Recruit, Inspire & Retain |
January 2006 |
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Ideas for "Marketing" and Providing "Customer Service" to Current and Potential Employees |
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Think of the Team When Recruiting
Think it’s hard for the team to get it’s work done when new staff are hired? Think again....
"We found that teams that achieved success were fundamentally assembled in the same way, by bringing in some experienced people who had not worked together before."
| "We found that teams that achieved success were fundamentally assembled in the same way, by bringing in some experienced people who had not worked together before." |
Northwestern researchers have cooked up a recipe for team success that can be applied to anything from a musical composition on the Great White Way to scientific research on a Great White Shark. While teamwork is essential, it is the specific combination of members that predicts the outcome. "We found that teams that achieved success were fundamentally assembled in the same way, by bringing in some experienced people who had not worked together before" said Luis A. Nunes Amaral, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering in the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. In addition to experts, successful groups need new blood to bring creative ideas.
Using data from a century of Broadway musicals, the researchers measured success by the number of weeks a production ran. Sociologist Brian Uzzi, associate professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School of Management and one of the paper’s authors, pointed to West Side Story as an example of successful collaboration. Lyricist Stephen Sondheim was a Broadway newcomer, while composer Leonard Bernstein and choreographer Peter Gennaro had experience on Broadway but had never worked together before. Since the musical’s stage debut in 1957, the impact of this creative alliance continues to be felt around the world.
The researchers produced an estimate of the structure of the entire systemic network of the field to compare working teams. The study authors later applied this systemic network model to scientific teams publishing in the fields of social psychology, economics, ecology, and astronomy. Across every field, the key to success depended on finding the right balance between diversity and cohesion.
The team that produced the paper was unique. Uzzi and Amaral had not previously worked together. The new blood came from Roger Guimera, a postdoctoral fellow, and Jarrett Spiro, one of Uzzi’s former research assistants.
From Northwestern’s News On Campus Winter 2005
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Welcome to 2006
Dear Abby’s January 1, 2005 column is worth a repeat! Use it every January 1st — use it every day!
Rise and shine, and welcome to 2005(6)! This is our chance for a new beginning, the day we discard destructive old habits for healthy new ones. With that in mind, I’m printing Dear Abby’s oft-requested list of New Year’s resolutions – adapted by my mother from the original credo of Al-Anon.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all my problems at once. I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things I can correct and accept those I cannot.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought, and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I’ll not speak ill of others. I’ll improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. Just for today, I’ll refrain from improving anybody but myself.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will do something positive to improve my health. If I’m a smoker, I’ll quit. If I’m overweight, I’ll eat healthily – if only just for today. And not only that, I’ll get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it’s only around the block.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.
**TOOL
BOX**
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| * | ASAE’s Professional Development Forum published An Educator’s Guide to More Learning in Less Time, by TRAINING SYSTEMS, INC. President, Carolyn B. Thompson, in the December 2005 issue. Get a copy by emailing. |
A Week in TRAINING SYSTEMS, INC. Inc. Main Office
At the end of a typical week in the TRAINING SYSTEMS, INC. main office, I am slapping myself around for the smaller than expected amount of work I’ve completed. "Bad time management", I say to myself. I’ve said this a lot, and since we help people learn that this negative talk hampers their ability to be better time managers, I figured I’d better stop. So I tried the age old method:
Write down everything you do.
Here’s my list for the first week of November, 2005:
- October bookkeeping (see how far behind I was!)
- Inventory and pack & ship unsold books from 2 conference bookstores back to 8 publishers
- Help Associate David start moderating an association’s asynchronous Lean Manufacturing and their Marketing/Customer Service/Sales courses
- Read Associate Lynn’s POOP sheets from moderating an association’s asynchronous working with staff course and from design synchronous training on recognizing sexually inappropriate behavior in children
- Read & respond to 300 emails/day
- Answer 2+ calls pers day from sales people
- Look through and act on 10-20 pieces of paper mail/day
- Write 3 agreements for conference bookstores in 2006
- Talk with potential client, a community organization, who wants us to help their staff implement the strategic plan daily
- Write & review final November Recruit, Inspire & Retain
- Answer learner question about whether Lean Manufacturing webinar will be given again.
- Connect new Associate to Associate Robin to help with desktop publishing, proofing, & printing for training on mediating formal complaints for an association
- Update info on our website
- Call potential client to see if ready to start project where we help figure out what actions staff do that cause customers to feel good about services
- Co-facilitate week 5 of association’s synchronous training on managing association education
- Finalize dates and details for association training on recruiting and retaining employees
- Talk with Associate David about condition of home after hurricanes
- Get 3 new Associates added to all lists and databases
- Discuss date change with association for next year’s ethics training
- Re-send salary survey proposal to association whose staff changed
- Participate in weekly sales person meeting & weekly Rotary meeting re: providing Biosand filters to village in the Dominican Republic
- Secure staffing for a 2006 conference bookstore
Ok, now I feel way better. I really did a lot and my list doesn’t hold a candle to the work all our Associates were doing that week to fill client needs.
Try making your own list for a week – we’re all doing more than we give ourselves credit for.
Raising Your Own Bar
Send this article to each of your staff!
Everybody has one. It’s effect on us can be subtle to the point that we are not even aware of it. Everybody’s is different and it can change from situation to situation! What is it? It’s a comfort zone.
Whenever we take on a new project, try something new, attempt to set new goals or standards for ourselves we will, at some point, come face to face with our comfort zone. It’s not a matter of "if" it will happen it’s a matter of "when" it will happen.
Performance Comfort Zones
I work with professionals in sports and business and at every level comfort zones come into play. For example, when I ask a golfer what they shoot they might answer, "I shoot in the mid 80’s or mid 70’s. This is a subtle statement of their comfort zone. A comfort zone sets us up to perform within its limitations and acts as a "magnet" pulling us in that direction. For example, around the 14th hole a golfer may notice they are shooting their all-time best score. When they become aware of this their performance begins to "drift back" to the point where their final score is somewhere around their usual score. In sports and business, teams are affected by comfort zones as well. If the team is "used" to performing poorly their overall comfort zones will create "hidden" obstacles that cause them to continue their poor performance. People who excel have a higher comfort zone than people and teams who don’t. They expect to perform well while those with lower comfort zones tend to have lower expectations. The irony is it often has very little to do with talent or skill. This is the power an established comfort zone can have on us. It affects performance in sports, business and life! Are you comfortable earning the money you say you want? Are you comfortable reaching your personal or professional goals? As you know, New Year’s goals are notorious for being set and not pursued. They aren’t met because although they look good on paper there’s something in the goal or dream that is outside our comfort zones so we find ways to sabotage ourselves instead.
Actions Do Speak Louder than Words
Our actions, not our words reveal our comfort zones. A limiting comfort zone can prevent us from taking the required action we need to meet our dreams. Words, stories or excuses (blaming others, etc.) can create a "smoke screen" but actions (or inactions) are clear indicators of our comfort zones and much easier to identify. When we are honest about our own comfort zones we can rapidly uncover the hidden beliefs, assumptions and interpretations that cause us to be "stuck" and make faster shifts toward what we want.
How Comfort Zones Are Formed
A comfort zone is formed by experience which over time and repetition turns into a belief. Many of us are very good at "proving" our comfort zones are "real" by recreating the limiting experiences over and over again. Each time we do, we reinforce the belief sending subtle messages to ourselves such as, "I knew this would happen" or "I knew I’d only get this far". Over time our comfort zones become our unspoken expectations ("this is where I always wind up!"). A comfort zone is a state of mind and usually has little to do with your actual talent or skill. It’s easy to "prove" them by using self-fulfilling prophecy ("I knew it!") but why not break them instead?
Breaking Comfort Zones
There are many great ways to help break comfort zones — here are just a few.
This is the simplest and yet can be the most challenging step to take. The truth is; if you won’t be honest about them it is very difficult to move past them. Be honest. If you have a fear or limiting belief about yourself or a task/situation, put it "out there" for yourself. There is nothing wrong with it; it’s just a belief and is not a true reflection of your worth, talent or skill.
- Be honest with yourself.
David Breslow is a TRAINING SYSTEMS, INC. Associate and a Facilitator/Performance Coach who works with athletes (PGA/LPGA) and businesses to help people perform at the "top of their game". His approach creates faster shifts in how people think, feel, and perform every day. David has appeared on The Golf Channel, ESPN radio and has spoken to corporations across the country. To reach David call: 847-681-1698 or email:
david@theflowzone.net or visit the web: www.theflowzone.net.
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Get more tips on inspiring great employees from TRAINING SYSTEMS. |
**TOOL BOX**
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Your Training & Development Budget and Why It Matters (Hint: Good
Teaching = Great Learning)
You do a survey to find out what people want training on. Then you look at last year’s training & development budget and say, "OK, I need the same" OR, "hmmm, with all the cutting we need to do this year, guess I’d better cut it back by 25%." And so you turn in your budget and your survey. Then, on January 1, you start responding to training requests as they come in and as you have the money.
Sound familiar? What’s the purpose of the survey if you’re just going to ‘respond to training requests as they come in’? And, what’s the correlation between the things people said they wanted training on and what they need in order to complete the work of the organization? And what’s the use of a training budget based on a number out of thin air? And what’s the use of any of it if people aren’t learning & using their skills on the job? You guessed it – none to not much.
I
nstead:- Discover "true" training needs (true = performance needed
to complete the work of the organization) by looking at people’s
performance evaluations (best if done by self, teammates and
supervisor, but your current one is better than none).
- Base your training & development budget on a match between
what you discover is needed and the ROI to your organization. (If you
can’t get buy in for this level of computation at least use a percentage
of payroll – a target is to use 3-3.5% of total payroll as their
budget.)
- Be sure any money you spend on any training is done with good
teaching (good teaching is defined as "teaching that creates
learning and use of skills on the job"). Here’s the short of it from
a Fast Company article (12/01):
- It’s not about you; it’s about them.
- Study your learners.
- Learners take risks when teachers create a safe environment.
- Great teachers exude passion as well as purpose.
- Learners learn when teachers help them see how much they need to learn.
- Keep it clear even if you can’t keep it simple.
- Practice vulnerability without sacrificing credibility.
- Teach from the heart.
- Repeat the important points.
- Good teachers ask good questions.
- You’re not passing out information, you’re helping people learn how to think.
- Stop talking—and start listening.
- Learn what to listen for.
- Let your learners help each other learn.
- Avoid using the same approach for everyone.
- Never stop helping people learn.
Call 800-469-3560 or email TSI@trainingsys.com for more ideas on discovering training needs, training budgets, and great teaching.
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**TOOL BOX**
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Peter F. Drucker — In Memory
The Monday after Peter Drucker died, the people in the ASAE executive section listserv had some really useful ideas that’ll help us all be better people managers, and thus retain those great people:
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I learned this morning that Peter Drucker passed away yesterday. He would
have been 96 on the 19th of this month. We are all of us greatly
indebted to this man and his work; indeed, it is easily argued that he gave
us all many of the concepts and ideas that permeate our work. I am deeply
saddened to know that I can no longer look forward with delight and
anticipation to his next article. His passing leaves a huge void in that
community of practice known as "management". Fred Nickols |
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On Friday, Peter F. Drucker passed away at the age of 95. He is
considered by many to be the greatest source of common sense insights about
what leaders and managers ought to do. In my humble opinion, two of his
books — "The Practice of Management" published in 1954 and "Managing for
Results" published in 1964 — are still as wonderful and relevant today as
when they first appeared. After all, the fundamentals of leading and
collaborating with people still apply (as the song, "As Time Goes By"
reminds us: "The fundamental things apply/as time goes by."). For those of us who were fans of Drucker, let’s take a moment to remember him and perhaps reread one of his books. For the uninitiated, now is a good time to discover his wisdom. Allen Liff |
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Years ago, I ran an annual meeting for nursing administrators. Planning
for the 2nd year of that meeting, I thought it would be wonderful
to have Peter Drucker as a key note speaker. I found his number and was
surprised when he answered his phone personally. I told him about the
meeting. He asked where? I told him Houston. He replied, "I don’t travel."
The conversation ended. As I thought about it, I had the sense that he might
have decided we didn’t have the budget for him, so I wrote him a letter
suggesting that budget would not be a problem. He responded that, except for
an annual trip for a meeting at NYU, his relationship with his wife was such
that he seldom if ever traveled elsewhere. His relationship with his wife, I
should add, was excellent. She, in her own right, was a remarkable person,
practicing patent law and frequently improving the inventions for which her
clients sought patents. At any rate, as a consequence, I elected to hold the
meeting the following year in Los Angeles and he accepted. I had the pleasure of going to his home in Claremont to bring him to the meeting. I brought with me a person who had been one of my mentors over the years, and when we arrived, he greeted us, ushered us into his den, said I have ten minutes more work to do, left the room, and returned ten minutes later. From that point on, he was "all ours" so to speak. Wise–and incredibly warm, the trip to the hotel was incredible. We had arranged a book signing for him and it was marvelous to watch him as each person approached him. Everyone was suddenly the sole object of his attention, wrapped warmly in an aura which you could almost feel. I had the pleasure of introducing him later and to say that our audience seemed to honor him as though he were "Saint" Peter. Interestingly, his first words were: "I’m not going to tell you anything new this evening, but please, when we’re done, home and do them." John Watkins |
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Get more tips on retaining great employees from TRAINING SYSTEMS. |
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FUN DAYS TO CELEBRATE/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCES/WAYS TO VOLUNTEER & GIVE |
JANUARY SPECIAL DAYS
January is...
Book Month
Clean Up Your Computer Month
Volunteer Blood Donor Month
Mentoring Month
January 3 – Drinking Straw Day
January 4 – Spaghetti Day
January 6 – Epiphany/Twelfth Night/Three Kings Day
January 8 – Show and Tell Day
January 9 – Stepfather’s Day
January 11 – Milk Day, Thank You Cards Day, Make Your Dreams Come True Day, & Step in A Puddle and Splash Your Friend Day (if your dream is to step in a puddle of milk, splash a friend, and then receive a thank you card for doing it, then this is your day!)
January 12 – Clean Off Your Desk Day
January 14 – Assembly Line Worker’s Day
January 15 – Martin Luther King Day & Dress Up Your Pet Day (dress up your pet as M.L. King!)
January 19 – Hat Day & Popcorn Day
January 20 – Cheese Day
January 23 – Pie Day
January 24 – Peanut Butter Day
January 27 – Chocolate Cake Day
January 28 – Compliment Day & Blueberry Pancake Day
January 29 – National Puzzle Day
January 31 – Sdrawkcab (Backwards) Day
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCES
January 10-13, 2006
The Special Event Conference Trade Show 2006, Dallas Convention
Center, Dallas, TX,
January 12-15, 2006
International Alliance for Learning’s 31st Annual Conference:
Leading Through Learning, Alexandria, VA,
January 20-21, 2006
The Four Elements of Success/Path Elements Profile Training Workshop,
Raleigh North Hilton, Raleigh, NC,
January 30-February 1, 2006
Center on Education and Work 2006 Conference, Madison, WI,
February 26-28, 2006
ASAE’s The Great Ideas Conference, Coronado Bay Resort, San Diego,
CA,
February 26-28, 2006
IADIS International Conference Web Based Communities 2006, San
Sebastian, Spain,
March 10-12, 2006
Dave Barry’s Hoot Camp, Embassy Suites, Tampa, FL,
March 15-18, 2006
19th Annual International Mentoring Association Conference,
Chicago, IL,
March 31-April 3, 2006
Humor Project Cruise to the BaHAHAHAmas, from Miami to
Bahamas,
April 6-7, 2006
Managing for Impact: HR Metrics and Firm Performance, Cornell
University, Ithaca, NY,
April 18-21, 2006
15th Annual Association of Australian Career Counselors (AACC)
Conference, Sydney, Australia,
April 23-26, 2006
Strategic Leadership for Women in Human Resources, Simmons School of
Management, Boston, MA,
April 24-28, 2006
Leadership Development for HR Professionals, CCL campus, Colorado
Springs, CO,
June 25-28, 2006
SHRM's 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Washington, DC,
July 7-9, 2006
National Career Development Association 2006 Conference, Chicago, IL,
1-866-FOR-NCDA
July 26-30, 2006
WorldFuture 2006: Creating Global Strategies for Humanity’s Future,
Sheraton Centre Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
Enter the 2006 ASAE Associations Advance America Awards!
February 17, 2006 is the deadline for programs conducted between October
2005 and January 2006.
May 2, 2006 is the deadline for programs conducted between January
2006 and April 2006.
For details on eligibility and award categories, go to
WAYS TO VOLUNTEER & GIVE
To Choose a Charity:
RECYCLING
Responsibly Dispose of Your Old Electronics - Donate PCs to National Cristina Foundation,
Recycle PCs and other computer products at Hewlett Packard and Dell. See their websites for details.
Find local Electronics recyclers at http://www.earth911.org and
http://www.ebay.com/rethinkChristmas Tree –
www.Christmastree.org
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