As 2011 comes to a close, we at the Rainmaker group would like to provide you with the most popular Blog Posts of the year. We have analyzed our data and are presenting you with the posts which were viewed most in 2011!
Sit back and enjoy the Rainmaker's top blog posts of 2011!
#10 Why Your Employees are Emotionally Starving to Death - How do you know that your employees are emotionally starving to death? Chris tells you how in this post. He also lists 5 thinks YOU can do to improve employee morale and employees engagement.
#9 The Real Reason for Poor Employee Performance - When you fail to set performance expectations and hold employee team members accountable, poor results are guarantee to follow. You know what they say, what gets measured gets improved! In this post Chris explains how to measure what matters to guarantee excellent results.
#8 Power of Cursing at Work - Do you have to deal with co-workers who curse in the workplace? How do you respond to them? Chris isn’t talking about the traditional “curse words” in this post. Check out this post to see exactly which swear words Chris is talking about and how to handle them.
#7 Values, Morals, & Work Ethic of North Dakotans - Have you noticed that North Dakota has been in the news more and more lately? There are many articles asking, “What is North Dakota’s secret?” In this post Amber spills the beans and explains what makes North Dakota so special.
#6 Changing Company Culture Begins at the Top - A company’s culture is set by the CEO and is lived through the day-to-day actions of employee team members. Check out this post to see how you can truly begin to change your company’s culture.
#5 Employee Conflict & the Avoidance of Talking About What Needs To be Talked About - Have you ever been involved with a team where there is constant tension? Do you know the feeling of having an elephant in the room? Do you think that conflict is bad? This post will help clear up your vision on conflict, and how you can stop conflict avoidance.
#4 Monday Meeting Hell? 4 Tips for a More Effective Team Meeting - Oh, the Monday morning sales meeting. Who hasn’t been there? These meetings should create direction and motivate the team members for the week ahead, but usually it is just a sorry attempt. In this post, Joe explains how you can create more effective meetings.
#3 The Traditional View on Employee Engagement is Bull@#!%! - “Make employees happy and they will work hard for the company and profits will be maximized.” How many of you have heard this before? Well, it’s wrong! Job fit is extremely important in making employees happy. Check out this post to see why.
#2 4 Essentials of Employee Engagement - Are your members actively engaged? Are they actively disengaged? How do you know? This post gives the 4 essentials of employee engagement which will help you ensure that you are not losing money due to disengaged employees.
#1 Having Fun at the Carnival of HR with all our Friends - Welcome to the Carnival! Step right up and connect with old friends and maybe even meet some new ones. The Carnival of HR shares our friends amazing blogs. So what are you waiting for? Come on in and enjoy the carnival!
We at the Rainmaker Group are wishing you a very prosperous New Year!
Happy Monday Everyone!
Welcome to the Holiday edition of Human Capital Strategies! Every Monday, we give you insight into the most interesting blog articles of the week. They will help you improve your most important asset, your people. This week, a few of the posts have a special holiday twist on them!
This week's segment provides the top 5 posts for the week of December 19th through December 25th. They deliver insight into corporate culture, leadership development, and a chance to make a difference this holiday season.
We at the Rainmaker Group hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season!
See you next Monday!
David Witt, Blanchard LeaderChat: How Would Employees Answer These 5 Questions About YOUR Corporate Culture? - In this post, David explains the questions that Garry Ridge and Ken Blanchard asked during a recent webinar. He also gives the eye-opening response that they received for their questions. The questions were presented to the people to find out how attendees felt about the performance management process at their organization and how it was impacting the culture and performance.
Joel A. Garfinkle, Tanveer Naseer’s Blog: 3 Ways Remarkable Leaders Get Noticed - This is a guest post by Joel Garfinkle. Joe is recognized as one of the top 50 coaches in the United States. In this post Joel explains the three ways that a remarkable leader will get noticed. The first way is to create a new product; the second way is to come up with innovative solutions for difficult problems, and the third way is to listen for opportunities.
Mary Jo Asmus,Aspire Leadership Solutions Blog: Peace and Goodwill -This post is to help spread some holiday cheer. Mary explains that the most stressful holiday season is upon us. Whether Black Friday, Cyber Monday or Super Saturday, it seems that people tend to lose the true holiday spirit. Mary explains a few ways to keep the spirit of the holiday in your heart year round.
Tony Richards, Clear Vision Blog: 10 Best Leadership Gifts You Can Give Yourself This Christmas -In this post Tony explains, “The real key to helping others is to help yourself first.” When you are better, everything around you will become better! Tony lists the 10 best gifts that someone should give themselves to “increase personal capacity as a leader and build the model that others love and from which they can draw.”
Becky Robinson, Lead Change Group Blog: A Chance to Make a Difference for Dan Rockwell -Dan Rockwell is a wonderful person who has inspired many with his wisdom, encouraging words, and coaching skills. Dan was involved in a terrible car accident earlier this year and could use some help. In this post Becky asks, “During this busy season of giving, would you take a moment to share a gift with Dan?” Please help spread this post and get the word out for Dan during this holiday season.
Happy Monday Everyone!
Welcome to the latest edition of Human Capital Strategies! Every Monday, we give you insight into the most interesting blog articles of the week. They will help you improve your most important asset, your people.
This week's segment provides the top 5 posts for the week of December 12th through December 16th. They deliver insight into leadership development, the 12 most innovative, inspiring, and unmissable TedTalks, and a great organizational culture.
See you next Monday!
Sharlyn Lauby, HR Bartender Blog: The Definition of Leadership - In this post, Sharlyn explains the differences between a leader and a manager. Leaders exist throughout an organization, on all levels. Sharlyn states that to cultivate leadership within the organization, you need to first recognize that leadership exists in everyone.
William Powell, The Leadership Advisor: 10 Commandments of a Great Culture - William looks at the 10 Commandments in a whole new way in this post. He looks at the organizational culture 10 Commandments. Throughout the post, William lists and describes each one. A few of them are listening without interrupting, enjoy without complaint, and forgive without punishing. Check this post out to see if you live by the organizational culture 10 Commandments.
Angela Maiers, The 12 Most….: 12 Most Innovative, Insiring, and Unmissable TedTalks - This post links to the 12 most innovative, inspiring and unmissable TedTalks in Angela’s eyes. The talks are from speakers such as Ben Zander, Tony Robbins, Tim Brown, Elizabeth Gilbert, and many more! Check out this post to truly discover “ideas worth spreading.”
Kevin Eikenberry, Lea
dership & Learning: Why Remarkable Leaders Are Vulnerable - Kevin explains in this post that a successful leader needs to be authentic, genuine, and real. A true leader must be willing to be vulnerable. Kevin states, “A leader who doesn’t show vulnerabilities isn’t a leader, but a poser.” A leader must have the perfect balance to truly be successful.
Kate Nasser, Kate Nasser’s Blog: Are you too nice to lead? - Kevin Eikenberry’s post (listed above) states that to be a successful leader, one must have the right amount of vulnerability. Now, Kate Nasser is questioning leaders who are too nice to lead. In this article, Kate describes 7 situations where you may be too nice, and some alternative suggestions to help. Kate also states that a true leader needs the perfect balance to be a successful leader. Kate states, “You succeed when you balance purpose and people, encouraging and deciding, listening and speaking up.” So check out this post to see if YOU are too nice.
Happy Monday Everyone!
Welcome to the newest edition of Human Capital Strategies! Every Monday, we give you insight into the interesting blog articles of the week that will help improve your most important asset, your people.
This week's segment provides insight into personal focus, being coachable, becoming more productive, understanding change, and becoming a positive leader.
Donald Latumahina, Life Optimizer: 17 Unproductive Habits to Let Go - In this post, Donald explains 17 unproductive habits that everyone should let go of. The list includes letting others run your life, reinventing the wheel, and trying to be perfect. Everyone has been guilty of at least one of these habits in their lifetime. So go check out Donald's list, and see how you can stop being unproductive and become extremely productive and successful.
Tony Richards, Clear Vision Development Group Blog: The Power of Personal Focus - This post explains how important personal focus and the desire a person has in facing a difficult challenge are. Tony explains that your focus may flip, it isn't bad if this happens, a person should just be aware of it an honest with themselves. Tony also lists a few adverse situations to be aware of. Tony finishes up the post by giving some keys to staying focused.
Lisa Haneberg, Management Craft: The Tentacles of Our Ways- Why Change is So Hard - In this post, Lisa explains why she believes change is so hard. Lisa states, "change is hard because it requires hundreds of trigger flips and culture change." Change consists of thre layers, changing what people do, how they do it, and why they do it. To change culture these three layers must be aligned.
Steve Roesler, All Things Workplace: 5 Ways To Be Coachable - This post describes the 5 characteristics of coachability. The characteristics include being committed to change, being open to information about yourself, be open about yourself, appreciate new perspectives and having awareness about one's self and others. Steve does a wonderful job describing each characteristic on his list.
Michael McKinney, Leading Blog: 3 Ways to Be a Positive Leader - Michael explains in this post that caring about your people, developing a relationship with them and appreciating them are the 3 ways to be a positive leader. Michael quotes John Maxwell, "If you are all alone at the top, you are not a leader. You are a hiker." This blog will help you to not be alone at the top.
Before joining the team at The Rainmaker Group, I worked for a bridal company as a wedding consultant. I loved my job there because I got to be a part of a very important time in a person's life, their wedding day.
When I first started the job, I just told people that I sell dresses for weddings, proms, and special occasions. In my eyes, at the time, I just sold dresses. I hate admitting it, but I was not selling too many dresses. I had to work my ass off for every sale, and some days I found myself going home without a commission check.
Then one day, the light turned on "upstairs" thanks to my manager who helped me realize there is so much more to selling dresses than well, just selling dresses. She told me that I am not just selling a dress to a client, I am taking part in a very important time in a person's life. I was finding the perfect dress for a day that will never be forgotten in the bride's, grooms, family's, and friend's eyes. Okay, so now I knew what I was taking part of, but did I fully believe it? Yes and no.
At first I told myself, "Okay, if you want to sell, you have to believe in the vision of being part of something way bigger than selling a dress." It helped somewhat, but I still was not a top performer and did not truly believe it until I started getting feedback from the brides. Brides that had come to me after I was told by manager that I wasn't just selling dresses were stopping in and thanking me for making their experience so special.
Wow! I had a huge awakening. Now I truly believed that I was an important part of the process and could make a difference in a person's life through helping them find the dress of their dreams. My sales began to rocket, I was getting requests like crazy, and I was happy because I got to be a part of something very special.
I would not have ever become a top sales performer, if I did not believe in the company's vision. It is not enough to know the vision, but you have to live it as well. Managers are important in helping team members believe in the company vision. From the moment I started at the bridal company, I should have believed in the company vision. Managers should sell their vision to a new sales professional before they are even hired, and they need to make sure all existing team members believe it as well.
Create an atmosphere where the company vision is not just something printed in the employee handbook, but something that is evident from the moment you step in the door.
Read more about company vision in the post Four Corporate Barriers Your Company Can Overcome
Over the years, we have facilitated many team building sessions based on the powerful book - Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. If you have not read it... You really need to. This is a "Rainmaker Must Read".
What continues to amaze me is the lack of communication about what really needs to be talked about. What really needs to be talked about might be an unresolved issue, an inefficiency, or the lack of buy-in - emotional ownership.
I see team members exchange pleasantries and nod at one another in the hallways, but they do not talk about what needs to be really discussed. Why? I believe it is for two reasons:
- Behavioral Style differences catch us each a little "off guard".
- Transgressional events cause us to not want to do "that" again.
Behavioral Style Differences - We each have our own Behavioral Style that cause each of us to respond differently to Tasks / People situations and to be more "extroverted" or "introverted". Our "behavioral opposite" is likely to be in the workplace, and they drive us a little crazy as we do the same to them by being who we naturally are.
Transgressional events are events where something happened (most likely bad), and if it was forgiven after the transgression, human nature causes at least one party to do everything possible to avoid repeating the pain in the future.
In a nutshell... People are very complicated and that complication complicates normal issues to the point where they are not discussed as early as they should be and if problem issues actually are discussed - the best ideas do not come forth - nor does owners
hip of those ideas.
After every Five Dysfunctions of a Team training Workshop we facilitate, we advise teams to avoid leaving the future of the team to the best of human intentions to do the heavy lifting. If it is left to human beings to talk about what needs to be talked about - it will not likely happen.
The best approach to ensuring that the best ideas are heard, that buy-in is achieved, and that everyone's voice is heard is to build a system during meetings, where the leader goes around the room habitually to ensure that everyone's voice is heard - that all concerns are raised - and / or all the ideas get on the table.
I recommend going around the room 3-4 times in a "typical" meeting of 60-90 minutes - especially if the meeting is longer than one hour.
Yes this process takes time. But the time it takes to build work-arounds and counters to unresolved issues that could have been dealt with directly take far more time.
For more tips about communication during meetings check out this post @ Inc.com
Happy First Monday of December 2011!
Welcome to the new Monday Human Capital Strategies! Every Monday we will give you insight into the interesting blog articles of the week that will help improve your most important asset, your people.
This week's segment will provide insight into the CEOs viewpoint, making time for your team, not being "that guy", doing more with less correctly, and using "The Marshmallow Challenge" to strengthen your team.
Lisa Petrelli, C Level Strategies-Visionaly Leadership: What CEO’s Really Think About Values and Culture - In this post Lisa, who is a Chief Relationship Officer for CEO Connection, sat down with a few of her mid-member CEOs for a conversation of their views of the corporate values, purpose, and culture. Their answers are very interesting! We want to know if you agree with their insights and perspectives. Let us know if you agree or not, and also your perceptions of corporate values, culture and purpose by leaving a comment!
Shawn Murphy, Achieved Strategies: Let Yourself Be Interrupted By Employees - Shawn describes the average workday. You go to work, get into your routine of the hustle and bustle and don’t leave any time for your team members. Shawn explains that it is extremely difficult to notice what is going on around you while your schedule has you wrapped around its finger. Shawn then lists what is at stake by letting your busy schedule run your life. He also explains how you can slow down and make time for your team members! We want to know what you do to make time for your team members, leave us a comment letting us know how you slow down your day and control your own schedule.
Tim Sackett, The Tim Sackett Project: Don’t Be This Guy - In this post, Tim describes “that guy”. Everyone knows some form of “that guy”. You might even be one of those lucky people who know many versions of “that guy”. They are everywhere whether they are in your work life or personal life. Tim describes what “likes to argue his point guy” looks like. The point of this post is to understand what creates a “likes to argue his point guy” so that you don’t turn into him. Do you know “that guy”? Leave us a comment explaining “that guy” and what makes him stand out in the crowd.
Mark Royal and Tom Agnew, Great Leadership: Ready, Set, Enable - Mark and Tom explain in this post that the concept of “doing more with less” needs to be revolutionized. It explains that sometimes asking for employees to “do more with less” can frustrate them and wear them down. They explain how you can ask your employees to “do more with less” without causing frustration. They go on to explain how you can create a more enabling environment to increase productivity in your organization. Let us know how your team creates a more enabling environment in the comment section!
Tanveer Naseer, Tanveer Naseer’s Blog: What the Marshmallow Challenge Can Teach Us About Fostering Team Success - In this post Tanveer discusses “The Marshmallow Challenge”. Tanveer uses the TED talk “Build a tower, build a team” by Tom Wujec which explains Tom’s findings from performing the challenge with many different groups of people. Tanveer goes on to describe lessons that people can learn from “The Marshmallow Challenge”. Have you ever had to participate in “The Marshmallow Challenge”? Leave a comment and let us know!
Posted by
Joe Jones on Fri, Dec 02, 2011 @ 11:31 AM
With organizations clamoring for their team members to be more effective and efficient while "on the clock", and take stronger ownership in their work; 
a hot-button phrase in the workplace is Employee Engagement.
Instead of bombarding you with stats of what disengaged employees cost a company, which by the way is very high. We thought it would be beneficial to take a proactive look at a few opportunities for you to help increase engagement and trust among team members and leadership.
1.) Maximize Job Fit - Ensure that your employees are placed into positions where their behavioral style, values, and skills match that required of the job. Those who feel rewarded by their job, will show higher levels of engagement than those who are in jobs that do not inspire them.
2.) Set AND Communicate Expectations- Selecting employees who fit the job is only the beginning. It is critical to help shape the team member’s direction and purpose moving forward by communicating what is expected of them and time frames in which they should execute.
3.) Create Accountability and Follow-up Strategies - Maximizing the two strategies above without proper follow through can sabotage even the best-laid plans. Constant and consistent feedback is a two-way street that helps to foster a strong culture of trust and accountability among team members and managers.
4.) Customized Coaching Plans - Each of your team members are “wired” differently, thus offering a unique opportunity to create focused coaching and development strategies to fit their style. Utilizing comprehensive Coaching Reports can dramatically help execute your long-term talent management strategy.
Are your team members actively engaged? Actively Disengaged?
How do you know?
