What Marketers Can Learn From Old Spice

Old Spice rolled out a series of videos on YouTube where their spokesperson directly responded to people's Twitter updates in short, funny clips. This marketing program spread like wildfire on the web, and to me, it seemed to be an incredibly important example of how the web is changing marketing and how businesses connect with customers. Instead of the top-down one-to-many approach, Old Spice tried the opposite. They tried one-to-one. In a single day, the marketing team behind the Old Spice campaign produced 89 videos. That's crazy. And most of them were really offbeat and engaging.


When many businesses try to leverage the web to create an "innovative' marketing program, they focus too much on the technology, and not enough on the people. They create complicated systems where customers earn 'points,' and ask customers to give before they can receive. (eg: opt-in, log in or sign up). But what often works best are things that are simple. Things that engage real people in basic ways. And that's what Old Spice did. These are the lessons from it:

• Get Closer to Customers
• Be Nimble
• Target Influencers
• Target the Little Guy
• Don't Worry About Owning the Platform
• Real-Time is a Powerful Engagement Factor
• Have Fun

Does your marketing program have these elements?

How Good Are Your Delivery Skills?

One thing I learned early on in my career (Career 1.0) was you had to have strong delivery/speaking skills. As I moved up the HR ladder to the executive suite those delivery skills were so important that if you did not have strong speaking/influencing skills you would not be successful. Now in a consulting  and blogging role they play an even more important part in Career 2.0. That also goes for strong grammar and the ability to utilize vocabulary effectively. 


So what should you take away from this blog post? Here are some questions/pointers you should look at or ask to measure your personal ability to communicate and influence effectively:

• do you have command of the audience?
• do you utilize effective use of your voice and inflection?
• do you practice articulation to make sure your delivery is clear to the audience, not just to you?
• do you apply a speaking/delivery strategy to your delivery?
• do you prepare effectively?
• is your presentation at a level that people will understand it clearly?

I can tell you from experience if you do not ask yourself these questions and work on how to fine tune them your ability to communicate effectively will stumble. As I said in the opening paragraph, you need to work on this even prior to your career and hopefully your professors in college provided you with insight and your college with courses on how to "communicate and influence effectively". 

How Heads of HR Should Spot the Future Leaders in Your Business

HR is typically responsible for identifying the future leaders of an organization through succession planning sessions, talent development programs and yes being in the business daily to observe. If you where to look at areas to determine your future leaders, what would you use to do this, absent any formal programs? Here is what I would look at in addition to your programs:

• individuals who consistently deliver ambitious results for the company
• individuals who consistently demonstrate the ability to grow, adapt, and be more flexible than their other top performing peers
• individuals who ask for opportunity and expand their capacity of operation and influence
• individuals who take things to the next level (ie: imagination, creativity, product futures etc)
• individuals who have strong powers of observation, judgement, reactions that are spot on, and EQ
• individuals who are clear thinkers and have a point-of-view that may be counter to the trend, and finally
• individuals who ask questions that are insightful that get the thought process into a creative frenzy.

The bigger question is are you astute enough and involved enough in your organization to see these features in your talent pool? If you need a book to help you read Ram Charan's book Know-How. 

How to Keep Your Top Talent

Practically every company these days has some form of program designed to nurture high-potential employees. But a recent study by the Corporate Executive Board demonstrates that nearly 40% of internal job moves made by people identified by their companies as "high potentials" end in failure. Disengagement within this cohort of employees also is remarkable: One in three emerging stars reported feeling disengaged from his or her company. Even more striking, 12% of all the high potentials in the study said they were actively searching for a new job--suggesting that as the economy rebounds and the labor market warms up, organizations may see their most promising employees take flight in large numbers. Why do companies have so much trouble bringing along their next generation of leaders? The Corporate Executive Board's research showed that senior managers make misguided assumptions about these employees and take actions on their behalf that actually hinder their development. When dealing with high-potential employees, firms tend to make six common errors: assuming that all of them are highly engaged, equating current performance with future potential, delegating the management of high potentials down in the organization, shielding promising employees from early derailment, expecting stars to share the pain of organization-wide cutbacks, and failing to link high potentials and their careers to corporate strategy. These mistakes can doom a company's talent investments to irrelevance--or worse.

Here are some things you should do to keep your top talent on track:

1. don't just assume they are engaged - give them stimulating work, a chance to prosper, and recognition or they will walk
2. don't mistake current high performance for future potential - test candidates for ability, engagement, and aspiration
3. don't delegate talent development to line managers - this will limit the talents access to senior members
4. don't shield talent - place talent in live fire roles
5. don't assume top talent will take one for the team - compensate top talent differently and creatively
6. don't keep young leaders in the dark - share strategy with them

How does your talent management program stack up against these areas? If you think your program needs a thorough review you should click on the link above and read this article in detail.

Goals vs. Objectives and Strategy

First, lets give a quick clarification of definitions. Goals are your general intentions, the big picture aims or you or your company.

Your objectives are the outcomes that represent achievement of that goal. Things you can actually observe. In order to be classified as an objective, you have to measure them. You need a way of defining whether you have or have not completed them successfully.
Strategies are the action plans you’ll execute to reach the objective. Tactics are the pieces and parts of the strategy:

GOAL(S): To increase our company’s footprint through participation in social media.
OBJECTIVE(S): Increase our blog subscribers by 15% in 6 months. Grow our LinkedIn connections by 250 members (a 25% increase) by the end of the year. Establish a Facebook Page with 500 fans within 6 months to 9 months
STRATEGY(IES): Develop a strategy or set of strategies for each one. It is a roadmap for how you will get there.

So that is the set hierarchy. Set these rules in place for as you review and edit your goals, objectives, and strategy for the remainder of 2010 & planning for 2011 to increase your exposure to the world and build your social media portfolio.

Executing in a Fast Changing Environment

This excerpt summary from Workforce Magazine (June 2010) caught my eye because of the ever changing environment HR people are in today. Not only is the business models changing but so is the economy and the drivers of competition.

Executives must be able to lead their companies to quickly adapt to new market forces in this unpredictable economic climate. Under these extreme conditions that face companies survival depends in part to sound strategy but even more so on effective strategy execution. HR executives or aspiring HR executives this is a key point for you in your HR execution.

Because execution plays such a critical role in success or failure, especially during a crisis, many companies are turning to new technology solutions to ensure they can deliver on strategies and emerge even stronger. Any company that fails to adapt quickly and efficiently to market changes can miss important opportunities ir risk their very survival.

With that prologue, here are some key barometers to attain or execute to going forward if you are not already doing this:

• A new strategy is not enough - executing under these extreme market conditions is not enough, meaning you need to make sure you touch every point of the strategy timeline and product offering.
• Align your workforce with what you want to accomplish - workforce alignment and performance is critical.
• Be prepared to change course or rethink your strategy monthly - it is difficult to get your strategy right the first time so review religiously. 
• Leverage performance and talent management solutions for business execution - this will help you attain the top and bottom line results. 

If you are an HR practitioner you need to make sure you are working directly with your CEO to accomplish these goals. If not then you better begin or you will be left out in the cold and people will question your value to the organization. 

Corporate Social Responsibility: HR's Leadership Role

In a global economy, increasingly organizations have a responsibility to facilitate, demonstrate and promote corporate social responsibility (CSR). Long-term sustainability demands that organizations rethink their business goals and objectives from solely focusing on making a profit to corporate citizenship and employee involvement.

Today, the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is beginning to be seen in communities throughout the world--from human rights and labor practices to health care and the environment. At home and abroad, human resources heads play a critical role--that of leading and educating their firms regarding the importance of CSR while at the same time strategically implementing sound HR management practices that support the company's business and CSR goals.

Do you as a human resources leader fall into this cateory, if not why not?

Five Ways to Maintain Authenticity With Social Media

Over the past several years, businesses have flocked to social media. Many have done so because they want to, and many more have done so because they think they have to.

The increasing use of social media amongst businesses reflects the fact that social media is important, even if its value can be somewhat difficult to define and quantify. But social media is just a platform, and realizing value from its use requires the right type of use.



Businesses have been flogged over the head with the advice about being 'authentic' when using social media. But what does that really mean? Here are five tips for being authentic and maintaining authenticity with business social media use.

• Make it personal
• Keep it real
• Don't be afraid of opinion
• Focus on interactions, not followers and fans
• Keep the distribution of traditional marketing messages to a minimum

For the full text click on the link above.

Views on Wasted Thought Leadership Concepts

I have had the opportunity to sit in on a group in metro-Atlanta discussing thought leadeship in HR and here is what I have observed. There are a lot of senior HR executives out of work right now and the value they bring to business is extraordinary. However, out of work means that their views and value to the business is sorely missed and their talents wasted looking for work.

I think that these individuals should put together a consortium and market their expertise in a consultancy role. That being said, they ahve to do the following:

• You have to do is to determine your leadership point of view—your thoughts about leading and motivating people. Your leadership point of view relates to who you are as an individual. It grows out of who influenced you, what your purpose is, what your values are, and what people can expect from you. This is important because research has shown that the most effective leaders have a clear leadership point of view and they’re willing to share it with others.
• I suggest that people use all the other forms of information technology available to get their message out—film, radio, blogs, television, newspapers, etc. You can also be so good at what you do that your customers become your sales and marketing team.
• A good reputation and word-of-mouth advertising is more effective than most marketing campaigns. The bottom line, though, is that you have to get the word out somehow. You can have the greatest, most innovative thoughts in the world, but if nobody hears about them, they’re worth squat.
• Some people still don’t know that their role as leaders is to serve, not to be served. The truth is, if you want love, you have to give it away. If you want money, you have to give it away. If you want success, you have to give it away.

I hope that the talents these individuals possess gets out into the business world because they have so much to offer and in todays economy every business can use their knowledge. I have tried to do this through my blog and slowly the word is getting out that the most talented HR executives have missed the boat on helping business. 

So, what are your thoughts on this important topic? Email me at wgstevens2@gmail.com .

Top Human Resources Issues for the Future

HR has been at the proverbial crossroads for far too long. Walking the fine line between demonstrating strategic value and providing traditional HR services, the industry remains stuck, as the business environment around it grows increasingly global and complex.



While there is no silver bullet, Hewitt believes HR’s survival and success depends on four “bold bets” that not only provide a solid foundation and add organizational value, but also work to expand the influence of HR leaders. While HR’s soft side is still important in today’s post-Enron business world, in order to thrive in tomorrow’s HR environment, companies need to take bold steps to provide holistic, business-focused, data-driven human capital solutions.
 

Four Bold Bets on Where HR Is Headed

Based on Hewitt research, HR must place their bets on four key areas: performing predictive analysis on human capital processes, delivering a steady talent supply, driving organizational performance, and building integrity and trust in the workplace. What makes these bets particularly bold is not so much the focus itself, but the fact that the HR of the future will drive and be held accountable for these areas in their entirety. Rather than reduce the role of HR, these four bets broaden the scope and impact of the role, pushing HR to operate more like a business unto itself—a business focused on driving organizational capability. All four areas bring a holistic approach to addressing human capital challenges with a clear tie to fact-based results and metrics, and produce a more strategic, business-focused HR organization.
 
Human Capital Research and Development



HR of the future is taking the lead in advanced data mining and predictive modeling of human capital processes to identify new business insights. Moving beyond traditional scorecards or dashboards that provide a static snapshot of progress, these HR functions are taking a true R&D approach using systematic, fact-based, and scientific methods, to uncover new relationships and opportunities for human capital to drive organizational performance.
 
Driving the Talent Engine



HR of the future is also redefining and expanding its focus in the area of talent by managing a seamless “human capital supply chain” to ensure the organization’s talent engine is always humming with a ready supply of top talent. This includes the challenge of harnessing the capabilities of a more diverse, global, and virtual workforce. Leading HR organizations are breaking down barriers and taking a holistic approach to managing the sourcing, development, and mobility of their top talent and inventing new approaches to accessing required skills for both today and tomorrow.
 
Organizational High Performance



HR of the future is taking accountability for driving performance at the organization, team, and individual levels. By managing performance as an end-to-end process and focusing on business outcomes, HR has an opportunity to integrate the various components that impact performance into one framework. This means a much more rigorous approach to establishing performance expectations, tying opportunity to potential, and ensuring rewards are tailored by population. This includes newer HR areas such as space management and organizational design that impact employee engagement and productivity.
 
Organizational Stewardship



HR of the future is also assuming a renewed role in building a sense of community, trust, integrity, and even spiritual meaning for the organization. In response to the anxieties of a post-9/11 and Enron world and the growing awareness that people want more meaning out of their work life, more and more companies are striving to build a stronger connection with employees and their communities. What HR brings to the table is not merely employee advocacy experience, but a unique ability to weave together the various components of stewardship, build a stronger bond between employer and employee, and prove the long-term benefits of investing in employees.
 
Pass along your thoughts to me at wgstevens2@gmail.com or kulshaan.singh@hewitt.com at Hewitt

A View From the Top

A good friend of mine has a search company in Atlanta that just put this out in an email. It is so important that I had to share it with our readers. Take heed future HR Execs:

It’s time for HR Leadership to shine!



During the later part of 2009 and in 2010, we have observed that corporate leadership and corporate boards are placing an increasing emphasis on knowing about the depth of talent, experience and competencies within their corporate ranks.


For the first time, boards are viewing leadership as a true enterprise risk. This has been highlighted and perhaps, exacerbated by the current economic situation and by the pressure on corporations to adjust to a new reality while establishing a baseline for growth. Shareholders are demanding enhanced value and are evaluating the depth of their corporate leadership for their ability to execute and deliver.


Now, the human resource function is in the spotlight and CHROs have a true opportunity to step forward. Talent, not access to capital, is at the forefront of this value equation.


Research suggests that the impact and success of talent management programs is largely determined by the continuing importance that is placed on these programs by the CEO. And, without CEO support, talent management fails to gain acceptance or be baked into the corporate culture and performance expectations. That is why that only a small percentage of companies that embark on these programs have met or exceeded expectations.

Now, the tables have turned.



Boards and CEOs are looking to their CHRO to “truly” be the Chief Talent Officer!


Our progressive clients are placing much more emphasis on talent management with recognition that it is a key element of developing and executing any growth strategy. It is “the” critical link that so often is missing or underappreciated. We are seeing this trend among companies of all sizes and dimensions.


Here is what we have learned about succeeding with talent management and a few thoughts to keep in mind.


One size doesn’t fit all.


As talent management programs are long term commitments, moving forward at a pace that is consistent with your organization’s willingness to “own” such a process is essential. Pressing ahead too quickly, oftentimes will lead to stumbling blocks or derailment that will not result in the desired outcome. We recommend a tailored approach specifically geared to your company’s unique requirements, thereby offering the best opportunity for creating a true leadership to value pipeline synching up with your corporate strategy and culture.


From a career point of view, we have conducted several HR searches in the past year. Companies seek strategic insight from their human resource leader. More to the point, our clients seek a CHRO who understands how to attract, evaluate and retain critical talent.


Are you one of those HR executives who possess this experience, mindset and competency?

Thanks you to the Koblenz Group

Leadership Development - 7 Quick Steps to Business Success

I have spent thousands of hours in the business world developing programs to develop leaders. I have also wasted hundreds of hours doing this because some organizations are not ready to develop leaders, do not believe in it, can't afford it or want to spend the money on it. There are a whole host of excuses but to succeed in the business world today and to retain your best talent you better rethink your position. 


A successful leadership development program starts with alignment to company strategy and understanding the leadership style needs. If you are the number 2 person in your organization or have a day-to-day close working relationship with the CEO you should have no problem with this.


Here are sever(7) quick steps that will lead you to business success: 

1. Develop a leadership style - that is identifying the type of work, complexity of the organization, and qualifications of  the followers. 
2. Identify your leaders and up and comers - if you know your human capital you would not need someone to tell you who are the leaders
3. Identify leadership gaps - yes you can do gap analysis all day long but if you understand the business you can see it in plain sight
4. Develop succession plans - simple to do without all the bells and whistles of expensive on-line cloud computing or software. You can dumb this down if need be or ramp it up based on budget
5. Develop career plans for the potential leaders 
6. Develop a leadership roadmap - there should be an end and time frame so the potentials will not walk away because of no action
7. Develop a retention program

This process is simple or it can be complicated based on your organization. I can tell you from first hand experience if you have a leadership development program that goes no place you will see your human capital walk out the door, that includes your HR team. There can be a lot of hard work that goes into this and if there is no activity and just an exercise you have lost your credibility. So what do you think of that? 

1. 
   

How to Transition Your Career

I though that since there are a lot of human resources professionals out in the market today that this information would be helpful. Although, HR practicioners always say that you should network I have found that HR people are the worse offenders. Given that statement, I hope this helps or that you tweak your strategy.

If you are searching for a job or for a new career entirely, you are likely faced with a mixture of emotions: You know you awesome, but you have to convince a hiring manager of the same thing! Maybe you are considering a new path for your future, and are trying to start some things from scratch. Either way, here are some tips on how to approach the next chapter of your career:

• Get Social - You know how they say that your next job will come to you via networking? Increase the chances of that happening by getting more involved in social media. If you're not on Facebook, join. If you're not on Twitter, join. If you're not on LinkedIn, join. But even though these are powerful tools, being social extends offline. Take people out to lunch or for coffee, set up phone calls with people you admire or former colleagues, and meet new people at meetings & events. Don't just rely on Twitter or email to extend a connection, get in touch with people in other ways to build relationships.
• Get Over Yourself - Sorry if this one is blunt, but it has to be said. Oftentimes the biggest barrier we face is ourselves. Maybe you already use Facebook, but have very strict rules about who you friend. You know, like you will friend current real-life friends and close family members, but not second cousins, former colleagues or childhood friends. I totally get that, but...
• Create a Brand Identity - I know, this sounds creepy. You don't want to be a "brand," you just want a job that you deserve. And you're right. But... now you need to find that new gig. So, by 'brand identity' I mean, just find a simple way to explain your value, and be consistent with that explanation across all your networks. How you talk in person with folks, and across online networks. Consider reading "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek.
• Get Involved - Let's just say that now you are on LinkedIn, on Facebook, on Twitter, and maybe even have a blog. Now, get involved with people. This is not about 'having a profile,' but about sharing expertise, sharing your life, listening to others and finding ways to be of assistance. If you are still at the place where you are saying 'nobody cares about what I am eating for lunch,' then you have to ask yourself: how will ANYONE know of your value if lunch is the only thing you can think of updating Twitter with? Your resume is one of a thousand sitting on someone's desk. Find a way to share your value in other ways, not as a resume, but as a person.
• Embrace LinkedIn, Not as a Thing, but a Place - Get serious about LinkedIn. CRAFT your profile, and continually maintain it and make it better. Ask people for recommendations. Get involved with LinkedIn Answers and Groups. There is so much information and networking going on in LinkedIn, and so much of it is in the business context, with each response 100% connected to a person's real name with their real bio/resume. So powerful.
• Help - Seriously. Help people. On Twitter, on Facebook, on LinkedIn, in real life. If you aren't helping people every week, then how are you proving your value? And don't overthink it - don't only help people that you think are 'worth it.' Help everyone you can. I can't stress this enough.
• Create a Support System - This is critical. Transitions wreak havoc on your emotions. Everything is now in question: your identity, your future, your day-to-day. This is going to sound like pre-school, but find a buddy. I'm serious. Find someone that you schedule a weekly phone call with. This call is unchangeable, nothing can get in the way. This is the person you brainstorm with, the person you help and who helps you, the person that you gain some sanity with. If you can, get a few buddies, two or three people you touch base with each week, people who keep you accountable, and help you set and achieve goals. Important caveat: these people need to be outside of your immediate family. People who have no immediate stake in your future.
• Publish or Connect Every Day - This is my rule: every day I must publish or connect. Why? Because it would be all too easy for me to get caught up in SEO research or diving into web analytics reports, but after a few days, realize that NOTHING I did affected anyone else's life. So every day, I must publish something to the web or connect with someone in a meaningful way, usually a phone call, Skype call or lunch.

I want to thank Dan Blank for this information.

Sustainable Talent Planning, and a New Role for Recruiters and HR

Past talent initiatives have generally not aimed at people, but at improving efficiency, managing work flows, and ensuring quality. Now, service, innovation, and relationships are seen as the enablers of increased profit as the spotlight moves away from manufacturing and production. HR has the opportunity to shine or be replaced by some other function as it is asked to ensure the availability of and quality of talent. Recruiters are central to that effort and many changes are underfoot.


Shift Your Thinking



Instead of thinking about your job as filling requisitions, or sourcing candidates, or screening people, think of it as providing talent guidance to management. Recruiters can help managers achieve their business goals by helping them determine what combination of skills and experience will make it easier for them to achieve their business goals.


You can push back on hiring managers who seem to be asking for talent that is not right for the direction the organization is headed. You will also need knowledge of the talent market and be able to speak intelligently about the availability of certain kinds of talent with numbers and facts.


Having the right frame of mind is the most important aspect of change. It will not be easy to begin thinking like a solutions provider rather than a “slot filler,” but as long as that is your goal and you periodically assess whether you are moving in the right direction, you will succeed.

Reinventing HR

I had a discussion with an esteemed colleague the other day at an HR meeting about reinventing HR in light of the current economic environment. I wonder if other HR practioners have given any thought to this since HR has for many companies taken a hugh hit both with personnel reductions and what their real value is to the business.

I think that if you are on top of your game you would be thinkning of this on a daily basis. Asking real questions about your departments' value and how the business preceives it. Think of these few things when you have that in-depth discussion with yourself, CEO, and department members:

• do they truly understand the economics of business?
• do you and they understand the new changes in healthcare and the impact on the business?
• do they really understand the business or just the basics?
• are they fully engaged with the managers they support?
• what profound improvement can they make that benefits the business?
• do you have a direct link to the CEO, I mean report to them?
• is the HR department disconnected from the daily operations?
• do you really understand talent development and process improvement?
• are they Six Sigma ceretified?
• have you off-loaded administration to a self service enviroment?

These are just a few questions you should be asking yourself and your staff. What are your thoughts on this very important subject, drop me a line at wgstevens2@gmail.com

How Well Do You Really Read?

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. If you can raed tihs, psot it to yuor wlal. Olny 55% of plepoe can.

Intsring tohught.

Putting the 'Social' in Social Media

Paul Gillin of IDG recently surveyed 55 marketers, including many at b-to-b companies, about their satisfaction with social media tools. While the results aren't statistically valid, they yield some interesting insight on how the media landscape has changed. 

Respondents said that in 2006 their companies were using an average of less than one social media platform each. By last year, the average had swelled to more than eight. Equally interesting were the satisfaction ratings. Just two of the 55 respondents said they perceived the ROI on their social media investments to be negative, while 46 rated it somewhat or very positive.

There's both good and bad news in these trends. Businesses have clearly turned the corner in their adoption of social platforms, but the rush to join the party indicates that they may be reverting to the mass-market mentality that social marketing explicitly rejects.

The mindset of mass has been ingrained in the marketing conscience for a century. In a world in which the only efficient way to relay a message to a small number of people who cared was to bother a large number of others who didn't, big media was the only game in town.

Online media have flipped this equation. Success is now defined by the ability to establish meaningful conversations about very specific topics. Quality displaces quantity, and relationships replace messages. 

A lot of marketers are having a hard time grasping this because they spent so many years doing the opposite. They see new channels as a way to build another mass audience for the same old messages. They wear their Twitter follower count as a badge of honor. They miss the point. 

Social media are called social for a reason. They are a means to create relationships between individuals. Human resources professionals at Sodexo Worldwide have learned this. The big food service and facilities management company has all but discarded job boards in favor of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and a variety of conversational tools. The reason: They found that initiating conversations with applicants before moving them into the recruitment funnel improved both recruiter efficiency and candidate enthusiasm. Along the way, the volume of applications jumped 25% in two years, while recruitment ad spending dropped $300,000. 

The new challenge for b-to-b marketers will be to exploit the potential of social media to create connections between all their employees and all their constituents. This will present enormous governance issues as we begin to “media-train” entire companies instead of just a few individuals. That's a topic for future columns. For now, the challenge is to discard the old economics of mass and embrace the value of one-to-one.

What the Best Companies Do to (Re)engage Their Employees

Engagement refers to the commitment employees feel toward their organization (eg, their willingness to recommend it to friends and family, their pride in working for it, and their intentions to remain a part of it). But it’s also about employees’ discretionary effort – their willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty or go the extra mile for the organization. Right now, as organizations need to do more with less and strive for greater efficiency, tapping into the discretionary effort of employees is more essential than ever.



While necessary, engagement alone is not sufficient for achieving maximum levels of individual and organizational effectiveness. Indeed, many organizations characterized by high levels of employee engagement still struggle with performance issues. Leaders must not only engage and motivate employees but also enable them to channel their efforts productively.

In an enabled workforce, employees are in roles that optimize their skills, abilities, and interests. Likewise, employees have the essential resources to get the job done (eg, information, technology, tools and equipment, financial support), and they are able to focus on their key responsibilities without wasting time navigating obstacles in the work environment, such as procedural restrictions and non-essential tasks.

Companies that consistently focus on people as their most important asset are likely to foster the employee engagement and employee enablement necessary to cope with economic challenges and set the stage for enhanced performance as the economy recovers. Hay study results and consulting experience show, when it comes to employee issues, a downturn is not the time to take your eye off the ball. Organizations that follow the lead of Most Admired Companies and put people first in both good times and bad times will be rewarded with employee loyalty and motivation to drive sustained performance.

7 Strategic Questions Business Media Leaders Should Be Asking

Over the last few weeks a major swathe of the quoted business media companies have been reporting their results. While I have covered some of them on this blog I have not done so from the perspective of a financial analyst. Instead, I find it fascinating to see the leadership teams of these companies present their strategy for their businesses.

Individually these results presentations tell a lot about how an individual business is shaping up. What are the threats to their traditional markets? How are they making the transition to a digital future? How strong is the management team? etc. What gets more interesting though is when you aggregate these presentations and try to distil some key themes from them.

So here I would like to pull out 7 key questions that I believe business media companies should be asking themselves if they are to prepare themselves for the years ahead:

1. What business am I in?
2. What does my company do really well?
3. In which markets do we own brands with ‘last-man standing’ advantage?
4. What is our emerging markets strategy?
5. What are we doing to move up the value chain of information in your chosen markets?
6. Is my business structured for the past or the future?
7. Can I explain my company strategy clearly, simply and believably?

Any others that you’d like to contribute? Please send me your comments to wgstevens2@gmail.com .

from Rory Browns blog

Emotional Intelligence - Test Yourself

One of the most overlooked areas in executives in their emotional intelligence. You should test yourself by going to this link: http://psychology.about.com/library/quiz/bl_eq_quiz.htm.

See how you fair.

The Top 10 Leadership Qualities

Leadership can be defined as one's ability to get others to willingly follow. Every organization needs leaders at every level. Leaders can be found and nurtured if you look for the following character traits.



A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achieve it. But it’s not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and act upon it. Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., said, "Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion."



A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He or she must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious.



A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions and those of the team toward the goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A leader does not suffer “analysis paralysis” but is always doing something in pursuit of the vision, inspiring others to do the same.

• Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity. Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.
• Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.
• Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible throughout the company. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership.
• Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god. Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian leaders, and he pursued a “follower-centric” leadership role.
• Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.
• Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, “What if … ?” Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is, “I know this is a dumb question ... ”
• Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.
• Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there will be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expect from their leader.
• A sense of humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment. And simply put, humor fosters good camaraderie.

Intrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks, height and so on are not necessary to become a leader. Anyone can cultivate the proper leadership traits. So, can you define the leadership traits your managers and CEO have against these qualities?


By David Hakala on March 19, 2008 The Help

 

Coming Soon to Your Business: A Leadership Crisis

Worried about your next generation of leaders?



You’re not alone. According to a new survey about leadership skills from Pearson and Executive Development Associates Inc. (EDA), 57% of business executives said their leadership talent pipeline was the same or weaker today than it was two years ago. Seventy-five percent said increasing bench strength will be their top business priority for the next two to three years. Is this too little too effort?

When asked what skills were needed to assume executive positions within the next three to five years, respondents cited strategic thinking, leading change, the ability to create a vision and engage others around it, the ability to inspire, and the ability to understand how the total enterprise works. But the respondents also agreed these were the very skills lacking in their current talent pool.


The right successor must have just the right blend of personality, time and experience. And with a more complex and faster changing marketplace destined to be our future, the ability to deal with ambiguity and paradox is paramount. This combination requires innate talent plus development. Creating this competency can take years and many people just are not equipped to ascend to the role. And others who have the skills and experience aren’t willing to give up their personal and family lives in exchange for a promotion and title. What motivated the Baby Boomers doesn’t motivate Gen X and Gen Y.

In addition to lack of skills, a leadership shortage is all but a done deal. When the Baby Boomers finally decide to slow down or retire, pure demographics will stall the succession. Gen X, the succeeding generation, is little more than half the size of the Boomers. And many Gen X and Gen Y are putting family before careers.



One more glitch: while three to five years may not be enough time to develop the next generation of leaders, it might also be too long in a competitive market. Many talented Gen X are tired of waiting for the Boomers to get out of the way. As the economy is rebounding, job offers will start coming in. It is already happening. Competitors and emerging companies are scouring the job market for talent and your next leader could be their target.

Source: Workforce Trends

Did You Communicate Your Profit Goals

I just finished Ram Charan's book "Profitable Growth" and found as I have with his other books profound wisdom in the art of leadership communication. Although I communicated to my staff over the years the revenue and profit expectations of the company each year I know for a fact other senior managers did not.

In the book, Charan explicitly says that for the comapny to reach its targets it needs every employee engaged in the goal. I know for a fact that this was one of my company's flaws. It really never communicated from the top what was expected, we only heard when we did not make our goals in quarterly meetings.

If you are a true HR leader, you should make sure your CEO is on the same page as Charan expresses. Get everyone involved from the get go and that is how you achieve your goals. All are on a positive slope.

Why Do People Hate HR - A Sobering View

I thought I would revisit this sobering question since all I have been preaching over the last 2 years is how HR should be a strategic business partner and be at the table with the CEO. In addition in my discussions with many HR professionals out of work this issue really comes to light when they have to deal with HR departments when applying for work. Well here is an excerpt from an August 2005 Fast Company article that may open your eyes wide even today (click on the link for the complete article). The issue has not gone away.

In a knowledge economy, companies with the best talent win. And finding, nurturing, and developing that talent should be one of the most important tasks in a corporation. So why does human resources do such a bad job -- and how can we fix it?

Well, here's a rockin' party: a gathering of several hundred midlevel human-resources executives in Las Vegas. (Yo, Wayne Newton! How's the 401(k)?) They are here, ensconced for two days at faux-glam Caesars Palace, to confer on "strategic HR leadership," a conceit that sounds, to the lay observer, at once frightening and self-contradictory. If not plain laughable.

Because let's face it: After close to 20 years of hopeful rhetoric about becoming "strategic partners" with a "seat at the table" where the business decisions that matter are made, most human-resources professionals aren't nearly there. They have no seat, and the table is locked inside a conference room to which they have no key. HR people are, for most practical purposes, neither strategic nor leaders.

I don't care for Las Vegas. And if it's not clear already, I don't like HR, either, which is why I'm here. The human-resources trade long ago proved itself, at best, a necessary evil -- and at worst, a dark bureaucratic force that blindly enforces nonsensical rules, resists creativity, and impedes constructive change. HR is the corporate function with the greatest potential -- the key driver, in theory, of business performance -- and also the one that most consistently underdelivers. And I am here to find out why.

Why are annual performance appraisals so time-consuming -- and so routinely useless? Why is HR so often a henchman for the chief financial officer, finding ever-more ingenious ways to cut benefits and hack at payroll? Why do its communications -- when we can understand them at all -- so often flout reality? Why are so many people processes duplicative and wasteful, creating a forest of paperwork for every minor transaction? And why does HR insist on sameness as a proxy for equity?

It's no wonder that we hate HR. In a 2005 survey by consultancy Hay Group, just 40% of employees commended their companies for retaining high-quality workers. Just 41% agreed that performance evaluations were fair. Only 58% rated their job training as favorable. Most said they had few opportunities for advancement -- and that they didn't know, in any case, what was required to move up. Most telling, only about half of workers below the manager level believed their companies took a genuine interest in their well-being.

So here is why again:

1. HR people aren't the sharpest tacks in the box. "HR doesn't tend to hire a lot of independent thinkers or people who stand up as moral compasses," says Garold L. Markle, a longtime human-resources executive at Exxon and Shell Offshore who now runs his own consultancy.
2. HR pursues efficiency in lieu of value. Why? Because it's easier -- and easier to measure.
3. The corner office doesn't get HR (and vice versa).
4. HR isn't working for you. Want to know why you go through that asinine performance appraisal every year, really? Markle, who admits to having administered countless numbers of them over the years, is pleased to confirm your suspicions. Companies, he says "are doing it to protect themselves against their own employees,"

The problem, if you're an HR person, is this: The tasks companies are outsourcing -- the administrivia -- tend to be what you're good at. And what's left isn't exactly your strong suit. Human resources is crippled by what Jay Jamrog, executive director of the Human Resource Institute, calls "educated incapacity: You're smart, and you know the way you're working today isn't going to hold 10 years from now. But you can't move to that level. You're stuck."


That's where human resources is today. Stuck. "This is a unique organization in the company," says USC's Boudreau. "It discovers things about the business through the lens of people and talent. That's an opportunity for competitive advantage." In most companies, that opportunity is utterly wasted.And that's why I don't like HR.


I am sure I will really alienate some of my peers with this post but after many years of preaching strategy most HR departments are still stuck in the mud based on the above.


Keith H. Hammonds is Fast Company's deputy editor.

So What Do Leaders Do in Business That Sets Them Apart?

The question I am sure every employee asks is "what makes him a great leader and not me?". Well I know that I asked myself that question when assessing people I have worked for over my career. Well, I think Jack Welch has said it best in his book "Winning". I have always been a fan of Welch and have read all his books and even was a stockholder of GE for many years. In his latest book, "Winning", I think he really articulates what leaders do and after re-reading this book for a 2nd time it finally hit home. So, what leadership knowledge has Jack imparted upon us, here are his eight key points:

1. leaders relentlessly upgrade their team, constantly assessing their progress and evaluating them along the way
2. leaders make sure people breath the vision set, not just see it
3. leaders get into people's skin, through positive energy and optimism
4. leaders establish trust and credit. There is transparency and candor with their style
5. leaders have the courage to make unpopular decisions
6. leaders probe and question how things are done to see additional opportunity or new methodology
7. leaders inspire risk taking
8. leaders celebrate

As I look back on the people who lead the companies I have worked for I can name a few who follow these important guidelines and style of management.  You know who you are, see my blog post on August 6, 2008. 
Also ask yourself does your CEO possess these qualities and if not how does your business rank against the competition. 

Social Networkers Still Love E-Mail

With reports of young people abandoning e-mail to communicate via social networks, Facebook developing its own full-featured Webmail system and predictions that in a few years even business users will have exchanged traditional e-mail for social sites, it would appear that the success of social networks was hurting e-mail usage.



Based on data from customer relationship marketing agency Merkle, time spent with personal e-mail as of fall 2009 was even with the prior year. Nearly three-quarters of respondents spent at least 20 minutes a week e-mailing friends and family.

Merkle also found that social network users check their inboxes more frequently than those who shun social sites.


Merkle noted several reasons for the increased e-mail usage among social users, including demographics and that social site notifications are often sent to traditional inboxes.



Those inboxes, in most cases, are the same ones marketers are trying to reach. A strong majority of social network users surveyed said they used the same e-mail address for their social activities as they gave for permission e-mail marketing campaigns. As networked users check on their updates avidly, they are also putting themselves in the reach of e-mail marketers.

“There is no doubt that social media sites, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, have grown in popularity across demographics,” said Lori Connolly, director of research and analytics at Merkle, in a statement. “Yet, we are seeing consistent social use of the email channel, as well as evidence to support the idea that social networking and email use are actually more related than previously thought.”



Keep up on the latest digital trends. Learn more about an eMarketer Total Access subscription today.

Are You #2 in Your Company? If Not Ask Yourself Why

I am re-reading "Winning" by Jack Welch and again was reminded of how lucky I have been in my HR career. Since 1978, when I worked for Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation, I have had the great opportunity to work for CEO's that saw HR was a key player on their team. I remember my first meeting with Willard Sweetser, my first boss in New Jersey, when he asked my how much I knew about business and not HR. We sat and discussed our views for about 3 hours when he finally said, "you move into my office with me" you are my #2 person on this job.  That has been my joy and luck over the years working for CEOs, them viewing HR as their right hand and left hand along with the CFO from NJ to Oak Ridge, TN, to Boston, to LA, to GA.

Jack Welch was asked at a meeting in Mexico how he viewed HR and his answer was swift and direct, "without a doubt, the head of HR should be the second most important person in any organization". With an audience of 5,000, he asked how many CEO's in their company viewed HR that way. Well, about 50 hands went up and Welch was astounded but not surprised since it has been his experience when he asks that question during his speaking tours.

If you are not the number 2 in your organization you have to ask these three questions as to why:

1. can your CEO/senior management team quantify your impact on the organization?
2. have you gotten relegated to administrivia, a catch all for programs, benefits and the like
3. are you twisted up in palace/organizational intrigue?

If so, you need to re-think how to quantify, delegate, and pass on politics. So where do you stand? Then after you ask yourself that question read Jack Welch's book and you will find out many answers to your question. It is a great read for HR practicioners.

How To Pick A Good Fight

Peace and harmony are overrated. Though conflict-free teamwork is often held up as the be-all and end-all of organizational life, it actually can be the worst thing to ever happen to a company. Look at Lehman Brothers. When Dick Fuld took over, he transformed a notoriously contentious workplace into one of Wall Street's most harmonious firms. But his efforts backfired - directors and managers became too agreeable, afraid to rock the boat by pointing out that the firm was heading into a crisis. Research shows that the single greatest predictor of poor company performance is complacency, which is why every organization needs a healthy dose of dissent. Not all kinds of conflict are productive, of course - companies need to find the right balance of alignment and competition and make sure that people's energies are pointed in a positive direction. In this article, two seasoned business advisers lay down ground rules for the right kinds of fights. First, the stakes must be worthwhile: The issue should involve a noble purpose or create noticeable - preferably game-changing - value. Next, good fights focus on the future; they're never about placing blame for the past. And it's critical for leaders to keep fights sportsmanlike, allow informal give-and-take in the trenches, and help soften the blow for the losing parties.

for full text click on the link from HSB

Marketers to Shift Budgets to Social, Search and Mobile

Indianapolis—Marketers plan to increase their online marketing budgets by an average of 17% this year, drawing money away from traditional channels such as TV, print and radio advertising, according to a new report from e-mail marketing company ExactTarget and Internet market research company Econsultancy.



According to the companies' "Marketing Budgets 2010: Effectiveness, Measurement and Allocation," two-thirds of marketers are planning to increase their investment in social media, even though less than 20% say they can effectively measure their return on that spending.

In addition, search marketing will get a big boost—64% of companies plan to increase budgets for search-engine optimization (organic search), while 51% will increase spending on paid search. And 56% plan to increase their budgets for mobile marketing.



The online study of 1,000 marketers was conducted last month.

from the Daily News Alert
Christopher Hosford ,Story posted: February 12, 2010 - 12:24 pm EDT

Are You At the Table Yet?

Earlier this week I attended the HR Executive Roundtable Group meeting which I co-founded at ARRIS. The speaker was Joel Koblenz from the Koblenz Group in Atlanta who talked about what CEOs want from HR leaders and what they expect. Joel's discussion to the group was "a view from the top". The topic was timely and on target based on what we currently are seeing in the economy and industry. 


It reminded me of a post I put up last July so I thought I would repost it again since the points that Joel touched on were what I wrote about last year.  In addition, Joel mentioned 2 other key points that I failed to bring up in that previous post:

• meeting with your CEO weekly to calculate the HR strategy against the current business strategy
• making sure that you understand the business from the ground up, not just what you produce and who are your key competitors.

In addition, all successful corporations use HR strategically, not just to manage administration and other mundane HR tasks. CEOs are interested in growth, profits, innovation, and the ability to retain customers. HR is at a key position to help the CEO attain all of these objectives. To do this your time in the HR leadership role should consist of the following:

• discussing talent, retention, and talent development and pipeline candidates;
• compensation and competitive intersections of market and attaining the best talent;
• benefits, maintaining a competitive package and harnessing costs, especially health and 401K and pensions;
• identifying integration acquisitions quickly;
• anticipating critical business events and regulatory issues;
• guiding and maintaining a daily interaction with the CEO and key business leaders;
• understanding the dynamics of the economy and how they impact the business;
• and finally enabling growth drivers at the employee and business levels.

Are you doing these key functions on a daily basis? Let me know your thoughts.