Posted by Michael Gunther on Fri, May 28, 2010 @ 12:04 PM
By Michael Gunther
The mantra "Work Hard, Play Hard" is one that you've probably heard more than once in your lifetime, but is it one that you actually live by? Personally, I have the "Work Hard" part down no problem; but the "Play Hard" had been more difficult to incorporate consistently. Since studies show that a good work/life balance can lead to higher productivity - even when less hours are devoted to work time - businesses can clearly benefit from employing a program to encourage a work/life balance.
When determining how to implement such a program at Collaboration, I thought back to my childhood and how my parents truly lived by this motto. Raising 17 kids, you would think they were so busy working and managing the household that they wouldn't have much time to play. While my parents worked very hard, they made playtime just as much a priority, which taught me three key lessons to balance Work and Play.
Exercise Your Body as Well as Your Brain
My Dad took the time to teach all 17 of us to play tennis. He would load us all in the Dodge Maxiwagon after school and take us to the local high school or park to play. Like a swarm of bees to honey, we filled all the courts. After exercising our minds all day at school, it was a nice balance to get outside, connect with each other, and exercise (I definitely got my fair share, chasing down all my missed shots).
Play is an Appointment - Keep It on Your Calendar
Every Sunday was family day - no matter how hard the past workweek or the schedule for the coming week. We would pack a lunch and search for a new place to spend the day together. I grew up in California, where the parks, beaches, and even museums were free; my parents never let lack of finances be an excuse to miss our time together. A lot of our time was spent outdoors, and our picnics, hikes, and games allowed us to bond as a group.
Release Energy and Relieve Stress
No TV during the week...yes, even after we finished homework. We thought it was torturous at the time, but now I recognize that the alternative - time spent on activities - was an outlet for our creativity and energy. Whether we were reading, playing games, or going on new adventures outside, we were enjoying playtime together; releasing energy and relieving stress. This downtime made us more refreshed, focused, and prepared to conquer our next day at school.
Work Hard, Play Hard for Business
Imagine what creative and energetic work environments businesses can create by implementing these three tactics. Ask yourself, when was the last time you did something active or social, outside of the office with your team; let people leave early on a beautiful day to enjoy the afternoon; or met with key members of your team without any distractions to discuss how things are going?
At Collaboration, we've been implementing new initiatives to encourage a better work/life balance. Most recently we hired a yoga instructor to come into our office to lead Yoga Fridays. Our employees are very excited about starting the Yoga classes, and I would venture to say that we all will be less stressed and more mentally prepared to accomplish our next tasks or goals. In addition, our firm's Partners meet once a month outside of the office for an hour and a half. With no agenda, we have a free-flowing conversation about things we have seen or heard from our employees and our clients, and from the marketplace. Some of our most creative ideas are generated during this time without the distractions of the office.
The Bottom Line
By encouraging your employees to add some Play Hard to their Work Hard and providing them with the resources to do so, you will create a more productive and innovative work team and work environment. The real challenge: you'll have to live by this motto too!
This is the fourth in a series of articles on Michael's entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family has influenced his career. To read the previous articles in this series, visit his blog at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education, coaching, and consulting services. Learn more at www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Posted by Michael Gunther on Fri, Apr 09, 2010 @ 12:48 PM
Over the past few years, it has become common for businesses to promote their core values and their ethical practices as part of their marketing strategies. They may be promoted directly to employees in mission statements, in training manuals, or in employee newsletters; they may also be promoted to clients in websites, in industry publications, or in printed marketing materials.
But when the rubber hits the road and it comes time to make business decisions and set company direction, are these values and ethics reviewed and utilized? Is staff expected to uphold these values and ethics in their code of conduct even if the leaders of the company neglect them?
Sadly, we can just turn to the news to see many examples of companies that are neglecting their own code of conduct. Most recently, Toyota has stepped away from their core values. For years they had built a culture around quality, safety, and service; yet when it came time to decide how to handle their issue of faulty gas pedals they seemingly didn't review their own core values. They chose to be secretive, withhold information, and react slowly. Now they have damaged their reputation - perhaps irreparably.
By contrast, Johnson & Johnson has a strong set of core values that they live and operate by - that their first responsibility is to provide the highest quality products to their clients. When the Tylenol poisonings occurred back in the early 1980s, Johnson & Johnson took one look at their core values and reacted within them. With their number one concern being consumer safety, they pulled all of their products off the shelves across the world (not just in the impacted areas) at the cost of millions of dollars. Their quick response in recalling the product and their swift action in reaching out to the victims' families were part of their core values and ethics. By doing the right thing, they saved their brand reputation and in the long run saved millions of dollars.
This question of values and ethics brings to my mind the old adage, "The way you do anything is the way you do everything"; meaning if you are willing to cheat, lie, or take advantage of people in one area, why would anyone believe that you would do any different in another? Business owners or leaders who are dishonest about defects in their product or service even when they know they exist; who expect their employees to take ownership for their actions and mistakes yet do not do the same for their own actions or mistakes; or who talk negatively about customers, employees, past employees, etc. yet expect others to treat them or their customers with respect, create a lack of confidence in their integrity and in their leadership ability.
To be a truly credible business leader, you must live by your core values or code of ethics within your business; you must walk your talk. Your employees and clients will know when you don't. If you want your employees to operate within the values you put in place for your business, you need to lead by example and live by those values.
The Bottom Line
Walk your talk. If you operate from a set of core values and ethics and want your employees to as well, keep yourself in check to make sure you are truly living by them. Values and ethics are not optional. "The way you do anything is the way you do everything."
Is there a topic that you would like Michael to discuss? If so, email him at MGunther@collaboration-llc.com or call (805) 541-9040 to let him know.
Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education, coaching, and consulting services. Learn more at www.collaboration-llc.com.
Posted by Michael Gunther on Thu, Jul 09, 2009 @ 11:30 AM
By Michael Gunther, President of Collaboration LLC, Business Growth Specialists
Layoffs. There, I wrote it. They’re never pleasant, no matter the reason, not for owners or for employees or for the person communicating the layoff. Layoffs, by their very nature, are emotional events. And as we know, humans are emotional beings. So as business owners or managers, how do you deal with the emotions that come along with layoffs? How do you preserve relationships, both with the employees you layoff and with your current employees? How do you maintain your positive image and reputation in the midst of layoffs?
THE LAYOFF : be responsible
Don’t play the blame game – be responsible. Inform the employee of the facts behind the layoff – whether it relates to the economy or the company’s overall performance. For example, you may discuss steps the company has taken to avoid layoffs, and how this is a business decision necessary for the company’s survival.
State the facts, keep it basic, and allow the employee to respond, which will lead to the grieving process.
THE GRIEVING PROCESS: be empathetic
The layoff of an employee is felt as a loss, and with any loss comes the grieving process, which consists of five steps: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. All persons affected by the layoff will go through some level of grieving in their own way, depending on the amount of loss they feel.
As a leader or business owner, it is important to understand the grieving process, allow employees to express themselves, and empathize and show sensitivity towards their feelings – whether they are the one being laid off or not.
When people leave, it changes the dynamics of an organization. People feel frightened for their own job security, concerned for the person who lost their job, and sometimes guilty because they are still employed – grieving does go both ways. By simply offering ongoing and open communication to your active employees, you can be proactive in acknowledging and addressing their concerns too.
THE OUTCOME: offer guidance and resources
It is important to let the employees who are getting laid off know that you care about their well being. There are many ways to communicate this to the employee and assist them through their transition.
When my sister Sue was laid off last October, her employer contacted her three different times over a three month period to check in with her and see how her job search was progressing. They offered to be a reference for her and sent her a written letter of reference. Their simple actions went a long way for Sue, and allowed her to maintain a positive view of the company that laid her off.
Since most people do not know what to do once they lose their jobs, you can provide them with resources, such as a list of local career centers and employment agencies or tools to help them claim unemployment insurance. Although you may not be able offer a severance package, you can consider providing a one hour session with a career coach or maybe you can pay for them to attend a resume writing workshop.
The Bottom Line:
When your company is forced to make tough decisions regarding layoffs, you can still maintain healthy employee relationships and your company’s positive image and reputation by tapping into the human element – take time to listen to your employees and show them that you truly care.