Thanks for coming to the Healthier Workplaces Blog.  Read thru the material here and comment on any or all;  we'd love to read your feedback.  Can we help you start an on-boarding program; improve your interview process so that you are more likely to hire "winners"; develop leaders and supervisors; solve long-standing employee morale issues???  Give me a call to arrange your free, no-obligation consultation.  We'll arrange a program that meets your requirements and budget.  

Larry Wenger, President
Healthier Workplaces
877-872-6195
larryw@healthierworkplaces.com

For New Employees...It's Sink or Swim
Larry Wenger

On-boarding is a term developed and implemented in corporate America now for the last 10 years or so, and it's now just starting to gain some traction in the non-profit community.  What is on-boarding?
On-boarding is a series of activities designed to help new employees feel socially comfortable; to feel like they belong.   It is not what we typically call "orientation". 

When I was a young boy, I had to change schools frequently due to family moves.  I recall my sense of awkwardness those first few days, weeks and months.   When you are new in a situation, it takes a while before you stop worrying about whether or not you are accepted as a peer; whether or not you are being judged; will anyone eat lunch with you; how long will it be before I'm sure I have a friend?  At school this is a very uncomfortable time and it probably detracts from a student's ability to be academically successful. 

At work it's the same way.  The only difference is that when you are in a workplace situation the situation is more critical.  At work you are expected to produce and yet how can you do that when your life is filled with newbie anxiety.  On-boarding is about reducing that anxiety so that you can be more comfortable faster and so that you can be a productive member of the team more quickly.  Stories of where employees are treated insensitively by co-workers are all too common.  This just makes the new employee's adjustment even more difficult and increases the liklihood that they will not last for those critical first six months. 

So what are some examples of on-boarding?  What specifically can be done to help new employees feel like they are supported and assisted in their adjustment to their new work situation.   As you will see they are not difficult or expensive things but they become a program of activity that we intentionally implement to help new employees.

1.  Even before a new employee starts have a colleague-to-be send them a welcome note.
2.  If the employee is to be assigned a desk make sure it is clean, free of material from a former occupant and has an initial stock of supplies.  Make sure they have an email account established and know network log-on procedures.
3.  Welcome them on the first day and introduce them to other employees.
4.  Debrief them at the end of the day for at least the first two weeks.  Give  them the opportunity to discuss their observations and concerns.
5.  At the end of the first week, give them something to take home and share with family and friends.  Might just be a formal invitation for them to visit the office at a time in the near future.
6.  Assign someone to have lunch with the new employee those first few days.
7.  Arrange a photo-op with the CEO.
8.  Conclude the first week with a lunch or morning snack for the new employee and the assigned work group.  

Perhaps this list will help you think of other helpful ideas.  It's amazing how much of a difference it will make.  They'll go home every evening that first week feeling amazed and grateful that they came to work for you...that's what you want.  They'll share their joy with others.  You can't get better PR. 

The option of course is to do nothing and let time be the only event which helps people to eventually be comfortable at your workplace.  That's the "sink" part of the equation and that is exactly what will happen to too many new employees if that is your approach.  Develop your own on-boarding program; you'll be glad you did. 

The Magic "G" Word
Larry Wenger

I know that Thanksgiving is over but is it too late to thing about gratitude?  I don't think so.  Turns out, according to Life and Business Coach Lorin Beller, it's impossible to be grumpy and grateful at the same time and when we chose gratefulness we are more successful personally and professionally.  "We become more attractive to our boss, our clients, and our peers; we especially attract others who have a positive outlook on life."   Try  being grateful every day for a month,   and see if you don't you'll begin to see some benefits.  Like for example:

• it becomes easier to work with others; even difficult projects turn out better because of the cooperative relationships you will build.
• you'll find yourself saying "thank you" more often; acknowledging the hard work done by everyone around you.  
• even when things aren't going well,  you'll be grateful for the small things in life:  that you have a job, even if it might not be your ideal situation; that in your search to improve your life, you have found  hidden talents that you did not know you had.
• where others see obstacles to accomplishing a goal, you will see solutions, even new possibilities.

I'm reminded of Winston Churchill's famous quote, "Success in life is going from one failure to another with enthusiasm."  Such enthusiasm can only come when we have an attitude of gratitude for opportunities to be successful.

And we need to be grateful for the people in our lives both now and in the past.  People who have helped us alone the way; who have given us a word of encouragement; who loaned us their car for a job interview; or who gave us money when we were up against it financially.  The words of the song made famous by Josh Grobin a number of years ago remind us about times when others have helped us;  "you raise me up, so I can stand on mountains."   Be grateful!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Larry Wenger, Founder, Healthier Workplaces
(877) 872-6195

LarryW@HealthierWorkplaces.com

HEALTHIER WORKPLACES AND KENCREST PARTNER
TO PROVIDE INSPIRED LEADERSHIP FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE

Healthier Workplaces, a Bucks County, Pa.-based management training and employee relations consultancy, has partnered with KenCrest, a Plymouth Meeting, Pa.- based not-for-profit organization.  KenCrest is a pioneering provider of social and educational support services to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism.  Healthier Workplaces, headed by Larry Wenger, a veteran human resources consultant specializing in both the not-for-profit and corporate leadership arena, is leading the effort, which will enhance the professional knowledge of more than 300 KenCrest directors, managers and supervisors on management best practices to continue the program and service  delivery to KenCrest clients.  

            The course, entitled “Excellence in Leadership and Supervision” will build upon the leadership skills of KenCrest’s management and supervisory staff and positions the agency for future sustainability and continued growth.   KenCrest  provides services primarily in southeastern Pennsylvania, but also operates programs in Connecticut and Delaware, employing a total of nearly 2,500 people. 

The course provides participating staff with a 36-hour training program over a six-week period. It will help them solidify their understanding of leadership and management best practices, develop a clearer awareness of their own leadership styles, identify areas in which a change in their behavior might increase their leadership success, and apply the knowledge and assessment information to their daily activity.  The course is being held in several locations concurrently, so that staff from a  variety of work locations  can conveniently attend.  It is anticipated that all trainings will be completed by July 2016.

           

“KenCrest,” designated as one of the Philadelphia area’s top places to work, “is to be commended for taking on a staff development project like this”, says Healthier Workplaces’ Larry Wenger.  “It says a lot about their commitment to maintaining the workplace as a setting of excitement, growth and challenge.  We’re honored to be partnering with them in this effort.   Often, when economic times are uncertain, employee training is one of the first expenses to be cut.  KenCrest’s  bold move to make this kind of an investment in their future, and that of their staff, speaks volumes about the organization’s commitment to quality services.   

            Since 2005, many human service organizations and leading companies throughout the Northeast have trusted Healthier Workplaces, headquartered in Newtown, Pa., for training on leadership development and employee morale and relations. Larry Wenger and his team of expert trainers have years of experience in the area of social management.  To learn more about Healthier Workplaces, visit www.HealthierWorkplaces.com.

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You have reached the blog of Healthier Workplaces.  Read our posts, make comments and check out the rest of our website (www.healthierworkplaces.com) and see why our training services might just be what the doctor ordered for your organization.  

Getting Rid of the Annual Performance Evaluation
Sounds outrageous doesn't it.   No more annual evaluations.  Think of it!  There's a rationale behind this seemingly over-the-top recommendation.  The rationale is that when it comes to improving the performance of employees, and after all that is what it's all about, the annual performance evaluation is not where we should spend our time and energy.  Here's why.

1.  The communication during the typical performance evaluation is confusing.  It's 50 minutes of how great the employee is doing, followed by ten minutes of,  "but there is one other thing...."  And guess what, the employee walks out only remembering the negative comment.

2.  Annual performance evaluations serve a limited instructive function.  They are a requirement of a bureaucracy.  They are not an opportunity for teaching.  They are simply a review of performance over a period of time and normally that period of time is the 30 days before the supervisor wrote the evaluation;  that's the period of time that the supervisor can most readily recall, even though the evaluation is supposed to cover a year.  

3.  The annual performance evaluation too often is not done in a context of a positive relationship between supervisor and employee.  So the entire conversation is ripe for misunderstandings to occur.  (see the YouTube video in our current Newsletter for an example of misunderstandings).  It's not a positive relationship because the supervisor has made only minimal investment in building a relationship.  

4.  Annual performance evaluations are not done on time or done at all.  Not unusual to hear about organizations where a heavy majority of employees have never had a performance evaluation.  And sometimes the more senior level supervisors are the most negligent in carrying out this responsibility.

5.  The annual performance review has too many surprises; usually surprises about their performance which has not met expectations.   This means that employees have been working with the mistaken impression that their performance was at least "ok".  

So what is the option?  What both employees and supervisors need is regular, frequent performance feedback - daily if necessary.  New employees need daily feedback, more experienced, normally, less frequently.  This requires the full range of leadership skills in order to be done competently:   time management so that time for feedback is available; a commitment to the development and success of employees;  the ability to communicate good news and bad news with clarity, to mention just a few.

Let's get good at performance feedback. Begin by having frequent 1:1 meetings.  No, a 1:1 meeting is not chit-chat in the hallway.   Let's learn about how our employees learn and improve their performance; it'll be a little different for each.    Let's learn to teach;  see what John Maxwell says about equipping employees for success.   Stop playing 'sink or swim' with our employees and then telling them at the end of the year, if they last that long,  that they are drowning.

Set up Employee Perks that are Creative, "Cool" and not Expensive.

So you are not a Silicone Valley employer and you cannot afford free meals, child care, a year of parental leave or unlimited vacation time.  So what?  That doesn't mean that your benefit package needs to be same old, same old.  You can still be creative, cool and affordable.  Here are some ways to accomplish that, according to INC. writer Diana Ransom.

1.  Allow your employees to take a day off periodically to volunteer at a social agency.  Maybe you are already a social agency but doing this gives your employees a view of how things are at other agencies and maybe they will appreciate your place more.  They may also have opportunity to rub shoulders with corporate volunteers and might be eager to learn about what you are doing.
2.  Provide subsidized shares at a local community supported agriculture garden.  Great opportunity for your employees to learn about growing great, natural food.
3.  Subsidized gym memberships.  Negotiate with a local fitness center about a bulk membership purchase and you'll get the per person rate down very low.
4.  Give employees $100 per year to assist in their purchase of a non-motorized vehicle (bike, kayak, roller skates).   Physical activity not only builds health but fights of depression and the loss of their "mojo".
5.  Make benefit changes as flexible as possible.  Everyone is different.  Yes, it will cost more to coordinate but the savings might be more than made up in reduced turnover.
6.  Have focus group discussions employees annually to review their needs and interests with regard to perks.
7.  Tie perks to the bottom line.  Yes, some of them are very nice, but the reason they exist is to make the organization more effective and efficient.  If a perk is costing more than the savings it produces, chances are it should not survive.

6 Hot Tips to Help You Hire Winners

Very few of us have ever had any formal training in how to make hire decisions.  We learn as we go and we feel like out "gut" reaction to an applicant is pretty accurate.   Times have changed in the hiring game however and today you are likely to know more about the capacity of that copier you bought last month than you do about the applicant sitting in front of you.  They are all wearing a "mask" after all and your job, should you chose to accept it, is to get behind the mask and uncover what the applicant probably does not want you to know.

Making good hiring decisions can make all the difference for your organization.   You'll definitely be ahead of the game when it comes to employee morale; you will probably lower your turnover rate and the ability of the staff as a whole to meet your "mission" increases dramatically.  Since replacing even a $10 per hour employee, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, costs no less than $3800 out of pocket, you'll even save money.

So here are 10 smoking' hot tips to help you separate applicants who can really help you from those who will be around to collect a paycheck, and very little else.

1.  Remember, your objective is different than the applicant.  You want to find out as much about the applicant as possible; the applicant wants a job offer or at least a second interview.
2.  Watch out for "positive chemistry".  This feels good right away and you'll assume that you've finally found the right person.  But it probably has very little to do with whether or not the applicant can meet the job requirements.
3. Make sure your questions ask about the applicant's past work and experience.  Don't pose a scenario and ask, "what would you do?"  Past performance is the best predictor of performance in the future.
4.  Don't provide the applicant with a job description before the interview.  Plenty of time for that later.   The job description (especially if it's a good one) merely gives the applicant easy access to the verbiage he/she thinks you want to hear.
5.  Don't talk too much.  Wait for the applicant to answer difficult questions.  Be comfortable with silence.  If you as the interviewer are talking more than 20% of the time...you are talking too much.
6.  Use pre-prepared questions.  That way you will be able to listen intently without worrying about what your next question should be.

Making good hiring decisions is not necessarily a science, but you should always be trying to improve your ability to make these judgements.  Whatever hiring process you have, subject it to a quality control process.  Become a student of hiring and do it better today than you did yesterday.  

You have reached the blog of HealthierWorkplaces.  Read the latest posts, make your comments and then check out our WEBSITE  and see why we are your first choice for leadership training at your organization.  

A New Model for Staff Training    by Larry Wenger

If you are tired of sending people to conferences where they attend workshops that they barely remember when they get back to your agency, have a look at this.   The Healthier Workplaces training team is about 2/3 of the way through a project with an agency in New Jersey where we are combining classroom presentations with on-the-job coaching.  The program, beginning to end, will include 10 classroom presentations with lots of discussion and interaction.  Topics will be around management skills but are driven largely by input from the participants.  So far, we have talked about communication with difficult people, running meetings and the ability of these group home managers to support each other in making needed changes in their respective homes.  Simultaneously with this classroom experience, a training team member is visiting each home to help transfer the learning into actual group home operations.   All told, there will be 2 learning transfer visits to each group home.  

Recently, each group home manager was asked to identify something they had learned which was now reflected in the management of their house.  Each replied pointing to a specific change they had made as a result of the training and transfer of learning visit.  

Want to see your employees have more energy?  Want to reduce mistakes?  Do med errors drive you crazy?  Do your supervisors really supervise?  Are difficult conversations avoided?  This new model, classroom and coaching, may be just what you need.  Call us for more information.   1-877-872-6195

How About Respect for Front Line Employees!

by Larry Wenger 

There is a weird thing in a lot of human service organizations.  The farther down you go on the org chart, the closer you get to the real reason the organization exists.  But that is just where the weirdness begins.   The people at the bottom of the totem, on the front lines, are the ones who have the most to do with whether or not the organization meets its mission.   How did it end up that  normally they are the lowest paid employees?   Low pay is only where their problems begin.  They rarely are given input into the organization’s future even on matters which effect them directly.  Oh, they might be asked for their thoughts via a Suggestion Box but who really pays any attention to what’s in those boxes.  They’re a joke.   Training is rarely available for them since it’s difficult for them to be released to attend a class unless it’s for a licensing-mandated topic. 

But we’re not done.   Their work is extremely difficult…even dangerous.    They sometimes provide an intimate level of care that some of us would see as disgusting.  The front line is where the turnover is.  So there are always vacancies that sometimes require overtime to cover.  Overtime pay is nice but after a week or two of double shifts, you stop caring about the money…you just want to go home and sleep or be with family.  Their job involves working with vulnerable and disturbed populations where it’s easy to make mistakes;   negative events that you can get the blame for even when your training to handle these situations may have not occurred or may have been ineffective. 

One more problem.   They receive no supervision or a very poor level of supervision.  Their supervisors used to be front line workers and were rewarded for their hard work with a promotion.  That’s great.  But suddenly, they find themselves supervising former colleagues; sometimes friends, relatives and neighbors.  And most organizations do very little to help them with the adjustment.    Supervisors are not any different than anyone else…they don’t want to feel incompetent.   But no one has ever really made their job responsibility clear to them.   So in order to restore an air of competence to their psyche they gradually revert to a role they understand…direct care.   At that point,  supervision is something they used to do. 

So, what to do?   There’s no end of problems to be dealt with here.  Where do you start as a concerned human services executive?     Well before  you write your action plan,  begin by taking the time to really listen to front line employees.   Don’t assume that the problems I have identified here reflect the experience of your employees.  These will not be easy, simple conversations.   Some employees may be reluctant to talk with you.  In the past they may have been asked, “what can we do to improve your job” by other leaders.  But those leaders were going thru the motions…they didn’t really want to listen; they just wanted the appearance of being  a listening leader.  They had no intention of any follow through. 

Your attempts to listen must be buttressed by your vision… to bring front line employees into the mainstream of the organization.  You will meet resistance and a seeming lack of interest.  But keep going back to talk and listen.   When you can, take a front line employee out of their work environment.  Invite them to your office for lunch.  Take them out for a cup of coffee.  Demonstrate your determination to be a good listener.   Visit them on the overnight shift.  And above all,  follow-through.  Get back to people and let them know what you are doing about their suggestions.   Let them know you heard what they had to say.  If some suggestions are “over the top”, be honest and let people know that you will not be pursuing that and why.  They’ll want to know “why”.    Finally, reinforce your own effort at listening to front line employees by insisting that all other managers and supervisors do the same thing.  Transform your personal vision into a leadership team priority.    Hold each other accountable to demonstrate  respect for front line employees by listening.  Expect that you or another member of your leadership team will “listen” no less than daily.  After six months of this, your action plan should flow easily. 

You have reached the blog of HealthierWorkplaces.  Read the latest posts, make your comments and then check out our WEBSITE  and see why we are your first choice for leadership training at your organization.  

Are Your Staff Meetings a Waste of Time? - by Larry Wenger

Meetings have a terrible reputation.  Lots of talk and no action.  The "real" issues are never discussed.    There is very little discussion if the boss is in the room.  There's always the elephant...something that everyone knows about but that no one wants to discuss.

The problem is that at the very beginning, before the meeting ever began, the purpose of the meeting was not clear.  There was not an agenda and those who would be in attendance had very little input into the planning process.    So, it should be no surprise that when someone even hints that there may be a new meeting coming soon, the response is, "oh no, not another meeting."

But it's not how many meetings you have or how long they are, the issue is do they get the job done; are they productive?  Is the cost of the staff time for those in attendance outweighed by the value of decisions that were made;  do those decisions make the organization more effective and efficient.

Meetings are essential.  None of us can accomplish all that needs to be done by ourselves, so we have to get together with others and collaborate...figure out the best way to get things done.  Why do we resist them so?   Most of us are pretty social...we like being with people and enjoy a cooperative effort.  In meetings is where we should be the most productive.   From that perspective, time spent alone in our offices may represent a real waste.

So what can we do to make sure that our meetings are productive, interesting and even enjoyable.  Here are several suggestions that perhaps you have not previously considered.

1.  Introduce variety and physical activity into our meetings.  Bring toys:  nerd balls; play-doh; paper airplanes.   These are great sources of relaxation and move everyone's mood in a positive direction.
2.  Invite guest speakers.  Could be an outside "expert" or simply another employee who does not normally attend.  Listen carefully to their perspective on issues.
3.  Have walking meetings in your neighborhood.  Tell those you meet about your organization.  The physical activity also keeps the mind alert.
4.  Meet in a different location or arrange the seating differently.
5.  Allow 5-10 minutes at the beginning for "small talk";  things that people need/want to say before you get down to business.
6.  Acknowledge hard work done by team members.  Recognize their individual skills.  Make sure everyone has input.  Build trust so that people are open and honest in their communication.
7.  Subject the meeting to a CQI process.  Make sure that the effectiveness of your meetings is increasing.   Make sure that everyone accepts responsibility for having a good meeting.  Yes, strong facilitation is needed but everyone can and should identify problem areas as well as affirm positive group performance.

Now go and have a great meeting!  Comments anyone?

See why Healthier Workplaces is your training provider of choice:  www.healthierworkplaces.com

Here are 20 inspirational quotes compiled by Alex Reale that may help you achieve your goals....whatever they may be.

In the past, we’ve provided numerous inspirational quotes to motivate entrepreneurs. Sometimes, it just takes the right words or phrases to get someone motivated enough to pursue their goals. That is why we’ve gone back and found even more inspirational sayings to keep you striving for success. Check out our list of twenty more inspirational quotes for entrepreneurs below.

1. “The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.” –Nolan Bushnell.

2. “If you just work on stuff that you like and you’re passionate about, you don’t have to have a master plan with how things will play out.” - Mark Zuckerberg.

3. “Never give in – never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” - Winston Churchill.

4. “There are lots of bad reasons to start a company. But there’s only one good, legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is: it’s to change the world.” - Phil Libin.

5. “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” - Vince Lombardi.

6. "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover." - Mark Twain.

7. “You shouldn’t focus on why you can’t do something, which is what most people do. You should focus on why perhaps you can do, and be one of the exceptions.” - Steve Case.

8. “Be undeniably good. No marketing effort or social media buzzword can be a substitute for that.” - Anthony Volodkin.

9. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” - Walt Disney.

10. “It’s almost always harder to raise capital than you thought it would be, and it always takes longer. So plan for that.” - Richard Harroch.

11. “To any entrepreneur: if you want to do it, do it now. If you don’t, you’re going to regret it.” - Catherine Cook.

12. “If you don't know what to do with your life, do something that saves lives. The world is full of people in need; be the part of their life that fills that need.” - Sanjeev Saxena.

13. “I hate how many people think, “glass half-empty” when their glass is really four-fifths full. I’m grateful when I have one drop in the glass because I know exactly what to do with it.” - Gary Vaynerchuk.

14. “Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” - Biz Stone.

15. "You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try." Beverly Sills.

16. “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

17. “Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself.” - Oprah Winfrey.

18. "Fearlessness is not the absence of fear. It's the mastery of fear. It's about getting up one more time than we fall down." - Arianna Huffington.

19. "Don't let what you don't know scare you, because it can become your greatest asset. And if you do things without knowing how they have always been done, you're guaranteed to do them differently." - Sara Blakely.

20. "Never give up, because you never know if the next try is going to be the one that works." - Mary Kay Ash.

All of these people have seen hardships and difficulties in their life, but they were strong enough to persevere, which is why they are seen as icons in the business world. Learn from their example and use their words to encourage you to keep pursuing your goals.

Need assistance or have questions about starting or growing a business? Visit YourVelocity’s recommended service providers page today, or call 215-799-2599 or email info@YourVelocity.com. Click here to join as a free member.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Alex Reale - Content Writer/Social Media Marketing

Alex researches and writes extensively on Velocity’s Sales & Marketing, Finance, Technology, Operations, HR Management, Legal, and Growth & Development topics, as they relate to professional success and personal well-being.

How to Restore Trust in Your Workplace

1.  Apologize sincerely...without making excuses.  When you make a mistake, apologize and say it like you mean it.  Don't excuse yourself by blaming your poor performance on an outside event or circumstance.  Accept ownership for the mistake.  No "buts"....; anytime you hear a "but" it's fair to question the sincerity of the apology.  Don't be too quick to move away from how uncomfortable you are feeling.  Don't move to quickly into what you are going to do to correct your mistake.  Feel the mistake and allow others to sense your pain.  This path opens the door for members of your staff to do the same thing; it brings an atmosphere of reality and honesty to your discussions.  No longer are you talking about the way you wished things were or the way they are described in the brochure;  you're talking about things as they are;  it's the foundation for improved performance from top to bottom.

 

2.  Admit your mistakes and weaknesses;  ask for help and feedback.  If you feel insecure as a leader, this will be very hard to do.  If on the other hand you approach your responsibilities with a sense of self-confidence, you will accept the fact that you are not perfect and can always improve your performance; like the professional athlete, always looking for the slightest bit of competitive advantage.  And you ask for honest feedback from your colleagues; feedback that you take seriously and use as the foundation for your own growth and development.  What a great model for your organization:  that you, their leader, take concrete steps to improve your own performance, just as you expect others to do. 

3.  Share your personal life experience; take a chance; be vulnerable.  You're familiar with the phrase, "business is business and personal is personal..."   Well trust me that is nothing but a self-protective excuse.  The more we know about each other, the better we will be able to work together.  Yes you become vulnerable but it is that very vulnerability which makes you more trustworthy; it makes you human and more believable.  Some groups of employees do this periodically as a way of restoring a previously achieved level of trust.  It always binds people together in a new way.  It can be low impact; everyone is in charge of how much they reveal, but as the trust level grows each person will feel more comfortable in sharing what their personal life experiences look like.  Often it's these experiences which have a drastic impact on job performance, but when shared with co-workers they become an avenue for mutual support and assistance.  

 Trust within an organization is important to the organization's success.  High trust organizations, as several studies have illustrated, are more sustainable.  But it is not a piece of equipment; it feeds on the relationships which develop between employees.  It takes time to develop and must be maintained.  

Alignment is More Than Car Repair
by Larry Wenger

Watch an experienced crew boat team.  It's a vision of alignment, synchronization and harmony.  Aligned in rowing rhythm and rowing intensity, a crew boat team is in good shape to win a race.  Lacking that description however, the boat slows down, stalls, or goes in a circle.  If one rower tries to be the star or if a rower decides to take the day off, the chances of success decrease dramatically.   The crew must be accountable to each other; there may be a team captain, but they do not win races without a common understanding of team work and what they individually must do to be successful.  

So it is in organizations.  If everyone is rowing together the organization can produce achievements and performance beyond anyone's expectations;  they will have a sustainable advantage over any form of competition.  

But why do we so rarely see this kind of alignment in organizations. It all starts at the top.  Senior Leaders must set the example.  Their work must illustrate principles of good team work.  For example they will:

• trust that other team members will be committed to the success of the team
• honestly communicate, even when it means conflict and disagreement
• be considerate of the opinions of others, especially those directly effected by the issue at hand, but in the end they commt to a single clear strategy
• they commit to quality improvement; to be a better team member  (and a better team) today than was true yesterday
• monitor results, observe and listen; paying attention means you will have an "early warning" when a strategy is working or not working and to identify the lack of success honestly and without defensiveness.  That's the way to solve problems quickly.

In implementing these five characteristics, Senior Leaders set the model for the rest of the organization to follow.   The result is clear tasks and objectives.  Everyone knows exactly what they have to do next in order for the their team to be successful.  

Success is not reliant on superstar talent, great equipment and lots of money; it has to do with the staff, from top to bottom, and the degree to which they are in agreement (alignment) about what's most important.