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A
Message from Maryellen:
Since
September, I have been traveling throughout the U.S. talking
to people about their concerns, hopes, issues, and visions
for the future. I have trained line managers in Texas, Arizona,
Oregon, and New York City. Recently, I participated in a showcase
in Minnesota where we spoke with employees from several different
industries on leadership and management issues.
Here are
some of the issues we discussed:
• Concerns about the lack
of leadership in corporate America.
• Questions about the role
of ethics and values in the workplace.
• Uncertainty about how
to address current economic realities.
• Decreased employee morale
and motivation.
• The war on terrorism and
its impact on individuals and organizations.
Many companies
felt that this was a good time to conduct formal training
programs. However, budget constraints prevented some from
implementing their training initiatives. Other companies were
so busy focusing on "compliance issues" that "people
issues" were moved down on the list of priorities.
As a consultant,
I would love to solve all of these problems—and more.
As an entrepreneur, I recognize the importance of focusing
on the things I can change. The recommendations below are
not meant to be a panacea. Like most best practices, they
are common sense but not common practice. These ideas are
derived from the collective wisdom of the people I met in
my travels:
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Ask
the leaders in your organization to answer two questions
about your business: |
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—
What value do we bring to the marketplace? |
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—
What are we doing to support (or hinder) this value?
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Reach
out to all of your employees and find out what you can
do right now to support them. (Implement their suggestions
or tell them why you can't.)
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Make
sure that your managers (and you) are not "hiding
out." Walk around and ask people how they are doing.
(Listen carefully to their answers.)
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Keep
your commitments, and tell people the truth.
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Encourage
informal learning and development opportunities. (Take
this opportunity to foster a learning environment.)
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Mentor
someone who wants your help. (Make it the responsibility
of current leaders to mentor future leaders.)
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Identify
and change ideas/habits that no longer contribute to your
organization's success.
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Foster
a positive work environment for all employees. (Treat
people fairly.)
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Ask
people what you can do to help them feel safer and happier
at work. (Where possible, implement their ideas promptly.)
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Acknowledge
your top performers. Recognize and reward success on a
regular basis. (Don't wait until the next quarterly meeting.) |
I
hope you will visit "News & Events" again next
month. Each month we will provide you with industry trends,
strategies, training tips, and even ideas on where to meet
your clients for lunch in NYC, AZ, TX, OR or MN!
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