Where Are The Women?

Women in business have made big strides in the last several decades, but there is much work to be done. A recent study by Mercer, a New York based benefits firm, found that 70% of American corporations do not have a clear strategy for developing female leaders.

A major obstacle for women who seek to advance into leadership positions within their company is a lack of executive sponsors. The movement for greater numbers in women leadership posts must come from the top down. Current executives must always allow themselves to keep their options open.

When reviewing programs to help women advance in the executive ranks, the solutions too often do not deal with the problem. Always keep in mind that leadership development is a multi-staged process, no matter who the person is.

Development plans should always include various steps and programs along the way. Flexible work arrangements, coaching, mentoring, diversity sourcing and recruiting are viewed as some of the most effective in developing female leaders. The most important thing to do is stay open and be flexible in your plan.

Exhausted with Slackers? Create Star Performers!

Slackers. Nobody wants to be viewed as a Slacker, yet employees fall into that trap all too easily. In fact, 44% of employees admit they are not committed to perform even though they know their job, according to a recent Sibson Consulting Survey.

The vast majority of people would like to be considered productive. SO what is holding them back? There are several answers to this question, for example:
- They are frustrated with the lack of resources and/or support received.
- Upset by co-workers who slack with no consequences.
- Self-motivations are not in line with offered rewards.
- Low commitment to the organization.
- They do not fully understand what the job entails.

Have no fear, these employee slackers can be reformed into high performing, productive members of your company's team. The worst course of action is to do nothing. That is the foundation for this multi-part series on Creating Star Performers!

Stay tuned for the coming article on how to catch the slackers hiding in plain sight.

Are Your Social Media Manners Worthy of a ‘Like’?

Between ‘Tweets’, ‘Likes’ and name your other favorite thing to do on a social media site, workplace manners are not always what they use to be. In an age where over 500 million people can share their life on Facebook is there anything an employer can do to keep employees more focused on their work than on their News Feed?

The simple answer is yes and without going to extremes. Below are a few easy things for companies to start implementing today.

1) Set ground rules for social media usage from day 1.
2) Never scold an employee, instead coach them for success.
3) Set expectations early. New and existing supervisors alike need to be frank with expectations.
4) When an infraction is noticed, address it quickly and positively.
5) Make sure employees have as much guidance as possible on the standards.
6) Compare etiquette standards of the past to today’s situation. For example, nobody would make a personal phone call from a company phone but today people send personal text messages from a company cell phone.
7) Create parallels between other workplace no-nos and social media missteps.
8) When in doubt, it is better to advise employees on the side of formality.

In the end, make sure you have your social media policy and expectations written down in your regularly update Employee Handbook. Stay open and upfront and you just might get a ‘Like’.

Legislative Update: Healthcare Law Ruled Unconstitutional by Federal Judge

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson of the Northern District of Florida declared that the healthcare law passed last year is unconstitutional. The ruling came in the most closely watched of the challenges to the law.

Vinson ruled the key provision of the PPACA’s “individual mandate” which requires Americans to buy health insurance by 2014 unconstitutional and in violation of the Commerce Clause, therefore voiding the entire act.

The U.S. Justice Department has already vowed to appeal the ruling in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court is expected to take the case as soon as later in the year, though there has been no indication yet.

The states bringing suit in the appeal are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Virginia and Oklahoma filed separate challenges to the law along with other groups and individuals in opposition.