Bresnahan's Shorts* - January 2006

*Short topics

The Value of Corporate Values

According to a survey of companies in 30 countries by Booz Allen Hamilton and the Aspen Institute, the companies with the best financial results consciously connect values and operations, and most believe the values influence their relationships with other companies, their employees and their reputation. Ethical behavior and integrity are at the top of most value statements, along with commitment to customers and employees, honesty and openness, accountability, teamwork and trust.
Excerpted from Strategy+Business (6/05).

Do you and your employees know what the company values are? If you don't, how can you be committed to them and have them guide your performance?

If you want to learn more, read Hidden Value by Charles A. O'Reilly & Jeffrey Pfeffer.

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11 Ways to Lose Your Best Employees

Talented and hard-working employees often leave what appear to be good jobs because of management's behavior in creating an unpleasant culture. Some of the behaviors that push them out the door include:

1. Poor decision-making processes
2. Discouraging creative problem solving
3. Failure to provide or listen to feedback
4. Non-competitive pay
5. No new opportunities
6. Ability to offer ideas to outside areas
7. Keeping their "wings clipped"
8. No training for internal promotions
9. Not adding interesting responsibilities
10. No input in hiring
11. No input into decisions

Excerpted from Washington Business Journal (8/05)

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Motivating Part-time Workers

Part-timers never seem to be treated like a full-time employees. That difference can make a big difference in their performance. They should be welcomed and treated with the same regard as full-time employees. The following are some tips offered by “Law Practice Management."

• Give an orientation. Describe the job duties and the basic rules and expectations. Explain who gives this person work.
• Assign a mentor. This will help them feel they are part of a team.
• Mix up the workload. These people usually get the “Grunt” work. This is demoralizing. Find out what they are good at and take advantage of their abilities.
• Eliminate any hard feelings between part-timers and full-timers. Let the full-timers know why this person is coming in and that they will make their job easier.
• Offer flexible hours. Part-timers have usually chosen this work style for a reason. Flexible hours can help you retain a good worker.
• Offer financial incentives. This could be a bonus based on revenues.

From “The Motivational Manager”

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Thoughts to Ponder

"What really matters is what you do with what you have." - Shirley Lord

"It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed." - Harvey Firestone

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Performance Appraisal Forms

In a survey by BLR regarding the usefulness of performance appraisal forms, 204 responded with the following:

43% - Yes, for the most part. Could stand improvement.

33% - No, only somewhat useful.

13% - Yes, convey an accurate picture.

11% - No, woefully inadequate.

How is it that I am not surprised? Only 13% are satisfied, leaving 67% saying that improvement can be made. Is it the tool or is it the delivery? Probably a little of both. A performance review does not take the place of regular communication. They should be a beneficial experience for all involved and not like being called to the principal's office.

If the survey were given at your company, what would the results be?

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Just For Fun

A man is flying a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts, "Excuse me. Can you help me? I promised my friend I would meet him half an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man below says, "Yes, you are in a hot air balloon, hovering approximately 30 feet above this field. You are between 40 and 42 degrees north latitude and between 58 and 60 degrees west longitude."

"You must be an engineer," says the balloonist.

"I am," replies the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," says the balloonist, "everything you have told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I am still lost."

The man below says, "You must be a manager." "I am," replies the balloonist, "but how did you know?"

"Well," says the man below, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You have made a promise which you have no idea how to keep and you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now it is somehow my fault."

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Client's Corner

Poor communication was being experienced between two areas of a company. This caused problems in their ability to service their customers. The Bresnahan Group was asked to provide a workshop on customer service using the phone. We used the DiSC profile and the participants learned more about each other and the jobs they were doing. The result was a greater appreciation for each other and more open communication between the areas. Everyone was energized and excited about working together. Can we help you break down walls?

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Covey on Leadership

Stephen Covey, management guru, said in an interview with Business 2.0, "the seven habits were effective, but effectiveness isn't the key anymore… The industrial age was about control, and the information age, or knowledge-age worker, is about release. And release means helping people find their voice, so they can do what they love doing and what they do well.

Have you ever had that kind of job or role? What kind if supervision did it require? Right. You supervised yourself. You didn't need anyone to motivate you. When people find their voice, you don't need to worry about supervisions, bureaucracy, rules and regulations, what I call "the great jackass theory of human motivation" - carrot-and-stick people.

Well imagine what the cost savings would be to an organization that got rid of all that bureaucratic supervision stuff."
From e-magazine of Worthwhile Magazine (04/05)

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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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