Navigator Newsletter #126
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Greg Smith, "Captain of the Ship," publishes the
Navigator
Newsletter and is President of Chart Your Course
International.
"We help businesses create GREAT places to work."
Contact: 770-860-9464
To SUBSCRIBE to this newsletter please go to:
http://www.chartcourse.com/emailnavnews.htm
See bottom of newsletter to unsubscribe.
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PERSONAL NOTE FROM "THE CAPTAIN"
Is this all there is to life? Shortly after 9/11,
I interviewed a young man regarding how the event
changed his perspective on life. He said,
"If I die tomorrow, I want to make sure I am doing
a job that gives me meaning."
I am a very fortunate person. I am doing what I
want to do and am happy and satisfied with my
life. Since I was a teenager, it was clear to me
what I was going to pursue, what my career and
purpose was in life. I just took it for granted
everyone was like me. I was wrong.
The older I get the more I realize there are many
people who are unhappy with their jobs, unclear
about their purpose, and unsure where they are
heading. They are still trying to discover what
they are good at, or find something they enjoy.
Success is measured in many different ways. My
success in life is based on one simple formula —
SOAP.
Stay tuned for the complete article in a future
issue of the Navigator Newsletter.
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THE SPAGHETTI MANAGEMENT SYNDROME
Good Employees Require Good Managers
When an employee quits, many times they don't quit
the company — they quit their manager. I
validated this fact in a survey which showed in
46% of the cases the main reason people quit their
employer was because of their first-line
supervisor; a painful statistic when you consider
how difficult and expensive it is to find and
train good people. To make matters worse,
businesses are stupid to do nothing about it.
In my mind, it is an honor as well as an important
responsibility to become a manager. When I use
the word, "manager," I am not necessarily
referring to a job title, but talking about the
"role" of managing people.
A manager's job is not easy. The demands are
difficult. Many bosses are doing the jobs of two
or more people. Employees expect more; some are
plain difficult to work with.
Many businesses do a poor job selecting and
training managers. It goes without saying those
that do a good job selecting and developing their
managers will enjoy higher productivity and lower
employee turnover. However, most often the
employer is at fault for not giving them the
tools, training, and support to succeed.
Spaghetti Management Syndrome
Just because a person shows potential or has a
degree does not mean they will be good at managing
others. Many are skilled technicians, but
unfortunately are clueless on the art and science
of managing people.
Some businesses practice what I call "spaghetti
management." They pick a bunch of people, promote
them to managers, then throw them on a wall like
spaghetti, and see what sticks. This is not the
fault of the individual manager, but the
employer's. Without training and support most new
managers will fail. This is one of the main
reasons people today run like the plague to avoid
becoming supervisors and managers.
Sure, some managers are tyrants and no amount of
training is going to change them. But at least
good businesses recognize their mistakes and
provide additional training, or find the errant
manager a job somewhere else.
Good businesses place people skills as a vital
part of their performance management system. For
example, Synovus Financial has been listed in the
"Top 100 Best Places to Work" for several years.
They have a commandment that says, 'A manager's
most important role is to serve, grow, and inspire
his or her people—with no exception.' This
requirement had a positive impact on the bottom
line. Not only did their employee turnover rate
drop, but also their market capitalization grew
from $2.2 billion to $8 billion in four years.
Good Leaders Show They Care
I went into the Army after college to learn how to
be a good leader. My first boss was a great mentor
and teacher. He was an experienced veteran and a
former Special Forces medic in Vietnam. He was the
type of person who always put the needs of others
before his own interests.
As the lowest ranking member of my battalion, I
had to pull duty on the worst day of the year —
New Years Eve. I worked all day and then I was up
all night. You can imagine what mischief 500
soldiers can get in. Finally, Saturday morning
arrived and I could not wait to go home. The
phone rang; it was Joe, my boss. He wanted to know
if I had made any plans for lunch. He and his wife
had prepared something and he wanted to bring it
over to me. Today, I don't remember what the food
was, but it was a meal I will never forget.
That one small act of kindness crystallized in my
mind what leadership was about — caring for those
you lead. That act taught me more about leadership
than all the degrees and diplomas hanging on my
wall.
Here are a few suggestions to consider in your
management development program:
>Establish key competencies your managers should
possess and demonstrate.
>Have company executives share their expectations
with your managers.
>Consider using a 360-degree evaluation on top
management.
>Hold managers accountable and responsible for
retention.
>Have HR train managers on reward and recognition.
>Provide the support and tools to help managers do
their job well.
>Start measuring turnover and apply the cost to
the bottom line.
>Conduct post exit interviews to discover the real
reason employee's quit.
>Complete an individual retention profile on every
employee.
>Conduct an employee satisfaction survey at least
once a year.
Please contact us about our online and onsite
management development programs.
http://www.chartcourse.com/contactus.htm
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WORKPLACE SURVEY DATA
Workplace Stress
In a survey of 506 employed American adults, 22
percent report having been driven to tears as a
result of workplace stress.
RJC Associates ~ San Francisco
Smile!
According to a study of 80 randomly selected
individuals who participated in two simulated job
interviews, 58 percent were more likely to be
hired and 53 percent received higher salary offers
after their teeth had been whitened.
Kelton Research ~ Los Angeles
Women in the Boardroom
The overall proportion of women on the boards of
Norway's publicly listed companies is double the
level of most Western countries, according to a
new report.
Norway-26.6%
United States-13.6%
Canada-11.2%
Britain-11.8%
Australia-8.4%
Center for Corporate Diversity
Oslo, Norway
Working with Friends
A new survey finds 57 percent of 150 senior U. S.
executives say office productivity improves when
co-workers are friends outside the office.
Accountemps
Menlo Park, CA
Long Hours
According to the Working Time Around the World
report, 614.2 million workers, or approximately 22
percent of the global workforce, work for more
than 48 hours a week.
International Labour Organisation ~ Geneva
As reported in Human Resource Executive Magazine
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UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
TELESEMINAR ~
DESIGNING AN EMPLOYEE RETENTION STRATEGY
Five Steps to Reduce Turnover
Thursday, October 4
3:00-4:30 p.m. EST (Atlanta time)
90 minutes/$125 per person
CD available
Register Online
Learn how to create a work environment that
attracts,keeps, and motivates your workforce.
Discover why some employees would rather work for
a good employer than leave for a pay raise. This
session will show managers, owners,supervisors,
and human resource professionals not only how to
retain their most talented performers, but also
how to transform their entire workforce into a
high-retention culture, saving organizations
countless thousands of dollars. This session is
jam packed with tips, ideas, and easy to implement
advice.
More information at:
http://www.chartcourse.com/teleseminar_retention.html
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THE INSTITUTE OF EMPLOYEE RETENTION
& JOB SATISFACTION
Thursday – January 24, 2008
World Trade Center Club
Atlanta, Georgia
8:30-4:30 p.m.
$699 each per person
$599 each for two people
$449 each for three people or more
More information at:
http://www.chartcourse.com/Employee-Retention-Workshop.html
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SELF-CONTAINED CUSTOMER SERVICE
TRAINING PROGRAM FOR FRONT-LINE EMPLOYEES
The Service First Video Library is used by
thousands of retail, service, healthcare, and
government organizations worldwide. Designed for
front-line employees, it is easy to train any
number of individuals with immediate results. REE
ONLINE previews and ordering for the 12-video set.
Each Video Library Includes:
-PowerPoint slides
-70-page facilitator guide
-Handouts
-Certificate of Accomplishment
-Free 1-800 technical support
-Lifetime replacement policy
-Discussion guides
-Answer sheets
-Choice of VHS, DVD, CD
-Free bonuses!
Save $1110
More information at:
http://www.chartcourse.com/servicevideo.htm
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BECOME A VOYAGEUR TODAY!
We have upgraded the Voyageur program providing
members with over $1,700 worth of free products
and services. Members receive additional content,
discounts,and access to me with call-in days,
conference calls,and an unbelievable "members
only" webpage of the best we have to offer.
Monthly or annual subscriptions are available.
Here are just a few of the benefits:
–Consulting call-in days
–Free phone conferences
–Copies of books, reports, and whitepapers
–Member's Only website
Don't let this ship sail without you!
http://www.chartcourse.com/voyageur.html
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POPULAR WEB PAGES
>Blog
http://chartcourse.blogspot.com/
>Training programs and workshops
http://www.chartcourse.com/workshops.html
>Employee Retention
http://www.Highretention.com
>On-Line and Classroom Learning Programs
http://www.chartcourse.com/supervisortraining.html
>The BEST SELLING Icebreaker Book
http://www.chartcourse.com/book_energizers.html
>Management Profiles and Pre-Employment
Assessments http://www.behaviorprofile.com
>360 Assessments
http://www.chartcourse.com/360assessment.html
>Idea/suggestion Programs
http://www.chartcourse.com/bright-ideas-employee–
suggestion-program.html
>Customer Service Training Programs
http://www.chartcourse.com/captainscustomerservice
.html
>Free Problem Solving Articles & Resource Center
http://chartcourse.com/articleheadpage.htm
>Special Reports
http://www.chartcourse.com/captainsreports.htm
>Special Deals
http://www.chartcourse.com/captainsspecialdeals.ht
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your friends
and coworkers.
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Copyright 2007, CYC International
This publication and the Navigator Newsletter
is provided by Chart Your Course International.
Published by Greg Smith
Chart Your Course International Inc.
Phone: 770-860-9464/800-821-2487
Address: 2814 Hwy 212, Conyers, GA. 30094
http://www.chartcourse.com
http://www.highretention.com
http://www.behaviorprofile.com
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