. This newsletter can also be viewed at: http://www.coachingforexcellence.biz/Newsletter.htm
Inside Out |
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February 20, 2007 -- Volume 3, Issue 2 |
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A Message from Kim |
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Hi Everyone, I don’t know where you live or what your weather patterns are but I just experienced a winter blizzard last week in Bloomington, IL. It was quite the winter storm and I know I am looking forward to my trip to Australia next month where it will be their summer season. I hope that wherever you are, you are able to enjoy your weather or escape to a better climate for a brief respite. This month marked the release of a book, of which I am proud to be a co-author. You probably received a notice from me about 101 Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 3. It is an incredible book with chapters written by 101 self-development experts, each with their own particular insight as to how you can live the life you were meant to live. Some of the world renowned contributors to this book are Ken Blanchard, Les Brown, Mark Victor Hansen and Byron Katie. I am so honored to be included in their company. If you would like to get a copy of this book, please check it out at http://www.therelationshipcenter.biz/books.php. This month has also been a challenge for me at my website. I don’t know if any of you had attempted to visit my blog over the past month but some hacker managed to get into that page and insert a virus. The only page affected was my blog page and my hosting company has since removed the virus but I am still experiencing functionality problems and haven’t been able to add any new entries. My hosting company continues to work on the problem. I will keep you updated when all is back to normal. In the meantime, I have decided to invest in a dedicated server. This means that I will not share hosting with other websites, but will have my own. This is supposed to greatly reduce the possibilities of hackers accessing my site so hopefully, this will take care of the problem. We are focusing our efforts on Leadership this month. We have a free Empowered Leadership teleclass, an eCourse and eBook reasonably priced and on special this month. I am currently in the process of developing an Empowered Leadership CD which should be completed by the end of the month. You will receive notice of that and we provide onsite Empowered Leadership workshops. Take advantage of some of the specials we are running this month. Make today the day you want it to be! |
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In This Issue |
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Feature Article Upcoming Events Book Review |
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Corporate Culture Much of the information in this article can be found in the book, How to Hire and Keep Great Employees by Jim Harris and Joan Brannick, discussed in our book review below. The authors make a very strong case for why it is so important, particularly today to have a strong corporate culture and for aligning all levels of your business with that core culture. I consult with many organizations about bringing Empowered Leadership to their companies and agencies. One of the things they frequently lament over is their inability to find good employees and then the recidivism rate once they hire employees. One of their biggest complaints is that they hire people, train them and after investing in them, the employees move on. This is the fate of many corporations today. Because of downsizing and outsourcing, people lack the job security that was present through the 80s. Now, employees know they can’t count on putting in their 40 years and getting their gold watch with one company the way their parents and grandparents did. Employees today know they have to look out for number one and make career decisions based on whatever is best for them and their families. Organizational loyalty is pretty much nonexistent as workers realize that companies have no loyalty toward them. So, given this corporate climate, what can be done to find great workers and keep them? The authors of How to Hire and Keep Great Employees say it’s in your corporate culture and what they say makes great sense to me. What would keep a person at a job when someone else may be trying to lure them away? It is a strong corporate culture that fits with their personality. Do you have an identified corporate culture? If you don’t know or aren't sure, then the answer is a resounding no. When you have chosen one of the following four cultures and align all your policies and procedures toward that purpose, then you have a corporate culture. Without this, you are most likely drifting around, trying to satisfy all four, without ever really reaching a pinnacle of greatness in any. When you focus on one core culture, the rest of business falls into place. The four corporate cultures identified by Harris and Brannick are: a culture of customer service, a culture of innovation, a culture of operational excellence, and a culture of spirit. Customer Service: “The underlying purpose of a customer-service culture is to create solutions to meet customer needs,” says Harris and Brannick. The idea is always to meet customers' current needs, while anticipating future needs before the customer is even aware of them. Customers always receive outstanding service and corporations aligned with this culture are constantly seeking ways to go above and beyond for their customers. Even though these companies understand the old adage that “The customer is always right” may not necessarily be true, their reality is the customer is still and always will be the customer and should be treated like royalty. Innovation: Harris and Brannick state, “The underlying purpose of an innovation-driven culture is to create and shape the future.” People who thrive in this environment are those who can tolerate chaos, competition and making mistakes. There will be no gain without risks and innovative companies understand this and sometimes even reward mistakes to encourage risk-taking. The primary asset in these corporations is intelligent people. They are able to hire and retain the best people in their field by constantly staying on the cutting edge. Operational Excellence: Harris and Brannick write, “The underlying purpose of an operationally excellent culture is to create processes that minimize costs while maximizing productivity and efficiency.” Most franchises operate within this cultural framework—downplaying creativity for adherence to standard operational procedures. Standardization of processes is critical. These companies are big on analyzing data to determine where improvements can be made and then making them. Spirit: According to Harris and Brannick, “Sprit-driven companies are obsessed with creating environments that unleash the limitless creativity, enthusiasm, and energy of people.” The idea here is that one takes care of and encourages his or her employees, then business will automatically be taken care of. People working in a spirit culture develop a strong loyalty to their workplace. Sometimes they leave to try out other pastures, but often they return, realizing the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. The leaders in a spirit-centered culture become servant leaders, looking out for the welfare of their people. When you are aligned with your core culture employee training, employee incentives, hiring, and retention are all centered around meeting your main corporate goal. How do you measure up? Copyright © January 2007 Kim Olver. All rights reserved
NOTICE: This article is free and can be copied and reproduced |
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*Click Here or to read some of Kim's other articles* |
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Teleconferences All teleconferences are free, one (1) hour in length and all you need is a telephone. When you register we will send you a phone number that you will call five minutes prior to the start of your teleconference. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, but if you prefer to just listen that’s all right too. You do not need a computer or Internet, only a telephone. Don’t delay. There are a limited number of slots available. The following Teleconferences are FREE How would you like your leaders to be more effective? How would you like to create a work environment that is empowering to your employees? Register for this call and learn the skills necessary to create an empowered workforce for both management and your employees. Choice Theory & Reality Therapy This class will preview the revolutionary work of one of the greatest thinkers of our time, Dr. William Glasser. During the call, you will learn the basic tenants and concepts of Choice Theory, an explanation of human behavior; Reality Therapy, a process of self-reflection that encourages problem solution and self-growth; Lead Management, a democratic style of leadership that is not only effective in managing workers, but is also effective with the management of students in the classroom and for agencies working with non-voluntary clients; and Quality Schools, a new way of teaching and managing the classroom environment that creates trust, quality relationships, and improved test scores. Sign up today. Goal Setting & Attainment Are you serious about attaining your goals this year? Do you want to do more than make a New Year's Resolution that you forget by the time the Super Bowl is on television? Join me on the free teleconference to learn my time-tested 7-Step process for Goal Attainment. We will do more than set goals--we will discuss a system to implement that will exponentially increase your opportunity for success. Also, my Goal Attainment System is multi-faceted. You won't just be focusing your attention on your career goals unless you want to. My system has you take a look at all areas of your life so you can accomplish an optimal work/life balance for yourself. There is nothing to lose but an hour of your time and so much to gain. Let's make this year best year yet! Celebrate Diversity Do you maintain a diverse workforce in your place of business? Do you celebrate diversity? Would you like to learn how to create a diverse workplace that embraces diversity? Register for this call and learn how creating a diverse workforce in your place of business can increase your bottom line and create a more pleasant work environment for you, your co-workers and your employees. De-escalation Skills (Anger Management ) Have you ever been involved in a situation with an angry person where you felt defeated? Either you escalate to their level of aggression or you allowed yourself to get lambasted and felt battered in the end? Either way, you lost by allowing the angry person to dictate your responses and control your effectiveness. Come learn some easy techniques to work with an angry individual to take their level of volatility down to a manageable level so you can intellectually process the problem with them. Reality Therapy & Choice Theory In this week long workshop, you will learn so much about yourself, others and life in general. You will learn Choice Theory, a new psychology of personal freedom. Its practice will help you gain control over your life by focusing on those things you can change. Learn a four-step problem-solving method that will ensure your success. Use the same approach to help others self-evaluate their own behavior. This process is helpful for friends, children, parents, or anyone in your life looking for solutions. You will be able to help. Choice Theory can be applied in all areas of your life and its application to various areas will be discussed this week. If you are seeking more peace and concrete solutions, then this workshop is for you. |
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Chat Room All Chats are from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. EST |
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"If people like you they will listen to you, but if they trust --Zig Ziglar This quote lines up well with the designing of a corporate culture. By choosing the culture to which you aspire, you are sending a message to all who come into contact with you—employees, customers, stakeholders, family members—that this is who you are. You are declaring your values and corporate identity. This is the first step to developing trust but the second step comes in carrying out that which you have declared. Letting others know where you stand and then demonstrating that through your actions will create trust and increase your business. |
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Finding & Keeping Great Employees If you are part of a company or organization that is losing the battle to find and keep great employees, then you may want to take a look at your corporate culture or lack thereof. Harris and Brannick make a really good case for why identifying and then aligning your company to its corporate culture is critical in today’s corporate environment. In this age of downsizing and outsourcing, employees are no longer looking to stay with one company for a lifetime. They are looking for the best opportunity to promote their own career. Many will jump ship for a slightly better paycheck. What can keep employees and even help you locate the ones with a higher probability of longevity with your company is identifying and aligning with your corporate culture. The authors identify four corporate cultures and if your processes are not completely aligned with one of these four, then you would be in the category with the vast majority of companies without a corporate culture. It is the culture that employees identify with and cause their loyalty and subsequent retention. The possible cultures are discussed above in this week’s Featured Article. Check out the book and see if you can identify your culture. Choice Theory and Empowered Leadership are aligned with a spirit-centered culture. If that is your direction, you might want to check out our Empowered Leadership eBook at http://www.coachingforexcellence.biz/empleaderebook.htm. Click here to order this book |
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Are your operating in a company that doesn’t seem to have a core culture or perhaps its core culture is chasing fads, latching on to whatever is popular that month? If so, take the time to define what really is most important in your opinion. Is it customer service, innovation, operational excellence or employee morale and a bigger purpose? If you don’t know, talk to your superiors. Involve the stakeholders or Board of Directors. Seek input from your existing employees and commit to a core culture. Once committed, go over all policies and procedures within your organization and determine which ones support the core culture and which ones do not. Keep the ones that do and revamp the ones that don’t. Educate everyone involved about the direction to which you are committing the company. Expect some resistance. Work with it for a while but eventually, you will need to replace those people who are not aligning with the core culture with those who will. Once you get the right people in the right places with your culture aligned, you will see some amazing things. Your retention will soar, your profits will increase and your employee satisfaction ratings will improve. Give it a try. If you need some help, seek training and consultation from someone who understands company culture. It will be money well-invested. Good luck and let me now how it works out.
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Question: I know you are big on the topic of Empowered Leadership. What culture would you say that best supports? Answer: That’s a great question! Empowered Leadership would technically operate well in all cultures but I would say it would best support a spirit-driven culture. Empowered Leadership is about maintaining the right balance between supporting and encouraging one’s employees and maintaining excellent quality with the goods and/or services produced. The premise is very much spirit-focused. When you take care of the employees’ needs and concerns, they will develop greater incentive to provide their best to the company for which they work. This will naturally increase the quality of the output. Motivation will be high and employee turnover will decrease. |
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