PITTSBURGH, PA / April 30, 2010 — Five Star is pleased to announce the launch of the Make it REAL- Instructional Design for Improved Performance Workshop. Designed to improve the productivity and efficiency of internal learning teams and departments, this interactive two-day workshop teaches proven instructional design and performance improvement processes to those responsible for creating solutions that improve on-the-job performance. Participants of the workshop learn when training is the best solution to achieve desired business results and to assess when other solutions are more appropriate. In addition, it provides a framework and best practices to better estimate, design, and deliver effective training programs. More information about the workshop can be found at www.fivestardev.com/makeitreal.
The end of each year provides an opportunity for reflection on the past and preparation for the future. 2009 was quite a year – filled with new challenges and opportunities. But through it all, lessons were learned as people began to navigate through a changed business environment. In our series of Blogs “2009 Reflections,” we will be sharing interviews with Five Star team members who tell what they learned in 2009 and what they are preparing for in 2010.
In this blog post we will be sharing our recent interview with Lou Camerlengo.
Lou Camerlengo
President
What has ’09 taught you?
It has shown me that staff versatility and corporate agility continue to be important competencies.
What is the one big lesson that you learned this year?
The importance of continually communicating the status of business conditions with our team. Benchmarking our company’s progress on goals helps keep the team focused and motivated. You can never communicate too much.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment?
Getting settled and established in our new offices. It’s really helped our productivity and our ability to interact across all areas of the company.
What do you believe is Five Star’s biggest accomplishment this year?
Five Star’s marketing team did a really nice job of developing a comprehensive methodology and approach to external communications. We are consistently delivering value-added educational webinars, seminars, and newsletters as part of growing our brand as thought leaders.
How are you going to transfer what you learned in 2009 to 2010?
By focusing on professional development to enable our team to expand their skills within their discipline.
What do you hope to learn in 2010?
As a niche company, it’s vital to keep everyone engaged in new challenges and growth opportunities. I am going to focus on developing a more robust “leaders at every-level culture.”
Final thoughts
I am optimistic about 2010. I think we did a nice job this year of identifying and bringing on key new accounts and adding new levels of service to our existing clients.
Below is video from our recent webinar on “6 Best Practices for Gaining End-user Adoption of New Technology.” In this video Dave Colaizzi discusses strategies for setting clear expectations and measuring success in the process of rolling out new technology.
Below is video from our recent webinar on “6 Best Practices for Gaining End-user Adoption of New Technology.” In this video Dave Colaizzi discusses strategies for gaining end-user and stakeholder buy-in for new technology.
Much has been written about the differences between the four generations composing today’s multigenerational workforce. For example, below are some common generalizations that have been made for each of the generations.
Traditionalist (conformists, consistent, and experienced)
Baby Boomers (youthful identity, optimistic, and want opportunity for growth)
Gen X (entrepreneurial, multi-task, and comfortable with change)
Gen Y (new to the workforce, tech savvy, and require a work/life balance)
In order for an organization to achieve success in executing strategy and creating sustainable high-performance, bridging the gap between these generations to create a collaborative work culture is absolutely essential. Yet, this begs the question, “How?” Although there is not a simple answer to this question, a great starting point is to focus on what is common and consistent across each of the generations. We believe that there are five fundamental needs that are consistent across every generation. They include:
Satisfying Work – People, regardless of generation, want the opportunity to do satisfying work that aligns with their purpose and goals.
Trust and Respect – It is imperative to all the generations that they are trusted and respected as individuals.
Learn and Grow – The ability to learn and grow in a way that best suits their lifestyles and particular career goals is an essential need to each generation.
Recognition and Rewards – Being recognized as an individual in a meaningful way will nurture their feeling of accomplishment in their role.
Effective Leaders – Feeling confidence in leadership and knowing that the company and their roles are being managed by effective leaders fills a basic need.
By focusing on solutions that attempt to fulfill these needs, you can begin to create bridges across the various generations. Moreover, using these needs to unify your workforce is an advantage to your business and its employees, helping you to gain attraction, retention, and job satisfaction of high-performing employees from all generations!
In our last blog, we identified five common mistakes made by first time managers. These mistakes included:
Failing to set and communicate expectations
Failing to revisit, re-communicate, and reinforce expectations
Failing to address people issues quickly before they become significant challenges
Overlooking your role as a coach
Underestimating the power of words
In addition to these mistakes, there are five additional common errors made by first time managers.
Taking everything personally
Most people take an incredible amount of pride in their work. However, as one makes the transition from the role of individual contributor to a people manager position, he/she must understand that not every problem or challenge that arises is a direct result of his/her actions. Managers, especially frontline managers, are the face of the organization to their employees. Therefore, situations will arise where employees will feel and express opinions about their current situation even when you have very little involvement or direct responsibility. When these situations arise, remember to listen and ask how you can offer assistance within your sphere of influence. However, be careful not to take everything personally because there will always be situations outside of your control.
Taking accountability for actions
As stated above, not every challenge is a direct result of your actions. However, there will be situations where your actions will have a direct impact on someone or something. As you transition to a management role, it is critical to understand this and quickly take accountability for your actions. In fact, the fastest way to lose the trust of your employees, peers, and boss is to fail to do so. As you transition into your first time management role, be sure to assess situations and challenges honestly and evaluate how your actions directly or indirectly contribute to them. Then, take immediate action.
Using a one-size fits all approach for handling situations
People and organizations are inherently complex. In order to effectively manage these complexities, it is vital to acknowledge that using a one-size fits all approach to handling people and situations places one at a severe disadvantage. Although every person has a natural preference for handing situations, not every situation requires the proverbial “hammer.” As you transition into your new management role, take some time to assess how you naturally respond to situations, and then seek out additional resources that can help you adapt when you’re outside of your comfort zone.
Not asking for help
As a manager, there will be times where you will feel clueless! Working with people and managing teams of people can be challenging for even the most experienced manager. In order to excel, you must ask for help. As you transition into your new role, seek out people who have experience, books and resources that can provide information, and colleagues who can offer advice and support when needed. You do not have to handle everything on your own; take advantage of the resources available to you!
Forgetting to realize it’s not about you anymore
One of the toughest challenges first time managers face is moving from a position of individual contributor with direct responsibilities to a management role with direct responsibility for a team’s performance. Each of these roles is critical to an organization’s success, but ultimately each has its own set of unique responsibilities and expectations. The most effective people managers understand this and respond in such a way that places the success of their team at a higher priority than their own personal success.
If you have stumbled across this blog posting and are in the process of transitioning into your first management role, Congratulations! Your organization obviously acknowledges your competence and strong people skills, or else you wouldn’t be in this position. Switching roles isn’t easy, but if you enter your first time management position armed with the knowledge of what could happen, you set yourself up for success. Learn from the common challenges identified above, and let us know how it goes!
Frontline mangers play a critical role in every organization. They serve as the face of leadership for large segments of the workforce and are responsible for leading their direct reports in a direction that supports the overall strategy of the organization. Yet, frontline managers are often first time managers, people who are promoted into a management role as a result of their exemplary performance as an individual contributor. This scenario is very common, but it typically leaves most first time managers ill-prepared for the situations and challenges they face as they transition into a management role. Over the next two weeks, we will be identifying ten common mistakes made by first time managers and how to avoid them.
Here are the first five:
Failing to set and communicate expectations
Expectations are the lifeblood of any relationship. They help establish the boundaries that guide the work that must be done, how it should be done, and when it must be completed. First time managers often incorrectly assume that their direct reports will inherently know what their leader expects from them. As a first time manager, be sure to invest the time to discuss your expectations with each member of your team and with your team as a whole.
Failing to revisit, re-communicate, and reinforce expectations
Once expectations are set, they must be consistently revisited, re-communicated, and reinforced. By failing to do any or all of these actions, the value of setting initial expectations diminishes. Therefore, be sure to devote time for ongoing discussions with your direct reports to discuss expectations and any variations (both good and bad).
Failing to address people issues quickly before they become significant challenges
The process of managing people can be incredibly rewarding; however there will be challenges along the way. Oftentimes, some of the most challenging situations for first time managers arise from the complexity of managing people. These challenges, if left unattended, can quickly turn into larger issues that have significant ramifications. However, the good news is that most of these significant challenges can be avoided if they are addressed early. As you move into a first time manager role, address people challenges as soon as they arise.
Overlooking your role as a coach
To be a great manager, you must be willing to be a great coach. A great coach does the following:
Creates a safe environment in which people see themselves more clearly by listening, asking focused questions, and helping team members reflect on experiences.
Observes team members in action and helps identify gaps between where they are and where they should be.
Understands and anticipates potential obstacles and offers corrective feedback when needed.
Asks questions of team members to help them reflect on experiences and identify future agreed upon behavioral changes.
Underestimating the power of words
As a manager, what you say to your team members can have long-lasting effects. Your words can serve either to motivate or de-motivate them simply because of your role. As you interact with your direct reports, be aware of both what you’re saying and how you’re saying it.
Visit our blog next week to learn the remaining five common mistakes made by first time managers and how you can avoid them.
Have you ever wondered who came up with the unwritten “rule” that work can’t be fun? Or, why is work so often considered the exact opposite of fun? Obviously, the fellow in this video doesn’t believe in following this rule. Check it out!
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that an average American spends 8.7 hours of each day working. This is equivalent to 36.35% of a day. If this statistic is extended over the life span of an average American, it is safe to assume that a person will spend a total of 19 years and 8 months working. These are staggering numbers; especially if you consider the amount of time that people spend not having fun at work!
Creating a culture where fun is integrated into the day-to-day operations of an organization can be a key differentiator for a company. How can you create a highly productive environment where a culture of fun is encouraged and rewarded? Here are a few possible ideas.
Celebrate individual and team accomplishments.
One of the greatest joys of working collaboratively with others is seeing the fruits of your work take shape. Yet oftentimes, individual efforts and team accomplishments tend to be quickly forgotten as people rapidly move onto the next task at hand. Although this happens frequently in today’s deadline sensitive world, it does not mean it is right! Taking time to celebrate accomplishments adds meaning and purpose to daily work and helps people appreciate the unique contributions every team member makes to an organization. Every organization and person can view celebrations differently. For some, the celebration might be a simple lunch or dinner together, but for others it might include time spent doing an enjoyable activity outside of work. Regardless of how your team decides to celebrate, the key is making a commitment to celebrate!
Don’t be afraid to use humor appropriately.
When was the last time you had a good laugh at work? One of the most important things to glean from the video of the steward above is that he sought to interject a little humor and fun into his otherwise routine task. Work doesn’t always have to equal hard labor! Taking time to laugh and add an appropriate amount of humor to your daily tasks can help transform routine or difficult tasks into much more exciting opportunities.
Choose to have a positive attitude at work.
A powerful, yet frequently unpopular way to increase the “fun” scale of a work environment is to evaluate how one’s attitude is impacting others. Every person’s work attitude can have either a positive or negative impact on others. If you have not done this before, commit an entire day to raising your level of awareness of your personal attitude by trying to maintain a positive “can do” attitude as much as possible. You will quickly see that your attitude can have a positive impact on those with whom you interact!
Obviously there are limits and boundaries, and we’re certainly not advocating a free-for-all work environment. But, what we are suggesting is that you take a serious look at how you and your team can create and sustain a fun and productive work culture. Who knows, maybe your organization can rewrite that unwritten rule that work can’t be fun!
Recently, we came across this video of Richard Branson (of the Virgin Group) giving an interview on innovation and the importance of listening to customers.
After watching it, several key points resonated.
Branson makes a great point that listening is free, and yet it is an action oftentimes overlooked by leaders. Branson’s comments, “You don’t need to hear what you already know. You need to hear what others (your customers) think.” This sentiment is especially true as leaders look to execute new strategy. Too often, much time and money is invested in validating the internal ideas and assumptions for problems without any regard to what customers might ultimately appreciate. The time spent listening to your customers may be free, but it can produce great rewards.
Next, listening enables you to get great ideas from brilliant people. Branson’s comment that “a lot of your customers are the best brains out there” is very powerful. Human nature tends to encourage people to try to solve problems on their own before soliciting help. Yet, the reality is, great ideas are out there. Go get them! Your customers reap the benefits of your work. So wouldn’t you think they would like the ability to offer their best ideas to help you solve your challenges?
Finally, great leaders need to spend time getting out there to talk and listen to their customers. In order to lead effectively, leaders must be aware of outside changes that could impact internal work. Therefore, one could argue that in order to effectively set strategy and vision, leaders must be intimately aware of the needs of customers, firsthand.
Have you ever walked into an office space, maybe even your own, and seen a big bold, typically framed, vision statement hanging on the wall? If you have, then it’s likely you’ve asked yourself if employees really know it, let alone use it to guide their daily work.
Vision statements are great and can be very valuable, but a question every leader must ask is, “is our organizational vision providing a compelling purpose for our employees’ daily responsibilities?” If the answer is no, you have some work to do. But don’t worry, it’s highly worthwhile. Very few people are motivated to act based on a singular task alone. In fact people want to know that their work matches up with a long-term direction. Employees want to know that their work means something and is valued.
How can you help renew the passion in your organization for its vision?
Ask yourself: “Does our current vision help define our organization’s long-term destination?” Ensure that your vision statement isn’t just a jumping off point. The end destination must be clearly communicated and understood.
Keep it simple. A vision by nature should be easy to understand. Still, it’s quite common to find overcomplicated, complex terms muddying the waters. Just remember: If your employees don’t understand your vision, they won’t be motivated by it.
Get an inside opinion. Ask employees for their ideas on how they feel their work enables the vision. Don’t miss out on a perfect opportunity to involve your workforce by giving them the chance to individualize the vision.
Get an outside opinion. Validate with customers if your organization’s vision is in alignment with their current and future needs. Ultimately, if a vision is not customer-centric, it stands the risk of becoming irrelevant and subject to frequent change.
Revisit often! As decisions are made, goals are evaluated, changes are proposed, and new strategies are defined, be sure to revisit the vision to ensure that alignment is not lost. The vision should serve as the measuring stick and help guide day-to-day decisions.
Take time to make your organization’s vision statement more than a fancy wall flower. You’ll find that your attention to and communication of your vision statement will renew a sense of organizational purpose for yourself and your workforce.
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