited to be a part of the team. How cool is your company? We will find out…

Coolest Places to Work Form

Please complete the form on the Web page above and you will be contacted and sent an employer survey. Once we get the information and your employee contacts, we will forward the employee survey and find out if your company is the Coolest Place to Work in the Corridor.

DON’T THINK POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IS IMPORTANT? RUN A MARATHON

Jeff Taylor

In 2000 I completed my first, and only, marathon.  I remember limping across the finish line bleeding, blistered, exhausted and very excited to see my wife and
2-year-old son.  I checked that item off my bucket list, and hadn’t put on shoes for the purpose of running in nearly 12 years.  I put the medal they give you when you cross the finish line in a shadow box on the wall in our basement along with many of the other family accomplishments.  Over the years, my sons and I have talked about running a marathon together someday.

Fast forward nearly 13 years and my eldest son and I are training to run a half marathon with a full marathon soon to come.  We created a solid training plan and have been sticking to it religiously.   During a recent longer run my son had finished and I was struggling a bit.  After he finished, he came back, gave me high five, said “You’re doing good dad, lets finish this,” and we finished the run together.

His simple act of positive reinforcement helped me finish and reminded me of my marathon.  It was around mile 22 and I was simply putting one foot in front of the other with nothing left in the tank but determination.  Turning the corner, I saw one of those very long San Francisco hills and my heart sank.  As I started the climb I noticed that there were a number of people who had already finished the race who were walking the course backward to encourage those still struggling.  At that point, even a complete stranger reminding me “you have almost made it, you’re still moving forward and by pushing a bit more you will finish” – meant the world to me.  That simple act of timely positive reinforcement was enough to give me the mental strength needed to make it up the hill and finish.

As business leaders, it is often too easy to fall into routines or get hyper focused on a goal and forget the importance of positive reinforcement for those on our team.  Positive reinforcement not only reminds people that they have the skills to complete the task, but that they also have the confidence of their mentors.  When people know their leaders believe in them they are empowered to push harder, take risks and often over-achieve the goal.  People who receive regular appropriate positive reinforcement are more excited to come to work, will stay in their jobs longer and be more forward thinking in their ideas to improve – because they know they have support behind them.

There are those leaders, and I have worked with a number over the years, who believe positive reinforcement is over-rated.  To them I would say – run a marathon, see what that reinforcement does for you when you are wiped out and then imagine what it could do for someone you work with.  Remind your people how talented they are.  The results are amazing.

Bill Thomasson, owner/CFO of Sedna Logistics in Iowa City, Iowa, shares his thoughts on what the road to becoming a CFO looks like.  Although Bill’s perspective comes from the finance world, what he says applies to nearly any career path that you may choose.  Enjoy!

Manifesto of Self-Proclaimed CFO

I have traveled the path of a finance professional with no regrets.  Through the last few decades, I have armed myself with some ways to think and a few tools of the trade that have helped me along the way.  I am hoping that some of these will be useful to you.

Ways to Get In

Educate.   Education may not always improve knowledge, but it is the access point to get in. Get in the best school you can.  Don’t kid yourself – Ivy League is worth more.  Big Ten is great if you can’t go higher.   Keep going.  Masters Degree or higher is required.  CPA – needed.  Damn this one. Sarbanes-Oxley changed the finance world and now everyone has to show they are a real accountant.  I don’t agree with this, but it doesn’t matter (back to access).  Beyond the degrees, take a collegial finance/accounting or heavy thinking business class every few years.  Keep one foot in the ideal plane of academia.

Know the Right People.  This one hurts.  The reality is that you can’t open the doors to top management by yourself.  Find and get to know individuals that will likely be the next CEO or Executive Manager.  Get to know Board members where you can, particularly the chairs of finance committees.  Build relationships with your auditors.  The CEO is likely going to pick the CFO and seek approval from the Board and potentially seek input from the outside audit firm.   You don’t have to like them.  In fact, I’ve learned a great deal from individuals I don’t personally like. Salute the position, not the person.

Rotate.  While you can get to the CFO level with the same company through your career, count on a long wait.  Always keep a fresh resume and a pulse on the job market.   Get to know key recruiters in the area.   Find a good one – I have been surprised how long I’ve known the same ones.   Recruiters are likely the first point of contact for new homes.   Keep elevating every few years and if it doesn’t happen internally, find a better deal on the outside.  New places give you more tools of seasoning and exposure as well as an accelerated path to the golden door of CFO.  You are the CFO of yourself.

Ways to Think and Work

Take on the Ugly.  Give me the ugliest, most challenging, highest complexity, project available.  The projects that no one wants, I want.   The expectations for improvement on these projects can be very low.  So the reward may be very high if improvement is made.  And worst case, if little to no improvement, expectation met.  Make a name for yourself as the “sweeper”.  Everyone calls on you to solve the hard problems.

Be Different.  No one follows vanilla or chocolate.  We all want vanilla twist.  Haven’t met a plain CFO yet.

Facts Speak for Themselves.   Too often, I get subjective opinions not supported by data.  Hard facts presented well don’t need more interpretation.  They speak for themselves.  Spend more time with facts than theories.

Be Cheap.   Much of the CFO’s time will be spent developing the most efficient path to highest return.  All CFO’s that are worth a salt are skinflints.  Frugality is built-in and this generally extends past professional thinking.  All spend has a return that can be quantified and evaluated.  CFOs can exaggerate this point so clarity can be brought home.

Change for Change Sake is Good. This is contrary to a lot of thinkers.  Within reasonable constraints (eg. don’t tank the ship), forcing continuous change has been a positive experience.  Through change comes innovation.   Become known as the innovator and build a culture that embraces change.

Fail Cheaply.  The reality is that you will have failures.  Agree to milestones that qualify the project as a failure and get out with the majority of your ass(ets) intact.  Passion can drive a project and can be helpful – just don’t let it get in the way and don’t get too emotionally attached.

Empower.  I’m not the brightest in the group.   Never have been.  I’ve always found quality colleagues.   Armed them with the tools to succeed and put them front and center.  They will always drive the organization further than you could have by yourself.  I have seen too many Managers spend their time second guessing their employee’s decisions.  The Manager’s decision may have been better. However, the loss from the second guessed employee is greater than the gain from the better decision.  It is unlikely the employee that was second guessed will put their hand up to help next round.  Takeaways are worth twice as much as gains.   Give your employees a crack at success and win together.

Scorekeep.  Give employees frequent updates of the business and their work activities in a quantifiable way (back to “facts speak for themselves”).  I am always astonished how things improve just be the mere fact results are measured and published.  Want something to improve fast (back to the “sweeper”) – simply educate the employees impacting the issue on the costs and measure these costs in a public way.  Make them part of the solution.   Problem solved.

IT .  Good finance managers almost always find a way to align themselves with high quality IT professionals.  The finance innovators are usually faced with finding improvements through technology.  Learn the ways of IT.  I have been served well by understanding the very fundamentals of all company systems.  And generally, the IT department, which no one wants (back to “take on the ugly”), reports to the CFO.

On-Time Always.  I am never late to anything ever.  I can be counted on and people know this.  A simple thing where most fail.

Work Hard.  I overcompensate with high work ethic for my intellectual shortcomings (or at least fear thereof).  Many work hard with a plan to retire later.  What the hell is retirement anyway – retire to “what”?  This is what I want to do and I like doing it.   I will retire to more work.   As a practical matter, there are higher priorities (eg. family/spouse) that need serious review and I am working to get better at these.  That said, all quality CFOs have work ethics higher than the rest of the organization.  That’s just part of the deal.

Integrity.  This is core to everything.   Everyone trusts and comes to you for honest, fact based counsel.  I will not cheat anyone for anything.  Work is voluntary and if requested to even bend integrity, I will move along.

You must be trusted and counted on. 

Congratulations on your journey to CFO.  It’s a trip worth taking.

So, I began my research on what to expect the first few weeks. From the perspective of a new employee, here are two things I found helpful in adjusting to the new office:

Learn the company culture

Observing how others act—the hours they work, main modes of communication, lunch habits, dress code, etc., is an important step in becoming a part of the company.

This was an eye-opening experience for me! Coming from a traditional office setting, our team and how they work is inspiring. This non-traditional setting will be an adjustment, but I can do it! I love the fact that we don’t necessarily sit at our desks to complete our work. The collaboration room is a room designed for many of us to sit and work together.   (thus….collaboration room)

Having a web-based calendar allows for us to view each other’s schedules and also to make meeting appointments with each other, which in turn allows for the team to function within each other’s schedules.

Technology allows us to communicate effectively.  Texting, email and instant messaging are the main modes of communication that our team utilizes. We still communicate face-to-face, which is the mode I prefer, but that isn’t always an option with most of the team working off-site with companies and meeting clients.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

This was also a relatively new concept for me. In my last position, (prior to going back to college) I was in a supervisory position which mostly demanded that I have the answers to questions. Now I’m not afraid to ask questions, it’s just that I want to ask the right question at the right time. Well, we all know that is a novel concept, yet not my style. I             usually ask pointed questions, but can sometimes have a blunt delivery. So, I am working on the delivery aspect of my questioning.

My source for this article states that it is unnerving when a new employee doesn’t ask questions. I can’t imagine not asking questions, because how else will a new hire know the specifics of their job and what is expected beyond a verbal or even written scope of work?

I must say I do get concerned that the individuals I am working with are too busy to be bothered with my questions, but I am finding out that the team I have the privilege to work with have been very helpful; courteous in allowing me to ask questions, and patient in answering them! Thanks to the OE team!

Now on the flipside– I would like to add a few pointers on what an employer can do to make the new hire feel a part of the organization.

• Greet the new employee at the door.  This seems simple enough, but with the busyness of doing business, it can get forgotten or may not happen at all. I know as a new hire, this did occur on my first day—and I felt                 that I was important enough that my manager greeted me! This simple act will make an indelible impression.

• Prepare a comfortable workspace.  Having the workspace ready with the necessary items needed to complete the job also indicates the organization was anticipating your arrival, but also that you are valued. This again was done for me—I had a laptop on my desk, highlighters, calculator, and stickies ready in my office!

• Get other employees involved.  It is important to let the organization know about the new hire before they show up. This would deem necessary especially with the employees that will be working directly with the new hire. Once again, I was involved with employees from the organization before I even had my first day of work. I was invited to a lunch the week before my first day of work. That was very enjoyable to meet some of the people I would be working with, giving me insight into each of their unique personalities!  Given the parking situation with our organization, (downtown parking structures) one of the team members assisted me with getting to the correct structure—again a small gesture that was helpful and made me feel a part of the team!

Whether you are a new hire or an organization bringing in new hires, I hope these tidbits can be beneficial to all involved. I am grateful for the gestures that were extended to me on my first day and weeks of my new job! Shout out to the team—THANK YOU!

What is Individual Development Planning?

Also known as IDP, individual development planning is a process that allows an employee to own their career.   Although the organization establishes an IDP process, it is up to employees to take advantage of, and own their own IDP.  Research has shown that when employees are actively involved in and own their development process, they not only experience individual growth but also positively impact the organization.

A typical individual development planning process includes the following steps:

• A self-assessment.  There is only one person who truly cares about your career, and that is you.  You may have a great manager and work for a great company, but in the end, you have to control your own destiny.  Understanding your talents and passions will help push you towards finding your career best.
• Feedback surveys.  Commonly known as 360s, these surveys help you gather feedback from your manager, peers, direct reports and/or others regarding your strengths and areas of development.  This is a critical step in the development process as it helps us compare how we see ourselves to how others perceive our behaviors.
• Coaching/training.  Receiving and interpreting feedback isn’t always easy.  Utilizing an outside coach/trainer to interpret and understand your feedback is a must.  This person can also coach you in how to approach your manager regarding your development plans.
• Action planning.  Once the employee assesses where they are at today and determines where they want to go, it is time to create a plan.  This plan should include no more than three critical goals or action items that the employee wants to complete.  The plan should also indicate what steps need to be taken to reach that goal, what resources are needed, and who is responsible.
• Manager and organizational support.  An employee can do all of this work and still run into roadblocks without the support of their manager and organization.  It is imperative that organizations understand the value that IDPs provide:  aligning an employee’s talents and passions with the needs of the organization equals a career best for that employee.  This results in an engaged employee for the organization.  Win-win.

What is Performance Management?

Performance management is a process that is owned by the organization.  It is an attempt at establishing and rewarding employees for achieving individual goals/objectives that align with the organization’s strategic goals/objectives.

Most companies do a mediocre job of performance management.  This can be for a variety of reasons:

1. Failure to create objective and quantifiable strategic goals.
2. Inability to create individual and/or department goals/standards that align with the established strategic goals and objectives.
3. Inability of organizational leaders/managers to hold others accountable for meeting those established goals/objectives.
4. Establishing subjective or non-behavior-based measurement tools.  Ex.  “Comes to work with a positive attitude.”

 Why Development is Better than Performance Management?

Most small and medium-sized businesses are still very much focused on critical issues like cash flow, customers, process improvement, and more.  This is to be expected.  Unfortunately, people processes are generally some of the last things that these organizations review and make a priority.

The good news is that implementing a development program is affordable and has huge pay-offs for a small to medium-sized business.  On June 20, 2012, Skywalk Group will be offering its first ever workshop designed to help employees with their individual development process:  The Engaged Employee.  For just $299.00/employee, an organization can create an IDP process, help their employees align their talents and passions with the needs of the organization, and have happier, more productive, and engaged employees in their company.  Again, a win for employees and for the organization.

Retaining Talent is Essential to Delivering Business Value

The fine art of retaining talent has an effect on your ability to deliver business value. A survey by McKinsey & Company asked senior executives of global companies to rank obstacles that prevent them from having talent management strategies. Among the most critical as defined by executives:

54%- Senior managers don’t spend enough time on talent management
52%- Line managers not sufficiently committed to people development
51%- Silos discourage collaboration, resource sharing
50%- Line managers unwilling to differentiate high, low performance
47%- Senior leaders do not align talent management and business strategies

Here’s one more statistic for you. A recent study shows that 85% of HR executives state that the single greatest challenge they have in managing the workforce is their organization’s ability to compete for talent.

So, if your organization is one of those facing obstacles with talent management and you are concerned about your ability to compete for talent, then you seriously need to consider a plan to train your organization on how to effectively retain your best talent.

Retaining Talent is Woven into Your Organization’s Financial Performance

Most people can understand that turnover is costly in replacement expense, but it also impacts productivity when other team members see good people leaving the organization.

Picture this scenario: Ray was an executive for a hotel chain that had lack-luster performance. Attrition of leadership was high in the organization. He decided to conduct an analysis of risk factors in retaining top talent. He identified new strategies and tactics such as creating an emerging leaders program, training future leaders and providing more on-the-job training for line supervisors. As a result, they have recruited better talent and, more importantly, have retained that talent which has resulted in the value of their stock growing by more than 50% in the last five years.

Reap What You Sow – Get Started Today

By training your managers, you will help them realize the significant leverage they have to combat turnover in the organization. You will be giving them the tools they need to create a proactive and productive environment that values key talent.

Managers need to understand that they, by all means, need to be concerned with team member retention and how to identify individuals at risk. Are your managers able to:

• Describe the scope, severity and cost of attrition?
• Determine the risk of attrition for each team member?
• Identify which retention factors motivate each team member?
• Increase each team member’s engagement and commitment?
• Build and implement an effective Retention Action Plan for their entire team?

If you answered no to any of these questions, you may need to start thinking about a new game plan around retention.

Corridor Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Companies is a program that identifies the region’s most dynamic companies that have made significant contribution to the strength of our economy. Nominated companies are ranked according to revenue growth over a three-year period, both dollar and percentage increases are taken into consideration. The rankings of the top 20 companies will be announced at the May 22, 2012 Fastest Growing Companies Breakfast.

Last year, Skywalk Group earned the number 3 spot on the Corridor Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Companies list.

Skywalk Group is a professional services organization specializing in human resources management, recruiting, and organizational effectiveness. The leadership team and professional staff at Skywalk Group have extensive human resources and executive experience providing critical human resources strategy and support for companies of all sizes.

 A new search can be daunting- knowing what you’re looking for in candidates, and knowing how to recruit them, are sometimes two different things. Having a knowledgeable partner in the process (ok, maybe not really a superhero) can make a huge difference!   Recruiters can turn the hefty task of your next great hire into an enjoyable experience.

Recruiters have dedicated their professional lives to being the best at identifying, qualifying, and placing the best talent.  Sometimes this means employing tools of the trade that just aren’t in the toolkits of others.

What Can a Recruiter Do for You?

Recruiters can:

• Help you find candidates that aren’t looking- the best candidates tend to be happy, productive workers- not necessarily actively applying to your company’s external job board. We know where they are, how to communicate with them, and how to make sure the qualified people we send you will be happy, productive workers for you too.

• Conduct professional interviews – we do it every day and know how to dig into what makes a candidate tick.  “Practice makes perfect” may not be completely true, but recruiters have built up vast experience interviewing various candidates. We can utilize interviews and candidate assessments to really get you the best match possible, not just the one that tells you what you want to hear.

• Reduce search time – we can draw upon our strong local and national network to get referrals for the right person.  We’ve worked with great people in all kinds of fields, all over the country. When one of our network asks “who do you know?” our ears perk up, and we recall that great professional we knew, and what would have been hours of searching becomes a quick phone call to an old friend.

• Give guidance on what you really need to get the job done – experience is a great teacher, and knowing up front that a candidate with x years of experience, really isn’t going to cut it for that position will save time, resources, and the stress of having to learn those lessons on the fly. Industry, geographic region, and other market factors can make a big difference in a successful search, and when you start the search with realistic expectations, you’ll be more likely to be successful.

Recruiters know their markets, their region, and their area of expertise- so, while recruiting consultants may not be superheroes, they are super-helpful!

This week we are featuring a blog from Maureen Collins-Williams at MyEntre.net.

For decades, women have failed to thrive as much as men in the workforce. They’ve struggled to rise to management levels in top corporations, to have their voices heard in the boardroom and their efforts fairly compensated. Today, many women believe there’s another way. Perhaps women don’t have to follow traditional rules of business success—perhaps for the first time in history, they can bypass them altogether. How? Technology.

What is Organizational Behavior?

Organizational behavior is the study of human behavior within organizations.  If people are an organizations most important asset then understanding how humans behave in organizations will lead to insights that can improve productivity, job satisfaction, employee relations, and more.  Organizational behavior focuses on the impact that individuals, groups, and structures have on behavior within organizations. Below are just a few of the components that need to be taken into account:

• The job itself.  What kind or type of job is an employee doing, and what is the design of that job? How does the job fit in with other job’s employees are working on? Knowing the type of job an employee is working on can help determine how the employee will react with that job.
• The nature of the work. This goes along with the job because if the nature of work is compatible with the employee then it is more likely that the work will get done well and in a timely manner.
• Turnover.  If a person is compatible with the work environment and likes their job, they will be more likely to stay and be high performers at the company. Organization’s rarely take a hard look at the cost associated with turnover.  Therefore, cost savings associated with improving the recruiting, selection, on-boarding, and training processes are often ignored.
• Productivity. If an employee is productive, they tend to be more motivated and more likely to enjoy the work that they are doing.  This is a win-win for the organization and the employee!

Organizational Behavior Challenges and Opportunities

With everything in life, there are challenges and opportunities, and organizational behavior is no exception.

• Economic pressures impact both individuals and organizations.  Employees may have to fight to keep their job.  This may encourage the employee to be more productive throughout the day and strive to do excellent work. Competitive pressures are tough in the business world.  In a highly competitive society, every organization wants to be recognized as the best.
• Workplace diversity is prevalent. Employees from all over the globe are applying for positions.  Diversity is a good thing and can become a competitive advantage that inspires innovation.  But it also creates individual and organization acceptance and appreciation challenges.

Ultimately, it is up to the employees in an organization to work with one another and to recognize the differences and skills that each other have. This is crucial within a workforce and a great reason as to why organizational behavior is an important tool to be aware about and understand.

–Annalise Bandel, Student, Loyola University

Not every manager is as bad as Kevin Spacey is in Horrible Bosses.  However, there are many organizational leaders and managers who don’t fully understand the impact of every decision they make, every comment they make, or their own behaviors.  Have you ever stopped to think about why being an effective leader matters?  Or how to become a more effective leader?

Join Skywalk Group Partner and organizational development expert, Tim Sieck, for a free leadership breakfast on Friday, March 2nd at 7:30am.  Tim will share evidence that supports the need for leadership development, discuss why it is such a challenging task for both individuals and organizations, and provide practical tips on how to improve leadership development in organizations.

Also, the first Leadership & Development Public Workshop series of 2012 kicks off in March.  There are still seats available for this 4-session series that focuses on practical skills that every manager needs to be a successful leader.

Don’t be a horrible boss.  Be a solution in your organization-not part of the problem.  Participants who attend the leadership breakfast on March 2nd will receive a 10% discount on registrations for Leadership & Development Public Workshop or The Truth About Becoming a Manager.

What owners and hiring managers often overlook is that their management style is also under review during the hiring process.  Potential new employees are reviewing the company culture and management style of a possible employer at each and every step of the interview process.  While the recent economy has put more candidates on the market, there is still a shortage of outstanding A-level potential employees.  Because of this, you need to make sure you are putting your best foot forward at each and every step of the process.

Here are some hiring process situations and how your candidates may view the situation.

DELAYS IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

FACT:  There is a long delay in getting back to people after the initial conversation or, if working with a recruiter, you don’t provide feedback for a long period of time.

PERCEPTION:  The candidate may view this as either you don’t operate with a sense of urgency, or you don’t value other’s time enough for a prompt response.

THE INTERVIEW PROCESS IS SCRIPTED

FACT:  Every step of the interview process is scripted and the only questions asked are off of a printed, prepared question set.

PERCEPTION:  The candidate will view this as a sign that you are overly formal and that your organization values process over free-flowing ideas.

THERE ARE TOO MANY INTERVIEWS

FACT:  There are more than 2-3 interviews in the process.

PERCEPTION:  The candidate will be concerned that either nothing moves quickly in the organization, you don’t believe they are the right fit, as a hiring manager you may be reluctant to make a decision, or that you don’t view the position as valuable.

TOO MUCH NEGATIVE INFORMATION IS SHARED

FACT:  You have a negative interview style and ask questions like “Sometimes you need to work 100 hours per week, we will swear at you and your equipment won’t work – are you okay with that?”

PERCEPTION:  You may think that you are doing people a favor by letting them know what they are getting into, but in reality you are telling people that this is the culture you support…and if this is the case, be prepared to lose A-level candidates in the process.

LOW BALL OFFERS

FACT:  You present a low-ball offer…just to see if you can get the candidate to go for it, or feel that you have to negotiate anyway.

PERCEPTION:  The candidate will feel that everything at your company will end up being a battle.

If you are serious about attracting top talent to work for you, take a minute and walk yourself through your own process and think about every step from the candidate’s perspective.   The little details can make all the difference in creating the kind of experience that will make the best candidates want to work with you.

Tim Sieck, Skywalk Group Partner and organizational development expert, states, “Over the last three years, we have worked with a large number of local businesses.  As part of that process, we have identified a disconnect between employee engagement, the manager’s role in the process, and the needs of today’s organization.  These new offerings are designed to address these gaps.”

The first public workshop, The Truth About Becoming a Manager, will be held February 22, 2012 from 8:30am – 12:30pm.  This half-day workshop is designed to help employee’s assess and prepare for becoming a manager.  Sieck adds, “All too often, companies take a sink or swim approach when it comes to hiring managers.  We want to assist employees by giving them insights and information about what being a manager is all about.”

The second new training option, The Engaged Employee:  Individual Development Planning Workshop, will be held on June 20, 2012 from
9am – 5pm.  This full-day workshop is designed to show employees that when they are actively involved in and own their development process, they not only experience individual growth but also positively impact the organization.

Contact us for more information or to register for a workshop.

How Successful are People at Making Lasting Changes

More often than not, people do not stick to their New Year’s resolution for very long. In one study over two years, about one in five people (20%) were able to keep to their resolution. On the other hand, three in five (60%) dropped their resolution within 6 months. In a recently reported British study, 22% of people reported that they were “very successful” in keeping their resolutions.   Source:  WAIBTV.  Those percentages are pretty dismal when you think about it.  And those are your own personal changes that YOU want to make.

Now, imagine you are the CEO of a company.  Your company has 200 employees in 3 different locations and you have just decided to purchase another company in a fourth location.  How likely is it that you can successfully implement this large-scale organizational change and get everyone moving in the same direction, working towards the same goals?  There is no sugar coating this answer.  It is going to be very difficult and require a tremendous amount of energy, patience, communication, and outstanding leadership skills in order to make this happen.  And you can bet that energy, patience, communication, and leadership abilities DO NOT fit neatly inside a brown paper bag.

Change in a Brown Paper Bag

You may be wondering what that means.  Too many companies try to implement organizational change through a “brown bag lunch” process.  Has this happened in your company?

“Our managers need leadership training.  Let’s schedule some brown bag lunches and teach them how to be better leaders!”

“Our health insurance costs are increasing.  Let’s have a wellness speaker come in for a brown bag lunch presentation!”

“Our employees say they aren’t engaged and satisfied.  Let’s have a company-wide monthly meeting over lunch and motivate them!”

Steps to Effective Organizational Change

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if all of a company’s problems could be solved through the brown bag lunch process?  Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.  Organizations who successfully implement change do the following things:

1. Collaborate.  Share ideas with employees early in the process to get feedback and buy-in.
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate.  There can never be too much communication when change is involved.
3. Be transparent.  Not only about the change but also that you may not always know the answers.  Even with the best plan in place, there are unknowns.
4. Be compassionate.  Change is a process for everyone.  Even for those who embrace it.  Help people move towards acceptance.  That process will be different for each individual.
5. Allow and demand questions.  Employees should have questions.  Part of helping them move towards acceptance involves education and inclusion.
6. Celebrate.  Make a big deal about the little things along the way as well as celebrating major milestones.

As fun as we are (or like to think that we are), even we are subject to being lulled into that familiar ho-hum state from time to time. We are a resourceful bunch though, and willing to take control of our own destinies. So, for our own amusement, we’ve decided to play a little game. One in which all of our loyal (Cedar Rapids-based) subscribers will enthusiastically participate (fingers crossed) with a selfless dedication to rescuing us from the concert of humming fluorescent lights and whirring servers that is our 3^rd floor office. (Actually, it’s not totally selfless, because there’s a prize, but more on that later.)

You’re all on the edge of your seats, I can tell. So, with out further adieu, we proudly present the first ever Skywalk Group Name That Person Blog Contest. It works like this.

1. Starting with this post, we’ll feature a blog article with some “not fit for a professional biography” facts about one of the members of our team.
2. You’ll take that information and try to match it to one of our professional bio’s found throughout the website.  (Hint:  Look for pages called Meet the Team under Recruiting, HR Consulting & Outsourcing, and Organizational Development.)
3. When you think you’ve got it figured out, email us your answer.
4. We’ll draw a winner from all of the correct answers submitted on the last Friday of each month. The winner will be treated to lunch at a local, downtown Cedar Rapids restaurant, accompanied by the correctly identified team member.
5. THE FINE PRINT:  Limited to one entry per person, per month. Must be willing and able to pay for transportation costs to and from the selected restaurant.  Open to anybody that isn’t a current Skywalk Group employee, because that just wouldn’t be fair now would it?

Ready. Set. Go!

This team member is affectionately known around the office as Honey Badger for their uncanny resemblance to the subject of a wildly popular, albeit slightly inappropriate, viral video of the same name. Like the furry version, this person transforms from an adorable cuddly creature to a laser focused hungry predator if forced to go more than 2 hours without food. It takes regular fuel ups to maintain this persons jam packed schedule, perpetual smile and infectious laugh. Thankfully, it only takes a handful or almonds or a fresh, juicy apple to satiate our officemate, making it much easier keep the necessary staples on hand than their carnivorous counterpart.

Obviously, meetings are a necessary evil in running successful businesses.  They bring people together by uniting creative minds and are vital in achieving the strategic goals of the company.  Leaders who know how to run productive meetings can be the most valued employees of the organization.

Meetings can fail for a variety of reasons. Some of the most important are a lack preparation, agenda or goals.  Lacking respect for participant’s time and failing to follow up on specific action items can result in frustrated participants and fewer results.  Whether your meeting is at the office, via Skype or conference call, how do you lead an effective one?  Reader’s Digest author, Graham Buck, recently gave a few tips:

• Start and end strongly.  Conduct every meeting with a purpose and close it with a plan for “going forward”.  Denver based consultant Teri Schwartz noted that running a meeting is like “Flying a plane. Most crashes happen at takeoff and landing.”
• Pick a leader.  Assign someone to lead at the beginning of each meeting.
• Think small. Be realistic about what you can accomplish and keep the number of attendees manageable to stimulate discussion.
• Direct, don’t dominate. Encourage others to speak up and get involved, especially junior staffers.
• Lay down the rules of engagement. Everyone should understand who will take notes and how decision will be made.  Assign follow-up tasks during the final five to ten minutes and then reiterate them later in a group email.

A final tip that I’d like to add is to respect participant’s time.  As an HR consultant, one of the biggest complaints that I hear is that employee’s never have enough time to complete their own projects because of all the meetings they are required to attend.  Smart business leaders understand the value of participant’s time. If a meeting is scheduled for an hour, be respectful and end it on time!

Does your company struggle with leading successful meetings?  Skywalk Group’s Employee Development and Training can help.

Technology is increasing the need for real-time communication and streamlining work processes. Technological advances have allowed employers to embrace the use of modern tools & various mobile communication devices as a benefit to increasing productivity demands.  Employees seeking a healthy work/life balance and embracing increased employer flexibility have taken advantage of technological tools to increase their accessibility, particularly when off-site or after hours.

These changes in the employment landscape have caused legal commentators to worry about potential litigation stemming from the use of mobile communication devices, including claims ranging from employee privacy infringement to complaints of unpaid overtime.   Hence, the ever-increasing need to revisit, revise or develop a Cell Phone / Smart Phone Policy.

Now, where do to begin? Check out the 11 Factors to Include in a Cell Phone Policy.

There are two reasons HR professionals should be involved in making decisions about mobile policies:

• The devices directly impact workers, and the mobile strategy affects all aspects of the company.
• Developing policies and informal training will set the stage for good mobile practices.

For a free sample of a cell phone policy, please email the HR experts at Skywalk Group.