Energize your day with the ENERGIZER newsletter!
SMALL—FAST—and WRITTEN WHEN THE MOOD STRIKES.
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Update From Eileen
Notice the date of this newsletter. I write it straddling the Dec 21 official start of Winter and the January 1 start of a New Year. “Straddling” seems to be a stance that many of us are taking today in our work and our personal lives. We’re not sure if the marketplace is poised to take off or to limp along in its sluggish fashion. We want to shed those extra pounds but don’t want to miss the gastronomical pleasures of the Holiday Season. We have a project we want to start but feel time bound by the year-end demands of family and friends.
When my mother observed any of us children in this position, she’d said we were “mug-wamped”. “Your mug is on one side and your wamp is on the other!” Her colorful language always made us laugh but her meaning was clear: MOVE! Make a decision and put both feet together.
Her advice holds true today. You can only straddle for so long. Eventually, you must take a stand and begin to take action toward that decision. For some time now, I’ve been aware that McDargh Communications needed to be reinvented to more accurately reflect what I do in the marketplace. Have I moved away from communication to helping organizations and individuals become resilient? After all, The Resilient Spirit has received a wonderful response.
SO, I played with that notion. I got a DBA: The Resiliency Group. I got the website: TheResiliencyGroup.com. I ordered letterhead from my fabulous designer, Lea Pascoe. In fact, I ANNOUNCED the birth of The Resiliency Group in the last newsletter.
And then, strange as it seems, I had a dream last night.
I woke up this morning, hearing a voice that said, “The problem isn’t McDargh Communications! And the problem isn’t fixed by The Resiliency Group. The problem is that you’ve never clearly told the world what you do!
Duh. (Do you sometimes get wisdom “after the fact”? )
I realized that everything I talk about, consult about, and write about focuses on behaviors that help people become more and see new possibilities. It is all about celebrating the human spirit. The primary tool is conversation: conversations with ourselves (self-talk about leading ourselves, leading our lives); conversations with others (leadership skills), and conversations with the greater world (meaningful work, spiritual work). THE RESULT is that one has the readiness to act and create a resilient enterprise comprised of people who craft resilient lives and resilient relationships.
WOW. Some dream!
Wisdom is knowing when to take a turn in the road, regardless of how far you have come. It’s time to play bigger in the world. The word “enterprise” serves as the container because a definition of enterprise is: “readiness for daring action.”
Meet McDargh Enterprises—celebrating the human spirit.
I’m putting my mug and wamp in the same place. I have stopped straddling. I’ve made the decision. And it feels right!
How about you? Where are you straddling? What is life asking of you?
Decidedly yours,
Eileen
Energizing Ears: How REALLY Good Are You at Listening?
I received a wonderful letter from one of my readers, raising a great point concerning last issue’s article, “Silence is Not Golden”. That article urged employees to speak their truth for the sake of the organization and not to assume that managers are mind-readers.
My reader accurately points out that management must create a CLIMATE that encourages employees to speak up. I agree. If a manager ignores, chastises, and rebukes an employee for asking questions and for raising issues, ALL employees withdraw. Here’s a self-assessment for everyone:
Do you ACTIVELY encourage conversation that questions “the way we do things”?
Do you publicly and privately acknowledge the individual who spoke up?
Do you let people know of changes that are made as the result of someone bringing up an issue?
If you did a 360 degree assessment of your ability as a skilled listener, how would you fare? Remember, listening is a skill that often times must be learned. It is not a natural ability for many of us.
Application of Skills Rank Higher Than Just Information
Indications are that we will need a different kind of educational system in the years ahead. While employers still appreciate graduates having a broad range of knowledge, they are practically begging for young people who can think, collaborate, communicate, coordinate, and create. Managers are frustrated with employees that have proficiency in particular skills, but are unable to effectively apply those skills to achieve results. There is a growing need for workers who can adapt quickly by learning new skills or knowledge and applying those strengths quickly to respond to customer expectations. (From Herman Trend Alert —Dec. 2003.)
Must Read Books
Walking In A Crowd of Angels by Beth Terry (Lezard Press, 1999, ISBN 0967476909).
When I read Beth’s book, I heard my own voice talking. This is a collection of Beth’s best stories and quotes from her seminars: some poignant, some funny, and all delivered in a way that brings it home. These vignettes will attach themselves to your memory and your heart as they connect us with shared experiences. Go to her web site to order the book. Tell her you came through me and you get free shipping! Such a deal!
Growing Your Business! What You Need To Know. What You Need To Do by Mark LeBlanc (Expert Pub Inc., 2003, ISBN 1931945071).
This must be my month for self-published books. Actually, it’s the best way to quickly get ideas into the marketplace and forego the year-long agony of NY publishers. Don’t let this tiny book (77 pages) fool you. It is chock-a-block filled with simple truth and profound wisdom. And you don’t have to be a business owner to use this. Consider yourself a Brand of ONE: You!
Overworked Employees Poised to Quit When Economy Heats Up
Multiple surveys indicate very high level of employee dissatisfaction. The latest survey by the Society of Human Resource Professionals (SHRM) finds 80% of employees wanting a new job. A report in CNN MONEY shows 70% of the 23,000-person survey also ready to quit. Personnel Today reports that four out of five employees in the UK do not consider themselves ‘engaged’ in their work, costing the British economy almost £46billion a year in low productivity and lost working days. This Gallup survey of more than 10,000 UK employees showed that poor management is ‘squeezing the life out of millions of employees’ and both private and public employers should take note if they are serious about performance.
Hard cold truth: we’re in for a talent war like never before. Fail to nurture the human capital and you’ll be losing financial capital.
According to Jeff Taylor, CEO and Founder of Monster.com, the huge number of unhappy employees is a natural response to over two years of belt tightening, pink slips, increased workloads, and growing salary disparities between the top and bottom wage earners. “Feel the pain and give me the gain” seems to be the motto of too many senior executives.
Short-term numbers might look good but consider the cost of replacing an employee who quits. Lost productivity, recruiting, and training add up to hard numbers that significantly impact the long term financial health of an organization. Likewise, an unengaged employee is not likely to be produce top results or expend the mental energy needed for continual improvement.
Possible solution: Run, don’t wait, to contact me. In conjunction with my colleague Dr. Beverly Kaye, we’ll create results-oriented interventions and trainings for employee engagement (management skills and organizational practices) and employee empowerment (employee skills for self-management and meaningful work).
Welcome To The McDargh Clan
Stanislaus County, California
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Overview and Contact Information
Is life leading you instead of you leading a life?
Is work working you instead of you doing the work?
You’re not alone! It’s the challenge of our times.
From business leaders to rank-and-file workers, the competitive 24/7 world of heart-stopping change has left many feeling in need of new tools to answer these questions:
- How do I engage more of my talent and that of the folks around me in meaningful work?
- Why is it that resiliency is a word I think of only with rubber bands?
- Why does it seem that we compete more with each other than the competition?
It’s tough when the rate and pace of work leaves you feeling disconnected, unheard, and certainly not aligned to produce results that matter in the long run.
Then there’s the issue of joy. Flat out joy. You don’t want “work” to become exclusive of play. Leave your spirit and heart at the door, and it’s hard to be creative and productive. You want to be connected with people who respect you and vice versa. You want to do good work— no, make that GREAT work– in the bargain. You want to spend your time in a place that lets your spirit soar and your talent shine. My joy is in helping individuals and organizations rediscover the joy of living and the joy of satisfying work.
If you want results that go well beyond the bottom line—contact us. Since 1980, we’ve been engaging the human spirits of individuals and organizations. Now—it’s your turn.
Call 949-496-8640 or send email eileen@eileenmcdargh.com
McDargh Communications
(949) 496-8640
Eileen@EileenMcDargh.com
© 2011 McDargh Communications, All rights reserved.