Employees Want "More Communication"

In today's corporate environment, our economic crisis has created tremendous uncertainty and fear among employees. More than ever, companies need to think and act carefully to meet the need for internal communication. When employee surveys repeatedly come back with results that plead for "more communication", how do you know what that means and how to respond? First, a carefully crafted follow-up survey should be administered to drill down to how employees think communication is lacking. Get help from a professional, ideally an industrial psychologist, who knows what questions to ask and how to ask them to get the information needed. If the right questions are asked, the statistics from the answers should give you some clear direction on how to proceed. Next, pick your battles. You may not be able to (or want to) attempt to address all the issues at once. From the analysis of your statistics, pick two or three items as your top priorities for immediate action. Now, the fun part. How will you provide "more communication" in a way targeted for results? Who will be responsible for this task? How will you know what efforts have been successful? It's time to construct a plan. Communication must be multi-faceted in approach. Not everyone responds to the same type of input the same way. Some people prefer meetings; others would rather read a newsletter at their leisure. Reaching out once a week may be just right for part of the employee population, while others think more than once a month is overkill. The trick is in identifying a combination of outlets, activities, events - opportunities - from which your employees can choose how they want to engage. There are so many possibilities that only begin with meetings and newsletters. Consider brown bag lunches with guest speakers, casual gatherings after hours with management, podcasts, videos, subscription emails, formal letters, Twitter, Facebook, eLearning, intranet postings, skip level sessions...the possibilities are only limited by imagination (and/or your budget). Employees who are getting open, honest, consistent communication from senior management will be more loyal to their employer, and less likely to be angry in their uncertainty. Times are challenging, and those employed are fortunate to have jobs - but that doesn't mean they should be kept in the dark to assume the worst. Good communication, based on a comprehensive plan, pays huge dividends when it comes to employee morale and productivity.

Customer Service at Retail Stores-Dying or Already Dead?

I am an enthusiastic shopper, and find browsing stores to be a form of relaxation. Besides, it helps me stay knowledgeable about current styles and trends. (I have a fear of slowly sliding into a decidedly middle-aged look.) So why do stores seem so intent on driving me away to shop on the Internet? Customer service issues are at the heart of the issue. That trickles down from the capabilities of the management team, how they hire, and how they communicate priorities. Retail is in crisis, folks! Don’t you think that requires you to think differently? Most of my corporate career was spent in service-related roles. The pursuit of great customer service is a passion of mine, and you will often find me on a soapbox on this subject. The crime of it is that the techniques involved in delivering really good customer service are simple, even FUN, and yet few retailers have found the secret to motivating consistently positive behavior from their associates. Recently, while shopping at The Sports Authority for a specific item I was told, “We don’t carry that in the store, but you might try the Internet.” Yes, I might. But why couldn’t the store offer to obtain the item for me and either hold it for pick-up or send it to me? At Macy’s, I had to return a pair of shoes because the clerk had mistakenly put the wrong shoes in my bag at the checkout counter. When I came back to the store and explained the problem, I wanted to buy two pair of shoes to replace the one pair I was returning. Gosh, I was treated like that was an unsolvable problem! Return one pair, buy two. That’s good for the store – right? When the dust settled, I had a refund for the original purchase, no new shoes, and no apology. I called the General Manager the next day to explain how her associates don’t seem to want to actually make sales. Have you noticed how you often can’t find an item in the size or color you want in the brick and mortar stores? But go home and search the Internet, and you find what you want right away. Why wouldn’t I stop trolling the stores for hours, going home empty-handed, when I can shop online and have my purchase sent to my home? Then when the package is delivered, it’s almost like getting a gift in the mail! You often have to pay shipping fees, but you didn’t drive your car or take public transportation to get to the store – so it’s almost a wash. My call to action for retailers is this: Stop thinking like it’s still 1980! Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and deliver a shopping experience that they can’t get online – in a good way. Clueless, inattentive, lazy, gum-popping drones as sales associates are driving us away forever. Establish a well-communicated service philosophy, make sure management ingrains it into the culture, hire people who will respond to coaching, and deliver real service to your customers. Otherwise, kiss your stores goodbye one-by-one.

10 Ways to Screw-Up Your LinkedIn Presence

Social networking is great – I am a devotee of LinkedIn and Facebook. I haven’t Tweeted yet, but will probably have to go there sometime. If you participate on LinkedIn, you have to be consistent in your participation, or your online presence (so important in a today’s professional world) will have negative impact instead of positive impact. Here are 10 ways I most often see people screw up their LinkedIn presence:

1. “CURRENT" EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION IS OUTDATED. You wouldn’t stretch the truth on your resume. Don’t do it on LinkedIn either. It’s inaccurate and shows people that you are lackadaisical about your employment status.
2. EMAIL ADDRESS IS OUTDATED. LinkedIn updates and notifications are emailed to you. You will not receive them if your email address is incorrect.
3. PROFILE LACKS DETAIL about your employment experience. This is what LinkedIn is all about. People will be interested in who you are and what you have done. That’s the whole point of being on LinkedIn.
4. INDISCRIMINANT INVITATIONS to connect to people you don’t really know, just to raise your Connections count. Before sending an invitation to connect, think about WHY a connection to that person will be valuable (to you and to them), and include verbiage about that in your invitation to personalize it.

5. UNFORTUNATE OR UNPROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPH. If you choose to upload a photograph (which is not required), it should be reflective of the professional impression you want to impart. Avoid use of a mug shot or a mobile snapshot taken at a drinking party.
6. ABSENCE OF RECOMMENDATIONS. Professional recommendations/endorsements are an important aspect of rounding out your profile. Don’t be afraid to ask people with whom you have had good working relationships to provide a recommendation.
7. POORLY WRITTEN RECOMMENDATIONS. Following up on the previous point, it will not reflect well on you if someone writes an inarticulate or poorly edited recommendation for you. Do not hesitate to ask for a revision, or do not publish a recommendation that does not suit your needs.
8. JOINING FRIVOLOUS GROUPS. Remember, this is a professional community. Join groups that will provide professional updates and growth to enhance your career and network connections.
9. FLIPPANT OR RUDE POSTINGS to Discussions or Questions posted by other members. If you don’t have anything of value to add, then pass it by. You don’t do your reputation any favors by providing unprofessional input.
10. TAKING WITHOUT GIVING. LinkedIn members are a generous group, on the whole. If you ask for a recommendation, be prepared to offer one in return. If you submit a question and receive helpful answers/advice, be sure to thank respondents and to rate Good or Best Answers. LinkedIn is a community, and the benefits received should be gratefully accepted.

If you are a LinkedIn member, full and professional participation will make the best impression.

© Laurel Anne Bailey 2010

NEW!  10 More (Proven) Ways to Screw-Up in LinkedIn

LinkedIn - A Networking Must

Nothing gets accomplished in the business world without some form of networking. Within a work environment, the relationship you build with each co-worker is a very basic form of networking. Your professional reputation is based on your ability to interact and collaborate effectively with your colleagues. Positive relationships will grow when founded on honesty, reliability, and your dedication to successfully contributing to common goals. But Wikipedia brings to light an interesting and not always recognized aspect of networking. In their definition of “social network” they say, “Smaller, tighter networks can be less useful to their members than networks with lots of loose connections (weak ties) to individuals outside the main network. More open networks, with many weak ties and social connections, are more likely to introduce new ideas and opportunities to their members than closed networks with many redundant ties.” Consider the value of LinkedIn for professional networking. LinkedIn allows you to connect not only with direct and current professional colleagues, but also with “looser” connections, such as vendors, friends, former colleagues, college alumni, and casual acquaintances. Studies show that more career opportunities come from networking with people outside your close sphere of connectivity. It may be that people you work with have you and your abilities pigeonholed, based on their perception of your current job. Acquaintances sometimes find your experience and expertise more interesting and impressive. They can help you make additional connections with professionals with common interests and/or a business need for which you are well suited. Approach your LinkedIn profile as a self-promoting marketing exercise. This is an opportunity to brand yourself. Minimally, provide the facts, just as you would in a resume. In addition, feel free to be creative and let your personality show, by expressing your passions and interests. Take care when establishing your Profile and Contact Settings. For networking purposes, you should allow people to see your Connections, and to send you Introductions and InMail. To further flesh out your profile, consider joining Groups in your areas of interest. (Some of my best networking experiences to date have come from joining my Alma Mater’s Alumni group, and being active in Discussions.) Peruse the questions posted in your areas of expertise and provide value with substantive answers. Sign up to follow blogs that you find enlightening. Share your book reviews and recommendations, using the Amazon Reading List application. In short, participate actively and help people get to know the professional you. Today, a presence on LinkedIn is a must for anyone managing their career and/or a business. This is only one aspect of social networking, but an important first step for those looking to enhance their career profile. For more ideas, see Guy Kawasaki’s blog post: http://blog.linkedin.com/2007/07/25/ten-ways-to-use/

Reinventing Your Career

Gone are the days when young professionals signed on with a company and stayed with it for an entire career. Now, many people find that the best way to move up is to move out, trading one position for a better one with higher pay. Companies that used to value loyalty now are often are looking for fresh talent – people with proven experience who can hit the ground running and immediately produce results that add shareholder value. This environment, in our struggling economy, has left many experienced people wondering what they should do next. Some are desperately trying to position themselves to retain their jobs, while others are dealing with unemployment and job searches. If you are stalled, it may be time to reinvent yourself. But how do you do that? I left my job last year, recognizing that the company I had worked for almost 28 years was becoming a different kind of place; one in which I couldn’t visualize being successful. Fortunately, I had some financial flexibility that gave me time to think about my next steps. One book I read, called Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career (by Herminia Ibarra), truly spoke to me. The premise is that instead of engaging in a process of lengthy introspection before making changes, one should get out and try things, make adjustments, try other things, make new connections, and find new mentors and guides. Your ultimate career will surface through experimentation and discovery - over time. It’s inspiring to talk to people who have been through the process of reinvention. Among my friends and acquaintances, there are several people who are just now following their true calling in a new career. One, whose interest and strength has always been in building a work team, now works with a major career services company. Before obtaining that position, she volunteered her time with a non-profit career management and networking organization. That experience led to the connections that helped her obtain the job she really wanted. Another acquaintance, after being laid off from a large corporation, is following his passion for photography by starting his own business. If you dream of an alternative career path, find a way to tentatively stick your toe in the water, through networking, interacting with a mentor, volunteering, or using vacation time to explore possibilities. As far as we know, we have one life to live, and we should control our own destiny.