The Economy of Results
September 28, 2009
I like the cover of Larry Winget’s book; It’s Called Work for a Reason! Your Success is Your Own Damn Fault. He stands boldly before you in a way-cool shirt and even cooler cowboy boots and refers to himself as the “Pitbull of Personal Development.” He is exactly that.
Mr. Winget has written a gripping, readable compilation of advice about accepting personal responsibility in the workplace. Winget is passionate about and frustrated by the lack of personal responsibility and poor work ethic in our society. Truthfully, I am too. When did we begin, as a society, to feel entitled to things we haven’t earned? I don’t know. My parents were baby boomers. If you were going to get anywhere in this life or in our household, you had to work for it. So, Winget’s suppositions about how people work are easy for me to swallow. The delivery of his opinions in a 240-page rant is intense, and although I found it easy to finish his book in an evening – it is not for the faint of heart.
Work It Like You Mean It
Mr. Winget, in his book, delivers many strong, simple truths to employees. All of his truths are intended to make the reader think twice about the way they have been working and make themselves indispensible. Winget stresses throughout the book that employees only spend a small percentage of their days working on the things that really matter. Employees are not paid to work hard, he says, but to produce results. It’s true. Employers are always looking for results, but in this economy it is even more important to bring tangible results to your employer. One of the strongest things he asserts is that employees should manage priorities, not time. I completely agree. Who has time to figure out how you should be managing your time when you could be producing results? Finally, and perhaps my favorite piece of advice he gives to employees is that there is always time to do the right thing. I think that says it all. Always take the time do the right thing. A clear conscience can let you focus on your next goal.
The Employer
Not surprisingly, Mr. Winget has a few choice words for employers as well. His advice about competition is the most interesting. He says,”You destroy the competition by not believing in it.” Radical. Larry Winget doesn’t believe in teamwork, either. He proposes; “Teamwork doesn’t work because someone on the team won’t work”, and says that employers should “create groups of superstars, exploiting their individuality.” His advice for employers is very similar to his advice for employees, and he brings attention to the absolute necessity to take responsibility and action. Employers, too, need to focus on results.
Larry Winget’s advice and information in this book are strong. The truths that he presses forth are simple truths that speak of much-needed character in the business world. He issues a challenge to all of us to become the best that we can be and speaks from a place of deep experience. I agree with Larry Winget when he says, “The things it takes to be successful in life are the same things it takes to be successful in business.” This economy has created a climate that is focused on results, and the skills to get us to the results we have been looking for have to come with strong character, hard work, and perseverance.
Tabitha Woods is Marketing Coordinator for Delta Dallas. Reach her at 972-788-2300 or twoods@deltadallas.com.
The Seven Hidden Reasons Employees Leave
July 26, 2009
The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave
Book Review by Tabitha Woods
No one likes to talk about why employees leave. Most companies give people a cursory exit interview if they give one at all, and almost no one actively tracks exit responses of departing employees. We usually believe exiting employees when they say that they are leaving because of a better opportunity, or more money . . . but what if they are lying to us when they leave?
They just might be. Recently, I had the opportunity to read The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave by Leigh Branham. In his book, Mr. Branham observes a survey which states that “89 percent of managers said they believe that employees leave and stay mostly for the money.” However, Branham’s own research as well as other studies that have been done on this topic show that “80-90% of employees leave for reasons related NOT to money, but to the job, the manager, the culture or the work environment”. Wow. These are all internal reasons that can be addressed and improved. So what is a company to do if their exiting employees are not telling them the truth about their reasons for leaving?
Disengagement
The first issue that needs to be noted and addressed in any organization is disengagement. Any HR manager will tell you that employees disengage before they quit. Even worse, when disengaged employees stay, their production suffers, and they can affect the morale of their teams as well as customer perception. In his book, Branham refers to a study by the Gallup Organization that indicates U.S. workers may be more disengaged than we thought. The study indicated that a full 75% of U.S. workers are disengaged to some degree in their jobs. Clearly, no one is immune to the perils of costly employee disengagement, but Branham details 54 practices to help engage employees and keep them bonded to your organization.
The 7 Deadly Reasons
The next step in lowering your employee turnover is to understand the top seven reasons people choose to leave, and identify which ones are an issue in your organization. Branham breaks them down as follows:
Reason #1 The Job or Workplace Was Not as Expected
Reason #2 The Mismatch Between Job and Person
Reason #3 Too Little Coaching or Feedback
Reason #4 Too Few Growth and Advancement Opportunities
Reason #5 Feeling Devalued and Unrecognized
Reason #6 Stress from Overwork and Work-Life Imbalance
Reason #7 Loss of Trust or Confidence in Senior Leaders
Branham goes over each of these reasons and breaks down the intricacies and causes of each one. He skillfully delves into the psychology of loyalty, the importance of being valued, and engagement. Most importantly, he brings practical suggestions for change and has structured the book so that you can skip around and build a plan based on the needs in your company. He has done a great job of gathering data, interpreting that data, and translating it into useful information and tools for retention. This book is a must-read.
The current recession has been an eye-opener for all of us. In fact, it seems a bit counter-intuitive to focus on retention during world-wide recession. Eventually, though, the economy will get better, and at that point, talent will be a deeper commodity for businesses than it has ever been. If you haven’t already, it is time to start building a reputation as a great company to work for. Take the time now to build a culture that supports employee success and retention, and you will not only keep the key talent that has remained at your company during this economy, but attract additional top-tier talent when the recovery begins. Position your team now for high engagement and employee loyalty, and you will be ahead of the pack when the momentum of economic recovery ramps up.
Tabitha Woods is Marketing Coordinator for Delta Dallas. Reach her at twoods@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.
