Episode 1 – What is Diversity and Inclusion? examines the definition of diversity and inclusion by…

• providing a conceptual definition of diversity and inclusion
• illustrating what diversity and inclusion looks like in action
• highlighting what diversity and inclusion is not
• describing some of the many benefits diverse and inclusive organizations realize over those not sharing these values

Learn more about what it means to be diverse and inclusive by reading: What is Diversity and Inclusion?.

Final Request…

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Thank you again for watching this StrategyDriven Podcast – Video Edition episode!

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Relate Articles:

1. Diversity and Inclusion – What is Diversity and Inclusion?
2. Diversity and Inclusion – Introduction
3. Diversity and Inclusion – Return on Investment, part 4: Litigation, Fine, and Payout Reduction
4. Diversity and Inclusion – Return on Investment, part 3: Employee Productivity Enhancement
5. Diversity and Inclusion Best Practice 1 – Know the Holidays

No Nonsense Retention: Painless Strategies To Retain Your Best People by Jeff Kortes Why are some organizations able to retain their best people while others struggle with above average turnover? Jeff Kortes presents the key components of retention in a practical, ‘no nonsense’ book that is easy to read and entertaining. Whether you are in an office, factory or on a construction site, the principles presented will improve your retention and enable you to save your organization thousands of dollars due to lost productivity, poor quality and customer service issues. You will learn: How to avoid the dreaded meeting where you have to say, “We are letting you go because you just aren’t a good fit.” Money isn’t the answer to retention. Size of the organization does not matter. Practical ideas you can use immediately to improve retention. Why good employees leave your organization, and how to stop it. It’s the “little” things that matter and what they are. How to build a comprehensive strategy (or game plan) for your department, facility or entire organization that improves retention. What poor retention is costing you. Retention is going to be the most important factor in the survival of companies in the next 15 years. Changing demographics will leave a shortage of workers that will become critical. Only those organizations that are able to retain their best people will be able to compete and survive in the future. Kortes’ andecdotes, common sense tips and ‘no nonsense notes’ make the book easy to follow and remember. The techniques you will learn are nothing fancy. However, when performed together, your department, plant or organization will be transformed into a sophisticated retention machine that will be the envy of your fellow managers or competitors. You will find yourself wondering why you didn’t use these techniques in the past and immediately become a believer in No Nonsense Retention…Painless Strategies to Retain Your Best People.

• Your attitude… develop an upbeat attitude.
• How well you communicate.
• How you treat people… it should be with respect… always!
• Lead by being a positive example.
• Care for your people.
• Be genuine.

How you treat your people has more to do with turnover than anything else. You have seen it yourself in organizations you have worked in. Certain managers tend to churn thru people… even the ones the managers hire themselves. And, no one is happy in their departments. They are running the corporate version of a jail. People are doing time because they have to and will get out as soon as they can. Others tend to be people magnets who everyone wants to work for. They have people who will go the extra mile for you and you can feel the positive energy when in those areas. 75% of the people in this country say the worst part about their job is their boss!

Keep the tips listed above in mind and I guarantee that you will have one of the more happy and productive departments in your organization. Just as important you will have a department that people will not want to quit being a part of. Remember, people quit their boss… not the company!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

About the Author

Jeff Kortes is known as the ‘No Nonsense Guy.’ He is the President of Human Asset Management LLC, a human resource consulting firm specializing in executive search and leadership training. He has trained hundreds of first-line supervisors, managers, and executives during his career. His approach to training is no-nonsense, and practical.

Jeff is also a member of the National Speakers Association and a regular speaker on the topics of retention, recruiting and leadership. For more information, visit www.thenononsenseguy.com.

Relate Articles:

1. How to Give a Briefing that Impresses the Boss
2. Management Would be Easy if You Didn’t Have to Deal with People, part 3 of 3
3. Management Would be Easy if You Didn’t Have to Deal with People, part 1 of 3
4. Management Would be Easy if You Didn’t Have to Deal with People, part 2 of 3
5. 7 Ways to Deal With a Negative Boss

Diversity and inclusion litigation events are acute occurrences unlike the more typically chronic workplace conditions resulting in diminished productivity, increased distraction, and elevated attrition. Subsequently, even the most diverse and inclusive organizations can be subject to this type of litigation – it only takes one ill-fated event.

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Relate Articles:

1. Diversity and Inclusion – Return on Investment, part 1: Employee Turnover Reduction
2. Diversity and Inclusion – Return on Investment, part 2: Employee Distraction Reduction
3. Diversity and Inclusion – Return on Investment, part 3: Employee Productivity Enhancement
4. Diversity and Inclusion – What is Diversity and Inclusion?
5. Diversity and Inclusion – Introduction

[private]Cost of the Unproductive

Gallup Organization studies reveal a startling lack of employee engagement. These studies show that within the average organization 33 percent of employees are ‘engaged,’ 49 percent are ‘not engaged,’ and 18 percent are ‘actively disengaged.’² Furthermore, employee productivity varied with the degree of employee engagement. Engaged employees apply the full measure of their abilities to the achievement of company goals, disengaged employees do just enough to satisfactorily get by, and actively disengaged employees may actually work against the achievement of corporate goals.

Applying some mathematical assumptions to the various employee engagement levels suggests that engaged employees are 100 percent productive (as productive as humanly possible), disengaged employees are 70 percent productive, and actively disengaged employees are 50 percent productive. Using these assumptions and Gallup’s finding that there exists an 18 percent productivity difference between top and bottom performing organizations suggests that top performers achieve an 88.7 percent overall productivity level, average performers 76.3 percent, and bottom performers 70.7 percent. Figure 1, Employee Engagement Levels Among Various Organizations, illustrates the Gallup Organization’s findings updated with StrategyDriven’s assumptions and analysis.

Figure 1 – Employee Engagement Levels Among Various Organizations

An Abusive Work Environment

The workplace environment does not need to be abusive to be demotivating. Considering The 12 Elements of Great Managing that Gallup found to be engaging³, the following could be said to disenfranchise employees and lower their productivity:

1. Expectations are unclear
2. Needed tools and materials are unavailable
3. Employee strengths to unused
4. Recognition is infrequently provided
5. Employees feel isolated and uncared for at work
6. Employee development activities are unsupported
7. Employee input is seldom sought or acted on
8. The organization’s mission and goals are uninspiring
9. Colleagues lack commitment to performing quality work
10. Employees lack personal relationships at work
11. Performance reviews occur very infrequently if at all
12. Learning and growth opportunities are few or non-existent

Other workplace demotivators are far worse; some being abusive. Surveys conducted by the Sp@rtacus Group, the Employee Law Alliance, and WBI/Zogby reveal that:

• 61 percent of employees witnessed diversity related acts of incivility, disrespect, and/or discrimination at work⁴
• 44 percent of employees indicate they have worked for an abusive supervisor⁵
• 37 percent of employees reported being bullied at work⁶

These surveys further identified resulting employee behaviors that reduce productivity including:

• 28 percent lost work time avoiding the instigator
• 53 percent lost work time worrying about the incident or future interactions with the instigator
• 22 percent reduced their work effort
• 10 percent decreased the amount of time spent at work⁷

In addition to the significant direct labor cost of a demotivating work environment, employees also reported withholding discretionary effort and creating insights. These too degrade the organization’s bottom line results, if in a less measurable way.

Calculating Diversity and Inclusion’s Return On Investment – Employee Productivity Enhancement

Workplace incivility and managerial factors clearly contribute to employee disengagement and subsequently reduce productivity. This presents leaders with the opportunity to improve the bottom line by investing in efforts that improve the workplace environment. Estimating the return on investment for such initiatives involves performing the following steps:

1. Determine the current employee productivity rate of the organization – This rate can be calculated using surveys and resent culture assessments to determine the employee engagement level percentages combined with StrategyDriven’s productivity rate correlation assumptions. Calculate the organization’s overall employee productivity rate as the sum of 1.0 x Percent of Engaged Employees + 0.7 x Percent of Disengaged Employees + 0.5 x Percent of Activity Disengaged Employees.
2. Identify the initiatives to be implemented in order to improve workplace civility and workplace engagement – Expert advice from individuals/organizations specializing in the field of diversity and inclusion and employee engagement should be consulted to identify those initiatives best suited to address the organization’s unique needs and circumstances.
3. Estimate the cost of implementing these initiatives on an annual basis – Use standard project management cost estimation methods to determine the expected monetary cost of all resource expenditures expected to be made during implementation of these initiatives on an annual basis. Alternatively, expert advice from individuals/organizations specializing in the field of diversity and inclusion and employee engagement could be consulted to determine this variable.
4. Estimate the overall increase in employee productivity resulting from the implementation of these initiatives – This will vary based on the nature of the initiatives undertaken. Expert advice from individuals/organizations specializing in the field of diversity and inclusion and employee engagement should be consulted to determine this variable.
5. Estimate the monetary return to the organization resulting from the increased employee productivity rate – Use the StrategyDriven Value of Employee Productivity Nomograph to calculate the value of the direct labor increase resulting from the heightened employee productivity rate. Enter the nomograph using the difference between the organization’s final overall productivity determined in Step 4 and initial productivity state percentage determined in Step 1.
6. Determine the component of Diversity and Inclusion’s return on investment value to the organization resulting from increased employee productivity – Subtract the cost of the workplace civility and engagement initiatives determined in Step 3 from the annual return of improving employee productivity through workplace civility and engagement initiatives determined in Step 5 and then dividing the result by the cost of implementing the workplace civility and engagement initiatives determined in Step 3. Multiply this value by 100 to convert to a return on investment percent.

Example Return On Investment Calculation for Employee Turnover Reduction

Background

Organization Size: 400 employees
Average Employee Salary: $43,000 / year

Calculation (Illustrative)

1. Overall Average Employee Productivity: 76.3 percent (the average organization)
2. Workplace Civility and Engagement Initiatives to be Implemented: workforce training, executive/management coaching, performance appraisal system upgrade, new diversity and inclusion organizational performance measures implemented, Diversity and Inclusion Council established
3. Annual Cost of Implementing Workplace Civility and Engagement Initiatives: $300,000 / year
4. Estimated Annual Increase in Employee Productivity Resulting from Workplace Civility and Engagement Initiatives: 4 percent (still far less than the productivity of a top performing organization)
5. Annual Monetary Value of Improving Employee Productivity: $700,000 / year
6. Annual Return On Investment of the Workplace Civility Initiatives: A 133 percent return on investment!

Final Thoughts…
Workplace civility improvement initiatives have a far more expansive impact than just improving civility and engagement. In past and future articles, we discuss how to calculate these additional benefits to determine the total financial benefit of these initiatives.

Lastly, we presented a strong financial case for implementing programs aimed at improving the workplace environment. However, we at StrategyDriven believe such programs are not only the financially prudent thing to do, they are the morally and ethically right thing to do. All employees should be treated with the utmost respect, not because it is financially beneficial to do so but because as fellow human beings they deserve to be treated as such. It is our sincere hope that all leaders will work to end workplace abuse, bullying, and discrimination and that they and their employees will respect and value their colleagues.

Sources

1. “Employee Engagement: What’s Your Engagement Ratio?,” Gallup Consulting, Gallup, 2010, page 3 (http://www.gallup.com/consulting/52/Employee-Engagement.aspx?gclid=CKuO-_CDrqYCFYpN2god8CdvnQ)
    
   Note: The document link is located at the bottom of this webpage.
    
2. ibid, page 1
3. ibid, page 2
4. “Linking Employee Commitment & Workplace Incivility to Corporate Earnings,” Craig B. Clayton, Sr., The Sp@rtacus Group, July 2004 (http://www.hrm-ri.org/whitepapers/dEPS_White_Paper_Ver.12.2005.v17.pdf)
5. “The High Cost of the Bad Boss,” American Management Association, October 2, 2007 (http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/The-High-Cost-of-the-Bad-Boss.aspx)
6. ibid
7. “Assessing and Attacking Workplace Incivility, “ C.M. Pearson, L.M. Andersson, and C.L. Porath, Organizational Dynamics, Volume 26(2), Fall 2000

[/private]

Relate Articles:

1. Diversity and Inclusion – Return on Investment, part 1: Employee Turnover Reduction
2. Diversity and Inclusion – Return on Investment, part 2: Employee Distraction Reduction
3. New Tool Release – Value of Employee Productivity
4. Diversity and Inclusion – Introduction
5. Introducing the StrategyDriven Employee Engagement Center of Excellence

Loss of productivity costs resulting from acts of incivility and poor managerial behavior are staggering and yet goes largely unrecognized. There is no financial statement line item, no general ledger entry, and no budget explicitly set aside for this expense that can cost an evenly modestly sized company hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Likewise, those companies taking action to improve their workplace environments can realize significant financial rewards by doing so.

Using the StrategyDriven Value of Employee Productivity nomograph and method outlined here, organization leaders can gain a better appreciation for the direct monetary value associated with a change in employee productivity and begin to better value their diversity and inclusion initiatives.

StrategyDriven Premium Members can access the Cost of Employee Distraction by clicking here.

Not a StrategyDriven Premium Member? Click here to sign-up for your Premium Membership and receive instant access to this and all other StrategyDriven whitepapers, models, and tools and templates.

Relate Articles:

1. New Tool Release – Cost of Employee Distraction
2. New Tool Release – Cost of Employee Attrition
3. Diversity and Inclusion – Return on Investment, part 1: Employee Turnover Reduction
4. Introducing the StrategyDriven Employee Engagement Center of Excellence
5. Diversity and Inclusion – Return on Investment, part 2: Employee Distraction Reduction

Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business by Barry Libert   It’s time to join Social Nation and prosper! This book will show you, as an employee, customer or partner, how to use new social technologies, make yourself heard, and produce better products and services. As a leader and manager, you’ll learn how to use these tools to harness social interactions to improve your business and to create your own social nation. The book provides a social assessment for leaders, managers and employees to scientifically evaluate your individual social skills and competencies. Leveraging case studies, Social Nation illustrates the principles and strategies that will help you to: Integrate social skills into existing leadership practices Overcome common objections cited as obstacles to becoming a social enterprise Adopt new forms of social leadership across your organization Attain social intelligence by listening and measuring outcomes Realize tangible economic benefits and ROI from business initiatives & offerings

We’re all aware of the glass ceiling, the wage gap, and the grim statistics that reveal women’s struggles for workplace equality. And a report from the Government Accountability Office shows that from 2000 to 2007 the number of women managers increased by only 1 percent (and they’re still paid less than their male counterparts). But something happened during this same seven-year span that is about to dramatically shift this lopsided picture – the rise of social media.

That’s right. As social media transforms the way the world does business, the qualities that make women women will become more valuable than they’ve ever been before.

There have been countless studies on gender differences. And no matter how you interpret them, they come to two general conclusions: Males are aggressive; females are nurturing. Men are competitive, combative, and individually centered. Women are collaborative, communicative, and community-centered.

Indeed, a 2008 issue of the McKinsey Quarterly noted that women tend to make deeper emotional connections with colleagues and business partners. Women leaders tend to exhibit more social and emotional skills – sharing, caring, and putting others first.

The way women lead will become tremendously valuable as businesses transform themselves into social enterprises. In other words, it’s time for companies and individual leaders to ‘woman up.’

This does not mean that men can’t be great leaders in socially driven businesses. Leading socially and designing a business as a social organization are challenging for both genders. But companies that level the playing field for the women under their roofs and men who are willing to espouse the more typically feminine characteristics will be more likely to grow and prosper in today’s business world.

Whether you’re a man or a woman, it’s time to start embracing your feminine side (and yes, many women have squelched their natural leadership style for far too long). To get you started, here are several prescriptions for becoming a great social leader at your organization:

Get to know the people around you. Women tend to be ‘people persons’ at heart – and so do great social leaders. Allow yourself to care about the people who work for you. Get to know them and understand what motivates them, what inspires them, and what they want when they come to work.

To focus on others also means listening to the desires and complaints of the people in your network. Women are naturally good at this because they tend to be the heads of the social dynamics in their families, but men can learn to do it, too. Find out what matters to the individuals and communities around you to engage with them and provide for them, on their terms.

Know what you are not – and ask for help when you need it. It’s an oft-repeated truism that men who are lost refuse to stop and ask for directions. And it’s just as widely understood that their wives are sitting in the passenger seats saying exasperatedly, “Please, please just stop at this gas station – I’ll be happy to go in and ask!” This principle often applies in the business world as well. Women are far more likely to do what they do best and rely on others to complete the rest of the puzzle.

Honestly and accurately assess who you are, what type of leader you are, which skills you possess, and which ones you lack. Commit to developing and improving your social and emotional skill sets. And learn to collaborate while you lead. It’s especially important in today’s social world, or while building your own Social Nation, to recognize your weaknesses and surround yourself and your business with professionals who complement you.

Let others lead, while you follow. Women tend to have less ego tied up in leadership. They don’t mind letting others take the reins when it makes sense. And that’s a good thing, because traditional leadership no longer works in the social business world. To be a good social leader, subjugate your own needs for the betterment of the community. Follow your leadership team, listen to your newest hires, put yourself where they are, and hear the other perspectives.

Let your employees lead the way. This means giving them permission to succeed as well as fail, with you being supportive in the background and understanding that you are not in control and cannot always be in control. Allow the group to drive the agenda while recognizing that the health of the community requires that the community dictate what it looks like.

Know how others perceive you. Women generally have a better sense of self-awareness than men. They have a better understanding of how others view them and of what they do that influences these perceptions. As a social leader, you need to honestly ask yourself: Am I intimidating? Do I have a loud and booming voice that dominates any room I walk into? Is my demeanor aggressive or threatening?

For a change, be silent; sit back from the table, or in the corner of the room. Minimize your presence and pay attention to how your dynamic changes the tenor of a conversation or meeting.

Embrace a social culture. In How Remarkable Women Lead, authors Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston suggest that women leaders are driven by five primary attributes that can be boiled down to the following: self-awareness, happiness, emotional and physical recovery, engagement, and reciprocity and recognition. These attributes are based on female leaders’ core needs to help grow the talent of their people, to tolerate change in people, and to create real impact, including personal renewal and internal joy. Anyone, regardless of gender, can contribute to this kind of culture.

A social organization embodies an openness of expression, an openness of networks, and an openness that allows for both risks and rewards. Social culture stands for something that only your company can create. It’s something personal that comes from within. That’s what makes it lasting, exciting, powerful, and magnetic.

Focus on what’s in it for others. Men and women do approach life in different ways. While men are singlemindedly focused on meeting linear goals, women are building bridges that may serve them in the future. Likewise, traditional business leaders think about the products they build, the services they offer, and the returns they can expect before they think about anything else. Social leaders, on the other hand, start by thinking about what’s in it for other people as they begin to build a loyal following.

Don’t get me wrong. Any female leader worth her salt is going to carefully consider the business side of every issue that affects her organization. But I think women leaders and any social leader getting it right today recognize that those issues are part of a big picture that includes their employees, their customers, the people in their communities, and so forth.

Social models are revenue models that allow others to benefit from what you are offering while connecting emotively. Show your communities what’s in it for them. The more you do, the more they will benefit; the more they benefit, the more they will return to you.

Remember, business is personal. Women tend to have an easier time than men demonstrating humility, caring, and openness. At work this manifests itself as a tendency to speak to employees and coworkers like they speak to their families – which in turn encourages them to talk. Like it or not, people are bringing themselves, their personalities, their voices, and their personal selves to work. Social leaders, both women and men, embrace this reality, because they understand that it enhances business.

Making business personal is about demonstrating that you aren’t just a leader, but that you’re a person, too, with passions, interests, fears, and family and friends. Listening to what people want, how they feel, and what makes them tick enables social businesses to improve customer experiences and create attractive communities. Make your business social and bring your version of personal to work. You don’t have to divulge family secrets; just show people that you’re human.

In an age where 550 million people are connected to each other via Facebook, 100 million people tweet, and more than a billion people are connected to the web, the companies that accept that online communities and social networks require the same care, feeding, and nurturing that women use at home to create families are the ones that will succeed.

It’s time for all leaders and their organizations to realize that we are moving into an age where meeting people’s social needs for connectedness will be the key to success. If you want your organization to succeed in the age of relationships, join me in breaking the glass ceiling and embracing the values that women bring to the workplace, especially as leaders in the business world.

About the Author

Barry Libert is the author of Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business. He is Chairman and CEO of Mzinga^®, the leading provider of social software, services, and analytics that improve business performance. Barry has published five books on the value of social and information networks. He is a regularly featured keynote speaker at industry associations and for leading companies on the power of social media. He has been published in Newsweek, Smart Money, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and he has appeared on CNN, CNBC, and NPR. Barry currently serves on the Board of Directors at Innocentive and The SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. To learn more about Barry, click here.

Relate Articles:

1. Top Ten Pitfalls to Avoid When Going Social in the Business World
2. Complimentary Resource – Business Process Efficiency: Honing a Competitive Edge
3. Recommended Resource – The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century
4. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 17 – An Interview with Garry Ridge, co-author of Helping People Win at Work
5. Complimentary Resource – Emerging Threats: The Changing Face of Email

Special Edition 52b – An Interview with Ken Ball and Gina Gotsill, co-authors of Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus, part 2 of 2 explores methods for effectively capturing, retaining, and transferring the knowledge of departing workers thereby enabling those who remain to continue to use this hard-won information to the benefit of the organization. During our discussion, Ken Ball and Gina Gotsill, co-authors of Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus: Capturing Knowledge for Gen X and Y Employees, share with us their insights and illustrative examples regarding:

• the characteristics of a good knowledge retention program
• how to identify those individuals whose knowledge should be captured and retained
• how to identify when someone is likely to retire, including the legal and ethical restrictions surrounding such activities
• overcoming employees’ fear of personal value loss when sharing their hard-won knowledge
• actions leaders should take to ensure captured knowledge reaches those who need it in a way and at a time that makes it useful to them
• how a knowledge retention program’s return on investment and overall programmatic success can be measured

Additional Information

Ken and Gina’s book, Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus: Capturing Knowledge for Gen X and Y Employees (Course Technology PTR, Cengage Learning 2010), can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

The strength of our community grows with the additional insights brought by our expanding member base. Please consider voting for us on Podcast Alley by clicking here. Casting your vote for the StrategyDriven Podcast improves our ranking and helps us attract new listeners which, in turn, helps us grow our community. Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!

About the Author

Ken Ball is a Baby Boomer and has been tracking issues relating to aging in the workplace for several years. At TechProse, he drives business development for the consulting firm that specializes in knowledge/content management, training, and documentation for major U.S. clients. He has more than 30 years of experience in corporate sales and marketing, including years in book publishing business, working for IDG Books, publishers of the …For Dummies computer and general reference books. He has a marketing communications degree from Bradley University.

Gina Gotsill is a Gen X writer who has studied journalism at San Francisco State University and University of California, Berkeley. She is also a fellow of the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Gina has covered a wide range of business topics that include keeping Boomer skills in the workplace, teaching finance to non-finance professionals, and growth and change in urban and suburban business clients.

For more information about Ken Ball and Gina Gotsill and Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus (Course Technology PTR, Cengage Learning 2010), please visit their website www.survivingtheboomerexodus.com.

FREE StrategyDriven Trial Membership Start your FREE trial membership* and receive: FULL ACCESS to StrategyDriven’s premium content for 14 days FREE COPY of a StrategyDriven Expert Contributor book† EVALUATE how StrategyDriven gives you a competitive advantage

* Free 14 day trial included with a monthly membership registration. A monthly recurring subscription of $9.95 will begin after the initial 14 day trial period. Memberships can be cancelled at any time. Premium Member access will continue until the free/paid subscription expires.

† Available only to those living within the United States after the first monthly membership payment is received. Name and address information required. Books typically valued from $14.95 – $29.95 USD. Book value is not guaranteed.

Relate Articles:

1. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 52a – An Interview with Ken Ball and Gina Gotsill, co-authors of Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus, part 1 of 2
2. The Boomers are Leaving! – How to Create and Implement a Knowledge Transfer Program, part 1
3. The Boomers are Leaving! – How to Create and Implement a Knowledge Transfer Program, part 2
4. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 28 – An Interview with Ken Blanchard, author of Leading at a Higher Level
5. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 30b – An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 2 of 2

Special Edition 52a – An Interview with Ken Ball and Gina Gotsill, co-authors of Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus, part 1 of 2 explores methods for effectively capturing, retaining, and transferring the knowledge of departing workers thereby enabling those who remain to continue to use this hard-won information to the benefit of the organization. During our discussion, Ken Ball and Gina Gotsill, co-authors of Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus: Capturing Knowledge for Gen X and Y Employees, share with us their insights and illustrative examples regarding:

• the defining characteristics of Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials
• why the retirement of Baby Boomers is of particular concern with respect to organizational knowledge retention and which industries are at the greatest risk of knowledge loss
• the direct and ancillary benefits of knowledge retention programs

Additional Information

Ken and Gina’s book, Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus: Capturing Knowledge for Gen X and Y Employees (Course Technology PTR, Cengage Learning 2010), can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

The strength of our community grows with the additional insights brought by our expanding member base. Please consider voting for us on Podcast Alley by clicking here. Casting your vote for the StrategyDriven Podcast improves our ranking and helps us attract new listeners which, in turn, helps us grow our community. Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!

About the Author

Ken Ball is a Baby Boomer and has been tracking issues relating to aging in the workplace for several years. At TechProse, he drives business development for the consulting firm that specializes in knowledge/content management, training, and documentation for major U.S. clients. He has more than 30 years of experience in corporate sales and marketing, including years in book publishing business, working for IDG Books, publishers of the …For Dummies computer and general reference books. He has a marketing communications degree from Bradley University.

Gina Gotsill is a Gen X writer who has studied journalism at San Francisco State University and University of California, Berkeley. She is also a fellow of the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Gina has covered a wide range of business topics that include keeping Boomer skills in the workplace, teaching finance to non-finance professionals, and growth and change in urban and suburban business clients.

For more information about Ken Ball and Gina Gotsill and Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus (Course Technology PTR, Cengage Learning 2010), please visit their website www.survivingtheboomerexodus.com.

FREE StrategyDriven Trial Membership Start your FREE trial membership* and receive: FULL ACCESS to StrategyDriven’s premium content for 14 days FREE COPY of a StrategyDriven Expert Contributor book† EVALUATE how StrategyDriven gives you a competitive advantage

* Free 14 day trial included with a monthly membership registration. A monthly recurring subscription of $9.95 will begin after the initial 14 day trial period. Memberships can be cancelled at any time. Premium Member access will continue until the free/paid subscription expires.

† Available only to those living within the United States after the first monthly membership payment is received. Name and address information required. Books typically valued from $14.95 – $29.95 USD. Book value is not guaranteed.

Relate Articles:

1. The Boomers are Leaving! – How to Create and Implement a Knowledge Transfer Program, part 1
2. The Boomers are Leaving! – How to Create and Implement a Knowledge Transfer Program, part 2
3. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 30b – An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 2 of 2
4. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 28 – An Interview with Ken Blanchard, author of Leading at a Higher Level
5. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 30a – An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 1 of 2

Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus: Capturing Knowledge for Gen X and Y Employees (Course Technology PTR, Cengage Learning 2010) by Ken Ball and Gina Gotsill   There are managers who can’t bear the thought of losing longtime, skilled employees due to the “brain drain,” yet it is occurring as experienced Baby Boomers retire and take with them their practical knowledge and business acumen. Despite the media coverage of Boomers and how a tidal wave of retirements could impact business, many senior managers are kicking the can down the road, putting off the job of creating a system and process for capturing knowledge. Keeping this a low priority could lead to a great deal of deep, tacit knowledge walking out the door, maybe for good. Manager can avoid this by taking some steps now to prepare for the day when key workers leave. These steps are outlined in Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus. This book provides a practical guide for capturing valuable knowledge, skills, and experience so it can be shared among employees of all the generations in the workplace. It examines methods for assessing a company’s knowledge gaps, creating a knowledge transfer plan, and nurturing a culture that encourages knowledge sharing and collaboration. Inside you’ll find scenarios, case studies, tips, templates, and checklists that will help you capture and retain your company’s intellectual capital as Baby Boomers leave the workplace.

Design: During the design phase, you’ll use the workforce data you collected and focus on who holds the knowledge, the recipient, the knowledge you want to capture, and the method you want to use. Some knowledge transfer methods to consider are mentoring, social networks, Communities of Practice, After Action Reviews, and storytelling programs. From this point on, it is critical that you follow the needs of your audience. Regularly ask yourself these questions:

1. Who will receive the knowledge?
2. What are their preferences?
3. What knowledge do they need to succeed in the organization?

During the design phase you will also establish the goals and objectives of your program. An example of a goal for a mentoring program could be that mentees will be more confident and knowledgeable when interacting with clients. An objective, on the other hand, should be measurable. An example of an objective for your mentoring program could be that after the first three months, a mentee will be able to complete a critical task in half as much time as they did before being mentored.

Development: During development, you will create all the materials you’ll use for your program, which could include sign-in sheets, handouts, check lists, templates, and websites. Before you launch the program in a big way, we recommend you test drive it with a small group of representative users first. While many organizations roll out their programs without a pilot, our experience has shown that this can backfire. Pilots give you the opportunity to test – and tweak – elements of your program while it’s early. This increases your chance of meeting the goals and objectives you noted during the design phase. We recommend you pilot each element of your program, from the sign-in sheet to the evaluation form to the website where participants enroll in the program.

Implementation: You’ve designed your program, tested it, and now it’s ready for prime time. Make sure you have a project manager in place to mind the details and ensure the program doesn’t veer off course. While it may be tempting to launch your program and move on to other tasks, remember that successful programs require maintenance and attention.

Evaluation: Managers who skip the evaluation phase may discover their program loses relevance if they don’t check in from time to time. To keep your program humming along, look at it from many different angles at regular intervals. Quantitative measures, such as attrition data, employee performance data, and program attendance rates give you the numbers you may need to defend your program to executives. And qualitative data, such as customer comments and user surveys, provide anecdotal information that helps you paint a more complete picture.

Now what? Your knowledge retention program has helped you prepare for the inevitable day when experienced Boomer workers begin to step away. But you’ve also set the foundation of a knowledge culture, where every member of the team contributes what they know for the benefit of the organization. Now that your program is off the ground, you must nurture this new culture – experienced workers, whether Boomer or Gen X or Y, leave the organization every day. Nurturing a culture that is more collaborative can help make knowledge transfer a part of how your organization runs. This is a good thing! All you need is a plan…

Ken Ball is a Baby Boomer and has been tracking issues relating to aging in the workplace for several years. At TechProse, he drives business development for the consulting firm that specializes in knowledge/content management, training, and documentation for major U.S. clients. He has more than 30 years of experience in corporate sales and marketing, including years in book publishing business, working for IDG Books, publishers of the …For Dummies computer and general reference books. He has a marketing communications degree from Bradley University.

Gina Gotsill is a Gen X writer who has studied journalism at San Francisco State University and University of California, Berkeley. She is also a fellow of the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Gina has covered a wide range of business topics that include keeping Boomer skills in the workplace, teaching finance to non-finance professionals, and growth and change in urban and suburban business clients.

For more information about Ball and Gotsill and Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus (Course Technology PTR, Cengage Learning 2010), please visit their website www.survivingtheboomerexodus.com.

Relate Articles:

1. The Boomers are Leaving! – How to Create and Implement a Knowledge Transfer Program, part 1
2. Management Observation Program Best Practice 2 – Program Alignment with Established Performance Standards
3. Succession and Succession Planning – Introduction
4. Strategic Planning Best Practice 5 – Defined Program
5. Complimentary Resource – Are You Leaving No Stone Unturned?

Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus: Capturing Knowledge for Gen X and Y Employees (Course Technology PTR, Cengage Learning 2010) by Ken Ball and Gina Gotsill   There are managers who can’t bear the thought of losing longtime, skilled employees due to the “brain drain,” yet it is occurring as experienced Baby Boomers retire and take with them their practical knowledge and business acumen. Despite the media coverage of Boomers and how a tidal wave of retirements could impact business, many senior managers are kicking the can down the road, putting off the job of creating a system and process for capturing knowledge. Keeping this a low priority could lead to a great deal of deep, tacit knowledge walking out the door, maybe for good. Manager can avoid this by taking some steps now to prepare for the day when key workers leave. These steps are outlined in Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus. This book provides a practical guide for capturing valuable knowledge, skills, and experience so it can be shared among employees of all the generations in the workplace. It examines methods for assessing a company’s knowledge gaps, creating a knowledge transfer plan, and nurturing a culture that encourages knowledge sharing and collaboration. Inside you’ll find scenarios, case studies, tips, templates, and checklists that will help you capture and retain your company’s intellectual capital as Baby Boomers leave the workplace.

Workplace demographics paint a startling picture: Almost 40 percent of the U.S. workforce is between 45 and 64. Many business leaders are beginning to ask some tough questions: who will replace Boomers when they leave? Will younger workers have the knowledge and skills to run our organizations when they do? Companies in many industries stand to lose significant numbers of highly skilled, tenured workers. But that’s not all they’ll lose. After years on the job, Boomers have developed deep, often intuitive knowledge about their company’s way of doing business and the relationships that have made them successful – and much of that could be lost as they walk out the door.

You may find yourself reading this and saying, “So what?” The world of business has changed since Boomers appeared on the stage as self-assured, optimistic employees and managers. Technology has exploded, giving us instant access to information and knowledge, and it all moves and changes so fast that some of what Boomers have learned during their careers may be obsolete. Still, there are potentially alarming downsides when essential employees leave.

Consider this: a survey of America’s utilities (your local gas and electric company) found that 40 to 50 percent of workers in key positions will become eligible to retire or are expected to leave in the next five years. Some industry experts believe there won’t be enough qualified workers to run our utilities, which could threaten the industry’s ability to provide safe, stable, and reliable power.

What’s a manager or executive to do? Start by taking small bites of the problem and build a knowledge retention program that is sensible to initiate and paves the way for quick successes that will encourage senior management sponsorship. Assemble some preliminary data:

• What are the demographics of your organization?
• What are your employees’ retirement plans?
• How do your organization’s strategic and operational goals inform what work roles will be needed in the future? Who will do this work?
• What skill competencies are required to remain competitive and how do these map to critical roles and specific employees in those roles?
• What is the historic attrition and turnover rate and how do these map to the skills that keep you competitive?

Once you’ve gathered this data, you can begin to assess the gaps that you might see in your workforce as longtime employees and managers step away. This is also an excellent time to begin planting the seeds of a knowledge culture – an environment where every member of the team enthusiastically shares what they know for the benefit of the organization. While impending Boomer retirements represent the immediate issue, developing a knowledge culture is a best practice that serves an organization well when any employee leaves.

Ken Ball is a Baby Boomer and has been tracking issues relating to aging in the workplace for several years. At TechProse, he drives business development for the consulting firm that specializes in knowledge/content management, training, and documentation for major U.S. clients. He has more than 30 years of experience in corporate sales and marketing, including years in book publishing business, working for IDG Books, publishers of the …For Dummies computer and general reference books. He has a marketing communications degree from Bradley University.

Gina Gotsill is a Gen X writer who has studied journalism at San Francisco State University and University of California, Berkeley. She is also a fellow of the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Gina has covered a wide range of business topics that include keeping Boomer skills in the workplace, teaching finance to non-finance professionals, and growth and change in urban and suburban business clients.

For more information about Ball and Gotsill and Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus (Course Technology PTR, Cengage Learning 2010), please visit their website www.survivingtheboomerexodus.com.

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Women may make up more than half the workforce¹ but continue to be significantly underrepresented on corporate boards and in C-level executive positions, according to a major new study released today by Calvert Investments, a long-time leader in advocating for corporate diversity.

Examining the Cracks in the Ceiling: A Survey of Corporate Diversity Practices of the S&P 100 shows that out of the 100 CEOs represented in the survey, 92 were Caucasian males. Women make up approximately 18% of director positions within the S&P 100, and only 8.4% of the highest paid executive positions within the same group of companies.

Four Key Findings From the Report

1. The C-Suite is Still Hard to Reach – The study shows that non-white, non-male officers are rare. Over half – 56 companies – in the S&P 100 have no female and/or minority representation in their highest paid executive positions and only 14 companies have two or more diverse officers in these positions.
2. No Disclosure = No Accountability – The report found that 37% of the S&P 100 companies disclose no demographic data on employees, such as race, ethnicity and gender. Only 8 companies disclose full EEO-1 data, that is, a full breakdown of the workforce by race and gender across employment categories.
3. Integration and Innovation Abound – According to the report, 30% of the S&P 100 companies include some oversight of diversity issues at the board level and 34% of companies include diversity measures within their compensation plans.
4. Corporate Commitment Remains the ‘X’ Factor – Overall, 38% of the S&P 100 companies demonstrate a robust commitment to diversity, both internally and externally.

As an investor, Calvert recognizes that those companies that combine competitive financial performance with fair and equitable working environments where diversity is not only tolerated but embraced are likely to recognize gains in both the workplace and marketplace and be better positioned to generate long-term value for their shareholders.

“We are very concerned about the fact that women and minorities continue to be under-represented at the highest levels of management,” said Barbara J. Krumsiek, President & CEO of Calvert Group, Ltd. “Without a pipeline of female and minority executives in highly-paid, highly responsible positions, it will be very difficult to achieve board diversity, which is critical to strong governance and good management.”

Calvert’s study, published in October 2010, evaluated S&P 100 companies according to ten indicators, including: EEO Policy, Internal Diversity Initiatives, External Diversity Initiatives, Scope of Diversity Initiatives, Family-Friendly Benefits, EEO-1 Disclosure, Highest Paid Executives, Board Representation, Director Selection Criteria and Overall Corporate Commitment.

The study showed that companies of this size have a significant commitment to diversity. None of the companies scored zero, and 65 out of 100 companies scored at or above 70 points. Moreover, a few of the companies emerged as genuine leaders in the diversity movement, setting an example that other companies could emulate. Among the top-scoring companies were Chevron Corp., Citigroup Inc., Coca-Cola Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Sara Lee Corp.

Still, the study also demonstrated how difficult it remains to measure progress, given major gaps in disclosure.

“We are concerned about the lack of disclosure, because data is critical to demonstrating progress in female and minority representation,” said Aditi Mohapatra, lead author of the report and analyst specializing in diversity issues in the Sustainability Research Department of Calvert Asset Management Company, Inc. “It is also important in evaluating the effectiveness of diversity initiatives. With better data, we could more readily compare the impact of various programs – such as dedicated management training for women and minorities, diverse employee resource groups, and recruitment and outreach initiatives – and recommend best practices.”

Calvert released the first edition of Examining the Cracks in the Ceiling in September 2008. That edition analyzed the corporate diversity practices of the companies held in the Calvert Social Index^®. The 2008 report found that while nine companies within the survey showed no public commitment to diversity, only 3 percent demonstrated diversity excellence.

For a full copy of the 2010 study, click here.

Source

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, February 2010 Report

About Calvert

Calvert has long been a leader in advocating for corporate diversity. In 2004, the Calvert Women’s Principles^® became the first global code of corporate conduct focused exclusively on empowering, advancing and investing in women. In 2008, Calvert partnered with the City of San Francisco’s Department on the Status of Women and Verité to adapt the Principles for the Bay area and launched the Gender Equality Principles (GEP) Initiative. Last week, the three partners officially launched the companion website and self assessment tool available at www.GenderPrinciples.org. This launch was the culmination of a series of roundtables over two years which brought together companies and issue experts to translate the Gender Equality Principles into practical policies, tools, and indicators for direct implementation into the workplace.

To learn more about Calvert, click here.

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Acts of incivility vary in their impact on employee productivity. At one extreme are the unintentional insults that are quickly recognized and frequently atoned for. These generate some, often short-lived, work distractions. Workplace bullying and other intentional disrespectful and demeaning acts lie at the other end of the spectrum. These later acts create a hostile work environment that drives employees to spend significant non-productive time worrying about and avoiding these situations.

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The cost of employee distraction resulting from acts of incivility is staggering and yet goes largely unrecognized. There is no financial statement line item, no general ledger entry, and no budget explicitly set aside for this expense that can cost an evenly modestly sized company hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

Using the StrategyDriven Cost of Employee Distraction nomographs and method outlined here, organization leaders can gain a better appreciation for the direct monetary cost associated with employees worrying about and avoiding those committing acts of incivility and begin to better value their diversity and inclusion initiatives.

StrategyDriven Premium Members can access the Cost of Employee Distraction by clicking here.

Not a StrategyDriven Premium Member? Click here to sign-up for your Premium Membership and receive instant access to this and all other StrategyDriven whitepapers, models, and tools and templates.

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StrategyDriven Contributors

A diverse and inclusive work environment can only exist when members of an organization act in a manner that respects employee similarities and differences such that employees feel they and their work are valued and meaningfully contribute to the mission of the organization. It is in this kind of environment that employees become engaged and motivated to contribute the full extent of their knowledge, skills, and experience to the benefit of the organization on a day-to-day basis. Because they feel valued, employees within a diverse and inclusive work environment are less likely to seek employment opportunities elsewhere; subsequently reducing attrition and its associated productivity knowledge, and social cost.

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The cost of employee turnover is staggering and yet goes largely unrecognized. There is no financial statement line item, no general ledger entry, and no budget explicitly set aside for this expense that can cost an evenly modestly sized company well over a million dollars each year.

Using the StrategyDriven Cost of Employee Attrition nomographs and method outlined here, organization leaders can gain a better appreciation for the direct monetary cost associated with attrition and begin to value their retention focused initiatives.

StrategyDriven Premium Members can access the Cost of Employee Attrition by clicking here.

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Special Edition 30b – An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 2 of 2 examines how to successfully integrate Millennials into the workforce from the perspectives of the Traditionalists, Boomers, and Gen Xers already there and the incoming Millennials themselves. During our discussion, Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace and co-Founders and Partners of BridgeWorks, shares with us their insights and illustrative examples regarding:

• why Millennials appear to have a sense of entitlement and how it is different than that of other generations
• how managers should handle Millennial parents who want to be involved in every aspect of their children’s workplace activities
• what managers can do to harness the tech savviness and speed of Millennials to their business’s benefit
• how to deal with Traditionals, Boomers, and Gen Xers who feel they are forfeiting their value to the organization and job security when tasked with sharing hard earned knowledge with Millennials
• actions Millennials should take to better integrate with their organization

Additional Information

In addition to the incredible insights Lynne and David share in The M-Factor and this special edition podcast are the resources accessible from their website, www.Generations.com.   Their book, The M-Factor, can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

The strength of our community grows with the additional insights brought by our expanding member base. Please consider voting for us on Podcast Alley by clicking here. Casting your vote for the StrategyDriven Podcast improves our ranking and helps us attract new listeners which, in turn, helps us grow our community. Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!

Lynne Lancaster is one of today’s foremost cultural translators. An expert on the generations, she is co-founder of BridgeWorks, a company that advises leaders, managers, and employees on how to conduct business more successfully by bridging generation gaps at work and in the marketplace. Her keynote speeches and workshops have enlightened and entertained high level audiences from many of America’s best companies, including 3M, American Express, Best Buy, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Lockheed Martin, and Wells Fargo, as well as from numerous public sector and nonprofit organizations. To read Lynne’s full biography, click here.

David Stillman is co-founder of BridgeWorks and one of the youngest keynote speakers to hit the national circuit. He co-authored the best selling business book, When Generations Collide, with Lynne in 2002. David has appeared nationally on CNN, CNBC, and the Today show and has been featured in such prestigious publications as TIME magazine, Entrepreneur, The New York Times, and USA Today. To read David’s full biography, click here.

FREE StrategyDriven Trial Membership Start your FREE trial membership* and receive: FULL ACCESS to StrategyDriven’s premium content for 14 days FREE COPY of a StrategyDriven Expert Contributor book† EVALUATE how StrategyDriven gives you a competitive advantage

* Free 14 day trial included with a monthly membership registration. A monthly recurring subscription of $9.95 will begin after the initial 14 day trial period. Memberships can be cancelled at any time. Premium Member access will continue until the free/paid subscription expires.

† Available only to those living within the United States after the first monthly membership payment is received. Name and address information required. Books typically valued from $14.95 – $29.95 USD. Book value is not guaranteed.

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Special Edition 30a – An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 1 of 2 examines how to successfully integrate Millennials into the workforce from the perspectives of the Traditionalists, Boomers, and Gen Xers already there and the incoming Millennials themselves. During our discussion, Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace and co-Founders and Partners of BridgeWorks, shares with us their insights and illustrative examples regarding:

• who Millennials are and their shared characteristics and traits
• significant environmental factors, world events, and technologies that shape Millennial values, behaviors, and beliefs
• seven trends associated with Millennials and the impact of each on the business environment

Additional Information

In addition to the incredible insights Lynne and David share in The M-Factor and this special edition podcast are the resources accessible from their website, www.Generations.com.   Their book, The M-Factor, can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

The strength of our community grows with the additional insights brought by our expanding member base. Please consider voting for us on Podcast Alley by clicking here. Casting your vote for the StrategyDriven Podcast improves our ranking and helps us attract new listeners which, in turn, helps us grow our community. Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!

Lynne Lancaster is one of today’s foremost cultural translators. An expert on the generations, she is co-founder of BridgeWorks, a company that advises leaders, managers, and employees on how to conduct business more successfully by bridging generation gaps at work and in the marketplace. Her keynote speeches and workshops have enlightened and entertained high level audiences from many of America’s best companies, including 3M, American Express, Best Buy, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Lockheed Martin, and Wells Fargo, as well as from numerous public sector and nonprofit organizations. To read Lynne’s full biography, click here.

David Stillman is co-founder of BridgeWorks and one of the youngest keynote speakers to hit the national circuit. He co-authored the best selling business book, When Generations Collide, with Lynne in 2002. David has appeared nationally on CNN, CNBC, and the Today show and has been featured in such prestigious publications as TIME magazine, Entrepreneur, The New York Times, and USA Today. To read David’s full biography, click here.

FREE StrategyDriven Trial Membership Start your FREE trial membership* and receive: FULL ACCESS to StrategyDriven’s premium content for 14 days FREE COPY of a StrategyDriven Expert Contributor book† EVALUATE how StrategyDriven gives you a competitive advantage

* Free 14 day trial included with a monthly membership registration. A monthly recurring subscription of $9.95 will begin after the initial 14 day trial period. Memberships can be cancelled at any time. Premium Member access will continue until the free/paid subscription expires.

† Available only to those living within the United States after the first monthly membership payment is received. Name and address information required. Books typically valued from $14.95 – $29.95 USD. Book value is not guaranteed.

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It is most commonly used to refer specifically to the ad hominem abusive, or argumentum ad personam, which consists of criticizing or attacking the person who proposed the argument (personal attack) in an attempt to discredit the argument. It is also used when an opponent is unable to find fault with an argument, yet for various reasons, the opponent disagrees with it.”

Ad Hominem
Wikipedia

The ‘Old Boys Club’

Product defects plague a company’s profitability; warrantee repairs, returns, and lost sales robbing the organization of its already slim profit margins. Executives assembled an engineering team to assess product designs and material quality in hopes of identifying a root cause to the defective product issue. A junior member of the assessment team, a young, recently hired assembly line supervisor, identifies the lack of routine calibration of critical cutting tools as a contributor to the poor fit of key product components. The tenured company engineers on the team discount the supervisor’s observation because he’s too young and too new to know what’s really important. These senior engineers have just made an ad hominem argument to advance their position.

[private]Ad hominem arguments are bias-based logic fallacies made to support business decisions every day. As with all logic errors, decision-makers fall prey to the appearance of reasonableness, especially when the assertion supports their desired course of action. Although difficult, recognizing and eliminating the use of ad hominem arguments in decision-making is absolutely necessary.

Ad hominem occurs when a decision-maker asserts that because there is something objectionable with the individual offering a particular solution that the solution itself is also defective. In the product defect example, senior engineers inappropriately correlate the relative inexperience of the junior assembly line supervisor with the quality of his recommendation. Breaking down the product quality example reveals the correlation weakness:

Person 1 makes Claim X

The assembly line supervisor identifies a lack of tool calibration as resulting in poor component manufacturing quality.

There is something objectionable about Person 1

The assembly line supervisor is relatively young and new to the company as compared with the senior engineers on the assessment team and therefore is naïve.

Therefore Claim X is false

Lack of tool calibration as a potential cause is a naïve solution and should be rejected.

The fallacy associated with ad hominem arguments is that they seek to establish a relationship where none exists. Subsequently, decision-makers consumed by this false logic risk omitting a strong, if not the best, possible solution to the issue they are addressing.

Recognizing Ad Hominem Arguments

Logic errors are often difficult to recognize, ad hominem arguments being no exception. Questions decision-makers should consider in order to avoid ad hominem arguments include:

• Was the rejection of an individual’s recommendations or opinions based on personal factors such as age, past associations or lack of association, race, gender, ethnic background, workgroup within the organization, employer (outside consultants), and/or college?
• Did the assertion suggest the quantitative data provided by an individual was intended to be subversive?
• Were individuals excluded from decision-making by not being invited to meetings?
• Were meetings held at times when the person is unavailable?
• Were meetings scheduled at the last minute or impromptu decision-making meetings when the person was unlikely not to receive notification of the meeting until after it already started or concluded?
• Has the individual been blocked from offering an opinion during a meeting as a result of poor facilitation or more blatant cutting-off debate/conversation before the individual had the opportunity to communicate often in the name of saving time or rapping things up?
• In more extreme cases, were character attacks, name calling, and/or the application of derogatory personal labels levied against the individual?
• Does the decision-making process demand multidiscipline participation or input to decision making?
• Does the decision-making process demand, at a minimum, the seeking of direct input from all team members?

Final Thoughts…

Ad hominem behaviors are often not limited to an individual but are cultural in nature. The behavior is more prevalent in less diverse organizations because the pervasive ‘like me’ identity. Ad hominem arguments within these organizations are levied against those few whose personal characteristics differ from that of the core group. These organizations suffer from biased-based decision-making that shuns input based on characteristics such as gender, age, race, religious and political affiliation, sexual orientation, workgroup, or some combination. Hence the term ‘Old Boys Club.’

Besides eroding decision-making for the decision at hand, ad hominem arguments erode the long-term decision-making ability of the organization because targeted individuals will be less apt to share their insights and perspectives in order to avoid personal attacks. These individuals are likely to become increasingly disenfranchised with the organization; often resulting in lower productivity and possibly attrition.

Additional Information

Additional insight to the warning signs, causes, and results of logic errors can be found in the StrategyDriven website feature: Decision-Making Warning Flag 1 – Logic Fallacies Introduction.

Insights on organizational diversity and inclusion can be found in the StrategyDriven topical area: Diversity and Inclusion.[/private]

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3. Decision-Making Warning Flag 1a – The Gambler’s Fallacy
4. Decision-Making Best Practice 5 – Ongoing Decision Evaluation
5. Decision-Making Best Practice 7 – Identify the Decision-Maker

The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace by Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman   As the Millennial generation (those born between 1982 and 2000) rapidly enters the workforce, their introduction into the workplace has been anything but seamless. In fact, you might have already heard one of these jaw-dropping stories: The mother who called HR to complain when her Millennial daughter got a mediocre performance review The new hire who dialed the CEO directly to tell him what the company could be doing better The young employee who revealed a confidential new product on her Facebook page before it was made public In The M-Factor, Baby Boomer Lynne Lancaster and Generation Xer David Stillman draw on findings from large-scale surveys and hundreds of interviews to identify the seven trends essential for understanding the Millennials: the role of the parents, entitlement, the search for meaning, great expectations, the need for speed, social networking, and collaboration. At once readable, humorous, and savvy, this book – the ultimate guide to Millennials in the workplace – offers valuable insights and practical, hands-on tips and solutions that Traditionalists, Boomers, Gen Xers, and even Millennials themselves can use to bridge generational gaps, be more productive, and achieve organizational success like never before.

Sure. Except for a few hiccups. Millennials (born 1982-2000) aren’t behaving the same ways Generation Xers did. They have a whole new set of attitudes and expectations when it comes to the workplace, and managers and recruiters are once again being called upon to see the world through a new set of eyes to get the most out of this challenging and influential generation. Take parental involvement. Instead of bringing their pets to work, Millennials seemed to be bringing Mom and Dad. Carmen Baas, a Recruiter at C. H. Robinson, commented: “We recently had the father of a candidate call one of our sales reps to talk about his son’s job offer so he could make a decision on whether or not his son should come work for us. I’ve also had parents attend career fairs in lieu of their children who had prior engagements.”

New generations bring with them new challenges, but also new skill sets and opportunities. In our new book, The M-Factor, we identify seven trends that have shaped this influential generation and that we believe will reshape the ways in which all of us work. Here are just three…

• The Role of the Parents. Boomers and Gen Xers have been intensely engaged in their kids’ lives from colic to college, and their consultative role doesn’t end when Millennials transition to work. In a Michigan State University survey of employers, 26% said parents had actively promoted their son or daughter for a position, 31% said parents submitted a résumé on behalf of their offspring, and 41% said parents obtained company materials for their kids. Millennials have figured out they have free access to some of the best and brightest consultants money can buy, and they aren’t afraid to use them. Managers can be caught unprepared, however, when Mom or Dad calls to get more information on the company’s sick leave policy or to ask about a poor performance review. Smart employers are addressing the issue of parental access with policies aimed at protecting employees’ privacy, but also at getting the folks on their side. For example, to cater to the Millennials’ preference to have their folks involved in the job-search process, C.H. Robinson created packets to be mailed to parents simultaneously with their child’s offer letter. The parental information packet includes marketing material on the company so parents can learn more about the organization, as well as information about the benefits package, so parents can review it for their child. By embracing this critical shift in parent/child relationships, C.H. Robinson has created a whole new generation of allies in the war for talent. You guessed it – Mom and Dad.
• The Search for Meaning. Millennials have been told by their Boomer parents, “If you’re going to work as hard as we have, do something you care about.” They’ve also been imbued with the idea that they really can change the world, whether it was giving blood after 9-11, raising funds via the Web after Hurricane Katrina, or donating to Haitian relief on their mobile phones, Millennials believe they can make an impact. The same is true on the home front. Millennials have been involved in family decision making on everything from technology purchases to where to go on vacation. No wonder they get frustrated when they show up in the workplace and the biggest decision they get to make is egg salad or tuna for lunch. Of course, not every new hire is going to be deciding the direction of the company. But they do want to feel their voices are being heard. For The M-Factor we interviewed a number of Millennials about their greatest satisfactions and frustrations in their jobs. One of our “Millennials on Record,” Dale Till, said this about working at the Institute for International Urban Development at Northeastern University: “At staff meetings I am asked for my opinion, which is great…I see my opinions listened to, considered, and some turned into actions. That keeps me here.” Millennials tell us they understand not all their ideas will be actionable, but they want to know they are making a contribution to the larger goals of the organization. U.S. Bank recognized this need and in 2009 created a new employee engagement project aimed directly at Millennials. The “Dynamic Dozen” is a hand-picked group of twenty-something employees from across all business lines who serve as a sounding board for new initiatives. U.S. Bank’s chief strategy officer Mac McCullough commented, “We are learning about this age group’s expectations as employees and consumers by seeing how they react to the questions we’ve posed.” At the same time they are connecting high potential Millennials to the meaning of what they do for the bank, and building loyalty in the process.
• The Need for Speed. The Millennials’ ability to master new technology faster than the other generations can master a new blender is legendary. But their need for speed goes far beyond the pace at which they text and tweet. Millennials want more frequent, faster feedback. And they want to progress in their careers at a rate that can make their managers’ heads spin. While the recent recession is buying employers a little time by making it tougher for employees to jump ship, that doesn’t mean Millennials are suddenly becoming the “patient generation.” According to an August 2009 Harvard Business article, a global poll by Catalyst of high-potential employees at corporations and professional firms found that 20% had switched companies of their own accord during the downturn and another 35% made lateral moves within their organizations. This is not a generation that likes to sit still and organizations will be challenged to keep them moving, or at least keep them learning. If you can’t offer a talented Millennial that next promotion right now, you might be able to offer them a new project, a connection to a special mentor, or cross-training in a new skill area. Another answer is to allow Millennials to have more control over the pace of their careers. Marie Artim, Assistant Vice President of Recruiting at the car rental company Enterprise, explained, “For the previous generations, we used to highlight that you would work hard and reap the rewards later… we found that with Millennials we had to talk more about career paths being about performance and not tenure. They seem to be interested in speed, and we tell them there is no set timeline and that it is up to them… .” Empowering Millennials to take a role in the pace and direction of their careers puts the focus more on what they achieve and less on arbitrary timelines, which seems a natural fit for this generation.

Millennials aren’t afraid to speak up and they are bound to challenge the way things have always been done. Or as Dale Till put it: “Our generation will leave its mark by being the generation that grew up with things like the Internet… We’ve gone from 28k to 56k to 128kbs dial-up modems, to DSL, LAN and fiber optics. We’re intertwined with the Web – it influences us, and we influence it – and we’re the next in line in terms of shaping the way the world communicates and does business.”

Whatever generation you’re a part of if you’re working with Millennials you’re in for an exhilarating ride.

Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman are nationally-known generational speakers, consultants, researchers, and the authors of the best-seller When Generations Collide (HarperCollins), and The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace (HarperBusiness/2010). Through their firm BridgeWorks, Lancaster and Stillman provide organizations with keynotes, training, corporate entertainment, and trainer certification. They have appeared on CNBC, CNN, and the Today Show. Learn more at www.generations.com.

Relate Articles:

1. Management vs. Leadership Mindset: What Millennial Employees Need to Know As They Enter Leadership Roles
2. Complimentary Resource – The Automated and Connected Store: Next Generation Shopping Experience
3. Top 10 Workplace Dysfunctions – And How to TERMINATE Them
4. Seven Secrets of a “Thank God It’s Monday” Workplace
5. The Ten Commandments of Workplace Motivation

Special Edition 29 – An Interview with Tammy Erickson, author of What’s Next, Gen X? examines generational relationships within the workplace and the actions Gen Xers should take to ready and position themselves to be the next group of corporate and civic leaders. During our discussion, Tammy Erickson, author of What’s Next, Gen X?: Keeping Up, Moving Ahead, and Getting the Career You Want and President of The nGenera Innovation Network, shares with us her insights and illustrative examples regarding:

• who Gen Xers are and their shared characteristics and traits
• what Gen Xers uniquely contribute to the marketplace
• actions organization leaders should take if they face significant Boomer retirements and few Gen Xers in their succession pipeline
• key actions Gen Xers should take to remain relevant within their organizations
• how Gen Xers should prepare and position themselves for senior leadership positions

Additional Information

In addition to the incredible insights Tammy shares in What’s Next, Gen X? and this special edition podcast are the additional resources accessible from her website: www.TammyErickson.com.   Tammy’s book, What’s Next, Gen X?, can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

The strength of our community grows with the additional insights brought by our expanding member base. Please consider voting for us on Podcast Alley by clicking here. Casting your vote for the StrategyDriven Podcast improves our ranking and helps us attract new listeners which, in turn, helps us grow our community. Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!

Tammy Erickson, author of What’s Next, Gen X?, is President of The nGenera Innovation Network, a thought leader in enterprise collaboration; providing hundreds of global corporations with key insights and senior advisory services focused on collaboration strategy, enterprise engagement, and enabling technologies. Tammy’s compelling views of the future are based on extensive research on changing demographics and employee values and, most recently, on how successful organizations work. She is an award winning author; having coauthored five Harvard Business Review articles, including the McKinsey Award winner It’s Time to Retire Retirement and the book Workforce Crisis: How to Beat the Coming Shortage of Skills And Talent. To read Tammy’s full biography, click here.

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1. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 26 – An Interview with Omar Khan, author of Liberating Passion
2. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 5 – An Interview with Michael Gurian, author of Leadership and the Sexes
3. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 8 – An Interview with Steve Steinhilber, author of Strategic Alliances
4. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 9 – An Interview with Steve Kerr, author of Reward Systems
5. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 1 – An Interview with Robert Thompson, author of The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable

Special Edition 26 – An Interview with Omar Khan, author of Liberating Passion examines how executives and managers can liberate their organization’s passion; tapping into the workforce’s inner energy and commitment to deliver breakthrough results. During our discussion, Omar Khan, author of Liberating Passion: How the World’s Best Global Leaders Produce Winning Results and Founder and Senior Partner of Sensei International, shares with us his insights and illustrative examples regarding:

• the tangible benefits of releasing the inner energy and commitment of an organization’s workforce
• organizational characteristics, conditions, and cultures that kill employee passion
• primary passion liberators and their underlying principles
• actions executives and managers should take to liberate their employees’ passion
• passion liberators that help build a diverse and inclusive organization as well as one that rewards personal achievement

Additional Information

In addition to the incredible insights Omar shares in Liberating Passion and this special edition podcast are the additional resources accessible from his website at www.Sensei-International.com.   Omar’s book, Liberating Passion, can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

The strength of our community grows with the additional insights brought by our expanding member base. Please consider voting for us on Podcast Alley by clicking here. Casting your vote for the StrategyDriven Podcast improves our ranking and helps us attract new listeners which, in turn, helps us grow our community. Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!

Omar Khan, author of Liberating Passion, is the Founder and Senior Partner of Sensei International, a global leadership development firm serving clients in the Americas, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Dubai, and South Asia. Omar has served as a trusted advisor to the leaders of companies including 3M, American Express, The Ritz-Carlton, Microsoft, Motorola, and Hewlett-Packard. His articles have been featured in the Washington Post, Consulting News, Strategy and Leadership, Personal Excellence Magazine and many others. To read Omar’s full biography, click here.

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1. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 1 – An Interview with Robert Thompson, author of The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable
2. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 2 – An Interview with Diana McLain Smith, author of Divide or Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict into Strength
3. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 20a – An Interview with Gary Cohen, author of Just Ask Leadership, part 1 of 2
4. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 20b – An Interview with Gary Cohen, author of Just Ask Leadership, part 2 of 2
5. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 5 – An Interview with Michael Gurian, author of Leadership and the Sexes

Special Edition 5 – An Interview with Michael Gurian, author of Leadership and the Sexes examines the equal but different intelligence of men and women. During our discussion, Michael Gurian, author of Leadership and the Sexes and co-founder of the Gurian Institute, shares with us his insights regarding:

• the intellectual differences between men and women and the impact these differences have on how each gender leads
• the quantifiable impact of an organization’s gender intelligence on the bottom line
• how executives and managers can assess the gender intelligence of their organizations

Additional Information

Complimenting the tremendous insights Michael shares in Leadership and the Sexes and this special edition podcast, are the additional gender intelligence materials and resources found on his website, Gurian Institute (www.GurianInstitute.com). Michael’s book, Leadership and the Sexes, can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

The strength of our community grows with the additional insights brought by our expanding member base. Please consider voting for us on Podcast Alley by clicking here. Casting your vote for the StrategyDriven Podcast improves our ranking and helps us attract new listeners which, in turn, helps us grow our community.

Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!

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1. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 1 – An Interview with Robert Thompson, author of The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable
2. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 4a – An Interview with Tony Simons, author of The Integrity Dividend: Leading by the Power of Your Word, part 1 of 2
3. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 4b – An Interview with Tony Simons, author of The Integrity Dividend: Leading by the Power of Your Word, part 2 of 2
4. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 2 – An Interview with Diana McLain Smith, author of Divide or Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict into Strength
5. StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 3 – An Interview with Forrest Breyfogle, author of Integrated Enterprise Excellence, Volume I – The Basics

About the Reference

The Welch Way is a weekly BusinessWeek column and podcast authored by former GE CEO Jack Welch and his wife, the former editor of the Harvard Business Review, Suzy Welch. These articles cover a wide range of business and career topics offering readers the insights of one of America’s most respected Chief Executives.

Benefits of Using this Reference

Mr. and Mrs. Welch have both achieved unparalleled personal and business success and share their life’s lessons in an actionable way each week within their column. StrategyDriven contributors find great value in The Welch Way not only because it contains step-by-step methods to deal with today’s business and career challenges but because the topics addressed often focus on those areas important to organization’s aspiring to become more strategy driven. Below are just a few of the specific articles we recommend listed by StrategyDriven topic:

Strategic Planning

• State Your Business
• Employee Polls: A Vote In Favor

Organizational Accountability

• The Blame Game
• Lay Off the Layers
• The Right Way to Say Goodbye
• The Hiring Batting Average
• The Smarter They Are…
• The Case for 20, 70, 10
• How to be a Talent Magnet
• Hiring Wrong? And Right

Diversity and Inclusion

• Generation Y’s Bad Rap
• Keeping Your People Pumped
• Breaking Through the Bias

Many of the best practice recommendations found on the StrategyDriven website compliment the actions prescribed in The Welch Way, making this column a StrategyDriven recommended read.

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† Available only to those living within the United States after the first monthly membership payment is received. Name and address information required. Books typically valued from $14.95 – $29.95 USD. Book value is not guaranteed.

Relate Articles:

1. Recommended Resource – The Accountable Organization
2. Resource Management Best Practice 1 – Attract the Best with Accountability
3. Recommended Resource – Manager Tools
4. Recommended Resource – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
5. Recommended Resource – Managing the Nonprofit Organization

About the Reference

One Foot Out the Door: How to Combat the Psychological Recession That’s Alienating Employees and Hurting American Business by Dr. Judith M. Bardwick examines the changing employment relationship between American businesses and their workforces and the impact these changes have had on employee engagement and retention. Dr. Bardwick illustrates with hard numbers how employees, once accustomed to high job security, have entered into “a psychological recession” because of the employment uncertainty associated with today’s frequent layoffs, downsizing, rightsizing, and outsourcing. She concludes her work with practical strategies for enhancing employee engagement; thereby increasing job performance and retention.

Benefits of Using this Reference

Success in today’s rapidly evolving business environment requires the full engagement of employees’ knowledge, skills, and experiences focused on the achievement of mission goals. As highlighted by Dr. Bardwick, the continuous reengineering of today’s businesses places a strain on this engagement; one that must be overcome by executives and managers.

StrategyDriven contributors believe accountable, diverse, and inclusive organizations can overcome the “psychological recession” illustrated in One Foot Out the Door and that executives and managers implementing Dr. Bardwick’s recommendations will be better able to fully engage their employees by making them feel that they and their work are valued and significantly contribute to the organization’s success.

Many of the best practice recommendations found on the StrategyDriven website compliment the actions prescribed by Dr. Bardwick in One Foot Out the Door, making this book a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Additional Resources

Interviews with Dr. Bardwick regarding One Foot Out the Door can be enjoyed from the following two websites:

• American Management Association Podcast: Judith Bardwick on Defeating Apathy in the Workplace
• The Cranky Middle Manager: One Foot Out the Door – Judith Bardwick

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† Available only to those living within the United States after the first monthly membership payment is received. Name and address information required. Books typically valued from $14.95 – $29.95 USD. Book value is not guaranteed.

Relate Articles:

1. Recommended Resource – First, Break All The Rules
2. Diversity and Inclusion – Introduction
3. Recommended Resource – The Three Signs of a Miserable Job
4. Recommended Resource – University of Houston’s Diversity Management Certificate Course
5. Recommended Resource – Manager Tools

Website Address: www.bauer.uh.edu/degrees-programs/certificates/diversity-management.asp

About the Reference

The Diversity Management Certificate Course provides participants with the tools they need to identify and communicate the business value of a diverse and inclusive work environment. Topical areas covered by the Diversity Management Certificate Course include:

• Strategic Planning: presents methods for developing the business case for diversity and inclusion relating the impacts of having/not having an inclusive environment to the ‘bottom line.’ Includes training for communicating the business case to executives and board members

• Human Resources: examines organizational behaviors and biases and how these impact the selection, promotion, and rating processes. Ties these behaviors and the resulting outcomes to the ability of an organization to attract, retain, and motivate diverse talent

• Training: describes the various diversity and inclusion training types, such as awareness and skills training, and the benefits and challenges of each

• Marketing and Sales: illustrates the impact of diversity and inclusion on an organization’s ability to market and sell its products and services to an increasingly diverse marketplace. Highlights methods by which affinity groups have and can help significantly improve an organization’s public image and open up markets; all of which increase sales and enhance the ‘bottom line’

• Procurement: discusses diversity and inclusion of suppliers/vendors and the impact on the organization’s culture and its ability to market products and services to other organizations

• Production (operations and maintenance): explores the impacts of engaging versus disenfranchising members of the workforce on production. Translates this impact, along with the impacts of undesired attrition, into ‘bottom line’ results

Benefits of Using this Reference

Significant, irreversible forces are flattening our world; bringing all people closer together in ways previously unimaginable. Today’s business environment offers unparalleled opportunities to richly combine the talents of the increasingly diverse workforce for the benefit of increasingly diverse clients if leaders can motivate and inspire each member of our team to contribute the fullest measure of his/her knowledge, skill, and experience to the achievement of mission goals. This level of engagement, however, only exists in accountable, diverse, and inclusive organizations.

While many individuals believe diversity and inclusion is the right thing to do, the Diversity Management Certificate Course helps these leaders express both their convictions and the business value of a diverse and inclusive work environment. By communicating the business value, these leaders earn the support of previously undecided executives and managers who now recognize the untapped value potential diversity and inclusion offers. Having garnered the critical mass of support, the organization can move toward increased accountability, diversity, and inclusion to the benefit of all.

By definition, strategy driven organizations are accountable, acting consequentially to promote the timely accomplishment of the organization’s mission, which subsequently enhances value creation. StrategyDriven Contributors believe accountable organizations will naturally be diverse and inclusive or becoming more so. The tools and techniques taught in the Diversity Management Certificate Course quantitatively illustrate this value relationship making this course a StrategyDriven recommended resource.

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† Available only to those living within the United States after the first monthly membership payment is received. Name and address information required. Books typically valued from $14.95 – $29.95 USD. Book value is not guaranteed.

Relate Articles:

1. Diversity and Inclusion – Introduction
2. Recommended Resource – Essentials of Strategic Management
3. Diversity and Inclusion – What Does Your Environment Communicate?
4. Recommended Resource – First, Break All The Rules
5. Recommended Resource – Great Escapes

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Relate Articles:

1. Diversity and Inclusion – Introduction
2. Organizational Accountability – Pillars of Accountability
3. Organizational Accountability – Evaluating Organizational Culture
4. Organizational Accountability – Increase Opportunities with Accountability

StrategyDriven Contributors

Remaining relevant in today’s hyper-competitive business environment requires the full engagement of an organization’s workforce and the retention of highly talented employees. To accomplish this, leaders must capture the passion and commitment of subordinates by providing them with work that has a meaningful impactful on others and is quantifiablely measurable and rewarded; all while connecting with them on a personal level. Similarly, individuals need to connect with their peers in a way that makes them feel their contributions meaningfully add to the team and the organization’s overall success. Simply put, individuals seek to be valuable to and valued by their organizations; limited only by their abilities and desires. Without this sense of value and connectedness, a job becomes nothing more than the means to a paycheck, productivity declines toward that which is required to maintain employment, and attrition rises as employees seek more fulfilling work; all at great cost to the organization.

Gallup researchers found that within the average organization: 29 percent of employees are engaged; working with passion and feeling connected to their company 56 percent of employees are not engaged; putting in time but not energy or passion into their work 15 percent of employees are actively disengaged; acting out their unhappiness and undermining the accomplishments of engaged employees This research also showed that engaged employees are more productive, profitable, safer, create stronger customer relationships, and stay longer with their company than less engaged employees. Source: Gallup Study: Engaged Employees Inspire Company Innovation, Gallup Management Journal, October 2006

Increasing workforce diversification challenges all members of an organization attempting to satisfy the individual value proposition. Differences in age, race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation to name but only a few, influence what makes individuals feel valued. Studies have shown the degree to which an individual feels valued by his/her superiors and peers in large part defines his/her work engagement and the subsequent value offered to the organization. Thus, the challenge is a circular one best solved by fostering an organizational culture that respects and embraces diversity and inclusion.

Focus of the Diversity and Inclusion Topic

While there exists a natural association between diversity and inclusion and organizational accountability, this topic will focus on the principles, best practices, and warning flags associated with establishing and maintaining a workplace environment that respects and values individual differences in order to earn full employee engagement and commitment to the achievement of the organization’s goals. The following articles, podcasts, documents, and resources cover those topics critical to enhancing workplace diversity and inclusion.

For additional information on creating a positive, motivating workplace environment, visit the StrategyDriven Employee Engagement Center of Excellence.

Articles

Principles

• What is Diversity and Inclusion?    [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
• What Does Your Environment Communicate?    [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
• Return On Investment, part 1: Employee Turnover Reduction    [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
• Return On Investment, part 2: Employee Distraction Reduction    [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
• Return On Investment, part 3: Employee Productivity Enhancement    [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
• Return On Investment, part 4: Litigation, Fine, and Payout Reduction    [StrategyDriven Premium Content]

Best Practices

• Best Practice – Know the Holidays    [StrategyDriven Premium Content]

Warning Flags

• Warning Flag – ad hominem: Personal, Not Issue Attacks    [StrategyDriven Premium Content]

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor Articles

• Rocking the Workplace: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking Up the Way You Do Business by Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman
• Management vs. Leadership Mindset: What Millennial Employees Need to Know As They Enter Leadership Roles by Lisa Orrell

StrategyDriven Podcasts

StrategyDriven Podcast – Video Edition

• What is Diversity and Inclusion?

StrategyDriven Podcast – Special Edition

• An Interview with Michael Gurian, author of Leadership and the Sexes examines the equal but different intelligence of men and women.
• An Interview with Tammy Erickson, author of What’s Next, Gen X? examines generational relationships within the workplace and the actions Gen Xers should take to ready and position themselves to be the next group of corporate and civic leaders.
• An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 1 of 2 examines how to successfully integrate Millennials into the workforce from the perspectives of the Traditionalists, Boomers, and Gen Xers already there and the incoming Millennials themselves.
• An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 2 of 2 examines how to successfully integrate Millennials into the workforce from the perspectives of the Traditionalists, Boomers, and Gen Xers already there and the incoming Millennials themselves.

Documents

Tools and Templates

• Cost of Employee Attrition    [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
• Cost of Employee Distraction    [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
• Value of Employee Productivity    [StrategyDriven Premium Content]

Resources

Books

• First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
• One Foot Out the Door by Judith Bardwick

Reports

• Corporate Diversity Still Coming Up Short for Women by Calvert Investments

Training Courses

• University of Houston’s Diversity Management Certificate Course

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No related articles.

About the Reference

First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman explains how great managers select employees, set expectations, motivate people, and assign people to jobs that fit. Selected examples from the vast research for this book reveal in detail why these practices are successful at attracting and motivating the most talented individuals in a way that produces results beyond those realized by applying traditional managerial methods.

Benefits of Using this Reference

The challenge of today’s highly competitive business environment is compounded by an ever tightening labor pool. In order to meet the need of continually producing more with less, managers must attract and retain talented personnel and find better ways to release their creative, productive spirits.

StrategyDriven Contributors like First, Break All the Rules because it clearly illustrates how managers, without elaborate and costly rewards systems, can better attract and motivate employees. Using the insights gained from extensive Gallop Organization research, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman show how great managers:

• select employees based on their talents rather than their skills and experiences
• define goals and expectations for the work employees perform
• focus and build on the individual strengths of each employee rather than on “fixing” the employee’s weaknesses
• seek to place employees in jobs that fit rather than on corporate ladder climbing

We believe the management approach described in First, Break All the Rules will motivate employees and help them reach their highest potential; ultimately creating increased organizational value.

Strategy without effective execution is no more than a compilation of good intentions. We believe managers implementing the approach described in First, Break All the Rules will enhance tactical business execution at all levels of the organization; making this book a StrategyDriven recommended read.

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Relate Articles:

1. Recommended Resource – Bringing Out the Best in People
2. Recommended Resource – The Effective Executive
3. Recommended Resource – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
4. Recommended Resource – Managing the Nonprofit Organization
5. Recommended Resource – Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars