http://choosepeople.com/blog Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:11:44 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Office Supplies. That was the expense account that a company my friend worked for looked at to see how the troops were doing.  If the expenses for office supplies increased significantly, they knew they had something to be concerned about. When employees start pillaging office supplies, you know you're in trouble.  When ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=370 My friend was a principal at a local high school. One day he witnessed a group of students on school grounds almost run over an older woman with their skateboards. He immediately called them into his office and told them that their thoughtless behavior was completely unacceptable.  He could have said - "That's it.  No ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=365 This blog post is short. The podcast I highly recommend you take the time to listen to is 1 hour. http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/403/nummi This is the fascinating story as told by This American Life of NUMMI - the car manufacturing plant founded between General Motors and Toyota.  Listen and you will find many valuable best practices around ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=362 The other day someone told me a poignant story about Horst Schulze, the original owner of the Ritz Carlton. Schulze required that all guest complaints from all of his many locations come directly to his desk.  If he received the same complaint twice, he would investigate. In London, he received the same ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=359 Happy Employees=Happy Bottomline  Here are just a few of the numbers from the research to chew on: 1) The productivity loss of 100 employees who are unhappy is $7,500 per week or $390,000 per year. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203142512.htm 2) Research has found that happy workers are 12% more productive while unhappy workers are 10% less ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=356 There seems to be a lot of literature around how to create a flexible work environment for knowledge workers - as mentioned in my last blog there's the ROWE (results only work environment) that has increasingly become popular where employees are encouraged to work where they want, when they want and ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=352 I've noticed there seem to be two areas of thought around creating employee happiness amongst knowledge-workers: 1) Along the lines of ROWE - the Results Only Work Environment - where employees can work where they want, when they want and how they want as long as they achieve the results.  Absolute ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=349 We is the word you want to hear when you are interviewing someone.  You want them to see themselves as having been part of a team.  You want them to give credit to those who helped them get to where they are.  If all you hear is "I" statements you ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=346 Friday morning I drove by 100 people on the other side of the highway sitting in their crawling cars impatiently wondering why there was so much traffic.  Is it an accident?  Is it construction?  At least half of them were late to an appointment.  And most of them were frustrated.  ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=343 Eeewwww.  Grooosss.  (Never mind the fuzzy green moldy stuff, how about seepage of who knows what dripping between the racks.) Yeah, I've seen those office fridges.  Dare I say, way back in the day when I was young and reckless, I even contributed to those fridges. And I've seen the clean tidy ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=340 Well, that depends, how do you treat your family? As we know there are far too many families that we would not want to emulate. And yet when we talk about wanting a family atmosphere - we're going for warmth and connection, not dysfunction and codependency.  No moms.  No dads.  More like ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=337 How often do you say this?  Imagine your coworkers saying this.  Your family members.  Your employees. We really can love work.  In fact, we often do. If you haven't already read Daniel Pink's book, Drive.  You really should consider it.  Yes his TED talk is fabulous (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_pink_on_motivation.html) and gives you the short version, ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=334 As I've talked to and learned about businesses with happy employees I've noticed a common theme of team sacrifice existing in the history of the company.  Whether the company is a start-up, fighting for survival or trying to expand to handle tremendous growth - employees will rise to the challenge and the culture ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=330 "Over time, as we focused more and more on our culture, we ultimately came to the realization that a company's culture and a company's brand are really just two sides of the same coin.  The brand is just a lagging indicator of a company's culture." Tony Hsieh, Zappos Founder & CEO If ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=327 "Our People are Our Biggest Asset" Really?  Do you believe it?  How do you know?  Are you just saying that?  Because it sounds good.  Really good.  And on some level we know it's true.  Really true.  You know that without your employees, you couldn't be in business.  And without excellent employees you can't ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=319 There seems to be THE great excuse.  When I ask HR folks if they feel the employees at their company are happy, I often don't get a direct answer. And the answer I get is this - Well there's always that one employee who will never be happy no matter what you ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=316 If no one was looking.  No supervisor, no manager, not even a coworker. They're at the dinner table or perhaps a church picnic or their daughter's softball game. "So Keith, how do you like your job?" "So Janis, how do you like where you work?" What would your employees really say?  And would they ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=313 As you can imagine, I read a lot of books, articles and blogs about employees.  Here's one you don't want to miss  - a brilliant tangible management book and a valuable assessment all in one.  $16 from Amazon or $30 to support your local book store - you'll want one for each ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=310 You're an employee. Or perhaps you're an owner of a company. Imagine for a moment the significance of employees as co-creators of their companies. Their companies.  Not just the companies they work for, but the ones they help create through their work. We talk about employees feeling ownership.  We talk about empowering our employees.  ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=307 Thank God It's Friday. I hate Mondays. The weekend went by too fast. Sarcastically, "Another day in paradise." I find it crazy that there is an inherent societal norm that bonds us together - to dislike or even hate work.  Pick out anybody, anywhere and you can say something disparaging about work, and they will nod ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=303 You read the best business book.  You underlined some things.  Hopefully you effectively put in place the most valuable of those that were underlined.  And then you move on to the next best business book. Then years later, you pick up that book and reread some of your underlined passages and ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=300 So many times we ask the following questions: "How can we improve?" "How can we be better?" "What can we do to be better?" "What's wrong?" And while these are valid and often valuable questions, there is a question that should be asked prior: What are we doing right?  What's going well? So many times companies look ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=297 Beef jerky anyone? Yes this was my downfall.  About 6 years ago, at the beginning of my tenure as CEO of Exodus Moving & Storage, during the holiday season our moving company was having some serious cash flow concerns (winter is typically the slow season for moving companies.)  We didn't have enough ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=294 No donuts!!?? You say. Yes, I said no donuts.  We all know that donuts are bad for us - high fat, high sugar - you get the idea.  What does it tell your employees when you offer them something you know is bad for them?  It's like feeding your dog that ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=290 I was amazed.  It was a couple of years ago.  And there I was in front of 70 of my employees - my moving crew - in a company meeting and I asked them, what are all the different perks you receive working here?  They named 3.  There were 10.  And when I said well what ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=287 You try to do no wrong.  In fact, you try to do "the right thing."  And yet there are those times in all of our lives where we simply screw up.  In our personal lives, we know what to do - we apologize.  And yet, in the workplace - in the ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=284 Remember the old adage about assuming.... And yet we do it SO often.  Especially when things aren't going ideal or are getting downright ugly.  We assume we know why John or Carla did what they did and how they did it.  Instead of getting down and dirty and learning the core ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=281 I love e-mail.  Really I do.  So easy, so efficient. But easy and efficient doesn't get you employee engagement in this case and oftentimes doesn't get you effective communication. E-mail has often led to confusion - the opposite of effective communication.  And it can be confusion of content or confusion of intention ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=278 Yes - alive.  Meaning, not dead. As in stuck in a drawer and maybe, if you're lucky, your overachiever can remember two out of six. At Premier Employment Screening Services they have a really wonderful remedy. Employees can nominate other employees for exhibiting company values.  They do this via a full sheet of paper ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=275 D-day Nobody likes it.  Obviously not the person being fired.  Nor the manager who has to do the dirty work.  But don't forget all the remaining employees - those who worked with the individual day in and day out for who knows how long.  And then even the employees who may ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=272 Often CEOs, business owners and executives say they simply don't have time to "get on the ground floor" to see what's going on among the "ranks." Hogwash. If you have time to see a client, you have time to see your employees - employees are as critical as your clients.  If you ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=267 Yesterday the special guest coordinator of "The Balancing Act" - a morning talk show on Lifetime called me.  And while we had a lovely conversation full of excitement and synergy, at the end of the call he said, alas, right now it's not a fit.  Why?  Because Choose People just launched.  We don't ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=260 Chapter 8 called "Personal Mastery" of the well-known business book Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge is packed with powerful quotes that align perfectly with Choose People. Here are several quotes in Senge's book from Bill O'Brien, former president of Hanover Insurance: "We believe there is no fundamental tradeoff between higher virtues in life and ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=257 Every organization has them - unwritten rules which are much more potent than written ones.  These are the social cues that tell employees what is valued in a company, as well as what is dangerous.  These rules tell them how to act, behave and participate in a way that will ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=253 Common Answers: I work at X company. I do X task.  (I fix computers.  I make the burritos.  I make flower arrangements.  I grade papers.) I am X.  (I am a police officer.  I am a teacher.  I am a sales representative.) What if you talked about your work in terms of the IMPACT ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=249 Choose People officially launches on Tuesday, June 1st - just 3 short days away!  I am so ridiculously excited.  So what exactly do I mean by launching?  I mean, Choose People is officially "open" for business.    We are ready to certify all those fabulous companies out there who are ready to let the world know ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=244 I had the absolute pleasure of attending a presentation by David Firth who recently authored From Making a Living to Creating a Life.  He spoke about how society teaches us that work is something to be disdained.  David pointed out several examples:  What is the first question we ask when someone wins ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=238 When Steve Hannah, CEO of the Onion, was asked by New York Times journalist Adam Bryant, what were the his top 3-5 lessons on how to manage people he said": "you never, ever do anything to deprive a human being of their dignity in work, in life." What does dignity get ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=235 Perhaps not literally, but at least verbally. This question goes out to both employees and business leaders - because managers serve both sides of this coin, often not an easy proposition.  Consider some of the challenges they are tasked with: They have to play good cop and bad cop and at the end ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=231 When asked with a genuine desire to know the answer, this question is extraordinary on so many levels! The next time one of your employees comes to you and asks you to make a decision - simply ask them, What do YOU think?  And as often as possible, say "That's a great ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=228 Employees often think the big cheese is making a huge amount of money because they are not aware of all the expenses that it takes to run a business.  To create a tangible, accurate way to explain your finances to your employees, first get one hundred 1 dollar bills.  Have ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=225  How often do we find ourselves fully confident that someone in our sphere of work is (pick your fave):  a moron, clueless, or average.  Perhaps your language is more colorful.  Here's the rub though - THEY ARE IN YOUR SPHERE OF WORK.  Where you spend many waking hours.  Where you potentially spend many ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=220 When leaders are focused on the bottom-line, on the almighty $ dollar, so is everyone else who works for them. Employees know when the company's primary focus is money and not people, they need to take care of themselves.  They need to watch their back and look out for #1.  This of course creates ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=212 I'm going simple on this one.  In the past couple of days some of the employer horror stories I've heard lead me to emphasize this critical fundamental concept: Employees are real deal people.  Your coworkers in the department at the other branch are real deal people. The folks who make the goods and services you buy are ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=204 My amazing neighbor who is also a history professor sent me some interesting information about the history of good employer certifications that I just have to share!  "In the early 20th century a reformer named Florence Kelley spearheaded an effort to give 'white labels' both to companies that treated their employees well ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=200 Reviews are dreaded by managers and employees alike. Dreaded because there's 1) an uncomfortable power dynamic of judgment and 2) a hoped for expectation of increased compensation. The dreaded ones usually go something like this:  You're great.  BUT improve on this.  Oh don't forget we think you're great.  Oh and about your raise.... Mostly the manager talks and the ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=194 A few years ago, I created a "thermometer" score board and posted it in a prominent place in the office.  I let all the employees know that if we reached X goal of profit, they would all be rewarded with nice bonuses.  I thought it was quite the brilliant idea.  I thought that the ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=187 I mentioned a key word in the last way to keep your happy employees happy:  transparency. Yes that infamous semi-new business buzz word that has all the world a flitter with how to simply convey "what you see is what you get."  We are who we say we are.  Open kimono.  ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=181 We recently did an informal consumer poll to find out who has the Happiest Employees in America.  Here is the list of all the companies that were voted for!*  Congratulations to all of these companies who have earned a reputation for having happy employees! :) 1-800-flowers Abound Solar Ace Hardware Adventure Treks Albertson's American Red Cross Apple A-Train ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=172 4) Check in.  Frequently.  Listen closely.   Follow-up.   Sounds like a sales call?  Crazy that we don't do this with our employees.  We're always trying to improve our customer service - how about always improving the work world of our employees (your most important advocates)?  "Hey Bob, on a scale of 1-10 ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=167 #3) When you made the wrong hiring choice, fire quickly.  Nobody likes to fire anybody.  Firing is one of THE most brutal jobs of leadership.  I know.  And yet it is critical to the positive atmosphere of your company that when someone doesn't cut the mustard either work-wise or personality-wise ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=163 Yes, we all would like crazy cool benefits like daycare, spa services, and an onsite dentist provided by our employer - but the reality is that these are simply not doable nor financially reasonable for the majority of companies who have a normal profit margin.  So how does a cash strapped company create happy employees when they can't ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=157 Regardless of your opinion about the new health care bill, one thing is for sure:  come 2014 when all Americans are required to have health insurance, those employees who have stayed in abusive or dead end jobs due to the golden handcuffs of health insurance are planning a grand exodus. If ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=154 I’m on the hunt for the happiest and unhappiest employees in America. Got a couple minutes?   Here’s the deal, I’m looking for people to:   1.Take a quick, 7 question poll that will help me identify the companies (w/ 10 or more employees) that you think, based on your personal experience, have the ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=150 Often there are comic strips where "bosses" enjoy firing - as if there is some maniacal pleasure in the power.  While the power pleasure of making strategic creative decisions is definitely one enjoyed by CEO's, business owners and upper management - I can assure you there are very few who ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=146 I know this blog is about employees, but let's face it, there are a lot of unemployed fabulous folks out there right now who would love to be employees.  And I know many of them, and feel for all of them.  I was unemployed after 9/11 and it was brutal.  Please give lots ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=131 I recently finished reading Alain de Botton's book The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work - it is truly a glorious read that I highly recommend for those who love thought provoking well written real life goodness.    However it was his quoting of a quote on page 86 that had me standing ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=128 The wonderfully well intentioned "Employee of the Month" program took a head dive into an empty pool shortly after we implemented it.  Why?  Because several employees who didn't receive the award we're clearly distraught and could not understand how THAT person received the award and they, or the person they ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=121 I love the New York Times "Corner Office" in the business section of the Sunday paper where they interview a CEO and often ask about how they hire and manage employees as well as there employee culture.  There's always a nugget or two to be found around employee satisfaction or ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=118 Yesterday 38.6 million people watched the premier of CBS's "Undercover Boss" after the Super Bowl.   And they didn't watch it just because it was after the Super Bowl - though true that helped.  But also because many were shocked, awed and could unfortunately relate.    In large companies, especially in service industries, there ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=114 All it takes is two.  Two employees at each other’s throats is all it takes to wreak havoc in the work place where the focus is no longer the work at hand.  If employees are not terribly distracted by the lack of efficiency caused by their co-workers, then they are waiting to ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=105 People always ask - What is the KEY to employee satisfaction and engagement?  Of course, there is no single answer.  However if your employees feel they are NOT in the KNOW, the rest of the answers tend to be fairly irrelevant. And here's why.  You can have all the perks and ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=100 When Choose People was being formed the criteria for consideration was wide ranged to say the least.  And one of the critical factors that stuck out, but hasn't been incorporated yet was the concept of "living wage."  Having participated in a campaign in Colorado called "Pathways Past Poverty" it was painfully ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=95 Because business owners and CEO's have the corner office, and the often fatter paycheck, they don't get cut much slack.  And yet the heavy burden they carry everyday - the risk and responsibility is tremendous.  Most business owners would tell you that they lose sleep over one thing more than any other - ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=70 Employee engagement is that ever elusive infamous HR buzz word defined by experts in a multitude of ways.  Employee satisfaction is another concept that seems to flow like sand through ones fingers - one minute you seem to have it, and the next you don't. Unfortunately neither of these terms truly captures the ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=65 Looking good - we all want to look good - personally, professionally, physically, even privately.  We also want to feel good.  We want to know we are doing good, contributing good - and then we'd like others to know about it - either because we want to look good, feel ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=58 Lately I've been horrified by the common comment of: "Well in this economy, they should be happy, at least they have a job."  ARGH.  Who wants to be the employee at the company where that's the leadership mantra?  Yuck.  When the leadership says "We should be happy to have such excellent employees," then you've ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=48 Consumer = somebody who consumes.  Mmm...do I like being called a "consumer" - not so much.  A buyer?  A purchaser?  Nope.  And while yes, I'm a customer, client etc. there is this unique piece where there is an exchange of money for a product or service that in essence is ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=39 As of late, I have had many people ask, "Do potential Choose People companies have to provide health care to be eligible?" Drum roll please.... No. No?  Is often the response I receive.  No.  And there are several reasons why health care benefits are NOT a requirement for becoming a Choose People company. My ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=29 Employee satisfaction.  Employee engagement.  That's part of what I'm here to find out here at the Green Business Conference in San Francisco.  (I should preface this blog to say that I have deep gratitude for those businesses who take the green challenge on - especially after my difficult experience as a business owner of converting our ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=22 “Because as a consumer I love getting great customer service and I believe that if more companies were more People Focused  there would be better levels of customer service which would make consumers happier and they would be more inclined to brag about that customer service which would get more ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=18 I had someone twitter me the other day "I hope your criteria for selection is very stringent & employee based. The bad company I work for wins HR awards!"  Argh.  This is SO not good.  And happens way too often.  There are many companies who know how to jump through the ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=12 On Friday, November 30, 2007 the idea of Choose People was born. I was sitting in the Market coffee shop in downtown Denver, wishing there was a way I could prove to my clients that my company went above and beyond for our employees and that that was something I wanted my customers to seriously ... http://choosepeople.com/blog/?p=3