The news stories are flowing about layoffs, downsizing and closing in this brutal economy. One such story from abcnews.com shares stories from readers regarding extreme situations for being let go. This one was amusing: After a traditional face to face layoff session, my company tried a new kinder gentler approach. They called a big meeting and announced that every employee had e-mail back on their computer that would tell them if they still had a job. I didn’t! I’ve been let go during layoffs before and there isn’t any easy way to do it. However, it seems to me that if your communication strategy is to use some form of… Read More
Continue ReadingEntrepreneurial Ambiguity
Inc.com is celebrating its 30th birthday with some fascinating articles including an interview with Jim Collins. The interviewer asked for his definition of entrepreneurship which involves a paint-by-numbers vs. blank canvas analogy. However, the follow up question and answer was notable: It has to do with your ability to handle risk, no? Not risk. Ambiguity. People confuse the two. My students used to come to me at Stanford and say, “I’d really like to do something on my own, but I’m just not ready to take that much risk. So I took the job with IBM.” And I would say, “You’re not ready for risk? What’s the first thing you… Read More
Continue ReadingGaps In Agility
Cuts, layoffs, workforce reductions…the stories are everywhere in the media today as this economy takes it’s toll on business. Clearly it appears that more cuts are underway in March and will be reflected in the next labor statistics report. This approach is needed during a recession so no company can be blamed for taking this drastic move. But how far should companies cut? There are no easy answers to that question, but I think there is a general principle companies should follow. Reduce only enough to make your company agile in this marketplace while minimizing your gaps in performance. Here is an excerpt from last week’s Herman Trend Alert (sorry,… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Straight-Up Truth
These are skittish times, aren’t they? I have seen this among reps and myself – every little item is scrutinized. Communication, email, reports…I find myself looking for subtle clues in all of them. Is a layoff coming? How bad is it? What is going to happen next? These are not productive thoughts. As a manager, how do you quell these fears? There isn’t one move, tool or approach that will cure it, but a concerted effort will help to minimize your team’s anxiety. Selling Power offers up an article that has some feel-good points that I question. However, there is something in the article that caught my eye: Don’t make… Read More
Continue ReadingBest Companies To Work For
I think in this economy you could simply state “any” as the best. Well, that may be a bridge too far, but you get my point. Fortune magazine released their annual list of the top 100 companies to work for. Here are the top 10: 10. Nugget Market 9. Goldman Sachs 8. Methodist Hospital System 7. Genentech 6. Cisco Systems 5. Wegmans Food Markets 4. Google 3. Boston Consulting Group 2. Edward Jones 1. NetApp How about this excerpt on the number 1 company NetApp: Typical of its down-to-earth management ethos, NetApp early on ditched a travel policy a dozen pages long in favor of this maxim: “We are a… Read More
Continue ReadingWhat To Do In 2009
Selling Power provides another good article – Expert Advice for 2009 – that makes 4 relevant suggestions for this year. Clearly the economy is foremost on everyone’s mind and is affecting sales in a negative way. As they say, the show must go on. You can read the article for the 4 suggestions from 4 different sales trainers, but I especially noted these two: Shift to opportunity mode. Are you in survival mode or opportunity mode? A survival response to the economy is rooted in the “we just need to stay afloat” mentality. Leaders in this mode react by reducing head count, decreasing employee development, and controlling expenses, resulting in… Read More
Continue ReadingThose Millennial Misfits
The Herman Trend Alert touches on the ever-popular Gen Y/Millennial trends and traits in their most recent email (sorry, no link). The perception of this generation still needs some improvement…drastic improvement (emphasis mine): Recently JobFox.com conducted a poll of recruiters with predictable results—Millennials were judged to be the least effective performers of the four generations now in our workplace. A paltry 20 percent of the responders characterized them as “generally great performers”. Compare this statistic to the 63 percent who said Baby Boomers (43 to 62 years old) were great performers and 58 percent who gave high marks to Gen Xers (29 to 42). True confession – I have a… Read More
Continue Reading2009 Prediction Time-Talent Management
The Herman Trend Alert offers up some expected predictions, some insightful ones and some surprising ones for 2009. Here is one that falls in the expected/not surprising category: 1. Certain Skill Sets Continue to be in Short Supply. In spite of the global economic slowdown and massive layoffs, certain skill sets are in short supply. All but the most short-sighted employers will continue to respect talented workers in all fields for their contributions. I don’t think that is surprising at all, but not all companies subscribe to that approach. Here is an insightful prediction: 3. Fear and Apprehension Reduce Productivity. As we have written about some months ago, there is… Read More
Continue ReadingBBD-Pay For Customer Service
BBD=Bad Business Decision. I am always amazed that companies want to charge for customer service, but obviously it must work for them. I can see where computer customer service is a difficult thing since you often have uniformed end-users. However, this abcnews.com story is over-the-top (my bold): Many consumers are used to getting customer service on the phone from international call centers, but now some companies are offering domestic aid for a price. I just laugh when I read it. Extra charges for domestic support just seems insulting to me as a consumer. Again, I may be really out of touch on this one. The article continues with worse news:… Read More
Continue ReadingTop 10 Ways For Admins To Get Fired
Work for an American automotive company. Ok, that was my contribution. SalesHQ.com offers up a rather dry article for administrative people to avoid being fired. However, most of the points seem rather self-evident. I took note since my wife works in an administrative role. I wanted to enjoy this one but… 5. Drink at Work: One of the quickest ways to be shown the door is drinking too much at lunch and walking into a wall. Administrative assistants must keep things organized, efficient and clear, so maintaining your own clarity is extremely important. Staying on top of the mountain of details that go into making a business run smoothly requires… Read More
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