Turning
West for News
A Publication for Friends and
Clients of M. H. West & Co., Inc.
January 1998 |
Message from the President
M. H. West & Co., Inc. becomes seven years old on February 1,
1998. My colleagues and associates in the business community tell me that
this event is clearly a milestone in the life cycle of any business! Will I
celebrate this occasion? Probably not...but I am extremely grateful for eight
individuals who I refer to as the "Magnificent Seven" plus "One" (a
mentor) for their support of my efforts over the past seven years. They helped to
reinforce my "CAN DO" attitude and my belief that "THE
SKY IS THE LIMIT". When asked about factors that underlie the firm's
longevity, the following immediately comes to mind:
Entering the market place with a strong business plan,
transforming the business plan into a strategic plan and using the plan to grow the
business
Offering a value added service and treating customers in the same
manner that you would like to be treated
Valuing employees as one of the most important assets of the
business
Managing resources, information and conflict
Working hard and smart
Developing leadership at all levels of the company
Investing in professional and trade associations that relate to
both the company's and customers' product and service line
Remaining humble and helping others to succeed
Building a network of businesses and individuals to assist in
meeting company goals
Leading a healthy lifestyle AND
STOP THINKING ABOUT SUCCESS. SUCCESS IS LIKE CHANGE...IT
DOES HAPPEN BUT IT TAKES TIME!
What are my plans in the eighth year of the business?...to continue
following the same prescription that I have just described with emphasis on customer
service, service expansion, diversity and product improvement. This issue of
"Turning West for News" focuses on building a quality workforce for the 21st
century. Workforce development begins with the employee interview and ends when the
employer and employee agree or believe that separation from the company becomes a Win, Win
for both parties.
Much happiness, good fortune and good health in 1998!
THINKING OUT OF THE BOX
(by Dr. John R. Rothermel)
FIRST OR LAST CHOICE EMPLOYER
(Attracting the Best Candidate for Available Positions)
Low, low unemployment means that 1998 will be a year when
organizations will have to compete vigorously for qualified staff. Is your
organization ready for that kind of competition?
Let us look at a "top of the line" candidate's first
experience with your organization. Will it be an impression of a first choice or a
last choice employer for the candidate?
Last choice develops when a harried receptionist seats the
candidate in a remote corner of the office suite while phoning intermittently to staff to
find out who is going to receive the candidate. First choice occurs when a
previously informed receptionist graciously escorts the candidate over to the
Interviewer's secretary within minutes of the candidates arrival.
Last choice occurs when the second stop is in a pictureless,
barren-looking internal conference room where the candidate is left to roost in isolated
boredom while the secretary goes to find the interviewer. First choice, on the other
hand, is when that stopping place is a bright, cheery, well-furnished conference room
where the candidate is offered choice of beverages, a coat hanger and a promise of the
interviewer's immediate appearance.
Last choice is when the interviewer, despite having a well-crafted
resume in hand, immediately begins interrogating the candidate. First choice is when
the interviewer offers the candidate a video or graphics-embellished description of the
company's aspirations, its successes, its culture, and its expectations for its workforce
and then seeks the candidate's perceptions of a partnership that could evolve between the
two to accomplish each other's goals.
Last choice is when, the interview over, the candidate is given a
quick handshake, a "thanks for coming by," and the secretary's guidance to the
front door. First choice is when the interviewer walks the candidate through the
premises, introducing her or him to future co-workers, noting conjunctions between what
the co-workers are doing and what the candidate will do, and gently expressing the pride
of the organization in its employees.
A first class experience, in short, grows out of synergy between
the candidate and the organization, and the candidate's potential co-workers. A last
choice experience is the failure of the organization and the candidate to connect.
DID YOU KNOW THAT?
(Words of Wisdom)
"You must learn from the mistakes of others. You
can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself." --Sam Levison
Gaining respect and loyalty from those who work for you can result
if you:
"There are an enormous number of managers who have retired on
the job." --Peter Drucker
"First-rate people hire first-rate people, second-rate people
hire third-rate people." --Leo Rosten
"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an
understanding of ourselves." --Carl Jung
Resiliency...a Desirable Employee Trait
Resiliency, the ability to survive despite adversity, will be a
primary factor for employee success in the 21st century. Some of the characteristics
of resilient people are that they have a sense of purpose, future, or strong aspiration;
they see obstacles as something that can be overcome, endured or changed; they develop a
range of strategies and skills to address a situation; they have a broad range of
interests and goals and they believe that hard work will pay off.
In a 1995 survey, Workforce Training and Service Needs of
Virginia's Businesses: A Survey for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia's employers
reported that their training and development needs were not being met because they could
not find the customized workforce training they desired. Additionally, firms using
existing programs indicate the training they were able to find fulfilled only 65-77% of
their instructional needs.
M. H. West & Co., Inc. has designed programs to increase the
pool of resilient people in a company's workforce. Employees learn to become more
productive, develop interpersonal skills, appreciate knowledge, achieve high standards,
use technology, and develop leadership potential through courses that emphasize Decision
Making, Interpersonal Skills Development, Self-Management Skill Training, Problem Solving
Skills, Writing and Presentation Skills, Goal Setting and Teambuilding.
Investing in training opportunities for employees to become
resilient by concentrating on their strengths and assets rather than their deficiencies
should yield a good return on investment. The necessity for career resiliency,
adaptability and other skills will turn us all into resilient life-long learners in the
21st century.
M. H. West & Co., Inc.'s COACH (Confidence Offers All Citizens
Hope) Program is another educational product that fosters resiliency skills. It is
directed towards helping people understand and believe that their lives can be different
by setting goals, building their character, managing stress and enhancing image.
Contact Dr. Mary Anne Knobloch to continue the dialogue about employee development,
retention, and recruitment.
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