Jill's Recommended Reading List
Discover books in customer service, leadership, team building, communication, conflict resolution and MORE!
Did you know? According to a number of recent studies, business people who read at least 7 business books a year earn over 2.3 times more than those who read only one book per year! |
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3 Reasons Companies
Engage
Coaches
From January 2009 Harvard Business Review, "What Can Coaches Do For You?"
Ten years ago, most companies called coaches in to help fix toxic behavior at the top. Today, most coaching aims to develop the capabilities of top performers.
1. To develop high potentials or facilitate transition
2. Act as a sounding board
3. Address derailing behavior
Contact Jill Hickman to schedule an introductory and complimentary coaching session. See what possibilities exist for you! |
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About Jill Hickman Companies
Jill provides expertise in three critical areas for your success:
1. Online Selection Assessments: place the right people in the right jobs
2. Training & Development: facilitation of workshops, online training programs and webinars in leadership, supervision, customer service, career planning
3. Executive & Personal Coaching: telephone or in-person coaching available in a variety of time blocks based on your need and convenience
Contact Information
Phone: 281-358-8580 or 800-757-7965
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Tough Economic Times Require Leadership
When market share drops, sales fall and revenue slips, many organizations start cutting costs in advertising, marketing, R & D budgets, talent acquisition and development. These areas are often the casualties of budget "first cuts" to generate immediate, short-term returns. But what are the risks to organizations who take these easy cost-cutting measures?
Effective leadership considers tough economic times as critical opportunities to stand up and stand out when other companies turn tail and run to cover their ass(ets). Anyone can be a leader when times are good, but true leadership always emerges in crisis - when times are tough, challenges are many, and creativity is most needed. This is the time for leadership to focus on what matters most - how to inspire an efficient, engaged workforce to sustain their organization's greatest competitive advantage, particularly during troubled economic times. Now more than ever, organizations need the talent, skills, and commitment of employees to sustain the hard times and ensure future success. |
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 5 Lessons Learned
In a recent survey of U.S. companies between 2007 and 2008, 66% of firms saw decreases in employee engagement - a trend that is out of the ordinary for surveys conducted in the last five years. What difference does engagement make? Engagement is the willingness and ability of employees to expend extra effort, speak highly on behalf of their company, and stay on with the company. According to Mark D. Hirschfeld, principal of Goldenrod Consulting, Inc., "Having a highly engaged workforce certainly doesn't completely insulate an organization from economic recession. But a more engaged workforce can act as insulation, a buffer if you will, from the effects of the economic downturn." Here are 5 lessons learned from the organizations who are gaining ground in the quest for employee engagement:
1. Communication of a clear compelling vision for a positive future
2. Open and honest communication to build trust
3. Continued focus on career growth and development
4. Recognition and reward for high performance
5. Strong commitment to employee's well being |
 Talent Training & Development
In this year's January issue of HR Magazine, 49% of trainers said budgets had been cut and 60% were being asked to do more with no increase. So, do you postpone training, cancel programs, or get creative? Here are suggestions to cut costs without cutting out on quality or quantity.
1. Be selective - determine priorities for who gets trained and ensure that training is focused on areas critical to business success. For example: customer service training for frontline employees to retain customers in a shrinking market; leadership and supervisory training to retain and engage remaining employees.
2. Change the time to maintain productivity - break apart a one-day training to two half-day programs. Rather than hold a 2-day leadership training, conduct one day in-person and schedule the remaining time in weekly one-hour webinars.
3. Protect your assets - require a minimum number of attendees for facilitated training. Institute "charge-backs" to departments to limit "no-shows" on day of programs.
4. Reduce travel - send one trainer to the employee group. Provide online training. Conduct webinars. Bundle training days to coincide with conference and meeting days.
5. Brown bag it - have employees bring their own snacks and provide their own lunch. The dollars expended for coffee, continental breakfast and catered lunches add up!
6. Job shadowing/mentoring/coaching - A down economy offers opportunities to learn and grow from others in the company. Take turns learning responsilibities from other positions in the company - job share (take their place for a while) or job shadow (learn over their shoulder). Have guest speakers from other departments share knowledge with your team.
7. Start business book clubs - generate a recommended reading list from management (or use mine) and hold employee lunch-and-learn brown bags to discuss application possibilities within your organization. Have senior executives facilitate each book club discussion.
8. Look for "free" or "low cost" events offered through association meetings, professional networking groups and local chambers. Attend open houses hosted by vendors, suppliers, manufacturers.
9. Initiate special project task forces on a selective, by invitation only basis. Organizational problems and challenges don't shrink although budgets and staff might! Keep talent focused on the opportunities for making a positive difference for themselves and their organizations in a challenging environment. Schedule meetings for potential and current leaders to work together to brainstorm solutions to identified problems. Create action plans to see the meeting ideas take root within the organization. |
Managing Stress
The good news is that for many employees, the economic crisis may not be cause for alarm within their organizations - things may be looking good for their companies or least holding on. But the continued doom and gloom of economic forecasters is sounding the alarm for many employees within their own families. Loss of credit means many people will not be able to afford car repairs much less by a new vehicle. Still others worry about putting food on the table, while others wonder how they'll ever be able to send their kids to college.
As leaders in the company, your responsibility is to manage the business AND the people who make your business possible. Take time to talk with your employees to see how things are going inside and outside the company for them. Keep employees in the communication loop. It's one thing to tell employees not to worry about losing their jobs...but it's quite another to let them know what the company is or will be doing to ensure that doesn't happen. Advise them on all the things the company is doing to ensure viability during these economic times.
Gather your employees to brainstorm ways that your departments can be creative in finding opportunities to deal with the challenges faced inside and outside the company. Post daily bulletins on bargains for a variety of services - cheap gasoline, food discounts, free venues for entertainment.
Keep company resources and benefits fresh in the minds of your employees. Place the toll-free numbers for the company sponsored EAP (employee assistance programs) in highly visible traffic areas - in breakrooms, near copiers and coffee pots. Reach out to your employees with kindness, care and concern, and they'll reward you with loyalty AND higher levels of engagement. |
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