If you want to ensure your leaders aren’t saying one thing and then acting in ways that contradict what they’re saying, these 5 tips can help ensure a consistent message gets through:

1. Set an inspiring vision – leaders who want to be most effective need to chart a course for their organization that is both compelling and inspiring. A compelling and inspiring vision allows all employees to connect to the organization in a very personal way that naturally motivates them to actively participate in the achievement of that vision.
2. Establish clear expectations – Employees can’t live up to your expectations if they don’t know what they are. Leaders should establish clearly defined, measurable goals and objectives and then communicate those to employees early and often.
3. Engage in transparent communications – leaders need to communicate their commitments to the organization by cascading information on decisions to all employees on a regular and timely basis. When leaders clearly communicate decisions and directions to all employees the likelihood those decisions will actually be deployed and the results achieved increases dramatically.
4. Make it safe to hold yourself and others accountable – being “accountable” doesn’t have to be a dirty word. Actually, accountability can be very positive when leaders create an environment where employees take personal responsibility to rise above their individual obstacles and circumstances to achieve results. Creating an environment where it’s safe to hold yourself and others accountable encourages all employees to go above and beyond to achieve results.
5. Celebrate the little wins – Creating a strong, productive organizational culture takes time, persistence, and patience. When leaders set a compelling and inspiring vision and then measure decisions against that vision while celebrating small wins along the way, employees begin to see that the kool-aid is real. Only through reinforcement of the small wins that lead up to major wins can leaders hope to sustain a winning organizational culture.

Creating a strong, productive, results oriented culture doesn’t have to be hard, but it does have to be intentional. What kind of culture is your leadership creating?

Today, more than ever, we need courageous leaders who empower others to reach heights they never thought possible. We need our leaders to expand their capabilities and move outside of the transactional space and into a transformational space that focuses on long term solutions rather than short term gains.

Transformational leadership – growing beyond transactional leadership

Developing your leadership capacity is moving beyond focusing on the day to day operations and expanding your decision making process to focus on long term strategies that are able to sustain business over time.

Leaders need to focus on developing a transformational leadership style that creates positive change and growth. This begins with the goals and vision that are set by leaders and their ability to clearly communicate them to their team in a way that inspires then to buy in.

7 must have transformational leadership qualities

In order to get your team to buy in and be part of your vision for the company, there are certain qualities you must possess to be a transformational leader:

1. A clear vision:
   Transformational leaders have a vision of what they want to achieve and the ability to clearly communicate this vision so that everyone in the organization understands what is needed to achieve this vision. Is your vision clear? Does it need to be refined?
2. Courage:
   An effective leader needs courage; a willingness to take on new challenges, take calculated risks, make tough decisions, and be willing to go out on a limb for something they believe in. Transformational leaders have the courage to create a vision and do what it takes to achieve their vision.
3. Self-motivation:
   Leaders need to fuel their passion from within. Transformational leaders have passion and motivation that people can sense and feed off of it. Are you passionate about your vision and willing to do what it takes to see your vision achieved?
4. Inspiration:
   Transformational leaders, based on their personal passion, have the ability to inspire others and get them to buy into their vision and execute it on all levels of the company. How do you inspire your employees to create change? Are you effective at motivating and inspiring your staff?
5. Know your people:
   Personal interaction is important. The impact of a simple “hello” in the hallway or conversation in the lobby goes a long way into getting employees to feel important and want to be part of the vision a leader has created for the company.  You have the ability to impact each of your team on a personal level. When was the last time you took the time to listen to your team and get to know them as individuals?
6. Set a company standard:
   Transformational leaders model a company standard they expect everyone to follow. They clearly communicate their vision, expectations, and how this standard is to be carried out throughout the organization. What is your company standard? What standard are you setting by example?
7. Follow through:
   While it is a bit cliché, actions do speak louder than words — and when leaders live according to the standard they set, employees take notice. Leaders often promise a lot, but it is the follow through that has a true impact on a leader’s ability to evoke change and get employees to buy in.How do you follow through and ensure your standards are met?

Tips for becoming a transformational leader

Leaders cannot just decide to become a transformational leader. However, they can work on developing transformational leadership by implementing these tips:

• Craft your vision and make it the focal point of the company
• Solicit input from senior management to ensure your vision can be spread throughout the company
• Have a process in place that allows your frontline workers to ask questions and get clarification
• Be clear and communicate the importance that each employees plays in the execution of your vision for the company
• Create actionable steps that align with your vision that can be executed by employees
• Understand what is needed to motivate and inspire your employees to buy in and become part of your vision

When leaders openly accept a transformational style they move beyond day to day functions and operate at a higher level that is focused on creating change in employees and culture that will lead to innovation and growth.

As the economy begins showing signs of life, 2012 may be a busy year for businesses. In a recent CareerBuilder survey 23% of US companies said they plan to add to their full time headcount in 2012; with most job openings anticipated to be in sales and information technology.

Companies also reported an increase in voluntary turnover in 2011, with 34 percent reporting voluntary turnover of employees interested in pursuing other opportunities, seeking higher salaries and a lighter workload. Thirty percent of employers reported losing top performers to other organizations in 2011 and 43 percent are concerned top talent may jump ship in 2012.

No matter how experienced you are in talent acquisition (code name for hiring) you can always improve. With unemployment at an all-time high over the past 3 years, there are tons of good applicants (and not-so-good applicants) just waiting for an opportunity. Combine that with the estimated 40% or more of unhappy employees in the workforce just waiting for greener pastures to emerge and you could be setting yourself up for an avalanche of applicants.

With this kind of data, it looks like organizations should be gearing up for a lot of hiring activity. Are you ready? Do you know where to start to find good applicants or is your strategy to simply call the local headhunter and sit back and wait for the resumes to roll in? If so, what exactly do you plan to do with them once they arrive? How will you evaluate the hundreds of resumes received to determine if you have the right person for your organization? And don’t underestimate cultural fit – most organizations make offers to candidates based on their knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) but fire employees because of a misaligned cultural fit.

If you’re in the hiring mode, remember that opening exists because your organization has a problem and you’re looking for the right candidate to solve that problem. But finding the right candidate is a delicate balancing act between what the company wants/needs and what the candidate has to offer.

When Warren Buffett looks for leaders for his companies, he evaluates potential candidates for three core competencies:

• Intelligence
• Energy
• Integrity

He fundamentally believes that if a person has 2 of these, the lack of the third can kill a business. Do the fast math on the negative side of the equation:

• Low integrity, high energy and high intelligence and you have a smart, fast-moving thief
• Low energy, high intelligence and integrity and you have a shop keeper, not an engine of growth
• Low intelligence, high energy and integrity and you have strong functionary, but not a great problem solver or visionary

Once you’ve identified the core competencies vital to success in your organization, it’s time to develop and/or update the job description.

Developing a Sound Job Description

Employers should develop job descriptions that clearly define the essential functions of the job before advertising the job or beginning the interview process. Here are steps to writing a sound, legally defensible job description:

1. Use clear, concise, non-technical language, and avoid jargon and unnecessary words. Focus on words that have a single meaning and use detailed explanations for words that may be ambiguous. Begin each sentence with an active verb and use the present tense. Provide examples of the expected job functions and the desired outcome of the work to be performed. For example, instead of “writes down notes during meetings” put “records notes during weekly meetings.”
2. Qualify Job functions whenever possible and the desired outcome of the work should be described, rather than the method for accomplishing that outcome. For example, instead of saying, “files folders” use more declarative statements such as “the clerk files folders alphabetically based on category.”
3. Allow applicants to read the job descriptions and provide them an opportunity to voice any concerns or ask clarifying questions. Include in the job description a statement for the applicant to sign indicating they have read the job description and can perform the essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations. If accommodations are sought, allow space for the applicant to describe the type of accommodations they need.
4. Make sure your job descriptions are accurate. To ensure accuracy, gather input from others that interact with the open position, including both managers and employees.

What to Include in the Job Description:

• Job title (job code number if applicable);
• Department or section of the job;
• Relationships to other jobs and the purpose of contact with outside agencies and personnel;
• A brief summary of job functions;
• Duties and responsibilities, estimated time spent on each (when using percentages, these should be allocated to equal 100%), frequency of activity, i.e., whether these are performed daily, weekly, or periodically;
• The quality and quantity of work expected from an individual holding the position;
• The repercussions of not performing each job function;
• Essential and marginal duties;
• Special working conditions such as shift, overtime, or as-needed work;
• Information on the accountability for results; and
• A statement that when duties and responsibilities change and develop the job description will be reviewed and subject to changes of business necessity.

Clearly state the “essential functions” in the job description. The job description should explicitly state the manner that an individual is to perform the job. For example, if the position requires contact with the public, include not only that the job requires the handling of public inquiries, but also that the performance standard requires those inquiries be handled in a prompt and friendly manner.

If the position requires regular attendance and timeliness state it as an essential functions of job.

Update job descriptions regularly so they accurately reflect the essential functions of altered positions or any other pertinent changes (e.g. fewer employees to perform the duties, mechanization, job-sharing, etc.). Send job descriptions for review by all levels of management, from line supervisors to senior management and human resources to be sure all perspectives are captured.

Outlining Qualifications

Employers typically require certain knowledge, skills, abilities/aptitude, training, and previous, relevant experience. However, be careful to remember that qualifications can be met in a variety of ways. For example, an applicant may have gained the required leadership skills through leading a little league team.

Keep in mind that some requirements, if not directly related to the job, may be considered discriminatory, such as stating an applicant “must possess a driver’s license”, unless they are required to drive a vehicle in the course of the job.

Beware of arbitrarily requiring a high school diploma or other educational requirements that may run afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), unless it is specifically job related. Be sure to consider any discriminatory effects of such requirements and provide for any reasonable, necessary accommodations. For example, an employee with a disability may be able to attend a meeting via teleconference or access public transportation to attend the meeting on site.

While there is no legal requirement for organizations to have job descriptions, they are a vital communication tool for establishing performance expectations and invaluable in defending ADA or Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) claims.

Today, Joe Paterno, beloved coach at Penn State, lost his battle with lung cancer and passed away. While the official cause of death is listed as lung cancer, anyone who has followed the child molestation charges against assist coach Jerry Sandusky and the subsequent firing of Joe Paterno knows he really died of a broken heart; having been one of the scapegoats caught up in damage control for a national scandal.

So you might be asking yourself what does this have to do with accountability? Well, this is a perfect example of the traditional definition of accountability playing itself out. When the allegations of child molestation arose, the Board of Trustees of Penn State University went into full crisis management mode. Seemingly their only concern was to hold someone “accountable” and no one was immune, including “JoePa”.

While everyone wants to get to the bottom of any damaging situation, it is imperative that organizations, regardless of their size, conduct a thorough investigation to understand the who, what, when, where, and how of the situation. The goals of any investigation should include:

1. Reveal the facts of the situation so appropriate action can be taken to stop the unwanted behavior
2. Remain impartial, fair, thorough, objective, and respectful
3. Keep affected parties informed of status of matters to minimize anxiety and establish confidence in investigations and outcomes

Once you determine that an investigation needs to be conducted, it likely will unfold in several steps.

Step 1: Fact Gathering

• What are the issues
• Who to question and reasons for selecting witnesses
• Order and reasons for interviews
• Documents and other evidence to review
• What has been learned, what remains open, and reasons to pursue or not pursue
• Chronology, by key events (with sources of information identified)

Step 2: Managing Evolving “Human Resources” Issues

• Determining who has a need to know at various stages
• Consider interim corrective action until all facts are known
• Maintain ongoing contact with people with “need to know” status

Step 3: Taking Prompt, Appropriate Action

• Follow the facts to determine the most appropriate action needed to STOP the behavior
• Remedy for people adversely affected by misconduct
• Addressing retaliation
• Follow up is key

When documenting an investigation and any subsequent disciplinary action, the following information should be documented in the investigation notes and counseling form:

• Date.
• Specific Violation.
• Mention Any Prior Related Discipline.
• If No Improvement- What Will Happen?
• Employee Response.
• Signature of Employee. – If you can get it, if not, just ensure the documentation is retained in the file for future reference.
• Supervisor’s / Manager’s Signature.

Sooner or later every organization finds itself in a situation requiring an investigation be conducted. When establishing an accountability culture, it’s important that employees have faith in their leadership and believe they will be treated fairly – not just used as a scapegoat in the heat of the moment. If you don’t take time to conduct a thorough, respectful  investigation, letting the facts dictate the outcomes, you’ll find yourself managing a dysfunctional organizational culture that encourages the blame game, victim thinking, procrastination and little team work, resulting in low morale and marginal performance at best.

In the immortal words of Zig Zigler, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time”.

Last week we gave you some pointers about how to set well-defined, achievable goals that stretch you to achieve things you never thought possible. This week we’re taking it up a notch by discussing the importance of accountability in achieving results.

When most of us think about being held accountable for something, we think about being in trouble. You’ve heard it before, maybe you’ve even said something like, and “Who messed this up! This is not acceptable and someone’s going to answer for this!” This is indicative of the traditional definition of Accountability – looking for who’s responsible for a failure.

But if you really want to get motivated or motivate others to achieve results, the key is to turn accountability from something punitive to something empowering! The OZ Principle by Roger Connors defines accountability as, “A personal choice to rise above one’s circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving desired results.” In other words, it’s about inspiring others to take responsibility for the outcomes they desire.

If you’ve ever known anyone who’s gone to Weight Watchers or Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), you know they have a whole support system based on accountability – but using the new definition, not the traditional, punitive one. As a matter of fact, in both of these organizations, participants are required to set specific, measurable, attainable goals, and they are assigned an accountability partner, a coach, who supports them when they slip and who acts as a cheerleader when they succeed. The accountability partner’s primary role is to:

• Recognize when you’re in jeopardy of backsliding and help you take actions to prevent it.
• Help you take personal responsibility for the decisions you make rather than blaming others.
• Help you internalize your own personal, motivating reasons for wanting to achieving your goals
• Help you identify the most productive actions you can take to achieve the results you want rather than wasting time on lots of unproductive ones.

Accountability is hard, whether it’s associated with personal accountability for achieving your own goals or accountability for achieving your business goals. But if you  make a personal choice to rise above the obstacles and challenges that get in the way and take ownership for achieving the desired results, through the use of S M A R T goals, a well defined action plan and an accountability partner you can actually achieve them!

If you’re like most people, this is the time of year when our thoughts naturally turn to setting goals or New Year’s resolutions to ensure success this year. Did you set any? If not, why not?

In working with my clients I often find that they don’t set New Year’s resolutions or even business goals because they have such a lousy track record of achieving them. So, rather than face the disappointment of failure, they just avoid setting goals; never realizing that decision ensures the ultimate failure.

Zig Zigler once said, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time”

There are two critical elements to success:

1. Goal setting
2. Accountability

During this week’s blog, we’ll concentrate on Goal Setting to get you started. Then next week, we’ll take a look at accountability.

Goal Setting: To position yourself to be in the best position to achieve your goals you should set goals that are well-defined, specific and measurable – in other words – goals that you can achieve!

To make goals fun and exciting, you have to begin thinking about them differently. Rather than setting the same old goals you do every year, become more creative. If you become more creative, you’ll redefine the process by which you achieve them! Everyone has weight goals, exercise goals, etc. – year in and year out – and they’ve become almost a caricature of themselves, in other words, the goals you’ll never succeed at.

But what if you set goals this year that are fundamentally different – they help you become better at something you love or improve a valued relationship or help someone else. How would you feel about it then?

Let’s start by considering a goal that’s “abnormal”.

Goal:   Become fluent in Spanish

Now consider what scares you about trying to achieve this as a goal. Think about how you might get started.

Instead of trying to tackle this big, hairy, audacious goal as it’s written, you should break it into smaller more manageable, in other words, incremental goals that when achieved will help you build on your successes and momentum. Incremental goals might include:

1. Learn 8 basic phrases in conversational Spanish
2. Have dinner at a Mexican restaurant, in a predetermined time period, and:
   1. Greet the hostess in Spanish
   2. Order a complete meal in Spanish

(you could also set a business goal to learn 8 business phrases and converse with Hispanic employees in Spanish)

By breaking the overall goal into manageable pieces, you can achieve small successes that can be used to build momentum rather than encounter frustration with a goal that has no end in sight, or at least not in the immediate future.

Now, go back and reconsider your New Year’s resolution or goals. Where can you break it down into manageable pieces? Now that you have written down your new, out of the box, interesting goal; the next steps is to evaluate it using the SMART criteria.

The SMART criteria help you set goals, keep them and get results! Rather than making vague statements about goals, such as “Improve safety”, you make positive, measurable, definitive declarations about your goals. With a SMART goal you would say, “Decrease recordable accidents 25% by June 30, 2012” – now that’s a SMART goal!

Making Goals S M A R T

S – Your goals should be Specific:

Goals should be specific, unambiguous, and written so that anyone can read it and have a clear picture of what results you are going to accomplish. As in the example above, “Decrease recordable accidents 25% by June 30, 2012”, you set a goal that will be completed in 12 months.

M – Your goals should be Measurable:

You goals should have a final, measurable outcome so you can determine if and when it has been achieved. In the previous example, you went to a Mexican restaurant (on a specific date), where you greeted the hostess in Spanish and ordered your meal in Spanish. This is easily measured because you had an end date; learn 8 conversational phases, ordered the entire meal in Spanish.

A – Your goal should be assignable

Who is accountable for accomplishing the tasks needed to achieve the desired result? Is it an individual or a team of people? How will you communicate the goal and the desired timing? People have more buy-in and a greater probability of accomplishing the goal when they have input into its development and timing.

R – Your goals should be realistic

Your goal must be realistic. In other words, it must be achievable and attainable. It must be possible to attain your goal in the time frame stated. Don’t set yourself up for failure with goals that are overly ambitious, but be sure they are not a slam dunk either. In other words, rather than setting a goal such as “Become fluent in a foreign language”, break it into manageable pieces – “Learn 8 conversational phrases by x date.”

T – Your goal should have a time limit

Goals should be time based. Having a time limit creates a sense of urgency and prevents you from stating open-ended goals. You want enough time to achieve your goal but you do not want to use a timeframe that will adversely affect the performance of a goal. In our Spanish speaking example, you set a specific date for your dinner engagement.

Now you’re ready to begin putting your goals and strategies into action! At this point you should have a clear vision of where you are and where you want to get to and an action plan of how you plan to get there.

Next week, we’ll discuss the issues of accountability and it’s impact of achieving the results you seek.

As we look to the promise of 2012 and review 2011, it’s that time of year when most of us set personal and professional goals and resolutions. As my husband and I confront the gravity of his brother’s illness one can’t help but reconcile the fact that in both personal and professional life, you reap what you sow.

For business owners and leaders, what are you sowing with your workforce? 2011 saw an unprecedented level of compliance activity at the local, state and federal level. For example:

• Employee Time Tracking App for iphone: The Department of Labor launched an application for the iPhone or iPod Touch that employees can use to easily and independently record their hours worked (including overtime and break times) and calculate wages that are owed to the employee. The implication for employers is you’d better be keeping accurate time records of ALL hours worked by your non-exempt employees, because if you aren’t your employees may be and you can bet this information will end up in future wage and hour enforcement and litigation.

To minimize the risk of an enforcement action and/or litigation and associated penalties, employers should encourage employees to come forward if they notice any disparity between the employer’s time records and the records the employee maintains independently through the application.

• New NLRB Posting Requirement: The National Labor Relations Board issued a Final Rule that will require employers to notify employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. This posting requirement has been postponed until April 30, 2012.

The notice, which is similar to one required by the U.S. Department of Labor for federal contractors, states that employees have the right to act together to improve wages and working conditions, to form, join and assist a union, to bargain collectively with their employer, and to refrain from any of these activities. It provides examples of unlawful employer and union conduct and instructs employees how to contact the NLRB with questions or complaints.

• Shortened Time Frame for Union Elections: On December 20, 2011 the NLRB finalized its “ambush election” regulation dramatically reducing the period between the filing of a labor union’s petition to represent employees and the election to determine whether the union should be certified.

On November 30, 2011 the NLRB published a “resolution” that was passed by a 2-1 vote. The resolution forecast the composition of a revised regulation that would shorten the period between the filing of a representation petition by a labor organization and the timing of an election among employees to determine if the union should be certified. The resolution also forecast the limitation of appeal rights by a party to a representation election. If you are currently the subject of an organizing effort the finalization of this rule could dramatically affect the timing of the election at your business and your rights in that process.

So, what do these new changes mean to you as an employer and how does that relate to reaping what you sow? Employers who create a strong culture are at a decided advantage when it comes to employees, employee relations, and union organizing or litigation. And every organization has a culture – one either purposely created by the leadership or one that has formed on its own.

What culture does your organization have? Is it one of respect and dignity where business partners at all levels work together to grow and strengthen the business or do you simply have employees? You know – those people who come to work late, leave early and steal while they’re there?

In 2012, we do not expect the regulatory climate to slow down and employers are on the hot seat. Those employers who emerge relatively unscathed will be those who work daily to create and maintain an engaging work culture – in other words, they will sow employee involvement, trust, and open, honest communications. Those who don’t can expect a knock at the door. Either way one thing is sure – you will reap what you sow.

As my husband and I grieve the imminent loss of his brother, we can’t help but realize that he too is here as a result of sowing an unhealthy lifestyle for many, many years. While we pray for a miracle, we also must come to grips with our own health and realize that we too will reap what we sow.

Consider the following high profile cases:

Yahoo: September 6, 2011 – “Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO), the premier digital media company, today announced a leadership reorganization under which the Board of Directors has appointed Timothy Morse interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, replacing Carol Bartz, who has been removed by the Board from her role as Chief Executive Officer. “ Ooops, another “R” word! And they continue, the headline in fact states that Yahoo announces a leadership “Reorganization” – absolutely no mention of Ms. Bartz being fired. But she knew she was fired. In an email Ms. Bartz wrote: “I am very sad to tell you that I’ve just been fired over the phone by Yahoo’s Chairman of the Board. It has been my pleasure to work with all of you and I wish you only the best going forward.”

Penn State University: Amid child molestation allegations by a Penn State assistant coach employed under Joe Paterno’s leadership, the legendary coach was “removed” from his coaching position. In this case, although Mr. Paterno was a 40+ year employee, he was not extended the courtesy of a face-to-face conversation. Rather, Paterno received an envelope at his home 15 minutes before the board of trustees made its announcement to the media, a source with first-hand knowledge told ESPN’s Joe Schad. The note inside contained a phone number for Paterno to call. He did so and was told by one of two board members on the receiving end, “You are relieved of your duties.”

Chicago-based law firm Smith Amundsen LLC: On February 4, 2008, Smith Amundsen Marketing Director was fired while she was still on maternity leave. Not only did the law firm terminate her employment while she was on maternity leave, they terminated her employment over the telephone. In that conversation, Makowski was told that her position was being eliminated as part of an organizational restructuring. By the way, this termination has resulted in a pregnancy discrimination/FMLA suit.

Lessons for HR: The manner in which employees are fired, reorganized, removed, released, relieved of duties etc. is something all professional Human Resources managers and direct supervisors should take seriously. No matter what you call it, you’re still firing someone. And the manner in which you handle that firing can make a huge difference in whether that former employee seeks legal representation. After all, it’s not whether someone is fired that leads to litigation, it’s how they perceive they were treated. All HR Managers should ask themselves one critical question when making employment decisions, “Is this how I would want to be treated?” Would you want to be informed that you’ve been “relieved of your duties” over the phone?

Remember, a rose by any other name still smells just as bad… and in worst case scenarios can lead to litigation.

Finally after walking past 8-10 gates, I actually found a real, live gate agent. I approached her and explained the dilemma. Her response was classic. At first,  she just stared at me with a truly dumbfounded look on her face, and then she said, “Let me call my lead to see how she wants me to handle this”. Call your lead? Are you kidding me, I thought. What’s up with that, can’t you assess the critical nature of the situation and make a simple PA announcement? In other words, can’t you take appropriate action to provide superior customer service? After all, who knows how long the ID was laying there before I came along.

After hanging up from her lead, she informed me that the lead was going to attempt to identify which flight the young lady was on and if she was still in the airport, they would try to locate her and return it.  Oh wait – it gets worse:  the gate agent said, “if she’s already gone and we can’t find her, I’ll put it in lost and found”.  Lost and found – you’ve got to be kidding, right? No, she was serious! Incredulous I replied, “If she is traveling, she may not be able to get back through here to check lost and found – can’t you get someone to at least mail it to her address?” The poor lady stuttered and stammered, but finally agreed that she would take the initiative to try to mail it to her if she couldn’t be located. Note that she would “try”, there was no declarative statement of I will take care of it. Oh well, I thought, so I thanked her and walked away shaking my head in utter disbelief. Amanda, wherever you are – I hope you get your driver’s license back!

This situation is brimming with performance, service and culture issues, begging the following questions about you, your employees and your organizational culture:

1. Are your employees empowered to make decisions and take appropriate action to serve your customers?
2. Do your employees care enough to go out of their way to take care of your customers?
3. Do they take the initiative to solve problems?
4. Do they act in the company’s best interest?
5. Does your organizational culture promote innovative leaders or blind followers?
6. Do your employees add value to your organization or are they retired in place and simply collecting a paycheck?

There’s a legendary tale at Apple involving an employee’s 15 second elevator ride with Steve Jobs that ended her career. Ed Niehaus, who was wooed and hired by Jobs to do PR for resurgent Apple, tells it like this: “I once rode down an elevator, not that many floors. We got in the elevator and the next floor a young woman got in, and I could see her go, ‘oops, wrong elevator.’ Little did she know that would be a fatal mistake.  Steve said, ‘Hi, who are you?’ and introduces himself  – ‘I’m Steve Jobs’ and turned on the charm and said, ‘What do you do?’  She, like the gate agent, stuttered and stammered to explain what she did. At the end of her explanation, as the elevator doors opened, Steve looked at her and replied,

“What you do is NOT essential to our business.
We are not going to need you.
You’re fired.”

While this may seem cold and harsh, it illustrates the fact that when you’re hired by an organization, you’re hired to provide value and if you’re not providing value (in excess of what you cost the organization) you may not be long for that organization.

Are you adding value? Are your employees? If you were asked by your boss or your CEO what you do, could you clearly and concisely explain your value to the organization? If you’re a leader, are you building a culture that unleashes employees’ maximum potential? If you’re not – you may not be of value either.

While none of us like to believe it – our companies can and will go on without us. But how quickly and easily they recover from someone’s departure is directly related to the level of deliberate and intentional succession planning conducted long before an opening occurs.

Succession planning is a systematic approach to:

• Building a leadership pipeline/talent pool to ensure leadership continuity
• Developing potential successors in ways that best leverage their strengths
• Identifying the best candidates for critical positions
• Concentrating resources on the talent development process yielding a greater return on investment

Succession planning recognizes that some jobs are the lifeblood of the organization and too critical to be left vacant or filled by any but the best qualified candidates. Effectively done, succession planning is critical to organizational success and creates an effective process for recognizing, developing, and retaining top leadership talent.

Organizations that excel in succession planning initiatives have certain success factors in common, including:

• Senior leaders who are personally involved
• Senior leaders who hold themselves and their teams accountable for growing leaders
• Employees who take personal responsibility for their own self-development
• Success is based on a business case for long-term needs
• Succession is linked to strategic planning and investment in the future
• Workforce analytics drive the process
• Leadership competencies are identified and used for selection and development
• A pool of talent is identified and developed early for long-term needs
• Development is based on challenging and varied job-based experiences
• Human resources is recognized as a strategic partner with other senior leaders
• Succession planning addresses challenges such as diversity, recruitment, and retention

Even with robust succession planning processes in place, no one can predict with any level of certainty the level of success to be expected. For example, when Jack Welch retired from GE, he not only participated in the succession planning process – he hand-picked Jeffrey Immelt as his successor; but GE just isn’t the same.