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Skywalk Group Announces New Workshops for 2012
Skywalk Group, the number three ranked Fastest Growing Company (Corridor Business Journal) in 2011, is pleased to announce the addition of two new public workshop offerings for 2012.
Tim Sieck, Skywalk Group Partner and organizational development expert, states, “Over the last three years, we have worked with a large number of local businesses. As part of that process, we have identified a disconnect between employee engagement, the manager’s role in the process, and the needs of today’s organization. These new offerings are designed to address these gaps.”
The first public workshop, The Truth About Becoming a Manager, will be held February 22, 2012 from 8:30am – 12:30pm. This half-day workshop is designed to help employee’s assess and prepare for becoming a manager. Sieck adds, “All too often, companies take a sink or swim approach when it comes to hiring managers. We want to assist employees by giving them insights and information about what being a manager is all about.”
The second new training option, The Engaged Employee: Individual Development Planning Workshop, will be held on June 20, 2012 from
9am – 5pm. This full-day workshop is designed to show employees that when they are actively involved in and own their development process, they not only experience individual growth but also positively impact the organization.
Contact us for more information or to register for a workshop.
Organizational Change Doesn’t Come in a Brown Paper Bag
The new year has a way of making us all think about change. We create new goals for ourselves. Fitness goals. Diet goals. Career goals. At the same time that we are making our personal goals for the new year, senior leadership at companies across the nation are doing the same thing. Although the focus may be slightly different, i.e. how they can capture more market share, reduce costs, create a succession plan, or increase employee engagement, the end result will likely involve some type of change.
How Successful are People at Making Lasting Changes
More often than not, people do not stick to their New Year’s resolution for very long. In one study over two years, about one in five people (20%) were able to keep to their resolution. On the other hand, three in five (60%) dropped their resolution within 6 months. In a recently reported British study, 22% of people reported that they were “very successful” in keeping their resolutions. Source: WAIBTV. Those percentages are pretty dismal when you think about it. And those are your own personal changes that YOU want to make.
Now, imagine you are the CEO of a company. Your company has 200 employees in 3 different locations and you have just decided to purchase another company in a fourth location. How likely is it that you can successfully implement this large-scale organizational change and get everyone moving in the same direction, working towards the same goals? There is no sugar coating this answer. It is going to be very difficult and require a tremendous amount of energy, patience, communication, and outstanding leadership skills in order to make this happen. And you can bet that energy, patience, communication, and leadership abilities DO NOT fit neatly inside a brown paper bag.
Change in a Brown Paper Bag
You may be wondering what that means. Too many companies try to implement organizational change through a “brown bag lunch” process. Has this happened in your company?
“Our managers need leadership training. Let’s schedule some brown bag lunches and teach them how to be better leaders!”
“Our health insurance costs are increasing. Let’s have a wellness speaker come in for a brown bag lunch presentation!”
“Our employees say they aren’t engaged and satisfied. Let’s have a company-wide monthly meeting over lunch and motivate them!”
Steps to Effective Organizational Change
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if all of a company’s problems could be solved through the brown bag lunch process? Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Organizations who successfully implement change do the following things:
- Collaborate. Share ideas with employees early in the process to get feedback and buy-in.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate. There can never be too much communication when change is involved.
- Be transparent. Not only about the change but also that you may not always know the answers. Even with the best plan in place, there are unknowns.
- Be compassionate. Change is a process for everyone. Even for those who embrace it. Help people move towards acceptance. That process will be different for each individual.
- Allow and demand questions. Employees should have questions. Part of helping them move towards acceptance involves education and inclusion.
- Celebrate. Make a big deal about the little things along the way as well as celebrating major milestones.
How to Create Fun at Work
Like most workplaces, life at Skywalk Group isn’t always as exciting as it may seem. I know, I know; you would think a human resources consulting company located in the heart of downtown Cedar Rapids would be one big Mardi Gras day in and day out. Especially in the riveting world of organization development and training!
As fun as we are (or like to think that we are), even we are subject to being lulled into that familiar ho-hum state from time to time. We are a resourceful bunch though, and willing to take control of our own destinies. So, for our own amusement, we’ve decided to play a little game. One in which all of our loyal (Cedar Rapids-based) subscribers will enthusiastically participate (fingers crossed) with a selfless dedication to rescuing us from the concert of humming fluorescent lights and whirring servers that is our 3rd floor office. (Actually, it’s not totally selfless, because there’s a prize, but more on that later.)
You’re all on the edge of your seats, I can tell. So, with out further adieu, we proudly present the first ever Skywalk Group Name That Person Blog Contest. It works like this.
- Starting with this post, we’ll feature a blog article with some “not fit for a professional biography” facts about one of the members of our team.
- You’ll take that information and try to match it to one of our professional bio’s found throughout the website. (Hint: Look for pages called Meet the Team under Recruiting, HR Consulting & Outsourcing, and Organizational Development.)
- When you think you’ve got it figured out, email us your answer.
- We’ll draw a winner from all of the correct answers submitted on the last Friday of each month. The winner will be treated to lunch at a local, downtown Cedar Rapids restaurant, accompanied by the correctly identified team member.
- THE FINE PRINT: Limited to one entry per person, per month. Must be willing and able to pay for transportation costs to and from the selected restaurant. Open to anybody that isn’t a current Skywalk Group employee, because that just wouldn’t be fair now would it?
Ready. Set. Go!
This team member is affectionately known around the office as Honey Badger for their uncanny resemblance to the subject of a wildly popular, albeit slightly inappropriate, viral video of the same name. Like the furry version, this person transforms from an adorable cuddly creature to a laser focused hungry predator if forced to go more than 2 hours without food. It takes regular fuel ups to maintain this persons jam packed schedule, perpetual smile and infectious laugh. Thankfully, it only takes a handful or almonds or a fresh, juicy apple to satiate our officemate, making it much easier keep the necessary staples on hand than their carnivorous counterpart.
How to Run an Effective Meeting
Sometimes I would rather stick a fork in my eye and twist it than go to another meeting. In most corporate environments meetings are a vital 
element of life in the office. They dictate our days; form our schedules and consequently, we often find ourselves getting few things accomplished as a result of them. So why do we need ANOTHER meeting anyway?
Obviously, meetings are a necessary evil in running successful businesses. They bring people together by uniting creative minds and are vital in achieving the strategic goals of the company. Leaders who know how to run productive meetings can be the most valued employees of the organization.
Meetings can fail for a variety of reasons. Some of the most important are a lack preparation, agenda or goals. Lacking respect for participant’s time and failing to follow up on specific action items can result in frustrated participants and fewer results. Whether your meeting is at the office, via Skype or conference call, how do you lead an effective one? Reader’s Digest author, Graham Buck, recently gave a few tips:
- Start and end strongly. Conduct every meeting with a purpose and close it with a plan for “going forward”. Denver based consultant Teri Schwartz noted that running a meeting is like “Flying a plane. Most crashes happen at takeoff and landing.”
- Pick a leader. Assign someone to lead at the beginning of each meeting.
- Think small. Be realistic about what you can accomplish and keep the number of attendees manageable to stimulate discussion.
- Direct, don’t dominate. Encourage others to speak up and get involved, especially junior staffers.
- Lay down the rules of engagement. Everyone should understand who will take notes and how decision will be made. Assign follow-up tasks during the final five to ten minutes and then reiterate them later in a group email.
A final tip that I’d like to add is to respect participant’s time. As an HR consultant, one of the biggest complaints that I hear is that employee’s never have enough time to complete their own projects because of all the meetings they are required to attend. Smart business leaders understand the value of participant’s time. If a meeting is scheduled for an hour, be respectful and end it on time!
Does your company struggle with leading successful meetings? Skywalk Group’s Employee Development and Training can help.
Smart Technology Impacts HR Policies
We recently blogged about how employee’s using cell phones can cause dangerous and distracted driving. On a continuation of the topic, let’s discuss the mobile platform and how it is changing the workplace. While the ability to obtain email from our mobile device has been around for years now, thanks to web-enabling and mobile applications, the cell phone / smart phone has become a PC in your pocket.
Technology is increasing the need for real-time communication and streamlining work processes. Technological advances have allowed employers to embrace the use of modern tools & various mobile communication devices as a benefit to increasing productivity demands. Employees seeking a healthy work/life balance and embracing increased employer flexibility have taken advantage of technological tools to increase their accessibility, particularly when off-site or after hours.
These changes in the employment landscape have caused legal commentators to worry about potential litigation stemming from the use of mobile communication devices, including claims ranging from employee privacy infringement to complaints of unpaid overtime. Hence, the ever-increasing need to revisit, revise or develop a Cell Phone / Smart Phone Policy.
Now, where do to begin? Check out the 11 Factors to Include in a Cell Phone Policy.
There are two reasons HR professionals should be involved in making decisions about mobile policies:
- The devices directly impact workers, and the mobile strategy affects all aspects of the company.
- Developing policies and informal training will set the stage for good mobile practices.
For a free sample of a cell phone policy, please email the HR experts at Skywalk Group.
11 Key Factors to include in a Cell Phone Policy
Are you thinking about putting together a cell phone or electronic communications policy for your organization? Or are you asking yourself if your organization needs a cell phone or an electronic communications policy? There is no doubt that smart technology is impacting HR policies in organizations.
11 Key Factors to include in a Cell Phone Policy
- Company expectations.
- Harassment and discrimination policies.
- Wage and hour policies that may impact compliance with state and federal law.
- Company provided equipment.
- Monitoring of equipment usage.
- Trade secrets protection.
- Customer, employer, and employee privacy.
- Management of electronic documents and tools.
- Conserving company resources.
- Limiting liability for employee misconduct.
- Discipline or terminations for violations.
Read more about how technology is changing the workplace and why human resources professionals need to be prepared. Or contact the Skywalk Group HR Experts for a free sample of a cell phone policy.
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