During a recent conversation with the leaders of a company, we asked them to imagine that their department was not a part of the overall company, but a stand-alone business having to provide value to its customers and make money to continue. Then we asked the question, “How would you organize the company related to positions, roles, and responsibilities? And how would you measure effectiveness?” This is what we call disrupting the org chart.Some leaders had to be reminded that every minute someone is working costs money. They then considered how to measure productivity in service-related areas. They recognized that their employees tend to come to work and most are busy. But they’re not necessarily busy with things that are high-payoff or things that move the needle, related to value and time. They came in to do their job.
Read More
3 Minute Read
Business owners and executives across the country struggle to answer this question. Most make some comment that they are moving forward and growing. Others say they think everyone in the company knows where they are going. Yet when asked, employees respond by saying, “Wherever the company tells me we’re going.
Read More
3 Minute Read
There are all kinds of studies that show the main reasons people leave their jobs. One of the top reasons in almost every study is for lack of career development. So as an employee, you might ask yourself, “Who is responsible for my career development?”
Research by EdAssist and the University of Phoenix looked into that very question. Most workers (74% of them, actually) believe their company or manager is responsible. On the other hand, most managers (98% of them) said that employees have to take responsibility for their own career development. Those statistics alone show why so many companies fail at career development. Each party believes it’s the other person’s responsibility. So which is it?
Read More
3 Minute Read
Experiencing conflict is a part of everyday life. A common response is avoidance. Most people say they just don’t like confrontation. It makes them uncomfortable, and some even become physically ill at the thought of discussing a challenging issue face-to-face. How then can you become more productive with conflict while still keeping your emotions in check?
Read More