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Digg it UP - AWOL or Added Value: Attract, Retain and Train Employees through Volunteering
You've made an unusual discovery - there's not enough time left at the end of the day. The corollary, of course, is your list of important things to do never gets smaller. In any company, the CEO's to-do list has the potential to grow infinitely.What's a senior executive to do?This is not simply a personal problem. Your company's future depends on what you do next. As you drive your organization beyond its current plateau, you must change the way you relate to your work. There are three stages to making the transition from chief-cook-and-bottle-washer (CC&BW) to CEO (source of the management and direction of the business). They are:Understanding your highest value contribution to your company and focusing on that role. Recognizing your position as a leader and owning the job. Delegating everything else, and holding others accountable. Previous articles, Time Well Spent, deals with transition one; Visions of Leadership addresses transition two. This article examines the problem of delegation - giving the work away.The IssueYou have doubtle
Business owners and managers often view morale as a soft and squishy area, but it is an important factor in the success of organizations. Employees with high morale are more productive, call in sick less often, and are more committed to their companies. Research by the likes of Sears, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the UK's Institute of Employment Studies, and Hewitt Associates demonstrate the tangible benefits, with bottom-line implications, of improving employee morale.
Volu
Six-Sigma provides a methodical, disciplined, quantitative approach to continuous process improvement. Through applying statistical thinking, Six Sigma uncovers the nature of business variation and its affect on waste, operating cost, cycle time, profitability, and customer satisfaction.The term “six sigma” is defined as a statistical measure of quality, specifically, a level of 3.4 defects per million or 99.99966% high-quality. To put into practice the Six Sigma management philosophy and achieve this high level of quality, an organization implements the Six Sigma methodology. The fundamental objective of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction through the application of Six Sigma improvement projects. Projects are selected that support the company's overall quality improvement goals.A Six Sigma project begins with the proper metrics. Six Sigma produces a flood of data about your process. These measurements are critical to your success. If you don't measure it, you can't manage it. T
Meanwhile, the project end looms. The reporting deadlines approach. The quarter is ending. The customer gets more impatient. Not a great time to be down heads and hands, is it? If you are like many managers and business owners, wouldn't you rather dump the whole idea, rather than release your people for a "feel-good" day off?
Think again. Studies and the experiences of a number of successful companies are showing that the AWOL employee may actually be adding value to the company in the areas of recruitment and retention, morale, and skill building. Unless you have a community affairs department helping you with this kind of strategic thinking, you may be missing the boat on some hidden benefits of employee volunteering.
New Generations, New Expectations
The fastest way to an employee's heart is no longer through the wallet. That honor is fast coming to belong to, well... the heart.
Studies are showing that a striking number of potential hires are filtering their decision to accept a position through the lens of a company's community involvement reputation. One study by Cone Research pegged that number at 87% -- that is, nearly nine out of every ten applicants will decide whether or not to work for your company based on whether and how you are involved in the community. They'll even leave if they have to.
This is becoming even more the case with younger workers. Starting with Gen X, employees from each successive generation expect volunteering to be more and more a part of organizational life. The reason: in the late seventies and early eighties, the institutions in young people's lives started pushing youth and school-based volunteering.
Today, students have service learning courses, service hour graduation requirements, service clubs, days of service, and a host of other opportunities to give back. Whether it is because students are rewarded with grades, admission to college, a scholarship, or the feeling they got when done with a project, younger workers have made volunteering -- and expect volunteering to be -- a part of their lives.
The lesson for business owners and managers who supervise workers 40 and under is: be prepared for this challenge from them -- "give me service opportunities, or I'll go somewhere where they do".
The Pause that Refreshes
Aside from the pressure to respond to worker expectations, there are even stronger reasons to go with this trend. There are a number of potential benefits of freely providing volunteer service opportunities, starting with morale.
Business owners and managers often view morale as a soft and squishy area, but it is an important factor in the success of organizations. Employees with high morale are more productive, call in sick less often, and are more committed to their companies. Research by the likes of Sears, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the UK's Institute of Employment Studies, and Hewitt Associates demonstrate the tangible benefits, with bottom-line implications, of improving employee morale.
Volun
"If anything in life is constant, it is change." - Bryce's LawINTRODUCTIONLike so many of you, I am often mystified as to why there is so much trouble in the middle East. We could easily blame it on religious fanaticism, be it Christian, Jewish, or Muslim. Perhaps. But I tend to believe it can primarily be attributed to change (or the fear of it). In this part of the world, there is great suspicion over the cultural differences between religious groups. Each side fears if they make peace and accept the other parties, it will have an adverse affect on their culture which is something they simply will not accept. In their minds, each believes they follow the "true calling" and will not tolerate any discussion to the contrary. Frankly, I do not think anyone is trying to change the moral conviction of the other; nonetheless, the fear remains.We see similar examples of the fear of change, on a much smaller scale, in business, the volunteer non-profit organizations we participate in, and in society in general. Change is a fact of life. Ch
New Generations, New Expectations
The fastest way to an employee's heart is no longer through the wallet. That honor is fast coming to belong to, well... the heart.
Studies are showing that a striking number of potential hires are filtering their decision to accept a position through the lens of a company's community involvement reputation. One study by Cone Research pegged that number at 87% -- that is, nearly nine out of every ten applicants will decide whether or not to work for your company based on whether and how you are involved in the community. They'll even leave if they have to.
This is becoming even more the case with younger workers. Starting with Gen X, employees from each successive generation expect volunteering to be more and more a part of organizational life. The reason: in the late seventies and early eighties, the institutions in young people's lives started pushing youth and school-based volunteering.
Today, students have service learning courses, service hour graduation requirements, service clubs, days of service, and a host of other opportunities to give back. Whether it is because students are rewarded with grades, admission to college, a scholarship, or the feeling they got when done with a project, younger workers have made volunteering -- and expect volunteering to be -- a part of their lives.
The lesson for business owners and managers who supervise workers 40 and under is: be prepared for this challenge from them -- "give me service opportunities, or I'll go somewhere where they do".
The Pause that Refreshes
Aside from the pressure to respond to worker expectations, there are even stronger reasons to go with this trend. There are a number of potential benefits of freely providing volunteer service opportunities, starting with morale.
Business owners and managers often view morale as a soft and squishy area, but it is an important factor in the success of organizations. Employees with high morale are more productive, call in sick less often, and are more committed to their companies. Research by the likes of Sears, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the UK's Institute of Employment Studies, and Hewitt Associates demonstrate the tangible benefits, with bottom-line implications, of improving employee morale.
Volu
Lawyers make up one of the highest paying professions available. Their investment of time and money, though, is part of what allows them to command such high salaries, so let's talk for a minute about the salary increase for lawyers and the commitment required.Three YearsAfter finishing your undergraduate degree, you will have three more years of full-time schooling before you can become a lawyer. The requirement of time and commitment is great, and many people find that it is simply too much. Before applying to law school be sure that you are truly interested enough in the law to invest this kind of time and effort.ShadowBefore you officially start law school, shadow several lawyers. Once you start school, you will have a lot of choices about what type of lawyer you will become. It's best if you can actually shadow a few people before making such a huge commitment of time and money. Check out the profession and see if it's something you can actually see yourself doing for many years in the future, or at least long enough to pay off your student loans.How Big I
This is becoming even more the case with younger workers. Starting with Gen X, employees from each successive generation expect volunteering to be more and more a part of organizational life. The reason: in the late seventies and early eighties, the institutions in young people's lives started pushing youth and school-based volunteering.
Today, students have service learning courses, service hour graduation requirements, service clubs, days of service, and a host of other opportunities to give back. Whether it is because students are rewarded with grades, admission to college, a scholarship, or the feeling they got when done with a project, younger workers have made volunteering -- and expect volunteering to be -- a part of their lives.
The lesson for business owners and managers who supervise workers 40 and under is: be prepared for this challenge from them -- "give me service opportunities, or I'll go somewhere where they do".
The Pause that Refreshes
Aside from the pressure to respond to worker expectations, there are even stronger reasons to go with this trend. There are a number of potential benefits of freely providing volunteer service opportunities, starting with morale.
Business owners and managers often view morale as a soft and squishy area, but it is an important factor in the success of organizations. Employees with high morale are more productive, call in sick less often, and are more committed to their companies. Research by the likes of Sears, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the UK's Institute of Employment Studies, and Hewitt Associates demonstrate the tangible benefits, with bottom-line implications, of improving employee morale.
Volu
Imagine for a moment that you have created a wonderful product. You are excited at the possibilities of attaining name, fame and wealth marketing this product. You create a business plan and a marketing plan. You plan an excellent packaging and a presentation that would do justice to the benefits the product offers to the world and you get all set to market it.Let us get back to reality. You are that wonderful product. You have created the product after years of studying, qualifications and building up your personality.Aren’t you excited about marketing it!Your resume is the place to start with which needs to be an excellent presentation – Your Sales Page. It needs to be presented with all the benefits that it offers to the customer – your employer. Then you as the product is all set to achieve a dream run.Do you get the picture? Your resume is your advertisement, your presentation is your sales letter and your packaging is what gives the world the first impression of you as the product.Here are a few of the important aspects to focus while creating you
The lesson for business owners and managers who supervise workers 40 and under is: be prepared for this challenge from them -- "give me service opportunities, or I'll go somewhere where they do".
The Pause that Refreshes
Aside from the pressure to respond to worker expectations, there are even stronger reasons to go with this trend. There are a number of potential benefits of freely providing volunteer service opportunities, starting with morale.
Business owners and managers often view morale as a soft and squishy area, but it is an important factor in the success of organizations. Employees with high morale are more productive, call in sick less often, and are more committed to their companies. Research by the likes of Sears, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the UK's Institute of Employment Studies, and Hewitt Associates demonstrate the tangible benefits, with bottom-line implications, of improving employee morale.
Volu
Is your company in a crisis? Not sure? Check out the list below to see if you need to take action now!Denial You have been warned that there are problems in the company. It doesn’t matter what kinds of problems there are—cash connected, poor collections, declining sales, increased defects if you’re a manufacturer, reports of terrible customer service, and on and on. Denial will kill your company. Get some help—fast. Cash Problems The checkbook and company savings account (if there is one) are decreasing every month. Your internal accounting person is on you every day to do something. But there are so many fires, and so many incoming phone calls hounding you that you are virtually paralyzed. Vision Failure Somehow you and your team lost track of what business you’re in. It was clear when you began the company, and that continued for many years but you have to admit that today’s vision is really vague and hazy now and since your market has changed and the times have
Business owners and managers often view morale as a soft and squishy area, but it is an important factor in the success of organizations. Employees with high morale are more productive, call in sick less often, and are more committed to their companies. Research by the likes of Sears, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the UK's Institute of Employment Studies, and Hewitt Associates demonstrate the tangible benefits, with bottom-line implications, of improving employee morale.
Volunteerism fits into the morale puzzle with what I call the "halo effect". Employees feel good about their company doing good. They take pride in being associated with a good corporate citizen and are more willing to sacrifice for it. No one wants to take one for the team when the company behaves like a scoundrel, but a company that demonstrates that it cares about more than profits builds a tremendous amount of good will capital that can be tapped for productivity gains.
One study commissioned by the Council on Foundations found that employees who perceive their companies as high on the community involvement scale are four-times more likely to remain committed to the organization than those who are low on the scale. If the cost of replacing a worker is roughly equivalent to that person's annual salary, more if that person is a manager, it puts the community investment tally into perspective quickly.
The effect is further enhanced when employees are actively engaged in "doing good" through volunteerism. A sense of pride actually becomes more of a sense of ownership. In the role of ambassadors, they feel like owners, even more so when their values are reflected back to them in the form of policies that support and encourage volunteering. And, an owner mentality is tops when it comes to worker attitudes.
The lesson for managers is that employees who leave to volunteer return refreshed, re-energized, and recommitted to the company and its work. That is fruit better picked than left to fall and rot on the ground.
You Can Lead a Horse to Water
In study after study, one of the most cited reasons why companies value employee volunteering is the perceived benefit it has to developing employee skills. The thinking goes like this: because volunteering requires you to use certain skills, it must be good to practice them outside of work on a volunteer project.
Yeah, maybe... kind of... In my experience, it is sheer luck if anything of real value happens, and it is one area that could benefit from some additional thought and process for making a real linkage.
Team building is a classic example. Volunteer projects require teamwork. If, the thinking goes, we send a team on a volunteer project and they work together to get it done they will possess better team skills. If they come back with higher energy, they will have developed team spirit. Volunteering is good for team building.
That's a little like the proverbial horse being led to water. In the absence of someone either setting a standard for better teamwork or helping the team identify and problem solve around what worked and what didn't during their
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