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17 May 2012 | Category: uncategorized | Author: Admin

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Spotting and Preventing Professional Suicide

17 May 2012 | Category: uncategorized | Author: admin

"This job is killing me!" That statement may seem to be an exaggeration, but in looking closely at the work environment, it has become apparent there is a serious malady affecting the productivity of organizations. This malady has been coined 'professional suicide,' by a company which was among the first to become aware of the problem.

Professional suicide, a widespread but rarely studied phenomenon is costing companies not only dollars and cents, but the talents and skills of many bright, creative and committed key employees. The syndrome affects talented hard driving employees with strong accomplishment needs. Those most likely to be affected are good employees who constantly operate in a crisis situation because of management's lack of planning or leadership. These initially highly motivated employees begin the suicidal process within three to five years after developing a solid record within the organization. The despair of not achieving what they want in what seems by now to be an absolutely hopeless situation has begun to undermine their self-confidence and bruise their egos.

These upwardly mobile employees suddenly reverse course. Their work begins to deteriorate. They lose interest and fail to keep up with new on-the-job developments. They develop physical complaints, many classically psychosomatic (migraine headaches, ulcers, high blood pressure, frequent colds or flu) and seem unable to change this downward spiral. Sometimes they quit on the flimsiest of pretexts and take another job beneath their capabilities. Many times they become disruptive, overstep policy bounds, or do things they surely know they will be fired for doing. In short, in many ways they rapidly and illogically destroy their careers and sometimes themselves.

What causes this apparent self-destruction? It is the result of a battle between specific characteristics of both the individual and the organizational environment. In the individual, problems have arisen in the satisfaction of basic needs common to all human beings. These basic needs described by Maslow as the "Hierarchy of Human Needs" are recognition and a sense of self-esteem, growth and development (self-actualization), a sense of purpose and a structure from which to view the world. When people are unable to meet these needs in the organization they leave or become disruptive because they're frustrated.

A frequent cause of professional suicide is that the behavior required for survival demands unacceptable violations of a person's values. Not being able to be totally candid with individuals on projects is one example. On projects, the rule is that team effort is expected, but in the end individuals aren't rewarded-the team is king. If an individual works only in team efforts they will seldom receive individual recognition. This lack of individual recognition begins to erode their egos and self-esteem.

Sometimes people are asked to falsify records, or to sign off on unfinished projects. (A classic example of falsifying or signing off on records is the Karen Silkwood case at Kerr-McGee. Silkwood believed she discovered numerous violations of health regulations, including exposure of workers to contamination, faulty respiratory equipment and improper storage of samples. She also believed the lack of sufficient shower facilities could increase the risk of employee contamination. She decided to take legal action, but ended up paying with her life.) These professional breaches of ethical standards leave an employee struggling with their ethical values-their responsibility toward colleagues pulls from one side and a sense of personal honesty and integrity pulls from the other.

If the way to survive in an organization requires individuals to lie or be deceptive or surreptitious, they will either avoid doing what it takes to get ahead in that organization and retire in place, or do what it takes and feel guilty when they survive and progress. The degree to which the situation degrades, devalues, or shames the person is highly individual.

The organizational characteristics that create and foster professional suicide are in direct opposition to basic individual needs. These characteristics are manifested by management's lack of setting specific goals and objectives or the 'rules of the game' are confusing, illegal or unethical. Cohesive work groups and teams are not fostered or are non-existent. Evaluation, feedback and individual performance reviews are carelessly managed or ineffective. Reward systems based on organizational results (merit increases) are non-existent or poorly defined. Anxiety, competition, and guilt, rather than a reward system are used as motivators. And ambiguous communication (or none at all) with employees is the norm rather than the exception.

This lack of clear communication provides a powerful scapegoat for managerial incompetence. If subordinates get into trouble when tasks were poorly defined; they take the blame, after all, they were told-albeit the communication was ambiguous.

Dr. Donald W. Cole, author of Professional Suicide, a Survival Kit for You and Your Job (1981, McGraw-Hill) conducted a study of corporate life. The style of corporate leadership he identified as necessary for keeping people healthy and productive offered a clear vision for the future-engage the employee in goal setting and planning; provide performance evaluations on a regular basis along with recognition and rewards. This style of management may seem self-evident as a good one, but it has proven remarkably difficult to convince many companies to implement it.

It has long been known that people need to have a sense of direction. People need to have the security to anticipate what is going to occur as a result of the actions they plan to take or have taken. They need to know if what they are doing is important and valued. And finally, they want to have a sense of belonging to an organization that provides opportunity for growth and development.

When management doesn't provide adequate information for employees to anticipate probable outcomes, anxiety ensues. Employees need to have feedback to stimulate growth and development. Without feedback people begin assuming the worst and the anxiety that results leads to reactive behavior, which is actually a protective response. This protective behavior occurs so the employee can survive in what s/he perceives as an unfriendly environment.

Thus, the once bright, creative and committed employee retires in place merely treading water until official retirement. The cycle of productive decay is the deterioration of the very skills companies need to stop the spiral of productivity loss. These employees figuratively and literally get into a cycle of personal and professional suicide.

The threat posed by professional suicide to the employee and its equally dangerous threat to the organization is obvious-individuals lose their careers and the organization not only loses its best employees, but also incurs the expense of replacing them, which is estimated to be approximately $60,000 per person. In some organizations this could mean the difference between success and failure.

In order to prevent employees and the organizational structure from the suicidal cycle, hiring practices need to look for managers and leaders with vision and the ability to set goals and define a purpose. Communication, feedback, support and encouragement provide a sense of personal worth and freedom from work overload.

Management can take the following steps to reduce the incidence of professional suicide and increase the effective management of highly motivated employees.

1. Establish specific organizational goals. This reduces the nebulous character of organizational objectives and establishes a framework against which personal goals can be set.

2. Develop a plan for meeting organization and personal goals and objectives.

3. Develop team building activities and manage by group commitment.

4. Implement formal and informal performance reviews at regular intervals. Initiate a reward system (merit pay) based on the achievements of the individual, thus avoiding rewarding psychological one-upmanship.

5. Implement training programs in interpersonal competence to improve communication and provide opportunities for more effective problem solving.

6. Executive management needs to assume responsibility for clarifying the rules of the game, the reward system and what it takes to get ahead.

7. Provide opportunities for decompression and periodic revitalization through sabbaticals, conferences, stress reduction programs and the like.

8. Reduce anxiety by goal setting and corporate clarity about purpose and function.

9. Establish skill inventory for each employee and maintain a workforce planning effort for career paths.

10. Conduct continuous studies to continually promote organization improvements and correct organizational deficiencies.

In addition to improving productivity and retaining highly motivated and talented employees, organizations can reduce the number of discrimination suits by taking these steps to prevent professional suicide. It has been established that the majority of discrimination lawsuits occur as a result of poor supervisor-to-employee relations. Poor relations derive from lack of communication, support, goal-setting and letting employees know they are valued. This being the case-corporate leaders are well advised to seek out, train, and reward those employees who have vision and can effectively communicate with their employees. Without this leadership we can only anticipate an escalation of professional suicide as we become more and more technologically advanced.

In looking for the signs of professional suicide one will often see nothing. It takes a keen eye and ear to detect the subtle behaviors that are the beginning stages of the suicidal process. These signs are often considered temporary and thus are not equated with the downward spiral of an individual's performance. When the suicidal process begins it's usually the little things that go unnoticed until the employee's performance has slipped dramatically. At this point management recognizes that something is drastically wrong and confronts the employee, whose self-esteem has already deteriorated. When confronted the employee responds defensively while feeling both neglected and unworthy of attention at the same time.

The subtle signs of professional suicide begin with minor infractions of the established norm of the department, workgroup or organization. These infractions are often contrary to the established norm of the individual as well. Any behavior change in the employee is significant and needs to be noted to determine whether it is temporary or the beginning of a suicidal process. If the employee has had personal changes or difficulties that would explain a change in behavior or work habits, and agrees that a change is necessary, management can assume that the current infractions are only temporary.

However, close observation is important to note whether or not, after a reasonable period of time, the behavior remains on a positive course. If the employee's behavior does not meet the established norm, then further discussion is warranted, for both the individual's and the organizations sake.

These minor infractions are not alarming unless they become habitual or chronic. Management needs to tread a fine line between being nosy and noticing the beginning of a trend. It's important for management to address reasons for the existence of minor infractions before they become habitual or chronic.

These bothersome and perhaps suicide indicative infractions include consistently arriving to work late with no explanation (or spouting poor excuses) long lunch breaks, coming late to or missing meetings, falling asleep during meetings, little or no participation in meetings, failure to return phone calls to customers, clients, or colleagues, missing deadlines, poor quality of work, and lack of enthusiasm and interest.

When management does not ask the employee what has caused his/her behavior to change, the employee may perceive that s/he's not important or respected. Otherwise, the employee reasons, why are these infractions unnoticed? Whether the infraction is due to a personal problem or burnout, the employee wants to be noticed. If the infraction is not corrected within a reasonable length of time it is important that management contact the employee again. Thus, the unacceptable behavior is corrected before it deteriorates further. If management fails to handle the corrective process adequately, the second stage of the deterioration begins-disruptive behavior, more serious infractions that are manifested as psychosomatic illness and deterioration in dress or appearance. The situation has reached a crisis, and the final stage of the suicidal process begins. This final stage is often manifested by severe self-destructive behavior, such as substance abuse, obesity, anorexia, accidents and inability to 'get along' wit the rest of the staff. In this last instance, the employee usually manages to find others to blame, therefore avoiding taking responsibility for their current situation. The final stage may last one to two years before the individual is fired, quits or succumbs to self-destruction.

The problem is often viewed as an individual's inability to conform to the organization, which leads management to attempt to get the individual to conform. While this may be true in part, management needs to look at the needs of the individual. For most people a sense of self-worth is a bigger factor than the job and the contribution to the world. People want to grow and develop and have a sense of self-actualization. People need a safe and secure place from which to view their present, past and future in order to be creative and productive. When the management meets the needs of the individual, the individual can better meet the needs of the organization.

If you believe you are in an organization which fosters professional suicide, the following steps can prevent you from becoming a victim:

1. Negotiate with management to develop organizational and individual goals and objectives.

2. Establish good communication with management

3. Initiate establishing formal and informal performance reviews and goal setting

4. Develop a plan for meeting the goals and objectives

5. Initiate team building activities within your work group

6. Attend training programs in interpersonal competence

7. Engage in activities that provide decompression and periodic release of stress and frustration

8. Reduce your anxiety by checking information, with, management. Avoid assuming the worse

9. Establish your skill inventory and plan to manage your career goals

10. Conduct ongoing evaluations of your organization and how you can improve and correct organizational deficiencies.

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How Business Davids Can Overcome Goliaths

16 May 2012 | Category: uncategorized | Author: admin

In the story of David and Goliath, young David challenged the mighty Goliath. King Saul wanted David to wear his armour so that he could fight Goliath in the traditional way. But David chose to forgo the armour, used a weapon of his choosing, and relied on his own speed, and was ultimately successful in slaying the giant Goliath.

Small business owners viewing the Goliaths of their industry slugging it out using all the marketing weaponry in their well stocked armoury, can be daunted by the battles raging around them. And if they choose to fight them with the same weapons, they have much to fear. For large businesses, economies of scale is their most potent weapon. A very powerful weapon. But like Goliath, their strengths are also their weaknesses.

Relationships

The biggest point of vulnerability for business Goliaths is their need for volume, and their inability to react quickly to changes in the marketplace. For small business, this means that relationships are the key. It is the flexibility to do the little bit extra without having to go back to head office for approval. It is the continuity of the relationship between a business and its customer, and the ability to customise its service.

Using the banks as an example, we have seen a number of smaller banks flourish because of the relationships they have had with their customers. The response from the big banks was to acquire the smaller banks (and their customers). However, the efficiencies that the large businesses gain with their economies of scale create a negative impact on individual relationships with their customers. While local staff do their best to nurture their relationships, their authority is limited, and they do not stay as long as staff do in a small business. In the end, all their customer relationships, except with their very largest clients, become transactional. While computer systems can help 'personalise' these relationships, it is a relationship with a system rather than a person. When mistakes happen- and they are inevitable in all systems created by humans, they tend to be very difficult to rectify as any human relationship can be spread over many individuals. And it is impossible to talk to the boss to sort things out.

One Size Fits All

As Goliaths depend on volume, they must target as large a segment of the market as possible. Hence the need for one size to fit all. They are unable to survive in a niche as no niche is large enough to pay for the overheads. For a business David, finding the right niche and tailoring services for those customers in a way that is impossible for Goliaths, is a way to take their customers away from them.

Price

Small businesses in competition focus all too often on price, which is one of the Goliaths biggest weapons, through economies of scale. It is a mistake to fight on Goliath's turf. And you should be aware that price is only the fifth reason people buy. A recent survey showed the top five reasons someone buys, are:

1. Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs

2. Quality of the product and service

3. The level of service that is provided

4. Selection or range of offers

5. Price

Just knowing this creates a massive advantage for any business.

Market Share

Market share is something that all Goliaths focus on. They study the movements of their share, and those of their Goliath competitors. But everyone else is in a group called 'Others' usually totalling around 10% of the market. THEY DON'T MONITOR MOVEMENTS IN THIS SECTOR. It is not important to them. This becomes another big opportunity for business Davids.

If you are a small business that has 2% of the market, and double your share to 4%, they don't notice. You could double it again before they even are aware what you are doing. Therefore, a small business can build up great momentum before a Goliath notices and takes retaliatory action. Goliaths can't double their share without coming to the attention of the competition regulator. Such a feat would normally only be possible with a takeover, or failure of a major competitor. Goliaths can only make small gains in their markets- because they are so big, although their strategy may be to grow the market with new products and services, which is great for everybody. Or to cut costs which may have a negative impact on quality and customer relationships.

This creates huge advantages for business Davids. With smart marketing initiatives, they can steal market share from all their competitors without them being aware what is happening until much later. The competitive response from Goliaths will be very slow and may not occur until you get above 10%. And is likely to be around price, which as you now know is only the fifth most important reason people buy from you.

Marketing Goliaths rely heavily on advertising to reach their mass market to create volume. For Davids, advertising is too often the most expensive form of marketing. Fortunately, there are much cheaper forms that bring you much closer to your customers, such as a pro-active word-of-mouth strategy. Goliaths use these as well, but as these are less effective in mass marketing, it is not their area of focus. So business Davids should choose the marketing weapons that give them an advantage.

Business Systems

The one thing that businesses Goliaths do very well is to systematise their operations. This provides consistent quality and helps control costs. This is one thing that small business should copy from big businesses. As most small businesses have poor business systems, it is not difficult to out-deliver your competitors of similar size, just by having even a basic system in place. And you certainly need that when you are up against Goliaths.

Conclusions

Business Davids have an advantage over Goliaths in a number of key areas. They can make their service personal, and tailored for the individual. They can focus on a niche which has special needs unserviced by Goliaths. They can more easily compete in non-price areas, and can steal market share before they are noticed. And they can choose marketing strategies that place them at an advantage over Goliaths. But they must have systems in place or else they will be unable to deliver as their business grows.

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Using the Power of Client Testimonials to Grow Your Business

15 May 2012 | Category: uncategorized | Author: admin

Client testimonials are one of the most powerful marketing tools coaches can use. Did you know that they can help you attract new clients, increase customer confidence and generate a positive "buzz" about you and your services? (Actually, those are just a few of their marketing uses.)

Human nature gives testimonials such power because we love discovering what one person thinks of another - even when it's positive! It's the same dynamic that makes gossip so hard to resist. As a professional coach, you want the positive "gossip" that testimonials provide because you can use that information to promote yourself, your services and products, to call attention to your strengths and to distinguish yourself from your competitors.

Testimonials also are powerful because they are first-person accounts: when a client makes a positive statement about you and backs it up with his or her name and contact information, it enhances your credibility.

In addition, written testimonials are fabulously flexible. They can be used powerfully on your website, in printed and electronic promotional materials, following the signature line of your emails and in many other ways and places. Once you have obtained testimonials from your clients, you will think of a hundred ways to use them!

Now that we have established the value of client testimonials, here are a few dos and don'ts to guide you as you obtain and use them to grow your business.

DO let your clients know the benefits to them of providing testimonials that will be used on your website(s), such as:

- increased exposure for their business, thanks to internet serendipity;

- increased website traffic and/or business for them, generated by a link from your website to theirs;

- enhanced standing among search engines, due to more internet exposure; and

- that genuinely warm feeling that comes from helping another "solopreneur"!

DO obtain your clients' permission to use their full name and email address because it will give
their testimonials a great deal more credibility. (Let's assume I have written a glowing
testimonial for someone whose services I use. Now compare the impact of these two testimonial
signatures: "A.S., Coach" or Alicia Smith, Business Coach and DISC Ninja;
Alicia@aliciasmith.com. The second is far more powerful.)

DON'T (ever) use fictional testimonials because they can destroy your credibility.

DO utilize honest (verbatim) testimonials that speak to what your potential clients will most want
to know about you, including (but not limited to!) why you are such a fantastic coach and why
you, your services and your products are so special.

DO store your client testimonials in a Word document or Excel database so that you can find
them easily. You may want to organize them by client name, service or product.

The next step is to obtain testimonials from your clients. Here are the basic steps and some questions to get you started.

Begin by sending your clients a friendly email stating that you are seeking a testimonial you can use in your marketing. Personalize your communication as much as possible. For example, your letter may begin, "Dear Jim: Last December, you participated in my teleclass, (name of class). I certainly hope you found the class to be helpful. Because I am revamping my marketing materials, I am writing to ask you a favor: I would deeply appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to answer the questions below." (Be sure to work into your letter the benefits to these clients of providing testimonials that will be used on your website.)

You may want to ask your clients some or all of the following questions and to customize each email with the name of the product or service the client purchased. When a client has purchased more than one product or service, send a separate email request for each.

- What first attracted you to (name the teleclass, internet course, product or service the client purchased) and why did you decide to purchase it?

- What was the most beneficial tool, concept or idea that you gained from (the product or service)?

- How are you currently utilizing (the product or service in your business and/or life)?

- Has it saved you and your business time, money or energy? If so, in what way(s)?

- Why would you recommend (the product or service) to your associates, colleagues or clients?

- What would you like to say to someone who is considering purchasing (the product or service)?

You now have the basic information you need to obtain client testimonials that you can use to power up your business and Make Money Now! Here's a very important final tip: once you begin to receive testimonials from your clients, be absolutely sure to enjoy the wonderful things they say about you!

© Copyright 2004, Alicia Smith. All rights reserved.

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Lean Healthcare: We Got The Money-Now What?

14 May 2012 | Category: uncategorized | Author: admin

I want to start things off by saying that I come to the table not only bringing a problem, but also the solution. Most of us are skeptics and are concerned that the money recently handed out will not be used to improve the patient care in our healthcare system. Even with the best intentions, the money may get diverted to areas, which may have little impact on the real systemic healthcare problems. As you read this article, you will discover there is a way to ensure that the changes and investments of the dollars have the desired outcome on healthcare. It only requires passion and a solid strategic plan for implementation.

Over the last few weeks, there has been a great deal of press and conversation about Canadian Healthcare. The politicians are dividing up a pot of newly found money for healthcare and the public is wondering why the waiting lists for many of the critical care areas are so long. It appears the healthcare system is broken down.

Growing up in Canada, the one differentiator between Canada and the rest of the world was our fantastic healthcare, which served all Canadians. We were the envy of all countries. Today, the envy has turned to smirks and sometimes laughter created by the dissatisfaction and frustration of the present healthcare service that is received.

Canadian Healthcare Facts

I caught the end of a talk show the other day and within the span of 20 minutes I heard some astounding healthcare facts:

- Canadians in the Ottawa and Regina area can wait between 50 and 70 weeks for an MRI
- Doctors who work in hospitals make on average only $95, 000 per year
- Midwives make 4 times as much as Obstetricians when delivering a baby
- A cook in a hospital makes approximately 50% more than a cook in the private industry

The number of healthcare administrators making more than $100,000 per year has tripled since 1996
» There are 55,000 administrators in healthcare - more than the number of actual healthcare providers

Lean Healthcare Potential Solutions

If these facts are even partially correct then I must agree the 'system' is either broke or on the verge of breaking.

As with any problem there are several options:

- Do nothing - doing nothing is just not an option for any of us
- Privatize parts or all of the system - privatization may be the answer if the current environment can't be fixed or parts can't be fixed. This option brings in emotional as well as practical issues and challenges. Most Canadians expect equal access to all levels of medical treatment and the amount of money in your bank account should not be the main factor in determining who gets treatment and who doesn't.
- Pour a ton of money into all areas to compensate for the present problems - point improvements - pouring money into parts of a broken system without a proper understanding of the entire system and the interconnectivity of each part will only sub-optimize the results and more than likely hide the problems. And while we are hiding the problems they will of course get worse and be tougher to solve down the road when they surface again (which will definitely happen). Initially, everyone will feel good that they are fixing the concerns and improving the service but this feeling of accomplishment will soon start to turn to frustration again and the money will be used up.
- The 'Right' Choice - Focus our energies on understanding the current 'systems' and determining how to implement a proper plan that will create better service to the patient while making it faster and less costly - understand the potential of the current system and transform it to maximize it's effectiveness so we don't buy unnecessary equipment and assets. We need to remove the existing 'waste' by following a Plan that gives' system' improvements that will impact the patient/client.

Lean Healthcare The Method

If we don't do this, then 'how do we know how much more equipment we need, how much more space and people we need?' By understanding our Current State and removing the 'waste' to create the desired or Future State, we will be able to make very effective decisions on doing what is right. We won't waste our time on doing 'point' improvements (we call it 'Exciting Chaos') that do little or nothing to improve the service to the patient and has little impact on improving the quality and costs.

Map the current state of the entire 'system' (end to end including information/communication through the actual hands-on activities), identify all the value and non-value activities, determine the present Turnaround Times TAT, determine the present costs and quality issues. Once that is complete (takes normally a day), then design a Future State (6 months out) which removes the pure waste in the system (takes a day or two), develop and detailed Implementation Plan (two days max) that outlines the tools, the people and the sequence of events to remove the waste for the entire system.
Lean Healthcare Results

This Plan will tell us where we need to spend the $$ and effort and will maximize the impact to the patient and the budgets of the organizations. Then, and only then, will we be able to accurately determine what equipment purchases and building requirements are needed. Then execute the Implementation Plan and get immediate results. Without an Implementation Plan the moneys will be wasted and just mask the problems so that we have to go after even more $$ n the coming years. The results we have experienced are greater than 50% improvement (within 6 months) using the existing assets.

Note: We are working with a world-renowned healthcare provider and hospital in the U.S. and their waiting list for an MRI is 2 to 5 days and they want to get better.

It is a simple process. The politicians have done their job of dividing up the money, so let's not waste this opportunity to make everyone of those dollars have the desired impact and result in 'doing more with less and doing it faster and better'!

Let's choose the best option and become the envy of the world again and more importantly start saving more lives! It's our choice to make, let's not throw the opportunity away.

Remember in order to get a better result; we have to stop doing the same things we did that got us in this predicament in the first place!

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