“Do you have a moment?” asks the 3rd person in a row standing outside of your office.  Do you answer as a “Busy” leader or an “Effective” leader?

A busy leader thinks, “No I don’t have a moment for your idea or questions. Can’t you see how busy I am and all of the important things I have to do?” but says with a heavy sigh, “sure – what do you need”.

In that brief moment between your heavy sigh and look of annoyance, your body language said SO much more.

“I’m too busy to hear your idea”

“I don’t have time for stupid questions”

“My job is more important than yours”

“Whatever you have to say, I don’t have time to listen”

“You’re wasting both your and my time”

“Busy” leaders are often emotional leaders and are mired in reactive behaviors.  They tell everyone how busy they are and how much responsibility they have.  And let’s face it, they always seem distracted and in a whirlpool of crisis.

“Effective” leaders are calm and collected. They are approachable and open to ideas and collaboration.  Their body language suggests that not only do they have the time, but they are interested in their employees, which builds trust with their team.

Overwhelmed leaders want to make a positive impact and they are successful individuals, which is what led them into leadership in the first place.   But they often find themselves in the weeds and unable to “delegate to elevate” by entrusting their team with tasks and busy work.  They need to refocus their energy – leadership is their number one priority, and it can’t be delegated.

“A leader is someone who can see how things can be improved and who rallies people to move toward that better vision.  Leaders can work toward making their vision a reality while putting people first” Jacob Moran – What is leadership, and who is a leader?

Stop telling everyone how busy you are.  It is a privilege to be a leader and that privilege comes with a significant amount of pressure – Own it, embrace it.

Tamara Knapp Advisory LLC
Based in Novi, Michigan
Serving both startups and established clients.

Office:  (248) 301-9699
Email:  letsgo@tamaraknappadvisory.com

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced in its Job Openings And Labor Turnover August report that while the number of separations were little changed at 6 million (4.1%), within that number, there was a 2.9% increase (4.3million) in Americans quitting their jobs. It was a record-breaking month following previous record months. The quits rate “can serve as a measure of worker’s willingness or ability to leave jobs.”

These are disturbing statics for employers given the difficult time they have had in finding bodies to fill vacant positions, let alone talented ones. Many organizations anxiously awaited the cut of enhanced unemployment benefits, only to be disappointed by not receiving an influx of candidates after the cuts were put in place. 

According to a WSJ article, experts are not in agreement on whether the benefit cut boosted employment numbers. ““If the question is, ‘Is UI the key thing that’s holding back the labor market recovery?’ The answer is no, definitely not, based on the available data,” said Peter Ganong, a University of Chicago economist, referring to unemployment insurance.” Yet “Economists caution against concluding from these results that expiring benefits had no effect on employment.”

Let’s face it, there are many factors outside of unemployment benefits that effect one’s decision to go back to work; childcare, low-wage jobs, school closures, a push to return to the office, flexible hours, and the mental state caused by the pandemic.  Not to mention, the labor unrest of those that are working.  Case in point, the 10,000 plus John Deere workers that went on strike for the first time in 35 years. 

The pandemic has forever changed not only the way we live, but the way we work.  Employees have had enough and are pushing back. Why can’t we have our cake and eat it too? They want to be valued, paid fairly, have decent benefits, good leadership, and the flexibility to take care of their family.

Oli Povey said it best, “While many are dubbing this phenomenon the ‘great resignation’, perhaps the ‘great reassessment… of worker priorites’ is more apt, though more cumbersome and not quite as catchy.”

Tamara Knapp Advisory LLC
Based in Novi, Michigan
Serving both startups and established clients.

Office:  (248) 301-9699
Email:  letsgo@tamaraknappadvisory.com

What creative strategies are you using to roll out one of the highest employment cost – benefits?

With 2022 open enrollment around the corner, companies have spent a significant amount of time researching and determining benefit offerings on their quest to be an employer of choice.

Equally as important as the benefits themselves, is the strategy on how communication will be rolled out ensuring team members understand what they are being offered and the value of the benefits as part of their overall compensation and rewards package.

Develop a creative strategy.

What venues will you use to deploy information?

• Virtual
• Video
• Print media
• E-mail
• Text
• Communication platforms like Slack
• Intranet

Simplicity is genius.

• Use visuals
• Streamline benefit plan summaries
• Use basic terms
• Create a video creating a 2-minute video from a 10 page benefit guide

Communication

• How will team members ask questions and provide feedback
• Empower your leaders with knowledge to answer questions
• Make sure you are communicating effectively and thoughtfully throughout all levels of the organization
• How can team members share with other members of their family in helping them with enrollment decisions

According to The Hartford’s 2021 Future of Benefits Study, “84% of employees value the insurance benefits their company offers” and “58% of surveyed workers would like a personalized recommendation on what they should select.”

Don’t be scared to introduce plan changes, be transparent and focus on the positive.  The stronger your communication is the stronger your employee engagement will be.

Tamara Knapp Advisory LLC
Based in Novi, Michigan
Serving both startups and established clients.

Office:  (248) 301-9699
Email:  letsgo@tamaraknappadvisory.com

Why company reputation matters, and it starts with your brand.

While you can build and manage your brand, your reputation is based on what others think about you, your employees, and your product/services.  When it is not intentionally built, it will build itself and will rarely be what you want.  Your branding starts with your culture (internal brand) which drives your people who in turn drive your business.  Unhappy employees usually cultivate unhappy customers.  

“A brand is what a business does, reputation is what people remember” – Ted Rubin

Companies use defining terms when setting their company values and mission, words like “Boutique” “Excellence” “Guarantee” “Value”.

These promise words evoke powerful responses but if there is nothing behind them, they are meaningless and will result in the opposite of their intention. 

Your branding is your promise to your customer and employees. Can you qualify or quantify what you are offering or claim to be?  What separates you and makes you “boutique”? How do you back your “guarantee”? Can your employees define what “excellence” means? 

Customer experience, employee engagement, and content visualization can help improve customer experience, boost brand awareness and reputation. 

However, it is important to recognize that while you may have a solid marketing plan, your customer is no longer a passive party.  They are not waiting for you to tell them, instead they are going to do their own research which is determined by your reputation and what others have said or feel about you.  

When is the last time you looked at your reviews on Google, Glassdoor, Indeed, Facebook, Yelp? What is their research going to tell them about you?

A bad reputation is stronger than a good one, harder to change, and unfortunately the quickest and easiest to build. It is based on quality, good or bad  – the quality of your employees, the quality of your product, and the quality of your customer experience.

It has been a year of unprecedented change and now more than ever, requires organizations to focus and rethink how their business operates and how they are serving their employees and customers.

It is time to start building your company’s reputation with intention and I can help! Check out my Consultation Services or simply message me!

Tamara Knapp Advisory LLC
Based in Novi, Michigan
Serving both startups and established clients.

Office:  (248) 301-9699
Email:  letsgo@tamaraknappadvisory.com

Imagine learning this on your first day on the job, along with the other 50 processes your new co-worker (whatever their name is) is showing you.

Or if you were not one of the lucky ones that were shown how to change an address AND you are handed multiple changes that needed to be made ASAP so packages
could be sent out AND the one person that knows how do it is on maternity leave.

According to Asana’s report, The Anatomy of Work Index, employees “spend just 27% of their time on skills-based tasks – the specialized craft they were trained and hired to do” and 60% “is spent on work about work”.

Like a map or navigation system, your processes and procedures are a roadmap for your everyday operations, and they do not have to be complicated.

Asking the right questions up front and rolling them out correctly is as important as the process itself.

Understand “why” and “how/who.”

• • Have the right people in the room when discussing and documenting the process.
    Provide clear understanding of the impact the process will have on a bigger picture. This will not only form buy-in but help in developing the documentation.

What does it look like? How will it be rolled out?

• • Do the hard work upfront. If the team leader sits with their team and walks through the new procedure, the team can ask questions and gain a better understanding, which will create buy-in and comfort in the process, thereby actually using it.

It is hard to undo bad habits.

• • Regular enforcement and reiteration are a must. So is consistently holding all team members accountable. If not followed by all, none will eventually follow.

Too many voices telling different versions.

• • One person is ultimately responsible. Whomever writes the process is the process owner and the content expert. If they review with the respective team leader prior to the roll out – there is less chance for inconsistency when rolled out to the team.

Don’t leave your team members hanging. Let me help you get started with creating a roadmap for every day operations. Learn more about my Organizational 360 services or simply message me!

Tamara Knapp Advisory LLC
Based in Novi, Michigan
Serving both startups and established clients.

Office:  (248) 301-9699
Email:  letsgo@tamaraknappadvisory.com