Tag Archives: coaching

Why We Need More Authentic Women At Work

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  Last Sunday, comedian actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, largely known for her work on Seinfeld and Veep, won the Mark Twain Prize, considered the highest honor in comedy. Louis-Dreyfus is the sixth woman to win the award in a male-dominated field. She is also 57, an age at which?especially in entertainment?many actresses are disqualified.

All the way back in the late 1980s, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was a casting afterthought. The Seinfeld executives decided last-minute that they needed a woman added to the cast. In popped Louis-Dreyfus, and as Jerry Seinfeld said to the New York Times, “I could not get enough of her . . . That whole time, nine years, I was not acting.”

Louis-Dreyfus is gifted comedically. But it is perhaps her conduct that makes her a distinctly unique role model. In spite of the cattiness that can define the entertainment industry, Louis-Dreyfus has made it her business to be both authentic and kind. “Many of those who spoke talked about Louis-Dreyfus’s kindness, [and] how constant and straightforward it was,” as reported in the New York Times.

In one particularly telling incident, Friends’ actress Lisa Kudrow and Louis-Dreyfus were both nominated for an Emmy. “After Louis-Dreyfus won . . . she sent Ms. Kudrow, a fellow nominee, flowers with a note attached: ‘You were robbed. -Julia.’” Continue reading →

Should I stay or should I go?

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The topic of counter offers is an interesting one. I am sure you have seen articles and thoughts about the subject and they are usually one person’s perspective on the topic. For a somewhat different approach, we’ve reached out to people in our network to gain their thoughts and perspective on the topic.

We asked:

You have just received an offer to join a new firm. You are giving notice to leave your current position and your employer makes a “counter offer” to keep you from leaving. You start to think about whether or not to take that “counter offer.”

Why would taking a counter offer can cost you more in the long run?

If people generally want to stay with their current company and the concerning issue is mainly about compensation, accepting the counter-offer can be a good decision.  However, if compensation is only one of a number of reasons to leave, best for the employee (and employer) to part ways amicably and not confuse or prolong the process by considering or negotiating a counter-offer. Further, if the only way for employees to receive raises and/or get paid market rates, better to leave vs. accept a counter offer since this will likely be a recurring theme.

Bob Pryor, CEO,  NTT DATA, Inc.

 

When you decide to make a change it is because there is something missing.     I have always found that a counter offer usually only attempts to correct a salary issue and not the driver behind your decision to make a change and you will still be unhappy.

You will end up back looking in a year!

Once you turn down that original date to the prom, they probably are not going to ask you again!!

Be decisive, know what you want, move forward and don’t look back!!

Betty Becker-Steele, Senior Executive at Accenture

 

The reasons people resign include they: dislike the work, dislike the company direction, dislike their boss, dislike their pay. They don’t necessarily want a raise, they want a new situation. Accepting a counter does not fix any of this.  In fact, it may cause resentment toward that employee down the road. Don’t take the counter!

John Cutrone,  Senior Advisor – Professional Services

 

We hope you find these perspectives interesting. If you would like to share your thoughts on this for future blogs, please let me know.

Larry Janis, Managing Partner, ISSG, janis@issg.net

How to bond with your employees without compromising your authority

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By Sadie Williamson

For any company, success is largely dependent on how well workers perform. I’ve long since learned that employees who perform the best are almost always those who are most engaged with their projects and teams. But you might be surprised to find out that one of the biggest contributing factors to the motivation and good feeling of an employee is often their relationship with their manager.

In a study by the OC Tanner Institute, 37 percent of employees reported recognition from management as by far the most important factor for employee motivation. A similar study found that 79 percent of people who quit their jobs do so because they don’t feel appreciated.

The most successful managers understand their responsibility for employee engagement and recognize how good employee relations contribute to a flourishing company.

Unfortunately, evidence also shows that companies are not taking steps to equip their managers to handle the softer aspects of the role. A CareerBuilder survey found that 58 percent of managers reported receiving no training for their current position. While there is no instruction manual or rule book on managing and leading people, my time in the corporate world has taught me that there are steps that you can take to navigate this complicated responsibility. Continue reading →

It’s Okay to Be Good and Not Great

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by Brad Stulberg

What if striving to be great is what’s holding you back?

“Good is the enemy of great” is one of the most popular self-improvement expressions there is. It’s the first sentence of an international bestselling business book, the title of another self-help book, and a mantra that NFL superstar J.J. Watt has used in press conferences. It sounds appealing and rolls off the tongue nicely, but there’s a good chance it’s downright wrong.

We’re told that striving to be great and never being satisfied are necessary to meet the ever increasing pressures and pace of today’s world. It’s the only route to success. But what is it all for? What does success even mean? Rates of clinical anxiety and depression are higher than ever. Some experts believe that loneliness and social isolation have reached epidemic proportions. Two-thirds of all employees report feeling burned out at work. Surely this isn’t the kind of success that everyone is after.

Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh offers that true success means feeling content with the unfolding of your life. It is “finding happiness in your work and life, in the here and the now.”

Continue reading →

5 Smart Ways To Get Your Team To Step Up

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by  Robert Glazer

The next time you’re in a company meeting, look around the room. Chances are, two out of three people there isn’t happy on the job. This sobering thought comes from a recent “State of the American Workplace” survey by Gallup, which reported that only 33 percent of U.S. employees are engaged with their work.

What does it mean for a business to have a majority of its employees disengaged? Typically, teams will fall apart as disgruntled workers spread discontent. If no one takes action, that can lead to poor performance and a high rate of attrition.

According to Gallup’s calculations, there are high costs to disengagement—up to 34 percent of a person’s salary. That means a manager making $100,000 is wasting $34,000 simply because he’s not psychologically invested in the organization’s mission, vision or culture. That’s a compelling reason to reexamine your game plan for motivating employees. Continue reading →