Monday Mornings with Madison

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Staff Management

June 24, 2013

Business Travel Tips

Issue #286

A half century ago, the average employee or manager at a company could go his or her entire life and never take a ‘business trip.’ Business travel was really just for top executives and traveling salesmen. That is no longer the case. Today, thanks to the Internet as well as and greater transportation options, companies have expanded their geographic reach. Local companies can provide their products or services regionally, nationally or even internationally, with the only restrictions typically from government rules and regulations. With such massive market opportunities has come a greater need for employees to visit clients and potential clients that are farther and farther away. Employees are also traveling more to conferences and trade shows to gain knowledge and hone skills. And, thanks to the expansion of travel choices – such as airlines that provide regular, non-stop flights to more cities and the expansion of fast rail travel — it has never been easier and more affordable for companies to send employees to far-away destinations for business. Likewise, companies are increasingly able to hire top talent in remote locations and have them commute to corporate headquarters as needed for meetings or training.
All in all, business travel made up over 48% of all air travel in the U.S. in 2012, which totaled over 460 million person-trips. However, although it is more affordable and there are more options, business travel comes with its own set of challenges for the person doing the traveling. Security considerations have made travel more tedious, exhausting and time-consuming. Time management is another challenge as employees look to make the most of travel time, and manage the impact of travel on family and personal life. For those new to business travel, it can be painful to learn the ins and outs of traveling. For those traveling for business more and more often, it can be just as challenging to lessen the impact of travel personally and at work. That said, there are ways to lessen the drain and maximize the value of business travel. Here are a few tips to make business travel a little easier.
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June 17, 2013

Mind Matters – Part 2

Issue #285

Everyone wants to have a good memory. It is essential for career success. But there are a multitude of factors that impede memory. Common memory reducers include things like lack of sleep, stress, vitamin deficiency and trauma. Less common memory cripplers include such factors as illness, diseases such as Alzheimers, poor blood flow to the brain, brain hemorrhages or injuries, and tumors. Beyond all these, there are a multitude of additional variables – such as ways that the brain works — that impact memory. Often memory is affected in ways that neurologists haven’t even begun to understand. Indeed, scientists agree that memory is one of the functions of brain that is still not well understood.

However, every day, researchers are learning more about memory…. How memory works and how it can be helped to work better. While memory research had previously been focused on what happens when a memory is first formed and on what happens when a memory is retrieved, it is the in-between time when it appears many aspects of memory storage happens. Numerous studies are finding that sleep is actually an important tool in the memory retention process. Here are the latest strategies and research on sleep and how it may be the key to improving memory.
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June 10, 2013

Mind Matters – Part 1

Issue #284

Professionals are always looking to have an edge over their competitors. Most people want to be successful, and bring their “A Game” to every endeavor. A big part of performance in any career is mental capacity, acuity, and agility. Memory plays a big part in that. However, until the last few decades, scientists and doctors understood very little about how memory works, where memories are stored, and what might improve or harm memory. But in the last 50 years, science has made great strides in understanding memory and the human brain.

Indeed, memory is one of the purposes of the brain, and it is described as the ability to protect acquired information consciously and connect it with the past. Having a good memory is a crucial ability in everyone’s life. History is peppered with scholars and leaders whose memories were so remarkable that they never forgot any information they learned in the past. Simonides of Ceos who lived 5th century BC was able to keep in his memory thousands of poems. Cicero was known for his ability to remember names. Ferdinand Marcos, the former Philippine dictator, claimed to have memorized complicated texts in one glance. He could recite the Philippine Constitution forward and backward. He also passed the Bar Exam in 1939 with an almost perfect score at 98%. When his score was contested and he was forced to retake an oral Bar Examination, he got a perfect score.

Everyone wishes they had such a good memory. However, many people complain about forgetfulness and weakness of memory. Nowadays, forgetfulness has become a very common problem among both young and older people. There are many variables that can impact memory. Let’s dub them memory killers. Here are just a few. Continue reading →

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June 3, 2013

Time to Prepare

Issue #283

It seems that warnings to “be prepared” are everywhere. Across the central U.S., residents are being warned to prepare for possible tornados. Although tornado season had been relatively quiet this year — with only 72 tornadoes nationwide in April which was 70 percent below the 10 year average, — May brought a swath of tornados from Texas to Minnesota that included 16 twisters in a single day in North Texas and one that devastated the town of Moore, OK. Out west, California is already contending with forest fires in the Santa Barbara area and residents in fire-prone states are being warned to prepare for possible forest fires. States all along the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines just marked the beginning of this year’s Hurricane Season on June 1st. Last week was Hurricane Preparedness Week. Natural disasters lurk around every corner.

Just as individuals need to heed the warning to ‘be prepared,’ businesses are tasked with the same assignment. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Preparation is primarily about anticipation and avoidance. Prevent loss. Avoid damage. Minimize harm. Is your business prepared for the next possible disaster… natural or otherwise? That depends on how much you’ve anticipated what could possibly go wrong and spent the time, energy and resources to prepare. It is time to prepare. Ready?
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May 27, 2013

It’s Showtime – Part 2

Issue #282

Once again, you or your company is sending a team to attend the biggest trade show or conference of the year. The top salespeople have been approved to attend. A lot of pre-planning was done to ensure that the company’s investment in sending a team to the show will generate a great return. After all, management will want to know after the show if the money spent was worthwhile. It is important to ensure that attendance at any trade show generates a solid return.
Preparing in advance is the first step. Everyone on the team needs to understand the goals for the conference and that the conference experience should improves business and enhance the bottom line. Here are practical tips for staff to get the most out of every trade show or conference attended. Continue reading →

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April 29, 2013

Servicing the Internal Customer

Issue #278

Customer service is a topic that strikes a chord (often a sour note) with many. Some industries, such as air travel and cable / internet providers, are riddled with complaints about poor customer service. Their reputations for mistreating customers are the stuff of nightmarish legends. Other industries or companies are known for their excellent customer service. Apple. Ritz Carlton. Mercedes Benz. These companies consistently provide customers with five-star service. In fact, Ritz Carlton prides itself on delivering six-star service! Regardless of what a company does, builds, makes or provides, the ability to meet the needs of the client or customer is key.

However, if you ask most business people to identify their ‘customers’ or ‘clients’, 99% will inevitably point to the folks spending money to purchase their products or services. Those are the ‘external customers’. Most will not identify their own colleagues and coworkers as ‘customers.’ But, indeed, many of the people who work for a mid-sized or large company don’t actually deal with the external customers or clients who are buying the products or services. Most of the staff of any company are actually ‘behind-the-scenes’, cogs in the machinery that allow companies to function, such as accounting, marketing, HR, IT, production and operations. These people seldom, if ever, speak to or meet an external client or customer. Instead, they provide services that make it possible for others in the company to meet the needs of the external customer. They service the ‘internal customer.’ Unfortunately, internal customer service is even more replete with bad service. Yet, the internal customer is as important as the external customer. Why is that and how does one go about improving a company’s internal customer service?
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April 22, 2013

Why Multitasking Actually Reduces Employee Productivity and Precision

Issue #277

Walk down any busy street in America and you are likely to see people crossing the street while texting. In any break room, you’ll see people eating lunch while using their smart phones to check social media sites. In most offices, you’ll see people having phone conversations with colleagues or customers while simultaneously surfing the web or writing an email. Some might even have two different cell phones, one to each ear, while talking to yet a third person in person. (This is not an urban legend. I’ve witnessed it.)
Dubbed ‘multitasking’, the ability to do two or more things at the same time is considered a plus in many jobs and essential for some occupations. Indeed, many employers talk about multi-tasking like it’s a good thing. There are very few occupations where multi-tasking would be frowned upon. Perhaps brain surgeon or race car driver. Otherwise, the ability to juggle multiple projects, tasks, or even conversations simultaneously is regarded as increasingly valuable by employers. But is it truly a good thing? And is multitasking even real? Can the human brain really multi-task? If not, what is really going on when a person is doing two or three or four things at once? And how does this impact their productivity and precision?
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April 15, 2013

Is Pride A Quality or Flaw at Work?

Issue #276

Pride is one of those puzzling traits that is seen at times as a positive and sometimes as a negative. On the one hand, we are encouraged to be proud of our accomplishments. Training seminars tout the need to take pride in the work we do. From a very young age, we are told that we should be proud to be Americans. We are expected to be proud of our accomplishments and of the accomplishments of our children and family. We hear things like: “Show some pride!” “Stand Up for yourself!” “Walk tall!” “Don’t be a doormat!” “Be proud of who you are!” “Stick out your chest and hold your head high!”

On the other hand, haughty pride is seen as the opposite of the spirit of humility. The proud are seen as so blinded by their pride that they think there is no higher power. So is pride a quality or a flaw? For example, is it wrong for an Olympic athlete to know they’re good at their sport? What is the dividing line between recognizing the truth about oneself and being prideful? Is it okay to have pride in one’s work or be proud of one’s accomplishments? How does pride impact a person’s work? Where is the line between being appropriately culturally confident and being prideful? Continue reading →

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April 8, 2013

Build Confidence

Issue #275

Confidence is a topic that should interest anyone in business and every professional, executive and entrepreneur, male and female alike. Confidence is an essential quality found in most successful people. It is a quality that is not just fed by success, but typically precedes success. Most successful people were confident even before they were successful. It makes sense. People are drawn to those who are confident. Confidence is a magnet that attracts people, lures business and invites success.

Yet, for many, confidence is also elusive. There is no point in telling someone who is insecure, hesitant or unsure to “just be more confident.” To many people confidence is like a mirage in the desert… it is that vibrant place off in the distance, unreachable and unattainable. But if it is a precursor to success, then how does one go about boosting one’s confidence? Here are some tips to boost confidence and come into your own! Continue reading →

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March 25, 2013

The Need To Lead

Issue #274

Much has been written and said about management and leadership over the last century. The question most often posed is whether there is a difference between managing and leading. The simple answer is yes. But separating the two is not so simple. More importantly, in today’s world, not only is it nearly impossible to separate management from leadership, it isn’t even practical or good.

Once upon a time — at the height of the industrial revolution and before the advent of the technological revolution — it was correct to call a manager just that…. a manager. The foreman of an industrial-era factory gave little thought to what was being produced or about the people producing it. His job was to follow orders, organize the work, assign the necessary tasks to the right people, coordinate the results, and ensure the job was done as ordered on time. The focus was efficiency. The typical foreman managed work; not people.

Today, management and leadership go hand-in-hand. They are not the same or synonymous but they are inextricable. If we were to boil it down to a singular statement, the manager’s job is to plan, organize and coordinate while the leader’s job is to inspire and motivate. But there is more to it than that. In today’s complex workplace, it is vital that every organization have people who can lead and people who can manage… preferably some who can do both. Unfortunately, there tends to be too much management and not enough leadership. What are the primary differences between leading and managing? Why is there a greater need for people who can lead? Continue reading →

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