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DIVERSITY AND PERCEPTIONS AS EXPOSED BY THE DRESS THAT WENT VIRAL
Earlier this year the image below was posted on Tumblr with the tag, “Is the dress white and gold or black and blue?” That single post led to marital discontent, celebrity arguments, news channel mayhem and millions of views and shares on social media. While the rough statistics showed that about 78% of people saw the dress as white and gold, the 22% who saw it as black and blue were actually correct. The real dress is in fact black and blue.
here is a lesson here. While we think we are all quite similar, we truly see the world through different lenses.
YEAR END PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS ARE SO OLD SCHOOL
As your organization scrambles to complete year-end performance reviews, ask the question “Why are we doing this at the busiest time of the year and who benefits from this approach?” What you may find is that your process is not serving your organization and your employees very well. It might be time to rethink your approach to performance management.
TOPGRADING LESSONS FROM CAR BUYING
One of the most difficult tasks of a leader is to maintain a team of A players. Steve Jobs once famously said “A players hire A players and B players hire C players.” Research has shown that A players outperform B players 2x on essential tasks and 10x on creative tasks. So why do so many leaders live with mediocre talent on their teams?
LEADING FROM THE FRONT: WHAT DO A HEAD OF SCHOOL AT CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY AND THE CEO OF SOUTHWEST AIRLINES HAVE IN COMMON?
As leaders it is the small actions that can have large impacts. Think about the last time you greeted your employees or customers in the office lobby or at the front door to your retail outlet. If you have never tried it, go for it. That small gesture will have a lasting positive impact. Learn how the actions of one school leader model the behaviors of a great leader.
HIRING FREEZE: TWO WORDS THAT CAN CAUSE IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO AN ORGANIZATION
As a former leader that I worked with always said using the military term, you want “Fewer soldiers, better fed”. A headcount freeze is an opportunity to increase hiring not freeze it. The problem is that too many organizations mix up the intent versus the impact. It is important to be very clear on the goal. If the goal is to freeze employee expenses (salaries and benefits) at their current level, then a headcount freeze can achieve the same result as a hiring freeze, but in a much more effective manner.
Why Cost Out Often Equals Culture Out Too
Cost cutting has become a standard operating procedure for many organizations, but there are hidden costs in cutting costs. Culture suffers the most and the cost to a culture might be ireparable.
BUSINESS IS GOOD, THANKS TO MY HIGHLY ENGAGED EMPLOYEES
Stop trying to block the exit door. Instead, focus on getting your employees engaged in opening new doors within your organization.
BUSINESS IS GOOD, WHY ARE MY BEST EMPLOYEES LEAVING?
One of the biggest issues facing many our Groove Management’s clients is employee retention. Turnover is up across the board. Voluntary attrition rates continue to climb because the job market has heated up. Employees are recognizing that there are a lot more opportunities in the marketplace than have existed during the past eight years. With the aid of LinkedIn and other socialrecruiting tools, recruiters are doing a better job of identifying passive job seekers. The end result is that companies are struggling to hold onto their top talent.
THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION TO ASK WHEN MEASURING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Most companies have come to recognize that there is a direct correlation between employee engagement and financial results. Employees who are engaged give discretionary effort and do the right things for their employers. That translates into better business results. However, too many companies fail at effectively measuring employee engagement. In working with several clients on their culture and employee engagement, we have found that companies often confuse employee satisfaction with employee engagement. The two terms are used synonymously, yet their definitions are quite different.
ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES ENGAGED AS RENTERS OR OWNERS?
An engaged workforce can dramatically improve an organization's performance and conversely disengaged employees can be the poison that ruins an organization. Many organizations, especially large ones run an annual or bi-annual employee engagement survey to measure the level of engagement in their organization. If designed properly and administered well these tools can provide a good gauge of employee engagement.
INSOURCE YOUR STRATEGY CONSULTING NEEDS
Action learning programs exercise the strategic muscles of an organization, build leadership capability, drive employee engagement and improve business results. Why not trust your strategy projects to your high potentials?
Zoom Video Conferencing Icebreakers
Smartphone icebreaker for team meetings. Easy to setup and a fun lesson on the importance of perspective.
ONSIES, BOTTLED WATER AND COOKIES ARE A RECIPE FOR EMPLOYMENT BRANDING SUCCESS
A few employment branding ideas, each one serves the purpose of building a stronger employment brand. The products connect your employees to your brand in a unique and fun way. Even more importantly they connect your employees family to your company and your brand.
OSCAR DE LA RENTA MADE SUCCESSION PLANNING FASHIONABLE
Not only was Oscar de la Renta a progressive fashion designer, he was also an insightful leader who recognized the importance of creating a succession plan. Too many creatives allow their egos and sense of self worth stand in the way of creating an organization that can carry on in their absence. Oscar de la Renta was unique in this regard. We can all learn a lesson about just how fashionable succession planning can be from Oscar.
THE PARADOX OF SIZE: Why large organizations are so risk averse
A paradox exists in most large companies. The larger the organization the more risk averse it becomes. This makes little sense, but it is commonplace.
5 QUESTIONS ABOUT GENERATIONAL WORKFORCE ISSUES: An Interview with Groove Management's Brian Formato
5 interview questions regarding generational diversity that were posed to Brian Formato, CEO of Groove Management.
WORK STYLE DIVERSITY AS A STRENGTH
Workplace culture is like a living organism constantly evolving. The introduction of a new employee or the departure of an employee can change the dynamic of an office culture. Too often the leadership of companies overlooks the importance of culture to organizational performance. Work styles and personal preferences have been studied for ages.
HOW TO DRIVE A 97% RESPONSE RATE ON YOUR NEXT EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY
By providing a daily visual, the leaders could see that they were being measured against their colleagues. This graphical view of response rates translated into a 97% response rate for one business unit and helped push the enterprise response rate over 90%.
FORWARDFILL TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
A new approach to talent management. Forwardfill.
What The Next Generation of HR Leaders Will Need to Succeed- An Interview
An interview with Brian Formato from Groove Management about the changing requirements for success in the Human Resources field.