Want to Know the ANSWERS? ASK!

As a leader, you will be faced with decisions each day. The best strategy for improving business and keeping employees engaged. Is the company suffering from a poor economy? How do you convey it to your employees without ruining morale? Should you “gloss” over the tough issues or be honest?

There is an old adage that holds true, “by the inch, it’s a cinch; by the yard, it’s hard.” Get to the heart of the matter, what is it that you need to get your company back on track? If you’re not sure about options, solutions, strategies; there is no better group to ask than the employees that connect with clients on a daily basis! The best part? You have experts with the answers and the cost for it is FREE.

Here are some ideas:

1. Ask people what they think about business problems or situations.
There is a tremendous amount of knowledge ready to be shared within your organization. This doesn’t cost you anything! “Being asked what I think” is the number 1 assessment response from InclusionINC research in working with clients.

2. Have some difficult news to convey? Provide rationale for why things are happening the way they are.
This is particularly important in today’s volatile financial situation. Organizations are having layoffs, people have to do more with less and they’re unsure about their future with the organization. Leaders tend to shy away from this because these conversations can be difficult. Yet, if your employees know the rationale for why things are being done, it will help them embrace the change.

3. Say thank you. Read this again: SAY THANK YOU.
Once again it’s free. A sincere thank you goes a long way.

4. Implement a Supplier Diversity Initiative.
This positively impacts the supply chain and provides a competitive edge in sustained or increased market share. These suggestions are not only free, they are essential for keeping employees ENGAGED. Remember, a May, 2009 engagement study reported 71% of employees are partially or fully disengaged!

Imagine the difference that could be made in an organization’s bottom line if more people were passionate about their jobs.

Stepping into a CEO’s Job means Stepping Up

Replacing Sr. Management at an established company is never easy. There is more at stake than replacing the position. Usually, there are one of two reasons that CEO’s leave; they either retire after a long and successful career, or they are terminated for inadequate job performance. In our current state of affairs, the latter is usually the reason for changing Sr. management.

Not only will you be stepping into someone else’s shoes until you establish your own leadership style for employees, it will be necessary to “step up” and challenge the organization. As any manager will attest, symptomatic problems are a direct result of disengagement of employees.

According to the October 19th issue of Forbes Magazine, one of the most important keys to turning a company around is engaging employees. Once engaged, employees are more productive and tenure is increased.

* Want to know the best way to lead your staff? Ask them.
* Has an employee or department gone above and beyond to complete a project? Say thank you.
* LISTEN to your employees

The strategy is simple; to quote Shirley Engelmeier in the Forbes article, “Engaging, retaining and getting the most out of your people are more important than ever. At one time, inclusion was a nice thing to do. Today, it’s mission critical.”

Don’t just step into the job, Step UP to the job. Your employees and customers will thank you.

Is it a Good Idea to Celebrate Halloween in the Workplace?

In most workplaces, employees are allowed to celebrate Halloween by “dressing up” in costumes. It’s a great way to engage employees and lift morale by allowing festivities in the workplace. While this seems to be a harmless practice, it only takes one employee to dress in an inappropriate manner that may offend a group of people or customers.

In an effort to allow employees to enjoy the holiday, without offending others in a diverse workforce, it makes sense to clearly state guidelines so that employees will think twice before wearing a possible offensive costume. For example, French maid costumes are most likely too revealing for an office setting.

Communicate openly and honestly with your staff about dressing appropriately for the holiday. Take the guesswork out of it, try having a theme for costumes, perhaps related to your business or industry. (Example: An airline company may have employees dress as pilots, stewards and stewardesses or even as airplanes!).

Other fun events can include: Pumpkin themed baking contests (pie, muffins, cakes, etc.), pumpkin events: bowling small pumpkins in the parking lot , competing against other teams etc. Having fun events such as these are good for everyone at the office.

Will Reducing Benefits DIS-engage Your Employees?

A difficult economy can force senior leaders to make unpleasant decisions. These decisions can range from eliminating headcount to costly benefits which can wreak havoc on employee productivity and morale. So, how can expenses be reduced without jeopardizing employee engagement?

By examining your employee surveys, you will know what benefits are important to your staff and which are not. Also, when determining which benefits to cut or decrease, resist the temptation to eliminate or limit benefits on health, retirement or compensation plans. There are other benefits in place that would make better sense to review for cost savings.

Remember, a worldwide study was conducted with 100,000 people in 34 countries and 51% of these workers said they would sacrifice status and pay to have more meaningful work. Work with supervisors and managers to find those interested in being cross-utilized in other departments for special projects. Practice the concept of inclusion; don’t forget to communicate regularly with your staff. Ask how they feel, be open and honest with any changes or concerns the company is facing. It does make a huge difference.
According to the October 19th Forbes article; InclusionINC’s CEO, Shirley Engelemeir states “Engaging, retaining and getting the most out of your people are more important than ever. At one time, inclusion was a nice thing to do. Today, it’s mission critical.”

InclusionINC Working Hard at the 2009 SHRM Conference

According to Forbes' Oct 19 2009 issue, INCLUSION is Mission Critical to Todays Diverse Workforce

SUPERVALU has been in business for 135 years grossing $37.4 Billion dollars annually. Not only is SUPERVALU successful, according to the Forbes Oct. 19 article, “At SUPERVALU, we believe that understanding what diversity and inclusion really mean, and supporting and driving a commitment to diversity and inclusion across the enterprise, will help us achieve our vision of being the best place to work, shop and invest in our industry.”
—Jordan Roberge

"SUPERVALU knows that understanding inclusion and diversity is vital to its success and essential to meeting the needs of its employees, customers and communities. As the nation’s
largest grocery distributor and third largest grocery retailer, few things represent an individual’s culture and its traditions more than food, says Jordan Roberge, manager of diversity and inclusion for the Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based corporation. That’s why the company turned to InclusionINC® for help in creating an inclusive workforce and realizing this vision."

In order to keep inclusion and diversity initiatives fresh and meaningful, InclusionINC’s Shirley Engelmeier offers the following concepts:

A Strategy for Engagement, Retention and Productivity
“Company-wide inclusion is an important strategy for engagement, retention and productivity,” says Engelmeier. “In today’s diverse workforce, it’s imperative that organizations learn to hear everyone’s unique voice and utilize everyone’s unique talents. Otherwise, great ideas go unheard, business practices suffer and key talent leaves the organization."

Stereotyping = Training Opportunity

The label of “stereotyping” sounds harmless enough, but if you or any other member(s) of your company hold stereotypes of cultures, ethnicity etc. to be fact, the results can be disastrous. In order to be clear, let’s consider the definition of stereotype:

“A generalized image of a person or group, which does not acknowledge individual differences and which is often prejudicial to that person or group.”

While stereotyping can be very offensive, the person voicing these beliefs is usually unaware of the erroneous statements.

Where does Stereotyping Come from?
It can stem from a variety of sources; perhaps it comes from a bad experience with a certain person of a particular ethnicity. Frustration can cause some people to “over-generalize” with a negative tone. It can also stem from family, friends or fellow office workers.

The bottom line is that stereotyping a diverse group is firmly rooted in ignorance. The truth of the matter lies in that while diverse groups may share a characteristic(s), each person is NOT a carbon copy of the other.

What can be done to correct Stereotyping?
Education, education, education. This is senior management’s opportunity to drill down the importance of diversity and inclusion. It’s also a chance to not vilify the person(s) making the stereotype, but to educate them. Remember, 71% of employees in a national poll revealed that they were partially or completely DIS-engaged! Meanwhile, a worldwide study of 100,000 people was conducted in 34 countries focusing on the meaning of work. 51% of the workers worldwide said they would sacrifice status and pay to have more meaningful work! So, here’s a chance to thoroughly engage your employees in a meaningful dialogue that is critical to your diversity goals.

Sweeping stereotypes and people who make them under the rug will only jeopardize present and future success.