Bresnahan's Shorts* - September 2007

*Short topics

Leadership Development

DDI conducted a study this year on how organizations develop leaders in the U.S. and globally. Here are the results:

What are you doing? What more do you need to do to develop your leaders?

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High Expectations

Employees have high expectations of their managers. A Brussels training company, Krauthammer International, found managers’ behaviors don’t measure up to employee expectations at least half the time. Managers are poor listeners and fail to provide employees with needed guidance and feedback. There were two important findings:

• 95% of employees would prefer to analyze problems with their managers, but only 41% of employees say this happens.
• 82% want their managers to listen to new ideas and encourage them to think independently, but this happens only 41% of the time.

Workforce Management, May 2007

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The Small Advantage

A growing number of senior executives are moving to small, startup companies. They can climb the corporate ladder more quickly in small organizations and gain new skills in the process. Many are eager to be more directly involved in a company's success and feel a personal sense of excitement.

Just a few years ago, such a move might have been viewed as a step in the wrong direction, but shifting to a small company is now considered positive and is seen as a demonstration of enthusiasm and initiative.

The trend shows a different view on career growth. A 2003 PricewaterhouseCoopers study revealed that among graduating seniors worldwide, the primary reason for choosing an employer was career growth. Training opportunities were second, and money third.

Additionally, 79% of executives at small organizations pointed to creative flexibility, less bureaucracy, and the ability to get faster results as reasons for more job satisfaction, according to an Allbusiness.com survey.

As big and small businesses compete for talent, executives find they can negotiate for equity in the company, besides benefits and perks.

ASTD The Buzz, June 4, 2007

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Thoughts to Ponder

"Success and money have nothing in common." - Source unknown

"It's the constant and determined effort that breaks down resistance, sweeps away all obstacles." - Claude M. Bristol

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Depression and Anxiety

According to Day-Timers Inc., a maker of organizational products, people are unhappier and more stressed out at work.

They found that 18% of 1,000 working Americans acknowledge being diagnosed or treated for depression, with 13% having been treated for anxiety disorders, within the past five years. Less than half of all workers (47%) report being happy, compared with 54% a decade ago.

Only 41% say they enjoy good or excellent health, down from 51%. Technology such as e-mail and cell phones appear to be hampering workers' ability to accomplish their daily tasks. In 1994, the figure was 82%. Workforce Management Week, July 2006

Recently a friend was in California and noticed the strain and blank stare on peoples’ faces. I am sure we have all been there at some time. Stay tuned to your body and take a break to refresh yourself and get back in touch.

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Retention How To

Surveys are showing that three of every four workers are probably job hunting. The good news: there are retention strategies to help keep them.

Don’t think it only impacts someone else. When it hits you, it is too late. Polling by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Yahoo HotJobs, and Kronos, Inc., all show some 75 percent of the workforce are seeking to change jobs by the end of this year. The numbers are usually 30-40%.

The younger, non-management types are the most active. The climate is fertile for jobseeking—the economy is good and Baby Boomers are retiring. Here are some suggestions to help you retain valued employees:

• Understand why people leave. It's not just about money. People quit bosses. Make sure expectations are clear, including opportunities and create an environment where ideas can be expressed and talents are used.
• Manage generationally. Those following the Baby Boomers are not workaholics and many don’t understand the concept of working your way up. They question authority, expect constant feedback, believe in team over individual performance, and see work as only one component of an active life.
• Be flexible. More and more employers are thinking outside the box regarding workplace policy. They are offering flexible hours, telecommuting, partial-year work with full-year benefits, and even partial pensions before retiring to keep workers who might otherwise retire.

Adapted from HR Daily Advisor, April 2007

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Lincoln on Leadership

“His cardinal mistake is that he isolates himself, and allows nobody to see him, and by which he does not know what is going on in the very matter he is dealing with.” Lincoln’s reason for relieving Gen. John C. Fremont from his command in Missouri (Sept 9, 1861).

Lincoln, in this letter, revealed his leadership philosophy. It became part of a management revolution 100 years later in Tom Peters and Robert Waterman’s book, In Search of Excellence. Get out and wander around.

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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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