Avoiding Employee Vacation Pitfalls
It happens every year. With the advent of summer, comes employee vacations; and employee vacations can bring conflict, schedule disruption, loss of productivity, etc. Fortunately, there are steps that can be taken to prevent the mess and ensure a smooth running company. Have a Clear Consistent Vacation Policy Include a discussion of said policy during the interviewing and hiring process. Review it during orientation. Keep it simple and highlight it in the Employee Establish Reasonable Guidelines Be sure to indicate if there are any holidays or peak work periods where necessity places restrictions on vacations. For example, you may…
“Be Yourself; Everyone Else Is Already Taken.”
This sage advice attributed to Oscar Wilde sounds simple enough. As does the modern day version, “Just be yourself.” But with the mega amount of pressure many people feel to succeed, to meet the expectations of family, friend, co-workers, and bosses, to “go with the flow,” to not make waves, being true to one’s self is harder than those statements make it sound. One pitfall to authenticity is that we’ve gotten used to things being fake or false – the exact opposite of authentic. This inauthenticity, if that’s even a word, has skewed our perception to the point that we’re…
Workplace Ethics
Ethics – an absolutely essential key to a company’s long-term success. It’s the glue that holds culture, creativity, innovation, teamwork, and everything else that matters together. As Mary Kay Ash says, “Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist.” Begin at the Top: For ethics to take root and grow within a company, it must begin at the top. Starting with the owner(s), the board members, and the entire C-Level, ethics must be the focused foundation. This includes: Integrity: Honesty in every detail – from budget to design to materials;…
Effective Communication
Part I – The Barriers You facilitate weekly staff meetings, send detailed email updates—everyone should be on the same page, right? But for some reason, they’re not. What’s going on? Although communication is occurring, obviously it lacks in effectiveness. To be effective, communication must be clearly delivered, fully received, and unmistakably understood. Much easier to describe than to accomplish, though, since communication can break down at any number of junctures between the sender and the receiver for a myriad of reasons. The key to achieving effective communication is an awareness of what may be getting in the way. These common barriers…
Make the Most of Teamwork
2-4-6-8 Who do we appreciate? Ahh, the power of a cheering squad and a connected team. It makes the difference in school sports, and it makes the difference in the workforce. From small projects to long-term projects, precision manufacturing depends on a positive, energized team culture. Here are four basic steps for building that kind of power and boosting your bottom line. Build the right team Every time you hire, take the time to hire right. Define the individual roles, including the must-have as well as the ideal skills for each role. Look at specific hard skills, but don’t neglect…
Lead the Way in 2017
Standing strong as a company begins with company leadership – leading, as well as inspiring others to grow as leaders. But what makes a great leader? What makes the difference between a leader in title only and a leader with a following? Well, get your leader boots on and start marching. It’s more than vision Sure, leadership requires vision (we’ve read all the same books) but vision is only the beginning. Staring at a power point, envisioning production of an award-winning invention will not mean anything if the visionary doesn’t create a plan, purchase quality equipment, hire the right help,…