ECI® Blog

Do you ever wish you had more hours in the day?

August 8th, 2011 by The ECI Team

Last week, I was catching up with a former colleague who works in a thinly-stretched Human Resources department.  She was telling me that her days are scattered with questions like “We need this candidate, report, etc., ASAP!”, or “I can’t stand working with John, can we fire him?”, and of course, “I have a question about this line on my paycheck…”.  While she has strategic goals and projects on her plate, such as developing Competencies, she has trouble finding time to work on them because of the day-to-day interruptions.  My former colleague wants to be an HR “superhero”, but ends up needing to push off her strategic work until she has “more time”.  Unfortunately for her, and most HR people that I speak with, there is never more time.

Reflecting on her work, she shared her ideas of how she could have pushed the organization forward in the past year.  She could have saved the organization both time and money through selection and development projects that she already knows her company needs.  However, before she could get to more strategic changes, she would get bogged down in day-to-day competing priorities, such as corporate objectives, regional objectives, and HR questions.

We’ve all had the experience that as one crisis or project is coming to a close, there’s always a couple more cropping up.  As a result, the good ideas, the long-term project, or the employees’ developmental needs sometimes get pushed to the back burner, or are jammed into a one-day meeting.  My friend loves working at an agile and hard-driving company, but she confided that she rarely has the ability to sit down and focus on projects due to her workload.  As with most of us, she has to do more than ever but with less support, and is already working 10+ hour days and on her Blackberry after work.

How do you balance your workload?  One of the things that ECI specializes in is doing the “heavy lifting” on Talent Management projects and initiatives.  By developing flexible/custom Talent Management tools and systems, we allow our clients to manage their day-to-day responsibilities, while we work on projects in the background.  This allows for a best-of-both-worlds scenario, where our clients can make an impact with new Talent Management strategies, while still managing the everyday priorities.

Filed under: Competencies, Improving Performance, Organizational Development | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Don’t Underestimate the Impact of Organizational Culture

July 25th, 2011 by The ECI Team

Rupert Murdoch recently claimed that he should not be held accountable for the actions of some of his employees. This stems from allegations that one of his organizations was responsible for practicing unethical behaviors. As a well respected and highly competitive businessman, some have said that the organizational culture that he created promoted unethical behaviors. Research has shown that leaders play an integral role in the development of organizational culture. As such, the role of organizational culture cannot be underestimated in the workplace.

Organizational culture can be defined as the shared beliefs, values, perceptions and expectations of individuals within an organization. For example, the manner of communication, normative behaviors and policies are just a few aspects of organizational culture. More important than the definition, however, are the outcomes of culture. Organizational culture has been linked to financial performance, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, culture is associated with innovation, creativity and has been strongly tied to organizational behavior.

One of the many examples of success stemming from a highly innovative organizational culture is Southwest Airlines. Over the past few decades, they have been able to remain profitable in a competitive industry primarily due to their emphasis on developing their organizational culture.

Therefore, it is critical that management periodically examine the consequences of the culture that is being infused into the organization. Bear in mind that this does not mean a measurement of the organizational culture must be taken, but rather an active fostering of development and ensures it matches the overall values and mission of the organization.

Also to note, there is no “right” or “wrong” culture. Rather, the industry, organizational climate and desired outcomes can shape the culture.  When the culture is aligned with organizational values, this sets a firm and proper foundation on which success can be built. Organizational culture can be portrayed in many different ways. What are some of the ways organizational culture is demonstrated in your company?

Filed under: Organizational Design Consultant, Organizational Development | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

What is the only company asset, that doesn’t depreciate?

July 15th, 2011 by The ECI Team

Your high-performing people!  Hiring low performers impacts the whole organization, whether it’s a manager or a high performer’s time fixing mistakes, constant hand-holding to grasp the role and responsibilities, or something as drastic as losing customers through a botched job.

If you have low performers in need of development, the ECI Behavioral Insight® can provide targeted areas of development against traits that are linked to success in that role.   ECI can also help teams perform better together by understanding each other’s style.  Further, we can help you ensure that employees are maximizing their potential through individual and team development, 360° feedback tools and/or custom Competency Assessment centers.  Moreover, as your company grows or as marketplaces change, job descriptions and core competencies can shift, leaving employees without a clear direction and vision to work towards.  ECI has the experience and ability to help your organization by developing updated core competencies and job descriptions which align to the organization’s new goals and culture.   After all, ensuring your employees understand their roles and how to grow within your company helps protect your most important asset from turnover, poor job fit, burnout, and low performance!

Filed under: Business Management, Organizational Development, Talent Management | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Delayed Gratification

July 6th, 2011 by The ECI Team

In training for a Marathon, I have finally come to realize that there is no easy way to succeed.  We often have companies come to us looking for a “magic bullet” or “consulting voodoo” that will help instantly solve all of their talent management issues.  These issues are often caused by the company’s need for instant gratification.  For example, an organization will fly through the hiring process, and then expect a new hire to start performing right away, with minimal training or coaching. There seems to be more pressure than ever to drive results.  Even as the economy is recovering, it seems that people cannot achieve success quickly enough.   Sometimes, we see these quick fixes causing problems for the organization instead of long-term success.

On a personal note, I have attempted training for a marathon several times over the past few years.  I tried to take any short-cuts I could find.  I would scour the internet looking for the latest and greatest training supplements, exercises and routines.  Time and again I would try various training guides and exercises, only to injure myself and not be able to participate in the race.  However, this year, I have taken the long-term approach and found a training program that fits my needs and have had great results.  While my marathon is still two months away, I am right on track with my training.  And no injuries yet!

This training process has really taught me to take my time and put in the work on the front-end to achieve my goal.  The same principle applies in the business world.  Unfortunately, there is not a quick fix that can help you solve your people issues.  Every organization has people issues and some have more than others.  We have found you can add tools to help manage and develop employees, while establishing clear organization objectives and goals to minimize the negative impact to the business.

Companies can achieve outstanding results and increase employee productivity by taking the long-term approach. In fact, some of the most recognizable and trusted organizations in the world follow that future-focused thought process.  We have found that we can help our clients succeed by providing them with the tools and solutions that they need.  From there, they need to do the work, be consistent, and follow the process that leads to success.  If they try to push things too hard or veer off course, we can be there, like a good coach, to help them get back on track.  If you feel pressure pushing you to take short-cuts to get to your end goal, just remember the childhood parable of the Tortoise and the Hare – slow and steady wins the race!

What are some of the best success stories that you have heard?  How do you stay focused on long-term results while following a plan?

Filed under: Business, Developing Employees, Talent Management | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Money: Why it isn’t as important as you think.

June 29th, 2011 by The ECI Team

While in college, I had a discussion with a business professor who insisted that the primary motivator for employees is compensation, and more specifically, money. A similar debate arose recently, and the conversation inspired me to further contemplate the topic.

Employee motivation is well researched, and various theories have been presented for many years. From early theories such as the Hierarchy of Needs to the more modern S.M.A.R.T. system of goal-setting, many ways to motivate employees have been proposed. However, at the end of the day, what truly motivates you?

The lure of money surely works for many. However, as the early theorist Herzberg notes, money is likely to motivate you and prevent you from being dissatisfied at work, and may not necessarily lead to you gain job satisfaction. As such, there are other aspects of the workplace that can motivate individuals. For a salesperson, overcoming the challenge of convincing a client to purchase a product can be just as motivating as the monetary aspect of the sale itself. Furthermore, an employee in an entry level position can be motivated by the opportunity to learn new information and begin a new career, regardless of the compensation associated with the position. A research team can be driven by the excitement surrounding the development of a new pharmaceutical product.

On the other hand, well-paid employees could have little or no desire to work if they have hostile managers or very poor working conditions. Additionally, if personal goals such as career advancement, good work-life balance and recognition are not attained on the job, the likelihood of an employee being motivated, despite a big pay-day, is reduced. Therefore, it is important that employers are aware of the driving forces within their employees to keep them motivated to perform at the highest level.

What are your thoughts on the topic of employee motivation? Is money the only driving force in the workplace?

Filed under: Developing Employees, Improving Performance | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Employer Consultancy, Inc. is an Organizational Development consulting firm whose corporate mission is to help companies to do a successful pre employement assessment, and manage and develop top performers. They accomplish this by providing their customers with practical, customizable tools and systems, such their competency management systems, that promote higher levels of performance, productivity and profitability.