Bridges

Edition of 11/7/2007

[Bridges]

The article cited a number of keys to motivate employees - from pay for performance to pushing down authority. Their unusual pay system rewards performance - 2/3 of a steelworker's pay is based on production - good work is rewarded, bad work is penalized. Managers' pay is also results-based, executives' pay stresses team building, and even the CEO's pay is tied to performance targets. The company believes that the best ideas come from the front line, so they encourage workers to come up with improvements. They have limited the layers of management, pushed responsibilities down the line, exhibited a willingness to try new ways of doing things and supporting the employee if an initiative doesn't work.

In all of the studies I have read, the key to motivating - and retaining employees - is not always money. The common theme is appreciation. Employees want to know that their efforts are appreciated, that their employer sees them as being a valued contributor. This is consistent across age or level of responsibility. To quote that same BusinessWeek article:

Don't just ask for worker input- use it
Tell your people you care about them
Support people when they make a mistake
Set clear goals and celebrate accomplishments

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CAREER COACHING
Recently my husband and I attended parent's weekend at our son's college. With two motives - personal and professional - I went to the career coaching workshop so I could hear what advice colleges were giving students about finding jobs. I heard the director say that spending 4-5 hours a day applying for jobs on the internet was not really a job search since 70-80% of jobs come through some form of networking. It is a statistic I stress when coaching clients about the importance of networking. I knew this was true for more senior jobs; it was interesting to hear that it also applies for recent college grads.
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SUCCESS
In one of the first newsletters I wrote, I mentioned the book "Amazing Gracie, A Dog's Tale" by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff. At the time I wrote that these two guys took what was a passion, developing an all natural dog biscuit to save their dog's life, and filled a hole in the marketplace. Last week I was shopping at my local Wegmans Grocery Store and purchased Bark'n Fetch Biscuits from Three Dog Bakery for my pups. The back of the box mentioned that Three Dog was founded in 1989, the first bakery for dogs and now Wegmans, which is a major regional chain, carries their product. I was really excited to see market need, passion and great entrepreneurs come together and succeed.

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For those who ask me what it is that I do, I offer coaching and business consulting in the following areas:

-Business Consulting & Executive Coaching - working as an independent sounding board providing advice on staffing issues, developing emerging talent and helping managers sharpen their communication and management skills;
-Career Coaching for career advancement, change or transition;
-Not for Profit Consulting - providing Executive Directors with independent sounding board, consulting on staff issues, board relations and staff development.

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THANKS
November is one of my favorite months because of the Thanksgiving holiday. It gives me the opportunity to focus on things of importance in my life - family, friends, and food. It is also a great month from a business perspective to say thank you. Instead of waiting for the holiday rush in December, consider using the Thanksgiving holiday as a time to send greetings of thanks to your clients or colleagues for their business or support.
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FINAL THOUGHT
At the risk of being redundant I like to quote the humorist, Erma Bombeck, "What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday in November when no one diets." Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

COPYRIGHT: 2007, Robin Fogel & Assoc., LLC. All Rights Reserved. May be distributed and reprinted in its entirety with copyright, subscription instructions, and contact information intact. However, you may not copy it to a website.