Drilling Down for Operational Excellence: In Leaner Times, U.S. Businesses Scrutinize Policies & Procedures

In the wake of President Obama’s historic healthcare law—the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010—the U.S. hospital industry, for one, has had to take a closer look than ever before at operational effectiveness and efficiency. This year, Escoe Bliss has partnered with a world-class hospital in Los Angeles to deliver state-of-the-art Policy & Procedure training using the institution’s existing Policy and Procedure Management software. Escoe Bliss’ consultant Diana Berger has developed and facilitated a structured sequence of hands-on writing workshops tailored to students at all levels, from a wide range of departments. 

While many firms can send in a consultant who can simply write a policy or procedure document, Escoe Bliss has set out to provide something more. Our Excellence in Policies and Procedures program sets itself apart in three important ways:

1. It is an entirely new approach to P&P writing, which actively engages personnel from different departments within a company.
2. Our team of experts, lead by Diana Berger, can be architects (if called upon) to design an entire P&P hierarchy (either for the company as a whole, or a single department).
3. Through this new approach we have developed turnkey training systems geared to the diverse backgrounds of a wide range of students from nearly every level in the organization.

When it comes to developmental work on policies and procedures, Escoe Bliss can service a company at any level.

Needless to say, the importance of reassessing current policies and procedures is not exclusive to the healthcare industry. In this challenging economic environment all organizations can benefit from a training program that enriches and revitalizes existing policies and procedures while, at the same time, drawing from the knowledge base and creativity of their current talent. 

To learn more about our workshops in policy and procedures excellence and the benefits of this program, please contact our office at 949.336.6444 or by email. 

The Equal Opportunity Advocate Asks "Dear EB"

Dear EB:

I have a coworker who's incredibly smart and talented, and really wants to contribute as much as she can to the rest of the team. A lot of the times, this means that she does the most talking in meetings and brainstorming sessions, effectively removing the chance for any other team members to contribute their ideas and have their voice heard. It's getting to the point where it's having an adverse effect on the growth of the team, and so I'm wondering, what is a good way to bring more balance to the contributions in order to allow other team members' voices to be heard?

Sincerely,
The Equal Opportunity Advocate


Dear Equal Opportunity Advocate:

Your question certainly brings back similar times for me working with peers—feeling “caught” in situations where others’ or my ideas are being blocked from being aired. It does not matter on over-contributors’ intents—their actions are blocking good, great, or perhaps the best ideas from being shared and therefore positively affecting results.

First, I commend you on wanting to take action. Too many times, I have witnessed the same behavior on intact work teams. Instead of taking positive action, the team members attempt to fix or control the over-contributor and then the team members become even more frustrated that their efforts did not magically work.

In situations like this one, you can choose between two separate approaches or instead opt for a combination approach. The best approach will depend on the people you work with and the dynamics of the group. The direct approach would be to address the over-contributor in a personal, one-to-one manner. In a different team dynamic, it may be best to reach out to a team leader in a private meeting where you can voice your concern and propose a resolution.

When I experience counter-productive situations with peers, I try to remember something one of my past leaders told me: assume positive intent. At times the pace of work and stress can be high and I even fail by acting hastily before taking some time for reflection—we are human. I then remember to take a pause and try to reflect on why the person chose to act the way that I observed. Speaking from my experience, it typically comes down to the fact that others have allowed the behavior to go on for so long in the work environment combined with the person, in your case the over-contributor, receiving continuous, positive reinforcement.

Following the first path, consider how the over-contributor tends to receive feedback based on past situations. Does she tend to be open to listening and taking in feedback? Does she tend to become defensive? How would she react if you approached her one-to-one outside of earshot of others in your work environment and you asked, “I see we have an upcoming brainstorming meeting—do you have a minute to chat?”

If you take the lead to approach her, then what has worked for me is to frame the conversation from your experience and impact on you, and possibly others. For example, in a very calm, relaxed facial, and open body posture, you might say, “I know that we are going to brainstorm new system processes changes. During past brainstorming sessions, I notice that based on your knowledge and past experience, you always have much to offer. However, at times, I can see that not all the other voices, mine included, are being heard, which then influences our teaming and ownership on the new changes. I was wondering how we could resolve this so that while you get your ideas out, we all also get the opportunity to express at least one of our ideas aloud for discussion. What are your thoughts?”

Be prepared—as she may challenge you for examples. Be factual by briefly stating a few actual observations you experienced from a most recent meeting. For example, “When we were discussing a resolution on addressing the data results from last quarter, you were the first to speak and shared your full list of eight ideas before anyone else had an opportunity to share. When it came time for others to chime in, nothing was shared.” Direct the conversation towards working on a solution where everyone knows they'll have the opportunity to share.

If you decide not to take the direct path and/or you do and it does not work the way you intended, you should directly address your team leader. In fact, your team leader should be stepping up to create the environment where all ideas are brought out “on the table” from everyone—even those who typically might be reticent to speaking up at meetings—as you never know who might offer an even better approach or an enhancement.

From what I can infer from your question, and my experience, teams tend to forget that they need expectations set for all meeting types—they assume that everyone knows. I would approach your leader in the same fashion I shared for the over-contributor, for example, you could say, “Before we are in the scheduled brainstorming meeting—do you have a minute to chat?” During your meeting, you can open the discussion with, “I would like to suggest that we establish team expectations for all brainstorming meeting sessions. For example, we have 11 on our team. We should be told that we must come prepared with at least one—the more the better—idea to address the new system processes changes. At the meeting, everyone needs to share their one idea before we go back around to the first person. Preferably, we should start discussing either randomly or with the person who tends to be quiet. We never know who might have a part of the solution. What are your thoughts?”

At this point, your leader might open the discussion to possibly accept what you are suggesting as well as ask you what actually transpired to nudge you to make this suggestion. Again, focus on your positive intent—wanting to build team camaraderie and explore all potential solutions. Do not use the discussion to throw the over-contributor “under-the-bus”. Instead, focus on facts of your experience from past meetings, such as, “Well, in the last meeting on addressing the data results from last quarter, Karen began and ended the discussion by sharing eight ideas before anyone else had an opportunity to share—and therefore be heard and validated.”

As previously stated, addressing behavioral situations that impact productivity on a peer-to-peer basis can be very challenging. However, you owe it to yourself to help create a productive team environment—plus you are now practicing an important skill required for all effective team leaders. Your best direction between which path to take depends on the affability of the over-contributor and the level of comfort you have in your work relationship with her.

Good luck to you and your team as you move forward!

Robert Gasdick
Training Delivery & Design Consultant

About Our Dear EB Author: Robert Gasdick has 26 years of progressive experience in the banking-related industry and human resources. As an external consultant/trainer he facilitates courses in areas such as leadership, management, communication, conflict resolution, change, presentation skills and business writing.

Escoe Bliss is proud to count Mr. Gasdick among our team of talented consultants. Please contact us to learn how we can provide your company with customized training solutions.

Ask Dear EB: Are you experiencing a challenging situation at your workplace and you'd like advice from Dear EB? Just send us an email and an expert Escoe Bliss consultant will respond with helpful and applicable advice via Blogging With Bliss and our next issue of The Insider. We pledge to keep all information anonymous and confidential.

The Expert Brainstorm with Diane Spiegel

This month Diane Spiegel explains her philosophy about the important role generational differences play in training and development.


Why do you feel it is so important for leaders to create an age-friendly work environment?

The short answer is that we need each other in so many ways! Traditionalists and Baby Boomers, the most mature in the workforce, have knowledge, patience, and the wisdom that often comes with years of experience. The youngest workers, Gen Y/Millennials, have a new perspective that is tuned into efficiencies and how to do things faster and easier. As digital natives, they can tech-multi-task and obtain information in seconds. The Gen Xers have brought the concept of work-life balance that many are not willing to negotiate. Gen Xers are also in their prime child bearing and rearing years and do not want to miss out on their kids' events, like so many of their parents did as they were very busy working. So, we all need what the others bring and those organizations that provide opportunities for generational and knowledge sharing in an atmosphere of support and trust will successfully emerge as the impact of the multi-generations is felt in companies all over the world.

With so many generations working side by side in today’s workplace, what are some of the most notable generational differences between Traditionalists (1900-1945), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Gen Xers (1965-1980), and Gen Y/Millennials (1981-1999)?

The most notable is the concept of work ethic. Traditionalists are noted for their commitment to getting the work done with no whining! They were thankful to have jobs and felt that all work had honor and dignity when the job was done well. Gen Y/Millennials have taken a lot of criticism about work ethic as it appears to some that they don’t have it. They do have it, but their first line of thought is how can they efficiently and quickly get the work done using all of their great social media and Internet connections. They look for ways to streamline. Gen Xers were the first to come up with the term “work-life balance” and the GenY/Millennials have followed in their path. Both of these generations have the ability and skills to multi-task and they work and play in a woven format. Traditionalists, and to some extent Baby Boomers, viewed work as something that occurred from 8-5 and work was work and leisure time was just that. Our work has shown that Gen Y/Millennials as well as Gen Xers toggle back and forth between work and non-work activities. This shifting represents a new paradigm that the two dimensions (work and leisure) can co-exist if you have the tools and skills to integrate your day.

Based on your philosophy of first understanding generational differences and then using this understanding to engage employees in productive conversations, what are the first steps a management team can take to begin this process of understanding?

I believe it’s very important to first understand why each generation is shaped as it is and how these common experiences have impacted attributes and characteristics. Generational differences in the workplace are not a new topic. Karl Mannheim, considered to be the grandfather of generational research, defined a generation as a group of individuals of similar ages whose members have experiences and noteworthy events within a set period of time. In 1950, Karl Mannheim’s sociological theory said that when a group of people shares a common birth period they are cemented by significant events and social changes during that period. The events become a part of an individual’s identity and influence that person’s views on the world but also impact the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of all persons born in that time period to create a collective generational perspective.

When time is invested in understanding the differences, and people are provided the opportunity to discuss, share, and collaborate on ways in which the best of what each one brings to the workplace can be leveraged, everyone wins.

GenY/Millennials are sometimes labeled as having an entitlement mindset. While there are some obvious drawbacks about an entitlement attitude, are there potentially some positive qualities that accompany this mindset? 

Gen Y/Millennials do not see themselves as entitled, they just know what they know! Because of this, they often bring a confidence to their work that has taken other generations many years to embrace. Their mostly Baby Boomer parents have viewed the relationship with their offspring in a very different manner. Traditionalists raised their Boomer kids with the idea that “children are seen and not heard." Boomers shifted that mindset and put “Baby on Board” stickers on their cars indicating how precious and important was their cargo. Gen Y/Millennials have grown up believing they can because their parents, teachers, coaches, and counselors reflected the idea that you can be who you want to be, that what you have to say matters, and that you are special and important.

In your current engagement of designing a custom leadership program for an EB client, what has been the contributing factor(s) to the success of this project? 

From the beginning we have had the buy-in from the top of the organization, as they are clear that leadership development is key to future success. As a traditional organization, with a lot of tribal knowledge invested in their Baby Boomer population, they are aware of the potential brain drain that can occur, and as they invest in all levels of leadership, they are preparing the organization for a successful succession.

The department director has allowed the design team to be creative, out-of-the-box, and very innovative! No idea is a bad idea has been our motto. The results have been excellent! Participants have responded positively to a more experiential learning approach, where they are doing and interacting more of the time than in the traditional lecture approach. We are also using a variety of methods for engagement such as the virtual team. This team comes with an array of employees who represent some of the challenges that managers are faced with and they discuss in a safe environment how they would handle difficult conversations and what coaching and mentoring might look and sound like as they practice. To keep things exciting, some of these virtual team members come to life as the Learning & OD team takes on role play and becomes these employees, allowing participants to experience what a conversation might be like with a live actor.

What is your life’s motto? 

Listen when others speak. Seems simple, right? We do this all the time, or do we? Do we really HEAR what others say? Are we really paying attention or thinking ahead about our own list of things to do? All of us want to be heard and to know that what we say matters. In our super busy world we are often emotionally dismissed and left with that “whatever” feeling; it’s all transactional and makes no difference.

I try, though it can be tough, to listen when others talk. What are they saying? What are they not saying? What do they really have in mind? Do they just want to share, or do they need input, or most importantly, validation? Listen in. REALLY listen. You’ll be amazed at what you learn!

Any words of wisdom that our readers can put into practice today?

"We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” Anais Nin

It’s challenging to see things as others see them, but when we try to stand in the other people's shoes and look out from their vantage point, we gain an understanding of their perspective. It’s so easy to become wrapped up in our own ways and thoughts that we don’t allow enough mental space to see what others see.

Escoe Bliss is fortunate to count Diane Spiegel among our team of expert consultants! Be on the look out later this year as her new book will be available for purchase! The Gen Y Handbook: Applying Relationship Leadership to Engage Millennials will provide readers with a solid prospective of the Gen Y mindset and show how to successfully engage this generation of employees to produce and achieve. In the meantime, Ms. Spiegel will continue providing custom training and development solutions. For more information on Sage Leadership Tools and multi-generational leadership development for your business contact Escoe Bliss at 949.336.6444. 

The Eight Traits of Successful Leadership

Leadership means different things to different people. There are different leadership styles, approaches, and methods as well as differences among cultures and countries. When we get right down to the heart of the matter, leadership is a motivating way of interacting with people that inspires responsibility and commitment.

We have been blessed with many leadership lessons throughout the ages from biblical figures to U.S. presidents to military icons, and there are common characteristics that all great leaders possess.

Successful leaders genuinely care about others and are passionately motivated to make a positive difference in people's lives. They understand it is not about their own personal advancement and they put others first. They have the ability and desire to remove themselves from the equation and focus on people, purpose, and cause. Did Martin Luther King Jr. have a dream for himself? No. He stood for justice, peace, and righteousness for all.

Strong leaders are visionary. They have the ability to passionately articulate their visions in a way that makes others want to get involved. Passion is contagious.

What other characteristics do strong leaders share? Take a moment to reflect on someone you know who is a successful leader. What makes that person successful? Do you see the following traits?

Leadership Traits

1. Discipline. Strong leaders have the discipline to focus on the vision and direct the actions of their teams toward a specific goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A strong leader is always doing something in pursuit of the vision and inspiring others to do the same.

2. Integrity. Leaders who possess integrity do not veer from their inner values and therefore can be trusted to act consistently regardless of the situation. Building trust is a key trait of successful leaders.

3. Dedication. Successful leaders inspire dedication by walking the talk and leading by example. They do whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision and they set expectations for others to do the same. Setting an excellent example demonstrates the kind of behavior that creates dedicated teams who achieve great things.

4. Fairness. There are two aspects of this trait; giving credit where credit is due and dealing with people in a consistent manner. Successful leaders purposefully spread recognition as widely as possible to ensure everyone involved receives credit. A good leader also checks all the facts before reaching a decision to avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they are treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.

5. Approachability. Successful leaders listen to and encourage new ideas. They suspend judgment and accept new ways of doing things to build mutual respect and trust, and capture new ideas that can advance a vision.

6. Creativity. The most important question a leader can ask is, "What if …?" and then be open to a plethora of ideas that may ensue. Creativity is not just an innate ability that few people possess. Creativity is the ability to open the minds of others and let the possibilities flow to find new and innovative ways to reach goals.

7. Sense of Humor. This is vital to relieve tension, boredom, and defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize their people. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment and fosters good camaraderie.

8. Continuous Improvement. Successful leaders are always looking for new ways to learn, grow themselves and their people, and find new ways of doing things more efficiently. They are life-long learners who know their primary role is to teach.

Woodrow Wilson said it best when he said, "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself (and others) if you forget the errand."

Continuous learning and sharing enables effective leadership. People don't have to agree with you, but they do need to feel you're willing to share what you've learned to support their development and participation in a shared vision and journey to success.

General Electric's CEO Jeff Immelt has a checklist of 'Things Leaders Do' that he uses to teach up-and-coming leaders at GE. Topping that list is the ability to "like" people. Jeff states, "Today, it's employment at will. Nobody's here who doesn't want to be here. So, it's critical to understand people, to always be fair, and to want the best in them. And when it doesn't work, they need to know it's not personal." 

Summary

The hallmark of leadership is genuinely caring about others. Helping people grow, reach established goals, and acquire a sense of personal accomplishment and satisfaction are the keys to successful leadership that builds on a foundation of continuous learning and sharing. Effective corporate leadership is achieved through developing the ability to understand what drives individuals to take specific actions, and the skills to create opportunities for them to meet personal and organizational needs at the same time.

The following resources are chock-full of research-based information for those who want to lean more.

• Bass & Stogdill's Handbook of Leadership by Bernard M. Bass. There are hardbound and Kindle versions of this book for less than $100. 
• The Art and Science of Leadership

Blogging with Bliss contributor and EB consultant, Peggy Rang, MS.Ed, is an accomplished executive coach, certified trainer, instructional designer and distinguished speaker. She is the president and senior consultant of Rang Training and Consulting where she provides business coaching and training services for organizations looking to improve performance and increase talent retention.

Escoe Bliss Professional Resources will provide your organization with the expert consultation it needs to build successful leadership. Please contact us if we can partner with you on your leadership and training needs.

e-Learning Evolution

New technologies and systems are rolling out one after another. In order for companies to stay competitive and retain top talent, they need the ability to train employees in a convenient, effective, and affordable manner.

The training and development world is buzzing with the latest releases of e-learning software. Here's your opportunity to learn about the latest developments and how they will help your organization grow and stay competitive. In order to keep up with the pace of innovation, company trainers and facilitators need access to e-learning software products that enable the creator to build courses easily and effectively.

Articulate and Adobe Captivate are currently the front-runners of the available software options. Both have various advantages and are making e-learning projects more interesting, interactive, and user-friendly.

If your organization is in the market for a leading-edge e-learning tool, there are a number of factors to keep in mind as you begin the process:

Articulate

• Identify specific training needs. Think of it as a shopping list. You probably wouldn't head to the grocery store without a list, so before you start investing in software make sure you know which key ingredients are missing from your corporate cupboard.
  
• Talk to your team. Opening up the lines of communication will help identify needs and give the IT experts a chance to weigh in on which software may work best with your current system(s).
  



Adobe Captivate 5.5

• Do your research. Compare the cost and capability of available e-learning software. Articulate and Adobe offer software specifics and demos on their websites. Don't be afraid to use your network either. Colleagues in your industry and even your competitors may be willing to share their choices and experiences. 

Your e-learning needs and Escoe Bliss

We work with your organization to assess your e-learning needs within your budget. For information on how we can help create or complete a successful e-learning project, call (949) 336-6444.

WANTED: Guest Bloggers

Please excuse the short blog for today. We are training a new hire (who will be featured in next week's blog). For today, we would like to throw a branch out there in hopes that our readers will grab on. We currently have a featured e-learning guest blogger, Jenise Cook, who dazzles us every third Monday of the month and are looking for other experts in training, development, OD, change management, project management, writing and editing. If you have a creative blogging voice, provide educational and interesting content, please let us know. We want to give our followers the most bang for their buck and to capture more readers. This is a volunteer assignment that will not only help our readers, but give you and your capabilities additional exposure. If you are someone you know would be interested, please email Jolynn Atkins, Manager of Consulting Solutions at jatkins@escoebliss.com for more information.

Thank you!

Our best,
The Escoe Bliss team

Taking Performance Issues Beyond the Training Quick Fix

Wondering why training is not solving a performance issue?

My grandfather first taught me you can lead a horse to water, but that horse would have gone anyway when it was thirsty. My 20 years of training and development experience has also taught me the valuable skill of resisting the immediate urge to fix things with training when someone says there is a performance issue.

Like many of my business colleagues, I want to lead that horse to water, but with performance driving our organizational economic factors we need training to be more than a quick fix. It must be the key that unlocks ROI (Return on Investment).

If training is just a way to lead that horse to water, we have to rethink how the horse would solve the problem and realize that training is only part of the solution.

If you are a learning professional, the best thing you can do is have and use a process to understand why training is needed. What problem are you really trying to solve? Critical thinking skills and inquisitive instincts will help us understand the situation and determine the appropriate intervention to best solve the problem.

Begin by asking these 5 "W" questions:

1. Why is there a performance issue (supported with hard data and facts)?
2. What is the performance issue (gap between expectations and results)?
3. Who is involved?
4. When did the issue begin?
5. What happened prior to the issue occurring (consider environmental issues and any changes such as job, procedure, policy, management, etc. Information/data for the previous 6 months is helpful if available)?

With this information we can create a performance improvement plan that will produce meaningful and lasting results. We will have an action plan for implementation and anticipated metrics to measure and demonstrate results.

Our guest blogger, Peggy Rang, M.Ed., is a Training and Performance Improvement Consultant.

Why Use an e-Learning Consultant?

No matter how you spell it, e‑Learning or eLearning, one day you and your organization will need assistance with your Web‑based, performance‑improvement initiative. That is, you need to publish learning activities online. Whether you are new to e‑Learning or you need to add talent to an existing, in‑house team, you can add value to your project by working with an e-Learning consultant. In addition, a consultant brings several savings to your organization.

First, as you may know, hiring a new employee doesn’t always happen overnight. It takes time to:

• Decide and describe the skills and qualifications the e-Learning professional must have.
• Get an employment requisition approved internally.
• Recruit and hire a full-time equivalent (FTE) addition to your staff.

By the time you bring a new employee on board, you may have lost two to three months of dedicated work on your e-Learning project. You can save time by using an e-Learning consultant.

Second, your organization can realize hard-dollar “savings” through what it won’t pay out in direct salary and fringe benefits. You don’t need to worry about paying for the e-Learning consultant’s benefits.

How Can Escoe Bliss Help You?

With over 15 years of leadership in consulting and workforce learning and performance, the professionals at Escoe Bliss have a large database of local talent at their fingertips. They can quickly assess your needs for an e-Learning consultant, and work within your organization’s budget. They can find the talent who will help you bring your e-Learning project to successful completion.

**Jenise Cook will be a featured blogger for the Escoe Bliss team throughout 2010. Jenise is a documentation design, e-learning development, and media production professional. You can look for her e-Learning related blogs on the 3rd Monday of every month. **