1.) Communicate to everyone that accountability and commitment are important!

2.) Align every job description to your company’s strategy and goals for the coming year. Ask everyone to commit to a shared vision of results.

3.) Make accountabilities clear for everyone by using the benchmark for their job to start a discussion about how their individual contributions matter.

4.) When you onboard new employees, have job-related professional development planning already in place to help them reach their full potential.

5.) Build accountability into your company culture using “what & by when” goal and task planning. Project management can be very sophisticated, but the bottom line is “who, what, and by when?”

6.) Offer ways for employees to communicate obstacles and request the help or resources they need to achieve their goals. When you listen to them, recognize that what you’re listening to is someone who is committed to producing results.

7.) Involve employees in an ongoing dialogue about how they can identify process improvements or otherwise increase the quality of their work and the team’s productivity.

8.) Use small “course corrections” on a monthly or as-needed basis to guide employees toward behaviors and practices that are effective for meeting goals. Don’t wait for the annual performance review. You wouldn’t wait until arrival at a destination to notice a wrong turn along the way, would you?

9.) “Catch” people doing something right: Give frequent, honest and positive feedback. As a general rule of thumb, a ratio of five positive interactions to one critical interaction will help managers build an open communication channel with direct reports.

10.) Identify ways to recognize and acknowledge employees company-wide when their actions exemplify an “above and beyond” commitment to company objectives. Success breeds success!

Over the last several years, our work with municipalities, counties and private organizations have brought to our attention the issue of resilience.  Especially during times of change and uncertainty organization are looking for way to help their employees cope while at the same time staying productive.  Let’s explore resilience.

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION RESILIENT?

What is resilience?   Webster’s Dictionary defines resilience (noun) as an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.  Resilient (adjective) is defined as capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture.  Resilience in life is often harder to define, but we know when people have it.  Is it a trait, characteristic or behavior?  Is the ability to be resilient inborn or acquired?  If we have it, can we lose it?  If we don’t have it, can be get it?

Resilience is not just surviving a critical event or situation but moving beyond it in a positive direction and achieving the most desirable outcome.  We have drawn on our ability to be resilient to remain in control as we move from one event or situation to the next.  Our resilience becomes automatic, in most situations, and we are often through the process, at our destination, before we realize we have taken the trip.  We may respond proactively, with assertiveness, purpose and direction in any given situation.  That same situation encountered at a different time may find us totally unprepared to handle to the crisis of the situation.

How are you resilient?

It is important to understand our Personal Resilience and to be fully aware of the coping techniques or strategies that we have used in the past.  More importantly, we need to identify the techniques and strategies that have given us the best results; in other words, what helped us maintain our resilience.  When we are aware of what works and what doesn’t work, we are prepared to meet future situations with less negative impact and more positive outcomes.

Why is it important to understand Corporate/Organizational Resilience?  The process of organizational change and how employees react to and implement changes are key to an organization’s success or failure.  Successful organizations realize that corporate resilience is directly related to the resilience of its employees.  Employees may respond to change and transition in a variety of ways.  Understanding employee responses to change and providing resilience training can minimize the negative impact on efficiency and productivity.  Organizations that have mastered the art of resilience embrace change, gain the commitment of stakeholders, customers and employees and move forward in a positive direction in their industry.

In our continuing efforts to assist individuals and organizations remain resilient, we would like for you to share with us your techniques for maintaining resilience (individually or as an organization).

For any organization, it is important to identify where it stands in the 4 C’s of strategically planning the direction of the organization; managing the activities related to the mission and goals of the organization; and then sustaining the momentum required during the goal achievement process.  The following are basic questions that should be asked:

• Cost - How well did/do we manage our costs as related to output and productivity?
• Capacity - How busy we were? or How busy should we be?
• Customer Service – Are our customers satisfied? or What are our customer satisfaction scores
• Consistency (and quality) – Do we have measurements of effectiveness in place for all departments and sub-groups?

In order to support your organizations strategic plan we understand the importance of communication as being essential to its success. Methods used to ensure communication throughout the organization include, but are not limited to:

• Newsletters
• Employee forum meetings (town hall meetings)
• Bulletin Board postings
• Memos to designated staff or all employees
• Posting of organizational policies and procedures
• Mailings to the key personnel
• Monthly manager meetings
• Weekly team meetings
• Establishing a Quality Council and hold monthly meetings
• Establishing Service Excellence committee and hold monthly meetings
• Input from each department/service into this document

Do you know how you rate on the 4 C’s?  Contact us today and let us show you simple solutions that will move your organization to the next level of success.

The Importance of Teamwork

Teamwork has always been an important part to the success of any business. Teams are designed to accomplish more work in less time and become capable of handling all aspects required for success. Whether it is one team that runs a company or several at multiple locations, teams are responsible for working together to accomplish a common goal.

Improving Team Communication

The most effective teams have members who understand themselves, as well as each other. The TTI Success Insights® Team Behavioral Report, based on the DISC theory, not only defines team dynamics, but also guides team members to leverage behavioral knowledge for increased success. By understanding the keys to communicating with others based on behavioral styles, team members can become more effective and increase overall productivity. The results of the team report will also identify the strengths of each team member to be sure everyone is in a position to contribute to team success with their fullest potential.

Easy Application in the Workplace

The Team Behavioral Report is an important component to building effective teams because it considers each team member’s individual behavioral style to determine the team’s dynamics. It takes only 10 minutes to complete the 24-question online assessment, and then each individual’s results are combined into one, easy-to-use report. The Team Behavioral Report is an ideal tool for:

• Team Building Workshops

• Growth and Development of Team Members

• Successful Team Management

• Team Effectiveness Analysis

• Enhancing Team Communication

Report Contents

The Team Behavioral Report contains valuable information unique to the team and assists managers in realizing the most benefit from their personnel resource.  The manger and team will discover the following:

ü Primary Behavioral Style Overview – The breakdown of the team members’ natural and adapted behavioral styles.

ü Strengths of Each Behavioral Style – Characteristics that reveal the strengths of team members in each of the eight behavioral styles.

ü Weaknesses of Each Behavioral Style – Areas where the team member’s style may prevent opportunity for improvement.

ü Communication Dos – Words and phrases that can be used to communicate with team members of each behavioral style.

ü Potential Need for Team Members – Behavioral styles that are not represented in the team dynamics.

ü Team Style Blending – How team members of different styles will naturally work together.

ü Team Member Characteristics – Key phrases and words that describe members of each style.

ü Words That Don’t Work – Key phrases and words that should be avoided for effective communication with members of each style.

ü Ideal Environment – The individual’s preferred work atmosphere.

ü The Success Insights® Wheel – The wheel depicts the team’s natural styles, adapted styles and the movement between the natural and adapted styles.

Results and Benefits

The TTI Success Insights Team Behavioral Report will help you detail the strengths, weaknesses, problem-solving abilities, communication preferences and potential areas for conflict within each of the behavioral styles represented by the team. By recognizing, understanding and appreciating these factors, the team can achieve increased productivity and overall team cohesiveness.

For your Customized Team Report, contact us today:

Dr. Jan Northup is pleased to announce that her books, The Promotable Woman, Have We Come A Long Way, Baby?  and Life’s A Bitch And Then You Change Your Attitude, 5 Secrets  to Taming Life’s Roller Coaster and Building Resilience are now available for wireless technology through Amazon.com.  Responding to requests for her book in formats compatible with Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and more, Dr. Northup has uploaded her book for easy access for a variety of reading options.