How Can Managers Retain Better Workers? Manage Them
| In a recent post, I looked at Bristol-Myers Squibb’s plan to have managers actually manage workers for 50% of their time. This is an important tactic to consider, even if you do not go with the 50% target, because the recent generations of workers expect this support.
Multiple studies in this decade have been conducted identify organizational predictors of employee intentions to leave. Of course, you should remember these if you read my articles and blogs, but let me remind you just in case. Workers want plenty of
This is what managers should be doing when they are managing workers. Otherwise, workers will look for these things in other organizations and you get expensive and annoying turnover.
What’s the problem with doling out these riches? Recently we found that managers were too busy doing the “technical” part of their job. Managers in your organization are probably measured on this part of their job more clearly than any other part. Still, workers expect this support, and goodness knows they can benefit from it, so start making your project management easier by enabling your managers to be better at that “people” part of their job. |
Posted on: April 25, 2008 08:08 AM
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This Is A Key Tactic for Getting Agreement
| I found something good within all this political news recently. Before you click away, let me explain. A study was done that showed political partisans ignored facts in favor of information that supported their existing views. In fact, while watching a debate, areas in their brain affecting emotions became very active, while areas of the brain involved in reasoning were simply inactive. Partisans get high on their own supply! The longer a debate goes, the more a partisan can become entrenched in his or her view.
What does this have to do with managing your project? It shouldn’t just apply to politics. Any stakeholder you work with can have a strong belief in a strategy, business practice, application, and so on. Your best bet to get agreement from a decision-making group will be to hit them hard with your justification quickly and not allow them days or weeks to discuss it. Sounds like a high pressure vacation condo sales pitch, but you know what I mean. The point is to get agreements quickly from stakeholders before opinions harden irrationally. |
Posted on: April 23, 2008 09:16 PM
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Have I Been Wrong On Wellness?
| Maybe I’ve been wrong about project managers helping workers become healthier. If you have been keeping up with this blog – as you should have – you will remember my call for project managers to actively support wellness programs. There were many reasons for this. Now we hear that Hewitt has surveyed two groups about employee wellness initiatives.
The results? Nearly 90% of firms plan to “aggressively” promote healthy lifestyles during the next 3 – 5 years. Just what the employees are waiting for, right? Wrong, Doctor. They don’t want that medicine. Even though they generally believe that employers should help them understand the health plans, only 12 percent of workers believe it’s their employer’s responsibility to persuade them to choose healthier lifestyles. I’m thinking now that you would just appear annoying, or worse, a Tool of the Establishment, if you set yourself up as a lifestyle champion. Maybe I have to go back to the drawing board on this. |
Posted on: April 18, 2008 08:24 AM
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50/50 for Managers Developing Talent at This Company
| At Bristol-Myers Squibb, they train managers to play their key role in developing and retaining talent. But they also understand that managers may not spend time on “talent management” because they are pulled in many directions, such as, we have to assume
So one of the points of their talent management program was to set a target, which is a good idea that you can borrow. The “stretch goal” was for managers to spend 50% of their time on the usual work and the other 50% of their time managing workers. That’s a serious goal – liable to leave stretch marks – but that’s how serious many companies are getting about talent development and retention. They will eat your lunch if you do not spend time on your own program. |
Posted on: April 15, 2008 10:46 PM
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This Epidemic Costs Business More Than Smoking, Alcoholism
| More studies are coming in now which put the obesity epidemic in perspective for business. The latest data may surprise you into taking action – or more aggressive action.
Your company probably already has an obesity reduction program in place or is planning such a program. More than a third of American adults are “obese,” so, as a leader, you will have to support these programs for the foreseeable future to get the best results. Check with HR before acting, though, because if you get a little too strident, discrimination lawsuits can arise. One easy (and safe) idea is to give workers schedules flexible enough to hit the gym regularly. |
Posted on: April 11, 2008 08:22 AM
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