Month: November 2010

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The Employee Handbook- Is There an Update Needed?

Two-employees-going-through-their-company-employee-handbook

So what do you say when an employee asks, “What’s the policy regarding [insert any random employee concern here]? If the answer starts with, “Well, the handbook says […], but we usually we just do it this way. Then you may be in trouble. Or, have you ever given the answer that you believed to be correct just to have the employee state, “well, the handbook says I am entitled to […].” And as soon as it is out of their mouth, you say, “well, that is not how we do things.” Or, instead of saying a word, you pull out the handbook and frantically search to find the source of their comment certain that you are going to prove them wrong. If any of the above scenarios sound familiar to you, your handbook or your handbook compliance may need a tune-up.

Having an accurate, up to date handbook has many advantages in the workplace. It provides employees and supervisors with guidance on how to handle situations as they arise. However, compliance with the policies contained within consistently across the organization can be even more important to mitigate risk to the organization. And while mitigation of risk shouldn’t be the only priority of HR professionals, it is a necessary part of the job. And even if you are not concerned with risk mitigation, just having the consistent compliance with policies provides a better workplace for employees. They like knowing what is expected and what consequences will occur for not meeting those expectations.

Below is a list of things to consider when creating, updating and communicating your employee handbook or Standard Operating Procedures. What can you add to the list?

  1. Have it reviewed by an attorney.
  2. Review it at regular intervals to ensure policies are current and up to date.
  3. Have a plan in place to address updates to policies. How will the updates be communicated to the organization?
  4. Ensure the communication of all policies to everyone in the organization.
  5. Provide training to supervisors and company leaders on the importance of consistently following all policies.
  6. Keep a log of all updates and changes to all policies.
  7. Don’t lock yourself into consequences you don’t want to enforce. Doing so, will encourage non-compliance and get you into trouble.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.

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Celebrate What’s Right

Man Raising Right Hand in the Office

One of the best motivational movies I’ve seen in a VERY long time is with DeWitt Jones, a National Geographic photographer, called Celebrate What’s Right with the World. I can’t recommend this movie strongly enough. I’ve seen it over a dozen times and still find it heart- warming and inspiring. The photography is amazing and DeWitt’s quotes are so memorable. I use this movie regularly in my training programs on Appreciative Inquiry.

In one scene DeWitt has been assigned to take photographs of a field of dandelions and wasn’t excited to do it that day. He comes back a few days later and the dandelions had all turned into puff balls. He is about to leave and a little voice in him said, “Come on DeWitt, I know this isn’t how you planned it. But what’s here to celebrate?” He stays to take a bunch of photos and when he shifts his angle looking up at the sun, he captures a beautiful shot of a puff ball silhouetted in the sunlight.

I really like the phrase from the video “What’s here to Celebrate?” I have that question posted on my bulletin board by my desk and it’s helped me on more than one occasion. When I feel tired, overwhelmed, bored or worried, I stop and ask ‘what’s here to celebrate?’ I’m amazed at what I find within a short period of time that is worth celebrating or giving thanks. Some days it’s an unexpected phone call, other days it’s someone who’s got information I need. Frequently I find that if I shift my perspective just a little bit, as DeWitt does with his camera, I see the world from a different angle or through a different lens- more open, receptive, perhaps even hopeful. We all carry multiple lenses to see the world. Which lens do you use? hopeful, welcoming, joyful or cynical, angry, and skeptical.

As you plan or attend various celebrations this season, celebrate the small stuff too. What has gone right in your world recently? How do you celebrate the small things that are working in your life? During this time of Thanksgiving reflect on all the ways you are supported, guided, blessed or loved.

For the next week, take time each day to ask yourself – what’s here to celebrate? Then do something to celebrate, even if it’s giving yourself a pat on the back. Better yet, celebrate the accomplishments of someone in your office and you both will feel better.

Bright Blessings to you. Here’s a trailer to the movie – enjoy!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGOMoLV0nxk[/youtube]

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For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.

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Linda is an author, speaker, coach, and consultant. Go to her website www.lindajferguson.com to read more about her work, view video clips of her talks, and find out more about her book “Path for Greatness: Spirituality at Work” available on Amazon.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN-LgN19-Cc[/youtube]

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Why is Social Media Listening Important?

Young lady on her phone on social media live stream

You Need to Know What People Are Saying About Your Company

People are talking about you. Word-of-mouth. It happens in person and online. Before the internet it was much harder to find out what they were saying. But now that everything is posted – and permanent – it’s relatively easy to find out what people say about you, if you know how.

Did you know that you can set up a fully automated system to let you know anytime anyone says something online about:

  • you,
  • your company,
  • your brand,
  • your products, or
  • your competitors?

Social Media Conversation Monitoring

You can’t control the conversation, but you can listen and be alerted immediately when people write about you on:

  • Blogs
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Articles
  • Comments
  • Ratings, and
  • Anywhere people post content.

You can’t control it, and you don’t really want to control the conversation. By really listening to what people say, you can learn an awful lot about what you’re doing right (so you can keep doing it, or do it even better), and especially what you’re doing WRONG. This is perhaps the most valuable information, although often the hardest to hear.

Do You Live Up to Your Marketing Messages?

Your audience will point out, for the entire world to see, anytime your promises (marketing messages) don’t match your service (operations). If you know what you’re doing wrong, you can FIX IT.

If you want to make a splash online, listening is essential. In the next post, I will show you how to set up a fully automated system for getting immediate alerts on the topics of your choice – absolutely FREE.

Have you found negative information about your company online? If so, what did you do about it?

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For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

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ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman: With offices in Nashville Tennessee, but working virtually with international clients, Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. As a Founder of iBrand Masters, a social media consulting firm, Lisa Chapman helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com

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The Role of Grants in the Capital Campaign

businessman-carefully-composing-a-business-grant-proposal

While most grant maker guidelines — foundation, corporate and certainly government — specifically exclude capital campaigns, there are some few that will consider a proposal requesting campaign support.

Applicants need to identify those in their funding source research. The proposal will be a restatement of the case statement and should be formatted according to the funder’s guidelines.

Before applying for grant funding, it is wise to have completed the silent phase and include fundraising progress in the proposal. Grant funders to campaigns generally don’t like to be first and they don’t like to be the largest contributor. Showing them that lead gifts are in hand and that the campaign has generated at least 50% of goal is an important strategy consideration when including grants in a campaign portfolio.

What about all those grantors that exclude campaign funding? Many campaigns today are not just for “bricks and mortar.” They are structured to include programmatic themes. These may include scholarships, endowment support, special projects of many types, as well as general support — and also buildings.

In applying for support to funders that exclude campaigns, the proposal writer should focus on the specific components contained in the overall campaign, and structure the request for the specific project or projects. As long as the proposal is consistent with the grant makers’ guidelines, it may be considered even though the program is part of a larger campaign.

As always, the applicant should try to make personal contact with the funder to discuss the project. It’s fine to mention the overall campaign in that conversation, and that reference can be echoed in the proposal.

Will grants “count” toward the campaign goal if the funder is not making a grant to the campaign itself, but is supporting a project within the campaign?
A review of the CASE* Standards will provide guidance. Most grants can be considered if the campaign is of the “count everything” variety. Even some government grants may qualify — especially if they are NEH type challenge grants. Gifts made in response to the challenge, and the NEH payments will count.

* (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education)

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Have a comment or a question about starting or expanding your grants program? Email me at Andrew@GrantServices.com..

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Manage Your Career Competitive Edge

Man in suit holding up a finger

Manage your comeptitive edgeCareer success does not happen just because one does good work. That is expected.

To get ahead and stay ahead, you must excel. Here are three strategies to manage your competitive edge.

1. Become a Career Entrepreneur

The business of career management is that—an independent business that you manage—even if you work for someone else. In this changing world of downsizing, restructuring, buyouts and mergers, you – not the company – must be in the driver’s seat of your career.

The key question is not where do I now stand on the organization ladder? Who knows if there will even be a ladder tomorrow? But rather: What do I know how to do? How well do I do it? Where else can I do it? Who is willing and able to pay me for it?

Look at your workplace as a marketplace of buyers and sellers. You are the seller-providing skills, experience and knowledge – to people who need what you have to offer. For example, if you’re an accountant then what is it that you offer that a buyer will pay for? In other words, what do you bring to the employment table?

2. Have Skills, Will Travel

You carry with you, wherever you go, a large portfolio or suitcase that holds all of your skills and accomplishments. What’s in your portfolio? Is it heavy with many skills or light with only a few? Do you know if it would be valued in lots of different places or just a limited number?

To be competitive, you must periodically audit your portfolio. How do you compare with your peers in terms of education, experience, training, career progression? Are you new and improved? Or, are you just the same person you were three, five, ten years ago? Do you have the right mix of skills, knowledge and experiences to position yourself for the future? Or, do you need to repackage yourself in some way? Getting ahead tomorrow means getting better today and throughout your work life.

3. Play the Career Game

What will keep you in the race as the rules of the workplace road continue to change? Initiative, adaptability and visibility are the foundation for career success. First, exercise leadership. You can’t afford to crouch behind your desk, buried in your everyday work and hope for the best. Go beyond your job description and direct your energy to the top priorities of your boss, your department, your team. Make yourself indispensable.

Next stand up and be seen. Promote yourself, not by your title, but by the outcomes or results of what you’re doing. You can start making a name for yourself by being involved in successful assignments that allow you to be visible to a wide range of people who could have an impact on your career. Your reputation can either pave the way or get in the way of your success.

Career Success Tip

If you don’t manage your competitive edge, your competitors will edge you out. So what are you doing to get ahead and stay ahead of the crowd? How well do you play the career game? Do you need to play it better?

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

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Take Advantage of Crises to Grow and Learn

Crisis on a White Paper On A Vintage Typewriter

Crisis management continues after the problems are over

It seems counter-intuitive to some, but crises can present amazing opportunities to grow and learn. In a post on his Harvard Business Review blog, expert business consultant Ron Ashkenas explains the shift that occurs during crises, and gives some excellent advice on how to stretch it as far as possible:

People jump to respond to floods and snowstorms, urgent customer problems, financial challenges, or competitive moves. Levels of collaboration and creativity rise; a sense of urgency pervades the workplace; and everyone pitches in to resolve the problem or achieve the goal. But when the crisis passes, things revert to normal. The crisis becomes a part of the company’s folklore rather than a step towards lasting performance.

…You can capture the spirit and energy of a crisis and use it not only to achieve the immediate goal, but also to build new patterns of achievement over time. If you and your team have recently experienced a surge of performance due to a crisis, special deadline, or extraordinary challenge, consider taking the following steps:

1) Organize a post-crisis learning clinic. Include the key people w ho were involved — from your team, other parts of your organization, and even outside parties. Take stock of what you learned: What was done differently? What new patterns or innovations were sparked by the crisis? And most importantly, what new ways of working — individually or collectively — should be continued?

2) Identify a critical initiative that you want to accelerate. Carve out a stretch goal that will demonstrate progress in 100 days or less — and then consciously apply one or more of the new patterns to it. Use the next 100 days as a real-time experiment to build the new innovations into your team’s muscle memory, while also generating additional learning from the 100-day challenge.

Every time you face a challenge it is an opportunity to improve, but the vast majority of organizations are sorely lacking in this type of thinking. By taking the steps that Ashkenas recommends, you can take advantage of of the energy and creativity that is born during a crisis to strengthen yourself against the next.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. , an international crisis management consultancy, and author of Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training.]

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If I Am An Actor, Why Am I Here?

Two-male-actors-on-a-stage

“I y’am what I y’am, what I y’am.”

Now, I am an actor, a speaker, and a trainer–as well as a writer. When I act, I act. When I speak, I speak. When I train, that’s different, too. As I said earlier in my previous blog, acting is more than “being someone else” or “a scripted performance.” Keep in mind that there is a huge difference between those actors on film and those on stage–so don’t give me the unprepared actors’ speeches at the Academy awards routine.

Here’s something to think about: I use acting coaching methods to help speakers and trainers to better know how to interact with their audience.

While some people believe actors need a script to act, the best do not. There is a lot more to acting than some people think. Some actors can make it look so natural. Actors do interact with their audience (not always directly) and they damn well better be aware how they are affecting them.

Actors need to be sincere and real in their delivery as well; if they are not, believe me, they will get told by me as a performance critic that they are not doing their jobs. So it goes for anyone who is communicating with an audience. Trainers and public speakers come to mind.

There were some great comments and, unfortunately, some not so well-informed ones made in response to the LinkedIn question on actors and speaker differences that prompted the blog above. The very fact I come from an acting background and used “Acting Smarts” as the title of my company and blog may have made some “business professionals” think I teach only acting.

29488_1273485685956_1494340901_30562861_6047547_n
Jack Shaw and Joy Blatherwick in PLAY ON! at Haddonfield Plays and Players. Photo by David Gold

I teach communication. I don’t make a speaker become someone else to deliver a message; I help that person use who they are–the best of who they are–to present his or her message. The ability to act only makes me more comfortable at connecting with my audience in a personal way.

We, actors, often reach deep inside and willing to share those truths. But the same can be said of many people and many professions, yes? It just happens to work for me and entertain as well.

We all need a reality check once in a while (trainers, too) and I’ve kind of made that my job in a few areas. I call it Shaw’s Reality. Check out my best-seller based on posts here, The Cave Man Guide to Training and Development, and my futuristic novel, In Makr’s Shadow, talks of a time when people no longer may communicate freely and socializing without being vetted and matched is a capital offense.)

By the way, my background includes a masters in social psychology as well as an interdisciplinary dual masters in English and Speech/Drama with an emphasis in performance criticism. As for practical application, I have 30+ years in government and the military (my “day” job) as a spokesperson, trainer and writer, and continued to freelance as an actor whenever possible.

Actors are not only actors, speakers not only speakers, and trainers not only trainers, but a polygamous marriage and more; each are communicators in his or her own rights, and the best of us do whatever it takes and learn whatever we can to get the job done.

This makes me think of a great follow-up: What makes a great trainer? What is the difference between a public speaker and a trainer? A speech or training session? Next time. I invite your comments and questions. And, if you are looking for someone to communicate to an audience any of these things, please let me know. Happy training.

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For more resources about training, see the Training library.

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Trainer, Speaker or Actor? Why Not Acting in Business? In Training?

A-group-of-people-listeninng-toa-trainer-address-them.

This all began as a comment to my LinkedIn colleagues of actors, trainers, speakers and assorted other related professionals. Someone had asked the question: In your opinion what is the difference between an actor and a speaker? It actually stirred up quite the controversy. Actors, speakers and trainers come from many different backgrounds as you will learn over the course of–not just this early blog–but others to come.

At first I was offended because many of the comments addressing the acting question showed a real lack of knowledge of acting, and in general, communicating. And, some of these people actually get paid to speak or train.

js-beard
Yes, that’s me from another time.

Any professional actor with training will tell you this: acting is not just about pretending to be someone else. It is reacting. Acting is not just a scripted performance, but an interactive experience with the audience–the same we hope for in training or public speaking.

Speaking from a script only sounds easy, but it’s not. Try reading aloud for an extended period of time. Now, put on the pressure of people you don’t know–mostly eyes watching you read.

For an actor, who sight reads really well it may not be that much of a jump; actors are used to words coming out of their mouths and having an impact on an audience. Reading a script is how an actor auditions for a role, especially for commercials. Then, remember how complicated good communication really is–with eye contact, movement, gestures and subtle interactions with the audience.

As trainers and professional communicators (that includes actors), we know better than to memorize scripts when speaking, except for a part of them. See my blog on memorizing. As an actor who speaks, I can tell you doing a speech or training session without a script is the best way to go.

If you memorize a script, don’t forget to memorize a characterization of another person as well as the stage movement motivated by the lines of your character. It is, of course, more work to do a scripted speech or training session, naturally, without sounding mechanical. To do that requires more than conversation, more than knowledge of a topic. It requires audience analysis, and you have to make the script yours otherwise it will sound artificial.

It may seem like I’m going off topic, but it seems the combination of acting and public speaking principles actually make for a pretty good trainer. Actors are not only actors, and speakers not only speakers; I’d bet the best of both professions, are not singular in their thinking about what works and learn from all areas that gets the job done. Granted, not all that an actor knows or should know to be a good actor is applicable in all circumstances; the same can be said of a good trainer or a good speaker.

I may have mixed up my education, but each of those parts help with the whole. The English and theater departments appreciated that I could bring a psychological perspective to literature, drama, and performance. The psychology department loved that I could communicate behavior.

And, to that, I say to all of you: Bring all your knowledge and skills to bear on your performance–be it as a trainer or speaker or actor. It’s all good. All of my blogs, including my blogs on training and development are on my website. Don’t be surprised to find some on acting and directing and theatrical reviews as well. Check it out.

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For more resources about training, see the Training library.

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Coaching Tip – Get an Accountability Partner

Business partners planning in an office

When I talk with people they state they are disappointed that sometimes they do not accomplish their goals – a promotion, start a business, run a marathon, go back to school, or whatever they set their sights on. They have great intentions and mean well, but they fall short on execution. What they set out to do doesn’t happen.

Accountability is one of the reasons why coaching works – clients have a partner to help them stay committed and take action on what is important to them. My clients tell me that our coaching check-ins help them keep their momentum.

Here’s a tip – if you do not work with a coach, I suggest getting an Accountability Partner – someone who will help keep you focused and in action. Another option is to form small groups of trusted colleagues that meet on a regular basis – Accountability Groups. You will find that you will be more successful in accomplishing what you set out to do when you stay accountable to someone.

Who will be your Accountability Partner?

For more resources, see the Library topic Personal and Professional Coaching.

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Pam Solberg-Tapper MHSA, PCC – I spark entrepreneurial business leaders to set strategy, take action, and get results. How can I help you? Contact me at CoachPam@cpinternet.com ~ Linkedin ~ 218-340-3330

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8 Guidelines for Managing Ethics in the Workplace

A businesswoman going through a file on her table

The following guidelines ensure the ethics management program is operated in a meaningful fashion:

1. Recognize that managing ethics is a process.

Ethics is a matter of values and associated behaviors. Values are discerned through the process of ongoing reflection. Therefore, ethics programs may seem more process-oriented than most management practices. Managers tend to be skeptical of process-oriented activities, and instead prefer processes focused on deliverables with measurements. However, experienced managers realize that the deliverables of standard management practices (planning, organizing, motivating, controlling) are only tangible representations of very process-oriented practices. For example, the process of strategic planning is much more important than the plan produced by the process. The same is true for ethics management. Ethics programs do produce deliverables, e.g., codes, policies and procedures, budget items, meeting minutes, authorization forms, newsletters, etc. However, the most important aspect from an ethics management program is the process of reflection and dialogue that produces these deliverables.

2. The bottom line of an ethics program is accomplishing preferred behaviors in the workplace.

As with any management practice, the most important outcome is behaviors preferred by the organization. The best of ethical values and intentions are relatively meaningless unless they generate fair and just behaviors in the workplace. That’s why practices that generate lists of ethical values, or codes of ethics, must also generate policies, procedures and training that translate those values to appropriate behaviors.

3. The best way to handle ethical dilemmas is to avoid their occurrence in the first place.

That’s why practices such as developing codes of ethics and codes of conduct are so important. Their development sensitizes employees to ethical considerations and minimize the chances of unethical behavior occurring in the first place.

4. Make ethics decisions in groups, and make decisions public, as appropriate.

This usually produces better quality decisions by including diverse interests and perspectives, and increases the credibility of the decision process and outcome by reducing suspicion of unfair bias.

5. Integrate ethics management with other management practices.

When developing the values statement during strategic planning, include ethical values preferred in the workplace. When developing personnel policies, reflect on what ethical values you’d like to be most prominent in the organization’s culture and then design policies to produce these behaviors.

6. Use cross-functional teams when developing and implementing the ethics management program.

It’s vital that the organization’s employees feel a sense of participation and ownership in the program if they are to adhere to its ethical values. Therefore, include employees in developing and operating the program.

7. Value forgiveness.

This may sound rather religious or preachy to some, but it’s probably the most important component of any management practice. An ethics management program may at first actually increase the number of ethical issues to be dealt with because people are more sensitive to their occurrence. Consequently, there may be more occasions to address people’s unethical behavior. The most important ingredient for remaining ethical is trying to be ethical. Therefore, help people recognize and address their mistakes and then support them to continue to try operate ethically.

8. Note that trying to operate ethically and making a few mistakes is better than not trying at all.

Some organizations have become widely known as operating in a highly ethical manner, e.g., Ben and Jerrys, Johnson and Johnson, Aveda, Hewlett Packard, etc. Unfortunately, it seems that when an organization achieves this strong public image, it’s placed on a pedestal by some business ethics writers. All organizations are comprised of people and people are not perfect. However, when a mistake is made by any of these organizations, the organization has a long way to fall. In our increasingly critical society, these organizations are accused of being hypocritical and they are soon pilloried by social critics. Consequently, some leaders may fear sticking their necks out publicly to announce an ethics management program. This is extremely unfortunate. It’s the trying that counts and brings peace of mind — not achieving an heroic status in society.

What do you think?

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Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD – Authenticity Consulting, LLC – 763-971-8890
Read my weekly blogs: Boards, Consulting and OD, Nonprofits and Strategic Planning.