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Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Astronology - How to Outperform and Outlast the Competition
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Astronology - Teamwork and Pure Talent.. Which is Needed the Most?
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Astronology - Building Workplace Morale
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Astronology - Telecommuting Concerns..Are They Blocking the Progress of the Flexible Workplace?
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Monday, May 14, 2012
Networking a Different Way
But Forbes has some new ways to network that may make it a bit more enjoyable. I like #5 on their top-5 list: reconnect with your past. I think that everyone should make sure to tap into their alumni networks as great networking opportunities that are a bit less awkward. At the very least, you have one great topic of conversation: the school you shared together.
The other way I've found networking tolerable is to make sure to do it in groups. It's easier to network when you have someone else to pick up the conversation when there is that awkward lull. Find a friend or colleague in your field who you have a good banter with and get working with the room. At the very least, you'll have one person to talk to so you're not that awkward person in the corner of the room trying to look important on their smartphone (and, yes, I've been that person). Make networking work for you.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Top Leaders and Innovation Come from Within
Managers fail to set the right example by putting themselves before the team when it comes to workload, appreciation, and even compensation. In such a corporate culture, there may be two sets of standards -- one for managers and one for employees. That double standard erodes respect, undermines trust, and leads to disengagement. Employees lose heart and end up just going through the motions.We've talked on this blog about how the wrong type of management can alienate and discourage good employees. They feel under-appreciated and need to find solace in finding new jobs. Companies are too interested in searching for talent outside of their company to notice the great employees they have already and many times they lose them to other organizations. The key is to make sure to develop from within, allow good performers to be promoted, foster collaboration and innovation and make sure the right people are managing your teams.
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Astronology - The Challenges of Rehiring
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Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Making Your Customers Work for You
Lee writes about five things that customers do better than companies including knowing more about each other, being more credible, being more persuasive, understanding the buyers needs, and attracting prospects. The idea is that you don't always need to grow your employee base to grow your business--the goal is to grow your customers. Customers don't always have to buy something (he lists Facebook as an example), but they are integral in growing your brand. And they're a heckuva lot cheaper than hiring an employee. Look at instagram which recently got bought by Facebook for $1 billion--they had ~13 employees but their value was in their customers.
So think about that the next time you have capital to spend. Most companies pump capital into employees to grow their internal infrastructure but it may be just as important to pump that capital into attracting new customers and growing that base. They know your business best and can help promote and grow it. Let your customers work for you (and sometimes they get to be furry and cute).
Monday, April 09, 2012
Finding New Hires in a Relatively Intuitive Place
It turns out that job applications who come in through internal sources get the same number of interviews as ones from outside. However, internal sources, such as employee referrals, inside hires, walk-ins and a company’s career site, produce almost twice the number of hires as external ones, which include job search engines, job boards, print advertising, and job fairs.It's a bit surprising at first (especially since we're always thinking of the new and exciting ways that people get jobs, but the truth is that when you think about it more, it seems more intuitive that those who get hired are hired because they either sought out the company they really wanted to work for or because someone internal can vouch for that new employee.
“I think a lot of the findings will surprise people, while others will confirm what we’ve known all along,” says Thomas Boyle, director of product marketing at SilkRoad. “What you have to think about is that most companies try and foster internal mobility as part of their employee retention and alignment strategy. So, it’s not uncommon for employees to see and have the opportunity to apply or submit referrals for positions before they ever get released to the public.”
In some ways, this is also a bit disappointing. We've come a long way from potential hires having to beat the pavement and show up at doors to get a job at a place that they don't know anyone at--and it really drives home the old adage that it really is all about who you know. But the truth is that companies are like people and when you bring in someone new, you want to feel like they really want you and you want to feel like you can trust them. Referrals and internal hires are exactly that.
Saturday, April 07, 2012
The Norwegians Monitor Bathroom Breaks
Employees at a Norwegian insurance company have eight minutes per day to do their business before an alarm alerts managers of time spent away from their desks, including bathroom breaks.Imagine if a company started doing this in the United States--the uproar would be tremendous. I thought getting a hall pass in school was rough but a countdown to do your business is way beyond that. Norway apparently operates a bit differently (or they just have too much loss of productivity from those "on bathroom breaks"). Amazingly, according to the article, this isn't the first time that a Norwegian company has done something like this (and this sounds much worse):
Using a new surveillance system, managers at a life insurance unit of Oslo, Norway-based DNB Bank A.S.A. are alerted by flashing lights when an employee has been away from their desk for “personal activities” beyond the allotted time, according to news reports.
Norway’s chief workplace ombudsman Bjorn Erik Thon told The Telegraph that one firm required employees to wear a red bracelet during their menstrual cycles to indicate the need for more restroom visits.Wow...
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
Astronology - Effectively Dealing with Poor Management
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Sunday, April 01, 2012
Embrace the Meritocracy
This is not something new--office politics have been around forever--but the sad part is that in today's economy, it's better to be liked, than to produce. And, in some ways, that's fair as the sum is supposed to be greater than its parts and if someone isn't contributing to the "team" their contribution isn't worth as much. But the truth is that we all have some sort of metrics we get judged on and 90% of the battle should be meeting or exceeding those numbers.
But its rare that companies embrace that way of thinking, and it's a shame. Companies lose some of the best workers because they're too busy trying to make them brown nose their way to a promotion. We've all had bosses who rather hear how great they are and how much you can say "yes" rather than looking at your great numbers and how many times you hit the bell after a sale.
So how do companies change that? Embrace the meritocracy. You produce "X", you get "Y". Simple and straightforward. Special circumstances can always be made for people who go the extra mile but don't get the results that others get, but if someone goes the extra mile and produces, make sure that's celebrated. You want employees to know that you value their production and the best way to do that is to make sure those who make you successful, are rewarded handsomely. You do that by embracing the idea of being a true meritocracy.