The Exclusive Online Magazine for Administrative Professionals

August/September2015

FEATURES:No Gimmick Memory I’m Not That SpecialEmbracing Corporate Chaos

AdminAdvantage

A GLIMPSE INTO THE OFFICE OF THE FUTURE:From Cutting-Edge Administrative Skills to Why Admins Love Their Jobs

2

Top 7 Time-Saving Tools To SuperchargeYour Social Media Marketing WITHOUTAdding To Your Workload!

14

CONTENTSof August/September ‘15

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A Glimpse Into The Office Of The Future:From Cutting-Edge Administrative Skills to Why Admins Love Their Jobs

18

I’m Not That Special10

No Gimmick Memory: 10 Simple Strategies for Remembering the Names of Every Single Person You Meet

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Embracing Corporate Chaos - Keeping Your Head When It All Goes Awry

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AT FIRST I WAS EMBARRASSED. ME, A CAT, LIVING WITH A SINGLE GUY. BUT WHEN I WATCH HIM PICK SOMETHING UP WITH HIS HANDS AND EAT IT, I CAN’T HELP BUT LOVE HIM.

— MARU adopted 01-10-10

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No Gimmick Memory: 10 Simple Strategies for Remembering the Names of Every Single Person You Meetby Lynne M Curry

You’re walking down the street, and meet someone whose name you should

remember. You don’t. You try to get by with a warm greeting. It almost works.

Then, another friend joins both of you and waits to be introduced. You’re

embarrassed. The other person remembers your name; you’ve forgotten his.

You’re not sure whether you’ve simply got a poor memory or if you’re showing

early signs of senility.

CAREER

7 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

CAREER

If you’d like to possess a memory for names, try

these simple strategies - they’ll make a world of

difference in your ability to remember names.

LOOK AT THE PERSON WHEN YOU HEAR THE NAME When you’re meeting a person, you’re often

looking elsewhere. If a third person is introducing

you, you’re normally looking at the person who

is doing the introductions or is speaking. If a

customer comes up to the counter you’re working

at, you’re generally looking at the paperwork

you’ve just assembled. If you’ve just come into

a room full of people at a party, and are being

introduced to others, your attention is often

“inside” your own head, focused on how you look.

Since memory is highly associative (one thing

links with another), looking at a person when

you’re first meeting him or her helps you link the

sound of the new name with the face. Then,

when you later look at the face, you’ll be more

likely to remember the name.

MAKE SURE YOU HEAR THE NAME CLEARLY Often, introductions are rushed and names are

mumbled or slurred. If this happens, ask the

person to repeat his or her name. If you hear only

a mumble, that’s what you’ll remember. And, if

you realize several minutes into a conversation

you were too distracted to hear the name initially,

ask for it again. You can’t memorize what you

haven’t heard.

WHEN YOU HEAR THE NAME, REPEAT IT AT ONCE INSIDE YOUR OWN HEAD Your memory isn’t failing you, you’re failing your

memory.

Repeating a name increases your chances of

remembering a name by 30 percent. If you

remember repeating poems in grade school until

they were memorized, you realize that repetition

works. While something repeated once a day for

eight days is generally remembered for months,

something heard only once is at least two-thirds

forgotten by the end of the first day. If you want

to remember a name, at least repeat the name in

your head when you first hear it.

IF THE NAME IS UNUSUAL OR HARD TO REMEMBER, ASK THE PERSON TO SPELL IT OR SPELL IT SILENTLY YOURSELF Because it is easier to remember visual than

auditory information, we often take a mental

snapshot of a person’s name without realizing

it. When you meet a person named Joe or

Mary, your mind quickly “sees” “Joe” or “Mary.”

However, when you meet a person with an

unusual name such as “Tanzeem,” your mind

hears that the sound is difficult and takes no

snapshot. What you later remember is not the

name, but instead that the name was “different.”

Because you already tend to remember names

visually, assist yourself by spelling difficult names

either out loud or silently. Once you’ve seen Mr.

Tanzeem or Ms. Ahnangatoguk’s name in letters,

it becomes easier to remember. While the sound

8

of the name may vanish into the reaches of

memory, the spelling will remain.

SAY THE PERSON’S NAME OUT LOUD EARLY IN THE CONVERSATION When you meet someone, you probably say

“hello,” and then give your own name. If instead

you say, “Hello, Joe Banks, I’m Lynne Curry,”

you’ll increase your chances of remembering

the person’s name by 50 percent. Out loud

repetition is even more effective than silent

repetition because you’re more actively working

your memory.

USE THE NAME IN CONVERSATION Using a person’s name in the first three minutes

after meeting a person increases your chance

of remembering the name when you next meet

him or her. The repetition reinforces the linkage

between the person’s face and his name.

Once you’ve practiced repeating new

acquaintances’ names, you’ll notice that there

are many opportunities to use anyone’s name

in conversation without it sounding strange.

You’ll also notice that most people like hearing

their own name.

USE THE NAME WHEN EXITING THE CONVERSATION If you’ll use the person’s name one last time as

you end a conversation with them, for example, “It

was good to meet you, Joe,” you’ll likely capture

the name in memory for weeks.

CAREER

TURN YOUR MEMORY ON BY MOTIVATION If you’ve raised teenagers, you know many of them

forget to do things you ask, but can remember the

names of everyone in a music group or the batting

average of every player on their favorite team. We

remember what we want to.

Thus, if you want to increase your chances of

remembering something, start by considering why

it’s important for you to remember it. The more

attention you focus on what’s happening around

you, the more you’ll notice and remember.

WRITE THE NAME Visual memory is stronger than auditory or verbal

memory. If you’ve ever made a list of items to buy

at the store and left the list at home, you probably

noticed you could recall all or most of the items on

the list. Simply writing a name and looking at it will

increase your chances of remembering the name.

GIVE MEMORY A CHANCE When you meet a person weeks after the

first meeting, give your memory a chance.

We expect our memory to be instant. When

we first see a person, we expect the name to

immediately flash across our mind.

Since memory holds a huge quantity of

information, it takes several seconds for our

minds to process many associations and come

up with the right name. If you expect an instant

remembrance, your memory can appear to

shut down as anxiety forms a sure-fire barrier

that blocks memory. So, give your memory a

chance.

Relax and think back to anything you can

remember about the person. Associated events

and information help your sorting process,

and by remaining calm you give your mental

searching process a chance to work. If you

need to, you can buy yourself time by clearing

your throat, adjusting your glasses or taking a

deep breath.

REMEMBER Would you like to be able to remember the

names of the people you meet? If so, look at

people when you first meet them so you’ll be

able to later link the sound of their name to

their faces. Make sure you hear new names

clearly - you can’t memorize what you can’t

clearly hear. Say the name out loud in greeting

and in conversation if you can. If not, mentally

repeat the name to yourself. If the name is

unusual, try to spell it. And finally - give

your memory a chance to work and exercise

it daily.

CAREER

9 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

10

I’m Not That Special

by Adele Michal

I know I do. I confess to having “Accomplishment

Envy”, and in the past it made me insecure about

my own abilities and what I offer to my clients.

You can believe this envy negatively impacted

my ability to sell with confidence!. When you

don’t think you’re that special, it’s all too easy

to avoid this essential key to your marketing

communications and client attraction strategies.

Let’s change that now.

Do you ever say, “I’m not that

special”, to yourself when you

hear someone give a great intro

at a networking event, hear the bio of a

successful person in your industry, or read

about the accomplishments of a well-

known and highly respected person?

CAREER

11 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 11

You do not need to be the most successful coach

on the planet, the most extroverted mortgage

broker, or the best salesperson of health care

services to have a unique differentiator. Nor do you

need a million certifications, numerous awards,

or a college education to make a difference in

someone else’s life.

What you need is a willingness to affirm your

value, your gifts, and your desire to serve others

through your work. Your background, your

experiences, and your talents are your calling

card to more clients, affecting more positive

change, and more income in your business.

To break it down and to get to your unique

differentiator, consider your answers to these

questions. Be sure to write them down for a

deeper dive into your differentiator.

YOUR BACKGROUND Where are you from?

Did you move around a lot or live in one place

during your growing up years?

Is your family new to this country or have they

been here for a long time?

Where were you educated?

What did you study?

What are some common threads in your interests

since you were young?

How does your background influence your

business today?

YOUR EXPERIENCES What led you to do the work you do today?

Was there a single turning point or a gradual

coming together of your interests into your

current business and services?

What jobs did you do before you began your

business?

How does your former work experience inform

your work now?

What do you particularly love about what you

do now?

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What is the most satisfying aspect of your

current work?

How have your experiences enriched you and

what you offer your clients?

YOUR TALENTS What have people told you that you are good at

over the years?

What activities do you find the easiest to do?

(This is a really good clue to your talents!)

What special training have you sought out or

been offered through your workplace that you

use today?

Where have you put in 10,000 hours? This

question refers to Malcolm Gladwell’s finding

that mastery in just about anything takes 10,000

hours (about 10 years) which he writes about in

his book, Blink.

What would you do for free if you weren’t running

a for-profit business? (Another talent clue!)

How do you apply these talents and interests to

your business today?

Look at your answers to see the picture that

emerges here. This is your story. It impacts you,

your clients, and your sales every day.

What are you proud of?

What are you working on to improve?

In a few words, what stands out to you about

your answers?

In what ways do you perceive yourself

differently now?

Doing this exercise gives you a deeper

appreciation of yourself, your talents and

interests, and your unique differentiator. No one

has traveled the same road as you have.

Now for the application:

How can you work what you’ve discovered

into a brief story to include in your intro at a

networking event?

What can you say to a prospective client to

communicate your understanding of his/her

situation that you can help with?

What details can you include to inspire your

listeners at a presentation so they know you have

faced challenges similar to theirs and are just the

person to help them address these issues?

Let me ask you now, “How are you special?” I’ll

bet you have your own unique answer to that

question now. Now go share it with others! You

never know whom you will inspire or enroll as a

new client.

Adele Michal is known as the Make More

Money Mentor because she works with

Women Entrepreneurs to help them attract

more clients and make more income in their

business. For over 20 years Adele has helped

her clients understand their value and be paid

what they are worth. To learn more: http://www.

womenmakemoremoney.com

CAREER

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14

Top 7 Time-Saving Tools To Supercharge Your Social Media Marketing WITHOUT Adding To Your Workload!by Amanda Goldman-Petri 

TRAINING

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15 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

With all of the hard work it

takes to get your business

up, running, and profitable,

it’s no wonder why so many

entrepreneurs struggle to find the time to

maintain their social media presence.That’s

why I’ve invested in figuring out little social

media “hacks” - tools and methods I can

use to maintain my presence, grow my

followers, and make money with social media

WITHOUT actually adding to my workload

each day.

In this article you are going to discover 7 of those

time-saving social media tools:

1) Tweet Adder - With this piece of software, you

can automate sending Direct Messages to new

Twitter followers (a great way to offer your followers

free gifts for following you on Twitter, thereby

building your list in a completely automated way).

You can also quickly and easily generate lists of

relevant people to follow without ever having to log

in to the Twitter platform. Easy peasy!

2) Pay With a Tweet - With this piece of software,

you can offer followers an alternative to opting

in with their name/email address. Instead, they

can “pay with a tweet”(they tweet a message

out on their Twitter profile, and in exchange, you

give them access to your offer). I like to use this

to kill 2 birds with one stone: adding value to my

list, and building my list. The way this is done is

by only allowing existing newsletter subscribers

the option to pay with a tweet. When your

subscribers send their tweets out, the tweets

will contain a link leading back to a landing page

which DOES require an opt in. So anyone who

clicks from their tweet is then required to opt in to

the mailing list, thereby growing your list (again,

without any added work)!

3) Meet Edgar - The typical social media scheduling

softwares that entrepreneurs use (ie. Hoot Suite

and Sprout Social) still require quite a bit of manual

work because you have to enter the days and

times that the posts go out for each profile. You

also can’t re-use content automatically (you have

to actually re-enter it in the system). With Meet

Edgar, you can load in a bunch of content in bulk

and let Edgar choose when to schedule them.

And, the more content you post, the smarter

Edgar gets (so if a certain post is getting a lot of

traction, Edgar will re-use it automatically to help

increase engagement on your pages). Love it!

4) Fan of the Week - This app is a great way to

show some love for you most active fans on your

Facebook fan pages. Each week, the software

evaluates which of your fans was the most

engaging on your profile, and will reward the fan

by announcing them as the “Fan of the Week”.

This is an easy and automated way to keep your

followers happy!

5) Hub Spot Blog Topic Generator - One of the most

TRAINING

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challenging parts about social media is coming

up with stuff to post about. This includes coming

up with blogs to syndicate on your social media.

With this tool, you can enter in a couple words

related to what you want to write about, and it will

generate a list of blog topic ideas for you.

6) Canva - Unless you’re a graphic designer,

creating branded graphics for your social media

posts can be a pain in the neck (and if you hire

people to do it for you, it can cost a pretty penny).

I’m techy, but I’m not a designer, so what I do

instead is use Canva to create my social media

graphics. I customize their Free Layouts with my

brand colors, images of myself, and quotes or

messages that would resonate with my followers.

7) WooBox - This one’s pretty neato, because you

can do quite a lot with it: Contests, Coupons,

Quizzes, Polls, Social Media Landing Pages,

and more. But the social media “hack” and time

saver feature they one that allows you to set it

up so that whatever you post on your Fan Page

automatically posts to your Twitter. Now, the

downside of this is that your content on these

platforms is the same (so why should someone

bother to follow you on Twitter?) and if you post a

longer post, it’ll show up weird on Twitter. But, if

you’re super strapped for time, keep the length of

your posts in mind, and set up another means for

why people should follow you on Twitter (ie. giving

followers a unique freebie for Twitter followers

only, using Tweet Adders Direct Messaging

feature mentioned in #1), then it’s totally worth it.

Armed with these 7 social media tools, you will

be able to build a following of fans who love

you without having to sacrifice hours each day

to coming up with content, creating posts, and

thinking of ways to create engagement. (woohoo!)

Now go out there and get sh*t done!

TRAINING

If you love hanging out on social media, like

I do, I welcome you to join my Weekly Biz

Exercises Facebook Group - a community

for business owners who want actionable

tips, strategies, and exercises they can

easily implement for more clients and more

cash, each and every week.

Join at: http://bit.ly/bizexercises

17 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

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A GLIMPSE INTO THE OFFICE OF THE FUTURE:From Cutting-Edge Administrative Skills to Why Admins Love Their Jobsby Robert Hosking, OfficeTeam

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CAREER

19 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

If you’ve been an administrative professional

in the past decade, you’ve experienced

first-hand the revolution taking place in your

field. Admins have been entrusted with greater

responsibilities and expanding roles. To help

you navigate this dynamic terrain is Office

of the Future (https://www.roberthalf.com/

officeteam/research/office-of-the-future), a

research project developed by OfficeTeam and

the International Association of Administrative

Professionals. Following are some of the latest

highlights from this study:

CAREER

FACTORS SHAPING ADMINISTRATIVE ROLES Subsequent to the global recession of early 2008,

many businesses were forced to lay off staff,

and to become creative in covering necessary

functions. Admins stepped up and proved they

are more than capable of tackling a breadth

of new tasks. Many performed administrative

skills well beyond the scope of what had once

been expected. While administrative staff of the

past made coffee and took care of secretarial

duties, today’s support professionals do much

more, from troubleshooting tech problems and

managing projects to creating presentations and

handling social media.

 

IN-DEMAND ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES After accomplishing this broader scope of

duties with aplomb and deftness, administrative

professionals’ jobs descriptions became more

detailed. As a result, some of the most sought-

after skills and qualities today include:

TIME MANAGEMENT. The Office of the Future

project highlighted that this was the administrative

skill employers prized most. Your ability to

juggle multiple deadlines and get everything

done accurately and on time helps keep the

organization running smoothly.

Organizational skills. Thirty percent of both support

professionals and managers identified this as the

top administrative skill. Administrative staff are

during your growing up years?

Is your family new to this country or have they

been here for a long time?

Where were you educated?

What did you study?

What are some common threads in your interests

since you were young?

How does your background influence your

business today?

YOUR EXPERIENCES What led you to do the work you do today?

Was there a single turning point or a gradual

coming together of your interests into your

current business and services?

What jobs did you do before you began your

business?

How does your former work experience inform

your work now?

What do you particularly love about what you

do now?

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

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organized physically and mentally. The office and

your workspace are tidy, and you’re informed and

able to find answers to questions about every

project, report and meeting.

Excellent communication. Admins interact with

everyone from board presidents to vendors, so

it’s crucial they have exceptional communication

abilities, both verbal and written. Employers rely

on your ability to draft professional and effective

emails, and to succinctly convey information in

person and over the phone.

Tech abilities. Top administrative professionals are

savvy with software and hardware. Your boss

and colleagues come to you for help with Word

formatting, Excel spreadsheets and syncing

issues. Today’s admins are on top of tech trends

and don’t shy away from devices, apps and

platforms that help the office and your boss

become more productive and efficient.

Adaptability. Sixty-one percent of administrative

professionals and 38 percent of managers identified

flexibility as the most desirable quality. The workday

expectations can shift on a dime. However, as an

outstanding admin, you’ve honed your ability to be

flexible and maintain your composure. You are the

epitome of grace under pressure.

Positive attitude. You embrace a diverse workload

and keep your cool. Through trial and error, you

have developed a steely resolve even when

working with rude people. You do your work with

enthusiasm, greet others with a smile and infuse

the workplace with a positive vibe. Managers

value this kind of can-do attitude in an admin.

SOME MYTHS ABOUT ADMINS THAT WON’T DIE There are many misperceptions about what

admins’ jobs entail. Some have faded over time.

Here are four that haven’t quite fizzled out yet:

 

1. Your job is a piece of cake. There are people who

believe that being an administrative professional

is a simple job requiring the most basic skills. If

only they had to fill your shoes for a day. A typical

admin’s day includes juggling multiple office

deadlines, attending meetings and onboarding

new hires, while keeping on top of office

maintenance requests, correspondence and

record keeping. Rockstar admins boast top-notch

skills in problem solving, diplomacy, multitasking

and confidentiality.

2. It’s not a career. On the contrary, there’s great

potential for lucrative careers in this field. As you

hone your administrative skills and gain experience,

you can attain senior and managerial roles.

3. You’ll work for peanuts. As support staff take

on more responsibilities, their work merits higher

pay. And according to the OfficeTeam Salary

Guide (http://www.roberthalf.com/officeteam/

administrative-salary-center), the salary percent

increase for in-demand positions such as executive

and administrative assistants, as well as those in

21 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 21

healthcare, HR and customer service, are expected

to exceed the national average of 3.8 percent.

4. The profession is becoming outmoded.

Automation will continue to make some jobs

obsolete, but office administration is not

likely to fade away anytime soon. According

to the Oxford University study (http://www.

oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/

The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), “The Future

of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to

Computerisation?,” the jobs with the least risk of

being made obsolete by automation are those

that call for social perceptiveness, negotiation,

persuasion, assisting people and other social

intelligence skills. So while a machine can handle

dictation and transcription, it can’t calm an angry

client. Robots are great at repetitive tasks, but not

with planning special events or building strong

customer relationships.

ADMINS LOVE THEIR JOBS! Support professionals find a great deal of

satisfaction in their careers.

Here are some reasons:

Helping people. The best administrative staff

have a passion for customer service. They enjoy

solving problems, being proactive and fulfilling

clients’, coworkers’ and executives’ requests.

Everyone you support would have a harder time

doing his or her job well if it weren’t for you.

Managing projects. Administrative professionals

today oversee large and complex projects, such

as planning conferences and coordinating video

shoots. Project management may be stressful,

but it boosts your organizational and leadership

skills, setting you up for promotions.

Enjoying career flexibility. With your well-honed

administrative skills, you can work in practically

any industry in any city. Most organizations

— whether they be media, tech, academia or

corporate legal — need solid coordinators and

administrative assistance. 

Even as technologies and trends change, the need

for top-notch support personnel remains relevant.

It’s a good feeling knowing you’re an indispensable

and respected part of a team. To go further in your

field, stay up to date on key administrative skills

and keep rising to the challenge.

Robert Hosking is executive director of

OfficeTeam, the nation’s leading staffing

service specializing in the temporary

placement of highly skilled administrative

and office support professionals.

OfficeTeam has more than 300 locations

worldwide and offers online job search

services at www.officeteam.com. Connect

with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter,

Google+, Pinterest and the OfficeTeam blog.

22

Embracing Corporate Chaos - Keeping Your Head When It All Goes Awry

It happens to the best of us: you’re

moving right along, in a nice little

groove, and then BAM! The fit hits

the shan, and you lose all semblance

of control over your workflow. Efficiency

and productivity become too hard to say,

let alone achieve. Now you’re stuck in

a rut, holding your head in your hands

and wondering how you got there and

how you’re going to trudge through.

Don’t fight it, and don’t start treating your

desk like a pinata. Keep reading to learn

how to deal when you get blindsided by

corporate chaos.

CAREER

QUITTING REACHES NEW HEIGHTS There are many reasons things go haywire,

and I’m not talking about Mercury Retrograde

or atmospheric interference. More Americans

are quitting their jobs than ever in the past five

years, to the tune of roughly 2.5 million people

per month (or 30 million annually) Source:

Forbes.com. Fewer employees means more

responsibility for everyone else - hiring, training,

picking up the slack. Recruiting can be a lengthy

and disruptive process.

ANTICIPATE SOURCES (AND RECOGNIzE SYMPTOMS) OF CHAOS The Third Quarter is a Hectic Time in General

The July-September months on many

by Jessica Champion

23 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

companies’ Outlook calendars are likely filled with

the most cumulative days and weeks blocked

out for vacations than any other time of year

(even rivaling the winter holidays, we would bet).

Not only that, but in the third quarter companies

analyze the past 6-8 months as they position

themselves for Q4 and end-of-year planning and

strategy. Budgets may be limited, things might

not be going as well as anticipated, you may be

ramping up or switching directions reactively, or

you may be taking on more projects than ever

before (especially if things are going really well).

BE PROACTIVE: ANTICIPATE CHAOTIC EVENTS This applies to the entire year, not just the third

quarter. But if you consider Q3 a chaotic event

in itself, then by all means, plan way ahead.

Planning is preparedness, so expecting the

unexpected can carry you through stressful times

with ease. In terms of the third quarter, if you

know you’ll be stressed trying to accumulate lots

of data from the beginning of the year, present

reports, plan and strategize for Q4, create

marketing campaigns, conduct review meetings,

and analyze profit/loss to come up with next

year’s budget, it may be wise to work around the

many vacations that could be scheduled during

the summer months.

Identify your key stakeholders and rainmakers

and try to grab the lion’s share of their attention

on important matters before they go away, with

follow-ups and action items already scheduled

upon their return. Of course, give them a couple

of days to catch up and get back into the swing

of things, but being proactive this way will

definitely alleviate some of the challenges of the

third quarter and prevent you from feeling stuck

taking care of everything alone.

HAVE CONTINGENCY PLANS IN PLACE Knowing what’s at stake, having a recovery time

objective, and simulating mock crisis scenarios

are all things which will help you identify and avoid

threats to your success. If you have a break-

even number in mind for an important initiative,

come up with a backup plan in case you don’t

hit that number. If a special project requires a

certain amount of key personnel, organize a

small committee within that team to keep things

on track, and create a plan in case anyone on

the team has an emergency or needs to leave

the group. Leave no stone unturned in your

preparations and you’ll be ahead of the curve.

MONITOR MARKET FEEDBACK Companies who are oblivious to how they’re

perceived in the public eye are dangerously

uninformed. If you aren’t checking in with your

followers and adjusting your approach when

necessary, you could be missing the mark in

many important areas. In keeping with the theme

of being proactive, constantly checking in with

customers and knowing how they feel about

your business is key to staying on track. Do you

facilitate and welcome customer feedback? At

the very least, you should have a contact form on

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24

your website, but I recommend a link to a survey,

which can be placed on your website, social

media profiles, and emailed out to past and

present customers.

Another approach to monitoring your brand

perception is to establish profiles on popular

directory sites, like Yelp and The Yellow Pages.

When prospects search for your business online,

the more results you have the better. Also, make

sure you have an active voice on social media

in order to allow the public to interact with

your brand, and check on your engagement

consistently by evaluating the performance of

your content across all channels and following

up when necessary. Thanking people for sharing

and interacting with your brand will multiply

your presence and likelihood of word of mouth

referrals - the kind of metrics you can’t predict.

HIRING AND FIRING ARE HARD ON EVERYONE Whether dissatisfied employees quit, great

employees relocate, or bad employees get

laid off, hiring and firing are hard on everyone

- particularly HR, operations, and your

administrative/support staff. Whether a company

finds its back against the wall in the event of a

shrinking staff or needs to aggressively recruit

due to rapid growth, many departments are

thrust into panic mode. They’re asked to take

on more work to manage the workflow of the

departed employees and keep things functioning

smoothly, or they may be expected to interrupt

their normal responsibilities to get involved in the

recruiting process.

AVOID STAFFING DILEMMAS: RECOGNIzE WHEN EMPLOYEES ARE UNHAPPY If you catch any of your employees playing the

card game Corporate Chaos (yes, it’s real) in the

cafeteria, you may be too late. Studies show

that there’s a vast misconception surrounding

the reasons people leave jobs. Most employers

think their employees leave for sunnier skies,

greener pastures, and more money. While this

is true a fraction of the time, the truth is that

people usually quit people, not their jobs.

THE BEST WAY TO APPRECIATE YOUR PEOPLE IS TO RUN YOUR BUSINESS EFFECTIVELY SO THAT THEY DON’T HAVE TO STRUGGLE Among the feedback from happy employees

about their favorite places to work lie valuable

clues for any organization. Turns out, culture

is just as important as pay. Make sure you’re

keeping up with the times by allowing your

millennials room to grow in ways that are

conducive to them. Fostering professional

development means more than mandating that

someone clocks in and out at a set time every

day and spends a concrete amount of hours

behind a desk. Many top-recruiting companies

are aware that one of the major keys to growth

is giving their employees freedom, which can

be a touchy subject for old-school employers.

The ability to telecommute, work remotely, and

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25 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

adjust one’s own hours proportionate to their

workload are all things that many modern job-

seekers consider non-negotiable when searching

for opportunities. Other value-adds are adequate

paid vacation time, family and sick time separate

from vacation days, excellent benefits, a great

401k program, and perks like life insurance and

bonus compensation.

TREAT YOUR PEOPLE LIKE PEOPLE AND THEY’LL LOVE YOU BACK Invest in your employees’ personal growth

too, and you’ll surely win their loyalty. Offering

seminars and workshops at a discount (or

footing the bill entirely) is a great way to keep

your people motivate and striving. Partial tuition

reimbursement programs, inviting guest speakers

to meetings once in a while, being active in

the community, fundraising, and hosting nice

company events are all things which boost

morale and nurture a team environment as well

as personal development.

Give your people all the tools they need to

succeed. Be responsive and follow up regularly.

Be accountable. Ask your employees what their

goals are. Check in to see how they’re doing, not

just how a project is going. Don’t have an agenda

when you approach someone - be genuine. Give

them a long enough leash to make you proud

of them without being micro managed. Don’t be

hands off - if you’re rarely around, unresponsive

and terrible at follow-up, you’re not exactly

inviting your people to come check in with you.

Be open to all feedback, positive and negative.

Be receptive and not averse to change.

Encourage a candid environment. Promote

a work-life balance. If you recognize trends

with employee concerns, be sure to establish

procedures to correct those issues. Be a good

listener. Encourage your people. Don’t make

them beg for raises - figure merit increases and

cost-of-living supplements into your annual

budget for any employees who have put in a

year or more. Remember, they’re working for you

more than they’re at home with their families.

They deserve to be treated well.

OF COURSE, A LITTLE FUN AND SOME INCENTIVES NEVER HURT If you really want to see a decrease in employee

turnover, make your company a fun place to

work. Show your employees that you are grateful

for them by planning impromptu or surprise

festivities (with enough advance notice for

people to make plans to attend). Have friendly

contests and give out prizes. Promote jeans day,

pot luck luncheons, or sneaker day. Host brief

morning huddles and share nothing but positive

news, even if it’s personal in nature. Be human

- pay attention to your employees’ personal

lives and distribute gift cards (or a hand-signed

Hallmark card at the very least) when they have a

significant life event.

Bring in breakfast or lunch once a week. Take

a survey of your employees’ interests and plan

a quarterly event that caters to some of them

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26

- maybe one quarter you have a sign-up sheet

for a baseball game and the next quarter, to a

musical or play. These kinds of team-building

exercises take everyone’s mind off the problems

and tensions of everyday business and facilitate

work bonding. Giving your employees a reason

to look forward to coming to work other than

just doing their job and staying out of trouble will

create rock solid company culture, which will

protect your reputation and inherently contribute

to your growth.

EXPERIENCING GROWING (OR SLOWING) PAINS Milestones like expansion and relocation,

rebranding, the creation and launch of new

products/offerings and positions, and even

downsizing can dramatically impact a business

from the top down, causing disorder, confusion

and turmoil if not handled appropriately from the

start. If a company’s objectives and goals aren’t

clearly communicated to its employees, chances

are there will be many hiccups and bumps in the

road (with a likelihood of dampened morale in the

forecast). The direction of the company should

be aligned with the corporate structure and

culture in order to keep business from imploding.

RELOCATION AND EXPANSION: MAKING IT EASIER ON EVERYONE If your business is in growth mode, relocation and

expansion can be very exciting (and hectic). Don’t

wait until 30 days out to start planning, unless you

want your employees to jump ship. Of course it’s

always wise to address operational functions and

create plans and safeguards for your documents,

equipment, and other business essentials well

in advance, but preparing your employees for a

move could be even more important.

A crucial part of the planning process is making

your employees feel like they have a say in what’s

happening. Don’t just announce that you’re

moving and expect everyone to jump onboard

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27 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

joyously with new tasks and an increased

workload. Any kind of change will affect their

lives in some way, and they may be feeling

apprehensive. When you announce the news of

a move or another location, be sure to include

a written commitment to schedule a series of

meetings dedicated to addressing their concerns.

Set up a special email address specifically meant

to field questions regarding the change, and

be sure to incorporate the answering of those

questions into a weekly conference call, meeting,

memo, email blast, or other form of employee

inter-office communication.

Finding out how your employees feel and taking

their feedback seriously will help soften the blow

and make everyone more excited about (or at

least less opposed to) the process.

CHAOS DISRUPTS COMMUNICATION One sign of corporate slow-down is decreased

or inadequate communication from management

to employees. Any change or decrease in

communication frequency and style can

subconsciously alert your employees to underlying

chaos, triggering panic or unrest. Be sure to

always maintain open lines of communication,

clearly outlining expectations and corporate

directives, and remember to be respectful and

considerate regardless of what’s going on.

CHAOS CAN BE GOOD TOO - IT’S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT How you handle any kind of corporate chaos

Join the conversation: How do you keep

things in check at work when things start

getting crazy? What’s your best advice for

managing corporate chaos?

25 Hours Consulting helps companies

mitigate chaos by communicating their

message with precision and creativity,

taking marketing worries off their hands.

Visit our website

at http://www.25hoursconsulting.com/

for more information on content marketing

and how it can improve your business.

Copyright 2015 Jessica Champion and 25

Hours Consulting, LLC. All rights reserved.

CAREER

is by far more important than its occurrence in

the first place. Change is inevitable, so being

adaptable and resilient are necessary for growth

and preservation. Having a clear corporate

strategy, communicating professionally, mastering

the art of responsiveness and follow-up, making

your employees feel important, being a hands-on

manager without being a micro-manager, and

being humble, receptive and real are all ingredients

in the recipe for success. When you embrace

change and foster a harmonious environment,

your company will be securely positioned on the

fast track to triumph over any kind of chaos that

the world brings your way.

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