Do you want your employees to be happy or satisfied?
Inc. Magazine posted an article by the founder of Zappos on why he sold to Amazon. The article bears reading for many reasons, but I was struck especially by its emphasis on ‘happy.’ I think that is an error in focus.
The whole idea of an employer making employees happy is presumptuous, in my view. There are too many variables not in the employer’s control. And an individual’s view of their happiness quotient changes, constantly.
As mentioned by both Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and Tony Hsieh, Zappos founder, rarely do people know what will make them ‘happy.’ Happy may be an allusive goal, some folks have it, others don’t. Happy isn’t an achievable outcome.
Control what you can control. Perhaps instead of happy, consider satisfied. (Some research indicates ‘happy’ is something one is born with.) Employee satisfaction can be ascertained, measured and even controlled. Beyond the formal testing/metrics, there is much you can learn just by being observant.
A few indicators to track employee satisfaction:
- Is there employee-traced vandalism?
- Is turnover high?
- Are people working productively?
- Do they volunteer for extra hours?
- Do they volunteer new ideas?
- Do they attend company sponsored events?
- Do they pick up after themselves?
- Do they refer their friends?
- Is there excessive absenteeism?
- What do employees say on exit interviews? Are they angry?
A coach’s view. I can share what is absolutely true and measurable. The reason most people leave their employer/job is they don’t feel appreciated. The corollary is also true. Many people accept jobs or stay in jobs where they are underpaid or perks missing because they know they can make a noticeable contribution will be appreciated, acknowledged and celebrated.
Continue reading 'Employee retention – Why employees stay'»
Coaching, Management strategies, Promotions, Uncategorized, career advice
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amazon, career advice, Costco, employee retention, happy employees, happy workers, leadership, management advice, Rita Ashley, six figure jobs, turn over, turnover, zappos
The price seems high the rewards, intangible; the value, great. So difficult to make that decision to hire a coach. Last night, I reviewed the statistics for a few of my recent job search coaching clients. Here’s what I found.
Client 1: Granted interviews with every company (10+) to whom he was introduced. Was told his resume was impressive and organized. Of seven options, it was he who declined to go forward with six companies, not the prospective employer. Once he decided on the two companies where he’d most like to work, received offers from both. Negotiations improved the offer of his choice. Continue reading 'More proof coaching works'»
Coaching, Management strategies, Promotions, Uncategorized, career advice
| career advice, career development, employment advice, executive careers, job search, leadership, management, Rita Ashley, six figure jobs, turnover
The intangibles will get you every time.
Since it is my job to give advice to people regarding career development and job search I dabble in a bit of anecdotal research to find answers. My style is to get the information right from the horse’s mouth: in this case, the executives who promote their direct reports (managers) to executive positions. Here’s what the corner office says about how to get promoted from manager to executive.
The first queries I sent out resulted in exactly the list of guidelines one would expect:
- Volunteer for more responsibilities
- Do what you can to stay visible
- Learn all you can
- Cooperate with other departments
- Deliver on your groups’ charter
- Stay up to date on the market and your area of expertise
- Maintain your brand
Continue reading 'What can you do to get promoted from manager to executive?'»
Jump from Director to Vice President
The biggest leap you will make in your career is from Director to Vice President. The jump from Director to Vice President is so difficult because a Vice President is commonly an officer of the company with implied legal liability.
The Board and “C” level employees are certain to vet a prospective Vice President very carefully because it is extremely costly to remove a VP once in place. Firing a Vice President creates bad publicity and can affect the stock price, not to mention the disruption of running the business.
1. The clearest path to jump to a VP level job is to be promoted. More commonly, currently in place Directors are promoted to Vice President because they have proven they can stand up to the challenge and the scrutiny of the Board. They have proven themselves in a manner no outside candidate can. Even if you are not especially interested in a longer career with your current employer, a promotion is your clearest path to VP. Take steps to make that happen possibly using a Coach. Once you have achieved VP status, you will be seen as a VP candidate generally. The key to promotion for a technology executive for any position, is to be seen as a business person who understands technology. Continue reading 'How to get promoted from director to vice president'»
Is there a tug of war to get your team to do what you need done?
When was the last time you had a new idea and spent most of your time ‘selling’ it to your direct reports? Or worse, monitoring to insure they do what they committed to doing?
How do you spend your time? Do you feel you spend 80% of your time with personnel issues instead of getting product out the door or landing that big sale? And how is turnover? A bit high? We know how expensive that is.
Frequent complaints professional employees make and in fact, reasons they change jobs are:
- I don’t feel appreciated
- My ideas are not acknowledged,
- I have no say in what I do.
First step. Abandon the idea you are responsible for the solution to every challenge. Let the team be the hero. Sure, you get the final vote, but if you are committed to a quality outcome, let your team participate in the decisions. When it’s their own, they have vested interest in a successful outcome.
Second Step. Approach all challenges from the standpoint of solutions, not problems. Teach your team a new vocabulary. Use this approach as you instruct them. Get the direct reports on board with reminders that stating the obvious isn’t a conversation starter. Have them tell you a solution, even if it isn’t a viable one; it starts the conversation and it changes the content from negative to positive: Here’s the situation and here’s what I propose to fix it. Continue reading 'Get what you want from your team the easy way for lowered stress, reduced turnover'»
Management strategies, career advice
| career advice, career development, career management, employee retention, engage teams, executive careers, job search, management tips, Rita Ashley, turnover
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Themocracy