Successful On-Boarding Programs: Tips From The Manager’s Answer Book

Somewhere along the way you’ve probably heard that “you never second chance to make a first impression.”  This is certainly true when it comes to on-boarding you new staff members. So, take the time to do it right the first time because a well-crafted and well-executed on-boarding process is the first step toward engaging and retaining your new hires. 

You spend a lot of time and money you spend on hiring great new people. You want them to know they made the right decision to join you and to be productive as quickly as possible.

On-boarding starts as soon as the candidate accepts the job offer.  Continue to communicate with new hires during the time before they start. Send them benefits information so they can make good decisions. Include them on press releases or any other events your organization has—even before they start.  Send important information they need to make their first day an easy one including arrival time on day one, where to park or what commuting options are available, whom to ask for when they arrive, and a schedule of the day’s activities.  

Manager’s Tips:  In our book, The Manager’s Answer Book, we pose the question: “When I was hired, my on-boarding session was focused on administrative issues and it took me a long time to learn about the culture. I want to do a better job for my team.”

Part of the answer is: “Be ready for a new employee’s first day. Have their workspace ready with all of the tools and equipment to do their job. Managers should spend as much time as possible with a new hire on their first. day. Take the new hire to lunch. Share the organization’s history, vision, values, and mission.”

“The on-boarding process doesn’t end on the first day or the first week. Build in checkpoints at 30, 60, and 90 day.”

For lots more great tips on a successful on-boarding process where you make that good first impression you know is important, see page 82 of The Manager’s Answer Book.

Present With Confidence: Tips From The Manager’s Answer Book

Recently I attended a presentation about historical events in my community. It was interesting and informative and the presenter was very knowledgeable about the subject. However, as someone who has attended and given numerous presentations in my career, I couldn't help but be distracted by certain things he said and did. If he had asked for feedback, this is what I would share.

1. Know your audience.  Don't say things like "if you'll recall" or "I'm sure you'll remember" when you're talking about events that happened before most audience members were born. 
2. If technology is involved, know how to use it.  For example, know how to advance the slides.
3. If you are using slides, make sure they are engaging for the audience. 

• Use color and a clear, crisp font that's easy and large enough for all audience members to read. 
• Avoid putting too much information on a single slide. 

Manager’s Tips: Barbara and I recognize that presentation skills can be critical for a manager’s success and we discuss it in The Manager’s Answer Book.  These are some of the tips we offer:

• Be clear about your objective.  Is the presentation to inform or is it a call to action?  
• Lay out you key points. Keep it simple so your audience can easily grasp the message. 
• Organize your material so it’s easy for the audience to follow.
• A strong opening will make a big impression, so get right to the point of your presentation stating it clearly at the beginning 
• Know your material and rehearse it as needed so that you can deliver it comfortably. 
• Do a dry run, if possible, to be sure your slides can be read from anywhere in the room. 
• Spend some time in the meeting room beforehand to get a sense of where people will be sitting and the best spot for you to stand. 
• Practice with the technology you will be using so that when you’re ready to speak, you can move right into your presentation.
• Anticipate questions you may get at the end of your presentation.

You can find more information about presentations on page 50 of The Manager's Answer Book. 

Crystal Clear?

I always enjoy reading Jena McGregor’s columns in the Washington Post. She writes about leadership, corporate management and governance and workplace trends.  She started 2019 with predictions about what to expect in the coming months.  No surprise, issues regarding workplace harassment and misconduct, diversity, workplace flexibility and gender equity will continue to gain attention. Her column also talked about less obvious challenges that leaders can expect to face. But unlike The Wizard of Oz, she doesn’t gaze into a crystal ball. The trends and predictions she writes about are well researched.  Here are her five predictions for 2019:

1. Family leave. She was talking about a benefit of paid leave beyond maternity or paternity leave – paid leave to care for one’s parents, for example. I was surprised by her statement that “while the Family and Medical Leave Act allows employees to take up to 12 weeks to care for an ailing family member, many employees don’t know about it…” Be sure your practices are compliant with the regulations which require written guidance to employees about their rights under the law.
2. A wage gap between current and new workers. Whenever the labor market is tight, as it is now, there’s the tendency to pay more to recruit new talent causing disparities to grow between new hires and currently joining the organization. This can affect turnover – “I can get more money if I join a new company – and morale issues.
3. Concerns of privacy of personal data.  Expect employees to have raised expectations as threats to privacy of consumer data becomes more heightened. Employers have access to a significant amount of their employee’s data such as social security numbers and bank account information from direct deposits.
4. Changes in office design. Open design has been the rage, but employees’ complaints about noise and lack of concentration is leading to design changes – things like small conference rooms, collaboration areas and barriers around desks.  One of the more interesting concepts she mentions is phone booths or privacy pods for people to have private conversations without taking up an entire meeting room.
5. Email is on the decline. In the area of technology, messaging is becoming the preferred method of internal communications. Texts or other alerts could divert users from traditional emails. 

You can read the full article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/01/01/five-workplace-predictions/

Who are your followers?

We’re not talking here about your followers on Instagram or Twitter – not that we don't understand how critical it is to have lots of followers on social media, especially if you want to promote ideas, products, or services.  Just observe how people brag about how many followers they have online to know followers matter. We’re talking about who is following you as a leader. 

While having followers on social media is important, business leaders are nothing without followers within their organizations, and to be a successful leader you will need more than a few followers. Some organizations don't value being a good follower – they think everyone should aspire to be a leader. But when you look at what makes an organization successful, it is a combination of a strong leader who sets the vision and the people who carry out the vision – in other words, the followers!

Hard as it is for some of us to understand, not everyone wants to be a leader. Some people don't want the responsibility or the visibility that comes from leadership while others may want to gain additional experience before taking on the role of a leader.  Keep in mind that everyone has different abilities, interests, and talents – even followers!

However, being a good follower doesn't mean you always are in the shadow of the leader, and in today's ever changing work environment, someone who is a leader today on a specific project may be a follower on the next challenge  your organization faces. Savvy organizations don't get hung up on titles or hierarchy when putting work teams together – they configure the team to maximize the talents of the members!

Good followers are not people who blindly implement any idea a leader shares. One of their main roles is to help leaders be more effective while remaining true to their own beliefs and values. A good follower asks good questions, carries out assigned work in a timely and accurate manner, and partners with the leader to maximize the success of whatever challenge they have been assigned. Here are some qualities of a good follower:

• Keeps leader informed
• Gives the benefit of the doubt to the leader
• Is honest  with the leader and provides feedback 
• Supports even unpopular decisions
• Trusts the leader 
• Takes initiative to solve problems

In 2019, we hope you'll pay some attention to the followers in your organization. Recognize their contributions and provide opportunities for them to develop their skills and abilities. While some of them may have leadership potential, remember all leaders need followers so don't overlook your very own followers!

Barbara & Cornelia

Managing Up, Down & Around: A Tip From The Manager’s Answer Book

Someone asked us the following question recently: In The Manager’s Answer Book you talk about managing up, down and around. I understand managing down is managing your team. What do managing up and managing around mean and do you have any advice on how managers can do this?  

Manager’s Tip:  Managing up refers to understanding your boss’s position, goals and responsibilities and working to help your manager achieve those goals. Observe your manager and get to know her so you understand her priorities, her communication style, and what she values personally and professionally. Understand the role she sees you taking in the department and then set out to perform your job in the most efficient and effective manner so you can contribute to the department’s success. 

Managing around or across the organization means understanding the organization and how it works – how information flows, what other functions and departments do and how your team can support them  Managing across requires political savvy and this is where curiosity comes in. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and build collaborative relationships outside your own department. Managing across is the ability to influence others, especially the actions of others, when you don’t have any organizational authority over them. Finally, managing around means understanding and honoring the processes and policies that other departments have in place. They exist for a reason.

You can read more in The Manager’s Answer Book. Section Five is devoted to “Managing Up, Down and Around” the organization, and the discussion starts on page 135.  The Manager’s Answer Book, is available from Amazon -- https://tinyurl.com/y8umaqpz - Barnes & Noble or your local independent bookstore.

Setting the Stage for 2019

Auld Lang Syne. I’m not trying to rush the end of the year, but before we know it, we’ll be sipping champagne, toasting the arrival of 2019, and making New Year’s resolutions. Not so fast!  Before you announce or commit to changes in the new year, take some time to think and reflect on not just what, but why.

I was talking with a small business owner recently.  She told me she’s planning to increase her firm’s involvement in several social media platforms. When I asked her why, she explained that the firm is planning to introduce a new service line sometime during 2019.  It’s still in the development stage and the full implementation may not happen until the third quarter. However, she recognizes that while she has a solid client base that can take advantage of these new services, she wants to extend her reach and attract new organizations as well. Strengthening the firm’s social media presence will establish them as influencers in their industry. So they are going to launch targeted outreach campaigns to get in front of people and organizations with whom they want to engage. 

Listening to her explanation, I realized that she’d given a great deal of thought to her plan. She understood: 

• What was going to change (adding a new service)
• When the change was going to happen (third quarter 2019)
• What she wanted to accomplish (grow her client base)
• How she was going to accomplish it (targeted social media campaigns)

What does this have to do with New Year’s resolutions?  Everything!  Think about why you make them—other than wanting to shed some bad habits, which is a noble intention. As you think about 2019, ask yourself:

• What went well in 2018, and how can I build on that?
• How can it be better?
• What new beginnings or challenges will 2019 bring?
• What could or should change to meet those challenges?
• How will I go about making those changes?

As you prepare for the year ahead, also give some thought to shedding those things that are redundant – like the report that the department has always prepared (no one knows why anymore) but is never read! What about ways of doing things that are no longer effective?  How could you use the time that was spent preparing that report to accomplish something new that will have greater impact?

Put some deliberate thought into the resolutions and changes you want to make in 2019 in both your professional and personal lives. It’s a great time to break some old habits. Don’t be the person who lets life and change happen to you. Take charge, and make life and change happen for you!

We wish you a very happy holiday season and send you all good wishes for a wonderful 2019!

Cornelia & Barbara  

December Dilemma: Year-End Rewards

Back in the working days of yore during the industrial era, employers often gifted a ham or turkey to each of their employees at the end of the holiday season. It was considered a standard “Christmas” bonus – a way to thank the employees and their families.  In fact, I remember receiving a turkey when I worked in a restaurant during college.  My mother was thrilled.  Personally, I could have used cash to put gas in my car.   

If you want to do something for your staff this December, keep in mind the ideal bonus expresses gratitude, so make it meaningful and appropriate for your particular workforce. While you'll never be able to please everyone, know your workforce and what they value. Cash alone could be welcomed, but some practical suggestions in lieu of or in addition to cash could be:

• Gift cards – one employer gave employees gift cards to a local grocery chain. Other examples could be movie tickets, gas cards, or Amazon/American Express gift cards which can be used to purchase a large variety of items.
• Time off – one employer gave employees an afternoon off for holiday shopping, to take care of other holiday related errands, or to spend however they wish if they don’t celebrate any year-end holidays.

Don’t be afraid to get creative, but it you do, consider varying the nature of the bonus from year to year to keep an element of surprise for the employees. For example, one year give movie tickets, the next a grocery card. This helps you avoid setting a precedent or expectations, especially if cash is involved.

Don’t overlook some of the pitfalls of year-end rewards – this is where knowing your staff is priceless.  Give careful thought to what you do in order to avoid unintended consequences. For example:

• Don’t forget about employees in remote locations.  The employer mentioned above who gave the gift cards to a local grocery chain failed to do anything for employees working in other locations. It created a great deal of ill-will which could have been avoided. 
• Be careful with tangible gifts – people have different tastes and at the year-end holiday season, they could be overwhelmed with an abundance of stuff.
• Don’t give the bonus any holiday label – stress that it’s a year-end bonus. This works especially well if the end of the fiscal year coincides with the end of the calendar year. 

Year-end bonuses can be a powerful way to boost morale and strengthen employee engagement. Let employees know that you are providing this “2018 year-end bonus” because we want our employees to share in the organization’s success. And if you can, let them go home early!