Bresnahan's Shorts* - January 2005

*Short topics

Losing Revenue

In a study of 300 Fortune Most Admired companies it was found that there was 10% overspending on their workforce and that employees were underperforming by 10%. For example a $10 million company that decreases its workforce costs by 10% and boosts productivity by 10% would gain nearly $1.25 million in annual savings.

Further the study shared that the majority of the executives (84%) may not be taking full advantage of their workforce’s potential. While we are all aware of increased demand for a flexible workforce it was found that companies:

• Have trouble retaining top talent
• Don’t have systems in place to identify the most skilled employees
• Aren’t providing more training for their most strategic employees as compared to what is provided to other employees

It was also reported that there is a significant gap between human resources needs and business goals. Work structured around jobs versus around skills and competencies is a major barrier to optimizing talent. Senior executives (80%) emphasized the importance of focusing on retention and development while fewer than 20% of HR executives reported that their company is proficient at this.

Sounds like factors the Bresnahan Group has been talking about for awhile. If you are ready to make better use of your workforce by making sure the business goal is clear and management is in alignment and then moving down into your organization, give us a call. We are happy to present how this can be done so you aren’t leaving money on the table.
Excerpted from BLR, Dec. 2004

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Thoughts to Ponder

Working together works.

Napoleon once revealed that before going into battle he never worried about what would happen if he won, but he always knew exactly what he would do if he lost.

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Back to Basics

“Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but strength.” - Thanks to Ron Jodlowski, Senior Consultant, Preventive Crisis Intervention.

During the holiday season we are often reminded of others who are less fortunate. Sometimes the need for assistance is not so obvious. Many times, whether you are a business owner or not, we need help but because we are too busy to notice or too proud or embarrassed, we don’t seek it. I can think of a nephew who is plodding along when he might catapult himself forward if he would just seek out some resources, and yes, help. I think that often HELP is a huge word that gets a lot of positive reaction and people seem to come out of the woodwork.

As an entrepreneur I meet a lot of people in my travels. There are wonderful people out there plying their talents and skills. Recently, I heard someone speak on networking and giving your 10-second tag line. He said that business owners “don’t want help” so we should not say that we are here to help. Wow! How many times have I heard a fellow entrepreneur shake his head and say, “Boy, they need help.”

I guess we all need help in a variety of ways. We certainly are not perfect. Maybe it is easier to say, “I have a situation I don’t quite know what to do about it. What do you think? ”Asking for help can be a humbling act. Jim Collins said in his book “Good to Great,” leaders who took their company to greatness were humble. Tapping into someone else’s expertise can be a very smart thing to do with huge payoffs.

Maybe the start of the new year is a good time to start. So, let me start. If any one has an extra two million dollars, I could use it. Oh well, if that doesn’t do it how about any referrals whom could make use of the services of the Bresnahan Group.

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Client's Corner

New shift supervisors, Frank and Max, in a manufacturing company talked about wanting to get their people to work more as a team and increase production. They shared that they were the last of a long line of supervisors who had moved in and out of the positions because they had little, to no, success in implementing changes. The Bresnahan Group shared with them that trust was the basis, which includes open communication, straightforwardness, acceptance and reliability.It was important to move away from a "control" approach in working with the team. They shared that their "teams" were cynical due to past experiences with management and they were quite concerned about how successful they would be. Both Frank and Max did not know where to start and how to relay the message that they wanted to make a difference.

We recommended that they have a meeting and explain that the new supervisors should share their feelings and acknowledge that there may only be so much that they can do because of the limits of their control. However, everyone needed to recognize that Frank and Max couldn't make things better without the help and cooperation of the "team" members. Together they needed to establish their goal and define the meaningfulness of the work for each person.

Frank and Max set up their game plan and went back to their groups. They held a meeting to discuss all of the above points and so began. Two months later Frank was promoted to department manager and responsible for all three shifts, not just one. Significant changes were visible throughout production that were noticed by management and HR.

Frank said "that there was not much to be said". The proof was in what was happening on the floor. Openly communicating and trusting the production staff was the key. He commented that they had a lot of good ideas. They are being listened to and are making a difference for themselves and in the company.

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Responsibility-based Organizations

Learn more about how to achieve your organizational vision and accountability by going to our affiliate website, www.integroleadership.com.

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Speakers

Are you looking for a great speaker for your organization? Contact the Bresnahan Group. Additional speakers can be found at Engaging Speakers and the Naperville Chamber of Commerce.

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More Information

For more information about any of these topics contact us at 505-922-1973 or email BresGroup @ 4u.net.

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