Monday Mornings with Madison

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Staff Management

September 4, 2012

All In A Day’s Work: Valuing Workers By Understanding What Workers Value

Issue #248

According to a 2011-2012 Towers Watson North American Talent Management and Rewards Survey, despite a volatile economy and a stubbornly high unemployment rate, almost 60% of U.S. companies are having trouble attracting critical-skill employees. This is an increase over 2010. Those companies also have to balance that against strong pressure to manage costs, a growing trend of expecting employees to work longer hours, and a steady drift toward decreasing the rate of merit pay raises.

Having just commemorated Labor Day, it is a good time to consider the meaning and purpose of this holiday, often referred to as “the day of the worker.” What are the most important factors that companies and managers should consider as they celebrate their organization’s greatest asset: its workers? Do companies do a good job of demonstrating that they value their employees? And does leadership understand the things employees value most?
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July 30, 2012

Passive, Aggressive or Assertive?

Issue #243

In the business world, one of the most desirable personality traits is assertiveness. Sales managers revere assertive salespeople… those who show a bold forcefulness in the pursuit of a sale. Employees are applauded for being assertive in problem solving and thinking out-of-the-box. Leaders are acclaimed for their hands-on, assertive management style.

Within the spectrum of forceful behavior, assertiveness is considered the middle ground between aggressiveness (too much force) and passivity (not enough force). But how does an executive, manager or entrepreneur achieve just the right balance of assertiveness? Is there a perfect degree of assertiveness that is right for all people, all positions and all situations or is it more subjective? And can one’s natural level of assertiveness be improved or adjusted as needed? Continue reading →

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July 23, 2012

Never Borrow Sorrow from Tomorrow

Issue #242

Last week, we discussed the many mental, physical and emotional benefits to anticipating positive life events. From big events such as vacations to minor pleasures such as a nap, the anticipation of something positive is even more beneficial to a person than the actual vacation or nap. As a business strategy, anticipation can give entrepreneurs and professionals ‘a leg up’ against competitors, psychologically stressing the competition. It is a strategy used often in sports. That is the up side of anticipation.
However, anticipating negative events, while equally impactful, is believed to be detrimental. We give this kind of anticipation a name… it’s called worry. Dating back thousands of years, philosophers have been pondering the concept of ‘anticipating problems’. Seneca, the Roman essayist, philosopher and playwright, was quoted as saying “He who suffers before it is necessary suffers more than is necessary.” Indeed, the general wisdom from philosophers and religious scholars is that worrying causes a person to experience a sense of dread needlessly while waiting for the bad thing to happen.
Yet there are some who have argued that there is a benefit to anticipating a negative event in that it can serve to decrease the negative emotions when the bad thing finally happens. We can dub that the ‘soften the blow’ effect. Anticipating problems and issues ahead of time can also help make them a little less frightening, and allows for planning to avoid or work around problems when they happen. Moreover, worriers argue that even if the bad event doesn’t happen, there is additional joy that results from anticipating that something bad was going to happen and then finding that it did not happen. So what is true? Is anticipating trouble a positive or negative? It depends. Let’s look at the science to find the answer. Continue reading →

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July 16, 2012

The Benefits of Anticipation

Issue #241

Summer is here and many are in the throes of planning their summer vacation. Plan away. It’s actually good for you. How so? Researchers from the Netherlands set out to measure the effect that vacations have on overall happiness and how long it lasts. They studied happiness levels among 1,530 Dutch adults, 974 of whom took a vacation during the 32-week study period. The research controlled for differences among the vacationers and those who hadn’t taken a trip, including income level, stress and education. Published in the Journal of Applied Research in Quality of Life, the study showed that the largest boost in happiness comes from the simple act of planning a vacation. Vacation anticipation boosted happiness for eight weeks!

The only vacationers who experienced increased happiness after the trip were those who said they were “very relaxed” on their vacation. For them, post-vacation happiness lasted for only two weeks after the trip. Those who experienced stress or had a neutral vacation (meaning that it wasn’t stressful but it wasn’t all that relaxing either) did not have any happiness after their vacation. So the biggest boost in happiness was derived in anticipation of a vacation, not during or after the vacation.

Clearly, anticipation – the expectation or yearning for something in the future – can be a powerful agent for happiness. Does this speak to something fundamental in human nature? Is looking forward to something better than actually living it? And does anticipation of other major life events have the same effect on people as ‘vacation anticipation’? Do we derive as much joy anticipating other big life events such as getting married, buying a property, closing a deal, or completing a project? Is working toward a goal more fulfilling than actually achieving the goal? And could there be any benefits to anticipating the small pleasures of life? If so, can businesses capitalize on the benefits of anticipation in its approach to sales and marketing? Continue reading →

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May 29, 2012

Falling On Deaf Ears

Issue #234

Ever had a conversation with a coworker or friend that you knew was hearing you but wasn’t really listening? Ever sat down to talk with your boss and knew you’d made the same point before – perhaps many times before – but you just weren’t getting through? The words came out of your mouth but weren’t absorbed by the other person. There weren’t any sound barriers or language impediments. There was no hearing loss. The person could certainly hear you, but they just weren’t listening.

Why is it that, even though the ears can hear, the mind does not take in the message? That’s because comprehension is tied to listening. Poor listening is a growing epidemic. There are many factors contributing to the increase in poor or non-existent listening. Yet, being an excellent listener is one of the most important qualities of a good leader, particularly in business. Great leaders spend more time listening than they do writing, speaking or reading. In order to understand problems and identify solutions, management must listen to staff and customers in order to identify the best remedies. So, given the importance of good listening, is there anything that can be done to improve one’s own ability to listen? The answer is yes. Continue reading →

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May 21, 2012

Breaking the Desk-Ache Blues

Issue #233

How many hours do you sit behind a desk each day? One of the few things that most employees — from entry level staff to C-suite execs — have in common is that they spend a lot of their work day behind a desk… sitting in a chair, probably in front of a computer, either typing, calculating numbers, researching, reading, filing, talking or pushing paper. Compared to the back-breaking conditions of manual labor jobs such as plowing fields or digging ditches, earning a living by sitting in an air-conditioned room in a comfy chair at a sleek desk is certainly a major improvement. Or is it? Although no one would argue that tough manual labor in the hot sun or frozen tundra is physically daunting and exhausting – especially in the middle of a scorching summer or brutal winter – there are also some drawbacks to working behind a desk all day, day after day.

Just ask anyone who sits behind a computer, calculator or switchboard all day. Sitting at a desk all day can cause aches and pains of a different, but nonetheless hurtful, nature. People who sit at a desk all day can experience back aches, neck pain, carpel tunnel syndrome, headaches, eye strain, stiff shoulders and reduced flexibility. Using one’s brain while keeping the body motionless for prolonged periods of time can also contribute to weight gain, higher cholesterol and other issues related to lack of exercise. While most people can ill afford to give up their desk jobs to work as an aerobics instructor, personal trainer, or bicycle messenger, there are some things that can be done to reduce the impact of sitting still all day and eliminate the desk-ache blues. Continue reading →

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May 14, 2012

The Disadvantages of Hand-Held Devices

Issue #232

Once upon a time not so long ago, people went through life without having a mobile phone, smart phone or tablet attached to their hip. They somehow managed to walk down the street without taking a call. They could watch their child’s soccer match without doing a Google search. They could relax on their living room couch at the end of the day without responding to a text message. They could eat dinner with the family without replying to a client’s umpteenth email. And children could talk about their day at dinner without playing an electronic game. Adults and children alike weren’t continuously “plugged in” and yet were somehow still industrious, successful and happy. Those days seem gone forever thanks to the “Hand-Held Device Revolution.”

According to Comscore.com, in March, 2012, 234 million Americans age 13 and older had mobile devices. Half of those phones were smart phones. Companies provide their employees with smart phones or tablets that have apps, email and Internet connectivity 24/7. Those companies then expect employees to have those devices on 24/7. Indeed, 50% of employed respondents in a survey felt that think that mobiles increase their workload. That’s because, thanks to those hand-held devices, for many the work day doesn’t end. Even for those who turn off their devices to honor the Sabbath, the hand-held devices are on 24/6. That turns the 5-day, 40-hour work week into the 6-day, 144-hour work week. In fact, many are addicted to their hand-held devices – such as iPads, iPhones, Blackberries (there’s a reason they call them Crackberries), Androids, tablets, iTouches, etc. — and cannot imagine life without them. While many managers may consider this a good thing, few really stop to consider the price being paid for keeping staff constantly ‘connected’. It is not just a vague social or emotional toll, but an actual hard cost. Just as last week we did a cost-benefit analysis of providing employees with unlimited Internet access, companies may also need to weigh the pros and cons of hand-held devices. Here are just a few drawbacks to consider. Continue reading →

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May 7, 2012

The Downside of Unfettered Internet Use At Work

Issue #231

According to recent survey, the number of Internet users in the U.S. is expected to expand by 3.1% in 2012 to 239 million, representing 75.6% of the total population. Only three other nations in the world have populations with a higher percentage of Internet users. And, in terms of sheer number of users, only China has more people using the Internet than the U.S. (although only 38.4% of China’s total population has Internet access). Some see this as progress and believe that — in today’s modern world — increased Internet access for all is a good thing. After all, the Internet has revolutionized communication as we know it. As its name implies, the “world wide web” delivers a world of information, goods people and ideas to any computer, tablet or phone with the click of a button. The problem is that the Web does indeed deliver a world of goods, information, people and ideas to any computer, tablet or phone with the click of a button… and all those goods, information, people and ideas are not necessarily needed, useful or good. As with every innovation, the Internet has advantages and also disadvantages.

Setting aside the moral challenges raised by some of the questionable content found on the Internet (which is not the focus of discussion here), from a purely business standpoint, unfettered Internet access at work does have its drawbacks. While most may be quick to embrace the advantages of the Internet, it may be wise to also consider and weigh its disadvantages carefully. After all, business owners, leaders and managers are forever focused on making the most of their organization’s resources, minimizing the risks and maximizing the return. It stands to reason that a similar cost-benefit analysis should be done on the impact of Internet use at work. Here are five significant costs generated by providing unlimited Internet access in the workplace which hurt the bottom line. Continue reading →

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April 16, 2012

Praise Pays

Issue #228

If you ask any Sales Manager what is the most powerful motivator for their employees, you are likely to hear ‘financial compensation’… as in “show them the money.” If you ask any Human Resources manager the same question, you may hear things like ‘fringe benefits or perks.’ While there are many different opinions about how best to motivate employees, one strategy may be more effective at motivating employees than money or benefits (and more cost effective). Namely: praise.

That’s what an obscure study done by Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock proved nearly a century ago. In Hurlock’s 1925 study, students were divided into four groups during instruction. One group was praised. One was criticized. One group was ignored. The last group was ignored during instruction, but not in front of the others so they had no idea that some students were being praised or criticized. Students who were praised in front of others during instruction improved their test scores by 71% while students who were criticized in front of others during instruction improved their test scores only 19%. The students who were ignored completely during instruction improved their scores by only 5% and that was similar to those who were separated from the others. When it came to results, praise was the best motivator. But is the same still true today? And does praise motivate adults at work as much as it motivates children? If so, does praise motivate employees as much as money or benefits? Continue reading →

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April 9, 2012

Sleep Your Way To Success – Part 2

Issue #227

A lot has been learned about how lack of sleep affects the human mind. As we reviewed last week, sleeping too little has a definite impact on mental ability. It inhibits productivity. It diminishes the ability to remember and consolidate information. It lessens the ability to reason and do numerical calculations. For most businesses, this can have serious implications such as reducing workplace safety and decreasing work quality. Here is another consideration: lack of sleep can also cause health problems.

Indeed, studies show that lack of sufficient sleep is linked with:
• Increase in body mass index – a propensity for obesity due to an increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation
• Increased risk of diabetes
• Increased risk of heart problems
• Increased risk for psychiatric conditions including substance abuse
• Decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information which leads to increased amount of accidents

But, as it turns out, there is also a correlation between too much sleep and health problems. In fact, just as it is possible to overeat to the point of obesity, it is also possible to oversleep. A study found that extended sleep durations (over nine hours) is associated with increased illness, depression, accidents and death. Two surveys of more than a million adults conducted by the American Cancer Society found that people who (on average) slept seven hours per night had lower mortality rate after six years than those sleeping less than seven hours or more than eight hours each night. The surveys showed that too much sleep can be ‘too much of a good thing.’ Thus, the goal for sleeping – just like eating, exercising, working and playing – is to get enough without getting too much. The key is balance. What is the right balance between ‘not enough’ and ‘too much’ sleep? Continue reading →

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