Treena began to feel very weak. Parts of her body began to feel tired and achy. She had stopped receiving the stimulation and life source she needed to go on, losing the ability to make any company decisions or fulfill job duties.

She felt as if her system was about to shut down.

Just then she heard the words from her supervisor: “You’re being selected for a new training program based on your potential to lead.”

That’s all it took for her blood source to be revived and for Treena to find the motivation not only to keep going but also to finally make a difference.

————————————————————————————————————

One nonprofit is not only saving lives with their blood drives, they’re saving their top employees with their commitment to leadership development.

While the above vignette was a fictional look into an employee’s dissatisfaction with workplace stimulation, below is a quote from the real Treena Fartsi: an employee of Virginia Blood Services (as reported in a recent Workforce Management article: http://tiny.cc/nF7tR) after she was granted a shot at leadership development.

“It makes me want to work harder,” to become even more of an asset to the company,” Treena says.

Virginia Blood Services has hit the importance of leadership development right on the nail.

In the article, writer Garry Kranz writes: “Virginia Blood Services illustrates the physics of leadership development: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.”

Virginia Blood Services committed several years ago to motivating its employees with professional development and teaching their technical gurus how to effectively manage others.

Program participants were chosen from various departments, including health services, recruitment and sales. The opportunity to grow professionally was a key enticement.

“That was what they were told: ‘You’re being selected for your potential to lead,’” (said Robert E. Carden, president and CEO of the 280-employee company).

At Virginia Blood Services, that reaction was a positive one: “It puts some amount of pressure on a person to be viewed as a potential leader, but I feel I have been given the resources to achieve it,” Debbie, an employee, says.

As nonprofit organizations face a leadership deficiency in coming years, Virginia Blood Services will not be part of that trend.

We would argue that nonprofit organizations are not the only companies in danger of facing a large leadership deficit, as companies across the board cut training programs and leadership development from their budget in the recent recession.

But as Kranz article demonstrates, their commitment to leadership development is posing Virginia Blood Services to have a healthy leadership pool in the long run.

Kranz writes: Carden says the leadership training accomplished a more enduring goal: getting individuals to take the initiative in shaping policies, making improvements to operations and pursuing any training they might need to fulfill their job duties.

Virginia Blood Services program consisted of six training classes with a focus on the organization’s values, mission and policies and determining areas of growth for each individual. We urge companies to take a lesson from Virginia Blood Services and start pumping blood through the veins of your top performers before it’s too late.

]]> http://ltcperformance.com/blog/2010/03/08/company-pumps-blood-through-employees-veins/feed/ http://ltcperformance.com/blog/2010/03/05/don%e2%80%99t-lose-your-queens-and-vonns/ http://ltcperformance.com/blog/2010/03/05/don%e2%80%99t-lose-your-queens-and-vonns/#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:27:45 +0000 Terry Lauter Comp http://ltcperformance.com/blog/?p=517

“…Talented people will always have options, regardless of the economy.” –Mary Ann Downey

Did you get that? The war for talent is ever-present. Patriotism is no longer a good enough reason for your top talent to stay put.

Downey demonstrates this in her recent i4cp blog (http://tiny.cc/FqNK4) where she takes a look at Olympians who are not competing for their native countries.

• Pairs skater and Japan native, Yuko Kavaguti competes for Russia
• American ice dance siblings Chris and Cathy Reed competes for Japan
• Austrian skier Prince Hubertus competes for Mexico

Simply put, “talent cannot be confined by borders,” Downey writes.

Olympians look for the best place they can be challenged and grow. Same is true for high performers. They will not settle with traditional appeals but rather seek out a place where they can reach full potential and beyond, Downey essentially says.

You may have a Queen Yu-Na, Lindsey Vonn or Evan Lysacek in your company. That’s GREAT! But …don’t get too cocky. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: What are you doing to make sure you allow those stars to advance?

Our recommendations:

1. Identify your high performers
2. Help them assess their strengths and development needs.
3. Give them the tools to create an Individual Development Plan
4. Provide feedback and take the time to discuss corporate and personal development goals
5. Link compensation more directly to organizational and individual performance.

Click here http://tiny.cc/yCJOA for more on those recommendations.

Whether you see it or not, your organization may be in danger of losing some of its top performers.

So Brandon has been with you six years and his performance ranks among the best. Because of this, you have been able to offer Brandon above average annual salary increases. He also likes working for you.

However, when the thriving competition down the block offers Brandon a significant salary increase, coupled with an attractive bonus – he’s leaving you.

More and more top performers are realizing that, to “get ahead,” they may have to leave their current employer.

We know salary increase budgets are not what they used to be. Experts predict 2010 salary budgets to be in the 2-3% range.

But can you afford to lose the “hot” ones? It’s time to identify those people that you can’t live without and give them a good enough – scratch that – a WORTHWHILE reason to stay.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Identify your top performers and let them know how much their efforts are appreciated. Also consider if any of their salaries are in need of adjustment

2. Consider offering “spot” awards, as appropriate, for superior individual contributions

3. Identify those employees who possess critical skills you cannot live without. Consider the prudent use of a “Stay” bonus where such an incentive may be warranted.

4. Consider including your key long-term strategic players in a Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP). Incorporate a vesting schedule as an incentive to stick around long-term.

Don’t wait until it’s too late to ask why your top employees want to jump ship.

Who wants to sit at a desk every morning, not knowing why he or she bothers going to work every day?

Sadly, it’s a mentality that is plaguing more and more high-performers whose development aspirations went out the window with their company’s profit.

According to a survey conducted by i4cp, 76% of respondents said performance management is very important this year, but a meager 23% said their companies are very effective at actually doing it. (http://www.i4cp.com/productivity-blog/2010/01/28/20-years-and-counting-leadership-development-once-again-the-most-critical-issue-facing-organizations-in-2010)

“Finding and developing the right leaders has been considered a top challenge for companies for decades,” said Jay Jamrog, SVP of Research at i4cp, in the report cited above. “Given the volatility of the last year and the accelerated pace of change in the economy, companies should be treating leadership and development as both an urgent survival tactic and a business opportunity.”

“The companies that get it right – and several high-performing companies are doing it right already – have potential for great success.”

Another recent survey by Deloitte, found 65% of surveyed executives are highly to very highly concerned about losing high-potential talent in the year after the recession ends.

Are you one of these execs worrying your high-performers might ditch you as soon as the opportunity presents itself?

The important question is: what are you ACTUALLY doing about it?

If you’re stuck, the following are a few key recommendations for getting you started.

1. Identify your high performers, and help them assess their strengths and development needs. Then work in partnership with them to create an Individual Development Plan, and support them in executing the plan.

2. Open the lines of feedback and communication to discuss corporate and personal development goals with your high performers. If you’ve already done so in the past, maybe it’s time for an update. Make sure your superstars know how their personal goals and dreams may be in alignment with the organization’s goals and plans for the future.

        3.  Link compensation more directly to organizational and individual performance. Wherever possible, use self-funded incentive plans to create meaningful rewards and distinctions between superior and standard performance.

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”   - Zig Ziglar

There’s no better time than the beginning of the year to assess your employees’ motivation. Recent studies have shown employee engagement levels are down. No surprise there, but the surprises will hit when employees either leave because they’re not challenged or when they adversely affect company growth because they’re losing steam.

“A Gallup study published in August involving about 32,400 business units found that those in the top quartile on engagement had 18 percent higher productivity, 16 percent higher profitability and 49 percent fewer safety incidents compared with those in the bottom quartile on engagement,” writes Ed Frauenheim in “Commitment Issues- Restoring Engagement Issues” (www.workforce.com).

Here are some questions to help you out:

·         Do your employees understand how they can best make a difference?

·         Do they seem “pushed” to make objectives, or “pulled” toward the organization’s mission?

·         Are their objectives realistic, objective and attainable?

·         Are your staff members able to share in the rewards, as well as the risks?

·         Do they act more like “hired hands” (employees) or people with a vested interest in the business (owners)?

 And finally…

      ·     Are your employees motivated?

This last one sounds like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised how many employers forget (or don’t want to) ask that question.

“When people honor each other, there is a trust established that leads to synergy, interdependence, and deep respect. Both parties make decisions and choices based on what is right, what is best, what is valued most highly. -Blaine Lee

It’s time to get real. Employees want authenticity, not manipulation.

The recession won’t last much longer and if your star performers don’t stick it out with you, you’re in trouble as other companies start taking advantage of the upturn. We agree with Larry Sternberg who argues that managers should “Give Employees What They Need.” (http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/26/71/17/index.php).

As economic woes pass, managers should keep in mind that people will remember how their organizations treated them in the bad times (and the good times too), Sternberg says.
That treatment is a significant factor in a company’s ability to motivate and retain the best people, as well as attract them in the first place.
Sternberg says there are two important points to keep in mind:
1. Each person has a unique configuration of needs—their own goals, wants, desires and aspirations.
2. People stay in organizations that meet their needs.

Not a Quick Fix
Many surveys indicate that unsatisfactory relationships with supervisors or co-workers may be the single greatest cause of employee turnover. Forward–thinking employers are, therefore, taking steps to build a culture based upon mutual trust and respect.  Some are going even further to help ensure that their employees understand how their contributions are integral to the success of their organization.

Demonstrating authentic care towards your employees and their needs is not a one or two or three time deal. It should be a way of being, and an underlying atmosphere in your company or organization.

“An empowered organization is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organizational success.” -Stephen Covey

Employees are empowered when they feel valued/respected and their needs are met … or they at least know you’re trying.

So… are you trying?

Goalsharing is a means of working smart that engages and rewards employees for continuous improvement. Over time, it transitions employees to “business partners.”

Goalsharing recognizes that:

1. Employees have unique abilities
2. Employees prefer to understand/be involved in the business
3. Employees want to make a difference

Goalsharing creates * Synergy * Financial and non-financial goal compatibility and alignment *when done right.

Early Goalsharing pioneers realized that for employees to make their contribution, they need to understand the business and have appropriate “line of sight” – to actually see how their efforts impact organizational results.

Their organizations address this challenge by finding simple ways to communicate the goals of the business. Then they help staff members to see where they can make the most difference and teach them to craft simple goals that are specific, measurable and realistic.

For tips on getting the MOST from Goalsharing, click: http://ltcperformance.com/GSWorks.html

Some time back, we were conducting employee focus groups in preparation for the development of a new base salary program for a client company. As part of the warm-up, we posed the question:

“What is XYZ’s mission and purpose as an organization?”

 Stunned silence followed for a moment, and then one blatantly honest soul blurted out, “No damn clue.”

Soon, everyone in the room jumped into the fray and described a total lack of understanding of the business’ goals or even their reason for being.

Employees at Booz Allen Hamilton and Vestas Wind Systems would be unlikely to utter those three clueless words, according to one Workforce Management article by Garry Kranz. As the economy slowly climbs into recovery mode, many are still paring back. But Hamilton expects to add 5,000 jobs by the close of 2009.

Eighteen months ago, Booz Allen began an overhaul of its on-boarding processes. It begins delivering training and developmental tools to new employees the moment they accept a job offer, Kranz writes.

 During preboarding, new recruits are directed to an internal Web portal to access job information, “early learning” activities and company information, including the company’s 15 business lines and messages from senior executives.

“Preboarding is all about getting someone engaged and excited about being here, prior to their actually showing up for their first day,” says Aimee George Leary, who is the McLean, Virginia-based consulting company’s director of learning and development.

Vestas, which has its U.S. headquarters in Portland, Oregon, had a U.S. workforce of nearly 1,900 people in 2008. Nearly three times as many employees could be on board in 2010, according to Kranz.

 The resulting “people and culture tsunami” is prompting Vestas to take a more comprehensive approach to training and development, says Helle Bay, the company’s senior vice president of business performance and operations.

 “We had to focus on our people and our culture: finding out what’s good for them and walking the walk” to help them grow professionally, Bay says.

It sounds like Booz Allen and Vestas do everything but throw its employees in and let them “sink or swim.”

The process of learning by osmosis isn’t the best in the real world of business. Getting everyone involved in the basics of your business makes dollars and sense – take the Booz Allen and Vestas examples as evidence.

Using short, well-planned meetings held over a period of several weeks/months can help you give your team members a solid foundation.  

Here are some topics to consider including in your sessions:

·         What is your company’s mission statement and how does each individual fit in?

·         Why is your company in business, and how do you measure your success as an organization?

·         Where does revenue comes from at your company?

·         What are some of the unique features of your company positioning strategy and value to customers, and who are your major competitors?

This is the kind of information that helps people at all levels develop a big picture understanding of why they do what they are doing in your organization, and that all adds up to motivation. 

People at all levels need to have a basic understanding of what they are trying to accomplish and why, in order to achieve results.

Read the rest of Kranz’ article, “Training that Starts Before the Job Begins” at http://www.workforce.com/section/11/feature/26/55/57/.

The first clue is whether or not the organization is meeting its short and long-term financial goals. Even in these tough economic times, financial performance provides some good clues.  

If not, SYMPTOMS might include:

1.    Difficultly attracting/retaining your TOP performers, while less productive ones “stay put.”

2.    Lack of focus from employees who often seem unclear as to how they can help the organization meet its objectives

3.    Team members exhibit entitlement thinking and are slow to adapt to necessary changes 

4.   Goals that lack compatibility across the organization, causing unnecessary conflicts or deadlocks.

5.    Employees act like “hired hands” versus concerned business partners

Those with high functioning compensation/rewards programs frequently cite: 

  ·      Increased revenue

   ·     Decreased expenses

  ·      More efficient/streamlined processes

  ·      Improved service and productivity

  ·      Greater overall job satisfaction

How well is your Total Rewards Program working in helping you to reach the organization’s goals?

In coming blogs, we will discuss how to give your organization a simple “check-up.” Stay tuned.

One of Coach Wooden’s favorite maxims speaks to the important distinction between being fair and treating everyone the same. While we are all intent on being fair, it is true that fairness ≠ handling each individual equally. Here’s the maxim:

“Fairness is giving all people the treatment they earn and deserve. It doesn’t mean treating everyone alike.”

Somehow, in a culture where we are concerned about being impartial and politically correct, it seems that we have mistakenly drifted away from holding people accountable for their actions. No matter how often we hear the buzzwords pay for performance, the truth is that most organizations still don’t do it. Since performance matters more than ever, why not take the time now to create an authentic culture of accountability, where at all levels, people are encouraged to hold themselves and others accountable for living the values of the organization.

What do you think? Is it important to have a performance and accountability culture? Can you achieve significant improvements in organizational performance by tuning in to the people on your team, providing meaningful feedback, and rewarding them for their results?