Celebrate Labor Day
Traditionally celebrated on the first Monday of September, Labor Day commemorates the social and economic achievements of the American worker. This federal holiday pays tribute to contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. While many folks associate Labor Day with the unofficial end of summer, it actually honors working men and women. It became an official holiday in 1894, thanks to the labor union movement who advocated for eight hours of work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. The St. Paul-Minneapolis area takes full advantage of this annual three-day weekend to…
What Employees Want: Part III – To be Treated Like Human Beings
Our data-driven society puts a lot of stock in the numbers, in technology, and the sciences. Yet, our greatest resource by far is our workforce, made up not of numbers or equations, but rather human beings. People with an array of qualities, who are driven by differing passions and skills and needs. People are not numbers. Nor are they electronic equipment or scientific equations. Failure to remember their “humanness” contributes to an increasing number of overwhelmed and burned out workers. And because burned out employees do not perform to their highest potential; both the consumer and the employer will suffer.…
What Want: Part II – To be Valued Employees
Encouraging success for your employees is enhanced when you instill a sense of value. What constitutes feeling valued? For your employees, it’s when: Management notices their hard work. Their extra efforts are met with sincere appreciation. Their worth to the company is secure, eliminating the fear of being replaced. They feel a part of the company’s “big picture.” All of those things make an employee feel valued which translates into a worker who enjoys coming to work and is likely to put his/her best foot forward. A sense of being valued boosts creativity, spurs productivity, and makes your employee…
What Employees Want: Part I – To be Successful
Question: What are three things every employee wants from his/her job? Hands shoot up across the workforce, among employees and management staff alike. Arms wave from bodies bouncing on their toes. “Oh, oh, I know! I know!” The answer: To be successful, to be valued, to be treated like a human being. Knowing smiles and nodding heads as those waving arms now reach to pat themselves on the back for their correct answer. We’ll look at each of these “wants” separately, with this week’s blog covering “to be successful.” Attention to these six tips will indeed set your employees up…
Where Has the Year Gone
We’re only six weeks away from the last quarter of 2017. I know—where did the year go? How can it possibly be the middle of August already? Do you remember those aggressive goals you and your gung-ho team set last January 2—or in mid-December if you were really on the ball? Have you checked back in on them since? Measured the progress or lack thereof? Or have you been too busy, too focused on the day-to-day operations/crises/issues (take your pick) to evaluate where you are? It’s super easy to be so intense about the hour-by-hour, day-by-day work that the bigger…
Traits that Hamper Hiring Potential – Part II
“One of the most important steps you can take toward achieving your greatest potential in business is to learn to monitor your attitude and its impact on your work performance, relationships and everyone around you,” says Alex Pirouz. It’s true. Attitude plays a huge role in a person’s overall life, so naturally, it will have a major impact on all things related to job performance. A fact every boss and HR manager have stenciled on a plaque somewhere. So, what particular attitude concerns are those making the hiring decisions watching for? Apathy/Lack of Enthusiasm Maybe you approach life with a…