As an entrepreneur, I don't feel I have the right (or the time to waste) to judge our government or economy, but it is my responsibility to learn how to have my company succeed in the new economy.
There are lay-offs and outsourcing going on today. There are also some creative opportunities for companies and individuals to play the new economy game.
Since the economy is down and taxes are going up, it will be difficult for corporations to maintain their employee levels. An option is part-timers. There are many employees that would love to reduce their hours (and compensation), this is a positive for all.
An option for an unemployed individual is to market yourself as a 15 to 20 hour a week contractor. That scenario is attractive to companies because that person will likely perform 15 to 20 hours of real value and not cost the company in benefits. If you need full-time pay, you'll need to have a couple of part-time contracting jobs.
Is the direction of the country good or bad? It's a judgment call. But, if the question is, "Can I succeed?" the answer is "yes."
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
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Showing posts with label employees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label employees. Show all posts
Friday, April 2, 2010
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Old Dog, New Dog
Sometimes we old dogs get complacent. We have it figured out. Then a new dog comes along and we're uncomfortable. After some time, we get a little more used to it. Then we might even get a little energized. And maybe, we actually have more fun with that new dog than we've had in a long time.
Whether we're talking about the workplace or whether we're actually talking about about canines, it's all the same.
Team up an established employee with a hungry, enthusiastic one and you might see some great results.
If nothing else, it'll be fun to watch.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
PS I thank Sonya (young pup) for giving this old dog this insight.
Whether we're talking about the workplace or whether we're actually talking about about canines, it's all the same.
Team up an established employee with a hungry, enthusiastic one and you might see some great results.
If nothing else, it'll be fun to watch.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
PS I thank Sonya (young pup) for giving this old dog this insight.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
The secret to growing
Here's a secret to identifying whether someone is growing or not:
If a person is frequently using the same terms or phrases and frequently tells you the same things over and over again, they're not growing. they're stagnant.
If they're not, they're growing.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond Marketing Communications
www.labov.com
If a person is frequently using the same terms or phrases and frequently tells you the same things over and over again, they're not growing. they're stagnant.
If they're not, they're growing.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond Marketing Communications
www.labov.com
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Meet Don: Mr. Initiative
One of my favorite people is Don. Three years ago, I invested in a company that had numerous challenges. Don was recruited to come in and help us. And without him, I wouldn't have time to blog or do anything else; I'd be in over my head trying to deal with the stuff he does every day.
Don's a unique guy. His clients love him. To them, he's fun, easygoing, hard-working, humble - and he gets stuff done. To his employees, he's a great boss because, while he is demanding, he's also trusting. He loves to see his employees do well.
What I love about Don is that he has initiative. He's focused and as serious as a heart attack. He allows me to calm him down, to tell him everything is going to be OK. He's a pleasure to work with. I enjoy him as a friend and as an associate.
Our clients want us to be this way. We should be the ones that are more serious about their company's success then they are. We should be more exacting about our work than they are. A little bit of Don's approach can go a long way.
Barry LaBov
President, LaBov and Beyond Marketing Communications
www.labov.com
Don's a unique guy. His clients love him. To them, he's fun, easygoing, hard-working, humble - and he gets stuff done. To his employees, he's a great boss because, while he is demanding, he's also trusting. He loves to see his employees do well.
What I love about Don is that he has initiative. He's focused and as serious as a heart attack. He allows me to calm him down, to tell him everything is going to be OK. He's a pleasure to work with. I enjoy him as a friend and as an associate.
Our clients want us to be this way. We should be the ones that are more serious about their company's success then they are. We should be more exacting about our work than they are. A little bit of Don's approach can go a long way.
Barry LaBov
President, LaBov and Beyond Marketing Communications
www.labov.com
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
You can't teach height and you can't legislate initiative
An axiom in basketball is that, as a coach, "you can't teach height." Which means that having a tall player is a huge advantage - you can always teach a player how to shoot or dribble the ball better, but there's no substitute for being seven feet tall.
I think the same applies to business regarding initiative. No matter how hard you train a person on how to fill out a time sheet or how to dress or how to use a spread sheet, whether that employee has initiative or not is up to him or her. It's not something that's really taught.
I've been guilty of trying to instill initiative in people and failing. Just like trying to make someone seven feet tall, it's an exercise in futility.
I apologize to those who I've pushed, and I thank those I've had to calm down.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
I think the same applies to business regarding initiative. No matter how hard you train a person on how to fill out a time sheet or how to dress or how to use a spread sheet, whether that employee has initiative or not is up to him or her. It's not something that's really taught.
I've been guilty of trying to instill initiative in people and failing. Just like trying to make someone seven feet tall, it's an exercise in futility.
I apologize to those who I've pushed, and I thank those I've had to calm down.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
Monday, July 27, 2009
Unemployed Specialist/Employed Generalist
When the economy booms, so does the concept of specialization. The more specialized your position, the more job security.
But when the economy slumps, what happens if we don't need 11 bio-chemical environmental engineers? What if we only need three of them and a few generalist environmental engineers?
Well, if you've shown you only do the specialized stuff, then your job is at risk. You want to make it as easy as possible for your company to find work for you.
n a booming economy, it's easier, more fun and maybe more satisfying to be the specialist. But when it comes time to decide who stays and who goes, the generalist fits more often then not in this economy.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
http://www.labov.com/
But when the economy slumps, what happens if we don't need 11 bio-chemical environmental engineers? What if we only need three of them and a few generalist environmental engineers?
Well, if you've shown you only do the specialized stuff, then your job is at risk. You want to make it as easy as possible for your company to find work for you.
n a booming economy, it's easier, more fun and maybe more satisfying to be the specialist. But when it comes time to decide who stays and who goes, the generalist fits more often then not in this economy.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
http://www.labov.com/
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Welcome to the Innovation Department
I met with a huge multinational conglomerate and wandered through various lines of security and x-raying only to be shuttled to a holding area before I was finally greeted by our "host," who I then followed through several hallways into yet another secure area, where we met with the "Innovation Team."
The Innovation guys were great - they were, well, innovative. Lots of great ideas and enthusiasm.
But the experience left me with a lot of questions. Why have an "Innovation Department" at all? Wouldn't that imply that the rest of the company isn't innovative, that the employees didn't feel their calling was to be innovative - unless, of course, they were in the Innovation Department? How innovative, for that matter, is the name "Innovation Department?"
I wonder - perhaps the CEO said that they needed to be innovative and therefore that meant creating that department. But how will a small department alone be able to change that culture? Sounds pretty tough.
Shouldn't all of us be inspired and expected to be innovative? Wouldn't creating an "Innovation Department" all but guarantee that the corporation will not be focused on innovation? We have to watch that, despite all good intentions, that we can create an environment that actually works against our vision.
Barry LaBov
LaBov and Beyond
http://www.labov.com/
The Innovation guys were great - they were, well, innovative. Lots of great ideas and enthusiasm.
But the experience left me with a lot of questions. Why have an "Innovation Department" at all? Wouldn't that imply that the rest of the company isn't innovative, that the employees didn't feel their calling was to be innovative - unless, of course, they were in the Innovation Department? How innovative, for that matter, is the name "Innovation Department?"
I wonder - perhaps the CEO said that they needed to be innovative and therefore that meant creating that department. But how will a small department alone be able to change that culture? Sounds pretty tough.
Shouldn't all of us be inspired and expected to be innovative? Wouldn't creating an "Innovation Department" all but guarantee that the corporation will not be focused on innovation? We have to watch that, despite all good intentions, that we can create an environment that actually works against our vision.
Barry LaBov
LaBov and Beyond
http://www.labov.com/
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Our Companies' Natural resources
We all agree that we need to take care of and protect our natural resources. If we don't, they'll dry up, the planet will be damaged, and our survival will be threatened.
Why don't we do the same with our companies' natural resources, our people?
Company resources - people - are wasted daily, and it's done in numerous ways. Maybe you have a loose culture where anyone can put anyone to work on anything. Sounds crazy, but it happens all the time, and it actually feels exciting - the electricity of people running about, deadlines looming, etc. But, it's not only wasteful, it's detrimental to progress.
That's one of the reasons companies are cutting back on employees, benefits and perks - they're frequently wasted and often hurt the company. Why? A number of reasons.
Sometimes, we can't handle the responsibility. Sometimes, we not only hand off the project, we also hand off the ownership to someone who thinks he or she is helping out and certainly has no ownership. Sometimes, we mistake quantity (number of people on a project) with quality (of ideas, performance, etc.).
When a parent drives her kids and someone else's children to a soccer match, she is responsible for all the kids - she can't be careless; their lives are in her hands. When we put people to work or utilize other resources of our companies, we are responsible for them in the same way.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
http://www.labov.com/
Why don't we do the same with our companies' natural resources, our people?
Company resources - people - are wasted daily, and it's done in numerous ways. Maybe you have a loose culture where anyone can put anyone to work on anything. Sounds crazy, but it happens all the time, and it actually feels exciting - the electricity of people running about, deadlines looming, etc. But, it's not only wasteful, it's detrimental to progress.
That's one of the reasons companies are cutting back on employees, benefits and perks - they're frequently wasted and often hurt the company. Why? A number of reasons.
Sometimes, we can't handle the responsibility. Sometimes, we not only hand off the project, we also hand off the ownership to someone who thinks he or she is helping out and certainly has no ownership. Sometimes, we mistake quantity (number of people on a project) with quality (of ideas, performance, etc.).
When a parent drives her kids and someone else's children to a soccer match, she is responsible for all the kids - she can't be careless; their lives are in her hands. When we put people to work or utilize other resources of our companies, we are responsible for them in the same way.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
http://www.labov.com/
Monday, July 20, 2009
A Non-Scientific Way to Determine Value
ROI, metrics, payback, etc. Huge topics today in business. All designed to identify the value of something or someone. They tend to be scientific - or at least they claim to be.
Let's forget science for a moment. Want to know if a person adds value to your team? Close your eyes and imagine you're being told that he/she is on your team...how do you feel? Energized, neutral or down? If you feel an energy boost, that means he/she is engaging and an attribute to the team. If you fell a thud in your stomach, that person is a drain; they take, they don't give.
Same thing about the value of an idea - when you hear it explained, are you fired up and energized, do you feel neutral or, worse, does the idea drain you?
We can turn to science to determine metrics and ROI, but we can also turn inward to learn a lot, too.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
http://www.labov.com/
Let's forget science for a moment. Want to know if a person adds value to your team? Close your eyes and imagine you're being told that he/she is on your team...how do you feel? Energized, neutral or down? If you feel an energy boost, that means he/she is engaging and an attribute to the team. If you fell a thud in your stomach, that person is a drain; they take, they don't give.
Same thing about the value of an idea - when you hear it explained, are you fired up and energized, do you feel neutral or, worse, does the idea drain you?
We can turn to science to determine metrics and ROI, but we can also turn inward to learn a lot, too.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
http://www.labov.com/
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Allow for a little graciousness
In my business, I get to listen to execs and managers discuss the big issues - and the small issues - that drive them crazy. I just conducted an assessment of a company, and several execs shared the same "small issue." These good people were frustrated because they are robbed of being gracious too often because their employees or suppliers are presumptuous. I think this is a problem that many companies share.
Most of us like to be gracious, to say, "Sure, no problem" when asked for a day-off or for time to run to your kid's school to see them perform "The Wizard of Oz."
But what too often happens is an email is or a voicemail left by the employee saying, "I'm not coming in until after noon because my dog is sick," or "There's a school delay; I'm working from home," or "There's a delay from the supplier so I'm not going to be able to ship the product until I hear from them."
All of this would probably be OK, but it feels bad if you're the boss or a co-worker depending on those people. You wonder if you can count on them, what else isn't getting done, what's the next promise to be dropped? You also feel that your time is devalued - their time is more important. I don't believe that this is the intent, but it is the reality of how people feel.
All this can be solved if that person actually asks and confirms if it's OK to come in late, to see the play, to not send the shipment, etc. 99 percent of the time the exec will be gracious, and the fellow employee will understand.
We all love to be able to be gracious. Don't rob your boss or co-workers of that.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
Most of us like to be gracious, to say, "Sure, no problem" when asked for a day-off or for time to run to your kid's school to see them perform "The Wizard of Oz."
But what too often happens is an email is or a voicemail left by the employee saying, "I'm not coming in until after noon because my dog is sick," or "There's a school delay; I'm working from home," or "There's a delay from the supplier so I'm not going to be able to ship the product until I hear from them."
All of this would probably be OK, but it feels bad if you're the boss or a co-worker depending on those people. You wonder if you can count on them, what else isn't getting done, what's the next promise to be dropped? You also feel that your time is devalued - their time is more important. I don't believe that this is the intent, but it is the reality of how people feel.
All this can be solved if that person actually asks and confirms if it's OK to come in late, to see the play, to not send the shipment, etc. 99 percent of the time the exec will be gracious, and the fellow employee will understand.
We all love to be able to be gracious. Don't rob your boss or co-workers of that.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
Monday, June 8, 2009
You don't know what you don't know
One of the most unique clients I ever had was a guy named Al Swenson. He was a polarizing guy. He was dashing, articulate. He also simply didn't care what you thought because he knew better. He had a crazy past of numerous jobs, wives and creative ideas. If you try to locate him, he's just as likely working at a dude ranch as he is in Corporate America.
He loved to perform, to present in front of people - no matter what the message, he wanted to get up there and speak. He had disciples - I remember one of them watching mesmerized as Al presented. The disciple turned to me and said, "I just love listening to Al. I'm not even sure what he's saying, but I love hearing him. I want to be like Al some day."
One day, during a business brainstorming session, we were struggling to solve an issue for his company. Al turned to me and proclaimed, "You don't know what you don't know." If he was merely a friend of mine, I would've given him some grief - but he was my client and so I kept my mouth shut. Secretly, I thought that was the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
Now, a decade or so later, I realize Al was brilliant. His point of "You don't know what you don't know" was genius. Apply it, for example, to an employee. Let's say you're disappointed in the way he/she handled a situation because it hurt your company. Well, did he know that before he did it? Probably not. Maybe our time is better spent teaching an employee stuff so he or she knows - it's a lot more positive than getting angry with them.
I didn't know what I didn't know. I didn't realize I needed to educate and inform before I should judge.
Thanks, Al.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
He loved to perform, to present in front of people - no matter what the message, he wanted to get up there and speak. He had disciples - I remember one of them watching mesmerized as Al presented. The disciple turned to me and said, "I just love listening to Al. I'm not even sure what he's saying, but I love hearing him. I want to be like Al some day."
One day, during a business brainstorming session, we were struggling to solve an issue for his company. Al turned to me and proclaimed, "You don't know what you don't know." If he was merely a friend of mine, I would've given him some grief - but he was my client and so I kept my mouth shut. Secretly, I thought that was the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
Now, a decade or so later, I realize Al was brilliant. His point of "You don't know what you don't know" was genius. Apply it, for example, to an employee. Let's say you're disappointed in the way he/she handled a situation because it hurt your company. Well, did he know that before he did it? Probably not. Maybe our time is better spent teaching an employee stuff so he or she knows - it's a lot more positive than getting angry with them.
I didn't know what I didn't know. I didn't realize I needed to educate and inform before I should judge.
Thanks, Al.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
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