Greed.
When executives are earning 400% of line staff salary, many of whom are going without insurance due to the prohibitive costs. An article in the NY Times reports,
"Young adults comprised 40 percent of the 6 million people who joined the ranks of the uninsured from 2000 to 2004, the last year for which data are available, according to Sara Collins, senior program officer at The Commonwealth Fund, which issued the report. Although young adults represent 17 percent of the under-65 population, they account for 30 percent of the uninsured non-elderly population, the study said."
The article goes on to note the high numbers of uninsured young people:
"There were 13.7 million young adults without health insurance in 2004, up by 2.5 million since 2000."
This colossal failure of leadership is short-sighted as well. These 13.7 million young adults are going to remember this failure when workers become scarce in the future.
BOTTOM LINE: Superior leaders seek the long-term view.
tags:
young workers
underinsured workers
corporate greed
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Monday, May 22, 2006
Wasting Time on the Job: What Leaders Need to Know
Salary.com reports a study that shows how over $759 billion per year is lost through employees wasting time on the job. Interestingly, of the 10,000 workers surveyed, 44% reported using the Internet for personal reasons to waste time, 33% cited LACK OF WORK as their biggest waste of time. You can read about the study here.
Furthermore, as I mention in my book LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY, research supports the fact that when people are emotionally invested in their job, they tend to waste less time. People who are emotionally uninvested waste more time. It's a simple formula.
BOTTOM LINE: You are losing money because your people are wasting about twice as much time as you think they are, and their doing it because they're emotionally uninvested.
tags:
emotional investment
Leading People the Black Belt Way
Tim Warneka
Salary.com
Furthermore, as I mention in my book LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY, research supports the fact that when people are emotionally invested in their job, they tend to waste less time. People who are emotionally uninvested waste more time. It's a simple formula.
BOTTOM LINE: You are losing money because your people are wasting about twice as much time as you think they are, and their doing it because they're emotionally uninvested.
tags:
emotional investment
Leading People the Black Belt Way
Tim Warneka
Salary.com
Review: BAIT AND SWITCH
Here's my reivew of Barbara Ehrenreich's new book, BAIT AND SWITCH.
I am a HUGE fan of Ms. Ehrenreich, being very impressed with the research and work that she put into “Nickled and Dimed”. Ms. Ehrenreich has the courage to discuss political issues – all without the nonsense of the media circus clowns from either the right or the left. I very much looked forward to reading Bait and Switch, her newest work. After reading it, I wanted to give it 5 Stars, but simply couldn’t for the reasons described below.
CONS
* LESS SUBSTANCE - I found this book to be far thinner than NICKEL AND DIMED. A quick read, I read through BAIT in a day and was disappointed that it didn’t have the depth of research or analysis that NICKEL did. The overall impression that I had was that BAIT was rushed to press before it was fully completed. I agree fully with Maureen Killoran (below), in saying that I was disappointed that Ms. Ehrenreich seemed to save her analysis for the all-together-too-brief final chapter, and expected more than an “ain’t it awful” from a social critic of her caliber.
* CRITERIA – I can understand the PR angle (in keeping with the author’s background), but I was puzzled by the $50,000…why this amount? In 2005, the US Dept. of Labor reported that the average salary in the U.S. was $39,795…so why $50,000? (I’ll readily admit that the author’s experience in not getting ANY job offers certainly makes this a somewhat moot point…)
* COACHING - I also agree with Ms. Killoran’s comments on coaching. I’m an executive coach, and disappointed that Ms. Erhernreich chose to take cheap shots at the coaching industry on the basis of her work with two clearly untrained coaches. Furthermore (as a previous reviewer also pointed out), if Ms. Erhernreich was so clear that the two coaches she chose were charlatans, then why did she continue working with them (and paying them), and writing about them? There are incompetent people in every field. Writing about these coaches subjects the reader to unnecessary (and irrelevant) data. Unlike Ms. Killoran however, I am not a fan of the Coaching Associations that have sprung up to safeguard this new profession -- a 15 week teleseminar training program does not a coach make. (Sadly, I’ve met far too many coaches like Kimberly.) As in all things, caveat emptor. If you seek a coach, do your homework and get recommendations from friends and colleagues.
* MBTI - Furthermore, Ms. E. gave a biased account of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI has been around for over 50 years and has been researched in over 100 studies. Ms. E. describes studies that show the MBTI to be lacking in validity, but she fails to cite these studies. Furthermore, later in the book, Ms. E describes her (Full Disclosure: I do not administer the MBTI in either my coaching or clinical practice, nor have I ever made a dime off the MBTI. I simply find the personality analysis that the MBTI provides to be a helpful tool, both personally and professionally.)
Ms. E.’s point about the concerns around personality testing for job applicants were valid, but I would have preferred a more finer distinction between the personality instruments (which were researched for clinical purposes and, at least in the MBTI’s case, appear to have some validity) and the use of personality instruments as HR hiring tools (for which most, if not all, of these tests were never designed or intended). A big difference here.
* Editing/Language Issues – BAIT needed another once-over by the editor (another data point in support of the argument that BAIT was rushed to press). The typos and poor sentence construction seemed to be beyond industry standards. While my friends would hardly describe me as a prude, I found several instances of unnecessarily vulgar language (i.e., “a cold douche” – why not simply “cold shower” or other metaphor?)
* WHAT’S IN A NAME? Like other readers, I’m not clear on the “Bait and Switch” title (other than it’s similarity to NICKEL AND DIMED”). I needed a clear bridge to connect the book to the title.
PRO’s
“INSIDIOUSLY MANIPULATIVE CULTURE” - The above criticisms aside, I am greatly indebted to Ms. E. for the work she put into this book. Her experiences confirm my own as an executive coach and clinical counselor. I have worked with many clients who have fallen victim to this “manipulative culture” that has grown up around downsized executives and preys on their fears about finding a job.
Even more interesting, I have observed this “manipulative culture” being played out WITHIN the coaching field itself. As the field of coaching is a truly rare bird that grew directly out of the field (and not from some academic setting), the entrepreneurial spirit espoused in coaching often becomes twisted into an insidious spirit that preys upon people new to the coaching field. A quite disturbing trend that, while targeted toward a different audience (new coaches), plays out systematically very similarly to what Ms. E. describes.
SYSTEMIC ISSUES -
I’m grateful for the author in sketching out the larger systemic issues at play here. The shame of being laid off or downsized is so great that people often blame themselves (in a simple extension of the victim blaming that Ms. E. identifies so well) to the extent of missing the larger systemic issues. I’m strongly considering offering BAIT to my clients for reading.
I have 6 siblings, ages 30 – 42, all but one who have a least a bachelor’s from college, and none of us have been as economically successful as our parent’s generation. Some of my siblings and I have had repeated conversations around this phenomena, and BAIT goes a long way toward sketching out some of the dynamics.
NETWORKING – I’m becoming increasingly convinced that networking (at least as it is currently practiced) is nonsense, and BAIT offers solid data for this conviction.
All in all, I found BAIT AND SWITCH to hold the promise of addressing some crucial questions about the middle class white culture. The author did address some of these issues, although nowhere near the depth of analysis that she used for her previous book NICKEL AND DIMED. While I applaud Mr. E. for bringing these important issue to the table, I strongly encourage her to bring more of her intellectual power to bear on whatever subject she tackles next.
BOTTOM LINE:'Bait and Switch' is an important book for leaders to read
tags:
Barbara Ehrenreich
Bait and Switch
I am a HUGE fan of Ms. Ehrenreich, being very impressed with the research and work that she put into “Nickled and Dimed”. Ms. Ehrenreich has the courage to discuss political issues – all without the nonsense of the media circus clowns from either the right or the left. I very much looked forward to reading Bait and Switch, her newest work. After reading it, I wanted to give it 5 Stars, but simply couldn’t for the reasons described below.
CONS
* LESS SUBSTANCE - I found this book to be far thinner than NICKEL AND DIMED. A quick read, I read through BAIT in a day and was disappointed that it didn’t have the depth of research or analysis that NICKEL did. The overall impression that I had was that BAIT was rushed to press before it was fully completed. I agree fully with Maureen Killoran (below), in saying that I was disappointed that Ms. Ehrenreich seemed to save her analysis for the all-together-too-brief final chapter, and expected more than an “ain’t it awful” from a social critic of her caliber.
* CRITERIA – I can understand the PR angle (in keeping with the author’s background), but I was puzzled by the $50,000…why this amount? In 2005, the US Dept. of Labor reported that the average salary in the U.S. was $39,795…so why $50,000? (I’ll readily admit that the author’s experience in not getting ANY job offers certainly makes this a somewhat moot point…)
* COACHING - I also agree with Ms. Killoran’s comments on coaching. I’m an executive coach, and disappointed that Ms. Erhernreich chose to take cheap shots at the coaching industry on the basis of her work with two clearly untrained coaches. Furthermore (as a previous reviewer also pointed out), if Ms. Erhernreich was so clear that the two coaches she chose were charlatans, then why did she continue working with them (and paying them), and writing about them? There are incompetent people in every field. Writing about these coaches subjects the reader to unnecessary (and irrelevant) data. Unlike Ms. Killoran however, I am not a fan of the Coaching Associations that have sprung up to safeguard this new profession -- a 15 week teleseminar training program does not a coach make. (Sadly, I’ve met far too many coaches like Kimberly.) As in all things, caveat emptor. If you seek a coach, do your homework and get recommendations from friends and colleagues.
* MBTI - Furthermore, Ms. E. gave a biased account of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI has been around for over 50 years and has been researched in over 100 studies. Ms. E. describes studies that show the MBTI to be lacking in validity, but she fails to cite these studies. Furthermore, later in the book, Ms. E describes her (Full Disclosure: I do not administer the MBTI in either my coaching or clinical practice, nor have I ever made a dime off the MBTI. I simply find the personality analysis that the MBTI provides to be a helpful tool, both personally and professionally.)
Ms. E.’s point about the concerns around personality testing for job applicants were valid, but I would have preferred a more finer distinction between the personality instruments (which were researched for clinical purposes and, at least in the MBTI’s case, appear to have some validity) and the use of personality instruments as HR hiring tools (for which most, if not all, of these tests were never designed or intended). A big difference here.
* Editing/Language Issues – BAIT needed another once-over by the editor (another data point in support of the argument that BAIT was rushed to press). The typos and poor sentence construction seemed to be beyond industry standards. While my friends would hardly describe me as a prude, I found several instances of unnecessarily vulgar language (i.e., “a cold douche” – why not simply “cold shower” or other metaphor?)
* WHAT’S IN A NAME? Like other readers, I’m not clear on the “Bait and Switch” title (other than it’s similarity to NICKEL AND DIMED”). I needed a clear bridge to connect the book to the title.
PRO’s
“INSIDIOUSLY MANIPULATIVE CULTURE” - The above criticisms aside, I am greatly indebted to Ms. E. for the work she put into this book. Her experiences confirm my own as an executive coach and clinical counselor. I have worked with many clients who have fallen victim to this “manipulative culture” that has grown up around downsized executives and preys on their fears about finding a job.
Even more interesting, I have observed this “manipulative culture” being played out WITHIN the coaching field itself. As the field of coaching is a truly rare bird that grew directly out of the field (and not from some academic setting), the entrepreneurial spirit espoused in coaching often becomes twisted into an insidious spirit that preys upon people new to the coaching field. A quite disturbing trend that, while targeted toward a different audience (new coaches), plays out systematically very similarly to what Ms. E. describes.
SYSTEMIC ISSUES -
I’m grateful for the author in sketching out the larger systemic issues at play here. The shame of being laid off or downsized is so great that people often blame themselves (in a simple extension of the victim blaming that Ms. E. identifies so well) to the extent of missing the larger systemic issues. I’m strongly considering offering BAIT to my clients for reading.
I have 6 siblings, ages 30 – 42, all but one who have a least a bachelor’s from college, and none of us have been as economically successful as our parent’s generation. Some of my siblings and I have had repeated conversations around this phenomena, and BAIT goes a long way toward sketching out some of the dynamics.
NETWORKING – I’m becoming increasingly convinced that networking (at least as it is currently practiced) is nonsense, and BAIT offers solid data for this conviction.
All in all, I found BAIT AND SWITCH to hold the promise of addressing some crucial questions about the middle class white culture. The author did address some of these issues, although nowhere near the depth of analysis that she used for her previous book NICKEL AND DIMED. While I applaud Mr. E. for bringing these important issue to the table, I strongly encourage her to bring more of her intellectual power to bear on whatever subject she tackles next.
BOTTOM LINE:'Bait and Switch' is an important book for leaders to read
tags:
Barbara Ehrenreich
Bait and Switch
Friday, May 19, 2006
Following the Code
The Da Vinci Code is launching to enormous fanfare. So here's three things leaders can learn from the ruckus around the 'Code':
1. Fact Vs. Fiction - For better or worse, there are people in the world who have trouble distinquishing a fictional novel from historical (or religious) reality. Psychologists refer to this as a developmental issue. Many of these folks are your employees. Practice patience with these folks.
2. A tipping point is important - Build your brand past the tipping point, and the rest takes care of itself.
3. Any Publicity is Good Publicity - Turmoil? Unrest? Protests? Bring it on. The media loves it, and people eat it up.
BOTTOM LINE:Follow the code to better leadership.
tags:
Da Vinci Code
Development
1. Fact Vs. Fiction - For better or worse, there are people in the world who have trouble distinquishing a fictional novel from historical (or religious) reality. Psychologists refer to this as a developmental issue. Many of these folks are your employees. Practice patience with these folks.
2. A tipping point is important - Build your brand past the tipping point, and the rest takes care of itself.
3. Any Publicity is Good Publicity - Turmoil? Unrest? Protests? Bring it on. The media loves it, and people eat it up.
BOTTOM LINE:Follow the code to better leadership.
tags:
Da Vinci Code
Development
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
The Power of 'We'...
A new study announced by the American Psychological Association shows that groups are better than individuals for solving complex problems. The new research, appearing in the April 2006 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, quotes lead researcher Patrick Laughlin, Ph.D.:
"We found that groups of size three, four, and five outperformed the best individuals and attribute this performance to the ability of people to work together to generate and adopt correct responses, reject erroneous responses, and effectively process information,"
This power of the group for solving complex problems is what I wrote about in my book Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today.
On page 97 of Leading People the Black Belt Way, I wrote:
"Some leaders incorrectly believe that needing other people is a sign of immaturity and weakness. Nothing can be more damaging to your organization than misunderstanding the importance of interdependence. The fact of the matter is that we all need other people."
Tim Warneka
BOTTOM LINE: Strong leaders tap into the power of the group
tags:
leadership
groups
APA
American Psychological Association
"We found that groups of size three, four, and five outperformed the best individuals and attribute this performance to the ability of people to work together to generate and adopt correct responses, reject erroneous responses, and effectively process information,"
This power of the group for solving complex problems is what I wrote about in my book Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today.
On page 97 of Leading People the Black Belt Way, I wrote:
"Some leaders incorrectly believe that needing other people is a sign of immaturity and weakness. Nothing can be more damaging to your organization than misunderstanding the importance of interdependence. The fact of the matter is that we all need other people."
Tim Warneka
BOTTOM LINE: Strong leaders tap into the power of the group
tags:
leadership
groups
APA
American Psychological Association
Monday, May 01, 2006
Contingency Plan - Got Yours?!?
I've spent the past several days working with an organization that is experiencing a crisis. A tragedy happened to one of the key players, and the impact was felt throughout the organization. Even with a de facto contingency plan in place, the fallout was still messy. A crisis is (by definition) always messy.
It could have been worse.
The most important questions a leader should ask is not if a crisis will happen but when the crisis will occur. Many organizations have little or no contingency plans in place. The leaders of these organizations seem to be willing to gamble on the slim hope that a crisis will never happen under their watch.
That's quite a gamble.
Contingency planning requires thinking the unthinkable. Solid organizations - with strong leaders - always have contingency plans. FedEx has them. Microsoft has them.
Do you?
Wise leaders ask - using the collective wisdom of people throughout the organization - these tough questions:
When X happens, what will we do?
How will we respond when Y occurs?
If you don't get clear answers across the board, you are in critical need of a contingency plan.
BOTTOM LINE: Strong leaders have strong contingency plans in place for when the inevitable crisis occurs.
tags:
contingency plan
crisis
crisis leadership
It could have been worse.
The most important questions a leader should ask is not if a crisis will happen but when the crisis will occur. Many organizations have little or no contingency plans in place. The leaders of these organizations seem to be willing to gamble on the slim hope that a crisis will never happen under their watch.
That's quite a gamble.
Contingency planning requires thinking the unthinkable. Solid organizations - with strong leaders - always have contingency plans. FedEx has them. Microsoft has them.
Do you?
Wise leaders ask - using the collective wisdom of people throughout the organization - these tough questions:
When X happens, what will we do?
How will we respond when Y occurs?
If you don't get clear answers across the board, you are in critical need of a contingency plan.
BOTTOM LINE: Strong leaders have strong contingency plans in place for when the inevitable crisis occurs.
tags:
contingency plan
crisis
crisis leadership
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