Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 6) - Work It Daily

Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 6) - Work It Daily In Part 1 of this series, I postulated a formula for some of the “known” elements. The formula suggests that each of this factors can contribute to the success â€" or failure â€" of a retention strategy. Successful Retention = f (Objective Expectations, Compensation, Training, Recognition, Feedback, Organizational Culture, and…) Part 5 discussed several aspects on the power of both positive and negative feedback. There are two additional points that are important to understanding feedback â€" and some specific guidelines for delivering powerful feedback on a regular basis. Negative Or No Feedback For years, I’ve used a classic exercise on feedback to demonstrate its power for managers in training programs. It involves having blindfolded participants attempt a task with three different variables: a manager who provides 1) No Feedback, 2) Negative Feedback, and 3) Positive Feedback. While there have been interesting examples where the “no feedback” or “negative feedback” have yielded explainable best results, the overwhelming number of times (100’s) I’ve conducted this experiment have shown that positive feedback produces results far beyond the other options. The exceptions are notable with practical value for managers. One of the highest overall scores was achieved by a participant who received absolutely no feedback. The instruction was given once â€" then nothing more was said as the participant attempted the task. But in this particular case, the participant “hit” the target perfectly on the first attempt (of 10). The participant “learned” exactly how to do the task â€" without begin given clear instructions (expectations). In the real world, a new employee might figure it out on their own â€" but that’s not a chance a good manager should take. In a second example, one participant who received only negative feedback on performance scored very well. I knew â€" and deliberately picked â€" the person because of a very highly “competitive” personality. This participant was visibly reacting angrily to the challenge, began to take the negative feedback very carefully to fine tune the attempts â€" and made it work. Are there personalities that can perform well with negative feedback â€" maybe even thrive on it? Sure, but that’s not the workplace environment needed for consistent high individual and team performance. And a final note on the power of negative feedback: There are various studies that actually show that we store negative feedback in a different part of our brains â€" and in a part where that memory remains more easily accessed (remembered) for a longer period of time. This is consistent with our knowledge of the “fight or flight” reaction and many other studies on the brain. Easy to prove on a practical level? I think so. Here’s a question: Think back to something very specific that happened to you in the second or third grade. Is the memory something positive or negative (embarrassing)? I’ve asked this question of 1000’s â€" I’m sure about 75% of you recalled something negative. Guidelines For Positive Feedback Be specific! Generalities like “good job” or “thanks for the hard work” aren’t specific enough. Even if your goal is give some feedback on overall performance, include a recent, very specific example as part of that. It’s from you â€" not the company! You should include what it means to the organization, or the department, or co-workers but the primary source of the feedback is you and what it means to you. One of the most powerful pieces of positive feedback I ever received started with: “I want to let you know that my father, brothers, and I know how hard you’ve worked…” (By the way, those words are ingrained from decades ago). Don’t add “But…” Keep the message pure â€" the only thing that can be added for the future is the desire or expressed confidence that the employee will continue the behavior. Too many times, positive feedback is completely destroyed by the “But…” Even when done jokingly, it significantly depreciates the value of the positive. Make it public â€" with caution. Providing positive feedback in front of an audience can be appropriate in some cases and for some people. Think about it! It can also be embarrassing to some people and virtually ensure they will never excel again. Guidelines For Negative (Constructive) Feedback Ask for Permission! This is the most powerful, and most overlooked, tactic for delivering negative feedback. Very few, if any, look forward to receiving negative feedback. Yet it’s frequently “dumped” without warning. Simply ask: “Can we talk about what happened with that last customer?” You’re the boss. In my experience, 90% of the time the employee says “Yes” and you’ve addressed a significant barrier. Obviously, there will be times that, as a manager, you’ll have to insist. But here’s another quick tip: If the employee says “no,” ask “OK, but we need to talk about what happened, when can we do that?” Try it â€" it works! Be quiet â€" listen! In the vast majority of cases, employees are aware of their performance. In many cases, they are tougher on their performance than the manager is. (Note: I’ve discovered that performers don’t like what critics write primarily because they miss more of the mistakes than they hit.) Present the key issue quickly, then let the employee explain and analyze. Good listening leads to focused analysis of the problem and solutions. It’s the future that matters. It’s not a never-ending discussion of the past. Focus on expected changes in behavior and consequences, good when possible, negative when necessary. Express confidence that the person can improve. Clear and simple! Feedback has been identified as the primary motivator of human performance. Managers need to understand the process and develop the skill with practice to be effective. Related: Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 2) Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 3) Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 4) Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 5) About the author Jim Schreier is a management consultant with a focus on management, leadership, including performance-based hiring and interviewing skills. Visit his website at www.farcliffs.com.     Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

The 12 Most Inappropriate Office Behaviors, Ranked

The 12 Most Inappropriate Office Behaviors, Ranked Americans broadly agree that just because a behavior is frowned upon doesnt mean that it isnt happening in their workplaces. In fact, some of the behaviors that people find the most inappropriate in the workplace are also the ones that a majority of people have seen occur. But their opinions on many workplace behaviors are largely dependent upon their age and sex. Thats at least according to a new poll on workplace behavior from NPR and Ipsos.Ipsos offered 1,130 American adults a sortiment of potentially objectionable office behaviors along with a range of options for each behavior, from one to seven (always, mostly and sometimes inappropriate it depends and sometimes, mostly or always appropriate).The 12 Most Inappropriate Workplace BehaviorsMost Americans polled have experienced behaviors like the following 12, which are ranked from most to least inappropriate, according to respondentsSpreading rumors about coworkers sex lifeDiscus sing coworkers sexual preferences, historyDeliberate touching, leaning, or corneringTelling sexual stories or jokesReferring to female as girl, babe, sweetie, etc.Supervisor flirting, believing its mutualSupervisor asking employee on dateStanding close, brushing up against coworkerMale commenting on females appearanceFemale commenting on males appearanceAsking questions about coworkers social lifeCoworker asking equal-rank coworker on dateSpreading rumors about coworkers andspeculating aboutcoworkerssexual preferences or history topped the chart for the most inappropriate behaviors, followed by deliberate touching and telling sexual jokes. These were consideredsomewhat, mostly or always inappropriate by around nine in 10 Americans. And when it comes to themagnitudeof which behaviors are worst, gossip also came out on top.How Do Employees View These Inappropriate Behaviors at Work Differently?But there were still behaviors that some coworkers didnt find so bad.Specifically, young men are mora likely than women or older men to consider several of these behaviors okay.Only 51 percent of men ages 18 to 34 considered it always inappropriate to talk about someones sexual preferences or history at work, while 72 percent to 88 percent of men and women in other age groups were against doing so.Likewise, about one-third of young men considered it always inappropriate to refer to adult women as girl, babe, sweetie or honey, compared to half or more among other age groups. Men were also less likely than everyone else to find always inappropriate for a supervisor to be flirting with an employee and believing the feelings are mutual, for a supervisor to be asking an employee on a date, and for telling sexual stories or jokes at work.But young men werent the only ones with sometimes conflicting opinions.Older people were also much more likely than younger people to think that asking about a coworkers social life is inappropriate.Around six in 10 men and women over 55 thought doing so inappropriate to some degree, compared to three in 10 18-to-34-year-olds and four in 10 35-to-54-year-olds. And women 55 years old and up were also much more likely than other groups to think that referring to an adult female coworker as babe sweetie or honey is most definitely always inappropriate.How Rampant Are These Inappropriate Behaviors in the Workplace?Buteven thoughmost people viewed all the aforementioned behaviors as uncalled for in the workplace, theyve allwitnessed them quite a lot. For example, around eight in 10 people find it inappropriate to call a female coworker girl or babe or sweetie, but around six in 10 have heard it happen at work. Likewise, nine in 10 people think sexual jokes or stories are inappropriate, but more than half havebeen told or heard others being told sexual jokes or stories.And, to little surprise, people werent admitting to their own behaviors either. Maybe change in the workplace to combat sexual harassment starts by being honest w ith ourselves and reflecting on our own behaviors. Because if everyones witnessing it, but no ones owning up to it, then were not going to get anywhere.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solotravel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.

Heres How Your Work Wife Is Actually Holding You Back

Heres How Your Work Wife Is Actually Holding You Back Do you have a coworker with whom you eat all your lunches, chit-chat at all of your happy hours and talk to about all of your work- and home-related stresses?A host of research has suggested that the key to your success could be having a work spouse. A work spouse is someone with whom youve a strong, platonic relationship. That bond at work, according to research, has the potential to do big things for your career. A study aptly titled Work Spouses Defining and Understanding a New Relationship, published in the journal, Communication Studies, found that the characteristics of a work spouse often mirror that of an out-of-office spouse, including loyalty, support and trust, all of which can ultimately lead to increased happiness and success.ButMallun Yen,the woman behindSaaStr andChIPsNetwork.org, recently warned her readers in Fortune that a work wife could end up doing more harm than good. Over the course of Yens career, shes work ed with countless smart and ambitious women with whom she marched against injustices side by side, swapped maternity clothes and made friends, she said. The one thing they didnt do make business deals.I realized that despite thecultural moment female friendship is currently enjoying, the same strength, intensityand deep connections being celebrated was also setting up a false dichotomy between personal relationships and the transactionality of business, she wrote. Women told me that when they asked a friend for business, they feared it would damage their personal relationships, took rejection personally, and became gun-shy about making another pitch. Even well-qualified women who had no qualms about asking (and were quite adept at it) were often met with avoidance, a brush-offor no reply at all.The women with whomYen spoke told her that they didnt anticipate business propositions from friends, and those propositions often left an unspoken tension that ultimately hurt their relations hips. Some of the women even avoided anyone who might ask for business.Doing deals with your buddies is a time-honored way to build your book of business, Yen wrote. But women tend to struggle when it comes to mixing money and friendship, cutting themselves off from one of the fruchtwein effective tactics in the constant struggle to get ahead. So why is it that were so hesitant to do deals with our friends the very people we know have our backs?Yen suggests that women can take the depth of their relationships those emotions, closeness and personal bonds and use that depth to leverage business success. Women whodothis successfully typically seek out other women when they have business needs, recommendfriends to friends (i.e. promoting each other as experts and resources)and playmatchmaker by introducing their friends to relevant contacts in their networks when their friends have business ideas. They also recognize that in order to achieve business success with friends, theres a tw o-way street. They need to be just as proactive about asking as they are about listening.Inc.com writerLogan Chierotti warned in an article, Going into Business with a Friend The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, however, that starting a business with a friend shouldnt be a decision you take lightly.You will often spend more time with your business lebensgefhrte than you will with your family choose this partner wisely, he wrote. A good friend does not always equal a good business partner. When you work with a friend, your relationship will change. Its inevitable. But how it changes for better or worse is up to you.He suggests avoiding business asks with friends who have big egos, are talkers and who may be overly passionatebut dont have diligence or a carefully researched plan. He does, however, recommend looking to friends who are persistent and possess integrity and a strong work ethic.Women have a long way to go to achieve equality in corporate America, Yen continued. Every effort we make to help each other, small or large, moves us forward. Start by reaching out to three women today and saying, Tell me two concrete things I can do to help you. And if you are attempting to scaffold from a personal relationship to a business one, consider addressing the elephant in the room head-on and acknowledge the awkwardness that can arise when you begin to do so.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solo travel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.

The Nuiances of When Writing a Resume What Are Good Skills

The Nuiances of When Writing a Resume What Are Good Skills The Fight Against when Writing a Resume What Are Good Skills Youre able to add the overview of technical skills in your CV to offer clear idea about your present skills. The secret to attracting a possible employer to read your resume is to incorporate a mix of both hard and soft abilities both in the section specializing in skills and throughout the remainder of the resume. Hard skills can be classified in various ways, based on your job title. They are quantifiable and often learned from school or on the job. They tend to be more technical, and each industry or type of job will usually have its own required set. Hard abilities, also referred to as employability skills or technical abilities, can be quantified by your degree of expertise in the topic or years of experience employing a particular technique or program. 3 First, you should select the best skills for your resume. Listing your skills provides a chance to showcase your abilities and experiences to prime employers for the remainder of your resume. Written language skills are an essential part of many positions in nearly every industry. Written Communication Writing well is a significant element of your professional presentation. It is a daily part of many jobs and it is an important part of communication. Language skills are sometimes a terrific selling point on your resume. On occasion the Skills and Accomplishments section is a distinct section.

The Secrets of Help with Writing Clinical Experienve and Skills on Resume Revealed

The Secrets of Help with Writing Clinical Experienve and Skills on Resume Revealed Experience in the direct delivery of health services to patients have to be completed by the September 1st deadline to be qualified to apply in the present admission cycle. If you locate a nurse who has the opportunity to teach you, learn as much as possible from them. Some days, you might feel helpless and would like to give up. For starters, youre able to independently perform tasks like assisting your patients with their everyday pursuits. Asking your instructor if you may take your patient to herbei or his ultrasound or whether youre able to observe in the OR are a few means by which you are able to go beyond your basic assignments to obtain more experience. You will be astounded at how much they may want to shareand the patient will benefit too Be the student your patient raves about to their nurse. A Secret Weapon for Help with Writing Clinical Experienve and Skills on Resume Measurin g their intake and output is also quite important and a large assistance for the staff. The center also has an Electronic Health Record system which mirrors the systems found in the modern health care settings. Titles and range of practice vary based on the state. Therefore, it runs with good accuracy with no downtimes. Dont neglect to ask your instructors if youre able to use them as a reference later on. You will also work with a few of the most innovative simulation technology on the planet. Youre sure to have some difficult clinical challenges. Life, Death and Help with Writing Clinical Experienve and Skills on Resume PDFs are usually best, nursing check the work description to make certain theyre OK. Youre able to still prove that youre best for the job. You are going to have the weg to work with skilled preceptors in nearly every specialty. Much like all nursing specialties, theres a lack of nurses at all levels and in the majority of roles. The Unexposed Secret of Help with Writing Clinical Experienve and Skills on Resume Getting prepared goes quite a way. Clinical experience offers you a first-hand look into the daily life of a doctor. Shadowing experience is a good means to supplement your experience but doesnt replace any required paid clinical moment. Offer help to other students when you could be ready to. Students must make a B or better in the prerequisite courses so as to take COUN. Ideally, they should have a combination of shadowing and volunteering. Students who maintain the exact field placement throughout all semesters of field placement do not need to submit another application. Whats so great in regards to the nursing clinical experience is that you get to work in virtually every setting readily available to nursing. You get clinical experience during the time that you are in nursing school. Clinical experience has been always an essential part of nursing education. It comes in a variety of forms and is the begi nning of a learning process that will extend throughout the education of a nursing student and well into their nursing career.

Does Your Company Culture Need a Mentorship Program

Does Your Company Culture Need a Mentorship ProgramCould your company culture benefit from mentorship? A great mentorship program might just be what your company needs in order to improve employee engagement. It will foster a company environment of learning and professional development, while allowing your workers to bond and help each other. It could be just what your corporate culture needs to keep great people within the organization instead of spending their off hours working on their video resume. Why start a mentorship program?So just why should you start a mentorship program? The biggest reason is to keep talent on the inside of your company. By embracing mentors, your company is expressing an interest in the professional development of your employees.You dont just want anyone in your organization, you want employees who want to learn, grow in their roles, and pass on their knowledge. This will help identify your company culture as a distributionspolitik where employees can le arn new skills while simultaneously forming connections with their coworkers and superiors.Plus a mentorship program could be just the thing you need to attract the great Millennial candidates your company needs. Surveys have shown 75 percent of Millennial employees seek mentors in their working life. A further 89 percent seek some variety of professional development on the job. If your company has a well-oiled mentorship program, interested Millennial candidates might be more likely to consider your company during their job search.Make your program a recognizable part of your company culture and brand.If you want candidates to associate your corporate culture with your mentorship program then youll need to make this program a strong aspect of your employer brand. Use your company career page and social media channels to get the word out about your mentorship program. Dont make this program merely a hidden gem of your company culture. Instead, put it on display.Maybe include testimo nials from employees and mentors about their experiences in the program. You could even record a recruitment video to put up on your career site with your mentorship program as the star. The most important aspect is to make sure this program is a recognizable part of your company culture and employer brand. This will help your organization attract the top-tier candidates you need.Match up compatible employeesAn important aspect of your program should be to make sure mentors and proteges are matched up based on compatibility. If you match up incompatible employees its likely youll be dealing with more fights than professional development.You might want to develop a metric to gauge the personality and skills of employees before matching them up for a mentorship relationship. You can even let employees pick their own mentors and proteges to ensure the workers sharing knowledge will mesh well.Incentivize the program for your mentorsIts pretty obvious why employees would want to be mento red, especially entry-level and Millennial employees. Mentorship provides the opportunities for growth, networking and learning these employees might otherwise elend have come across outside your corporate culture. But whats in it for the mentors?You should spend some time considering this before starting your program. Think about what will make mentors consider joining the program and sharing their skills with the next generation of employees. This could be something as simple as a special lunch for the mentors to something more performance-based like mentioning their mentor duties on an annual review. Whatever you decide, make sure its a corporate culture perk your mentors will enjoy.A good mentorship program can really improve your company culture and help your organization develop the next generation of talent. If you can provide opportunities for learning and growth, great employees will be more likely to stay within your company and eventually take on leadership responsibiliti es.What are some ways you can use a mentorship program to improve your corporate culture? Share in the commentsIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by Anuraj Singh.

Teen unemployment hits new high Where are all the careers advisers

Teen unemployment hits new high Where are all the careers advisers Teenage unemployment hits new high Where are all the careers advisers?Posted March 26, 2015, by Marni Williams One in five unemployed Australians is a teenager. So who is responsible for guiding them into work? Australias youth jobless rate reached its highest peak since 1998 last month, with 14.2 per cent of 15-24 year olds looking for work. While we may not have reached the figures being experienced in Greece or Spain just yet, research released this week by the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA) and McCrindle should be cause for concern it shows that in-school careers practitioners are considerably underfunded and time poor. When you consider the situation for careers advisers alongside the federal governments decision to discontinue funding for careers websites myfuture and the National Job Guide, its no wonder 15-19 year olds are struggling to find a sense of direction. It would seem too many students ar e left to make these important life choices on their own. So where are all the careers advisers? The CICA and McCrindle research have revealed that over half of all career practitioners are working part-time in their roles, and that just 1 in 3 are able to devote the entirety of their time to career education and guidance. Lack of hilfestellung is a concern shared by careers adviser Penny Morrison, who sees the impact of reduced funding first-hand It mostly boils down to having the time to put the ideas into practice. If you have an innovative idea, you cant just run with it. You need to get someone to replace you for the day. Image courtesy of McCrindle and CICA There has been valid concern amongst the VET and tertiary education sectors lately about disreputable training organisations signing up students with little or no regard for their educational outcomes. One of the most important roles of careers advisers is to point students in the direction of appropriate courses that will get them into jobs that are in demand, and Penny says shes concerned that student resources arent being supported Theres a big problem with the reliability of resources. Careers advisers dont have the time to validate all the information that comes to them. If there arent free, impartial resources for the students to get an idea of the career paths that are out there then some of the limited discretionary funding we have to go into purchasing those resources and less will go into programs to get them into jobs. Penny cites the success of a