If You Can’t Give Them Gold, Make Them Wise

 

Knowledge - The Pot 'O Gold

Many organizations have not yet recovered enough from the economic downturn of 2008 to provide raises and annual salary increases beyond the 1%-2% mark. In truth, with increases in the cost of living and increase in personal health care contributions, many employees are currently earning comparatively less money than they were in 2008. Their salaries have not increased despite added effort, hours and cutbacks on employee benefits such as tuition reimbursement and healthcare. As a manager, don’t think that your employees aren’t calculating this for themselves and wondering when their loyalty will be rewarded.

It would be naïve to imagine that at some point the statement “You’re lucky you still have a job” will wear thin with employees.  I predict that during the next 12 months, companies should be bracing for significant turnover. Smart companies are already engaged in offering their employees growth and professional opportunity. Such growth and opportunity may, over time, be more valuable than an annual cost-of-living salary increase.  Unless you want to fall victim to the adage “The best always leave first”, give your employees a reason to stay.

If you want to keep your employee retention in the safety zone, make haste to provide meaningful, intentional on boarding and professional development. If you cannot open your checkbook for increased compensation, then give your employees the “job experience of a lifetime”. If you cannot give them gold, make them wise. Provide them the professional equivalent of A Trip to Disney – a wonderland of job experience and exposure to new career experiences. Provide your employees with opportunities to supervise, to manage projects, to stretch beyond what they thought was possible for someone at their level.

Give your employees the opportunity to be in the room for key strategic discussions by your C-Suite. Let your team observe the operation at a strategic level. It will provide a valuable perspective often reserved for a very few. Do not be afraid that if you teach them, they will leave. Some may move on, but others will remain to move up in the organization. If you take care of your employees, you’ll be appreciated and noted as an outstanding employer. In return for their extended loyalty, you’ll be helping employees build strong resumes and build skills in the future leaders of your company.

Please comment or share this link with those you think could benefit from this post!

~ Tess

Copyright 2011

Destiny Rising, LLC

Add one more day to your week: “Some-day”

 

Mark Your Calendar!

 

As I read the news nowadays, I am constantly reminded that everything can change in a New York minute. Life can be taken away through natural disaster, Pluto is no longer a planet and they’ve discovered a 13th zodiacal sign. What is the next amazing discovery of our time?

What IF  the next discovery and headline  is that there’s a day in the week we didn’t know about? And what if the day is called “Some-day”? Let’s just pretend for a moment that it is real.  Man, are people going to be happy now. Everyone’s been talking about “Some-day” for decades. And better yet, everyone has plans for “Some-day”, so no one will waste any time. They can start the company they’ve been talking about for years. They can spend more time with the kids, buy a boat and start saving money for retirement.

For most people, “Someday” has been elusive. It’s been the dangling carrot…just-out-of-reach and just around the corner for a long, long time.

The question I have for you, is “What would you do if “Some-day” really were added to the calendar? Would you have the tenacity to reach for your dreams?

Share your thoughts and as always… Make It A Great Week’

Copyright 2011, Destiny Rising, LLC

Persistence Leads to Growth… Over Time

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

For many years, I’ve been encouraged by a parable about a Chinese Bamboo tree: I’ve read many accounts of this story, and found that Zig Ziglar, the 21st century prophet of all things inspirational and growth oriented tells this parable: According to Zig, the Chinese bamboo tree when planted, watered, and nurtured doesn’t show signs of outward growth in its first year. The same is true of year Two.  And year Three. And year Four. For four solid years it appears as if the bamboo tree is destined not to grow.   However, In the fifth year the Chinese bamboo tree seed finally sprouts and the bamboo tree grows up to 90 feet. The essential question that the parable begs: “Does the bamboo tree lie dormant for four years only to grow exponentially in the fifth? Or, is the tree growing underground, developing a foundation that will support its potential during the first four years?”

Just sit with this parable for a moment. The parable reminds me of a time when I was on a panel that was deciding whether students in a leadership development course were to pass or fail. The lead instructor believed that a particular student should fail, because he didn’t evidence the growth that is typically seen in the duration of the course. I disagreed with the judgment, because I didn’t believe that we could determine when life would call on him to utilize the leadership principles that he’d learned in the course. It was my judgment that it was quite likely that the student had learned and stored all of the principles and information he needed to make useful leadership decisions, when necessary.

Are there situations in your life to which the Chinese Bamboo parable might apply? Do you hasten to judge yourself, your children or your employees when you don’t see immediate results for time and effort you’ve invested in them? We are living in a word of that demands immediate response and reward.

The question of the week: Are you trusting the process of growth and development?

Beyond a healthy discipline, let nature take its course! Keep providing nourishment, light and rest. Trust that results will come in time.

Have a great week. As always, I welcome your comments and discussion on this topic.

– Tess

Copyright 2011

Destiny Rising, LLC

Superbowl Sunday as Teacher

Persistence

I have to admit that Superbowl Sunday, for me, is about the ads. This year, Volkswagen had a wonderful commercial about the Art of Persistence. What I love about this ad is the range of emotion that we see in just one minute, and the concept of “Try, Try Again”.  Enjoy!

See the Video: VW Superbowl Sunday Ad

 

Be wise this week… Persist!

~ Tess

Copyright 2011, Destiny Rising, LLC