Workforce Development - A Good Investment?

Why The United States Needs a National Skills Agenda

The Council on Competitiveness in April published the Thrive report, the first in a series of targeted benchmarking reports intended to illuminate key areas of competitive advantage for Americans to succeed in the 21st century and provide an important framework for charting a path to prosperity for American citizens.

The Council on Competitiveness refers to itself as the only group of corporate CEOs, university presidents and labor leaders committed to the future prosperity of all Americans and enhanced U.S. competitiveness in the global economy through the creation of high-value economic activity in the United States.

The insightful report (available for free download) discusses in depth specific issues and strategies relating to increasing our global competitiveness through focused and aggressive workforce development practices.  The synopsis of the call to action follows:

During a time of turbulence and transition—driven by globalization, accelerating technological change, and volatility in global energy, currency and financial markets—America needs a national skills agenda to compete globally and to ensure a rising standard of living for its citizens.

National and Global Demographic Trends Are Raising Red Flags. Slowing growth of the U.S. workforce has the potential to slow economic output if productivity does not increase. Lack of adequate reading and math skills among new U.S. workers compounds this challenge. At the same time, hundreds of millions of educated foreign workers are entering the global workforce and competing for jobs that are increasingly vulnerable to Offshoring.

Four Critical Skills Strategies for the United States

1) Meet the Demand for Middle Skills

Middle-skilled jobs represent the largest number of total openings in the United States until 2016, and the United States is failing to adequately train Americans to take advantage of this opportunity. These jobs do not always require a college degree, but most require training, technical sophistication and initiative. They pay well and do not offshore easily.

2) Build Service Economy Skills

More than three-quarters of all jobs in the United States are in the service economy, yet many policymakers view them as low-skill, low-wage options. In fact, the service sector is driving demand for more complex and creative skill sets—including problem solving, communications, entrepreneurship, computational analysis, collaboration and teamwork.

3) Compete for Innovation Advantage

Simply saying America needs more scientists and engineers is no guarantee that the United States can compete successfully in a global economy in which many nations have copied our model. Policymakers must recognize that the margin of advantage will flow from the fusion of cutting-edge capabilities with entrepreneurial, creative and interdisciplinary talent. Four potential areas to start with to create competitive advantage:

• More integrative scientists and engineers

• More entrepreneurial scientists and engineers

• More business-savvy service scientists and engineers

• More computational scientists and engineers to leverage America’s IT advantage

4) Create Skills for Sustainability

Sustainability will become a more important determinant of global hiring and investment patterns. Where new and growing companies locate and where jobs are created will depend in large measure on which countries successfully anticipate these opportunities and take steps to educate and train workers in these fields. America must get out front and move fast to develop the talent and skills workforce to capture these opportunities.

We are ALL impacted by our willingness and ability to move this initiative ahead.  If we ALL take ownership at a personal level of just ONE of these areas and work with our companies, schools and colleagues, we CAN make a measurable difference in our country. 

If of course, you feel that leaving it to others will "git er done", then prepare yourself for the inevitable consequences.

What are the most important skills to have in a recessionary climate?

Is it important to adapt your skills to the current economic "climate"?

I'm not convinced that this is a big issue, but want to ask you, my readers what you think.

I've come to believe that if you do your stuff right, you don't need to know if there is a 'climate' somewhere - you will succeed regardless.

Over the past 30 years my experience is that the principles and best practices don't change with economic cycles, that's why they are called principles - for their independence and priority over temporary factors.

You may change your short-term tactics according to circumstances, but they will still be subordinate to your long-term strategy, which is weather-proof.

Readers, your thoughts?

Despite the slowdown in Construction, the skill shortage problem persists - Here's why...

Do you ever wonder what's ever become of all of those skilled workers being cut in the Construction industry as a sector (such as residential), or a geographic area slows down due to the cooling economy?

I was reading an interesting article "Tale of two construction sectors — one still booms, the other doesn't" in the Seattle Times that was discussing the shifts that have, and still are occurring in Construction - and why, despite the seeming abundance of construction talent - that the shortage is still bad, and worsening in many areas.

It's an insightful article and will help clarify the true level of work skills transferability in the Construction industry. 

Watch this space, as I'll be publishing a article (still under development) about specific things that Construction Employers can do to close the skills gap.

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How Can You Determine If A Person Can Solve Problems?

When we look at our talent pool, we often need to know whether a person has the capability of being a "problem solver"

How does one make this determination?  I've not come across any type of "standardized" aptitude test for problem solving.  However, I did encounter a "Nine Point Formula for Solving Problems/Situations" created by Herbert Harris, who has a pretty innovative way of assessing "problem solving" potential.

His method (paraphrased) follows:

1. Do They Write it down?
Can the person write a precise statement of the situation to be resolved? Can they state what it is and what it is not? Very often, simply writing and describing the situation helps resolve it.
Once you clearly define the situation, its solution starts rushing toward you.

2. Do they analyze the situation?
Does the person look at the situation from all possible angles?   Can they identify all aspects, paying particular attention to which portions can be resolved immediately, and which portions require further analysis?

3. Can they list all alternative solutions?
Do they write each potential solution as completely as possible?

4. Do they evaluate all possible solutions?
Do they determine whom or what does each solution help, and whom or what does it hurt?

5. Can they determine if a solution (choice) is a selfish one?
Can the person determine if a potential solution helps only them, or hurts other people?  If so, it will probably cause you more difficulty in the future. Do they look for a solution that fairly balances the benefits to all parties?

6. Can they picture the consequences?
Can the person carry each possible solution to its logical conclusion. In this manner enabling the ability to see the end results clearly and in great detail.

7. Do they get advice, but make the decision their own?
Does the person discuss the situation with people they trust and respect? Do they ask for their insight and advice. Do they study their advice in conjunction with your their own understanding and observations?  Afterwards, do they make the final decision their own?

8. Will they stick to their decision?
Once they have made a decision, do they stick to it until new facts are produced warranting a change?

9. Can they put their decision into action immediately?
Do they procrastinate once you have made a decision. The best problem solvers get started right away and give the problem their best.

It's a good start on helping to identify people that use a problem solving methodology, and can be suseful for training people on the skills they need.  Thanks Herb!

Do you get PCMCIA?

Buzzwords can tend to drive people crazy, and are becoming more common than less.  I'm not sure this is a good thing.

In my younger days, the word "buzz" referred either to that irritating sound that winged insects like cicadas used to make in your ears or, in ordinary conversation, to the latest gossip or scoop pertaining to a particular subject, most often, show business.

In more recent times, however, the word "buzz", while retaining a lot of its old meanings, has evolved into a more hip term among the younger generation the meaning of which is not really so clear but is so widely used that it can actually bombard your olfactory senses and drive you to tears if not totally up the wall. The modern and evolved term is "buzzword".

Take PCMCIA for example.  Despite what the computer industry wants me to believe I believe it should stand for People Can’t Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms

Although the computer industry is rife with this type of consumer "abuse", buzzword proliferation is widespread, and despite regular spraying to control it, appears to be expanding.

Take education for an example.  The new buzzwords are "career pathways," "education pipeline," "redesigning high schools," "smaller learning communities," and "cluster-based economic development strategies." Recycled buzzwords from prior years include "school-to-work," "workforce development system reform," "business-education partnerships," and "meaningful outcome measures."  Pardon me for seeming dense, but exactly what do these oft used terms actually mean?

While I'm ranting, have you had enough of hearing “Doing more with less,” “creating improved efficiencies,” “downsizing,” “right-sizing,” “trimming fat,” “curbing expenses,” and “streamlining processes” that are too common in todays workplace?

Do these phrases clarify communications, or simply reduce it to common "pop culture?"

When we're communicating, whether with our staff or new recruits, what words do we use?  Are these words descriptive enough to tell those around us what we expect, or do simply describe a "theme" that characterizes the sense of what we want to do?  (e.g. save the whales - while it's a catchy mantra, it lacks the important specifics like "how to" and "why are we doing this?")

I'd like your feedback whether I'm just oversensitive to the way we tend to communicate, or whether you see it as well.

Try Some Different Sources To Get the Most Talented People

Sanjeev Himachali, who I have come to respect as an HR Professional, Thinker, Motivator, Philosopher, Business Consultant, and Expert Counselor in Human Relations Management, offers some insight from a HR practitioners viewpoint on the best resources available for firms to get top talent. He suggests that firms should use any or all of the below mentioned tools to get BEST talent recruitment results:

1. Existing and “Active” Candidates Data with Company
2. Referrals by employees
3. Internal Advertisement (internal Job Posting)
4. Jobsites and Job Portals
5. Campus Hiring
6. Recruitment Consultancies
7. External (Newspaper) Advertisement
8. Social and Professional Networks & Local Communities
9. Head Hunting (Also called as “Body Shopping”)
10. Talent-Poaching

Are you unclear about the distinction Between Headhunting and Talent Poaching? Lots of people are. Sanjeev tells us that some talent acquisition managers as well as hiring and recruitment professionals are confused as well and are not able to discriminate between the two. Here are few differences he offers to people looking to distinguish between the two:

1. Headhunting is associated with senior and rare profiles. Talent Poaching is just sweeping and running through the talent-wealth of your competitor.
2. Headhunting is planned. Talent Poaching is targeted.
3. In headhunting, the intention is to get the BEST person for your organization but in Talent Poaching, the intention is to kill your competitor and the competition.
4. Headhunting is about getting a person with “Leadership” skills and “Global Exposure”. Talent Poaching is about “saving the training cost”

Recruitment is as important as ever, but recruiters need to be aware of the dynamics of todays ever more competitive marketplace, so they can take appropriate steps to remain successful in a playing field that's seldom "level"

Any readers care to weigh in on their experiences in this area?

Why the 90/90 Rule of Project Management Still Exists

Project managers are often their own worst enemies and say things to avoid conflict and make people happy that to lead disaster. Here are few of the classics, according to a colleague, Dick Billows, PMP.

1. I understand this is priority #1.Sure we can start immediately,plan as we go and finish it by October 1st.
2. Gee, everybody was happy with the project plan, they approved it in 3 minutes.
3. I've scheduled every detail. The plan weighs a ton!
4. No, you are wrong, that was never part of the scope! It's clearly a scope expansion.

We've all heard renditions of the above.  In fact that's why the "ancient 90-90 rule of project schedules" still applies today: The first 90 percent of the project takes 90 percent of the allotted time. The last 10 percent takes the other 90 percent of the time.

Of course, it doesn't need to be that way.  And from a business sense, shouldn't be that way.

Untrained project managers lack the necessary skills required to lead cross-departmental work efforts. They often don't know which of the project management techniques or tools to use or how to motivate people who are not directly accountable to the project manager.  Remember, one of the top skillsets of an effective project manager is "influence management"

Have you ever asked yourself the question: What problems do I  encounter which affected the success of my projects, (and how should project grading be adjusted to account for these mitigating factors)?

Project management is hard. It isn’t rocket science, although the formal discipline of project management as we know it today began as a tool necessary to make rocket science effective in the space program.

If you view project management from a purely technical perspective, it looks easy. There are only a few core ideas, each of which is conceptually quite simple and can be learned in a matter of hours. They include:

The idea of “project” as an activity with a beginning, a middle and an end. The idea of breaking up a large project into a set of smaller and independent tasks. The idea of defining the relationships among the tasks in terms of precedence, which tasks must be completed before others can be started and the description of theses relationships by means of critical path diagrams. The twin concepts of milestones and deliverables, allowing project managers to track and assess the progress of a project.

Still, a majority of all projects fail. Why? There are two basic reasons: untrained project managers and lack of historical data about costs and levels of effort.

As to what can be done, there is a lot.  And it extends beyond just knowing how to prepare a project schedule and budget.

Good PMs must like working with people, have good communication skills (70-90% of your time will be spent communicating), able to develop strong working relationships, able to influence others, sell the benefits of your project, motivate and lead others, enthusiastic & energetic, trustworthy, respectful, organized, must be able to deal with ambiguity, have the confidence to ask questions, and listen to what others are saying.

So "soft skills" are of critical importance.  You must also like organizational planning, vision, getting people focused in the same direction, and have excellent business skills.

It is extremely easy today to find quality accredited Project management training today, utilizing learner paced e-Learning methods.  I did a scan on the RedVector site and found 48 accredited courses on Project Management, averaging $25-30 per course credit hour.  Seems an affordable way to acquire or update the PM skills that are needed.

                                                                                               

CPM   Scheduling for Florida Contractors

CPM   Scheduling Part I

CPM   Scheduling Part II

Developing   & Managing a Project Budget

Financial   Management 1: Negotiating Contracts

Financial   Management 2 & 3: Pricing for Profits, Generating Cash and Getting Paid

Financial   Management 4: Accounting & Cash

Financial   Management 5: Strategic Planning & Budgeting

Financial   Management 6 & 7: Financial Controls, Monitoring & Project Budgeting

Financial   Management 8: Controlling Labor Costs

Financial   Management 9: Purchasing

From   Project Manager to Principal 1: Foundations of Management

From   Project Manager to Principal 2: Marketing Your Services

From   Project Manager to Principal 3: Negotiation Outcomes & Strategies

From   Project Manager to Principal 4 & 5: Manpower & Quality

From   Project Manager to Principal 6: Financial Management

Productive   Project Meeting Methodology for Architects and Engineers

Project   Decision Making with Case Studies

Project   Management Basics

Project   Management for Florida Contractors

Project   Management Trends

Project   Management: Professional Techniques

Project   Risk Management

Project   Team Management

CPM Scheduling

The   Art & Science of Delegation

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 01: The Changing PM Role

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 02: Managing the Proposal

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 03: The Agreement

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 04: The Project Management Plan

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 05: The Project Schedule

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 06: The Project Budget

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 07: Managing The Project Team

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 08: Managing The Client

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 09: The Project Start-Up

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 10: Managing Your Time

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 11: Managing Project Studies & Reports

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 12: Managing Design & Construction   Phases

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 13: Managing Quality

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 14: Managing Risk

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 15: Financial Management

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 16: Project Management Technology

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 17: Controlling Project Budgets &   Schedules

The   Ultimate Project Manager, Chapter 18: Project Close-Out

Winning   Proposals 1: Preliminary Steps & Planning Strategies

Winning   Proposals 2: Effective Design & Development

Winning   Proposals 3: Components of a Successful Proposal

Winning   Proposals 4 & 5: Final Considerations & Evaluations

If you are a Project Management Professional (PMP) or are seeking to get your PMP certification, or just increase your project management skills, you may want to look into these offerings.

So is there a alternative to the 90/90 legacy?  You bet?

The critical skill two out of three managers lack

Can most of your managers defuse conflict effectively? If you’re like most, the answer is no.

In an exclusive B21 poll, nearly half (47%) of HR execs said their managers needed help in this area and 12% admitted their managers were “awful” at handling conflict. That means a little more than one of three thought their managers were “pretty good” at handling conflict.

When you consider the way conflict can tear a team apart, you’ll no doubt agree these results aren’t reassuring.  For details on this current topic of importance to managers and leaders, check out the detail on B21's website article "Exclusive B21 Survey: Supervisors and conflict"

Food for Thought

On the glide path to Easter, some random musings about the state of todays job market.  (We'll discuss some of these in more detail after the holiday)

• Ask any recruiter and they'll confirm that while technical skills may get you the interview, soft skills will be needed to get you the job
• Technical skills are increasingly a commodity - which means that they often can be done anywhere they can be done cheaply, even in another part of the world.
• If your background is Technical, your future (eg ability to advance) will be to advance into jobs that require more "soft skills" and recruiters are looking for these during the interview - they’re absolutely essential to long-term success
• The real world is of today is increasingly unpredictable - soft skills are how you learn to cope with change
• Most organizations assume you have some technical skills - thats why most recruiters interview time is on how you ‘fit’ into the organization. A person who doesn’t fit can ruin the inertia and spirit of the team
• More of jobs today are customer facing.  Do you have a good undertstanding of what this means, and are you realistic of your ability to interact well with customers?

Not sure where to pickup softskills?  Online provider, like RedVector offer dozens of relevant courses that will help you get the basics that you need.

Are Construction Jobs Going Down Under?

One of my favorite sources on trends about the skilled labor shortage, is "Perfect Labor Storm 2.0" authored by Ira Wolfe, who constantly helps fill in the gaps about HOW people are coping with the worsening skills shortage.

One of Ira's latest excellent contributions is "Will U.S. construction workers flee to Australia?" where he discusses how the Australian Housing Industry Association (HIA) has called for a special visa scheme to recruit 15,000 overseas construction workers to combat the local (Australian) skills crisis. Thousands of skilled building workers could be lured from the faltering US housing industry to help ease the crisis "down under"

I'd like all of my readers in the construction space to ponder this, and carefully so.  Ask yourself what you think the economic will be to the US, when many workers choose to "relocate" their future to the other side of the globe. 

Just check out one of many sites offering Construction Jobs in Australia and you'll notice two things:

1. many companies are actively seeking qualified and skilled people to join them, and
2. these are the same types of jobs that are being cut by the implosion of the residential housing construction market in the U.S.

American construction workers may be surprised at how well they'll be received by the Australian workforce marketplace, and the incentives they'll have to come down to work.  Kind of makes you wonder when the last time their former American employers told them how valued they were?

Put yourself in the place of the laid-off or soon-to-be-laid-off construction worker.
There are a number of questions you might want to ask yourself...

• Did you feel valued at your last job? 
  
  • Was it because you were unappreciated, or was it because your work contribution was just "ordinary"?
• Do you have the skills to compete in the highly competitive Australian workforce
  • you didn't think they were looking for unskilled general labor did you?
  • (by skills, I mean the skills to survive in the marketplace, not just the technical skills to get the job)

Looking for another job, especially in another country, can be a daunting, as well as an enlightening process for US construction workers.  By entering into a job search in the other parts of the world, they will become informed of other opportunities and perhaps for the first time for most U.S. construction workers, lets them know how competitive they are in the "global" job market.  (HINT: If your skills have become outdated or job specific, you might want to consider a few training programs in order to update your skills, or develop new ones.)

American construction workers who consider the new global opportunities that are appearing, may also find that they need skills to adapt in a different culture that they never before had to consider.

Time of great risk or great opportunity?  I guess it depends on how you want to look at it.

What Should We Expect as Basic Administrative Skills?

When I interact with small business owners, I am appalled to hear the difficulty that they are having finding workers with the most basic administrative skills.  I recently spoke to a client who advertised a entry level sales position, got over 2,000 responses, and after sorting out the candidates, was left with only one (1) that demonstrated the attitude,, work ethic and technical skills that he required.

When I asked what he was looking for, he gave me his list. 
It looked like this:

• Familiarity with desktop operating systems (Apple OS, Windows)
• Ability to access files - understand the concept of connectivity - storage
• Perform basic word processing
• Operate E-mail, calendar, address book
• Able to perform data entry and chart preparation
• Create a brief informational presentation
• Ability to safeguard confidential information
• High-school graduate (not GED)
• Able to pass a drug test
• Valid active in-state drivers license

Note that sales experience was NOT one of his requirements.  He was prepared to train the new hire in his products / services and how to sell.

Is this indicative of what the "available" workforce looks like?

Nontraditional Teachers Lining Up

One of the great educational challenges we face today is the shortage of individuals want to teach and who can teach our youth what they will need to know to cut it in our rapidly changing world.

Why does this article resonate with me?

For one thing, the teachers "in the system" are in many cases struggling just to maintain their existing teaching load, and are themselves challenged by school district bureaucracies and policies.  Where are the "real world" perspectives to come from, amidst a rapidly changing jobs landscape.

For example, how many teachers and guidance counselors are introducing our youth to careers in construction, where the pay, benefits and job security are above average?  Do the current faculty see construction as much more than the "summer job" that they may have held before, where they were little more than job site general labor?  Does such an attitude dissuade them from encouraging youth to learn about jobs in this industry? 

Do our current cadre of teachers and guidance counselors have an awareness of the types of match, science, or communications skills that these youth will need to be able to enter the field at the "skilled worker" level?  Are these teaching professionals even aware that people without a degree with just a few years of experience with these skills are being actively sought after and snagging annual pay in the high five and low six figures? 

Yet because of youth making misinformed academic choices they often end up competing after graduation for "commodity" jobs that are often not fulfilling.  If they had chosen a path that enabled them to grasp basic math/algebra/geometry skills, they would likely find themselves in  a better bargaining position for jobs.

So it boils down to how to get people from the professions to step into the teaching profession to expose our youth to some of these possibilities.

Check out this story about a St. Paul schools program, designed to find candidates for hard-to-fill jobs by making teachers out of professionals coming from other fields.

read more | digg story

Is there really a shortage of skilled labor in the workforce?

A while back, through my colleague and friend Dave Boggs, of Syberworks, I was asked to participate in a couple of podcast sessions on issues in today's workforce

I agreed and the podcast, which was published on Syberworks' website as "Episode 17: Is There Really a Workforce Shortage?" is provided here for your listening pleasure.

As always, I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Do We Understand How to Get to the Truth?

So many significant decisions are made in the workplace based on majority opinion or by the highest ranking person in the room.  Does this mean that the decisions are correct, or that the arguments presented are based on fact, or truth?

For that matter, where does one turn for education or guidance on how ethical decisions can be arrived at?

I recently reviewed, "The Fallibility Principle" author by T. Edward Damer, (the author of an earlier work entitled "Attacking Faulty Reasoning: A Practical Guide to Fallacy-free Arguments").

It is a relatively new  publication that seems to provide this type of guidance.   This book is written in such a way to give the reader the knowledge and insight to put forth good arguments as well as point out how to identify flaws in others.

Of particular interest is the author's focus on the quest for the truth, or as he puts it the most defensible position. While the techniques laid out in this book can be used to 'win' arguments, the focus in primarily on helping stakeholders find the truth.

Some leading education firms, like RedVector, specializing in the education needs of the Design and Construction industry, obviously think this is important.  They have several courses in their online catalog that stresses the importance of finding the truth and arriving at ethical business decisions:

• Ethics for Professional Architects Part I and II
• Ethical Decision Making for Engineers (3 part program)
• Ethics for Surveyors and Mappers
• 15 Hour Petroleum Engineer Package #1
• 15 Hour Mechanical Engineer Package #1
• 15 Hour Highway Engineering Package with Ethics
• 30 hour Business and Professional Development Package
• 8 hour Bridge Design Package with Ethics
• 15 Hour Civil Engineering Package with Ethics
• 15 Hour Structural Engineering Package with Ethics

I feel that in today's world, the truth of the matter is too often overshadowed by necessity or convenience.  Readers, what do you think?  Is additional education in ethical decision making a priority for you?

Does Gen-Y Expect Different Customer Service Levels?

72% of retail employees enjoy customer interactions. But that satisfaction level drops to just 55% among employees between the ages of 16 and 24.  It gets even more interesting.  You'll want to read this article to get the "inside scoop" on how Customer Service expectations are changing.

read more | digg story

Why People Don't COmmunicate Well

You'd be amazed at the number of people that I encounter that admit to employing the wrong medium for communicating business information.

Choosing an appropriate communications medium is a basic "building block" of how we convey information. 

There is a "more correct" communications medium that time and research has proven enhances the likelihood that what you are conveying will be received and acted upon in a timely manner.

The diagram below attempts to illustrate this point:

Think about the following situations and consider the form of communication that would be most appropriate:

• networking with peer
• communicating with your mentor
• communicating with your boss
• delivering a proposal
• asking for clarification on a time-sensitive manner
• run a meeting
• schedule a meeting
• contribute to a discussion
• a job interview (as a candidate)

You'll note in the illustration above that the mediums that have a low level of richness tend to be impersonal, one-way and fast, whereas those with a high level of richness are personal, two-way, interactive and slower.

Hope this gets you thinking about the medium you are employing to ensure you get your point across.

Are We Creating Hardworking Idiots?

Thanks to Adrian Savage, a writer, Englishman, and a retired business executive, in that order. He authored the following piece "Creating Hardworking Idiots"
You can read his posts most days at Slow Leadership, a popular site for everyone who wants to build a civilized place to work and bring back the taste, zest and satisfaction to leadership.

The German World War II general Erich von Manstein is said to have categorized his officers into four types. The first type, he said, is lazy and stupid. His advice was to leave them alone because they don’t do any harm. The second type is hard-working and clever. He said that they make great officers because they ensure everything runs smoothly. The third group is composed of hardworking idiots. Von Manstein claims that you must immediately get rid of these, as they force everyone around them to perform pointless tasks. The fourth category are officers who are lazy and clever. These, he says, should be your generals. Discovering this information set me to wondering how General von Manstein’s categories might apply to business organizations today.

Lazy and Stupid

Most organizations have some managers within them who are lazy and stupid—at least, that has been my experience. Would you agree with the general that you can leave them alone, because they do no harm? I doubt it. Most organizations claim they try to get rid of any employee who is found to be lazy, let alone stupid as well. Maybe they try, but they don’t seem to be so successful, judging by the number who are left, some even in fairly exalted positions. Maybe one reason for this is that lazy and stupid people rarely do much active harm. The harm they do is more often based on missing opportunities and stifling the creativity of those who report to them. Bad enough, but not always easy to turn into clear grounds for dismissal—especially if the person in question is protected by someone powerful. Still, my guess is that even lazy and stupid people today realize that the best route to self-preservation is at least to appear busy and active.

Hardworking and Clever

Von Manstein’s next group is made up of hardworking, clever people. Organizations mostly want as many of these as they can get, for obvious reasons. But you’ll notice that the general seems to confine them to the military equivalent of middle management: jobs that are aimed at making everything run smoothly. I suspect one reason is that such people do make excellent administrators. They can take orders from above and turn them into practical ways of achieving the desired results. Some are so useful in these roles that they are never allowed to rise higher. Others maybe want to progress, but lack something that—at least in von Manstein’s view—is essential to become a good general. That something, it seems, is laziness. He wants the choice of generals to be made from people who are clever, naturally, but also lazy. Why should that make them better top executives?

Lazy and Clever

One reason might be that laziness is the principal spur to creativity. Lazy people are always looking for easier, simpler, and less arduous ways to do things. If they are also clever, the chances are that they will find them, and make them available to everyone else. Lazy people are also natural delegators, and find it very attractive to let their subordinates get on with their work without interference from above. Lazy, but bright, generals would be likely to make sure they focused on the essentials and ignored anything that might make for unnecessary work, whether for themselves or other people. In fact, it’s hard to see why you would not want your top managers to be as lazy as they are clever. It would indeed make them great strategists and leaders of people.

Hardworking Idiots

Now to the last group: the ones von Manstein said that you should get rid of immediately.
That group is made up of people who are hardworking idiots, in his words. He says such people force those around them into pointless activities. I don’t know about you, but I suffered from several bosses I would unhesitatingly put into precisely that category. They were extremely hardworking—and demanded the same from their subordinates—but what they set others to work on (and what they spent their own time in doing) was mostly worthless. Maybe they were actually lazy and stupid people trying hard to seem busy, but too stupid to choose the right things to be busy about. It certainly felt like busyness for its own sake, and it was hateful. Or were they naturally hardworking idiots? Some probably were, but it’s my opinion that most such people are clever enough. It is the organization that makes them function like morons.

Today’s fast-paced, macho style of organizational culture creates, and then fosters, the hardworking idiot. Indeed, I think it takes a great many sound, useful, hardworking, and clever people and turns them into idiots by denying them the time or the opportunity to think or use their brains. If you don’t look busy all the time, you’re virtually asking for a pink slip, never mind what it is that you are doing—or whether it is actually of any use to the organization or its customers. It’s all so rushed and frenetic. If all that matters is “meeting the numbers” and getting things done (whatever those things are), managers will be forced into working hard at projects that they know make no sense.

The dumbing down of organizations isn’t caused by poor educational standards or faulty recruitment. It’s due mostly to the crazy pace that is set, and the obsessive focus on the most obvious, rigidly short-term objectives. The result is a sharp increase in hardworking idiots: people who are coerced into long hours and constant busyness, while being systematically forced to act like idiots by the culture around them. Don’t ask questions. Don’t cause problems by thinking, or waste time on coming up with new ideas. Don’t think about the future, or try to anticipate problems before they arise. Just keep at it, do exactly what is expected of you, and always get the most done in the least amount of time and at the lowest cost. If von Manstein is correct, the result will be that more and more employees will be used to perform essentially pointless tasks. Isn’t that exactly what we see?

I think that even a fairly cursory look around most organizations today would confirm the accuracy of this observation. Consider all the time wasted in unnecessary meetings. The obsessive emphasis on staying in touch, regardless of need. The torrents of e-mails, most of which are simply copies of documents of no direct relevance to the people to whom they are sent. The constant collecting of data for no clear reason. Management by numbers and motivation by numerically-based performance measures. Trust replaced by obsessive control and leadership by forced ranking of subordinates against vague criteria determined by committees with no idea of the specific circumstances.

You do not need ethical insight or human understanding to operate a machine, and machines are how many of today’s leaders see their organization: machines for making quick profits, not civilized communities of people working together to a common end. We can only hope some organizations at least see the error of their ways before the hardworking idiot becomes the commonest creature in the hierarchy. We are well on the way to that point, which is probably why so many people cherish dreams of getting out of the corporate rat race. It’s no fun to be forced to deny your own intelligence on a daily basis. We can still reverse the trend, but only by dropping the current out-dated dogmas, dangerous half truths, and total nonsense that disfigure management thinking. Let’s do it before it is too late.

The Music Of Language

I have a colleague who in a recent email sent this along.  It speaks well to the importance, proper our use of, and love of language.  Enjoy!

The Music Of Language
Words Are Energy

When we speak or write, we use the vehicles of words to carry meaning, as well as energy, from ourselves to another person or group of people. We may be speaking to our baby, our boss, or to an audience of 500 people. We may be writing a love letter, a work-related memo, or an entry in our own diary. Whatever the case, each word we speak or write has a life of its own, a vibratory signature that creates waves in the same way that a note of music creates waves. And like musical notes, our words live in communities of other words and change in relation to the words that surround them. When we are conscious of the energy behind our words, we become capable of making beautiful music in the world. If we are unconscious of the power of words, we run the risk of creating a noisy disturbance.

Some of us know this instinctively, while others come to this understanding slowly. Most of us, though, speak without thinking at least some of the time, blurting out our feelings and thoughts without much regard for the words we choose to express them. When we remind ourselves that our words have an impact on the world at the level of energy, we may find within ourselves the desire to be more aware of our use of language.

A fun way to increase our sensitivity to the power of words is to simply make a list of our favorite words and notice the energy they contain. We can write them down and post them where we can see them, or we can speak them aloud, feeling them reverberate in our bodies and in the air around us. This is like learning to consciously play an instrument that we have been playing unconsciously for most of our lives, and the effect can be startling and delightful. As we grow more comfortable and confident playing the instrument of language, we will begin to compose beautiful messages, creating positive energy every time we write or speak.

Not bad for a McJob

One high profile example of a corporation tackling their employer brand head-on is McDonalds, who rely on a steady supply of Human Capital to give their business and their brand life.

After the term 'McJob' appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary, being described as having low pay and poor prospects, McDonalds responded in 2006 with the challenging 'Not bad for a McJob' campaign.

The McDonalds fight-back campaign featured posters including examples of health policies, flexible working hours and prospects for promotion, with the objective of improving their public image as an employer of choice and ensuring their employees felt 'McRespected' and 'McValued'.

McDonalds represents an extreme example, but other companies across the world dedicate much time and resource to winning coveted places in top employer listings, such as the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to Work For in the UK and the 100 Best Employers to work for in Canada. And, according to Sheffield University, its a case of 'Who Cares Wins' in todays job market.

Where to Find Women Building Bridges

Responding to the London 2012 Olympics and the push to get women into Construction, members of the WorcNet Women’s network, based in Skipton, hosted a “Women Into Construction” seminar at the Craven College Construction Launch event on Monday 5 June.

The seminar included presentations from two women ambassadors from the Construction Industry Training Board. Vicky Belton works as a Civil Engineer and Helen Dickinson as a Quantity Surveyor, they each presented on their journey and experiences as women in the construction industry. Attique Barlas told the audience of a scheme to introduce minority groups and women into construction, offering a four week placement and a guaranteed interview which could lead to a job and further training. Mary Kelly gave a very inspiring talk on the work of the Walter Segal Trust which supports people who are interested in self build opportunities, and Keith and Jane Barber from SHE Build UK told of their business which employs and trains women construction workers for their property management and development company in Bradford.

Members of the North Northumberland and Cumbrian Women’s Networks who travelled down to the Launch event are taking back information to their own networks and local colleges in a bid to establish a similar project in their own areas.

Following the formal launch event, some of the WorcNet members who are currently undertaking a 10 week starter course in construction, hosted an evening dinner at the Rendezvous Hotel for the speakers and the guests from other networks, where they talked about their experiences on the course and their hopes for the future.

WorcNet Co-ordinator Debi Hawkins said “We are really pleased that 11 of our members have taken part in this first Women In Construction course and we are working with the College to progress women into more specialized courses later on in the year. We hope to be running another Women In Construction course from September. We will be having a Women In Construction taster day in September which will include presentations, workshops and hands on activities.”

For more information on WorcNet, the courses or the taster day please contact Debi, Kath or Karen on 01756 692788 or worcnet@craven-college.ac.uk

Performance Appraisal and Feedback - What are Today's Management Expectations?

Performance Appraisal and Feedback is an important part of the talent management process.  However, the "equation" is different today than it has been in the past.

I'd like to share with you some ideas on current thinking about:

• Supervisors’ Accountability For Employee Performance
• The Supervisor As Coach
• What Does The Company Need From The Employment Relationship?
• What Do Employees Really Want From The Employment Relationship?

The Supervisors’ Accountability For Employee Performance

Traditionally, management has meant performing the functions of:
Planning

• Define Goals for Future Performance
• Determine Tasks Needed to Meet Goals
• Determine Available Resources

Organizing

• Assign Identified Tasks
• Allocate Needed Resources

Leading

• Inspire Employees to Achieve Goals

Controlling

• Monitor Employee Activities to Assure Progress

Over time, this role has transformed to include an awareness of :

• Decentralized Decision Making
• Flexible, Skilled & Involved Workforce
• Increased Sensitivity in Work Relationships

The Supervisors’ Job Description has thus evolved as a Supervisor of the Work of Other Employees to include :

• Setting Objectives
• Hiring Employees
• Training Employees
• Assigning Tasks to Employees (Delegation)
• Measuring Performance of Employees
• Rewarding/Disciplining Employees

Accordingly, the Supervisor is accountable to the business to

• Meet Their Own Performance Objectives
• Maintain Accurate and Timely Records of Employee Performance Throughout the Appraisal Period
• Complete the Forms Used in Appraising Employees and Return Them to HR on time
• Maintain Their Knowledge and Understanding of the Performance Appraisal Process,, and
• Review Appraisals Together With Employees

In other words, from the Company's perspective, they are looking for the Performance Appraisal and Feedback process to help

• Maximize Employee Productivity
• Employees Focus on Organization’s Objectives
• Employees Take On Responsibility for Their Performance
• Management Understand How to Manage Performance Effectively
• Facilitate Coaching, Counseling and/or Discipline for Poor Performers
• Provide protection From Legal Liability
• Establish an Objective Basis for Development, Compensation and Rewards

The Supervisor As Coach

Management is so 20th Century!  This "old" view of things looks at Management as a often one-way process whereas coaching is two-way, with the coach and the employee constantly giving and receiving feedback.

Coaching then, instead of “Managing” or “Supervising” is a key concept for achieving top organizational performance.  Supervisors become coaches when they use feedback on a continuous basis to reinforce positive behavior or counsel employees to correct actions that do not further the organization’s goals.

What does Coaching involve?

• Being there for them
• Giving them what they really want
• Rewarding them with "ownership" of their part of the business

According to a study conducted by Mercer management Consulting for the Council of Communications Management, 75% of respondents in a study of employee communications indicated that internal communication has a positive influence on employee performance.

The supervisor is the critical link between top management and employees.  Keeping employee communications “up front” and honest helps to build employee morale, contribute to company loyalty, and increase productivity.   

What kinds of things are important for your employees to be aware of?

What Does The Company Need From The Employment Relationship?

Employee engagement is more important today than ever.  Business leaders need to encourage activities that make employees feel more participative in the business.   You also need to reward people who learn more about their jobs, new trends, solve problems, and are willing to make changes.  Employees who feel empowered are far less likely to become chronically absent or quit.

What Do Employees Really Want From The Employment Relationship?

According to a 2001 Randstad North American Employee Review study looking at how employees define success in the workplace, the following dimensions were most frequently cited:

• Being trusted to get the job done
• Opportunity to do the type of work i want
• Power to make decisions that affect their own work
• Finding a company where i want to work a long time
• Getting raises
• Having flexibility
• Many different job options & opportunities
• Getting promotions
• Getting praise & recognition
• Managing (leading) other people
• Gaining seniority

But it gets even more interesting.

• Mature workers (aged 61-75) workers view themselves as "contributors," while viewing their employers as a "benevolent master." Their greatest psychological need is "respect" and their overriding workplace characteristic is "dedication." Having power to make decisions that affect the whole organization is important to them.
• Baby Boomers (now aged 42-60) are "adaptable" and in need of "appreciation." They view employers as "partners" while striving to be "recognized employees.”
• Gen X'ers (new age 27-42) are "realists" in need of "security." The volatile nature of the new economy drives them to perceive employers as "terminators," while they view themselves as "employees with a future."
• And Gen Y (26 and younger) see themselves as "entrepreneurs" and their employers as "providers." They are in need of "attention" while remaining "cautiously optimistic" about the future.

But for all employees, the most important corporate value cited was TRUST…even more than money or title.  A well thought out Performance Review and Feedback system can be a unique experience that can help

• Make employees feel like members of the “Club”
• Facilitate their ideas, suggestions for problem-solving
• Challenge them with new tasks, assignments, projects
• Involve them in setting performance criteria
• Encourage self-evaluation of their performance
• Work together to set performance objectives

Why then, does the Performance Appraisal process often evoke discomfort versus a sense of discovery?  Perhaps that's because often the program is representative of

• Inadequately defined standards of performance
• Sketchy or ambiguous performance documentation
• Inadequate time allotment for the discussion
• Supervisor bias in judging performance
• Reliance on gut feelings; lack of objectivity
• Lack of timeliness of performance reviews
• Lack of employee involvement

So are they still relevant?  YOU BET !   

Your workforce wants to do the right thing, BUT

• They may not know the rules
• They may not have clear goals
• They may lack confidence
• They may have limited ability
• They may be poorly trained
• They may not have the right equipment
• They may have limited communication
• They may be distracted by personal problems

Today more than ever, a well conceived and properly executed program can be used

• To let employees know where they stand and to give them feedback
• As A basis for compensation and rewards
• As A basis for individual training and performance improvement
• As A basis for career planning
• As A basis for business planning
• To document HR decisions, placement,promotions and discipline

Is this your experience?  How about sharing your "success" stories as well as "horror" stories with our readers.

Here where the new jobs (and job growth) will be

There's a lot projected to happen as relates to skilled jobs, according to a recent report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among the interesting data of this report:

WHERE THE SKILLED JOBS WILL BE
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projections of employment in 2014 suggest that apart from IT-related occupations, most other scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical (STEM) professions are expected to grow moderately, at rates similar to those for the entire U.S. labor force. Only three specific STEM occupations are expected to actually decline in employment, and all of those projected declines are quite small.
High projected growth rates (20 percent or better):

• Forensic science technicians +36%
• Medical scientists & epidemiologists (summary) +34
• Hydrologists +32
• Biomedical engineers +31
• Computer specialists (summary) +31
• Network systems & data communications analysts +55
• Computer software engineers +46
• Network & computer systems administrators +38
• Database administrators +38
• Computer systems analysts +31
• Computer & information scientists, research +26
• Computer support specialists +23
• Computer specialists, all other +19
• Environmental engineers +30
• Computer & information systems managers +26
• Environmental engineering technicians +24
• Actuaries +23
• Life scientists (summary) +21
• Market and survey researchers (summary) +20
• Other life, physical, & social science technicians +20

Low projected growth rates (five percent or less):

• Sociologists +5
• Statisticians +5
• Architectural and civil drafters +5
• Chemical technicians +4
• Historians +4
• Mathematical technicians +3
• Computer programmers +2
• Electrical and electronics drafters +1
• Petroleum engineers -0
• Mathematicians -1
• Mining & geological engineers, incl. mining safety -2

 

• WOMEN INCREASE IN THE WORKFORCE - Also of note is the projection that over the 2004-14 projection period, the number of women in the labor force is projected to grow by 10.9 percent, faster than the 9.1 percent growth projected for men. As a result, women's share of the labor force is expected to increase from 46.4 percent in 2004 to 46.8 percent by 2014.

• GROWTH OF THE HISPANIC WORK GROUP -“By 2014, the Hispanic labor force is expected to reach 25.8 million, due to faster population growth resulting from a younger population, higher fertility rates, and increased immigration levels.
  
  Despite relatively slow growth, whites will remain the largest group, composing 80.2 percent of the labor force. Blacks will constitute 12.0 percent of the labor force. Asians will continue to be the fastest growing race group, climbing to 5.1 percent of the labor force in 2014.

and finally, a topic we've covered extensively both on this blogspace as well as my speaking engagements around the country:

• CHANGES IN THE MAKEUP OF THE LABOR FORCE -The labor force will change in composition, as a result of changes in both the composition of the population and in the rates of labor force participation across demographic groups. The projected labor force growth will be affected by the aging of the baby-boom generation — persons born between 1946 and 1964.
  
  In 2014, baby-boomers will be ages 50 to 68 years, and this age group will grow significantly over the 2004-2014 period. The labor force will continue to age, with the number of workers in the 55-and-older group projected to grow by 49.1 percent, nearly five times the 10 percent growth projected for the overall labor force. Youths between the ages of 16 and 24.will decline in numbers and lose share of the labor force, from 15.1 percent in 2004 to 13.7 percent in 2014.
  
  Prime-age workers. those between the ages of 25 and 54 also will lose share of the labor force, from 69.3 percent in 2004 to 65.2 percent in 2014. The 55-and-older age group, on the other hand, is projected to gain share of the labor force, from 15.6 percent to 21.2 percent.

Launch of www.Skills2Compete.org with resources for advancing a 21st-century skill guarantee