Have you thought about your organization lately?  Really thought about the work your organization is trying to accomplish, and, more importantly, talked to others to make sure they understand their link to helping achieve it? Whether you're growing, changing, transforming or enjoying success, there are some basic principles for the effective use of your human resources that should always be at the forefront of whatever planning is taking place in whatever stage your organization finds itself.  The following questions will help you identify potential challenges that may be coming down the road or, in some cases, already at your door.  Take a few minutes to look through and think about each of these and consider calling The Singer Group to discuss how to meet the challenges and turn them into opportunities!

1. Do employees have job descriptions that align the expectations, objectives and key tasks for their position to organization goals?
2. What are the most important measurements in your organization and do all employees understand them?
3. Do you feel confident that managers are measuring employee performance and providing feedback that improves talent and contributes to success?
4. Is there a balance between quantitative and qualitative measurements among your organization's strategic or over-arching goals?  If not, where is the misalignment occurring?
5. As your organization grows and changes, do you have the right talent in all the right places?  If not, what needs to change?
6. Do organization leaders and managers role model the values and kind of behaviors expected from employees?
7. Is compensation competitive and in line with similar organizations?  Do you motivate the right performance by the total compensation package offered?  If not, what would you change?
8. If you lost a seasoned manager/employee do you have a succession/replacement plan in place to avoid significant impact to the organization and those it serves?
9. Do you have an employee handbook or documented policies that communicate important laws, regulations, and compliance matters?  Is it current?  Do employees know how to access it?

If you find yourself losing sleep over the responses to any of these questions, it's time to get the support from experts who can help your organization reach its full potential.  Contact us at 410-561-7561 or contact@singergrp.com.

As a supervisor or manager - and as an employee - you know that giving and receiving feedback is the primary way people understand expectations, improve performance and/or keep on track to make sure the right work gets done and done well.  However, the supervisor-to-employee relationship is not the only one that can benefit from receiving positive and constructive feedback.  Employees working in teams (either permanent, like departmental co-workers, or temporary team members working on a project) should also give praise and kudos when they notice great things.   They can also hold each other accountable - speaking up when necessary to bring less-than-productive behavior to light.  It could be something as simple as one team member saying to another, "I would be really helpful if you could remember to hit 'reply-all' when responding to a team email so that all members hear the same message at the same time."  When encouraging people to give and receive feedback you may encounter some resistance; some people just don't like having those conversations and do not want to hurt a co-worker's feelings.  Helping them to understand how growing group accountability helps overall success is key.  As an added benefit, employees are increasing productivity as a result of less off-line "venting" sessions with coworkers and more candid conversations face-to-face.