HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Welcome to the December 2007 issue of Rise & Shine
Your Leadership Solutions and Resource Newsletter!
Bright Lights (Tips/Solutions)
For the past three months, the Bright Lights section of Rise & Shine has presented tips and suggestions from the Rising Sun model of Positive Productivity™:
As previously stated, traditional thought around employee productivity has included approaches that address employee knowledge, skills and attitude (KSA). More recently, however, a few authors have also begun to talk about the importance of morals and values to employee productivity. The Rising Sun Model of Positive Productivity™ has taken the study of productivity one step further by examining the relationship (i.e., integration) of these components: knowledge and skills (Competency), attitude (Commitment), and morals and values (Character).
The "Productivity Zone" represents that point in an employee's development where all three components (Competency, Character and Commitment) come together in a state of "Positive Productivity." From this perspective, supervision is seen as one of the most significant mechanisms we know of to support employees in achieving the greatest success possible.
According to several highly respected research firms (e.g., The Gallup Organization and The Saratoga Institute), the primary reason behind voluntary employee turnover is a poor relationship between the employee and their supervisor. While this finding may surprise some business leaders, how many of us in our working lives have asked for a transfer, resigned from a job, or have at least pondered one of those actions because of a supervisor we did not get along with - one who did not have effective management and/or people skills?
As research clearly demonstrates, it is not only in the best interest of the employee, but also the employer to pay close attention to the supervisor/supervisee relationship. This relationship is critical to the success of the individual, as well as the organization.
Shining Stars (Best Practices)
This month's Organization of Excellence is the Lancaster General health system. This non-profit health system has achieved tremendous recognition for their healthy and positive organizational culture. In fact, they have won the Best Places to Work in PA award for six years in a row, including 2007. Their mission is clear: "To advance the health and well-being of the communities of Lancaster." Their vision targets their services more directly to the people whom they serve: "To create an extraordinary healthcare experience... every time." They strive for their mission and vision through their services, and at the heart of their services is a great respect and reverence for the individual, whether they be patients or employees.
Here are a few strategies that this incredible organization has in place to build an internal community that works together toward their common goals:
- They communicated their common vision, mission and strategic goals through the development of a learning map, which included the participation of almost every one of their 7,000 employees.
- To encourage its employees to move into Lancaster City neighborhoods near Lancaster General Hospital, the health system offers assistance to cover the cost of mortgage insurance, as well as to pay up to $10,000 toward settlement costs, depending upon the proximity of the home to the hospital. It also offers financial assistance up to $2,500 to match the buyer's contribution toward improvement to the exterior appearance of the home, if needed.
- They have developed a solid succession planning process. They established a set of core competencies around ethics and business knowledge to help them identify talent and grow people from within.
- A system of report cards that grade staff satisfaction, patient satisfaction, physician satisfaction, patient outcomes, financial health, etc. rolls up the organization on a regular basis. The organization's Board of Trustees is able to review the report cards for all levels of the organization.
- This organization is dedicated to purchasing all their food for employees and patients through local producers in an effort to financially support the community.
With all their employee engagement strategies, the leadership of Lancaster General is particularly invested in and proud of the large-scale involvement in the development of their vision and strategic direction. We thank Thomas Beeman, President & CEO of Lancaster General, for meeting with us to discuss their organization. More information about Lancaster General is available at www.lancastergeneralhealth.org.
World Views (In the News)
What Great Managers Do
The best managers figure out what makes individual employees tick and how those qualities can best be used for the worker's and the company's success
The Idea in Brief
You've spent months coaching that employee to treat customers better, work more independently, or get organized—all to no avail.
How to make better use of your precious time? Do what great managers do: Instead of trying to change your employees, identify their unique abilities (and even their eccentricities)—then help them use those qualities to excel in their own way.
You'll need these three tactics:
- Continuously tweak roles to capitalize on individual strengths. One Walgreens store manager put a laconic but highly organized employee in charge of restocking aisles—freeing up more sociable employees to serve customers.
- Pull the triggers that activate employees' strengths. Offer incentives such as time spent with you, opportunities to work independently, and recognition in forms each employee values most.
- Tailor coaching to unique learning styles. Give "analyzers" the information they need before starting a task. Start "doers" off with simple tasks, then gradually raise the bar. Let "watchers" ride shotgun with your most experienced performers.
The payoff for capitalizing on employees' unique strengths? You save time. Your people take ownership for improving their skills. And you teach employees to value differences—building a powerful sense of team.
The Idea in Practice
First identify each employee's unique strengths: Walk around, observing people's reactions to events. Note activities each employee is drawn to. Ask "What was the best day at work you've had in the past three months?" Listen for activities people find intrinsically satisfying.
Watch for weaknesses, too, but downplay them in your communications with employees. Offer training to help employees overcome shortcomings stemming from lack of skills or knowledge. Otherwise, apply these strategies:
- Find the employee a partner with complementary talents. A merchandising manager who couldn't start tasks without exhaustive information performed superbly once her supervisor (the VP) began acting as her "information partner." The VP committed to leaving the manager a brief voicemail update daily and arranging two "touch base" conversations weekly.
- Reconfigure work to neutralize weaknesses. Use your creativity to envision more effective work arrangements, and be courageous about adopting unconventional job designs.
Activate Employees' Strengths
The ultimate trigger for activating an employee's strengths is recognition. But each employee plays to a different audience. So tailor your praise accordingly.
If an employee values recognition from…
- His peers. Praise him by: Publicly celebrating his achievement in front of coworkers.
- You. Praise him by: Telling him privately but vividly why he's such a valuable team member.
- Others with similar expertise. Praise him by: Giving him a professional or technical award.
- Customers. Praise him by: Posting a photo of him and his best customer in the office.
Tailor Coaching to Learning Style
Adapt your coaching efforts to each employee's unique learning style.
(Adapted from Marcus Buckingham. Harvard Business Online, December 4, 2007)
New Horizons (News from RSC)
Afraid to let go of that problem employee?
It's OK to Say...
"You're Fired"
Give us a day and we'll give you:
Signs of a healthy vs. unhealthy organization
How to deal with employees who "quit and stay"
How employee turnover affects organizational culture
What you need to know about the termination process
What you need to do
How you need to do it
What’s the worst that could happen?
January 9, 2008
Harrisburg Hilton and Towers
Registration and Continental Breakfast 7:30am
Session (including lunch) 8:00am - 4:30pm
Early bird registration: $189 ($209 at the door)
www.risingsunconsultants.com/html/events/010908.htm
Sponsored by:
Rays of Hope (Stories/Parables)
A story of believing in yourself
READ THIS FIRST THEN CLICK THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM AND WATCH!
This is a story about a guy, like most of us, common, questioning his existence, measuring himself to others, never believing in his abilities or his worth.
Then one day, his passion outgrew his fears as he stepped onto a stage, a stage that took him to a place beyond his self imposed prison.
Watch the faces of the judges as this guy walks out on the stage. You can almost see what they're thinking as they pre-judge this guy based on his looks and the fact that he's a cell phone salesman. Then their emotions truly engulf them.
Maybe this guy stopped believing in what people told him for so many years and ultimately started listening to his passion.
http://www.maniacworld.com/Phone-Salesman-Amazes-Crowd.html |
Thank You
On behalf of all of us at Rising Sun Consultants, we want to thank you for reviewing the December edition of our Rise & Shine Newsletter and we want to wish you all a JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON and HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your interest in Rising Sun Consultants and we invite you to visit our website (www.risingsunconsultants.com) and encourage you to submit a question for a future addition of Rise & Shine.
Until next month: Always Keep Your Eyes on the New Horizon! |
