Money is obviously an important motivating factor when it comes to our careers and our professional lives; most Americans consistently strive for a bigger paycheck to purchase big ticket items or keep their families in a comfortable life style (some times it's even to just put food on the table).

With this in mind it would seem that money would be the most important motivating factor in the work place? This however is a common misconception. According to a survey measuring employee loyalty and retention, conducted by Vantage Research, "'open communication between management and employees' was mentioned nearly twice as frequently as 'receiving raises'...[and]...Clearly, a work environment where employees are recognized as part of the team is more valuable than simply receiving a paycheck."

Though this may seem strange at first, the survey findings begin to make more sense when you think about your own situations at work where communication fell flat. Think back to a situation in which your voice was either lost in the crowd, completely ignored, or unceremoniously rejected as nonsense. I have witnessed several people simply walk off of a job simply because a manager was not willing or felt it was not necessary to listen what they had to say. Being ignored is a demoralizing feeling that can not only stifle creativity and motivation, but make one hesitant to put forth their ideas and push themselves to help the organization succeed.

It is important for managers and executives to understand that in order to help their employees succeed along with the organization they can not offer money or benefits as the sole motivator; people need to feel as if they have a stake in the company and can share in the overall success of the organization. By having a healthy communication rapport among managers and employees, organizations can ensure everyone is working toward a common goal and that the best ideas for success are flowing from multiple channels. So give the people what they need and what they want - before you break open the check book, grab a cup of coffee and have a discussion.

Labels: Aspen Organization Development, communication skills, employee motivation, organizational development, performance management

I have commented before on the growing legion of companies allowing their employees to work from home due to rising gas prices and the ease of communication; but now I am going to take a deeper look at whether or not this is actually something companies should be pursuing.

In a recent article in the Metro Newspaper, staff writer Amy Zimmer reported that many luxury high rise apartment buildings in New York City are beginning to take advantage of the recent telecommuting boom and are adding small work spaces or business centers to their buildings. Additionally, Zimmer notes, "Of Fortune magazine's most recent 100 best companies to work for, 84 allowed employees to telecommute or work from home at least 20 percent of the time, including GoldmanSachs, which has 22 percent of its employees telecommuting and Cisco Systems, which has 70 percent [wow!] telecommuters."

There is obviously something to be said for working from home, both from an employees standpoint and an employers standpoint. For many employees, working from home saves them money on the gas it would cost them to drive to work, reduces the potentially stressful morning and evening commutes, increases potential work time, and, if nothing else, allows them to work in their pajamas. For employers the value in having your employees work from home is obvious - reduced overhead. Why pay for expensive corporate headquarters during a recessed economy when you can have many "mini-corporate headquarters" in your employees' homes?

Telecommuting sounds great, right? Well there is also a downside and it is important for organizations to weigh these negative attributes carefully before allowing their workforces to make conference calls from their beds.

The Downside to Telecommuting

1. Reduced oversight - Though this may not be a huge problem plaguing successful companies, the risk of having employees slack off due to the lack of oversight is increased by not having them come in to the office. The home can be a very distracting place, especially when you are working on a project that doesn't truly excite you. The siren song of daytime soap operas or Judge Judy may be too strong when you have a boring spread sheet to fill out and, as a result, you may put it off until another time or rush through the project during the commericals. With the advent of the Internet and other time distractions at work, it comes as no surprise that employees are not always 100% focused on their actual job, but at least when they are in the office, managers can help them refocus and motivate them to achieve their goals; this is not the case when working at home.
2. The lack of human contact - Though many of our modern communication tools can keep us in touch with each other 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, they have also, to a certain extent stifled many of our primal communication abilities. Too often I have heard people say, "oh I'll just shoot him/her an email and wait for them to get back to me." Instead of picking up a phone and verbally communicating with a colleague, email has arguably taken over as the number one form of business communication (I'm pretty sure people use their blackberry's for email more than they do phone calls). When people are working from home, this can passive communication trap may get worse. Though communications today may be reduced to a few bullet points in an email, when people are working in an office they are forced to interact with other people, even if it is only a run-of-the-mill "good morning" to the security guard at the door. Communication is essential for successful business; reducing your employees opportunities for interaction may reduce organizational efficiency and cripple team work.
3. It stifles creativity - People are social animals and feed off of each others' creative energies. It is hard to share ideas when you are sitting at home in front of your laptop. Even for those people who have a workhorse mentality and would rather focus on a single task at time and follow it through to completion, working in a team and surrounding yourself with others who are working toward the same goal can help stimulate your productivity and creativity. This leads to a more rewarding experience and a better overall outcome of the project.

My point in all this is not discourage people from working from home or to convince organizations that there is no value is allowing employees to work their pajamas. What I am saying is to weigh the costs and benefits carefully and perhaps create a compromise that attempts to harness the benefits and minimize the detriments to telecommuting.

Labels: Aspen Organization Development, Organization Development, organizational development, telecommuting, working from home

So if you read our blog you will now see that we have some new banners on the top of the page and below our featured clients section. We have joined an affiliate network and will be promoting business related products on this site. We will only be affiliating with companies that sell products that we believe will be helpful for you! So to get things started you will see A Franklin-Covey add for an organizer/planner; what better way to get your organization development plans rolling than by writing them in a great new planner?!

Labels: affiliates, Aspen Organization Development, franklincovey

Overview:
This half-day workshop helps participants learn the stages of team development using interactive training methods. Developed around the Team Wheel and High Performing Team models, this module uses role-plays, case studies, and other interactive exercises that focus on building high performing teams while developing trust, commitment, accountability, and collective results.

Benefits:
The age-old maxim states, “Many heads are better than one.” Working in teams and groups is an essential part of effective business. Participants of this program develop the crucial methods and interpersonal styles necessary to make the most of collaborative business situations.

Objectives:
To develop the paricipants team work skills and to guide them toward the successful completion of a dummy project, while promoting a stimulating work environment that empowers team members to meet challenging performance standards.

Content:
Teamwork behaviors
The High Performing Team Model
Team management profile measures
Performance analysis

Audience:
This workshop provides managers and employees with the knowledge and skills needed to optimize the use of teamwork.

Please Contact Us for more information or to schedule a workshop

*Offer applies to workshops scheduled before 9/5/08. For more information please contact Aspen Organization Development Consulting @ (203) 947-6664

Labels: Aspen Organization Development, performance management, team building, teams

About two weeks ago we showcased our services at the 2008 New York State SHrM conference. We got a great opportunity to meet other human resource and organization development professionals, as well as some great organizations looking for talent, change, and performance management services.

The conference was help in beautiful Saratoga Spings, New York and was a great opportunity to meet some new colleagues. Conferences are always a great way to share ideas and see the new trends going on the in organization development field. It's important to attend and sponsor these events in order to stay on top of your game - once you're out of touch with the heart beat of your profession, your services essentially become obsolete.

In other news, you may notice some new additions to the Aspen Organization Development Consulting website. We have been working hard to make the site more useful for our visitors and potential clients to find the talent, change, or performance management services they need. You may also notice that the News section of the site has some great new articles written by Kevin Nash and Magda du Preez. These were included in our monthly newsletter, The Summit.

Also new to the site is our RSS Feed (click HERE to subscribe) for our newsletter. Now you can receive updates on all our happenings right to your feed reader.

Labels: Aspen Organization Development, change management, organizational development conferences, performance management, Talent management

On the train this morning I read an interesting article on the future trends of the business world. The article quotes the recent economic downturn as the main catalyst for these future trends; but i have feeling that this is overly simplistic and a certain amount of stimulus has to do with the natural evolution of business. You make the call; here are the future trends to watch out for (these were published in the Metro paper on Monday, June 30, 2008):

1. 
   The End of Business Travel
   
   Rising airfares and pressure to become environmentally responsible could drive corporations to opt for teleconferencing rather than sending employees on frequent business trips.
   
   My Commentary: I think this trend has less to do with the environmental reasons and the rising cost of air travel and more to do with ease of communication in this modern age. It's true that there is no replacement for face-to-face human contact when it comes to successful business, but many of the minor engagements no longer require the lengthy and expensive traveling - do a web conference, conference call, send some emails; much cheaper and efficient.



2. 
   Four Day Workweeks
   
   Given the rise of gas prices and the availability of portable technology, four day weeks could become a new standard for corporate America.
   
   My Commentary: I understand the reasoning for this trend, but what the authors fail to account for is the American work ethic. Their is a reason America has been on top for so long! Contribute it to the protestant work ethic or the lack of siestas after lunch, but I don't see too many Americans willfully taking a four day workweek. People would go stir crazy. It's not in Americans' nature to sit idle; not as long as the "American Dream" is still alive and well.



3. 
   Saying goodbye to corporate headquarters
   
   Real estate costs force companies to reconsider massive corporate complexes. Instead, they may rent out smaller office spaces with easier access to employees.
   
   My Commentary:This one just makes sense. I never really saw the use of having large, lavish corporate headquarters; why not just have people work in the most efficient manner possible? (Shameless plug: if anyone company needs helping with this, Aspen Organization Development is ready and able to help make your organization more efficient!)



4. 
   No more cubicle
   
   Employers are increasingly replacing confined cubicles with common areas, conference tables and community work spaces to promote interaction and team work. With employers using laptops and moving space to space, flexible designs will also benefit telecommuters who work in the office sporadically.
   
   My Commentary: All I have to say is thank goodness this is finally happening! Cubiclces are sterile, confining, and stifle creativity/efficiency. Increased people interaction and team work will help projects to get done more efficiently with better quality - ultimately, the improves an organization's bottom line.
   

Labels: Aspen Organization Development, change management, Organization Development, organizational development, performance management, Talent management

So I am in full conference mode! A plan has been devised and now I am beginning to put it into action. We are splitting our services, as we typically do, into three area (change management, talent management, and performance management), and tailoring them to fit the conferences horse racing theme: "The HR Triple Crown: Stategize, Lead, Deliver". We are going to have brochures on our services, business cards, a stand set up with a demonstration of our Team Management Systems services, and a nice little Aspen Organizations Development magnet give away for potential clients and contacts to keep in the their respective offices. On Wednesday I am going to starting putting together our booth so watch out for some pictures!

Labels: Aspen Organization Development, change management, human resources conference, Organization Development, organizational development, performance management, Talent management