Agreeing for the sake of “wanting to agree” is patronizing. This condescending treatment, usually of superiors in the organization, is disgraceful and makes your position unnecessary. Often those that simply agree to keep the boss happy; really never sign onto the decision or fully support it. Employees that say “yes” are a dime a dozen; only those willing to speak up even when it is not politically correct are “true gems”. Have some backbone, speak up and better decisions can be made.
Negativity has the power to destroy all the good that an organization or team achieves. If I say the definition of human is less than perfect; then the definition of negativity would be the inability to ever strive for perfection because you can only focus on the negative side of an issue. Organizations and teams do not have room for any negative influence. Inherently, our assignment is to find ways to get done. The synergy of a team should take you beyond boundaries and reach new levels of achievement.
Listening to the continued controversy regarding water boarding, it suddenly clicked that everyone has their breaking point. It may take longer for some to reach that point, but internally we all possess a breaking point. Reaching that point for some has meant violence from otherwise normal citizens. Still others end up in psychiatric hospitals, a prisoner of their own body. Interrogation techniques have evolved over the years as it has taken more extreme measures to abstract vital information from terrorists; terrorists that train long and hard on how to withstand our interrogation techniques.
Pushing employees to their breaking point is never an objective of any management style. Teamwork, accountability and peer pressure are far more effective management techniques; than brow beating an employee to their breaking point. If an employee is not on the right bus, help them find an alternate bus route. If they are in the wrong seat on the bus, help them change seats if one is available. With employees honesty is always the best approach, not always the easiest conversation but definitely the best. If you feel you are being pushed to your breaking point; your options include (1) giving up, (2) recommending changes that are good for the organization and yourself or (3) you can remove yourself from the bus and find your own alternate route.
Transparency in an organization is a state the many organizations strive to achieve, but few will every reach. The light projecting through the organization to show every aspect, the good, the bad and the ugly; brings forth plentiful opportunities for improvement. Status Quo Sucks at Bremen Castings means no rock unturned and no aspect hidden. While human nature is that of survival of the fittest and playing politics; only transparency and hard work are our rewards. At the end of the day, the most important thing that we can hear is that we have done a “good job”.
The synergy that comes out of teamwork means the output from the team is greater than the individual parts. If we all agree with this concept, then why not always put the good of the team before our individual needs? Team players often put the team first; occasionally they can temporarily lose focus of the mission; however they come back for greater good of the team.
Non-team players can only focus on their little piece of the pie and, because they do not value being part of the team; often head in a direction either different or detrimental to the team. Remember, the team is guiding and directing the bus to their final destination. Their seats on the bus are strategic and give greater output to the goals and objectives of the organization.
Non-team players, you don’t have a seat on the bus; you are under the bus, hanging onto the carriage, and likely will fall off at the next speed bump. If you don’t like being under the bus, get with the program! Focus on the team mission and take your rightful seat on the bus to help the team achieve even greater output.
Carol Senour
Everything has a shelf life including people; an expiration beyond which their usefulness to the organization is null and void. A hiring decision was once made, because of their qualifications and cultural fit with the organization’s core values. Here is where we often miss the boat, the organization is evolving and we too must evolve or face extinction. Those stuck in status quo are often the first to expire, because they cannot accept change. We need to be refreshing, renewing and redefining ourselves; in step with the changes within the organization.
The easiest and most practical way to make sure your shelf life expires on your terms; read a variety of material daily, embrace change, challenge the way you do everything, learn something new from others in the organization every day, and keep up on technological changes in your field of expertise.
We have all seen them, empty cubicles, the result of this severe recession. What does it say to those that remain and are forced to walk past them every day? Are they grateful to still be employed? Could they be fearful that they will be next on the chopping block? Is it a constant reminder of what was once? What I think it should tell employees, is that there company has made difficult decisions for the long-term health of the organization. Times change and great organizations are adaptive to change for survival and long-term growth. Change is good; embrace it before it leaves you behind.
The struggling economy has made most companies and families tighten the screws of spending and involvement in profit and non for profit organizations, with that being said this should be a best practice that is always followed in any kind of economy as a fiduciary responsible party of that particular family or company. I can say that I have not really given this any thought before the last qtr of 2009. Most companies join their industry associations and probably another half dozen or so. Why does one do this? Does it make the company feel better? Is money no issue? Because they asked? You love acronyms? What ever the reason for joining these associations, I bet you can find waste. I have lately made a list of all the associations we belong too and five bullet points under each association. If I cannot list five significant benefits that we are receiving from that association, then our membership must be evaluated and dealt with.
Does your organization experience workplace drama? If simple tasks become a big ordeal, you have drama. If you have employees that feel like the world only centers around them, you have drama. If you have employees that feel the need to correct others in a very public way, you have drama.
Drama is a stressor and it reduces valuable resources that could be focused on other projects/issues to improve the organization.
Just when I think this healthcare reform cannot get any crazier; there is yet another backroom deal that proves me wrong. Last night, Union and Federal Employees receive a deal to delay them having to pay any “Cadillac Tax” on their healthcare benefits until 2018; five years after the rest of us non-union employees start paying. Today this last major hurdle in Healthcare Reform just left a $60 million dollar hole in how we are going to pay for this plan and our elected officials are determining how to make up the difference. As this inches closer to becoming a reality, one can only hope this madness will stop.
Carol Senour
Today is New Year’s Eve and all the media seem to be talking about is New Year’s Resolutions. More specifically, they want to know how many of us are making them and what types of resolutions are being selected. One commentator thinks we should call them New Year’s Goals; so we will not feel like such a failure when we do not succeed. New Year’s Goal must not sound as important and final as New Year’s Resolution. Really, who cares what you call them; a commitment is a commitment. Those of us that decide to make them tonight chose attainable stretch goals that make us better in 2010. Don’t buy into this failure theory; your success is tied to you and your commitment to what you have selected.
Bremen Castings is very fortunate to have a forward thinking President focused on technological advances that will cement a strong future for our organization. Today, JB Brown celebrates 16-years with Bremen Castings. From the days of running the Cupola to becoming President in January 2005, has been a journey of change that many of us have been able to witness all or part of that journey. Congratulations JB Brown, President of Bremen Castings!
Carol Senour
Bremen Castings reaches new milestone today with 100% of all management personnel trained in CPR, First Aid and AED. That is 43 employees trained and prepared to respond in emergency situations. Those situations exist whether we are at work, home or out in the community. We are proud of our employees; the time it took to get trained (8-hours) and pass the exam. Bremen Castings is committed to safety, so this was a great milestone to reach.
Carol Senour
Among difficult employees, those who will not let others play in their sand box are the worst. They have a perception that they know it all, they are ultimately accountable and no one has a right to question what they are doing or suggest another way of doing it. This mentality is detrimental to the team dynamics and overall health of the organization.
The more questions that are raised, the better your chances for significant improvements. In this new era of extreme competition, significant improves keep you in the game and advancing above the competition. Those from other disciplines do not have tunnel vision about how it has to be, so they offer better insight and creativity into the equation.
Play nice in the sand box; allow others into the sand box and your organization’s sand box will expand.
Carol Senour
I do not understand why change is viewed as such a negative thing in most organizations. We all know that the frequency of change correlates with the frequency of improvements, so why would you not welcome change? How can you experience improvements, if you are unwilling to give change a try. Embrace change, it could be the best improvement your organization has experienced that will keep you ahead of the competition. Daily challenge the status quo, challenge the way you do things and look for opportunities to improve. Change is good; it is only our perception that change is bad that holds us back from greatness.
Carol Senour
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