October 2015

Creating a Culture of Learning

 
   
Happy Halloween!  In going through the PayScale website, I found this article that I found particularly interesting and I wanted to share it with you.  It is titled "Creating a Culture of Learning".  So grab a pumpkin spiced latte and read on....
Introduction: 
Of late, there's been an ongoing debate in the scientific community as to whether is intelligence is fixed or changeable.  If intelligence is fixed, then each person's measure is doled out in the womb, and no amount of information acquisition can increase someone intelligence quotient, or IQ.

But if intelligence is changeable, then people can actually get smarter over time. And indeed, this seems to be what the evidence shows; intelligence is far more fluid than we've previously been led to imagine.

In one study, for example, researchers tested the IQ of 33 healthy adolescents aged 12 to 16 and then tested it again 3 to 4 years later.  At the second testing, 33 percent of participants showed a change in their total IQ score.

What does this have to do with your workplace, you ask?

Simple!  Knowing that intelligence is changeable makes the benefits of learning all the more salient.  And, in fact, companies that encourage and value learning are healthier, more stable, and smarter than those that don't.  As a result they perform better.

Ray Stata, former CEO of Analog Devices, a semiconductor company, is quoted as saying "The rate at which organizations and individuals learn may well become the only sustainable competitive advantage."

Commitment to Learning - It's Just Smart 

Intrigued?  To read the entire article, please click here.

We look forward to supporting you with your challenging HR issues.  Let us know what we can do for you. 
 
Best,
   
Amy Polefrone, MPA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
410-505-8723
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TIP:  Train to Retain!  You may feel you can't afford a training budget for your staff - however any monies you can allot to this area will pay off intangible dividends.  Providing training opportunities and professional development lets your employees know they are valued.  It also lets your staff know you are loyal to them, want them to grow and to continue to support the organization.  Bottom line - an investment in your employees' growth is an investment in your business.  
 
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TIP:  Hire Interns!  An interesting alternative to part time and even full time staff may be utilizing interns.   Often young and eager to learn, these individuals can challenge how "you've always done things" and offer fresh, new perspectives.  In addition, as you train and develop interns, you are providing them (and you) with a trial period that could potentially turn into a long term commitment with a "known entity".  And through out the process, you are gaining brand advocates.  Potentially a win-win if you're open to the process.  
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TIP:  How to Terminate an Employee - For many, this is a huge challenge.  To make the process as smooth and efficient as possible, thoroughly plan out what you will say, if you will offer severance pay and under what circumstances.  Review company confidentiality agreements to ensure compliance and call an attorney or HR consultant to guide you through difficult terminations.
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TIP: When Your COTR Asks for Overtime - You are working on a contract that does not allow overtime yet you receive a request to do so from your COTR.  Now what?  Communicate that as the contractor, you are not legally permitted to work unauthorized overtime.  Talk with the Contracting Officer and see if a contract addendum can be issued.

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Amy Polefrone, President
HR Strategy Group, LLC
410-505-8723