EffortlessHR Blog » organization http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog A comprehensive human resources blog with a focus on small business labor laws and employee issues. Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:35:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 How to be an effective leader http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/management/how-to-be-an-effective-leader/ http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/management/how-to-be-an-effective-leader/#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:00:16 +0000 Lola Kakes http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=730 Before we begin to discuss being a leader, we probably should define what a leader is.  This is important because there can be a distinction between being a “boss” and being a “leader”. 

Your position may define you as a boss, which provides you with the authority to accomplish tasks and objectives.  This authority does not define you as a leader, however.  It simply makes you the boss.  Leaders can be defined as a person who influences others to accomplish the tasks and objectives.   A leader makes others want to achieve the tasks and goals they are given.

That isn’t to say that leaders don’t have tasks to perform.  It is just that when they do have tasks they often use the following three “C”s to keep projects running smoothly.  There may be others that are important, but we will just discuss these three for now.

  • Communicate
  • Coordinate
  • Collaborate

Communicate

A “Boss” may have important information.   Having this information may also make them feel important.  How you use the information or what you do with it can make you a “Leader”    The challenge is the sharing of important information.  Other employees may not be eager to share information with someone they don’t know well or do not trust. 

Leaders must work hard at establishing good lines of communication.  Communication helps everyone agree on roles within the organization, the tasks to be accomplished, the time lines to get projects out the door, learning what the customer wants and describing that need to others, and listening to what is being said. 

Coordinate

A “Boss” may just give an employee an assignment and assume it will be accomplished.  A “Leader” will coordinate the completion or hand-off of a project/task with those who can best accomplish the goals.  They know their people and realize who works best in what area.  They don’t just hand an employee a task, they delegate the authority to the employee to get the job done.

Collaborate

A “Boss” may not want to roll up their sleeves and get the job done.  They may not want to get their hands dirty as they may believe the job is not theirs to do.  A “Leader” understands that collaboration requires working side-by-side to meet the goals and objectives of the organization.  Leaders use their collaborative skills to achieve significant accomplishments and they understand, appreciate, and leverage the differences in their people to produce the greatest solutions for complex challenges.

The three “C”s cannot be effectively used, however, unless you have built a solid foundation on TRUST.  The relationships that Leaders build form the foundation upon which a company flourishes.  Leaders understand that by knowing their employees, they know who they can count on to get the job done.  

There are trust builders and trust busters.  Look at the following list and see where you are in building your leadership.

Builders                                                                                          Busters

  • Share needed information                                                     Sharing Confidential Information
  • Loyal                                                                                               Giving information to outsiders
  • Acceptance of others                                                               Withholding information
  • Valuing others                                                                             Vague instructions
  • Awareness of what is happening                                          Hidden agendas
  • Openness                                                                                        Fear tactics
  • Honesty                                                                                          Public criticism or embarrassment

 

And remember, the deepest foundation builder for developing leaders is good communication!

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    Source: Effortless HR Software's HR Blog | How to be an effective leader
    ]]> http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/management/how-to-be-an-effective-leader/feed/ 8 Do We Need Succession Planning? http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/lead-articles/succession-planning/ http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/lead-articles/succession-planning/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:18:40 +0000 Lola Kakes http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=460 I was the VP of HR for a fairly large organization several years ago when the terrible unexpected happened.You always think, “This can’t be happening to us” only to find that it can and does happen. What is it that happened?

    The second in command, who had been brought in to run the company when the founder retired, was killed in a terrible car accident. No one was prepared for the aftermath of that tragedy – especially the owner of the company as he had to regroup and rethink his retirement plans. The rest of the company also had to regroup and come to grip with a terrible loss and uncertainty as to what would happen next.

    Can organizations prepare for this type of loss? You can never be fully prepared for a tragic loss, however a succession plan will go a long way in minimizing the effect of loss. The loss in this case was an untimely death, but many organizations today face the risk of losing a seasoned executive through age, retirement, and even hiring away by a competitor. It is therefore important to consider the issue of succession NOW rather than later. This will help with staffing changes and minimal disruption to not only the internal business operations but even to the external marketplace.

    There are some key steps an organization can take to set up an effective succession plan.

    1. Make sure you have identified the skills and competencies you need in a particular position. This might include the ability to delegate responsibility, think strategically, ability to make decisions, etc. While some think of this step as time-consuming, it is an important first step.

    2. Make sure the top management team is on board and directing the plan. A succession plan is only successful if it comes from the top. Remember, some managers may resist establishing a plan and need to brought on board. This may happen by making them an important part of the process.

    3. Develop a pool of employees that you can identify that have the potential to grow. The challenge is to find, develop, and encourage these employees. They need to be continually trained and given opportunities to advance. You need to make sure they want the added responsibilities and if not, they should be removed from the pool being considered.

    4. Understand and identify skill and knowledge gaps. Work to fill those gaps by determining needs to happen with an individual or individuals to move them into new positions. Help these employees prepare for higher level positions.

    5. Encourage employees to be proactive and identify themselves as possible candidates. The individual is the final person to determine availability and capability. When in doubt, ask them.

    Don’t be caught unprepared – it can be detrimental to the whole organization.Have a plan and be prepared to keep it current – just in case.

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      Source: Effortless HR Software's HR Blog | Do We Need Succession Planning?
      ]]> http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/lead-articles/succession-planning/feed/ 9 Human Resource Management at Work http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/lead-articles/human-resource-management-work/ http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/lead-articles/human-resource-management-work/#comments Fri, 22 May 2009 17:50:45 +0000 Lola Kakes http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=192

      Human Resource management is the process a company uses to ensure the effective and efficient use of their “people” talents to accomplish organizational goals. If these resources are managed properly and effective, the organization would most likely increase profits, sell more items, produce in a more efficient manner, and be able to do all this while staying in legal compliance.


      A product or service is only as good as the people that make it, design it, or sell it. This means that one of the most important assets of any organization is their human capital. If you have qualified, enthusiastic individuals, you will have a better chance of maintaining a leading edge over your competitor. If you have poor morale, low production, ineffective service, or untrained individuals – the chances are pretty high that your organization will be in the top 33% of all organizations that fail. People really do make the difference.

      It is easy to see why HR is the most expensive part of doing business if you consider that studies show that the expense of having employees is about 40% of a company’s profit,. Large organizations have always seemed to have HR expertise – they have fully staffed HR or Personnel Departments with varying degrees of specialties, such as compensation, benefits, training, recruiting, etc. A fully staffed HR Department in a large organization might consist of at least three people at a cost of about $200,000 per year – just for salaries. Just imagine what you, the small company owner, could do with a staff of 5 people and an overhead budget of approximately $200,000 per year.

      Well, in the first place you would not need 5 HR people. Most small companies can do quite well with a part-time HR person that is capable of giving good HR advice and counseling. Costs may vary, depending upon the expertise you are looking for, however, if you find an independent contractor with solid HR experience, an hourly rate for tasks completed would probably be very cost effective.

      What can you, as a small company owner or manager do to have the leading edge and have your employees weigh in on the asset side of the ledger and not on the liability side? Talk to various human resource consultants and pick one that is right for your organization – one with experience, capabilities, and knowledge of human resource functions. Look at tools and resources that will help you develop your staff. One such tool is EffortlessHR, an Internet based “HR in a Box” program that is affordable and provides a wealth of information. Look it over and see what it can do for you or, check out other available tools and resources and find the right one for you.

      Once you decide on the right combination you can get on with what you do best – run your company.

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      Source: Effortless HR Software's HR Blog | Human Resource Management at Work
      ]]>       http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/lead-articles/human-resource-management-work/feed/ 3       The Importance of Employee Management http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/business-planning/importance-employee-management/ http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/business-planning/importance-employee-management/#comments Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:09:42 +0000 Lola Kakes http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=161 A 2006 study conducted by Cornell University associate professor Christopher Collins, Ph.D., in effect showed that small businesses could grow if they are more effective in managing their employees. As a small business owner and a Human Resource Generalist, I agree completely. That is one of the reasons I have been so actively supportive of strong employee management programs for small businesses, and why I developed EffortlessHR.

      Professor Collins’ study showed that compared to companies who do not practice employee management strategies, those companies who do can experience:

      • 22% higher revenue growth
      • 23% higher profit growth
      • Over 66% reduction in employee turnover

      Why is employee management so important? I will give you my thoughts, from my perspective.

      I started out as a single person operation, a consultant. Many entrepreneurs start out as a single person business entity and many never want to change. They do not want to grow to the point where they need to hire employees. They do not want the bother. That is a whole other issue that we can discuss at a different time. For now, I want to concentrate on why I think have a strong employee management program is important and why I incorporated that type of philosophy into EffortlessHR.

      Effective employee management understands what the job is, the type of individual that would fit the job and the company, empowering the employee to do the job, and treating employees with respect. You cannot be effective, however, if you are not organized. Therefore, the first step is to get your office in order.

      Many business owners are so busy they put off filing (I know I have), or they put things in piles or in drawers, thinking they will get to it later. Later never comes and before you know it, the employee you thought was going to be a wonderful addition to your business opportunities is not really working out, but you can’t seem to find all the information on him or her. You have misfiled the application (if you even have one) or the resume. You may not have completed the paperwork on the reference checking so you may not remember what you discovered.

      You may not even remember what job duties you discussed, training that may have been agreed to, or any number of important details. You know you did all this, but – where is the documentation? If you filed it, is it in compliance with state and federal guidelines? Can you easily put your hands on what you need, when you need it?

      If you take the time to organize your files and keep information current and easily accessed, you have the start of an effective employee management system.

      Small businesses especially must be more effective, because the affect a single person has on a small company is greater than the affect a single person may have on a larger company. For example, if a small business owner hires incorrectly, the time and training and effect on who handles the job is much more pronounced than in a larger company who have possible employees who can fill in until replacements are found.

      In addition, by being better organized, you have a better understanding of the skills needed to do the job. If you understand the job, and you have hired correctly, then you can empower the individual to do the job without you standing there holding his/her hand. This frees you up to do other things. This also shows the employee that you trust them, which goes a long way in retaining good employees.

      One of the reasons I designed EffortlessHR was to have a place small business owners could capture certain information about their employees in a simple and effective manner. It is like building a personnel file on line. All the information you need is there, you just have to enter it and use it. If you do, you will be a more effective manager and you will have an Employee Management System.

      Being better organized will allow you to work on your business, not in your business.

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      Source: Effortless HR Software's HR Blog | The Importance of Employee Management
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