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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,
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!
Get your personal copy today. Contact
mark@SmallBusinessSuccess,com. Like Joe Calloway's book previewed
last week, you'll be glad you did!
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
National Rural Electric Co-Op Assoc.
Drug Trading, LTD—Canada
Pass Along The Newsletter—FREE
A couple
of clients posed this question to me: "Eileen, how can we get
your newsletter in
the hands of our employees and management team?"
Great question! Here's the answer. You can send out an e-mail
blast, asking if
they'd like to receive a BRIEF, practical yet fun e-newsletter
four times a
year. If they say yes, just have them go to
http://www.eileenmcdargh.com and viola! Thanks for asking!
Subscription Management:
You can now manage your subscription to The Energizer on the web!
Just e-mail us at eileen@eileenmcdargh.com and let us know what
you need. All new subscriptions are by e-mail only.
MISSION STATEMENT
McDargh Enterprises—Energizing the Human Spirit since
1980
Our mission is to transform the life of work and the work of your life.
We work with and speak for
organizations that want
people to create meaningful relationships with all their
stakeholders and to
develop a resilient leadership capacity for living a life of
balance,
engagement, productivity, and meaning in a changing world. We
value laughter,
life-long learning, and leadership through service.
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(949) 496-8640
Eileen@EileenMcDargh.com
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