Mary Barra or Miley Cyrus

For all those skeptics who have always complained of the glass ceiling, and that they cannot get to their goals because of XYZ, there was yet another piece of evidence yesterday, Tuesday Dec. 10^th.  Mary Barra was named GM CEO the successor of CEO Dan Akerson.  The first female CEO in GM history, she is scheduled to start her new role in January this coming year.  Mary Barra has worked at GM for 33 years and has experience with positions in manufacturing, engineering and senior management. She began her GM career a co-op student in the Pontiac Motor Division in 1980 and gradually worked her way up the corporate ladder.  So although her goals in making CEO didn’t exactly happen overnight, her proven track record and careful career planning certainly did payoff. 

Within the past decade, many organizations have realized the essential need for diversity in sustainable growth, innovation and success.  Although historically women have been underrepresented in the automotive industry similar to engineering and technology, organizations such as GM have made a formal commitment to focus on women as a strategic lever for growth. 

Organizations who are driven for success, are increasing the percentage of female recruits, they effectively identify and mentor women with management potential, and increase the number of women in leadership positions.  Women can help organizations relate to a customer base that includes a higher percentage of women.  Leading companies recognize the importance of having women involved in product development and innovation. 

The most important initiative that a company can take to improve their gender diversity as well as their overall strategic Human Capital planning as it relates to competitive advantage, is to measure where they are in total numbers.  Metrics is the only sure way of expecting change and growth. 

Beyond measuring, training can make a significant difference because company leaders and hiring managers may not even realize their own gender bias.  Recruiting, retaining and advancing women is not about quotas or a checklist, but rather it’s about identifying the best possible talent and heading them toward the goals of gaining economic and innovative competitiveness.  Women are currently underpaid and under-recognized, and that’s a fact.  In fact, the gender pay gap has hover at 77 cents on the dollar since 2007 (Huffington Post). However, an organization simply cannot have the goal of by excellence in service and quality in product development, if only 50% of its employee population are given a seat at the table. 

Unlike the automotive industry, the entertainment industry has realized the value of women in driving the bottom-line.  Although she is no Miley Cyrus when it comes to popularity in the media,  Mary Barra who currently ranks 35^th on the Forbes List of 100 Most Powerful Women, is proof that organizations are slowly but surely waking up and jumping on the band wagon to the best kept secret; the Woman Human Capital Advantage. 

Let’s Talk Woman To Woman

In 2013, with the advents of the changes in the pregnancy and leave act, the announcement of Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer of her pregnancy and intention to only take two weeks off and the release of the book Lean In, there has been yet another invitation to revisit feminism.  It seems as if there is a necessary need for change to shake the foundation of the cultural basis, which supports oppression of individuality: the expression of individuality, of not only working and non-working women, but also that of men. Part of what made feminism so successful was the way women in different situations developed their own variants and organized for the goals most important to them (see the timeline here). All women:  Native American women, working class women, Jewish women, Catholic women, sex workers, and women with disabilities, described what gender equality would mean for them and worked together to achieve it.  It seems as if somewhere along the line, in the hopes of equality, the divide got even larger between men and women.  

The truth is, for women to be more capable of what they want to do, their male counterparts need to be mobilized to be who they want to be as well.  We simply cannot expect one part of society to change without it affecting the other parts.  A good analogy of society would be the human body.  If one organ of the human body was affected by a disease like diabetes, it would affect the other parts.  Likewise, for medication to be effective, it would have to relieve symptoms in all organs of the body, rather than just one. 

So what does all this mean today? 

Women such as Gail Evans having been in the playing field since the 60’s, first as a former Press Secretary and then as an Executive Vice President of CNN, have urged women to “not complain and accept the role of a victim,” however going on to compare women to men in communication style and how to “win,”  Although the differences in behavior are valid, what are they actually teaching society? Men or women? That even in the 21^st century when they thought they had the freedom to choose who they wanted to be, they have to regard men as their role models rather than creating their own style and balance if you will.  In her book, Play like a Man and Win like a woman, Gail points out that “girls are brought up to be nice and pleasing,”  As a mom raising boys, I am sure I am not the only one who teaches my boys the value of respect and kindness.  Even in her book Lean In written by Sheryl Sandberg the COO of Facebook, she says “we have to ask ourselves if we have become so focused on supporting personal choices that we are failing to encourage women to aspire to leadership,” Another double standard assuming that all women want to be in positions of leadership and if they don’t, society is not “aspiring” them to do so. 

When generalized statements such as these are made by women, I am even more disappointed than I would be if a man made them.  Men and women are different, they will always be.  No matter what society changes, the biology and psychology of the two are different.  A woman’s choice to be a leader vs. cashier, a dancer or a researcher or a homemaker, is just as personal her deciding whom she wants to marry, how many children she wants to have, and so on. In fact, when I interviewed happy homemakers who are perfectly content raising a family and having a part-time job may be, the number one thing that they said was how sick they were of women executives who thought their choices were not good enough, or that somehow they were “victims.”  

The double standards are so prevalent among women, but when Mississippi governor Phil Bryant says “America’s educational troubles began when women began working outside the home in large numbers,” eyebrows are raised.  Cheryl Sandberg herself said that the greatest career decision a woman makes is whom she marries, implying that her husband is supportive.  The question I have is, isn’t the real career decision in that case made by her husband, rather than by her? What if similar to her, her husband wanted to be a COO and as she so bluntly put it didn’t want to “sit at the table” because he put his career first? 

The truth is not all women want to be executives, not all women want to be politicians, and not all women want to be COO.  If as a society we want to level the playing field, we have to put individuality before gender, rather than trying to focus on the differences between genders.  A man makes a choice to be a pilot, a nurse, or a ballerina just like he makes a choice to be an executive.  Women need to have that choice too.  Rather than being compared to men and then being told, they try too hard, or that they are too pleasing.  As a western society, we have become so accustomed to changing things that, what feels natural is no longer valued.  Happiness comes from balance, and balance is based on authenticity, rather than what “should” be.  Whether a man is “shoulding” on a woman’s choice, or another woman is “shoulding” on a woman’s choice, it is all the same.  Not all women’s choices are created equal and neither are all men’s and that’s what makes the world a beautiful place and what makes it turn; diversity of choices.

The Various Flavors of Women | Create infographics

More related reading:

Why Business Success needs Business Women

Why are there so few lady scientists?

Margaret Thatcher Leadership Qualities to Note

Avoid the Apple Uncompetitiveness as an Executive

If you had the pain of sitting at the recruiting chair, you would no longer just dislike the interviewing process, you would find it intriguing. The thing to remember is that the recruiter really doesn't want to interview one more person or look at one more resume if they had enough confidence in who was in front of them. However, the sadness is that just like the new iPhone 5S, what’s on the other side of the door, is sometimes disappointing.

Bad interview stories are a dime a dozen. One of our favorites is a story told by

Bruce A. Hurwitz, who overheard his potential new hire mouthing off to a woman before entering the elevator for the job interview:

"There were maybe 10 of us waiting [for the elevator] on the ground floor, one of which was an attractive woman. A man joined us in line, and started to chat with her. She responded politely and then chose to ignore him. He then started to yell at her [saying] something about how he was interviewing for a great job with a great salary and he could buy and sell her...I started to recognize his voice [and] asked him if his name was, let's say, Bob. He said, 'Ya.' I asked him, 'Is your meeting with Bruce?' He went white and said 'Ya.' I said, 'It's cancelled.' And, no, I never heard from Bob again." -- Bruce A. Hurwitz, president and CEO of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing (Cited from CBS News)

Dwight from the Office
Photo Credit TenTonHammer.com

It's intriguing to look at these horror stories in retrospect, but in all seriousness, a first impression is make or break. You've been told a million times to dress the part, have your LinkedIn profile proofread, and your references updated, but how do you really shine for a top level position?

Executive Interview Tips:

* Remember it's not suddenly all about you because you have a big interview. Losing your temper shouldn't be your normal behavior anyway, but don't yell at random people on the way to your interview. You’ll land yourself a big pass card, like “Bob” in Bruce’s story. Your behavior from the first phone conversation to the farewell after the interview all counts, so make every moment great. Emotional Intelligence, communication and leadership skills are becoming highly valued qualities for leading professionals. In fact, reports in 2006 pointed to lack of these leadership skills as a top cause of CEO turnover.

* Do the company culture research ahead of time. Are you a fit? How so? Forbes Contributor, Erika Anderson has this to say “Over the past year, I watched as two newly hired, talented senior executives failed pretty spectacularly at two different companies – and in both cases, the problem was a poor cultural fit.” This is big concern for employers and should be for you as well. 

* In the Forbes article Top Executive Recruiters Agree There Are Only Three True Job Interview Questions, Contributor Geroge Bradt cites "can you do the job?" as one of the three primary questions of importance to interviewers. Based on the job description, review which of your strengths best apply to the tasks you will be performing. This seems like a given, but try to figure out how to make your most relative skills pop off the resume and become more tangible. Consider seeking written references for those skills or creating a portfolio. Above and beyond never hurts. 

* If you are working with an executive placement firm, make sure they know you well, and have taken the time to assess the position as far as leadership, values and long-term strategic goals of the organization.  Many executive recruitment firms don’t have a formal pre-employment assessment process.  So that homework falls on you to inquire and get the firm to work on your side.  Even if you do take the job, at least you know your goals going in.  No Surprises!

These tips have already given you an advantage, but it’s up to you to make the goal. Remember, your interviewer is human just like you. Go in with a positively genuine and can-do attitude. Above all, figure out how to connect with the interviewer on a personal level. It isn't easy to do, but in order to reduce stress, try to view the interaction as more of a discussion. Worst comes to worst, you have a greater network than before if you are a networking champion. If it’s meant to be, it will be.

Related Reading:

Learn to Negotiate: What's Mine isn't Yours

The Ultimate Five Step Playbook to Managing Your Own Brand

Lions and Tigers and Confidence, oh My!

Tracy McGrady Exit

Photo Credit: everyjoe.com

Winning athlete, Tracy McGrady, just retired from a sixteen year NBA career (Washington Post). His simple, smooth exit is the envy of all business owners considering an exit strategy.  McGrady’s got big shoes to fill, but fortunately for him, he doesn’t have to worry about who fills them. While McGrady is free to move on without a care, company owners need to consider long term plans for their business. Entrepreneurs tend to get caught up in the game and success, but forget to consider long term reality. What will happen at “the end of their season,” so to speak?

Why prepare an exit strategy?

Every business eventually has to pass the torch on. Here are some reasons to consider.

1.       Death

2.       Illness

3.       Disability

4.       Retirement

5.       Shift in market conditions

6.       Loss of key employees

7.       Vital supplier departs

8.       Competition

9.       You receive a better offer

It is easier to be prepared with a plan in the face of those scenarios, rather than taken off guard, which is why exit strategies are typically written into business plans from the beginning. However, it’s never too late to get the ball rolling.

Photo Credit: ideacrossing.org

Exit Strategy Outline:

Here are some considerations for exit strategies…

1.       Define your goals –

This isn’t just about defining business goals, but also defining personal goals. Anyone thinking about an exit strategy needs to know how much money they expect to have after the fact. Business owners need to also set goals in regards to fluidity of operations, so they know everything can continue without them.

2.       Assemble a team –
This is not a solo mission, it is a team operation. A business is like a child to an entrepreneur. Sweat, tears, and hard work have brought what was once a dream, to life. Don’t botch the hard work you’ve put in by being careless in planning your departure. Be sure to recruit financial advisors, succession experts, insurance specialists and business consultants as needed, to help you make the best decisions.

3.       Write a plan –
This will be a process. Don’t expect to meet with advisors on Monday and have this all hashed out by Friday. It doesn’t work that way. Effective exit strategies take time to develop and are extremely unique to each organization. You and those helping you need to have a cohesive vision with goals, as well as clearly defined responsibilities for effective collaboration. Keep in mind that just because a plan is concocted, doesn’t mean it is set in stone. Be flexible to adapting the goals as you go.

4.       Assess company value –

This is absolutely vital and has several components. Tracking value should be an important aspect of your operation anyway, but it’s especially crucial in planning an exit strategy. If you want someone to be interested in taking over your company, it’s got to have appeal.

Components to remember:

* Financial Value: You should know and be able to explain your finances inside and out. Track the flow of revenue and expenses. Incomplete financial information will leave a potential buyer worried about the company as a future investment.

* Operations: A job candidate doesn’t walk into an interview dressed in rags, using a broken pen and handing in a torn resume. Similarly, a business that is kept clean, with well maintained equipment will be more valuable than one that’s barely hanging together. Appearance is important, from employee presentation to atmosphere.

* Effectiveness and Performance: Performance fluctuation happens in business. The key is to be able to understand and articulate changes. Sometimes fluctuations including price increases and losing unprofitable customers are a good thing. 

* Succession Planning: If you’re the only one in charge of all store operations, with no one in training to take over, the store will be at a loss when you depart. As one would imagine, this is not appealing to potential new owners. Hence, Succession Planning is invaluable for your business. Again, seeking a replacement should be a thorough process and begin taking place long before a business owner actually plans to leave.

5.       Make it happen –

You’ve outlined your goals, gathered a team, written a plan and invested in value to position your business for appeal. Now it’s time push for the final score. All the players are ready for the whistle to blow. When the time is right, you’re ready to pass the torch and move on to your next phase in life.

With the outline above and a team to help you from point A to point B, you’re just steps away from the Hall of Fame. Remember above all, to think of the exit strategy as a process, not an event. At the end of the season, you can kick back with Tracy McGrady and exchange success stories. The ball is in your court. 

Related Reading:
Lessons from the Catholic Church: Succession Planning?
What the Royal Baby has to do with Business Succession...

Are Firms Neglecting Succession Plans?

Armstrong breathing fire

“Able, you’re fired. Out!”

Take a minute to ponder the harsh choice of words.
Now take a second to guess the setting in which those words were said.

On Friday August 16^th, AOL Chief Executive Tim Armstrong led a rather disheartening company meeting, to which roughly 1,000 employees had dialed in. This meeting was for Patch members and was held shortly

Tim Armstrong

after Armstrong disclosed, the organization would shrink Patch websites from 900 to 600. While everyone knew bad news was around the corner for many employees, no one was aware that they would be witness to one of the most poorly handled firing incidents in history.

Mid-sentence, Armstrong abruptly discontinued addressing the attendees to turn his attention to the Creative Director of AOL’s Patch unit, Abel Lenz. He proceeded to say “"Abel, put that camera down, now. Abel, you're fired. Out," as can be heard on Forbes. Meanwhile the air stood still and silence followed as 1,000 already disheartened employees listened in. About five seconds later, Armstrong continued with his meeting as Able exited.

What all went wrong?

1. Susan Adams of Forbes makes a good point. She distinguishes, that even before the incident, Armstrong’s voice was cold. Susan mentioned that although he accepted responsibility for the status of Patch’s struggles, he also opened the meeting with statements which threatened staff to leave Patch if they didn’t believe him or thought the discussion was a joke. Everyone knew the meeting wasn’t a joke, especially because it followed the previous announcement about reducing Patch’s web presence by 300 websites. His approach was condescending and hurtful from the start.

2. At the beginning of the meeting, Armstrong announced “I don’t care what the press says, I don’t care if people leak information.” However, he then fired an employee for recording the meeting. Where is the logic in this scenario?

3. Possibly the most blatant and scrutinized action in those dreaded two minutes was his harsh firing of Abel. His choice of words were cold, his tone inappropriate and worst of all he did it publically. Not only did he belittle Able by firing him publically, but he did it I front of 1,000 of their co-workers, without a blink.

4. After coming under media fire, Armstrong later attempted to justify the incident, announcing that Abel had been warned previously not to record those meetings. Not only was that a poor reason to fire someone on the spot, because he could have easily just asked the employee to stop filming (or possibly even signaled for him to put the camera down), but that reasoning contradicts his previous statement at the meeting:“I don’t care what the press says, I don’t care if people leak information.” From the outside, it is easy to see where Abel would have assumed the previous warnings not to film meetings were negated by that opening statement. However, Armstrong was lacking the emotional intelligence to detect where Able may have become confused. He then acted emotionally and disrespectfully.

5. To date, Abel has not been asked to return to AOL. 

What went right?

1. It should be noted that Armstrong has personally apologized to Abel.

2. He also issued an apology to the AOL community.

What are the repercussions?

1. Tim Armstrong has come under fire across the board from the New York Times to Forbes. He has fatally damaged his own reputation.

2. Having ignited a chain of disapproval and backlash, Armstrong, who clearly was already struggling emotionally will likely have trouble determining how to dig out of this hole if he does not seek counseling.

3. Abel has lost his job in an unreasonable way and will likely also struggle to emotionally recover.

4. Armstrong’s actions are drawing an angry and dissatisfied response from consumers toward AOL as an organization.

5. Employee morale has been possibly irreparably damaged. 

Fortunately, this situation has sparked an executive development discussion.  Susan Adams of Forbes says in AOL’s Chief Demonstrates the Worst Way to Fire Someone, “If he feels ‘emotional,’ as he said in his statement yesterday, then he should work through those emotions with a friend, counselor or coach before dumping on his workforce.“  This situation presents itself as a key argument for the importance of executive development and leadership training. She is exactly right; executives, Armstrong included, are under extreme pressure. They want to succeed and take their job to heart. As Armstrong said himself “It was an emotional response at the start of a difficult discussion dealing with many people’s careers and livelihoods. I am the CEO and leader of the organization, and I take that responsibility seriously."

The power to make or break employee morale, improve or destroy the bottom line and change the future rests in the hands of executives everywhere. What most of those leaders and their employers don’t realize is that responsibility can be tackled much more successfully, with a little help along the way. 

Inspiration is not just the Beach at Trouville

Considering the report by CBSNews that this year’s Gallup survey shows 70% of employees are not inspired by their work, the journey to achieving inspiration and engagement may seem unrealistic. In Greek mythology, inspiration was thought to be accessible only through muses, who appeared to certain people at certain times. Though the concept of muses is a less popular belief in modern culture, inspiration still remains elusive. However, those who spend time to better acquaint themselves with inspiration have learned it’s not an elusive mythological being, but an achievable and maintainable state of existing. For that matter, inspiration is known to have two qualities. First, it is catalytic and second, it’s collectively infectious, especially in the workplace.

How to create an Inspirational Work Culture

1.       Stay on Target

Great leaders don’t change history by solving unimportant issues, just as multi-million dollar companies don’t succeed without meeting a need. When it comes to maintaining inspiration in the workplace, managers and organizations should regularly visit and re-visit the organization’s mission.

2.       Invest in your players

In Human Capital is an Important Factor for the Success of an Organization , Ravindu Gamage states that Human capital is a valuable resource, because it recognizes that people should be treated as assets, rather than as an expense. Within this frame of mind, every employee should be valued and nurtured within a company. This can be accomplished through investing in employee’s talents and interests, as well as utilizing the Five Languages for Engagement TM.

3.       Guide relentlessly

When solving the puzzle that is inspiration, why not turn to some of the most inspired and loved artists in history? Eugene Boudin: The Man Who Inspired Monet is perhaps a fitting article for consideration.

The Beach at Trouville
By: Boudin

Boudin saw Monet’s charcoal drawings and knew he could do more. Though Monet was not particularly interested in painting, Boudin kept encouraging him to paint with him on the beach. Finally, after some time and Boudin’s continued guidance, similar to the inception of a firework, Monet bloomed and became passionate about painting, moving forward to lead the impressionist movement. Good leaders see potential and invest in their employees with care and unwavering determination.

4.       Share stories

When in doubt of the power of storytelling, simply refer to the IMDB highest grossing box office films, with Avatar topping the list at $760,505,847. People love stories and are propelled by their motivational influence. Just as books line the shelves at Barnes and Noble and movies continually flow into theaters, stories cycle through every company and every office. The key is to become the narrator of inspiring stories about the general human condition which minimizes differences in people and capitalizes on their collective power and determination to win.  Tell humorous and motivational stories by the water cooler and in meetings.  Your stories will strengthen work culture by inspiring others, as well as influencing them to share positive memories.

5.       Inspire with motivation

Countless studies have shown that employees, who are challenged by their roles, excel and strengthen their organizations. Challenges lead to trial and tribulations, resulting in learning and growth. Heard of the saying, “couples who play together stay together?” It’s even truer in organizations.  Engagement comes from participation in common goals.  In order to “keep the fire burning,” continual skill building is vital. Take employees out of their comfort zones and challenge them to do more.

Inspiration isn’t something that can be touched or tasted, but it is certainly something that can be influenced and felt. So go forth, and inspire.

Speaking of... Speaking

Types of Speakers: What speaker should you choose?

Speaking.
Photo Credit: Mercy Health

Type 1:
This could be the author of last year’s book or executive from a previously successful company. You may have heard their speech at an industry conference within the past six months. Chances are, if you engage that person for your event, you will hear the same exact speech. In fact, that speech may have been given at your biggest competitor’s event the previous week. The topics can be interesting and their delivery motivating, but the content is usually very general. Even if this speaker is a celebrity (the author of this year’s book) the recognizable name is not as important as their message and what it does and does not accomplish for your audience.  Which particular objective does this type of speaker meet? As a rule: the more general the speaker, the more general the results. If you have a large audience, and want to motivate them to embrace a specific topic (e.g. sales) or to consider a new market (e.g. the e-Business), this type of speaker can work. However, if there is a specific action you want the audience to take, for example, to build a strong vision for their salesforce, this type of speaker will simply not do.

Type 2:
This type of speaker is a technical expert from the major research, accounting, analysis, tech or other specialty firms and delivers presentations developed and approved by their company based on careful research and subsequent reports. No matter how new or dynamic the category, every person from that firm will deliver the same presentation. They will not be keen to tailoring the content to meet the goals and objectives of your event. Since they have to be objective, do not expect them to include your company in their speech. As with the previous type, the very same speech may have been given at your biggest competitor’s sales meeting the week before your event. So which particular objective does this type of speaker meet? This speaker is very knowledgeable of facts and details of that particular expertise. As authorities, they can be very effective.  However if your goal is to get them to “move your audience” and create a call for action, understand that the demand they generate is for their own company’s reports.


Type 3:
This type of speaker is interested to introduce their services, their company and build an audience.  So they don’t mind offering a charge free speech to a large audience.

There are two caveats here:
a.  free is not always useful.
b.  free is not always prepared.

So which particular objective does this type of speaker fulfill? Consider how much you investing in this event per person. If you believe that there is wide range to your audience’s interest level and you want to be able to move everyone equally, doesn’t make sense to invest more on your keynote than on your coffee? Audiences all over the world are now a lot more sophisticated than we may want to give them credit for.  They do walk in not expecting much because they have seen some disappointing acts out there, but a good shaking at the core could mean so much for your purposes. Unless of course, you are just trying to get the job done!

Type 4:
This is the group that absolutely loves to talk to your audience, tolerates little control from you and believes that they are the best speakers. They are not free but have some similarities with the free speaker, in that you can’t have high expectations of their content or connection to the audience.  So what purpose do they meet? Your corporate execs are very important in that their mere presence delivers a message to the audience that your event is a priority. However, do not expect direction to be taken by them.  They are motivated to get the job done, but further than that, don’t expect polished diction or even technical enlightenment. Expect the audience to feel important and to pay attention to what they say.  But not necessarily to be moved.  The audience will be impressed, but not necessarily relate.

Type 5:
This is the hybrid type of speaker.  The possess the best of all the previous categories because they have not only been around but they have a learning attitude which means they created their style based on what they know works and doesn’t work. This type has the motivation skills, the authoritative knowledge, and the polish of the Exec and most importantly they are not free. This speaker believes that it is their job to work for you, and with you, to make your event (large or small) a success. Unfortunately, this type is not easy to find. Their speeches are not one-size-fits-all because they will take their time to learn about your audience, your needs and design the speech accordingly.  They will have a common theme to work around and it builds from there.   This type of speaker offers an incredibly powerful combination with which to kick off your event and make it a buzz.  So what type of event would this speaker be best for? If you are looking for an expert to talk about a topic to teach your audience how it’s done, you can satisfactorily use with caution of course any of the already mentioned types.  However, neither one is fit for a keynote.  By nature, a keynote will have maximum impact, and hence is best delivered by a keynote speaker. Work with them to shape their speech by describing exactly what you need to accomplish with your event; more than with any other type of speaker.   Only this type of speaker can bring the audience on-board to the vision that you have set out as part of your objectives.  A good speaker will get your audience to listen, a good keynote speaker will get your audience to “grow”.  By this I mean both in number for the next event, but more importantly existentially, because we all want to make a difference in someone’s life right?

Speaking of... speaking. I have just posted a speaking sample video from my presentations. If your needs align with my speaking services, please feel free to contact me. If not, I wish you luck in finding your speaker.

Recent Topics of Interest

Below are some additional Center for Work Life posts on other platforms. I hope you will find these insights helpful.



Avoiding Groupthink
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Social Media Ethics
Healthcare Reforms and The Healthy Organization
Conflict Resolution Tips




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The Small Business Employee Puzzle

Every piece must be included and positioned correctly to accurately complete a puzzle; an organization's talent is no different. In order to be successful, a business must rely heavily on having the right employees and placing them effectively. Particularly, the right employees are crucial to the productive future of small businesses. We've created a list of some important roles you need to fill in your business. This list is not about technical skills; it is about personality traits.

(Photo credit: Center for Work Life)

1.      Managers –

You’re running a business which means you are busy! An employee that can take the reins is critical. This individual is extremely smart, has management experience, can multi-task well and can think quickly on their feet. Having employees like this involved with your small business can be vital. 

2.       Teachers –

You can’t go wrong with teachers in the work-place. Anyone with the patience and kindness of a teacher will multiply the skills of you other employees. Also, employee retention is higher when employees feel they are truly learning; that you are investing in them as much as they invest in you.

3.       Optimists –

A positive atmosphere really makes or breaks a work place. That’s why people that encourage good morale are so vital. No matter the loss of sales or hard times, happy thinkers are infectious. The positive attitude is the root of all other business success.

4.       Strategists –

Your strategists have a thirst for knowledge and success. They are often hard to rein in, but well worth the investment. They love to read and research trends. You stay competitive in your field when you have great strategists.

5.       Versatilists –

Multi-skilled individuals can be invaluable to a small business. Depending on business needs, this individual has a wide skill base to draw from. They are able to have a foot in more than one area frequently or change roles as time goes on. Often this type of worker is a quick learner with a positive attitude.

6.       Performers –

It is great to have wonderful strategists, managers, teachers and optimists, but don’t forget about your performers. Your performers are competitive people. They want the job done. No matter the cost, they make sure strategies are carried out. They carry out what the strategists devised when the strategists are too busy researching to execute their ideas.

Remember, it takes all kinds! When you find every employee piece to fit your business puzzle; you are on the road to success.