That's right, Social NOTworking. This title has a double meaning, which I will get to in a minute.

If you have the internet in front of you, you cannot help but at the very least be aware of the social networking/web 2.0 phenomenon.  Here are some of the more prevalent social networking/web 2.0 sites that you may be a member of:

Linkedin, MySpace, Classmates.com, Facebook, ERE, Flickr, Meetup.com, Twitter, Second Life, Ning, Plaxo, Naymz, Xanga and FastPitch.  And trust me when I tell you, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Used properly in terms of your profession, these sites live up to the "Social Networking" category that they reside in. Used improperly in terms of your profession, they become what I like to call "Social NOTworking" sites.  Check it out:

A.  Are the social networking sites NOT working for you in meeting your professional networking goals?

OR

B.  Are the social networking sites bogging you down so much that you are NOT working?

If you answered "YES" to question A:

The first issue that you may want to address is actually question B.  Beyond that, what you need to realize is that these social networks are great tools ("tools" being the key word here).  The challenge is to utilize all your tools in your workbench, but some recruiters are SO reliant on these sites the same way so many recruiters are reliant solely on online resume databases that nothing much of measure is ever accomplished.  You would not build a swing set with just a Phillips head screwdriver, right?

As a recruiter or HR professional, or even as a hiring manager or staff level engineer always on the lookout for outstanding additions to your team, make sure you are looking on the RIGHT sites.  Chances are you are not going to find a civil engineering professionals hanging out on MySpace or running around on Second Life, but you may find those quality professionals on Linkedin or Facebook (Facebook is very similar to MySpace, but the presentation and the quality of content is much classier and desirable).  For civil engineering, stick with the pioneers in social networking like Facebook & Linkedin - they are conservative and professional and run parallel to the personalities that we associate with the civil engineering community.  Everyone else is trying to develop the next best social networking site, and each time they pull themselves further and further away from mainstream into areas that are unique, but not relevant to your professional audience. Though I am not a civil engineer, I am confident that civil engineers are not following each others' every move on Twitter.

Finally, because these sites ARE all the rage, you cannot deny them.  Develop interesting and exciting company MySpace or FaceBook pages that reach out to the college crowd.  Have your employees blog or answer questions on the corresponding forums, throw up some pictures of completed projects or of your CEO knocking down a strike for the company bowling team, post jobs and publish press releases.  Show up to the college career fairs with a couple of laptops displaying your MySpace of Facebook page and impress the masses.  There is rarely a college student on campus who does not utilize one of these sites in their life.

If you answered "YES" to question B:

First and foremost, if you did answer "YES" to question B and you would like to respond in a defensive manner to this blog entry, make sure you come up with a nifty user name, you do not want your boss to know you are a "Social NOTworker."

I suspect for a lot of people their day goes, or has gone, something like this:  Arrive at the office at 8:30 AM, fire up a hot cup of joe and crank on the computer.  Logon to your Linkedin account and check out the connection updates that occurred overnight, and then the status updates.  But hey, cool, you can expand that list to see ALL of those updates, not just the most recent half dozen. Checking out what your connections did overnight, you click on the people that they made connections with and see if you might know them.  If you do know them, then you make a request to connect, which leads to the frequent clicking of the "Send/Receive" button on your outlook toolbar all day.  Maybe you don't know that person, but you used to work at the company they work for, or maybe your neighbor does, so you click on the company name to see what other people in your extended network may work for them in an effort to connect.  Going to the status updates you see all the completely irrelevant groups (with the exception of course to the Civil Engineering Central Group) that your connections joined, like the Google Group that is for those who use Google as their primary search engine (boy, what a way to really differentiate yourself); or The Open Networker Group which puts you in a group where everyone connects with everyone and you are not allowed to turn down an invitation or you will be booted out. You've requested to join all the groups that you want to join for the day and you anxiously await for the group moderator to approve your admittance into those groups. Along the way you have read and contributed to all the blogs that your connections run and  you finally look up and realize that it is now 10:30AM...not only do you need a refill on your coffee, but you realize that you forgot to logon to your Twitter account before you even came to work this morning so you could let everyone know how you were feeling at that moment, only then to let everyone know that you were eating a bowl of Golden Grahams for breakfast. Time for a break, you've been working hard, so take a 10 minute stroll around the office, refill the coffee mug, sit back down to check your email and you see that your ex-girlfriend, one of your old college professors and the guy 3 cubes down from you have all posted comments on your wall on your Facebook page.  Logon to Facebook, check out your wall, reply back onto their walls, accept invitations from old friends or colleagues who have tracked you down, email them, check out their photo albums, tag people in their photos that you know, and then spend the next 30 minutes using the Classmate Search and People You May Know tools to further expand your network on Facebook.  Take some worthless but fun quizzes, serve up a few electronic cocktails and join a few causes. Time for lunch. Take an hour away from the office, clear your head, have a nice lunch and return to the office refreshed and ready focus on work for the rest of the day.  Work your butt off all afternoon playing catch up on all that you missed during the morning. Your day is almost done, it's nearly 7PM, you are ready to finally go home, and because you can't really NOT do it, you send a tequila booze mail to your new friends that you made on Facebook today, and send one to yourself  in celebration of the fact that you just received an email indicating that your application to join the Overachievers Club, a private membership club on Linkedin for outstanding individuals.

Have you been a social NOTworker?

The fact is, social networking is here, it is relevant, and it can be utilized in so many different ways.  These networks can be a lot of fun, but when it comes to using them for professional purposes, I am in no way suggesting that you abandon  or ignore them, you will be left in the dust.  But learn how to effectively use the well known sites like Linkedin & Facebook to recruit for your firm or for your clients.  Be seen, enhance your visibility and credibility by being active in the forums and blogs that specifically relate to what you do, like the ones you find here at CivilEngineeringCentral.com , they are full of intelligent information that you can really use.  Just be smart about it!

Finally, here is a little 5 minute clip you might enjoy...so sit back, throw back a

compliments of Facebook, and enjoy:

Motivation

Sales

Employee retention

Feeling appreciated

Job satisfaction

All you need to do is send an email to me (jeff@trophies2go.com) - please provide me with a brief description of your problem.  What you will get in return is not a sales job; I pledge to listen (or read) your concerns, gain background information by asking you a series of questions and then offering potential solutions.  Free advice from someone with 15 years of experience?  Yes...that is what I am willing to offer.

Let's face it: Non-profit translates to "no cash" for many NPOs. Also, impact results are often not seen for years.

Today, the Brookings Institution's Center for Public Service published a survey that shows how passionate NPO professionals are. 1,140 randomly selected non-profit employees were surveyed with questions about workplace satisfaction, paychecks and job performance.

Here's how they compared to Federal and Corporate employees:

Note that their excitement and passion were sited as the reasons they come to work - not their pay checks!

Paul C. Light, the survey's author concludes: "The nonprofit sector has the most motivated workforce—its 11 million employees have a greater sense of mission, a deeper desire to make a difference, and a greater love of their work than any other workforce in America today."

Anyone who has been working for a while knows that paychecks have a diminishing "ROI". Passion, the ultimate renewable energy, has no limits.

My advice, if any? Take this passion and light it on fire! Have employees blog about their work and their personal interests. Post their experiences and profiles on your web-site. Enlist them to contact potential corporate donors. And if you don't chose to do anything, at least thank your employees for their dedication - face to face.

SIDEBAR: Loyalty from the Inside Out

If your employees aren't loyal, it's hard to imagine your customers will be. Dianne Durkin, president and founder of consultancy The Loyalty Factor, says younger employees are notorious for job-swapping -- and, as with customers, it's far more costly to acquire and train a new employee than it is to retain an existing one. It's imperative that a company hire people who fit its culture, and invest in the "little things" that will entice them to stay.

"The two most underutilized words in the English language are 'thank you,'" Durkin says. Forget high salaries and bonuses; employees really want appreciation and recognition. Whether it's a simple "Good job!" or a handwritten note placed on a desk -- no emails! -- the personal touch makes employees feel not only relevant but important.

Given today's high turnover rate, employers need to understand what does contribute to employee loyalty. Durkin ranks the top factors, in order of descending importance:

• Vision and purpose: Make sure employees have a solid grasp of company direction and what they contribute to the corporation.
• A learning environment: Provide an opportunity for growth and responsibility. People have a short attention span; they'll be more likely to stay if they're challenged with new and interesting projects.
• A fun environment: The workplace has to be an enjoyable space to interact with others. Staffers will treat each other (and customers!) better.
• Modern technology: Employees using advanced technology outside of work expect the same at work.
• A good salary: People need adequate compensation for the work they're doing, but it's not foremost among their concerns.

Southwest Airlines is one of the few airlines to make it to the top of the consumer-loyalty list, in part because its employees are extremely happy as well. When Durkin asked why they choose to stay, employees responded, "Because this is a company that loves us back." Passengers, in turn, say humorous crews and in-flight games make Southwest a joy to fly. "If you're a businessperson on one of these flights," she says, "don't plan on doing any business." (She means that in a good way.)

Some firms have even embarked on rewards programs for employees. Points can be awarded to recognize achievement or as a display of gratitude, and can be redeemed for rewards at the company store. Before launching any programs, Durkin suggests asking these essential questions: What is the level of pride and commitment in the firm? What are the firm's top three strengths? What are its top three areas of development? What do you personally need to increase your productivity and efficiency? What is the one message you'd give to your firm's leader? Those answers will help develop the appropriate programs that will drive employee -- and then customer -- loyalty.

Really great observations. I think for growing and emerging companies, since customer (and revenue) acquisition is so critical, there is less time for planning for employee growth and retention. Let's look at these accounts below on the interview processes at Google and Microsoft. As we hear, Google is the best place to work ever, with free food, laundry, commuter buses from all over the Bay Area, and a comprehensive set of other benefits.

Post 1, "Back to Microsoft," covers a senior engineers decision to rejoin the Microsoft team because he wanted a more defined career path to a meaningful management career. And in this other post, a European engineer talks about interviews at Microsoft and Google. The decision was a no at both organizations, but his criticism of the Google process was that it was a bit immature. Each candidate was interviewed as if they had zero experience, and would join as a junior employee. This offers a fresh start in some ways, but can be insulting if you feel your prior experience is a valuable contribution to the team.

Going back to the sidebar, the things that increase employee loyalty are largely free or inexpensive.  All it takes is putting the employee first. And when the employees feel rewarded and treated well, they will do the same to your customers. At the end of the day, isn't that what we want? More happy customers?

Investing in happy employees looks like a wise investment to me.

Two months ago, I resigned my position at a company comprised of a brick-and-mortar store and an e-commerce site. During my tenure, I led the website into page one rankings on Google for key search terms and was the best damn product manager and web editor they had.

I didn’t simply resign. I hiked up my bloomers and ran for my life, or my sanity, or whatever you want to call it when a workplace is so toxic that well-heeled managers stumble back from meetings sobbing and unable to form complete sentences and Payless-shod employees like me can’t figure out how to tiptoe through the chaos. Sort of a Devil Eats Prada environment.

My husband and I didn’t have any money in savings when I escaped, having just spent it all on a meaningful family vacation exploring one of the spectacular natural wonders of the United States: the central California coast (happy sigh).

Smug financial experts would experience a thrill of self-importance inserting my head into the rear end of the stock market bull and labeling me a dumb assets for quitting with no savings and no job lined up. In fact, I can hear the greedy little vultures now as they circle overhead: She quit her job with no money in savings and no job lined up? OMG! If that’s not a ‘kick me’ sign taped to her back, I don’t know what is. Here, let me do it; I’m wearing a pair of kick-assets boots.

I haven’t polled all people in every company around the world, but I suspect that such a poll would reveal general agreement that a company’s most valuable assets are worth protecting. In my country, the most valuable assets are a company’s employees. You can lose an entire building and all of its equipment and still be able to do business if you’ve taken the time to institute human resources policies and procedures that provide stability, foster loyalty, and engender true team spirit among your employees. (Loyal employees will do what it takes to keep a company moving forward in a crisis.)

So, how does one retire rich beyond one’s dreams? In one of two ways. The first way, which is also the most delightfully self-centered and gluttonous way, is to feed the profit machine by devouring good people and pooping out their carcasses before moving on to the next group of tender hires. The second way is exemplified by the human resources policies and procedures at SC Johnson, headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin.

Eight times FORTUNE magazine has included SC Johnson in its top 100 places to work. According to FORTUNE, 28 percent of Johnson’s employees have worked for the company for more than twenty years and 78 percent have worked for the company for more than six years. Now that's some fine, non-union employee retention.

In an SC Johnson press release dated January 22, 2008, Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson stated, “I cannot think of a more accurate reflection of a company’s values, than how it treats the people who work there. Supporting the well-being of the workforce and building a culture where people can thrive is not just the right thing to do, it’s the foundation for innovation and results.” Has a CEO ever spoken a truer word?

Bottom line: if you’re a CEO, don’t be a dork. Implement good human resources policies and procedures that treat your people right. You’ll be rich beyond your wildest dreams when you retire and sobbing mourners, from the maintenance crew to the executive secretary, will BTO cases of Kleenex to your funeral.

Gasoline reached a record-setting average of $4 per gallon, and we're hearing more about the recession and inflation words.  With these types of records, it is now time to rethink and implement Teleworking.  A panel of experts will be presenting a webinar on June 24, 2008, on implementing a Telework program.  Additional information can be found at www.BeckITSystems.com .

Many factors today are converging: productivity issues, the increasing pace of business, speed of technology changes, and especially skyrocketing commuting costs, will all require us to rethink implementing a program for Teleworking.  My personal experience over the years and continuing to this day tell me Teleworking is a key strategy to success in business today.  This strategy is becoming more significant for employers to retain skilled and trusted associates, as well as attract and retain new employees.

As a technology leader, I believe we are duty-bound to explore the full spectrum of flexible working arrangements including:

1.     Telecommuting,

2.     Outsourcing,

3.     Virtual teams and,

4.     Teleconferencing or Webinars.

Studies have repeatedly shown that telecommuting reaps many benefits.  For many years, AT&T was managed by a core of telecommuters, saving millions of dollars on realistic costs.  It's clear that AT&T's model was quite effective.  In addition, studies show an average of 17% productivity increase amongst telecommuters.

Today, we have many technologies for communications and include: e-mail teleconferencing, online meetings, Web Logs (Blogs), Virtual Private Networks (VPN), and instant messaging.

In addition, Internet connections today are fast, reliable, and inexpensive.  Locations with access to FIOS are well-and equipped for telecommuting.  While there are many technical and management issues to overcome, Telecommuting is well worth the effort to any organization.

Most consider telecommuting equal to work at home.  There are other models that include telecommuting centers in Washington, DC area.  There are many of them available to industry and government alike, no matter what model is used.  There is a need for a technology infrastructure and support this includes networks, desktops and of course a phone system preferably connected to the corporate phone system.  Technology is the key to the best way to service remote locations pilot them and support them.

It is also important to understand that some associates who are not able to Telecommute may feel cheated or unimportant.  Fairness is the issue in such circumstances.  Coworkers may resent those who are Teleworking.  Managers and owners will need to work out processes and requirements with all stakeholders to create a Telework program that succeeds.

Finally, there are security and privacy questions.  These are especially large for organizations that work in regulated industries like medicine and findings.  None of these are insurmountable, and there are inexpensive and effective technologies today to meet all of these needs.

Over the next several posts, I will be looking at steps to creating a Teleworking program and supporting them with the technology that is essential.  Your comments are welcome.

You are invited to a webinar on this with a panel of experts scheduled for June 24, 2008 at 11 a.m. Eastern time.  For additional details go to www.BeckITSystems.com .

Here is a great quote from the first chapter:

"Think about it: most products and services can easily become commoditized, but competitors cannot duplicate the relationship an organization's employees have with its customers."

The book goes on to describe how to improve relationships, including employee-employee, employee-management, and employee-customer.  People will make the difference, and Sybil gives us a lot of great ideas on both why and how to make them a priority.  Coming from my customer-centric perspective, I especially liked Chapter 4 on strengthening the internal service culture.  It is so important for each employee to understand why they make a difference in the organization and how that is ultimately reflected out to customers.  A strong internal service culture, Sybil suggests, will help improve both employee and customer loyalty.  I wholeheartedly agree!

For those of skeptics out there, Sybil includes answers to some "tough questions" in Chapter 6, such as this one: "Do happy employees ensure happy customers?"  They are great for arming oneself before attempting to start an employee-loyalty initiative at a business.  The book also has several helpful worksheets and charts to assist in planning out the changes that need to be made within a company.  Thank you, Sybil, for making it easy to follow!

Q&A

Speaking of questions, Sybil was kind enough to answer a few of my own.  Here is the Q&A I had with her about the book. 

•  Whose job is it to do "internal marketing"? How does it relate to those doing "external marketing"?

 Let me start by explaining marketing in both contexts. You can use it to basically communicate with, educate, and motivate employees, just like it's used to communicate with, educate and motivate consumers. But while external marketing is usually the responsibility of marketing and/or communications staff, internal marketing is an intrinsic part of management's job - taking care of the employees so they can take care of the customers. So it's not really a pure marketing function, which is why I tell people you don't have to be a marketer to apply internal marketing.

• Disney has "cast members". Starbucks has "partners". Does what we call our employees really matter? Why would customers care?

Interesting question, Becky.  The reality is regardless of how you refer to employees - be it "Associates" ... "Team members" ... or some other company or brand-relevant name - it doesn't matter to customers. (And customers will likely call them "employees" anyway.) However, it DOES matter to employees as it sets expectations about the organization's culture and values. Employees, as well as customers, are quick to see through the rhetoric of employee labels that are merely window dressing.

• It has been said you should inspect what you expect. How do you measure the success of internal marketing - both from the employee as well as from the customer perspective?

Since internal marketing involves engaging employees and customers, you can evaluate it with the same metrics that measure overall satisfaction and retention for both groups. You can also measure specific internal marketing activities (such as recognition programs, new staff orientation, special events, etc.) through quantitative and qualitative means; i.e., who/how many participated, how did it impact their perceptions and/or behavior?

For companies just getting started with internal marketing, it may be the first time the folks from HR and Marketing Research get together to discuss what benchmarks are available from employee and customer surveys. (Note: For companies that have not done any such surveys, please know there are research providers who measure employee engagement and those who also do "linkage research" which looks at operational practices and employee perceptions and links this information to drivers of customer satisfaction.)

• How can a strong service culture help grow customer loyalty and improve the customer experience?

Internal service drives external service - when employees take care of each other's business needs, everyone is better prepared to take care of the external customer.

Here's another way to look at it - since customers' perceptions and intentions are affected by what employees experience on-the-job, the way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees don't feel valued, neither will your customers!

• For my final question... what is the best customer experience you have ever had?

I was accompanying my husband on a business trip when I suddenly became ill on the plane - a situation that required emergency surgery. When our plane landed in Boston, we were met by ambulance and rushed to a nearby hospital. In between the admissions process and surgery, my husband and I looked at each other and wondered what had happened to our luggage. Since we had gone from the plane to the ambulance, we hadn't time to get to baggage claim.

While I was undergoing surgery, my husband checked into our hotel and explained the situation. The hotel staff immediately called the airport to find our luggage and have it set aside for us. They had a hotel limo drive my husband back to the airport to get our luggage, after which my husband was dropped off at the hospital to wait for me after surgery, and our luggage was placed in our hotel room prior to my husband's return that evening. We experienced truly extraordinary service provided by the hotel in a situation that had nothing to do with the hotel.

Here's what I learned from that experience: customers expect a company to be responsive and "recover" any problems created by service delivery failure ... but we can't always expect the same when the problem is out of the company's control. Nonetheless, hotel staff went out of their way to help their guests who found themselves in a difficult situation.

The hotel was the Marriott at Boston's Copley Plaza, and it provided one of my most memorable customer experiences. I've shared this story in countless presentations since this experience happened more than 20 years ago! (How's that for word-of-mouth? Amazing how customers have long memories for positive and negative experiences.)

Thanks for asking, Becky.  And thanks for a great interview.

• Thank you, Sybil, for your time!

Blog Book Tour Continues 

Sybil's book tour has already had a few stops this week and finishes up the beginning of next week.  Here is her full itinerary; be sure to linger at each stop, since each blog author is coming from a different perspective!

• On June 1st, Kevin Burns posted a review in Burns Blogs Attitude.
• On June 3rd, Lisa Rosendahl posted a review of Taking Care on her blog HR Thoughts, using these eleven words to sum it up: "The way your employees feel is the way your customers feel."
• On June 4th, Chris Bailey posted a review of Sybil's book on his blog Bailey Work/Play: The Alchemy of Soulful Work
• On June 5th, Toby Bloomberg posted Virtual Book Tour: A Conversation With Sybil Sterschic, a thought-provoking interview with Sybil on  the Diva Marketing blog. She's also offering a free book giveaway for the reader who adds most to the conversation started in the post through a comment.
• YOU ARE HERE: On June 6th, Becky Carroll, the blogger behind Customers Rock! will be posting a review and the results of an interview with Sybil. 
• On June 9th, Paul Hebert will be posting a review on the blog Incentive Intelligence.
• On June 10, 2008, Phil Gerbyshak will be posting an interview on the blog Slacker Manager.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/02/2262296.htm

One key contributor is high demands and low control within a job, with people in lower paid roles particularly at risk.

This is nothing new. Studies like this come out every week. But the attitude of the VicHealth organisation is encouraging. Todd Harper (CEO) states "I think one of the things that we can do is to actually convince workplaces that this information is important, that they actually stand to benefit out of this because in a time of workforce shortage, the most valuable employees are the ones that you already have, keeping them healthy is the priority," he said.
"Simply increasing the demands on staff comes with consequences and I think workplaces are aware of that, they can start to design their work in a more efficient and productive way."

Here are some ideas for making the change to efficiency and productivity in the workplace. These will provide more control to employees which should reduce stress levels.

·        Make teams self managing and autonomous. Adults are self organising and will achieve given deadlines and clear roles and responsibilities.

·        Trust people to do the job without micromanagement. Managers do not need to go to all meetings. Delegate responsibility and make people feel they are valued.

·        Back up your team members. Don’t overturn decisions made by others if delegation of authority has occurred. This undermines confidence and displays a lack of trust.  

·        Give people the opportunity and encouragement to act creatively without fear of recrimination or blame in case of failure.

·        Embrace new ideas and reward people for submitting them

·        Treat people well and respect individuals for their skills. Don’t try to put people in boxes. Their job description is not the end of who that person is. Give people an opportunity to shine.

In her article, Milestone Awards, Kira looks at award trends as well tried and true ways to make service awards memorable.

Trends
Rick Clarke of R&D Corporate Services, a custom awards service company told her the trend is towards lifestyle awards like DVD players and cappuccino machines, instead of items engraved with the company logo.

Rick also reports that the typical dollar amount of an award is $10-15 per year of service.

Making Awards Memorable
When I spoke with Kira we talked about what works and what produces disasterous results when giving service anniversary awards. In the article you can read of few of the horror stories employees have shared with me.

Several people interviewed reiterated the need to take personal preferences into account. 

What do you think?

Is it really important to take preferences into account when giving a service award? Isn't it okay to have set gifts, assuming they are something that the group as a whole values?

Have you ever received a service award that sent you a strong message, anything from you are really valuable, we are lucky to have you, to what - are you still here?

Everybody likes getting a good “report card.” Unfortunately, our society’s educational grading process programs us to expect an “A” for average performance – for completing all of our work on time and turning everything in. You may encounter the same line of reasoning when it is time for employee evaluations.

Employees come to expect a top rating for average performance, and too often, supervisors are willing to give it to them. As Jonathan A. Segal puts it, "Poor employees are evaluated as marginally competent...and good employees [are rated] worthy of sainthood." The problem with the system is that it creates a liability for your company in the event that you terminate an employee for poor performance.

When an employee is evaluated as “marginally competent” when in fact his performance is substandard, the employer who dismisses him runs the risk of a discrimination lawsuit. An employee evaluation which doesn't clearly spell out the problems that caused the employee’s dismissal is going to make the employer come out smelling foul in court.

How do you avoid sending mixed signals? How do you evaluate employees fairly without damaging morale?  Consider some of the following possibilities:

• Don’t focus entirely on the negative
• Keep a running record
• Administer discipline consistently
• Let the employee rank him/herself

Choose your words carefully.  Train your supervisors to think about the possibility that someday they may be defending their criticisms in court, and to word them accordingly.

AmCheck offers nationwide Employee Performance Evaluations & Appraisal Services. Get a quote.

I run my company like a factory. General Ford would be proud. Coming from a technology background, I utilize technology to its maximum potential. Every second is accounted for. Whenever we see a problem, it is analyzed and measured to the second. Oh no, I don't exaggerate. This is the only way I can compete. My competitors have more human resources and money than I can compete with. I have no choice but to be extremely efficient.

Efficiency comes at a price. General employee happiness is low. It would be unfair to blame efficiency alone. My management style is very aggressive and tough. I'm the type of manager would will blow up in your face. I hate doing it, but I do it nevertheless. I tried to tone myself down several times, but I can't seem to find the right balance to keep me cool. Anything that upsets my perfectly oiled time machine upsets me visibly. As long as things are going as I had planned, everything is okay.

I don't necessarily go out of my way to complement staff on doing a good job. In my view, they should always do a good job. That's what I'm paying them for. It is an obviously flawed view. I disagree with it, but I know that in the back of my mind, that's how I act. Partly, it has been my upbringing where praise and complements were not common. I don't expect it from people and neither do I give it out easily. I don't think much about it really.

The fact that my receptionist quit because of my style has been a serious wake up call for me. Granted, receptionists are a dime a dozen. Big deal. But the fact that I have caused a person to simply quit their job has affected me far more deeply than I thought.

So, I decided to start introducing small changes to the office environment. For starters, Thursdays are going to be designated for donuts/coffee/tea/mankeesh/whatever. Let everyone take a break and eat a bit, socialize a bit..

I can't make a 180 degree turn, so it will have to be in baby steps. I don't want to lose my staff. I know I have made them the most efficient (and from what I've seen from other companies, I am sure they would rank substantially high).. now it's time to make them happy as well.

A few highlights:

•  42 percent of employees have updated their resumes, while 27 percent have posted or emailed it. People are very actively exploring their options!
• The top two reasons employees leave is money and advancement (not much an individual manager can do, other than help employees set reasonable expectations).
• The third highest scoring reason for leaving is insufficient recognition. This is where managers can shine!

If you are looking for more on recognition, continue reading past blog posts. You can make a difference with employee retention!

Okay, if you have not noticed, the analysis of "Generation Y" or "Generation Next" has been getting  a lot of attention in our industry these days.  You see this topic discussed here on our blog and forum, and it has been discussed in countless newsletters and trade journals, including the April e-newsletter  published by CivilEngineeringCentral.com (If you would like to sign up for our newsletter BTW, click HERE ).  Now that we have the self promotion of our site out of the way, let me get to point ;) !

I recently read the following comment on ERE:

"Serial job seekers job hop, as if they are job seeker junkies. They get a thrill from it. I think we will find a number of Gen Y Serial Job Seekers who are early in their career but I don't think those individuals will be job hopping for long. In my experience of examining the Generations and their work values, Gen Y is not motivated by money. It is career pathing, social factors and a sense of job ownership that they seek."

Barb Irwin & Cara Bobchek of HR Advisors Group in D.C. recently conducted a study which ultimately backs this statement up.  According to their research, the most significant factor in determining their (Gen Y)   decision to accept their current position was future career opportunities.  I believe that the young professionals of today will bounce around some early in their careers until they find the firm that delivers on their promises and will allow them to grow and advance at a faster pace than what we have seen in the past, and that offers a level of flexibility that this industry has not yet encountered.  I think they want to be loyal to a firm, as long as the firm is being loyal to them.  Part of the contributing factor to their frequent job changes early on, compared to earlier generations, is that there are SO many options out there SO readily available through SO many different medias, medias that did not exist in generations past.

Let's look at another excerpt from the article written by HR Advisors Group:

' "...It seems that the younger generation is so used to whining and getting what they want. It almost seems like they feel that the company works for them instead of they work for the company." '

It's a common theme that we're hearing more and more in our HR and management consulting practice:  younger workers appear to carry a "sense of entitlement" in their careers. Employers ask us, "How do we manage the younger generation in our firms, especially in light of the different approach that they seem to take to their careers than the older (my) generation?"

The "sense of entitlement" comment struck a chord with one of our readers who felt the need to respond to that tag with the following comment:

"Our generation keeps being blamed for that "entitlement" regarding our careers but I think the problem is that we now need to prepare ourselves more than the other generations.  I got out of college a yr ago with a degree in Business Management, another one in Civil Engineering and I am prominent in AutoCAD, Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Project.....not to mention I am fluent in english and spanish....but when looking for a job companies still offer us salaries as if we didn't go to school and expect us to work 10+ hour days.  I don't think "entitlement" is the problem, I think is those companies who don't know the importance of their human resources what carries the real problem.  Getting an engineering degree is not easy, and therefore we deserve to be paid accordingly"

So what does all of this mean?  Where do we go from here?  How do we take the philosophy that has been successfully learned and depended on for so many years by the existing civil engineering leadership...and change it?  How is your organization responding to this issue?

You see, very few people leave companies for money, they leave it for people, policies, or practices they feel they can better relate to.  Money may be a driving factor, but the reality is that employees tend to leave companies because they no longer have a bond to the people, leadership, or culture of the company they are with.  So the use of an HSA as an employee retention tool, where it is a benefit as long as they are employed by the company, can actually be a negative versus a positive.

This is why I love the Health and Welfare Trust as a form of HSA.  When an employer offers it to their employee, they are saying "Here is a benefit I think you could use and I hope it helps you today, and in the future".  There are no conditions to the gift you are providing them as an employer.  When you offer something as a condition of employment, your gesture may send the wrong message to the employee.

If you still want this to be a retention tool, why not focus on the deposit schedule versus limiting access.  You can fund the employee's HSA using a monthly schedule and let them know that you will continue to fund the account until they cease to be an employee.  For many employees, the value of the funds will become apparent the first time they send in a claim.  When they realize how much they can save each month and what they can save for healthcare-wise in the future, the incentive to stay is pretty much established. 

The bigger perk is that the gesture, seeing how it does not come with any conditions, is a more employee focused benefit and makes you look like a HR hero versus a cheap old bugger!  

Acquisitions in the civil engineering community exploded in 2007 with a steady group following this year.  A client jokingly told me that eventually we will all work for about 5 firms…that is all that will be left!

While I think that is a slight exaggeration, the pace of these M&As does not seem to be slowing.  What has happened to the traditional firms of the past?  Certainly, these consolidations allow firms a great way to increase staff and presence in particular locations or technical arenas. But, if you joined a firm because of a specific company culture....what do you do now?

Are these large national and international firms of combined technical talents good for our industry?  What do you think?

he big question is what effect this can have on customer service? Do you work harder if you feel valued? Can you feel valued as a cog in a machine? It's really important for managers to get the balance right here - if there is too much resting on the employee's shoulders then you are putting your customer service at risk if an employee leaves. So the organisation needs to keep a certain amount of knowledge and standardisation.

However, what opportunities can you give your employees to better serve each individual customer and meet their individual needs? How much better does that make the individual employee feel? Some people are not comfortable with a large amount of flexibility, but others are, so you need to know the limits of each employee and where they are in their career evolution.

Other factors can make a play here too. Some cultures are a lot more flexible than others - some require quite tight rules otherwise employees are working outside where they're happy to be. What's the background of your people?

Practically, you need to decide:

• What processes/rules/data are business critical for treating customers well?
• What is the comfort zone for each employee?
• Where would I like the comfort zone for each employee to be (what training & is needed to get them there)?

 I started thinking about how important rituals are, and I think one of the reasons is that we are creatures of habit.  Rituals can make us feel safe, loved and valued.

What rituals do you have with your family?  Do you have a specific day the family spends together?  Perhaps a game night or movie night.  A favorite restaurant you and your significant other like to enjoy a meal at and do so on a regular basis.  Rituals can be the glue that continuously bring the family back together in this busy world!  And, a way to easily make someone feel valued.

What about rituals in leadership?  Rituals may not be the word used in the workplace...but they absolutely exist.  How about weekly or monthly meetings...that could be considered a ritual! 

What rituals can we create in the workplace that would have a positive effect?  How about the ritual of simply walking around and catching people doing things right and acknowledging them!  Taking a few minutes and writing a thank you note to an employee for going the extra mile.  Rituals are a fun and easy way to acknowledge people on a daily basis! 

What rituals do you already have in place as a leader?  What rituals can you create to value your staff, to grow your business? 

Rituals are a part of our culture...make them a part of your life!

Today's tip is something I've blogged about before: fighting boredom. In the Web agency world, the smartest people will often burn out through endless repetitive projects. "Yea, another CMS" is something I've heard quite often. With few exceptions, those leading a group have no idea the damage they are doing to moral and productivity by ignoring their best employees.

From HB:

To combat summit syndrome (boredom), watch for its telltale signs in your best employees (including waning enthusiasm for the job and stress-related health problems). Then take preemptive action.

My SIP model was a structure designed to counter burnout and boredom. Anyone in a leadership role should listen to their employees and setup meaningful programs to engage and challenge people.

Replacing a valued employee is a tremendous strain on your business’s budget and work output. It can take weeks, even months, to get a new person hired, trained and up to the level of productivity you need to be successful. Although we’re recruiters, and finding you that next great person is our job, let us offer this bit of advice: do all that you can to avoid losing team members.

Very seldom do employees wake up one day and decide it’s their last at a job. That decision has been brewing for some time, usually involving an extensive search for a new job. There are signs to look out for: a removal from the workplace social structure, drop in work quality or quantity, worsened attitude, and avoiding their supervisor or manager.

The key is to have an open communication system with your employees long before the signs start popping up. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got in terms of keeping that line flowing is to take interest in your employees’ lives. Learn what their hobbies may be, listen to stories about their families, and talk to them about non-work issues. In short; be a friend. Friends have a much better “in” to discuss attitude changes and the like.

Once you’ve set that person down in your office, it might take a little work to root out the problem. But once you do, make your best effort at solving it. Keep his or her best interests in mind. Honestly do what you can to improve the situation. Consider moving the person around the department, position him or her in a different role or adjust the responsibilities; all within reason.

Be prepared, however, to not be able to solve the issue. Sometimes people have just crossed a line and can’t go back. One upside is that if the employee likes you, and wants to help out as a friend, he or she may be more amenable to assisting in the transition and help train the new hire. That alone could keep the strain down to a minimum.

The goal is to keep the impact to your business at a minimum. If you can’t manage the employee’s issues amicably, then a recruiter is your best option at that point to spearhead the transition quickly and efficiently. The only problem you may have in the process is the fact that you’re losing a friend.

Fear #6 - "Isn't this just a fad - a phase? The only time I've ever heard of branding before is in talking about logos and business cards."

I agree that "personal branding" is the BUZZ WORD that you hear and see in conversations and thrown around the internet.

Yet, it's not "a fad" to want to connect to your personal strengths, your authentic purpose - your meaning in this reality. In fact, visit any bookstore (online or the physical store) and you'll see rows and shelves of "self help books" and "self improvement books", so it's something that's been discussed through the ages. And, while we haven't called it personal branding - it is. Personal branding, quite literally, accentuates the thing that makes you great, incredible and exceptional and applies your strengths and values.

As a leader, manager, boss, supervisor or business owner, isn't is SAD, if someone isn't contributing the best that they can?

What leader wants anyone on their team to come in with the attitude - "I'm just going to do the bare minimum and what I can get away with"; or "I'm just going to do mediocre and work slow - never will I give them my best".

Who WANTS that?

Personal branding helps each individual (yes, companies and organizations ARE made up of individuals) deliver on the corporate brand promise in a way that's authentic to them. Personal branding is not about being "out there - individually, in a vacuum". It's about applying you strengths and values to the goal of building the corporate brand promise is a way that maximizes your best contribution. Wish I could say I said all that myself yet I learned this from my mentor and the creator of the Reach Branding Strategy, William Arruda.

Don't you WISH you would have each and every person on your team delivering their authentic personal best?

People Are The Brand-

Maria Elena Duron - click my name to Google Me!
Buzz To Bucks Connections– grow your personal brand today
“dedicated to connecting the dots for executives & entrepreneurs on how to use what makes them best"
www.buzz2bucks.com Buzz To Bucks Connections|a personal branding agency

The program is called "Kindness to Colleagues" and it focuses on three themes:

• Kindness to Oneself
• Kindness to Colleagues
• Kindess in the Community

You can find out more about this program by contacting Kind Acts. Kind Acts is a B.C.-based organization whose mission is "to inspire human connection and activate the practice of kindless, locally and globally".  

So, why do we need to focus on kindness in the workplace anyway? Isn't kindness a given? Aren't we supposed to treat each other with kindness and respect?

My dictionary describes the word kind as " showing gentleness and consideration". In a perfect world we would all act this way but since we don't live in a perfect world someone has started an international movement to help us to become more aware of how we are behaving.

Perhaps it's because of the challenges that we increasingly face in the workplace that common courtesy is not as common as it once was.

Fortunately we don't need to look very far for inspiration.   Olivia McIvor has written a book called the Business of Kindness. If you go to her site you'll find links and resources to use in your workplace. 

Have a great week and remember to be kind to yourself!

Personal branding is MORE than image. While there is great business in the field of image consulting and great benefit (often an image consultant or even graphic artist is needed when people are working on expressing their personal brand), personal branding is about focusing on your authentic strengths so that you stand out as visible, memorable, credible and eventually profitable!

Your image is definitely one of the components of EXPRESSING your personal brand and is very quickly assessed (in 7-15 seconds is when you make a first impression that's lasting). But, image with out substance behind it is nothing. Or, image that portrays one thing yet is not genuine can leave a negative impression.

For companies, understand if your mission statement and your customer service vision, don't match with the way your team interacts with the customer; or the way they portray themselves and your company; or in the very energy they exude -- your company will suffer. Ever call someone at a company and get a hold of someone who is unhappy with the company and life in general? It leaves a bad taste that's hard, if ever, to get rid of.

As a company or team:

• Get some feedback on what your clients are saying (liking and disliking about you). Remember, THIS IS NOT A SALES CALL. So, the key is to listen - not to sell, explain, expound - just listen to what they're saying. There's fortune in the feedback!
• Ask your best clients - "if you could change one thing about our relationship, for the better, what would it be?" Then, again, listen to the answer! No explanations, or explaining policies, just listen.
• Ask your staff members -"What's our single biggest goal in the next 3 to 6 months?" Now, listen again. If you're getting a myriad of answers, chances are you're getting a myriad of impressions about your company.

It's challenging and difficult to work with a company that is inconsistent or has no definition to what they do and what their strengths are and what they're striving for.

People Are The Brand-

Maria Elena Duron - click my name to Google Me!

Buzz To Bucks Connections– grow your personal brand today
“dedicated to helping executives & entrepreneurs connect strategically through a compelling personal brand”
www.buzz2bucks.com Buzz To Bucks Connections|personal branding agency