What's Your Value Proposition?
Our family made its annual pilgrimage to New York City Mother's Day weekend to see a show and spend an inordinate amount of money on things that cost significantly less around here. It's typically a holiday event for us, but this past year's December snowstorm resulted in our rescheduling the trip. It's always fun having my grown daughters come home and the whole family being together again for a short time. Before the show we stopped for lunch at one of the many tourist destinations, and as I ordered my $17.95 cheeseburger I couldn't help but think of the concept of "value proposition." One random thought led to another, and as I sat awaiting the start of Mary Poppins I questioned my own value proposition both as business owner and a husband and father. Was I really bringing value to my family and clients? If so, what were the things that did and didn't?
According to Wikipedia, the value proposition is derived using a formula of
Value equals Benefits minus Cost.
Even though I was hungry, the cost of the cheeseburger far outweighed its benefit and therefore, one would say that the value proposition associated with lunch was minimal. But listening to my kids giggle, tell stories and cut each other up provided fond memories of past times and an appreciation that we were able to do this one more year before job requirements and other obligations made it impossible. Therefore, even when they brought the check for $93.00 I thought the value proposition of that lunch event was pretty darn good.
So where I ended up after this internal philosophical debate was that determining the value proposition is much broader than just a numerical calculation. The true value that any of us bring to our clients, employees and family has to include those intrinsic things like trust, loyalty, caring and empathy. As a consultant I'm expected to be responsive, provide sound advice, solve problems and keep my clients in compliance with the law but I believe my value proposition to them and my family has to include an investment in their emotional well being as well. I want them to feel that the $17.95 cheeseburger I provide them is worth it!
My best wishes for a great summer.
Phil
Union Organizing Increases as the Economy Improves
According to a recent study released by the Labor Relations Institute, our slowly improving economy is having a direct impact on union organizing activity. Unions have begun a campaign of both targeting industries that typically have not been unionized and actively recruiting new representatives at colleges and universities. Many of the college recruits are being hired as potential "salters" where union members hire on at non-union businesses to internally assess workplace satisfaction and interest in organizing a union. Once it is determined that worker interest in organizing is sufficient, workers are contacted at home and a meeting will be scheduled to form an Organizing Committee. So what can employer do to prevent "salting?"
While the practice of "salting" is legal under federal labor laws, employers maintain the right to hire the candidate most qualified for the position and to conduct thorough background and reference checks before hiring. Employers should periodically review their hiring practices to insure that pre-employment screening and new hire processing practices are in place and consistently administered.
Let us assist in giving your employment practices a check up. Give us a call at 610-287-1162 or email me at phil@hrsolutionsonline.com for a free consultation.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Spring 2011
When Leaders "Cocoon"
I was cleaning out the garage a few days ago and came across an empty cocoon that some insect had vacated as the weather got warmer. It reminded me of several executives I have worked with throughout my career that had a tendency to hide from others during difficult business periods. Many of these leaders are outgoing and gregarious by nature but choose to limit their circle of contact when times get tough. Reflecting back on my interaction with these leaders, I was never really sure of what drove this behavior. In the public companies, perhaps it was the pressure from investors and shareholders that resulted from reports of substandard operating results or it may have come after a period of downsizing. For others who were simply conflict avoidant by nature, it was a defense mechanism to delay dealing with bad news and unhappy employees. Ironically, those same leaders are the ones encouraging their direct reports to improve open communication and "transparency" across the organization. So how do you help that leader overcome the tendency to cocoon? Ask 5 people and you'll get 5 different answers but what I can share with you are three guiding principles that have helped me get a struggling leader to emerge from the cocoon.
1) Admit the mistake and acknowledge the problem-This is a tough one for many leaders to embrace but the value to publicly acknowledging the problem to the employee population is huge. It's the first step in "walking the talk" and demonstrating the commitment to improve communication and visibility.
2) Arm the leader with facts about the "people condition' of the company. While sales, revenue and operating results or may have contributed to the hiding, showing the leader the problems caused by a lack of his or her visibility can be compelling. Surveys, focus groups and small department meetings are just some of the ways to gather credible information.
3) Rally the executive team- Leaders typically don't want to go it alone. If the top executive is cocooning its likely members of the functional areas of the company are as well so it's important to show solidarity in the effort to be more open across the entire company.
As the spring season begins and nature emerges from its cocoon, encourage the leaders in your organization to be mindful of the importance of being visible and open. It's easy to avoid bad news but the true leader will realize the positive impact of standing tall in the face of challenging business conditions. Such actions are the difference between strong leadership and simply being in charge. If we can help in the process, please call us at 610-287-1162 or email me at phil@hrsolutionsonline.com.
Best wishes for a healthy spring season!
Phil
The Cost of Discrimination
The EEOC has released it statistics for the 2010 fiscal year and to no one's surprise the number of job bias charges increased by 7% over last year. The Commission received a total of 99,922 charges in 2010 with the increase largely attributed to economic conditions. On a related note the average award for a discrimination charge was over $200,000 with disability discrimination charges reflecting the highest average award amount of $257,000 closely followed by age discrimination charges at $256,000.
These statistics and their corresponding potential cost to employers should compel company leaders to evaluate their employment policies and practices and provide training to management on issues such as gender bias, workplace harassment and employee relations. Don't make the mistake of presuming that these complaints only happen in large companies. Employers with 15 or more employees are governed by most all of the applicable laws and can be just as culpable as large organizations. In fact, studies have shown that smaller companies are even more at risk due to the lack of formalized human resource policies and practices.
The financial implications of a quarter of a million dollar settlement to a small or mid size business can be devastating. Take advantage of our free consultation and HR audit to see if your company is at risk.
Call us today at 610-287-1162 or email me at phil@hrsolutionsonline.com.
I was cleaning out the garage a few days ago and came across an empty cocoon that some insect had vacated as the weather got warmer. It reminded me of several executives I have worked with throughout my career that had a tendency to hide from others during difficult business periods. Many of these leaders are outgoing and gregarious by nature but choose to limit their circle of contact when times get tough. Reflecting back on my interaction with these leaders, I was never really sure of what drove this behavior. In the public companies, perhaps it was the pressure from investors and shareholders that resulted from reports of substandard operating results or it may have come after a period of downsizing. For others who were simply conflict avoidant by nature, it was a defense mechanism to delay dealing with bad news and unhappy employees. Ironically, those same leaders are the ones encouraging their direct reports to improve open communication and "transparency" across the organization. So how do you help that leader overcome the tendency to cocoon? Ask 5 people and you'll get 5 different answers but what I can share with you are three guiding principles that have helped me get a struggling leader to emerge from the cocoon.
1) Admit the mistake and acknowledge the problem-This is a tough one for many leaders to embrace but the value to publicly acknowledging the problem to the employee population is huge. It's the first step in "walking the talk" and demonstrating the commitment to improve communication and visibility.
2) Arm the leader with facts about the "people condition' of the company. While sales, revenue and operating results or may have contributed to the hiding, showing the leader the problems caused by a lack of his or her visibility can be compelling. Surveys, focus groups and small department meetings are just some of the ways to gather credible information.
3) Rally the executive team- Leaders typically don't want to go it alone. If the top executive is cocooning its likely members of the functional areas of the company are as well so it's important to show solidarity in the effort to be more open across the entire company.
As the spring season begins and nature emerges from its cocoon, encourage the leaders in your organization to be mindful of the importance of being visible and open. It's easy to avoid bad news but the true leader will realize the positive impact of standing tall in the face of challenging business conditions. Such actions are the difference between strong leadership and simply being in charge. If we can help in the process, please call us at 610-287-1162 or email me at phil@hrsolutionsonline.com.
Best wishes for a healthy spring season!
Phil
The Cost of Discrimination
The EEOC has released it statistics for the 2010 fiscal year and to no one's surprise the number of job bias charges increased by 7% over last year. The Commission received a total of 99,922 charges in 2010 with the increase largely attributed to economic conditions. On a related note the average award for a discrimination charge was over $200,000 with disability discrimination charges reflecting the highest average award amount of $257,000 closely followed by age discrimination charges at $256,000.
These statistics and their corresponding potential cost to employers should compel company leaders to evaluate their employment policies and practices and provide training to management on issues such as gender bias, workplace harassment and employee relations. Don't make the mistake of presuming that these complaints only happen in large companies. Employers with 15 or more employees are governed by most all of the applicable laws and can be just as culpable as large organizations. In fact, studies have shown that smaller companies are even more at risk due to the lack of formalized human resource policies and practices.
The financial implications of a quarter of a million dollar settlement to a small or mid size business can be devastating. Take advantage of our free consultation and HR audit to see if your company is at risk.
Call us today at 610-287-1162 or email me at phil@hrsolutionsonline.com.
February 2011
When to Stop Coddling the High Potential Employee
One of my clients has a VP that by any standards, would be considered a high potential employee. This individual is extremely intelligent and innovative and demonstrates an undying commitment to the service of his customers. For the past several years he has almost single handedly helped a division of the company introduce new products and revenue streams. He has been handsomely rewarded for his efforts and publicly recognized within the company for his achievements. Over the same period of time he has repeatedly asked the owner to allow him to change his areas of leadership responsibility from directing sales to leading implementation and support to developing a product management strategy for the future. Each of these change requests is typically accompanied by a period of intense engagement into the new assignment followed by an emotional melt down and a subtle threat to leave the company if his new request is not granted. His most recent request is to be appointed Executive Vice President in charge of the entire division. The owner, recognizing his value and past contribution has reluctantly acquiesced to these requests but has recently realized that the time has come for the coddling to stop. But what do you do? It's extremely difficult for any business owner to disregard a key contributor who your customers adore and who has made a substantial positive impact on your bottom line for many years. What happens if he leaves? Well, quite frankly, the bigger question in my mind is what happens if he stays and is allowed to "hopscotch" through the organization.
Please don't misinterpret my position on recognizing and rewarding top talent. Key components of successful succession planning are identifying high potential employees, developing action plans to help achieve career objectives while continuing to find ways to have these employees bring value to the company. However, succession planning and career development is not one sided or only the company's responsibility. While some may call this VP a "high potential" we found through our assessment that many in the organization see him as "high maintenance." I advised the owner that despite his contributions, this executive has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of emotional intelligence and therefore cannot be a viable candidate to lead the division at this time. In a constructive way he must be told that this continued pattern of engagement followed by emotional disconnect is a disservice to the company and his career. Clearly he is someone the organization does not want to lose but he must be made aware of his development opportunities and take action to improve.
No doubt this will be a difficult conversation but allowing him to continue this pattern of erratic behavior will have a longer term effect on the people he manages and the organization as a whole. It's clear that the coddling has to stop and it's everyone's hope that he will re-engage and realize his full potential.
If we can help you identify and manage your company's high potential employees give us a call at 610-287-1162 for a free no obligation consultation. Most importantly, don't let this winter weather get you down!
See you in the spring.
Phil
Conducting an Internal I-9 Audit
The beginning of the calendar year is a good time to consider conducting an internal audit of your employment records specifically the I-9 forms. If you are a business that hires on a seasonal basis and/ or has a diverse, multi-national employee population it's easy to fall out of compliance with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) regulations. As with many of the other government agencies, the INS has increased its field workforce and promises to increase their audit activity. Believe me that last thing you want is one of these agents at your door asking to see your documentation. Fines can range from $250-$5500 per worker and mistakes on the form itself can result in fines of $100-$1000. In addition, employers can be barred from competing for government contracts for a year for continuing to employ unauthorized workers.
The audit is a relatively simple process and depending on the number of employee records (current and terminated in the past 3 years) the audit can usually be completed in less than a day. Follow up is usually required to correct information or complete new forms. Call us at 610-287-1162 for more information on this subject or to arrange a free no obligation consultation. We'll help you get back in compliance so you can get on to growing your business.
One of my clients has a VP that by any standards, would be considered a high potential employee. This individual is extremely intelligent and innovative and demonstrates an undying commitment to the service of his customers. For the past several years he has almost single handedly helped a division of the company introduce new products and revenue streams. He has been handsomely rewarded for his efforts and publicly recognized within the company for his achievements. Over the same period of time he has repeatedly asked the owner to allow him to change his areas of leadership responsibility from directing sales to leading implementation and support to developing a product management strategy for the future. Each of these change requests is typically accompanied by a period of intense engagement into the new assignment followed by an emotional melt down and a subtle threat to leave the company if his new request is not granted. His most recent request is to be appointed Executive Vice President in charge of the entire division. The owner, recognizing his value and past contribution has reluctantly acquiesced to these requests but has recently realized that the time has come for the coddling to stop. But what do you do? It's extremely difficult for any business owner to disregard a key contributor who your customers adore and who has made a substantial positive impact on your bottom line for many years. What happens if he leaves? Well, quite frankly, the bigger question in my mind is what happens if he stays and is allowed to "hopscotch" through the organization.
Please don't misinterpret my position on recognizing and rewarding top talent. Key components of successful succession planning are identifying high potential employees, developing action plans to help achieve career objectives while continuing to find ways to have these employees bring value to the company. However, succession planning and career development is not one sided or only the company's responsibility. While some may call this VP a "high potential" we found through our assessment that many in the organization see him as "high maintenance." I advised the owner that despite his contributions, this executive has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of emotional intelligence and therefore cannot be a viable candidate to lead the division at this time. In a constructive way he must be told that this continued pattern of engagement followed by emotional disconnect is a disservice to the company and his career. Clearly he is someone the organization does not want to lose but he must be made aware of his development opportunities and take action to improve.
No doubt this will be a difficult conversation but allowing him to continue this pattern of erratic behavior will have a longer term effect on the people he manages and the organization as a whole. It's clear that the coddling has to stop and it's everyone's hope that he will re-engage and realize his full potential.
If we can help you identify and manage your company's high potential employees give us a call at 610-287-1162 for a free no obligation consultation. Most importantly, don't let this winter weather get you down!
See you in the spring.
Phil
Conducting an Internal I-9 Audit
The beginning of the calendar year is a good time to consider conducting an internal audit of your employment records specifically the I-9 forms. If you are a business that hires on a seasonal basis and/ or has a diverse, multi-national employee population it's easy to fall out of compliance with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) regulations. As with many of the other government agencies, the INS has increased its field workforce and promises to increase their audit activity. Believe me that last thing you want is one of these agents at your door asking to see your documentation. Fines can range from $250-$5500 per worker and mistakes on the form itself can result in fines of $100-$1000. In addition, employers can be barred from competing for government contracts for a year for continuing to employ unauthorized workers.
The audit is a relatively simple process and depending on the number of employee records (current and terminated in the past 3 years) the audit can usually be completed in less than a day. Follow up is usually required to correct information or complete new forms. Call us at 610-287-1162 for more information on this subject or to arrange a free no obligation consultation. We'll help you get back in compliance so you can get on to growing your business.
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