tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-325743682024-03-13T08:45:23.792-07:00The Corporate StorytellerExpert tips on management communications and the power of storytellingEvelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-65346947724672374672011-08-12T10:30:00.000-07:002011-08-12T10:30:00.210-07:00Smart Companies Foster Informal Learning <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Workforce studies have found that only 30 percent of essential job skills and knowledge are learned via formal training--generally in a classroom setting--with 70 percent gained informally through exchanges with co-workers, most often by swapping experiential stories). Now a report in <em>Chief Learning Officer</em> posits that "smart companies" are fostering informal learning; the author includes in that category such activities as reading books and participating in self-study programs, coaching, practice groups, expert communities and social media.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"In all of these examples," writes Harry West, "the employee is learning from another person and not training materials and they are participating in learning rather than just receiving information. Indeed, some experts estimate that 80 percent of learning is informal and takes place on the job. For a specific metric to gauge its success, employee engagement is a useful measure and can be found with social feedback mechanisms. Among the benefits of informal learning are increased innovation, productivity, and knowledge transfer."</span><br />
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</span></div>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-2676691236338474472011-08-10T14:15:00.000-07:002011-08-10T14:15:00.693-07:00Storytelling Supports Training AssessmentsInvesting in employee and leadership training not only helps to develop a company's current workforce but also attracts and retains more high-caliber people. David Conradie, director of human capital for Deloitte in New Zealand, addressed a "critical shortage of talent" in the country by offering ways for organizations to ensure ROI on training, including one ideally suited for storytelling.<br />
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First, Conradie says in an article in the <em>Star-Telegram</em>, it's essential for corporate training leaders to understand organizational goals so they can design programs that support the goals. Second, leaders must be able to clearly communicate what success looks like at each level of the company. (Storytelling is a perfect tool for accomplishing this.) Third, organizations need to conduct in-depth assessments of their leaders' abilities so they know exactly what the training and development needs are. These steps, in turn, lead to a more fully developed workforce, both current and future.Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-26935279789374384672011-08-08T15:33:00.000-07:002011-08-08T15:33:50.149-07:00Training to Increase as Boomers Retire <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At the same time that the boomer generation is retiring, the pool of skilled workers, especially in manufacturing, is shrinking. As a result, the need for training is expected to increase. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Companies in Cleveland already are investing in more training and other manufacturers in the Midwest are making similar plans. Don Johnson, vice president of Advanced Technology Services in Peoria, Ill., says training will be critical to ensure the next generation of full-time employees is prepared to replace those who are exiting the workplace. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Rick Capretta of ProTech Staffing Solutions in Mayfield Heights says that "t</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">here are not a lot of good people who aren't working...so the talent pool is getting smaller, especially in this region."</span><br />
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Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-73133835343377689432011-07-29T13:30:00.000-07:002011-07-29T13:30:00.612-07:00How to Train Workers on the Move<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Mashable</em> reports that the workforce is increasingly mobile, with telecommuters and other remotely-based employees expected to comprise nearly 75 percent of the American workforce by 2013. According to market research firm IDC, nearly 35 percent of the global workforce will be working at remote locations in two years.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Mashable </em>offers five tips for training those mobile employees:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1) Hire not only for relevant job skills but also for a demonstrated ability to collaborate and contribute when working at a distance from colleagues and managers. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2) Provide remote workers with all the necessary tools, e.g. e-mail, Internet access, phone, private networks, shared docs, wikis and logins to SaaS applications. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3) Require new remote teams to spend their first days or weeks at headquarters, using </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">the initial visit convey company culture, set expectations, and build personal relationships and communication.</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4) Schedule frequent check-ins to see if remote workers have</span> questions and comments.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5) Center training and learning processes and programs on remote workers' routines and schedules, allowing them to review new materials on their own and at their own pace.</span></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-83345734894107674782011-07-28T05:10:00.000-07:002011-07-28T05:10:00.971-07:00Learning Fosters Psychological Health & Retention<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">According to an article in <em>Chief Learning Officer</em> magazine, o</span><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">rganizations that offer opportunities for growth and development not only enable employees to acquire knowledge, skills and abilities to apply in the workplace, but also can increase motivation, job satisfaction and the ability to manage stress. The artile reports on findings from an American Psychological Association (APA) study that found workplace training "improves organizational effectiveness [and] work quality, and the organization also can be positioned as an employer of choice" with very low turnover. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">David Ballard, head of APA's Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program, says providing work-based learning "can attract and retain the best employees and that's what it takes to have a competitive advantage today." The findings are based on a survey of companies that researched employee involvement, health and safety, work-life balance, employee recognition and employee growth and develop. Among the eight recipients of APA's Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards (PHWA), only six percent of employees organizations were looking for employment outside their companies. Among all the organizations studied, more than five times as many employees were looking for work elsewhere. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">Here's what Ballad says it takes to provide a healthy work environment: 1) assessing what employees need and want, 2) tailoring practices to meet those needs, 3) tying compensation to company goals, and 4) evaluating results and feedback from employees to improve learning.</span></span></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-8059730698394878792011-07-26T14:13:00.000-07:002011-07-26T14:16:29.173-07:00SAS' Story on Being the Best to Work For<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">How does SAS sustain a culture of satisfaction, wellness and creativity that results in a turnover rate under three percent? According to one former SAS staffer, the employee benefits include <span style="color: black;"><span class="abstract">private offices, an on-site childcare center, a healthcare center, and a fitness center. That's only part of the reason the company was named as <em>Fortune's</em> Best Company to Work For earlier this year.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="abstract" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Add unlimited sick and family sick days as well as flexible scheduling and you've got a package that results in long-term employees whose productivity contributes to the company's success. Although there will be some people who take advantage of the impressive benefits, the majority of employees reciprocate the trust the company places in them. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="abstract" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What about your company? Have you examined your business model and employee benefit offerings lately? How can you make adjustments that inspire creativity and keep employees healthy and happy?</span></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-43864845058764779632011-07-19T15:43:00.000-07:002011-07-19T15:43:42.872-07:00What Story Are You Telling to Retain Talent?Around 40 percent of the technology and engineering workers polled by Dice.com believe they can increase their pay levels this year by changing employers. Even though tech workers are still in high demand, wages have remained stagnant in the sluggish economy. As a result, they're "looking for more," says Tom Silver, a senior vice president at Dice.com, a career website for technology and engineering professionals. He predicts that turnover will increase before year end. <br />
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Because many businesses are focused on maintaining a healthy bottom line in the challenging marketplace, they may be overlooking the potentially significant costs of higher turnover. Leaders who look ahead are already strategizing about how they can retain their best tech and engineering professionals.<br />
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How about your company? What are you doing to ensure that you hang onto the people who are most valuable? What story are you telling to remind them why they're better off to stay put?Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-66409852910416537082011-07-16T05:45:00.000-07:002011-07-16T05:45:00.319-07:00Values Define the Culture, Tell the StoryRanked for several years as one of <em>Fortune's </em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"> <span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">"Top 100 Companies to Work For" globally, NETAPP is a company that understands the importance of creating a corporate culture. As reported recently in <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><em>Business Times Singapore </em>recently, the company says its culture centers on a positive work environment with opportunities for growth for everyone who works there, including the leadership. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">The five values that differentiate NETAPP from other organizations are:</span></span></span><br />
<ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> attitude is contagious, i.e., a positive outlook generates good energy </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">candor is encouraged so that honesty is maintained </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">a positive approach attracts followers, e.g. recognizing individual successes within the company is more important than focusing on competitors </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">leaders should appreciate employees' work and inspire them rather than simply manage operations</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">openness to change is essential in today's ever-changing, innovative world</span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"></span></ul><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-26851469801224353072011-07-14T10:30:00.000-07:002011-07-14T10:30:01.242-07:00Change the Stories, Change the CultureIf an organization wants to change its culture, Peter Bregman says in his blog post for <em>Harvard Business Review</em>, "you have to change its stories." In "A Good Way to Change a Corporate Culture," Bregman discusses several key steps, starting with facing the truths you may not like and taking steps to change the reality.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Besides changing the stories, an organization can change a culture by inviting everyone's input to craft a new values statement; I'm presuming Bregman's implying that the core values should be re-examinied and perhaps changed. Then, the core values should be illustrated with stories that describe how the values are being enacted; this will cement them as the operational values for the organization. </span><br />
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<span class="abstract"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">A change in culture often is required when companies merge. Any major differences in the way they operate and any dissonance in core values will be stumbling blocks in successfully building a stronger company--and the differences, if not addressed, may even be fatal. </span></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-44636486290960216742011-07-12T15:32:00.000-07:002011-07-12T15:32:58.665-07:00Why Culture Is KeyWhy should a company focus on the culture? The fact is, the success of an organization--as well as each of the individuals in it--depends largely on whether the culture is a good fit for everyone, including the CEO. If the leader doesn't embrace the existing values or doesn't feel comfortable with the existing way of doing business, the chances for success are greatly diminshed.That explains in part why a new leader brought in from another company sometimes leaves after a very short tenure. <br />
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And yet, a discussion about the culture isn't necessarily a standard point of discussion when an organization recruits talent. What does your company do to ensure that prospective employees understand the culture of the organization? What do your leaders do to remind people of the operating values? How often do you share stories of people "caught doing things right?"Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-22257024078344977432011-06-24T10:30:00.000-07:002011-06-24T10:30:00.554-07:00Video Storytelling at Its BestVideo storytelling is coming on strong as a business communication tool, with the majority of executives surveyed reporting that they would rather view a video than read written messages. As video communications gains momentum, it's becoming increasingly important for all types of organizations to understand how to use the medium.<br />
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Here's a powerful example of how to tell a story visually in just three minutes. It's obvious why this was the Grand Prize Winner of the Philips <em>Tell It Your way</em> competition. <a href="http://www.porcelainunicorn.com/">http://www.porcelainunicorn.com/</a>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-43922874256198864762011-06-22T10:30:00.000-07:002011-06-22T10:30:00.131-07:00StoryCorps Collection GrowingThe StoryCorps collection of oral tales about the American experience keeps growing, totaling 30,000 interviews with 60,000 participants since launching in 2003. This past weekend the mobile story van visited Lexington, KY, for the secoond time and recorded stories from 300 people.<br />
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Initially the only permanent recording booth was at Grand Central Station in New York, but in the ensuing years permanent booths also have been installed in Atlanta and San Francisco. Two mobile units launched in 2005 have collected stories in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. <br />
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All the interviews collected will be archived permanently in the Library of Congress at the American Folklife Center, and stories are also edited and played on National Public Radio's <em>Morning Edition.</em> Information about the project is available at <a href="http://www.storycorps.org/">www.storycorps.org</a><br />
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Read more about the recent visit to Kentucky at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/4xb2m8f">http://tinyurl.com/4xb2m8f</a> Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-26012964853395290832011-06-20T13:50:00.000-07:002011-06-20T13:50:00.361-07:00Stories Drive MarketingIt's tough to know exactly why business is slow...or is it? Maybe you just need to do a better job of telling your story.<br />
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A great article in "Fast Company" describes how marketing guru Martin Lindstrom fostered dramatic turn-arounds for three small Mom and Pop businesses with simple, low-cost changes. In all three cases, representing totally different types of businesses, he made strong emotional connections with prospective customers. For two he used straightforward, traditional storytelling techniques; in the third case he made simple changes that created the right mood for a restaurant. Read the article at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/62a9qub">http://tinyurl.com/62a9qub</a><br />
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How can you make a tweak or two that will make a huge difference for your business?Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-42897441722978689842011-06-12T17:30:00.000-07:002011-06-12T17:30:00.927-07:00Five Ways to Win Employee Support For ChangeDo your company's leaders understand what inspires employees to change their behavior? Companies that want to engage employees need to have psychological insight, says John Marshall Roberts, who offers five proven strategies for inspiring employee engagement:<br />
1) Start small by selecting a specific behavior to address, such as recycling or energy consumption<br />
2) Develop a targeted campaign to shape the particular behavior being addressed<br />
3) After behavior has started to change, capture the momentum and apply it to other changes<br />
4) Use successes in achieving small changes to build up "psychological momentum"<br />
5) Make the effort to view the world from the other person's or management level's perspective in order to gain consensusEvelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-4151566825102196372011-06-09T17:00:00.000-07:002011-06-09T17:00:01.278-07:00Why Employees Don't Support ChangeAccording to a study by the Richard Ivey School of Business, one of the most common reasons employees don't support change in the workplace is lack of sufficient communication. Other common reasons are 1) failing to invite input, and 2) not understanding the challenges employees encounter when they try to make changes. <br />
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"There is nothing more frustrating than ambiguity and lack of clarity," the article says. "Change is natural and...is to be expected. But there still needs to be a good reason for change and it needs to be clearly articulated. People want to feel part of the change and that they have a role to play.... Being left alone is lousy. It doesn’t work in business culture, it doesn’t work in public or private companies, and it doesn’t work in families."<br />
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An article in <i>Western News</i> says the study focused on municipal management but the findings are applicable to other types of organizations. The conclusion: All organizations need the support of employees to enact significant change, so it's important that leaders overcome the common mistakes in efforts to win commitment to new initiatives and procedures.Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-48576261183345224242011-06-07T13:18:00.000-07:002011-06-07T13:18:20.727-07:00Ken Blanchard Says You Need Only One!"Only one that you stick with." That's Ken Blanchard's answer to the question, "How many leadership training programs do you need?"(He also points out that the same answer applies to the question, "How many diets do you need?")<br />
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Another of his views on leadership training that I heartily endorse is that teams should be trained together.Otherwise, if just one person from a team attends a training session, as is often the case, any valuable techniques and behaviors learned will be confusing or puzzling to the person's co-workers when s/he returns to the office. As a result, no matter how valuable the new learnings may be, they likely will be dropped so as not to create a disturbance. What a waste!<br />
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Blanchard's comments are contained in a video clip on Elliott Masie's website to promote his upcoming LeadershipDev 2011 conference next week in Las Vegas. Masie interviewed three featured speakers and posted video clips of each. In addition to Blanchard, the other clips are of David Gergen and Tom Peters. Go here to view them: <a href="http://www.masie.com/leadervid">http://www.masie.com/leadervid</a>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-90399497571743698842011-06-02T10:15:00.000-07:002011-06-02T10:15:01.258-07:00One Company's Culture Shift: Turnover Reduced 66%<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"> <span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Beaulieu of America, one of the largest carpet manufacturers in the U.S., is a stellar example of corporate leadership that recognized the culture needed to change and committed to doing it. In just five years, the company reduced turnover 66%! </span></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">It was a change that was sorely needed, as reported in <em>CFO</em> magazine. At the outset, turnover at the company was "abysmal" at 50%; five years later it had dropped to 17%. Among the benefits was an astounding dollar savings. With the cost of replacing each employee averaging about $5,000, the company is saving $11.5 million <em>each year</em>! </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">With the help of consulting firm HPWP, Beaulieu brought the company's actions in line with its message, which cultivated mutual respect and trust across all levels of the organization. "So many companies say they want to be employee-friendly, but their actual policies say something different," says Beaulieu's CFO, Del Land. "That was true of us." </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><span class="abstract"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">The chief factor in achieving the culture shift, Land says, was turning over the hiring responsibility to teams of employees. The employees who will be the new worker's peers now select new hires. The reason this works well is that employee teams choose people who will fit into the group. As a result, the new person is surrounded by people "who want him or her to succeed."</span></span></span><span class="abstract"><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-42030959278117742472011-05-31T14:30:00.000-07:002011-05-31T14:30:00.209-07:00How to Use Stories to Nurture the CultureIn his <em>Harvard Business Review</em> blog, Peter Bergman shares an example of a CEO who listens to employee input. He tells of Bill Black, a former CEO of Maritime Life, who asked all the company's employees to help create a values statement. Then he asked a team of employees to write a newspaper containing stories that illustrated how the values were enacted in various departments.<br />
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So, in other words, one makr of an effective leader is the commitment to involving everyone--by asking, listening, and giving meaningful assignments that keep the desired culture alive and well. And if it becomes clear that the culture is veering off course, the leader steers it back in the right direction. The best way to do that is to change the stories that are told.<br />
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A related use of stories is to help with integrating the cultures of different companies following a merger. I worked with one major organization that had just bought two smaller companies. I guided the sales team through the process of crafting a new corporate story based on the shared values of the three organizations. The outcome was that the salespeople left with a solid story to tell their current customers, assuring them that the "new" company would continue to deliver the outstanding service they were accustomed to.<br />
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How about you? What stories is your organization telling that make the core values crystal clear? </div>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-56613754647243640852011-05-26T10:45:00.000-07:002011-05-26T10:45:00.300-07:00To Change the Culture, Change the Stories"If you want to change the culture, you have to change the stories," says Peter Bregman in a recent blog post for <em>Harvard Business Review</em>. As Bregman points out, corporate culture reflects the values of the people running an organization, and the culture has a significant impact on talent management and corporate success.<br />
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He asserts that when the CEO values input from all levels, employees are encouraged to strive for the company's success. Honest, direct employee input requires the CEO to face the truth contained in the stories employees tell--and to be willing to do something about them. Is that happening in the company where you work? How is that culture different from others you're familiar with?<br />
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</div>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-77975962965404340202011-05-24T05:00:00.000-07:002011-05-24T05:00:07.885-07:00A Brilliant Story of Nordstrom's Legendary ServiceAt Nordstrom's recent annual meeting, President Blake Nordstorm shared a new, shall we say shining, example of Nordstrom's legendary service. As reported in The Seattle <em>Times, </em>a woman in North Carolina was trying on clothes in a Nordstrom store when she noticed that the diamond had fallen out of her wedding ring. A store security staffer noticed the woman crawling under the racks on the sales floor, asked what had happened and then started helping her search.<br />
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When they didn't find the stone, he requested help from two building-services workers. They decided to check the store's vacuum cleaner bags and--voila!--there was the sparkling diamond. Noting that he's "never been through a vacuum-cleaner bag, President of Stores Erik Nordstrom said, "It's kind of disgusting." As he introduced the three employees who helped to find the customer's diamond, he told shareholders, "This (story) raises the bar."<br />
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It was a fitting tale at a meeting that focused on Nordstrom's efforts to cater to customers, both in the store and online. How does your company emphasize its core values?Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-33233119623819160782011-05-19T10:45:00.000-07:002011-05-19T10:45:00.214-07:00New Managers Often Lack Necessary SkillsA recent article in the Atlanta <em>Journal-Constitution</em> confirms what many have observed: People promoted to management positions are selected because they were great workers, but managing other people requires a different skill set that they may or may not have. This finding underscores a great need for leadership training that many organizations overlook or don't consider to be the high priority that it should be.<br />
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Supervisory communications and conflict resolution are the top skills that a leader needs but a new manager may not have. What memorable experiences have you had working with managers who exhibit signs of this gap in crucial skills?<br />
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</div>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-25796779709368877862011-05-17T10:20:00.000-07:002011-05-17T10:20:51.194-07:00Trust in Executives Key to Employee Engagement<span class="abstract"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">A high degree of employee engagement requires a high level of trust in the organization's executives more than workers' own managers--and yet, an extensive survey of employees across North America revealed that only 52 percent trusted their executive team while 72 percent trusted their immediate bosses.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Christopher Rice, CEO of BlessingWhite, the company conducting the survey, points out that if people "don't trust their boss, or their boss' boss, they'll begin to question how they fit in with the company and have less pride in the organization overall." One of the remedies, Rice says, is to strengthen communication skills among HR professionals as well as executives so that they can share the responsibility of conveying genuine "concern for employee well-being in order to strengthen employee motivation," he says.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Sharing one's own career stories--particularly focused on challenges the executive has faced, and how those were overcome--is one way to communicate genuine concern and understanding of employees' situations. Anyone have examples of how your organization's executives have done this effectively? We'd love to hear them!</span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-59256031644019133302011-05-10T14:19:00.000-07:002011-05-10T14:19:51.305-07:00Visual Storytelling Comes on StrongWhen you hear the word "storytelling," what comes to mind first? Do you envision someone standing at a mic and verbally spinning a yarn to inform or entertain? Do you recall a favorite movie or TV show? Or do images pop up of recent videos you've seen, either youtube clips or videos you've shot yourself with a camera or phone? <br />
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Most of us probably think first of one of those standard visual formats, but a new form of visual storytelling is taking the world by storm: infographics. The exciting thing is that several tools for creating infographics are now available to those who are graphically and artistically challenged. (That would include me!)<br />
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I've been using wordle.com for awhile, and it's a fun way to emphasize key points. A new tool that's currently in beta promises to be far more robust. It's visual.ly, and you can sign up to be notified on its progress at <a href="http://visual.ly/o2mh7">http://visual.ly/o2mh7</a>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-49366644040361291532011-04-29T14:28:00.000-07:002011-04-29T14:28:00.420-07:00Storytelling: A Powerful Tool For Board DevelopmentLike any work team, directors of any organization--nonprofits as well as corporations--function much better when the individuals get to know one another on a personal level. Storytelling is a very effective tool for developing personal relationships.<br />
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Research has shown conclusively that when people discover shared values,they're drawn closer together, develop deeper respect and appreciation for one another, support one another better, and work more effectively toward common goals.<br />
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When I work with boards to introduce the members to the practice of deliberate storytelling, and then coach individuals on shaping and telling their own stories, they're amazed by the transformative power of storytelling. <br />
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If you serve on a board and would like to learn how storytelling can help you bring your mission into sharper focus, give me a call! I'd love to help you expand your circle of supporters who will help you achieve your goals.Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574368.post-1482277169029029302011-04-27T10:19:00.000-07:002011-04-27T10:19:00.287-07:00Video A Good Connection for Boards?A recent "Wall Street Journal" reports that a growing number of corporate boards are using videoconferencing to save the costs, both in time and money, of requiring members to travel long distances to meetings. The article says that the time savings, in particular, make it feasible for companies to attract board members from around the world.<br />
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The down side, as expected, is that videoconferences greatly reduce the sense of personal connection and eliminate the opportunities for one-on-one interaction. McAfee board member Denis J. O'Leary commented on his experience of the videoconference-based discussions leading to an acceptance of Intel's acquisition offer: "I didn't feel like I was there, but I felt it was a lot better than the alternative, which was the telephone."<br />
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And Mei-Wei Cheng, a Diebold director, observes, it's possible to get to know fellow directors well only "when you're sitting at dinner or talking to each other at coffee breaks."<br />
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What's your experience with videocoferences? When do you think they're most effective--and not so effective?Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10174412896527745346noreply@blogger.com