December 2006
Email: gcohen@co2partners.com
Dear Readers;
One of our friends shared this little morsel and I thought that everyone could appreciate the good news!
Chuck Rogers, a self employed marketing consultant, has won his company's 'Employee of the Month Award' for a record 23 months in a row. Said Rogers , "I began the award program nearly two years ago when my psychologist and business coach suggested that I needed to create a company plan for maintaining employee moral and building self-esteem."
Rogers, who works alone from his home office, has received 100% of the votes for the 'Employee of the Month Award' since its inception. Said Rogers, "It feels really good every time I win the award. I am always surprised and flattered when the winner is announced. But the best part is that I get to use the special parking spot set aside for the winner. It is right next to the house. You can't imagine what a benefit that has been!"
Happy Holidays &
Best Regards, 
Gary Cohen
| Whom do you turn to for advice at work? |
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I received 3,447 responses to this Internet survey question, and 90% of respondents were middle- and senior-level managers. The results are illustrated above. Supervisors should be the first place employees look for advice, but only 11% do. Why?
The bottom line is that supervisors can’t be trusted. This lack of trust generally can be traced to four sources. First, supervisors are responsible for evaluating their employees’ performance. As such, employees (especially if they’re relatively high up in the organization) don’t want to reveal weakness or ignorance to their immediate superiors. After all, this information could wind up on their performance reviews.
Second, organizational leaders don’t do a good enough job of revealing their own weaknesses and knowledge gaps. Unless leaders do this—repeatedly, convincingly, and authentically—their reports won’t come to them for advice. It’s just too much of a professional risk.
Third, supervisors emit signals, if not outright statements, that they are too busy to be bothered. They might also unreasonably expect their employees to be completely self-reliant or to already know all the answers. Last, supervisors might simply be adhering to the organizational culture dictated by their bosses or employers. In this case, supervisors are simply passing the distrust down the line.
If you want your employees to come to you, rather than seek counsel from peers, spouses, other senior partners, friends, or (worst of all) no one, prove that you are worthy of their trust. Make it clear that mistakes or knowledge gaps are opportunities for improvement, not signs of weakness. Questions not only open dialogue, they increase efficiency (by enabling the asker to avoid pointless pursuits). Instill in your charges the following message: To ask a question is to take responsibility.
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