Do you have 45 minutes? Pick up a copy of John G. Miller’s QBQ: The Question behind the question. http://ping.fm/cBNx9 . It’s all about personal accountability.
Miller believes the answers are in the questions. He has a simple formula for taking accountability:
• Ask What and How questions
• Use I in the sentence
• Make the sentence action orientated.
E.g. What can I do to improve our relationship with marketing.
Imagine working in an organization where people functioned like that!
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Employee shows the way to get the job done
Check it out! SW Airlines employee - gets the job done his way. http://ping.fm/gmYQD
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Hiring with culture in mind: engaging potential employees with the true story
This morning my husband and I were coaching our teenage daughter on how to respond to behavioral interview questions. She is now on to her second interview for a position with a well known coffee retailer. At one point she asked my husband about his first job interview. He recounted the following exchange:
“Interviewer: Are you any good at tutoring math?
My much younger husband: Yes
Interviewer: Good, when can you start?”
How times have changed. We have friends who have had to go through grueling six-month, ten interview procedures – only to come in second. Hiring has gone from instinctual (I like you) to left brain gone-wild process. It’s no surprise we’ve headed in that direction – employees who are happy and engaged in the organization are significantly more productive. On the flip side the cost of hiring and training a new employee can range from 25% to 200% of annual compensation (American Management Association).
I do agree that the implications of poor hiring decisions are ugly, but I am wondering if part of the problem is that we are so focused on getting the “best candidate” that we forget about the other half of the equation – our organizations and ensuring we are sending out the right messages. Here’s a story to illustrate what I mean.
Some years ago I was involved in an organization looking for a senior HR consultant. They spent a year searching for the right person. When they finally hired she lasted three days. What she thought she was getting and the reality were entirely different. Sensibly she cut her losses and moved on when she discovered her values, and those of the hiring organization, were at odds.
Organizations need to be very clear, not only on what they believe they need, but also on what they have to offer. They need to look beyond the best candidate to the best fit. It’s rather like searching for the perfect mate – you have to be sure about who you are and where you are headed - before you can find your ideal partner.
It’s the job of communicators to ensure that our corporate story is clear – and that it is an accurate picture – one that is lived every day within the organization. A snow job will get you bemused employees disappointed that they are not living in a winter wonderland.
“Interviewer: Are you any good at tutoring math?
My much younger husband: Yes
Interviewer: Good, when can you start?”
How times have changed. We have friends who have had to go through grueling six-month, ten interview procedures – only to come in second. Hiring has gone from instinctual (I like you) to left brain gone-wild process. It’s no surprise we’ve headed in that direction – employees who are happy and engaged in the organization are significantly more productive. On the flip side the cost of hiring and training a new employee can range from 25% to 200% of annual compensation (American Management Association).
I do agree that the implications of poor hiring decisions are ugly, but I am wondering if part of the problem is that we are so focused on getting the “best candidate” that we forget about the other half of the equation – our organizations and ensuring we are sending out the right messages. Here’s a story to illustrate what I mean.
Some years ago I was involved in an organization looking for a senior HR consultant. They spent a year searching for the right person. When they finally hired she lasted three days. What she thought she was getting and the reality were entirely different. Sensibly she cut her losses and moved on when she discovered her values, and those of the hiring organization, were at odds.
Organizations need to be very clear, not only on what they believe they need, but also on what they have to offer. They need to look beyond the best candidate to the best fit. It’s rather like searching for the perfect mate – you have to be sure about who you are and where you are headed - before you can find your ideal partner.
It’s the job of communicators to ensure that our corporate story is clear – and that it is an accurate picture – one that is lived every day within the organization. A snow job will get you bemused employees disappointed that they are not living in a winter wonderland.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The shoe fits when the culture lives the values
Today my teenage daughter began her first ever job search. The retail outlets she chose to leave her resume with was eclectic. Her criteria was simple: would I use, wear or eat their products/service and do I feel welcome when I enter one of their stores?
She had no trouble figuring out which stores to approach. A large number of shoe stores featured in her list - which is not surprising from someone who wrote "An ode to the Red Pump" for her poetry unit. Some may say we instinctively know when the shoe fits. But in reality we humans are very good observers and we can tell by the behaviors of others when an environment is at odds with our core values.
Trouble arises when we get conflicting messages and are seduced into thinking an organization is something it is not. Which is why it is absolutely key that organizations are true to their values and don't try and do a "snow" job. With a whole new generation of youth coming into the job market who can afford to go elsewhere - we need to attract the people who fit.
She had no trouble figuring out which stores to approach. A large number of shoe stores featured in her list - which is not surprising from someone who wrote "An ode to the Red Pump" for her poetry unit. Some may say we instinctively know when the shoe fits. But in reality we humans are very good observers and we can tell by the behaviors of others when an environment is at odds with our core values.
Trouble arises when we get conflicting messages and are seduced into thinking an organization is something it is not. Which is why it is absolutely key that organizations are true to their values and don't try and do a "snow" job. With a whole new generation of youth coming into the job market who can afford to go elsewhere - we need to attract the people who fit.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Why we choose to live by the rules
A dear friend of mine shared her woes with me about her teenage son. He is testing boundaries, and the value of rules, in a very trying fashion for his mother.
All social systems have rules; most often they are a good thing and make our lives much easier. I am a Canadian and here in Canada we feel it is important to abide by the law and give everyone an equal opportunity. This means we respect line-ups, patiently wait our turn when traffic lanes merge, and we all experience equally unreasonable wait times for our certain medical procedures. Our tax laws are quite ridiculously cumbersome because they aim to be fair. That is the way we do things here.
And sometimes it’s frustrating. When you have to wait six months or a year for knee surgery – all this fairness seems, well – a little unfair. But for the most part it works and people respect the system.
Organizations too have systems and we would hope that when people join organizations they take the time to understand its values to ensure it’s a place they will feel comfortable in; a place where they can follow the rules.
My husband works for a large Canadian company with a very strong set of values. A small group of employees clearly did not share the same set of values; they broke the company rules – and the mess landed up on the front page of the newspaper.
That little drama has now played itself off of the front pages and out of the public arena. Inside the organization the drama has lingered. The remaining employees are deeply wounded. They were incensed that a few rogue individuals have brought into question their values. These are people who take great pride in what they do and the company they work for. This was a deeply personal and very upsetting experience for them.
I am given to understand that the executives were a little taken aback at the strength of the reaction. They should not be. We are all human and we all have strong emotional reactions when our values are messed with. Why should it be any different at work?
Employees need to feel part of a greater whole. They need to feel their values are in sync with those of the organization. They need to understand the big picture and how they contribute to the organization’s success; common values are a part of that bigger picture.
All social systems have rules; most often they are a good thing and make our lives much easier. I am a Canadian and here in Canada we feel it is important to abide by the law and give everyone an equal opportunity. This means we respect line-ups, patiently wait our turn when traffic lanes merge, and we all experience equally unreasonable wait times for our certain medical procedures. Our tax laws are quite ridiculously cumbersome because they aim to be fair. That is the way we do things here.
And sometimes it’s frustrating. When you have to wait six months or a year for knee surgery – all this fairness seems, well – a little unfair. But for the most part it works and people respect the system.
Organizations too have systems and we would hope that when people join organizations they take the time to understand its values to ensure it’s a place they will feel comfortable in; a place where they can follow the rules.
My husband works for a large Canadian company with a very strong set of values. A small group of employees clearly did not share the same set of values; they broke the company rules – and the mess landed up on the front page of the newspaper.
That little drama has now played itself off of the front pages and out of the public arena. Inside the organization the drama has lingered. The remaining employees are deeply wounded. They were incensed that a few rogue individuals have brought into question their values. These are people who take great pride in what they do and the company they work for. This was a deeply personal and very upsetting experience for them.
I am given to understand that the executives were a little taken aback at the strength of the reaction. They should not be. We are all human and we all have strong emotional reactions when our values are messed with. Why should it be any different at work?
Employees need to feel part of a greater whole. They need to feel their values are in sync with those of the organization. They need to understand the big picture and how they contribute to the organization’s success; common values are a part of that bigger picture.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The heart of change: identifying key behaviours for success
Last week I was in Calgary speaking at the Women’s Leadership Forum . I was fortunate enough to also be a participant and hear what others were thinking and doing.
Here’s a quick overview of what I learned:
1. There is a whole lot of exciting stuff happening out there but you can’t do it all. Find your area of passion and focus;
2. The right-brain is stuff is very important for effective leadership and if you are not yet comfortable with it you need to begin;
3. Our behaviors as leaders are critical to our personal success and that of our organizations.
Let’s talk about behaviors because that is one area I am really passionate about. The first keynote address was delivered by Ron McMillan, co-author of the book Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. Ron and his co-authors studied successful influencers and documented what they did. The book is about the system they discovered through their research.
It’s a well-thought out approach beginning with clarity of vision/results and having really good plans that cover the personal, social and structural elements of change, so that it (the change) becomes inevitable.
Ron also talked about vital behaviors; those key behaviors you need to have in place for the change to take root. And that’s when I got excited. I firmly believe that every change initiative has its own set of associated behaviors. It is our job as change agents to identify those behaviors and build our programs around them.
I’m delighted to see more and more organizations taking the time to identify specific and desired behaviors. See the following article on Farm Credit Union. I’d like to hear about your success stories using behaviors to effect change.
Here’s a quick overview of what I learned:
1. There is a whole lot of exciting stuff happening out there but you can’t do it all. Find your area of passion and focus;
2. The right-brain is stuff is very important for effective leadership and if you are not yet comfortable with it you need to begin;
3. Our behaviors as leaders are critical to our personal success and that of our organizations.
Let’s talk about behaviors because that is one area I am really passionate about. The first keynote address was delivered by Ron McMillan, co-author of the book Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. Ron and his co-authors studied successful influencers and documented what they did. The book is about the system they discovered through their research.
It’s a well-thought out approach beginning with clarity of vision/results and having really good plans that cover the personal, social and structural elements of change, so that it (the change) becomes inevitable.
Ron also talked about vital behaviors; those key behaviors you need to have in place for the change to take root. And that’s when I got excited. I firmly believe that every change initiative has its own set of associated behaviors. It is our job as change agents to identify those behaviors and build our programs around them.
I’m delighted to see more and more organizations taking the time to identify specific and desired behaviors. See the following article on Farm Credit Union. I’d like to hear about your success stories using behaviors to effect change.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Interactive communications helps employees understand relevance
This week I have been working on proposals. If you are a consultant proposals are very much a part of your life. The job of a proposal is to persuade. And a proposal persuades not by selling what you have to offer, but by providing a solution the purchaser is looking for – there is a difference.
It’s not unlike the difference between top down and interactive communication. Top down communication tells people what to think, is if often general in nature, and as such may not create relevance for employees. Interactive communication, while more time consuming, suggests a dialogue which provides an opportunity to show personal relevance for the employee.
The corporate communications folk clearly can’t enter into discussions with every employee, but they can facilitate the debate between managers and employees. If managers can help employees understand goals and objectives and their personal contributions, your organization will be in the pound seats. Like a good proposal, interactive communication talks directly to individual needs and offers a solution – in this case how the employee can support goals and objectives more directly and be part of something bigger.
It’s not unlike the difference between top down and interactive communication. Top down communication tells people what to think, is if often general in nature, and as such may not create relevance for employees. Interactive communication, while more time consuming, suggests a dialogue which provides an opportunity to show personal relevance for the employee.
The corporate communications folk clearly can’t enter into discussions with every employee, but they can facilitate the debate between managers and employees. If managers can help employees understand goals and objectives and their personal contributions, your organization will be in the pound seats. Like a good proposal, interactive communication talks directly to individual needs and offers a solution – in this case how the employee can support goals and objectives more directly and be part of something bigger.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Generational expectations - implications for the world of work
My 15-year old daughter and I buy music in very different ways. She finds the notion that that someone would buy a physical object that contained a finite number of songs arbitrarily selected by someone else - rather quaint. My daughter is very clear about what her purchases and her expectations are high.
Businesses are beginning to catch on - music sellers, networks and studios are adjusting to a new world view where the customer is not only right, but expects to be able to exercise that judgment with a click of the mouse.
Clay Shirky, an adjunct professor at New York University’s graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program and the author of a new book, “Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations.” http://www.shirky.com/ suggests that the web is not competition for traditional media, but a completely different system that empowers groups and individuals, a place where choice is not only an option, but an imperative.
As a communications professional and engagement specialists I have to ask myself what this will mean for the workplace of the future. Portal-based web sites and customized benefit packages are just the tip of the ice-berg.
I was chatting with a young woman the other day – an engineer. One of her key motivators for becoming involved in volunteer activities within her organization is that she is able to exercise her creative design abilities. Can we expect to see a world where employees and managers co-design the job function? Take that one step further and one can envisage interactive strategic planning. Exciting or terrifying – depends how you look at it.
Businesses are beginning to catch on - music sellers, networks and studios are adjusting to a new world view where the customer is not only right, but expects to be able to exercise that judgment with a click of the mouse.
Clay Shirky, an adjunct professor at New York University’s graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program and the author of a new book, “Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations.” http://www.shirky.com/ suggests that the web is not competition for traditional media, but a completely different system that empowers groups and individuals, a place where choice is not only an option, but an imperative.
As a communications professional and engagement specialists I have to ask myself what this will mean for the workplace of the future. Portal-based web sites and customized benefit packages are just the tip of the ice-berg.
I was chatting with a young woman the other day – an engineer. One of her key motivators for becoming involved in volunteer activities within her organization is that she is able to exercise her creative design abilities. Can we expect to see a world where employees and managers co-design the job function? Take that one step further and one can envisage interactive strategic planning. Exciting or terrifying – depends how you look at it.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
What's your bed side manner like
This story on healing. A friend was hospitalized and at one point a doctor entered the ward with a group of student interns. The doctor and students did not greet any of the patients or request permission to review their cases. Instead they proceeded to discuss ailments, pointing at body parts and reviewing charts, never once looking acknowledging these people.
Horrible. Yes indeed, amazing that our doctors are still being trained in this antiquated fashion.
Scratch below the surface of many North American corporations and you will find much the same sort of behavior, with employees being viewed as no more then a resource with an associated productivity number.
Healing happens far more effectively when there is a human element to care. Likewise employees are far more productive when their unique skills and talents are acknowledged. If your manager primarily ignores you - your chances of being actively disengaged are 40 percent, where the national average is 18 percent.
Horrible. Yes indeed, amazing that our doctors are still being trained in this antiquated fashion.
Scratch below the surface of many North American corporations and you will find much the same sort of behavior, with employees being viewed as no more then a resource with an associated productivity number.
Healing happens far more effectively when there is a human element to care. Likewise employees are far more productive when their unique skills and talents are acknowledged. If your manager primarily ignores you - your chances of being actively disengaged are 40 percent, where the national average is 18 percent.
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