Horrible Bosses

Horrible Bosses

February 26th, 2012 by Skywalk Group Categories: business, Employee Development, Human Resources Management, Management Development, Skywalk Group, Supervisory Training

It isn’t just a coincidence that there are several hit TV shows and movies that mock office-life and the capabilities of those in charge. Think Office Space, The Office, and most recently, Horrible Bosses.

Not every manager is as bad as Kevin Spacey is in Horrible Bosses. However, there are many organizational leaders and managers who don’t fully understand the impact of every decision they make, every comment they make, or their own behaviors. Have you ever stopped to think about why being an effective leader matters? Or how to become a more effective leader?

Join Skywalk Group Partner and organizational development expert, Tim Sieck, for a free leadership breakfast on Friday, March 2nd at 7:30am. Tim will share evidence that supports the need for leadership development, discuss why it is such a challenging task for both individuals and organizations, and provide practical tips on how to improve leadership development in organizations.

Also, the first Leadership & Development Public Workshop series of 2012 kicks off in March. There are still seats available for this 4-session series that focuses on practical skills that every manager needs to be a successful leader.

Don’t be a horrible boss. Be a solution in your organization-not part of the problem. Participants who attend the leadership breakfast on March 2nd will receive a 10% discount on registrations for Leadership & Development Public Workshop or The Truth About Becoming a Manager.

Your Management Style is Under Review

February 19th, 2012 by Skywalk Group Categories: business, Human Resources Management, Management Development, Recruiting, Skywalk Group, Staffing and Employment, Supervisory Training

As a great hiring manager, you always listen carefully to a job candidate’s interview answers, pay attention to their body language, and take note of all of the candidates interactions with your company, both in, and outside of, the interview.

What owners and hiring managers often overlook is that their management style is also under review during the hiring process. Potential new employees are reviewing the company culture and management style of a possible employer at each and every step of the interview process. While the recent economy has put more candidates on the market, there is still a shortage of outstanding A-level potential employees. Because of this, you need to make sure you are putting your best foot forward at each and every step of the process.

Here are some hiring process situations and how your candidates may view the situation.

DELAYS IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

FACT: There is a long delay in getting back to people after the initial conversation or, if working with a recruiter, you don’t provide feedback for a long period of time.

PERCEPTION: The candidate may view this as either you don’t operate with a sense of urgency, or you don’t value other’s time enough for a prompt response.

THE INTERVIEW PROCESS IS SCRIPTED

FACT: Every step of the interview process is scripted and the only questions asked are off of a printed, prepared question set.

PERCEPTION: The candidate will view this as a sign that you are overly formal and that your organization values process over free-flowing ideas.

THERE ARE TOO MANY INTERVIEWS

FACT: There are more than 2-3 interviews in the process.

PERCEPTION: The candidate will be concerned that either nothing moves quickly in the organization, you don’t believe they are the right fit, as a hiring manager you may be reluctant to make a decision, or that you don’t view the position as valuable.

TOO MUCH NEGATIVE INFORMATION IS SHARED

FACT: You have a negative interview style and ask questions like “Sometimes you need to work 100 hours per week, we will swear at you and your equipment won’t work – are you okay with that?”

PERCEPTION: You may think that you are doing people a favor by letting them know what they are getting into, but in reality you are telling people that this is the culture you support…and if this is the case, be prepared to lose A-level candidates in the process.

LOW BALL OFFERS

FACT: You present a low-ball offer…just to see if you can get the candidate to go for it, or feel that you have to negotiate anyway.

PERCEPTION: The candidate will feel that everything at your company will end up being a battle.

If you are serious about attracting top talent to work for you, take a minute and walk yourself through your own process and think about every step from the candidate’s perspective. The little details can make all the difference in creating the kind of experience that will make the best candidates want to work with you.

Skywalk Group Announces New Workshops for 2012

January 30th, 2012 by Skywalk Group Categories: News

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.

Organizational Change Doesn’t Come in a Brown Paper Bag

January 5th, 2012 by Skywalk Group Categories: business, Business Coaching, Company Training, Employee Development, Human Resources Management, Management Development, News, Skywalk Group, Supervisory Training

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

December 6th, 2011 by Skywalk Group Categories: business, Employee Development, Skywalk Group, Team Building

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 3^rd 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

November 15th, 2011 by Skywalk Group Categories: business, Company Training, Employee Development, Employee Retention, Human Resources Management, Management Development, Staffing and Employment, Supervisory Training, Time Management

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.

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