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Showing posts with label call center agents philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label call center agents philippines. Show all posts
Friday, March 2, 2012
The Revenge of Carnap Victim
========================
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Thursday, December 8, 2011
How to Survive When You Lose Your Job (Part 3 of 3)
By Eric L. Frederick, RLLD
ROANOKE, Va. — When you lose a job, there is a series of things that should be done immediately. And unless you prepare, unless you are proactive, you are not going to know what to do in that situation. Each experience is unique, but these steps should prove helpful.
Step 3: Ask Others for Help
Give yourself enough time to find the right job. America is full of unhappy, “under-employed” people working jobs where they are not getting the kind of responsibility and feedback they want.
Ask your boss and co-workers for help. Where should you go to start looking for a job? Maybe somebody knows of a company that has positions available. In my case, I walked out of the hospital, cleared out my desk and went to that scout meeting (see part 2).
My assistant scoutmaster—an electric company salesman—had been fired two days earlier. The two of us tried to figure out how we were going to approach the problem. In the laundry industry, my job opportunities ranged from coast to coast. He was in sales, and he eventually got a job with a sporting goods company. He found that job by applying with every company he could find.
I had to ask myself some hard questions: What is my greatest asset? What am I going to do? With me being out of work at least three or four months, where will I get the information I need quickly?
I referred to my National Association of Institutional Linen Management (NAILM) directory, as well as brochures that I had collected while at association conventions. I picked out 50 people I knew across the country—Bill Webb in Cincinnati, Theresa Spears in Houma, La., Bill Riggs in Chicago, and Willie Fudge in Northern California among them—and wrote letters explaining that I had just been fired and asking if they knew of any openings. I included what I was looking for in a job, as well as my salary requirements.
My news must have created a shock wave, because it wasn’t long before I was hearing from people from all over. Their responses varied from “What in the world happened to you?” to “Hey, I want to help you.” I had people calling me on a regular basis to find out how I was doing.
One of my resource books, What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles, contends that management skills break down into three areas: data, people and things. These skills are basic to all industries, the book points out. If you are a good manager of people in the laundry, then you will be a good manager of people in a food processing plant. Management requires certain innate skills. The technical expertise may vary, but you can always learn the technical expertise.
Step 4: Stay Positive and Keep the Faith
As you search for a new job with your hat in your hands, guard against the psychological effects of being out of work. Your self-esteem suffers. And if you do not believe in yourself, why should a potential employer? When you start job hunting, your self-image should be polished. My sister-in-law was rejected by four different companies, but she never felt bad about it because she believed it was the companies’ loss, not hers.
You can send out hundreds of letters—I did—and receive responses from many companies that are not interested. You may never hear from others. At that point, it may be hard to keep your self-confidence high, yet this self-confidence is exactly what most prospective employers are looking for.
When I interviewed for a position at Methodist Hospital, the administrator I spoke with (who later became my boss) told me, “Eric, if positive self-image has anything to do with your ability, you are going to do a super job.” Your attitude about yourself is obvious during an interview. If you have friends who are also job-hunting, talk to them, exchange notes, and become part of a mutual support group.
What is the best way to find out about job openings? I contend that it is not through newspapers, and it is not waiting for the help of trade unions. Contact the people you know in your field and tell them you are looking.
I learned about the Methodist Hospital job from Theresa Spears, whom I had written. She didn’t know of any openings but cared enough to call Bobbie Butler on my behalf. He called me long distance to tell me about the job opening at Methodist.
I was fortunate, because within the first 30 days I had heard about 30 openings that met my salary requirements. I think there are jobs to be had out there right now, but the trouble is finding them. And you won’t unless you make a concentrated effort. Put in the same effort at landing a new job as you would in holding one.
What Color Is Your Parachute? calls résumés “the great paper chase.” Everybody has one. As you grow older, update it regularly and make certain that it accurately portrays your skills. But keep in mind that résumés are used to weed out people, not to select them. My boss at Methodist Hospital needed to find a replacement for his assistant and told two organizations that he was looking. After just three weeks, they had received 256 résumés for that one job.
Don’t say much to the personnel department when it is in the process of weeding out people. Say only that you want to know a little more about the equipment involved and ask if you can talk to the person who is doing the hiring. The only reason that I got the Methodist Hospital job is because I sought out the top man and talked to him. He asked if there was anyone he could call to ask about my ability. I gave him two or three references, and I later flew in and talked to him. I filled out an application and gave him a résumé after I was hired.
Do not put too much faith into what many people say is the best way to get a job—sending your résumé along with a nice cover letter. If you are going to do that, at least do it a little differently. For instance, don’t put it on white paper. Out of the 256 résumés my boss received, I guarantee that there were at least 254 on white paper. Don’t just let yours sit in the stack. Put it on gray paper, light blue, anything but white. It will stand out and might prompt the personnel director to take a second look.
Much of what I’ve written is to get you to think and be proactive. You should never wait until the last minute to plan your course of action. Although it’s not the most comfortable thing to think about, it will help you deal with the situation if you are prepared.
Network with your friends, maintain a positive self-image, and use a résumé if necessary (don’t keep a stack of them). If you are going to visit an institution to talk to the administrator, chances are he/she has already told you what he/she is looking for as far as experience and skill are concerned. Write your résumé if asked for one, emphasizing the qualities being sought.
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are desperate to find employment, the two things that you are going to need the most are other people, and some sort of faith in God. With these, you will survive. If you set your goals properly, you are going to make it.
Part 1
========================
Visit us: http://www.agentsentral.com
Email us: info@agentsentral.com
ROANOKE, Va. — When you lose a job, there is a series of things that should be done immediately. And unless you prepare, unless you are proactive, you are not going to know what to do in that situation. Each experience is unique, but these steps should prove helpful.
Step 3: Ask Others for Help
Give yourself enough time to find the right job. America is full of unhappy, “under-employed” people working jobs where they are not getting the kind of responsibility and feedback they want.
Ask your boss and co-workers for help. Where should you go to start looking for a job? Maybe somebody knows of a company that has positions available. In my case, I walked out of the hospital, cleared out my desk and went to that scout meeting (see part 2).
My assistant scoutmaster—an electric company salesman—had been fired two days earlier. The two of us tried to figure out how we were going to approach the problem. In the laundry industry, my job opportunities ranged from coast to coast. He was in sales, and he eventually got a job with a sporting goods company. He found that job by applying with every company he could find.
I had to ask myself some hard questions: What is my greatest asset? What am I going to do? With me being out of work at least three or four months, where will I get the information I need quickly?
I referred to my National Association of Institutional Linen Management (NAILM) directory, as well as brochures that I had collected while at association conventions. I picked out 50 people I knew across the country—Bill Webb in Cincinnati, Theresa Spears in Houma, La., Bill Riggs in Chicago, and Willie Fudge in Northern California among them—and wrote letters explaining that I had just been fired and asking if they knew of any openings. I included what I was looking for in a job, as well as my salary requirements.
My news must have created a shock wave, because it wasn’t long before I was hearing from people from all over. Their responses varied from “What in the world happened to you?” to “Hey, I want to help you.” I had people calling me on a regular basis to find out how I was doing.
One of my resource books, What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles, contends that management skills break down into three areas: data, people and things. These skills are basic to all industries, the book points out. If you are a good manager of people in the laundry, then you will be a good manager of people in a food processing plant. Management requires certain innate skills. The technical expertise may vary, but you can always learn the technical expertise.
Step 4: Stay Positive and Keep the Faith
As you search for a new job with your hat in your hands, guard against the psychological effects of being out of work. Your self-esteem suffers. And if you do not believe in yourself, why should a potential employer? When you start job hunting, your self-image should be polished. My sister-in-law was rejected by four different companies, but she never felt bad about it because she believed it was the companies’ loss, not hers.
You can send out hundreds of letters—I did—and receive responses from many companies that are not interested. You may never hear from others. At that point, it may be hard to keep your self-confidence high, yet this self-confidence is exactly what most prospective employers are looking for.
When I interviewed for a position at Methodist Hospital, the administrator I spoke with (who later became my boss) told me, “Eric, if positive self-image has anything to do with your ability, you are going to do a super job.” Your attitude about yourself is obvious during an interview. If you have friends who are also job-hunting, talk to them, exchange notes, and become part of a mutual support group.
What is the best way to find out about job openings? I contend that it is not through newspapers, and it is not waiting for the help of trade unions. Contact the people you know in your field and tell them you are looking.
I learned about the Methodist Hospital job from Theresa Spears, whom I had written. She didn’t know of any openings but cared enough to call Bobbie Butler on my behalf. He called me long distance to tell me about the job opening at Methodist.
I was fortunate, because within the first 30 days I had heard about 30 openings that met my salary requirements. I think there are jobs to be had out there right now, but the trouble is finding them. And you won’t unless you make a concentrated effort. Put in the same effort at landing a new job as you would in holding one.
What Color Is Your Parachute? calls résumés “the great paper chase.” Everybody has one. As you grow older, update it regularly and make certain that it accurately portrays your skills. But keep in mind that résumés are used to weed out people, not to select them. My boss at Methodist Hospital needed to find a replacement for his assistant and told two organizations that he was looking. After just three weeks, they had received 256 résumés for that one job.
Don’t say much to the personnel department when it is in the process of weeding out people. Say only that you want to know a little more about the equipment involved and ask if you can talk to the person who is doing the hiring. The only reason that I got the Methodist Hospital job is because I sought out the top man and talked to him. He asked if there was anyone he could call to ask about my ability. I gave him two or three references, and I later flew in and talked to him. I filled out an application and gave him a résumé after I was hired.
Do not put too much faith into what many people say is the best way to get a job—sending your résumé along with a nice cover letter. If you are going to do that, at least do it a little differently. For instance, don’t put it on white paper. Out of the 256 résumés my boss received, I guarantee that there were at least 254 on white paper. Don’t just let yours sit in the stack. Put it on gray paper, light blue, anything but white. It will stand out and might prompt the personnel director to take a second look.
Much of what I’ve written is to get you to think and be proactive. You should never wait until the last minute to plan your course of action. Although it’s not the most comfortable thing to think about, it will help you deal with the situation if you are prepared.
Network with your friends, maintain a positive self-image, and use a résumé if necessary (don’t keep a stack of them). If you are going to visit an institution to talk to the administrator, chances are he/she has already told you what he/she is looking for as far as experience and skill are concerned. Write your résumé if asked for one, emphasizing the qualities being sought.
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are desperate to find employment, the two things that you are going to need the most are other people, and some sort of faith in God. With these, you will survive. If you set your goals properly, you are going to make it.
Part 1
========================
Visit us: http://www.agentsentral.com
Email us: info@agentsentral.com
How to Survive When You Lose Your Job (Part 2 of 3)
By Eric L. Frederick, RLLD
ROANOKE, Va. — We hear about global financial problems every day. We have seen the economic downturn and how the new healthcare law puts economic pressure on our facility’s bottom line. Several friends of mine have lost their jobs or been demoted in the latest round of cost cutting. While administrators make the tough decisions they believe will keep their facilities afloat, it is painful to watch the suffering of dedicated department managers.
In 1980, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Harvard Business School was devoting a segment of its MBA program to the topic of changing jobs. The article stated that one professor would begin the course by telling his class, “I will guarantee you that each and every one of the graduates of this program will be fired sometime during your career.” That is quite a statement considering that they are considered the best in the country. Therefore, it is logical that laundry/linen managers should assume that we are going to get fired at some point.
When you lose a job, there is a series of things that should be done immediately. And unless you prepare, unless you are proactive, you are not going to know what to do in that situation. Each experience is unique, but these steps should prove helpful.
Step 1: Establish That You Are Fired
Let’s start with my first point—establishing that you are fired. That doesn’t sound difficult, yet what happens is the boss will say, “You have been a good employee, but I have to let you go. But I don’t want it to look bad on your records, so you can either resign or I’m going to fire you.” What would you do in that situation?
While the end result is the same, there is a big difference between resigning by choice and resigning under duress. In Utah, where I lost my job, if you resign, you are not eligible for unemployment compensation. You are eligible for compensation if you are fired. I suggest familiarizing yourself with the laws of your state.
So, if you are fired, accept it. It’s not going to look any better on your résumé that you resigned a good job than if you were fired.
The first thing that you want to be able to do is to say to the boss, “I have two weeks vacation that I’ve earned and I expect it on my severance check.” In most companies, this is a vested right. The big question is whether to ask for severance pay. Most companies will give either a set amount or one week’s pay per year based on seniority. But unless you ask for it, your company may not offer it.
Realize that the person sitting behind the desk who has to tell you that you are fired is probably feeling bad, too, because he or she doesn’t know how to handle the situation any better than you. As far as I know, no one has made an in-depth effort to teach people how to fire top management people. We are told to make it short, don’t try to make it sweet, don’t try to cover it up, don’t try to be nice about it, just bring the employee in and tell him that he or she is fired.
When dealing with top management people, it’s a whole different story. Managers receive severance pay and vacation pay. They could be in a position to hurt the company down the road, therefore the company doesn’t want to alienate them. So ask for severance pay, and about any vested rights you might have in a profit-sharing program or pension plan. Many of our allied trades companies have excellent profit-sharing programs. You need to know about your rights prior to such a meeting.
Take responsibility for your own life. When it happened to me, I was crushed. That evening, after surprising my wife by coming home at noon, I attended a Boy Scout Troop meeting. We were showing a film called Wilderness Survival. That may not seem to have anything to do with surviving a job change, but it was exactly what I needed.
The first segment was on the psychology of being lost in the woods. The film emphasized that if you are lost in the woods and you decide that you are going to be found the next day, you’ll do absolutely nothing to support your life. You are not going to build shelter, find food or water, or start a fire! When the next day comes and you have not been found, you are a day hungrier, colder and thirstier. People have died in the woods waiting to be found “tomorrow.”
The main point was if you are lost in the woods, plan on being lost for seven days. I applied that to my unemployment situation; I decided that I was on a national job search and planned on it taking three to four months to find a job; today, I recommend planning on six to nine months between jobs.
This is important because it is going to make you sit down and take inventory of your finances, your energies, your skills, and the people you know. Tell yourself you are going to have to survive for six months on what you have received in severance pay and what you have in the bank. This will immediately relieve a great deal of pressure. If you say, “I’m going to find a job next week,” you are not going to plan, you are not going to prepare, and you are not going to budget your resources.
With this in mind, you may well want to take advantage of COBRA to maintain your health insurance.
You don’t want to be without insurance for six to nine months. The most disastrous thing that can happen to you during unemployment is to have to go to the hospital for a major operation without having coverage.
========================
Visit us: http://www.agentsentral.com
Email us: info@agentsentral.com
ROANOKE, Va. — We hear about global financial problems every day. We have seen the economic downturn and how the new healthcare law puts economic pressure on our facility’s bottom line. Several friends of mine have lost their jobs or been demoted in the latest round of cost cutting. While administrators make the tough decisions they believe will keep their facilities afloat, it is painful to watch the suffering of dedicated department managers.
In 1980, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Harvard Business School was devoting a segment of its MBA program to the topic of changing jobs. The article stated that one professor would begin the course by telling his class, “I will guarantee you that each and every one of the graduates of this program will be fired sometime during your career.” That is quite a statement considering that they are considered the best in the country. Therefore, it is logical that laundry/linen managers should assume that we are going to get fired at some point.
When you lose a job, there is a series of things that should be done immediately. And unless you prepare, unless you are proactive, you are not going to know what to do in that situation. Each experience is unique, but these steps should prove helpful.
Step 1: Establish That You Are Fired
Let’s start with my first point—establishing that you are fired. That doesn’t sound difficult, yet what happens is the boss will say, “You have been a good employee, but I have to let you go. But I don’t want it to look bad on your records, so you can either resign or I’m going to fire you.” What would you do in that situation?
While the end result is the same, there is a big difference between resigning by choice and resigning under duress. In Utah, where I lost my job, if you resign, you are not eligible for unemployment compensation. You are eligible for compensation if you are fired. I suggest familiarizing yourself with the laws of your state.
So, if you are fired, accept it. It’s not going to look any better on your résumé that you resigned a good job than if you were fired.
The first thing that you want to be able to do is to say to the boss, “I have two weeks vacation that I’ve earned and I expect it on my severance check.” In most companies, this is a vested right. The big question is whether to ask for severance pay. Most companies will give either a set amount or one week’s pay per year based on seniority. But unless you ask for it, your company may not offer it.
Realize that the person sitting behind the desk who has to tell you that you are fired is probably feeling bad, too, because he or she doesn’t know how to handle the situation any better than you. As far as I know, no one has made an in-depth effort to teach people how to fire top management people. We are told to make it short, don’t try to make it sweet, don’t try to cover it up, don’t try to be nice about it, just bring the employee in and tell him that he or she is fired.
When dealing with top management people, it’s a whole different story. Managers receive severance pay and vacation pay. They could be in a position to hurt the company down the road, therefore the company doesn’t want to alienate them. So ask for severance pay, and about any vested rights you might have in a profit-sharing program or pension plan. Many of our allied trades companies have excellent profit-sharing programs. You need to know about your rights prior to such a meeting.
Step 2: Determine If Your Boss is Suitable Reference
The next step is to find out what kind of a reference you are going to get from your boss. Get the story straight immediately. If your boss says, “Look, you have caused me more headaches than you were worth,” don’t use him or her as a reference. If there is any doubt in your mind, ask for a letter of reference.Take responsibility for your own life. When it happened to me, I was crushed. That evening, after surprising my wife by coming home at noon, I attended a Boy Scout Troop meeting. We were showing a film called Wilderness Survival. That may not seem to have anything to do with surviving a job change, but it was exactly what I needed.
The first segment was on the psychology of being lost in the woods. The film emphasized that if you are lost in the woods and you decide that you are going to be found the next day, you’ll do absolutely nothing to support your life. You are not going to build shelter, find food or water, or start a fire! When the next day comes and you have not been found, you are a day hungrier, colder and thirstier. People have died in the woods waiting to be found “tomorrow.”
The main point was if you are lost in the woods, plan on being lost for seven days. I applied that to my unemployment situation; I decided that I was on a national job search and planned on it taking three to four months to find a job; today, I recommend planning on six to nine months between jobs.
This is important because it is going to make you sit down and take inventory of your finances, your energies, your skills, and the people you know. Tell yourself you are going to have to survive for six months on what you have received in severance pay and what you have in the bank. This will immediately relieve a great deal of pressure. If you say, “I’m going to find a job next week,” you are not going to plan, you are not going to prepare, and you are not going to budget your resources.
With this in mind, you may well want to take advantage of COBRA to maintain your health insurance.
You don’t want to be without insurance for six to nine months. The most disastrous thing that can happen to you during unemployment is to have to go to the hospital for a major operation without having coverage.
========================
Visit us: http://www.agentsentral.com
Email us: info@agentsentral.com
How to Survive When You Lose Your Job (Part 1 of 3)
By Eric L. Frederick, RLLD
ROANOKE, Va. — We hear about global financial problems every day. We have seen the economic downturn and how the new healthcare law puts economic pressure on our facility’s bottom line. Several friends of mine have lost their jobs or been demoted in the latest round of cost cutting. While administrators make the tough decisions they believe will keep their facilities afloat, it is painful to watch the suffering of dedicated department managers.
In 1980, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Harvard Business School was devoting a segment of its MBA program to the topic of changing jobs. The article stated that one professor would begin the course by telling his class, “I will guarantee you that each and every one of the graduates of this program will be fired sometime during your career.” That is quite a statement considering that they are considered the best in the country. Therefore, it is logical that laundry/linen managers should assume that we are going to get fired at some point.
I found this hard to accept, because I held the popular belief that people were only fired for being incompetent. But I have learned that it is not the only reason. Your boss, for example, might have a son, daughter or friend who needs a job, and might feel that the laundry is a good place for them to start.
Someone may come in and do a super sales job on contract laundry management. For years, institutional laundry managers worried almost exclusively about the threat posed by commercial laundries. The growth of contract management is proof that this section of our industry is here to stay.
Hospital management consultants are recommending combining departments and reducing job titles along with associated benefits. One hospital just called in all its department managers and told them they were fired. The ex-managers were told they could reapply for their jobs, which had been retitled and downgraded.
Your facility could be bought out by one of the larger chains that doesn’t believe in operating on-premise laundries.
A number of years ago, 60 Minutes aired a special about a job marketing service. Clients included 200 people earning from $75,000 to $400,000 annually. Agency policy was that clients paid 10% in advance of what they hoped to make, and the agency agreed to market them for six months but with no guarantee they would get a job. Do you know how many the agency placed? Three!
Why is it that even industry giants don’t feel comfortable when it comes to selling themselves? Why are we so scared of that part of our lives? Statistics tell us that the average job tenure for all U.S. workers is 3.6 years. This means that the average worker conducts a job hunt once every four years.
In facing a job change, it doesn’t matter what business you are in. You can work for a chemical company, uniform supplier, hospital or commercial laundry, and sooner or later we will all face the same problem. The odds against a person going through their lifetime working for just one company are overwhelming.
What are you supposed to do in the most difficult type of job change? You know, the one where you walk in one day and your boss says, “Don’t take your coat off. I’ve got some bad news for you.”
In 1980, I went to the National Association of Institutional Linen Management’s (NAILM) annual meeting in Kansas City. Three gentlemen responsible for reviewing nominations for NAILM’s top annual award selected me as the Laundry Manager of the Year. Back home, due to a 2-year-long corporate conflict, I lost my job. Ten days after being named laundry manager of the year, I was looking for a new job. I couldn’t believe it, nor could anybody else.
If Job is Lost, One Must Take Action Immediately
When you lose a job, there is a series of things that should be done immediately. And unless you prepare, unless you are proactive, you are not going to know what to do in that situation. Each experience is unique, but these steps should prove helpful.
Visit us: http://www.agentsentral.com
Email us: info@agentsentral.com
ROANOKE, Va. — We hear about global financial problems every day. We have seen the economic downturn and how the new healthcare law puts economic pressure on our facility’s bottom line. Several friends of mine have lost their jobs or been demoted in the latest round of cost cutting. While administrators make the tough decisions they believe will keep their facilities afloat, it is painful to watch the suffering of dedicated department managers.
In 1980, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Harvard Business School was devoting a segment of its MBA program to the topic of changing jobs. The article stated that one professor would begin the course by telling his class, “I will guarantee you that each and every one of the graduates of this program will be fired sometime during your career.” That is quite a statement considering that they are considered the best in the country. Therefore, it is logical that laundry/linen managers should assume that we are going to get fired at some point.
I found this hard to accept, because I held the popular belief that people were only fired for being incompetent. But I have learned that it is not the only reason. Your boss, for example, might have a son, daughter or friend who needs a job, and might feel that the laundry is a good place for them to start.
Someone may come in and do a super sales job on contract laundry management. For years, institutional laundry managers worried almost exclusively about the threat posed by commercial laundries. The growth of contract management is proof that this section of our industry is here to stay.
Hospital management consultants are recommending combining departments and reducing job titles along with associated benefits. One hospital just called in all its department managers and told them they were fired. The ex-managers were told they could reapply for their jobs, which had been retitled and downgraded.
Your facility could be bought out by one of the larger chains that doesn’t believe in operating on-premise laundries.
A number of years ago, 60 Minutes aired a special about a job marketing service. Clients included 200 people earning from $75,000 to $400,000 annually. Agency policy was that clients paid 10% in advance of what they hoped to make, and the agency agreed to market them for six months but with no guarantee they would get a job. Do you know how many the agency placed? Three!
Why is it that even industry giants don’t feel comfortable when it comes to selling themselves? Why are we so scared of that part of our lives? Statistics tell us that the average job tenure for all U.S. workers is 3.6 years. This means that the average worker conducts a job hunt once every four years.
In facing a job change, it doesn’t matter what business you are in. You can work for a chemical company, uniform supplier, hospital or commercial laundry, and sooner or later we will all face the same problem. The odds against a person going through their lifetime working for just one company are overwhelming.
What are you supposed to do in the most difficult type of job change? You know, the one where you walk in one day and your boss says, “Don’t take your coat off. I’ve got some bad news for you.”
In 1980, I went to the National Association of Institutional Linen Management’s (NAILM) annual meeting in Kansas City. Three gentlemen responsible for reviewing nominations for NAILM’s top annual award selected me as the Laundry Manager of the Year. Back home, due to a 2-year-long corporate conflict, I lost my job. Ten days after being named laundry manager of the year, I was looking for a new job. I couldn’t believe it, nor could anybody else.
If Job is Lost, One Must Take Action Immediately
When you lose a job, there is a series of things that should be done immediately. And unless you prepare, unless you are proactive, you are not going to know what to do in that situation. Each experience is unique, but these steps should prove helpful.
- Establish that you are fired; this is of vital importance. Some companies do not give vacation pay to employees who leave voluntarily. Most would never give severance pay to anyone who resigns. It is more difficult to establish your eligibility for unemployment insurance if you leave a job by choice.
- Insist on receiving your vacation pay. You’re entitled to any vacation time you have earned in the form of monetary compensation. Many reputable firms have that condition written into their employee handbooks, so there’s seldom an occasion when an argument is necessary.
- Ask for severance pay. This kind of compensation is more of a custom than an inalienable right. Some companies have never paid it. But a valued employee may be able to shame a company into some kind of concession, even if it’s only a week’s severance pay for every year of service. One way to handle this is to use an assumptive approach. “Tom,” you may say, “how much severance pay do I have coming?” If he hesitates, you can add, “I figure I have at least 16 weeks for the eight years I’ve worked for you.” You’ve asked for two weeks per year, but you’d probably settle for one.
- Protect your vested rights in a profit-sharing and/or pension plan. This is where you may receive an unexpected dividend as a result of being fired. It all depends on the individual plan your company has and the vesting formula of that plan.
- Get a commitment on a reference. You’ve worked hard and loyally for “Tom” these eight years and helped him save face on numerous occasions. There shouldn’t be the slightest doubt that he’ll give you a good recommendation should anyone phone to ask about you, right? Maybe. Once you’re out the door, “Tom” may not feel a shred of loyalty toward you.
- Ask your boss and co-workers for help. They may offer to furnish you with job leads. If not, then ask for them. Get all the contacts you can. Many people will try to help because, deep down, they know that there for the grace of God go they.
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Tuesday, November 29, 2011
9 Things That Motivate Employees More Than Money
Don't show 'em the money (even if you have it). Here are nine better ways to boost morale.
The ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills an entrepreneur can possess. Two years ago, I realized I didn’t have this skill. So I hired a CEO who did.
Josh had 12 years in the corporate world, which included running a major department at Comcast. I knew he was seasoned, but I was still skeptical at first. We were going through some tough growing pains, and I thought that a lack of cash would make it extremely difficult to improve the company morale.
I was wrong.
With his help and the help of the great team leaders he put in place, Josh not only rebuilt the culture, but also created a passionate, hard-working team that is as committed to growing and improving the company as I am.
Here are nine things I learned from him:
- Be generous with praise. Everyone wants it and it’s one of the easiest things to give. Plus, praise from the CEO goes a lot farther than you might think. Praise every improvement that you see your team members make. Once you’re comfortable delivering praise one-on-one to an employee, try praising them in front of others.
- Get rid of the managers. Projects without project managers? That doesn’t seem right! Try it. Removing the project lead or supervisor and empowering your staff to work together as a team rather then everyone reporting to one individual can do wonders. Think about it. What’s worse than letting your supervisor down? Letting your team down! Allowing people to work together as a team, on an equal level with their co-workers, will often produce better projects faster. People will come in early, stay late, and devote more of their energy to solving problems.
- Make your ideas theirs. People hate being told what to do. Instead of telling people what you want done; ask them in a way that will make them feel like they came up with the idea. “I’d like you to do it this way” turns into “Do you think it’s a good idea if we do it this way?”
- Never criticize or correct. No one, and I mean no one, wants to hear that they did something wrong. If you’re looking for a de-motivator, this is it. Try an indirect approach to get people to improve, learn from their mistakes, and fix them. Ask, “Was that the best way to approach the problem? Why not? Have any ideas on what you could have done differently?” Then you’re having a conversation and talking through solutions, not pointing a finger.
- Make everyone a leader. Highlight your top performers’ strengths and let them know that because of their excellence, you want them to be the example for others. You’ll set the bar high and they’ll be motivated to live up to their reputation as a leader.
- Take an employee to lunch once a week. Surprise them. Don’t make an announcement that you’re establishing a new policy. Literally walk up to one of your employees, and invite them to lunch with you. It’s an easy way to remind them that you notice and appreciate their work.
- Give recognition and small rewards. These two things come in many forms: Give a shout out to someone in a company meeting for what she has accomplished. Run contests or internal games and keep track of the results on a whiteboard that everyone can see. Tangible awards that don’t break the bank can work too. Try things like dinner, trophies, spa services, and plaques.
- Throw company parties. Doing things as a group can go a long way. Have a company picnic. Organize birthday parties. Hold a happy hour. Don’t just wait until the holidays to do a company activity; organize events throughout the year to remind your staff that you’re all in it together.
- Share the rewards—and the pain. When your company does well, celebrate. This is the best time to let everyone know that you’re thankful for their hard work. Go out of your way to show how far you will go when people help your company succeed. If there are disappointments, share those too. If you expect high performance, your team deserves to know where the company stands. Be honest and transparent.
Ilya Pozin founded his first company, Ciplex, at age 17. The digital marketing and creative agency caters to small businesses and startups. Ciplex, which has received the Inc.500/5000 award for two consecutive years, is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in New York, Jerusalem, Serbia, and Germany. In 2010 Ilya hired a new CEO and moved into the President/CMO role so that he could focus on building new ventures. Originally from Russia, he currently resides in L.A. with his wife and daughter.
Also Read How a Few Bad Apples Ruin Everything
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Thursday, November 24, 2011
Gary Vaynerchuk's Advice to Entrepreneurs
Focus on Your Strengths
No 4-hour Work Week
Crush it!
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No 4-hour Work Week
Crush it!
========================
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Saturday, November 12, 2011
Be Positive Daily: Grab this Affirmation Video
When you feel down or losing steam in your career or life, just go back to this video and be re-energized:
Read: How to Use Intention to Experience a Desired Change. (At the end of this article you can watch the full movie of "The Secret." Go there now.)
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Read: How to Use Intention to Experience a Desired Change. (At the end of this article you can watch the full movie of "The Secret." Go there now.)
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Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Discountitis
By Rene Espinosa
“Discountitis” is fast spreading like a virus among salespeople. It is a sickening condition which renders a sales agent unable to secure orders at the normal price. At the slightest hint of price objection, the sales representative will immediately discard his ace right under his sleeves --- discounts.
Time and again, whenever I am asked to conduct sales training, company owners, Presidents and Sales & Marketing Heads will tell me, “Our people know very little how to handle price objections. They seem to think that without giving a huge discount, the product or service cannot be closed.”
I can’t help but recall one company where I’ve conducted a sales training program. In order to simulate a real situation, I asked somebody to play the role of the prospective customer and another to play role of the customer service representative or salesperson. As a matter of course, the “customer” inquired about the various services of the company and then the price of the one she liked the most. The “salesperson” with much enthusiasm explained the different packages and then told the “customer” the price.
When the customer showed reluctance and raised concern about the price, immediately and without batting an eyelash, the salesperson offered a whooping 30% Discount. I could see the very upset reaction in the eyes of the General Manager. If her people would dispose this way in her presence, the more they would do so in her absence. Her people would offer discounts left and right at the expense of the company’s profit margin.
How do you handle requests for discounts? How do you handle price objections? If you are leading a group of salespeople, you should see to it that your people will internalize them.
1. Before Answering Your Customers’ Price Objections, You Must First Answer Your Own.
If the salesperson himself believes that the price of his company’s product or service is too high, he will not be effective in handling the price objections of the customer. I believe this is very essential. In the words of Martin Shafiroff, “All great business successes have strong convictions in what they are doing. Essentially, the first person you must sell to, if you want to succeed, is yourself. I believe this is vital. When you believe in what you are doing, the other party evaluating your comments is going to react accordingly.”
Along this line, business owners or sales leaders must make it a point to give a product orientation to their people. The purpose is not merely to explain the products but more importantly, to convince them of the value of the products. This can be done once in a while or during sales meetings. Remember, if the salesperson is sold himself, then he will not easily cower even under a Herculean pressure.
2. Remember, Many Ask For A Discount Or Raise Price Objections Merely As A Force Of Habit.
Studies show that many who ask for a discount do not expect that their request will be granted. As Kelley Robertson has put it, “Recognize that people ask for more than they expect to get.” Believe it or not, a lot of prospective customers are just giving it a try. With or without a discount, they will still buy anyway. Unfortunately, many customers are far better than the salespeople when it comes to sales presentation or negotiation. The customers present with more conviction (i.e., the plausibility of a bigger discount) compared to the way the salesperson presents the value of his product. That is why, the stark fact is that, it is the salespeople who often get the shorter end of the stick.
3. Even If You Have To Give Discounts, You Must First Defend The Price You Have Initially Given.
Picture this in your mind. Suppose, for example, that you are looking for a second-hand car and I come to your office to offer my Honda Accord. Let’s just say that my initial offer is Php600,000. Smirking, you shot back with, “Come on, just give it for Php560,000.” To your complete surprise, my immediate reply is, “OK, Php560,000. Deal!” What would you feel? Even if you got what you asked for, you would still feel short-changed, don’t you agree?
If, instead of giving in immediately, I replied, “You know buddy, I could really sell that car even for Php640,000.00 if I were not in a hurry. I just need money very badly now. But with its well-maintained engine, new seat covers, etc., etc., Php600,000.00 is a jackpot for you.” Now, you may still try to haggle down the price. I may just repeat my justifications but if I have to, I will say, “OK, just to finish the whole thing. Let’s settle for Php575,000.00. Even if you manage to ask for more concessions and let’s say, you’ve succeeded to scale it down to Php560,000.00, what would you feel? You’ll get the impression that you’ve bought something valuable, right?
4. You Should Use Some Effective Techniques To Win In A Sales Negotiation
The next time you find yourself entangled in a negotiation, do not use a knife while your opponent is using an M16. Allow me to offer a few techniques you may find useful. To make it easy for you, I will use alliteration - they all start with the letter “S”.
(a) The first is called the SURPRISE technique.
As the title suggests, it is a visible reaction to the offer or counter-offer of the opponent. If somebody asks for a big discount, for example, instead of appearing calm and composed, you make the other person uncomfortable about his offer by appearing shocked and surprised.
“What! 30% Discount!” Unless the other person is a seasoned negotiator, he will lower his expectation for a 30% discount.
(b) The second is called the SUMMARY technique.
Price objections are raised because the prospects fail to appreciate the value of the product. He looks at the price and it looks far bigger than the benefits the product offers. Your role as sales professional is to make him see again and again the benefits of using your product. Here, you can make a brief recap about the different advantages and benefits of your product or services (e.g., safety feature, savings, etc.). “Mr. Prospect, you did say you wanted this feature. Likewise, you mentioned it would meet the objectives of your company if the quality is . . . ? Moreover . . .”
(c) The third is called the SLICE technique.
You can break down the price into smaller units. Let me illustrate. Suppose, for example, that you are selling an equipment worth Php96,000 with a lifespan of ten years. Instead of talking with the prospect about the astronomical amount of Php96,000, you can talk to him about his investment per year which is only Php9,600. Then you can further break it down and tell your prospect, “This equipment will definitely increase your profits (or reduce overhead costs) year after year for a very small investment of Php 800 a month. Makes good business sense, don’t you think so?”
Here’s how a real estate salesman may deal with Mr. Cruz, a prospect who has been renting an apartment for Php15,000.00, If Mr. Cruz is really interested in a property with a monthly amortization of Php20,000.00 but raises price objections, the real estate salesman can respond with, “Mr. Cruz, what we are talking about here is the fulfillment of your dream for your family. Your investment here is only Php20,000 a month. Considering your monthly rental, it means that we are talking of an investment of only Php5,000 a month or Php1,250 a week or less than Php200 a day. Mr. Cruz, for Php200, will you deny your family a house they can call their own?”
(d) The fourth is called the SUBTRACTION technique.
We have a saying, “You will only know the value of a person when he or she is gone.” This is true of marriage and courtship, right? (I am not an expert here, ha ha!). Guess what? This principle applies in sales presentation, too. In order for your prospect to appreciate more the value of the benefits of your product, try “removing” them (mentally).
So, one of the first things you can do is to determine the features that your prospects like the most about your product then “remove” them. “Sir, this product has this AAA feature which guarantees more production in your poultry. If it didn’t have this system like many other products today, the price could be reduced. But do you want this product without the AAA feature?”
As you can see, sales negotiation techniques are used to lower your opponent’s expectations or justify your price. No, your people don’t have to be the next victim of Discountitis if you will exert efforts to train them and make them see the value of your product.
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Note: If you want to learn more techniques in handling price objections and closing more sales, then don’t miss the special seminar – 39 Ways to Close More Sales to be conducted by Rene Espinosa on November 25 at RCBC Plaza. For reservations, please call Powermax Consulting Group now at 470-1055.
Note: If you want to learn more techniques in handling price objections and closing more sales, then don’t miss the special seminar – 39 Ways to Close More Sales to be conducted by Rene Espinosa on November 25 at RCBC Plaza. For reservations, please call Powermax Consulting Group now at 470-1055.
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Do you have an interesting sales experience? Like how you have handled a challenging objection or a difficult situation or how you have successfully closed a sale? Inspire others by sharing it. I may feature it in my seminar. Send it to rene@powermaxph.com and ren.espinosa@gmail.com
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Saturday, November 5, 2011
How a Few Bad Apples Ruin Everything
What harm can a handful of nasty or incompetent employees do? A lot more than you may think.
Superstars get a lot of attention from bosses. But bad apples deserve even more.A growing body of research suggests that having just a few nasty, lazy or incompetent characters around can ruin the performance of a team or an entire organization—no matter how stellar the other employees.Bad apples distract and drag down everyone, and their destructive behaviors, such as anger, laziness and incompetence, are remarkably contagious. Leaders who let a few bad apples in the door—perhaps in exchange for political favors—or look the other way when employees are rude or incompetent are setting the stage for even their most skilled people to fail.
Spreading the Vibes
It's easy to understand why bosses would rather focus on attracting and developing superstars. A mountain of research shows that stars and geniuses can deliver astounding results. And, obviously, it's more fun and inspiring to focus on top-performing, energetic employees.
But studies of everything from romantic relationships to workplace encounters show that negative interactions can pack a much bigger wallop than positive ones. The reason is simple: "Bad is stronger than good," as psychologist Roy Baumeister and his colleagues put it. The negative thoughts, feelings and performance they trigger in others are far larger and longer lasting than the positive responses generated by more constructive colleagues.
Consider research on bad apples and team effectiveness by Will Felps, Terence R. Mitchell and Eliza Byington. They examined the impact of team members who were deadbeats ("withholders of effort"), downers (who "express pessimism, anxiety, insecurity and irritation") and jerks (who violate "interpersonal norms of respect"). An experiment by Mr. Felps found that having just one slacker or jerk in a group can bring down performance by 30% to 40%.
How can organizations squash those negative influences? The easiest way, obviously, is to avoid hiring bad apples in the first place—and that means taking a different approach to assessing candidates for jobs.
The usual means of screening are often weak when it comes to determining if a job candidate is a bad apple. Candidates may have gone to the best schools or may come across as charming and brilliant in interviews—thus disguising their laziness, incompetence or nastiness.
That's why one of the best ways to screen employees is to see how they actually do the job under realistic conditions. Akshay Kothari and Ankit Gupta favor that approach. When they're hiring new people for their Palo Alto, Calif., company, Pulse, which makes a news-reading app for mobile devices, they consider evaluations from peers and superiors and do multiple rounds of interviews. But they say the most effective thing is to bring candidates in for a day or two and give them a short job to accomplish. (The candidates are paid for their time.)
Not only do they learn a lot about the candidates' technical skills, Messrs. Kothari and Gupta say, but they also learn about their personality. How do they deal with setbacks? Do they know when to ask for help and to give others help? Is the candidate the kind of person they want to work with? The partners say there have been several candidates who looked great on paper and came highly recommended but weren't offered jobs—because technical and interpersonal weaknesses surfaced during the selection process.
Play Nice or Else
Beyond smarter screening, it's important to develop a culture that doesn't tolerate jerks. The best organizations make explicit their intolerance for bad apples; they spell out which behaviors are unacceptable in the workplace and act decisively to prevent and halt them.
Consider Robert W. Baird & Co., a financial-services firm that has won praise as a great place to work. The company is serious about creating a culture where disrespect and selfishness are unacceptable. They call this the "no jerk rule" (though they use a more colorful word than "jerk").
The company starts sending the message during the hiring process, says CEO Paul Purcell. "During the interview, I look them in the eye and tell them, 'If I discover that you are a jerk, I am going to fire you,' " he says. "Most candidates aren't fazed by this, but every now and then, one turns pale, and we never see them again—they find some reason to back out of the search."
When the company makes a hiring error and brings aboard an employee who persistently demeans colleagues or puts personal needs ahead of others, Baird acts quickly to deal with or expel the bad apple.
Mr. Purcell's crusty approach won't work in every company culture. For an idea of how to handle the task with a more subtle hand, look at renowned chef Alice Waters, who has headed the restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., for 40 years now.
Biographer Thomas McNamee describes how Ms. Waters's love of people and food has spread to those around her. Along the way, though, many bad apples have been shown the door—but Ms. Waters doesn't hold it open. The process usually starts when one of her colleagues conveys the message that Ms. Waters isn't "entirely pleased." If the hints don't work, then that colleague—or someone else close to Ms. Waters—does the firing.
A spokesman for Chez Panisse says Ms. Waters does personally fire employees on occasion and "she manages to have that person feel as though they are making the decision to leave and it is better for themselves to move on and explore new opportunities." He also notes that a large percentage of employees have been with the restaurant for decades.
Keeping Them Close
There are times, of course, when an organization can't—or won't—remove a destructive personality. Maybe the person is a star as well as a bad apple, for instance, or is otherwise crucial to the operation. In such cases, leaders might try to use coaching, warnings and incentives to curb the toxic employee's behavior. Another tactic is to physically isolate the bad apple.
In one organization, there was a deeply skilled and incredibly nasty engineer whom leaders could not bring themselves to fire. So, they rented a beautiful private office for him several blocks from the building where his colleagues worked. His co-workers were a lot happier—and so was he, since he preferred working alone.
But beware: Leaders who believe that destructive superstars are "too important" to fire often underestimate the damage they can do. Stanford researchers Charles O'Reilly and Jeffrey Pfeffer report a revealing episode at a clothing retailer. The company fired a top-producing salesman who was a bad apple. After he was gone, none of his former colleagues sold as much as he had. But the store's total sales shot up by nearly 30%. The lesson, according to the researchers: "That one individual brought the others down, and when he was gone, they could do their best."
Mr. Sutton, a professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University, is the author of "Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best…and Learn from the Worst." He can be reached at reports@wsj.com.
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Twilight: Hand and Footprint Ceremony at the fabled Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Thousands of "Twilight" fans lined up on Thursday to get a glimpse of the film franchise's heartthrobs (L-R) Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner. The three became part of Hollywood Boulevard forever at their Hand and Footprint Ceremony at the fabled Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
Source: Yahoo! | OMG
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Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Face-Off Twist: Nicholas Cage & John Travolta are Vampires?
See it for yourselves.
The much talked about pics on eBay supposedly of Nicholas Cage and John Travolta from the 1800's-1900's have risen speculations of some type of reincarnation, time travel, or of vampires in our midst.
Thanks to the Twilight series, many look at the photos as leaning towards vampires.
Bizarre coincidence?
The much talked about pics on eBay supposedly of Nicholas Cage and John Travolta from the 1800's-1900's have risen speculations of some type of reincarnation, time travel, or of vampires in our midst.
Thanks to the Twilight series, many look at the photos as leaning towards vampires.
Bizarre coincidence?
 |
| Face-Off: 1800's - 1900's Photos of Cage and Travolta's "look-a-likes" |
Before the $50,000 eBay listing of the Travolta picture was pulled, the seller postulated that John might perhaps be he same captain of the S.S. Xenuprise.
Your theories are as good as mine.
See related story: Keanu Reeves --- a Time Traveler?
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Thursday, October 27, 2011
Why Digital Talent Doesn’t Want To Work At Your Company
BY FC Expert Blogger Aaron Shapiro
Why doesn't digital talent want to work at your company? It’s not because you’re a consumer packaged goods company, rather than Google. It’s not because you’re in Ohio instead of Silicon Valley. It’s not because your salaries are too low, or because you don’t offer free food and laundry services.
It’s because you’re not providing them the right opportunity. The talent you want would be happy to work in an un-air-conditioned garage in New Mexico if it meant the chance to change the world.
This, the opportunity to do great things, to make a real difference, is what drives most digital talent--whether they’re developers, designers, producers, marketers or business folks.
Most companies don’t offer this, so they skip your company and work somewhere that’s more innovative and exciting. End of story. But the good news is that you can offer them something exciting and great. The promise of changing a giant, behind-the-times organization into an Internet-savvy business is an incredibly exciting challenge and a big way for ambitious people to make an impact.
But it takes more than lip service to make the sale. Job candidates and new hires with digital chops must truly believe in the company’s dedication to digital transformation and they must see that they are empowered to make this change. Trouble is, many big businesses aren’t structured to deliver on this type of opportunity. The attributes of a soul-crushing, Sisyphean, anti-digital workplace run deep.
Digital talent won’t want to work at your company if:
When all of these digital-talent deterring points are addressed, company leadership has effectively and proactively demonstrated the company’s dedication to a digital transformation. It is at this time that their words, a broadly communicated firm stance on the significance of the company’s digital goals, will make the most impact. Without this conspicuous top-down support, politics in the organization or simply one influential disbeliever can hinder the effort, limit the extent of digital integration possible, and discourage valuable employees.
You need them more than they need you. Demand for their services is so high, they can afford to be finicky. If they don’t like where they’re working, another firm with a more attractive culture and more grand opportunity will quickly swipe them up. That could be your company. But it could just as easily be someone else.
Related articles:
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This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.
Some digital companies are hiring--and in fact are in hot competition for certain types of employees. But you don't have to be Google to attract top-tier talent.
Why doesn't digital talent want to work at your company? It’s not because you’re a consumer packaged goods company, rather than Google. It’s not because you’re in Ohio instead of Silicon Valley. It’s not because your salaries are too low, or because you don’t offer free food and laundry services.
It’s because you’re not providing them the right opportunity. The talent you want would be happy to work in an un-air-conditioned garage in New Mexico if it meant the chance to change the world.
This, the opportunity to do great things, to make a real difference, is what drives most digital talent--whether they’re developers, designers, producers, marketers or business folks.
Most companies don’t offer this, so they skip your company and work somewhere that’s more innovative and exciting. End of story. But the good news is that you can offer them something exciting and great. The promise of changing a giant, behind-the-times organization into an Internet-savvy business is an incredibly exciting challenge and a big way for ambitious people to make an impact.
But it takes more than lip service to make the sale. Job candidates and new hires with digital chops must truly believe in the company’s dedication to digital transformation and they must see that they are empowered to make this change. Trouble is, many big businesses aren’t structured to deliver on this type of opportunity. The attributes of a soul-crushing, Sisyphean, anti-digital workplace run deep.
Digital talent won’t want to work at your company if:
- Every element of their work will be pored over by multiple layers of bureaucracy. Even if that’s how the rest of the company operates, it can’t spill into the digital department. In a technology environment, new products and businesses spring up daily and a new endeavor can go from conception to launch in a matter of months. Reining in the momentum will be read as inaction and a clear signal the company isn’t willing to grasp the new way of the world.
- Mediocre is good enough. While clocking out at 5 p.m. is attractive to some, it will discourage digital talent. They want to be expected to do something great. They want to be pushed. They care about their work. Their leadership, and those they rely on to get things done, must match their appetite for success.
- Trial and error is condemned. The freedom to try out new ideas allows employees to take initiative, make decisions, and learn from their mistakes. It also demonstrates an attractive and inspiring entrepreneurial spirit.
- Your company is structured so it takes a lifetime to get to the top, and as such there are no digital experts in company-wide leadership positions. Digital talent--often in their 20s and 30s--need to see a clear path for uninhibited career development that’s based on merit, not years spent, and that’s beyond the confines of the digital department. If they don’t, they won’t see a reason to stay with the company in the long term.
- Your offices are cold, impersonal and downright stodgy. It may sound like it conflicts with the “you don’t need to be in Silicon Valley point,” but appreciate the nuance. A traditional office layout is designed to communicate power among certain individuals and barriers between departments. This does not support the collaborative ethos which is intrinsic to the web. Companies should do everything possible to provide the digital team friendlier, open office space. A location in a hip, young neighborhood (which surely exists in every mid- to large-sized city) is also a big plus.
When all of these digital-talent deterring points are addressed, company leadership has effectively and proactively demonstrated the company’s dedication to a digital transformation. It is at this time that their words, a broadly communicated firm stance on the significance of the company’s digital goals, will make the most impact. Without this conspicuous top-down support, politics in the organization or simply one influential disbeliever can hinder the effort, limit the extent of digital integration possible, and discourage valuable employees. You need them more than they need you. Demand for their services is so high, they can afford to be finicky. If they don’t like where they’re working, another firm with a more attractive culture and more grand opportunity will quickly swipe them up. That could be your company. But it could just as easily be someone else.
Related articles:
- Want To Keep (And Motivate) Your Best Employees? It's Not About The Money
- How To Discover Amazing Talent For Your Startup
- Your Next High-Paying Job May Be In An Industry That Was Never On Your Radar
- What It Takes To Get A Job At Google
For more leadership coverage, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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