The New Trump Administration: Will It Bring Change for Manufacturers in 2017?
Will 2017 become known as a pivotal year? Will President-elect Trump’s strong background in business be a plus – or a minus? While Americans seem to have discharged their emotions over the election, the number of questions is rising. Businesses – including manufacturing – speculate about the future and the nation waits to find out what will place first on his agenda. With all that was said during the campaign, Trump has been advised to “leave his business life in the past,” in a proper separation and concentrate on the concerns of the country. Affirming this promise, Mike Pence, Vice-President-elect,…
Precision Manufacturers and Job-Shadow Training
Ok, you just hired a new employee for a position that requires on-the-job training, but your schedule is on overload. In fact, if you add one more “drop” of anything to your glass, it’s going to be meltdown time. What’s the answer? Try job shadowing. Sure, it has traditionally been a great way for introducing students to precision manufacturing and enticing them to come your direction, but it’s also an excellent way to train new hires. Since new employees typically are both motivated and eager-to-please, the act of watching how a person functions in a job, is better than just…
Happy Thanksgiving
Just one more sleep and Thanksgiving Day will be upon us – we can smell those mouthwatering aromas and hear the laughter of family and friends already. Not to mention the football game in the background! Thanksgiving – that one day – 24 hours – 1440 minutes – 86,400 seconds – set aside for gratitude. So don’t forget to thank: Employees: Valued and appreciated employees stay engaged and are less apt to check out the “grass is greener” theory. Coworkers: It ensures a happier, more positive work culture – which benefits everyone. Clients: Clients who know you care, have a…
When Workplace Anger Leads to Violence
Some days, the world is just plain scary, and news reports seem to validate our fears. The local headlines spout anger-based crimes on a daily basis. CNN reports that violence and crime associated with anger episodes are on the rise in urban, USA. And the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reports higher rates of anger-induced violence involving government employees. Anger-motivated crimes know no boundaries. Every area has become a potential area of violence. We try to use common sense and take standard safety precautions in our daily choices, but what about our workplaces? How can a company protect their employees?…
Five Tips on Handling the Workplace Romance
Barriers tend to intensify romance. It’s called the “Romeo and Juliet” effect. I call it frustration attraction. ~ Helen Fisher There is a name for romantic attraction to another person. It is called limerence, and it includes both obsessive thoughts and fantasies, as well as a desire to form a relationship with the object of this feeling and to have these feelings reciprocated. Limerence is the stuff of stardust, poetry, film, and many a rapture-filled refrain. However, a true office romantic relationship in which “limerence” is at work at work often leads to the annoyance of peers and superiors because…
Breaking up is Hard to Do
There’s a trick to the Graceful Exit. It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, a relationship is over – and to let go. It means leaving what’s over without denying its value. ~ Ellen Goodman This article is not about why someone leaves a job but how. It assumes a quality relationship between an employer and an employee who wishes, for whatever reason, to leave their job and move on. Change is hard, even in the best of times. Mixed feelings are often the norm as going forward can feel both adventurous and scary,…