Do you share the financial status of your company with all employees?  Assuming you are a private company and are not required to disclose your financial information – do you believe it is important to keep all employees “in the know?”  A survey was completed by Robert Half Resources that found the following:

76% – No, we  don’t share financial information with employees

17% – Yes, we  share financial information with select employees

7% – Yes, we  share financial information with all employees

Robert Half suggests that if you are able to find a few basic metrics that are easily understood by the majority, that this would give staff a much better understanding of the challenges businesses face and give them a taste of the course of business.

Think about how you could use this information, involve your team members and motivate them to improve metrics, reward them for metrics achieved and continually encourage involvement to improve the numbers.  Look at how you could build more comradely!

A couple of notes to be aware of.  Robert Half explains that you want to ensure when you provide this information, that you provide context.  Let employees know how their work contributes to the bottom line – show how it can impact it in a positive way and a negative way.

When there is bad news ensure this gets communicated too!  If you don’t do this, employees will not have a taste of reality and it may also breed rumours.

By ensuring that your staff are involved in the financials, showing how their contributions impact the bottom line, you are involving them in the process.  Involve them also in cost cutting measures and ways your business brings in money.  Remember to reward them for new ideas and cost saving measures.

Some information for this article was taken from:  http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/HR-Administration/Communication/3-reasons-to-update-employees-on-financial-perform/?source=RSA&effort=4

10 Tips for Effective Team Building

1.  Involve your employees in the selecting of the team building activities.  If they are involved they are more likely to buy in to the activity.  Ask them for ideas, involve them in the process.

2.  Set up a Social Committee.  Give the Social Committee a budget and agenda and have them be responsible for the events. If you are concerned about losing all control, have a committee member review the suggestions prior to the implementation.

3.   Involve management in the activities.  By involving management, it reinforces the importance of the activities and the dedication of the company to having fun.  Plus – staff like to compete against management at times too!

4. Get some small prizes together.   You don’t have to break the bank.  Think of coffee cards, putting together a little gift bag of goodies.  Just a perk for the winning team or winning player – even the losing player!

5.  If you are really promoting fun in the workplace, look at completing these events during company
time.  This again reinforces your commitment to team building and fun.

6.  Wherever possible – put the blackberries away!  You are not committed to the teambuilding events if you are conducting work half the time on your cell phone.

7. If you can’t take all the staff out of the office – look at taking half of the staff and then take the
rest another day.  Rotate this group for the next event such that it isn’t the same staff members at each event.  After all – this is team building. 🙂

8. Team building events can be actual structured events put on by an organization geared to
accomplishing  specific team building activities, or they can be more informal like bowling.
Wherever there is staff interaction, you are building relationships.

9.  Hold team building events regularly – set a pattern like quarterly or twice per year. Think about what else you can do in between these events to promote team.  Again – ask the staff for ideas too.

10. Have fun!  Embrace the event!  Enjoy it – we all deserve to have fun in life, why not have it at work too!

Teamwork

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” – Andrew Carnegie

Leadership

“Leaders make things possible. Exceptional leaders make them inevitable.” – Lance Morrow

Thank your staff (7/17/2012)

Have you thanked your staff lately? A simple “Thank you” can go a long
way. Make a note to add this to your list of regular “to do’s”. Try
to remember to do this often and soon it will become second nature.

In the News:

Canada’s Job Creation Stalls Again in June… Let’s hope it is just a summer thing and employers are gearing up to hire in September!
http://www.hrreporter.com/articleview/13448-canadas-job-creation-stalls-again-in-june-statscan

Leadership

Never tell people how to do  things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their  ingenuity. – George Patton

Job Burnout

Here is a great article from the Globe and Mail on job burnout.  A great read for employees and businesses…http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-managing/human-resources/dont-quit-yet-avoid-job-burnout-with-these-tips/article4440743/?utm_source=Exacttarget&utm_medium=HRPADaily&utm_term=Thursday&utm_content=Email&utm_campaign=072612TL

PRESS RELEASE 1 Stop HR hits the Press!

Check out the Press Release Here

 

Have you ever heard that expression that it is easier for someone “on the outside” to walk in to a situation and see a lot more than those that are on the inside?
>Picture a company struggling with employee morale issues, employee turnover, and lack of performance. Also picture this company that has struggled and struggled to turn the situation around to no avail. Bringing someone in “from the outside” can often lead to the identification of the problem areas and if they are qualified to do so, they can provide solutions or recommendations on how to improve things.

Why is this?
Well, there are many reasons some of which include:

* The person has experience in certain areas that are lacking at the company in question.

* The company itself is “stuck” – people have assimilated – they have all adapted to be too comfortable with each other and there isn`t any fresh inspiration. The person from the outside can see this and inject fresh new ideas.

* The employees do not feel comfortable coming forward themselves whereas someone “from the outside” doesn`t have this issue.

The situation is “fresh” to the person “on the outside” They have not been living in it day in and day out and can in a sense feel what it is like to work there in the first few minutes due to their new exposure.
There are many other reasons that this occurs, can you think of  any to add?

The key in moving beyond workplace issues, is to not be afraid to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to admit that someone “from the outside” just might be able to help identify and assist you to resolve issues that you have been dealing with for a long time. After all, who likes “issues” anyway!! 🙂