Bresnahan's Shorts* - November 2005

*Short topics

A Changing Playing Field

Much has been written about the retirement of many Baby Boomers in a few short years (by 2010). Are you ready for this change in the work force playing field? In the U.S. there will be 10 million more jobs than people to fill them. This shift, which should last for at least 20 years, means people can pick and choose whom they want to work for, not employers thinking there is someone who can replace this person.

Consider that those entering the work force in 5 years are in school now (K-12). In addition, there will be more minorities which will make us much more diverse than we are. Many are already seeing glimpses of this. Also, most of the Baby Boomers leaving are white males. Their departure automatically increases the female workforce population.

So, if you got the picture, you realize that you will not be the only one competing for available talent. Each group will have their own set of motivators and realize their importance to the success of the company. So this new work force will want to be "included." They will choose employers who have a receptive and inclusive environment. This is a guarantee. Will you be ready? Now is the time to start planning and getting your work environment to be one that will attract the talent you need for continuing success.

When this is considered, it makes sense to make the most of older workers (their work ethic, skills, loyalty, knowledge). How can you keep those who wish to continue working in some capacity? How do you tap into their intellectual capital and pass their knowledge on to the younger workers?

Older workers cite benefits as the most important element of job satisfaction while younger workers cite job security and communications between employees and management as the most important elements, according to Society of Human Resource Management. Look at a cafeteria style plan to satisfy the needs of both. For older workers, also consider technical training to stay up with changes, ergonomic adaptations to equipment which are inexpensive, job sharing and telecommuting. Finally, call the Bresnahan Group now!

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Forecast from Outlook 2005

The year is almost at an end. THE FUTURIST indicated that amongst the top 10 forecasts for 2005 were:

• Skills for tomorrow, such as caring, judgment, intuition, ethics, inspiration, friendliness and imagination.
• Skills for right now including self-motivation, time management, oral and written communication, relationship building, salesmanship, problem solving, information evaluation and leadership.
• Older workers expanding the business day. They tend to be early risers. An expanded work shift from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. could expand commerce as services are offered for the early birds.

What do your observations tell you? I bet these will still be areas to act on in 2006. Maybe you can get started addressing these items now. Call us.

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Thoughts to Ponder

"If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow." - Chinese proverb

"How you manage your environment is more important (to success) than how you manage your time." - Thomas Leonard

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Back to Basics

"The early bird gets the worm."

I am sure you are planning and forecasting for next year. You are probably asking questions such as:

• How much business do we want to capture next year?
• How much of an increase (in sales) is that over 2005?
• Can we increase the amount spent by current customers?
• How many new customers do we need?
• What additional equipment do we need?
• Do we need more people to accomplish our goals?
• What technical training is needed?

Don't forget the importance of teams working well together and having engaged (productive) employees. No where in the questions do you ask:

• How many key employees do we want to leave?
• How many lawsuits do we want filed?
• How many work related accidents do we want to pay for?

Spend some time developing the communication and leadership skills of the group so they work in harmony with each other and toward the achievement of the company's vision and goals.

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Customer Service

One of the best ways to deliver customer service (to both internal and external customers) is to be respectful and treat them the way they would like to be treated. (For the latter you have to listen closely, and it is helpful to know something about behavior styles.)

Keep the following points in mind when you are in the role of serving a customer.

1. Take pride in your work—then others will respect your work and input too.
2. If appropriate, introduce yourself by name, followed with, "How may I help you."
3. Give undivided attention.
4. If you need to tell your customer you can't do something, provide alternatives. If you don't know the answer, then admit it and go find out what it is.
5. Get back to your customer promptly.
6. Do what you said you would.
7. Return phone calls promptly.
8. Ask for feedback. Be prepared for it and know what you will do if the response is not as positive as you would have hoped. See it as an opportunity to improve.

Remember you get more with honey than vinegar.

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Client's Corner

During a training session, a supervisor spoke about an assistant she was frustrated with because she would let the supervisor's work and voice mail go unattended in her absence & plenty of complaints.

I suggested that the supervisor go to lunch with the assistant and ask what the problem was. A productive conversation ensued. The assistant shared that she was uncomfortable making decisions and did not feel empowered. The result: work was done and no more customer complaints. A year later, the assistant moved to a higher grade.

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Revolving Door

A Job Satisfaction and Retention Survey done in August 2004 found that 53% of employees are leaving or thinking of leaving their jobs vs. 31% in 2001. Reasons: bad relationship with supervisor, salary, boring work, lack of flexibility or opportunity for advancement and problems with work/life balance.

Turnover can be avoided with the following: hire the correct person, train managers how to manage, leadership training, listen to workers and find out what can make their jobs easier, take part in career development planning.

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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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