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talent talk...

Insights and trends in leadership, talent management and coaching.

April 2009
Leadership Insight Newsletter
In This Issue
Retaining the Right Talent to Reach the Next Level
Talk It Up!
Stop Dragging Work Home with You

 
"The reward for work well done in the opportunity to do more."
-Jonas Salk
 
"It's all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family."
-Philip Green
 
"The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find what it is that interests you and that you can do well, and when you find it, put your whole soul into it - every bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have."
- John D. Rockefeller, III

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Leadership Insight is proud to be a corporate partner of The Executive RoundTable PowerRoundtables, interactive executive breakfast events on subjects related to Leadership held at Verity Club in Toronto. Participation in these energetic panel discussion/mentoring events is open to managers with more than 4 years of progressive leadership experience.

Join us May 6 when we present Leading Through Influence - how to build support in tough times using influence and persuasion. The executive panel includes: Robert Canuel VP of HR Hallmark Canada; Nadine Gilchrist, VP Corporate & Credit Risk Policy BMO; and Elisabeth Ross CEO Ovarian Cancer.

Through candid open dialogue, you will learn what it takes to get to the top and how to avoid mishaps along the way. If you can't make May 6, please join us June 10 for our next event Positioning Yourself as a Strategist. There are only 15 spaces available at each event so register early.  Please call us at 905-257-7227.

Enjoy this issue of talent talk.

Rebecca Heaslip
President
Leadership Insight
_____________________________________
Retaining the Right Talent to Reach the Next Level  

In today's economy, every business executive, owner, CEO and president should be asking themselves one important question: "Do I have the talent to take this business to the next level?"

If the answer is no, you probably want to begin looking, but if the answer is yes,Fall then employee retention should be at the top of your list. With employee retention statistics that prove your best employees may be sitting on your payroll while patiently waiting for the "right" job, you need to be sure that you are managing employee retention with specific individuals in mind and long-term goals in place.

Employees Are Not All Alike

A good manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of their employees. But do they know what motivates them?  In employee retention studies, TTI has found that money is NOT the reason most employees leave a job, which seems contrary to popular belief. In our latest study of over 19,000 job seekers, only 19% said money was the reason they were looking for a new job. Instead, more popular reasons included stress, mismanagement, lack of room for advancement and lack of employee development.

In order to effectively manage employee retention, it is important to determine the core values of each individual. What drives them to take action? What keeps them engaged and motivated? What needs do they have that should be fulfilled on the job? For example, let's assume Steve is a salesman for a medical device company that sells new health care devices to hospitals. What motivates Steve to get out of bed each day, put on his suit and give a great sales pitch? Perhaps he knows that each time he introduces better technology to a hospital, he impacts the lives of many every day. Or, maybe Steve's personal goal is to be the top salesman in the company. Yet another possibility is that Steve comes from a family of salesmen and takes pride in following in their footsteps. Whatever the case may be, the important thing is to know what motivates Steve and ensure that employee retention strategies cater to his unique, personal motivators.

Employee Retention Must Fit Corporate Goals

Developing an employee retention strategy that is specific to each individual must start with an in-depth look at the company's long-term goals and what it needs for success. What is the next level? What skills do you need to get there? Who has these skills and what skills are missing in the company? While it is not an easy task, it is an important step in the process of creating an employee retention strategy that will help you meet your long-term goals. Perhaps you will find that job roles should be re-organized, skills of certain employees are better utilized in another way, or certain employees are key to future success. Once you have determined how your workforce needs to adapt to meet company goals, you can implement an employee retention strategy that ensures your best talent is there to help you reach the top.

Copyright by Bill J. Bonnstetter. All rights reserved worldwide under Target Training International, Ltd.

Talk It Up!

by Maclolm Fleschner

It's been well established by behavioral science that what we say - and how we say it - has a tremendous impact on thoughts and actions. Yet according to author Dr. Kenneth Christian, many of us go about our lives woefully unaware of the impact everyday use of language has on our attitudes and our fundamental beliefs about ourselves. In Your Own Worst Enemy: Breaking the Habit of Adult Underachievement (Regan Books, 2002), Christian offers six tips for taking control of your speech patterns and talking yourself into greater achievement.

 

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after."

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh 

1. Stop "try"-ing.
The word "try" is a part of what Christian calls "loophole language." By saying you will "try" to do something, you are implicitly giving yourself an out to fall short. For one week, forbid yourself to use the word "try" and see what kind of effect it has. Also, note the difference you feel between forbidding yourself to use the word and simply "trying" not to.

2. Cut out vagueness.
Phrases like "kind of" and "sort of" allow you to express ambivalence while seeming to make a statement. When you speak about goals or other definitive aspects of your life, use unequivocal language. Don't say, "I sort of want to do this," say, "I will do this."

3. Take responsibility.
Decisive people, you'll notice, speak simply, in the present tense and in the active voice. Compare the difference between "It needs to get done" and "I need to do it." Take greater personal responsibility with your language, and you will take greater personal responsibility with your life.

When you speak about goals or other definitive aspects of your life, use unequivocal language.

4. Negate the negative.
Catch yourself every time you use such self-defeating statements as "I hate making presentations," "It's too late to take this training," or "I can't figure out this new computer system." Such self-limiting talk becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. Instead, say, "I choose to like making presentations," "There's still time to take the training," and "I have yet to figure out the new training." Ask your friends and family to help catch you whenever you use negative phrases.

5. Put things behind you.
Describe any negative traits you perceive about yourself in the past tense. So rather than saying "I'm not a good closer," say, "I didn't used to be a good closer." By relegating these negative attributes to the past, you imply the possibility for change, and soon you'll be believing it.

6. Make positives present.
Use the present tense to discuss positive attributes, even one you don't feel you manifest quite yet. By using the present tense, you put pressure on yourself to make the statement a reality.

 
Stop Dragging Work Home with You
 

You'll find that your worklife and your homelife will be more productive and enjoyable if you can confine work to the office. Fall

Here are some tips that will help:

      Gripe about work for no more than 10 minutes. If you've had a bad day, keep it from invading your evening at home. Set a timer if you have to. Return the favor by listening to the other person's gripes.

      Tie up loose ends. To keep your mind off work, write down any nagging, office-related matters as soon as possible after arriving at home. Example:"Remember to call Jones tomorrow before noon, re: contract renewal." Then forget about it until the next day.

      Take 20 minutes to clear your mind. Create some ritual that marks the transition from work to home. Examples: Take a walk, meditate, shoot baskets or read a section of the newspaper.

Source: Manager's Edge, as adapted from Secrets of Executive Success, Mark Golin, Mark Bricklin and David Diamond