10/24/09

Are You In Uncharted Terriroty?

Is this really uncharted territory?

Last week’s “From The Desk of Gman” brought a tremendous barrage of Emails. And although every single one of them was in favor of my message, the Emails themselves seem to contain mixed messages with regards the thought process. I would like to share a few of the messages, but I want to clarify to the executive/owner levels within this readership, the following;

1. A good leader will actively solicit ideas, suggestions and future plans from their staff and/or employees.
2. The message wasn’t about hammering employees into submission, but to extract and utilize their talented contributions. And with that said, I truly hope this doesn’t continue to be uncharted territory for you.
3. The method isn’t, “….do it my way…..OR comply or fly….OR it’s just business!”
4. The discussion about long term employees was and is relevant because;
a. They have a tendency to “make you feel comfortable” and that masks the real problems
b. The finger is never pointed at them, it’s always somebody else’s fault
c. They are the supreme authority and no matter what lip service they may give, they are always right
d. They will do and say anything to “save their space” within the organization
5. You must remember that a leader is someone who people WANT to follow and a manager is one who is appointed. Ask yourself the following and don’t rationalize or lie to yourself with regards the intrinsic answers;
a. Does your manager/leader have a reputation that everybody seems to dislike him/her?
b. Have you lost good employees without a real explanation?
c. Have major catastrophes seemed to have snuck up on the company and nobody in a manager or leadership role saw it coming?
d. If everybody around “me” complains about these entrenched “no it all’s” can everybody else be wrong?
6. If you don’t act or react soon, I promise you this……One morning you will wake and it will be too late. Your company will be pushing up daisies and you will kick yourself for years to come.
7. If your staff is working with great precision, there is no dissention amongst the troops, they look out for each other, they enjoy coming to work every day, and they work with tremendous diligence to achieve personal and business goals, then two suggestions immediately come to mind;
a. Either The Gman has already been there OR
b. I’d like to be invited to visit your company to learn how and why

UMBELLISHED NOTES FROM LAST WEEK:

A. “…..this week’s message was especially relevant, as my employer just terminated one of those Nabobs of negativity, who pretty much thought the sun rose each morning to hear him crow.
Absolutely, the atmosphere and morale here is now fresh and thriving, and the business appears to be poised once again to see positive growth; it will obviously take some time, but even in a slow economy, smart, hard work is always rewarded. Thank you for your article; it keeps me mindful that NO ONE is irreplaceable.”

B. “….It sounded “vaguely” familiar to a situation I’ve encountered in the past. Maybe that bank you helped was the one where I worked??  I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate your comments and think you’ve definitely hit the construction nail on the head with this one!!
C. “….Our Company has one of those owners pet you referred to. We have lost a great many talented people and those of us who are left are treated with tremendous disrespect. Everything is a secret, the buck continually gets passed and the employment life expectancy of any one of us who have been honest and loyal for many years, balances on the whim of one “king” not to mention the owners attitude on any given day. It is terrible at best. Thanks for sharing; you really know what you are talking about. Companies you work for should thank their proverbial lucky stars to have you in their court. I believe that so much, I’m going to try and get you introduced to our husband and wife owners.”

I’d like to close today with a great quote I heard this week; “I’m not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I Love today!”

Have tremendous week and as always, your comments are welcome. If I can be of any assistance in any way, please call or write and I will respond immediately!

Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.