Surviving the WorkQuake(c) by Paul Glover
September 23, 2009
04:39 pm | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
Over the last two months, based on the belief the bottom of the recessionary pit has been reached, most of my clients have realized that what made them successful before the economic meltdown is not going to keep them successful now. To be successful in the Post-Recessionary Economy, companies are going to have to “Do more with less. And do it better.” This means a serious restructuring of every aspect of a company’s operation. And I don’t mean additional downsizing – most good companies
accomplished appropriate, if painful, downsizing during the “hunker down – deer in the headlights” phase of the recession. To be successful from now on, a company needs to examine every operation to determine these three things:
1. Will the operation generate the profit margin necessary to justify continued investment of the company’s resources?
2. Is the manager of the operation the right person to run & grow the operation?
3. Are the employees in the operation the right employees for the operation?
These are not easy questions to answer for a variety of reasons (i.e. managers are in love with an operation, there is an ongoing commitment to managers, employees and customers). However, to reduce the angst of the necessary Restructuring Program and to ensure the Restructuring Program succeeds, when I am assisting a company’s Management Team in answering these questions and then in developing and implementing the actual Restructuring Program (the doing of what everyone knows needs to be done but there is a reluctance to do), I use the following process:
1. Everything & Everyone in the Company Must Be Under Review! From the CEO to the Front Line Worker. Even a profitable operation must be examined to determine if it can be made more profitable.
2. Conduct Employee and Customer Focus Groups! Listen to discover what the company does right & wrong in the eyes of these important stakeholders and determine if the perception about the company must be changed.
3. Develop a Communication Program! Everyone is freaked out by the events of the last year. When you say “restructure”, everyone will hear “downsizing” and go into panic/resistance mode. Regular communication = the buy in required to make the Restructuring Program work. You can not over communicate.
4. Be data driven! Don’t be emotionally attached to people or processes. The less subjectivity in the Restructuring Program, the more likely it will succeed.
5. The Pain Must Be Equal! – When a Restructuring Program means reductions in compensation (wages & benefits), the pain of such reductions must be shared equally by all if there is to be buy in to the Restructuring Program. And no one believes a 10% compensation reduction for a manager has the same pain quotient as a 10% compensation reduction for the front line worker.
6. Don’t Make Promises You Cannot Keep! Trust is very fragile now and requires you always do what you are supposed to do and do what you say you will do. No excuses for breaking a promise will be accepted.
7. Buy-in = Making the Restructuring Program an Essential Part of the Plan for the Future! Everyone needs to believe the future will be better. Connect that hope for a better future with the Restructuring Program.
8. Accountability is Required! Once there has been buy-in to the Restructuring Program (even if it is half-hearted buy-in), there must be assigned accountability for the implementation and success of the Restructuring Program – with concrete consequences for failure.
9. Motivation is Mandatory! The success of the Restructuring Program is often based on properly answering the often unspoken but inherent question “What Is In It For Me?” Connect compensation to the success of the Restructuring Program (i.e. 50% of my compensation is based on measurable results from the
Restructuring Program. Therefore, I am very motivated to achieve those results!)
10. Celebrate Success! As the phases of the Restructuring Program are successful implemented, celebrate success with everyone involved in the Restructuring Program.
The Bottom Line: Organizational survival means a successful Restructuring Program so that the Company “Can do more with less. And do it better.”
Question: What restructuring items are you undertaking to make your operation more successful?
Paul Glover, President Go to www.trainingeverydayleaders.com for more information about Restructuring in the Time of the WorkQuake™.
Recommend This If you liked this, let others know:
July 1, 2009
09:12 am | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
My offer to send out “The 80/20 Company Checklist” generated enough interest to make it this week’s topic. I define successful organizations as 80/20 Companies. In an 80/20 Company, 80% of what Management does is spot on and, as a results of treating Employees appropriately, these special and very rare Companies generate high performance, high productivity and high profit. 80/20 Companies also constantly work to improve the other 20% of their organization because they know that in the time of the WorkQuake™ being an 80/20 Company is not good enough! I use the following criteria to determine if an organization is an 80/20 Company. Any Company answering “Yes” to these 13 Questions is an 80/20 Company. Does your Company make the cut?
1. Does the company include Department’s Front Line Leaders in the hiring process?
Yes ______ No _____
2. Does the company have an “On Boarding Program”, which includes coaching and mentoring, to inculcate new Employees into the company’s culture and turns them into Core Employees?
Yes ______ No _____
3. Does the Company have a Communication Plan in place that is a dialogue and not a monologue?
Yes ______ No _____
4. Does the Company have an adequate Compensation Plan primarily based on Individual and/or Work Team Performance?
Yes ______ No _____
5. Does the Company provide a sufficient Benefit Package (health care, holidays, vacation, etc.) to its Employees?
Yes ______ No _____
6. Does the Company have sufficient Recognition and Rewards Programs for “above and beyond” behavior?
Yes ______ No _____
7. Does the Company conduct annual Employee Focus Groups, Satisfaction Surveys and 360 Degree Reviews?
Yes ______ No _____
8. Does the Company provide Training and Development Programs, including coaching and mentoring, for Supervisors, Managers and Front Line Leaders?
Yes ______ No _____
9. Does the Company conduct quarterly Performance Improvement Sessions that include Improvement Programs for each Employee?
Yes ______ No _____
10. Does the Company have a Continuous Operational Performance Improvement Program that encourages Employee participation in the innovation process?
Yes ______ No _____
11. Does the Company get rid of “The Others” (Employees who should have been terminated yesterday) as soon as they reveal themselves?
Yes ______ No _____
12. Does the Company adequately recognize and reward Core Employees (those Employees who consistently perform at 110%)?
Yes ______ No _____
13. Does the Company treat all Employees with Respect and Dignity?
Yes ______ No _____
The Bottom Line: Companies that are not 80/20 Companies will not thrive in the WorkQuake™ of the Knowledge Economy.
Question: Is your Company an 80/20 Company? If not, why not?
Paul Glover, President Go to www.trainingeverydayleaders.com for more information about how to be an 80/20 Company in the Time of the WorkQuake™.
Recommend This If you liked this, let others know:
June 17, 2009
10:05 am | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
To thrive in the the WorkQuake(tm) of the Knowledge Economy, an organization must find, retain and develop Intraprenuerial Employees. Here's how:
- It's the Employees! In the hyper-competitive environment of the Knowledge Economy every Organization must distinguish itself in the marketplace based on Service. Intrapreneurs/Core Employees provide that Service Differential.
- Hire Intrapreneurs/Core Employees and Temporary Employees! Intrapreneurs/Core Employees are your Talent. Intrapreneurs/Core Employees are Generalists with the skills and cross training necessary to perform a variety of functions and work as a member of an Organization wide Team, which makes them indispensable to your business. Temporary Employees are hired when business is good and are released at the first sign of a downturn.
- Keep Your Intrapreneurs/Core Employees Happy! Hire them above market value and provide them with good benefits. THEN...
- Train Them! Give Intrapreneurs/Core Employees every opportunity to gain new skills and competencies and cross-train them. As Core Employees acquire more skills they become more flexible resources.
- Reward Them! You must financial reward Intrapreneurs/Core Employees who use their new skills to help the Organization achieve its stated Goals. Pay must be aligned with the goals of the Organization, and there must be a direct correlation between pay and Employee effort. Employees Must Learn to Earn!
- Recognize Them! Double, triple, quadruple the number of "atta boys/girls."
- Involve Them! Make them part of the organization.
- Develop Them! They are the Organization's Everyday Leaders.
The Bottom Line: The WorkQuake™ of the Knowledge Economy demands Organizations create a workforce comprised primarily of Intrepreneurial Employees.
Question: Is your workforce comprised of Intrepreneurial Employees? If not, why not?
Go to www.trainingeverydayleaders.com for more information about developing an Intrapreneurial Workforce in the Time of the WorkQuake™.
Recommend This If you liked this, let others know:
June 16, 2009
09:02 am | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
Orientation ain't cutting it anymore in the time of the WorkQuake(tm)! Instead organizations need to pay more attention to not only who the hire but what they are doing to retain who they hire. An Onboarding Process will increase retention and productivity - and that's a very good thing.
What is Onboarding?
Ø Onboarding is the process of assimilating new employees into the organization. It is not a one time orientation event.
Ø Onboarding is a new employee’s support and mentorship program.
Ø Onboarding equips new employees with the professional and social tools necessary to succeed in their new position.
Ø Onboarding provides new employees with the resources they need to become fully engaged and culturally aware members of a productive team.
Why have an Onboarding Program?
Ø An Onboarding Program is necessary because of a decreasing sense of employment loyalty in the Generation Y dominated workforce.
Ø An Onboarding Program is necessary because recruitment is expensive and organizations can’t afford to lose their newly acquired talent.
Ø An Onboarding Program is necessary to ensure a match between the company’s culture and employment objectives and the new employee.
Ø An Onboarding Program is necessary to increase an organization’s retention rate, quickly develop a new employee into a high performance member of the work team and engage a new employee in a fashion that generates job satisfaction and increased commitment to the team and the organization.
When does an Onboarding Program begin and end?
Ø An Onboarding Program begins the moment a person is being considered for employment and ends when the new employee is classified as a high performance committed member of the work team. Normally this occurs in twelve months.
What are the characteristics of an effective Onboarding Programs?
Ø Onboarding is a positive experience for the new employee.
Ø Onboarding provides clear and consistent channels of communication.
Ø Onboarding provides milestones to gauge a new employee’s success and time-to-high performance productivity
Ø Onboarding reinforces the organization’s culture.
The Steps in an Effective Onboarding Program:
1. HR provides a realistic job preview and the organization’s vision, values and mission statements to the job candidate.
2. HR provides a Job Application to the job candidate.
3. HR conducts a Formal Assessment of the personality, communication style, emotional intelligence, etc. of the job candidate to determine cultural fit.*
4. The Department and HR interview the job candidate.**
5. The Department and HR make the decision to hire the job candidate.**
6. HR does a Pre-Start contact (i.e. welcome message, meet your co-workers page, information on organizational policies and benefits enrollment) with the new employee.
7. The new employee’s Mentor and the Department provide a World Class First Day.
8. 30-60-90-180-365 day evaluations are conducted.
* The use of formal assessments (i.e. Myers-Briggs) help determine whether the job candidate is a cultural fit with the organization and assists managers and co-workers to better understand the new employee’s strengths and areas for improvement.
** To ensure the new employee’s success, the new employee’s Department must be responsible for certain aspects of the Onboarding Program.
The Onboarding Program Schedule:
Pre-Day One: Post the new employee’s picture and a short bio about them on the organization’s web site. Assign a member of the new employee’s team to be the employee’s “mentor” for the first 30 days. The mentor is responsible for integrating the new employee into the professional and social culture of the organization.
Day One: The mentor and the new employee do orientation (i.e. tour of the workplace, meets team members, explains duties) and go to lunch together.30 Days: The mentor checks in with the new employee on a daily basis for the first 30 days. At the end of 30 days of employment, the manager takes the new employee to lunch to find out how things are going (i.e. training, supervision, support and tools needed to do the job), gives the employee feedback about how they are doing and addresses concerns. 60 Days: The new employee, their mentor and their manager are interviewed to determine what aspects of the Onboarding Program worked/are working well and what needs to be improved, to give the employee an evaluation about how they are doing and to address concerns. 90 Days: The manager takes the new employee to lunch to find out how things are going, to give the employee feedback about how they are doing and to address concerns. 180 Days: The new employee and their manager are interviewed to determine what aspects of the Onboarding Program are working well and what needs to be improved, to give the employee feedback about how they are doing and to address concerns.
365 Days: Celebrate the new employee becoming a high performance member of the organization!
Contact me at trainingeverydayleaders.com for mor info on the Onboarding Process.
Recommend This If you liked this, let others know:
June 11, 2009
01:55 pm | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
In the June 7th New York Times there was an interview with Clarence Otis Jr., CEO of Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden & Capital Grille - talk about diversity!)that I found intriguing because of his answers to 2 questions:
1 - Good piece of advice given: it's not about planning...it's about preparation & skill building - this gives the resilience everyone needs to recover from the inevitable mistakes they will make.
This is the essence of thriving in the WorkQuake(TM) of the Knowledge Economy!
2 - The importance of communication from the top dog - how amplied everything a leader says/does becomes - which requires intentional communications that eliminates the possibility that a random thought dismissed a moment after it was uttered becomes a directive.
Intentional Communications is essential to organizational success. I'm reminded of a story about Lenin immediately after the Russian Revolution. He was given a list of names and he put a check by over half the names and handed the list back to his aide. Those with a check by their names were immediately taken out and shot. The next morning he was told the executions had been accomplished and was surprised - the names he had checked were to be given a medal for service to the Revolution.
Can your organization afford the price of poor preparation and inadequate communciations?
Recommend This If you liked this, let others know:
June 10, 2009
09:50 am | 0 recommendations | 8 comments
It's not the strongest nor most intelligent of the species that survive; it is the one most adaptable to change" -- Charles Darwin
Last week's post generated discussion about what constitutes an Entrepreneurial Organization, Intrapreneurial Employees and Evangelist Customers. Here's my definition of THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ORGANIZATION
- Has RESPECT for all stakeholders--vendors, suppliers, customers, managers & employees.
- Has a Flatten Hierarchy--realizes the way to operate a business in the WorkQuake™ of the Knowledge Economy is to eliminate "command and control" and involve all the stakeholders in the decision making process.
- Has a Vision and Communicates that Vision--knows where it is and where it wants to go and makes sure all its stakeholders know also.
- Focuses on Constant Improvement--is never satisfied with the ways things are and continuously works to improve its processes, its relationships and its people.
- Fosters Creativity--by listening to the voices of all its stakeholders.
- Nurtures Everyday Leaders--by identifying, engaging and developing those individuals, at every level, who will take the organization to the next level.
- Is Flexible--understands that, in response to the constant unexpected of the WorkQuake™ , "the way it has always been done" may not be the way "it needs to be done."
- Is Ethical--in all its dealings with all its stakeholders.
- Realizes the stakeholders often unasked question "What's in it for me?" is a legitimate question that requires an answer.
The Bottom Line: The WorkQuake™ of the Knowledge Economy will only tolerate Entrepreneurial Organizations.
Question: Is your company an Entrepreneurial Organization? If not, why not?
Paul Glover, President
Go to www.trainingeverydayleaders.com for more information about becoming an Entrepreneurial Organization in the Time of the WorkQuake™.
Recommend This If you liked this, let others know:
May 28, 2009
10:09 am | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
I’ve written a lot lately about the need for every Company, as well as every department in the Company, to have a Strategic Plan. Clearly, every Company needs the basic roadmap that describes, in clear and simple terms, how it is going to get from where it is to where it wants to be. And every department in the Company needs a One Page Departmental Strategic Plan – developed by the Employees in the department - that aligns what the department does on a daily basis with what the Company wants to achieve. Why so much emphasis on Strategic Planning?1. Because the business terrain has changed and will continue to change, so the Company’s Strategic Plan in place last September can not reflect the new roadmap the Company needs to be looking at to survive the current WorkQuake™ tremor.2. Because the Employees need to know there is a Strategic Plan in place. At this time, a Strategic Plan emphasizes to the Employees that Management is still in charge and knows what they are doing; That Management has a Plan; And the Plan means there is hope for the Future.3. Because involving the Employees in developing Departmental Strategic Plans indicates Employees know and understand the Company’s overall Strategic Plan and realize they can contribute to help the company get to where it needs to be by what they do in the workplace on a daily basis. This involvement generates the commitment every Company needs to survive in the Knowledge Economy 4. But Most Importantly: Because now is the perfect opportunity for the Company to develop a Strategic Plan from the perspective of becoming an Entrepreneurial Organization that is dedicated to developing Intrapreneurial Employees and creating Evangelist Customers. The Bottom Line: Why is this the perfect time to focus the Strategic Planning process on the changes needed at all levels of the organization to ensure the Company future? Because the Organizational Change Procedure takes place in three stages:
- The Unfreezing Stage (overcoming resistance to change);
- The Moving Stage (accepting change); and
- Refreezing Stage (making the new change part of the organization).
The current economy crisis has dramatically reduced the opposition to change reflected in the Unfreezing and Moving Stages and created a unique opportunity to develop and implement organizational changes (Refreezing Stage) to reflect the needs of the Organization, its Employees and its Customers in the Knowledge Economy.
Question: Does your Company have the guts to generate a Strategic Plan that genuinely reflects where the Company needs to be in the future to thrive, and not just survive the WorkQuake™ of the Knowledge Economy?
Paul Glover, President Go go to www.trainingeverydayleaders.com for more information about Strategic Planning in the Time of the WorkQuake™.
Recommend This If you liked this, let others know:
May 21, 2009
05:51 am | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
I’m stunned – and so are they!
My job sometimes requires me to see the dark underbelly of managing in the time of the WorkQuake™. But. Fortunately, nothing any of my clients have ever done even comes close to these two examples of managerial brainlock that can only occur when the dark stars are properly aligned.
As reported by The Miami Herald: 43 children, all children of prison officials, were shocked by electric stun guns during ‘Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day’ events at three different Florida state prisons, while another group of kids was exposed to tear gas during a demonstration at another Florida prison. None of the children, ages 5 to 17, required medical attention.
The ultimate irony: the newspaper reported that: “So far this year (in Florida), none of the devices have been used on the 100,000 prison inmates—only the children of DOC workers.”
Three prison guards have been fired, two resigned and 16 more employees will be disciplined.
American tortured - by boss!
Chad Hudgens was waterboarded outside the company’s office in Provo, Utah, by his boss. Hudgens, who claims he did not know what was about to happen to him, volunteered for the "team-building exercise," where co-workers pinned him down while his supervisor poured water from a gallon jug over his nose and mouth until, as the employee claims, “I'm starting to black out. I'm getting very dizzy, light-headed. The sensation that's going through my head is, 'I'm going to drown.' "
The supervisor then told the assembled sales team, whose numbers had been lagging: "You saw how hard Chad fought for air right there. I want you to go back inside and fight that hard to make sales." Other “motivational techniques” allegedly used by the supervisor: if the 10-person sales team went a day without a sale, members had to work the next day standing up and he kept a piece of wood on his desk he called "the 2-by-4 of motivation.”
The supervisor was suspended for two weeks. The employee sued the company and the supervisor.
The Bottom Line: What the hell were they thinking? Do you have any workplace brainlock horror stories to share?
Recommend This If you liked this, let others know:
May 20, 2009
11:57 am | 0 recommendations | 1 comment
I seldom pass along links to videos, but this is one that I think every person in business and every employee in the workplace needs to see. Why? Because we get so caught up in the day-to-day struggles of running a business and earning a living that we lose sight about how rapidly and drastically our world is changing, and will continue to change, and how those changes will affect the way we live and work. In five-minutes "Did You Know 3.0," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpEnFwiqdx8&e shows us many of those changes. And, at the same time, raises a lot of interesting and scary questions. Some of the facts and figures presented:Ø The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 … did not exist in 2004.Ø The amount of new technical information doubles every two years. For students starting a 4 year technical degree half of what they learn their first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study.Ø How long it took various technologies and tools to reach a market audience of 50 million:
- Radio - 38 years
- Television - 13 years
- Internet - 4 years
- Facebook - 2 years
The Bottom Line: While "Did You Know 3.0?" doesn’t provide any answers to the questions it raises, it is extremely thought provoking. And in the hectic time of the WorkQuake™, as our companies continue to transition from the stability of the Industrial Economy to the instability of the Knowledge Economy, we all need to take a moment to reflect on how these ongoing changes will affect all of us and our co-workers in the very near future.I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful Memorial Day Holiday! Paul Glover, President Go to www.trainingeverydayleaders.com for more information about the WorkQuake™.
Recommend This If you liked this, let others know:
May 19, 2009
06:11 am | 0 recommendations | 1 comment
One of the Graduate Classes I teach is "Communications." This is an email from a former student that highlights the need for Companies to realize the ongoing requirement to engage Employees in an honest dialogue about the current condition of the Company and to treat departing Employees with dignity and respect.
“Since we spent a significant amount of class time discussing effective managerial communications with employees, I thought you might be interested in how our company is handling layoffs. It might be good material for your next class.
Obviously the XXXXX business is not very good at this time with all of the layoffs, but the only communications from senior management has been a newsletter with a message from the CEO expressing that the XXXX business is changing, but the company is financially stable.
Today, I received a call from an administrative assistant in the HR Department in Texas asking me to deliver boxes to one of the managers in our office. When I told her we usually don't supply boxes, she told me the boxes were needed for several employees who were going to be RIFed today. But, she asked me to keep it confidential since they did not know. Apparently, the management in this department was going to tell these people and hand them a box to pack up. She also told me another 35 people were going to be fired next week and sent me a schedule of box deliveries. I feel like the grim reaper.
Can't wait to see what it does for the productivity in the office. Not to mention the rumor mills.”
1st the credibility of the CEO has been damaged since the Company's actions belie his words.
2nd, what a way to treat departing Employees! Hand them a box and tell them to leave! Almost as bad as the company that had Employees report to a hotel meeting room and told them their personal stuff was packed in boxes placed along the wall. A management team comprised of cowards and idiots!
3rd, as I tell all my clients, "termination" does not mean Employees are dead. And Employees have a tendency to hang around in the same industry - working for a competitor, looking for an opportunity to level the playing field for being done wrong.
In the WorkQuake(tm), where Employees and the knowledge they have about the Companies they work for can be the deciding factor as to whether a Company survives or thrives, what goes around will come around and wouldn't it be better if the "come around" was a good thing based on having treated departing Employees as if they were valued members of the "team" Companies are always touting?
Companies had better come to the realization that disrespecting Employees has consequences - often ones they never see but that still have a detrimental impact on the bottom line.
Recommend This If you liked this, let others know:
