 | | Gregory P. Smith Lead Navigator President |
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"We don't know who we are until we see what we can do." ~ Martha Grimes "Keep your fears to yourself but share your courage with others." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson "Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we seek too late the one that is open." ~ Alexander Graham Bell "He who refuses to embrace a unique opportunity loses the prize as surely as if he had tried and failed." ~ William James |
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| Here Today, Here Tomorrow: Transforming Your Workforce from High-Turnover to High-Retention
Facing a growing shortage of skilled workers, businesses realize the importance of placing a major emphasis on employee retention. Many employees are jumping ship and leaving for better jobs. Many of these reasons can be prevented. No matter what industry you work in, this book provides solutions to attract and retain your best employees and help you become a place everyone wants to stay at and work for.
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|  | | Letter from the Lead Navigator
Why Aren't You Successful?
"I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint - and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you."
--Oprah Winfrey
I know many of us struggle with being successful. What is success? What does success mean to you?
Success has different meanings for each of us. For some, success means achieving the next promotion, building a larger business, driving an expensive automobile, a large bank account or raising a family. For me success is different. It has always been about helping people and businesses achieve their potential.
You need to clarify what success means to you. If you have not determined what success is then your life becomes like a piece of driftwood floating aimlessly with no particular direction, meaning or purpose.
Know what is important; clear away the clutter, the distractions. Focus on the things that give you lasting success and push yourself to achieve them.  Gregory P. Smith President and Lead Navigator 770-860-9464
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| | Addressing the Pressures On Our Professional Talent Today |
 Part of running a successful company is addressing the real-life pressures on our professionals today. Hiring top talent is not enough. You need to nurture professionals to ensure maximum productivity and ongoing loyalty. Recognizing the needs of your valued professionals makes it easier to keep them engaged and working as a team. Long Hours - Inevitable parts of professional life are long hours. While most professionals expect to work overtime, it gets grueling when it happens all the time. You as the leader must recognize the need to have time off. Encourage professionals to cover each other on a rotating basis so one person is not overloaded with all the work & hours. (If possible) Maintain workload balance so everyone does their fair share. Consider temporary outsourcing if your entire crew of professionals seems to be burned out. Stress- Professionals experience stress at work because of the demanding nature of their jobs. Many progressive companies offer a human resources professional who listens to these stresses and offers suggestions. The simple acknowledgment of stress in the workplace makes people feel better. Trying to ignore it ultimately makes professionals ignore some of their responsibilities. Have corporate events to unwind, such as a picnic, lunch walking programs, or visits from therapists from a local spa to give massages. Little things go a long way when it comes to relieving stress. Family Issues - Almost every professional has a family or obligations at home. While these issues should not be brought into the workplace, allowing time off makes it possible for professionals to handle essential business at home. A distracted employee is not working at full capacity. Giving professionals a reasonable level of flexibility ultimately benefits your company. When they are able to resolve home problems, they return to being more productive at work. Encourage Work-Life Balance - Business goes on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. People do not function this way. Professionals need sleep, recreation, and balance to do their best work. Offering adequate vacation time and days off ultimately benefits your company because professionals are happier and healthier. Without a break, inevitable health problems may arise which take professionals away from their responsibilities. You don't have to get personal with professionals to recognize their human limitations. Handling professionals as valued people will benefit everyone in the long run.t If you have any questions about how we can help with your employee performance, contact us today! ~ Written by Gary Sorrell, Sorrell Associates, LLC. Copyright protected worldwide. All rights reserved. |
| Taking Steps To Improve Crisis Management |
 It's important to have a well thought out and rehearsed plan of action in place in order to properly and efficiently manage a crisis situation. It is common place for a crisis to occur without warning. First and foremost, familiarize yourself with the different types of crisis that may happen within or to your company. Every business is based on different fundamentals and is characterized by numerous factors, as is crisis. Crisis can be clustered into groups. Here are some suggestions you should consider, familiarize and plan for in case of a crisis. -
Management misconduct crisis: Management engages in the misrepresentation or concealment of its products/services or practices dishonest customer relations. -
Deception crisis: Deliberate deeds of misconduct. -
Misconstrued management value crisis: Management focuses on short term financial gain and aggressively favors investors over all other stockholders. -
Confrontation: A group confronts your business to win approval of their demands. -
Malevolence: Criminal or intense measures are taken against your business to destabilize or destroy it. -
Technological crisis: A direct result of a technological breakdown usually as a result of human manipulation. -
Natural disaster: Earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, floods, droughts, landslides or tsunamis. -
Sudden Crisis: Occurs without warning and is beyond the control of the business. -
Smoldering Crisis: A minor issue that turns into a crisis due to mismanagement and negligence.
In order for crisis identification to be effectual, a course of action must also be put into place. Identify employees that are equipped to handle such situations. Guide Your Turnaround Strategy with Honesty and Integrity In the competitive world of business, not all companies are liable to regenerate after having been through a crisis. This is especially sobering in the wake of today's financial hardships. This statement alone offers an explanation as to why it is immensely important to be open and honest with employees and other beneficiaries of the company during a crisis situation. There is no room for grey areas and utilizing this piece of advice will leave employees, clients and suppliers with a sense that your business was ethical and honest no matter the outcome of the crisis. Successfully Implement a Turnaround Strategy with These Tips - Instill confidence and earn trust
- Be open, frank and honest
- Lead with integrity
- Be transparent
- Establish clear communications
- Listen
- Be available and accessible
- Work hard
- Sacrifice
- Establish control and performance systems
- Have discipline
- Give rewards
Learn From the Best Throughout history there have been several widely publicized crisis affecting large businesses that had established themselves as household names. Due to the implementation of strong crisis management the following companies worked through and overcame their crisis. -
Johnson and Johnson (Tylenol): 1982* a disgruntled citizen adds cyanide to Tylenol on store shelves killing 7 people. Though it cost Johnson and Johnson $100 million, the company took action and destroyed over 31 million capsules of product. James Burke, CEO of the company, appeared in ads informing consumers of the actions the company was taking to manage the crisis. Their solution: tamper resistant packaging and being open and honest about the crisis throughout the entire ordeal. Tylenol sales recovered. -
Mattel: Summer 2007, more than 28 products were recalled. A problem with exports from China ensued. The company dispersed information about the recalls immediately earning the respect of customers and the public. Robert Eckert, CEO of the company conducted 14 television interviews and made over 20 phone calls to individual reporters to keep the public informed. The company fully recovered from the debacle.
A crisis can be managed and the outcome successful if the proper steps are taken and implemented as soon as possible at the formation of a crisis. t If you have any questions about this article, or about how we can help you develop crisis management strategies, contact us today! ~ Written by our associate Gary Sorrell, Sorrell Associates, LLC. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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