Job Satisfaction on the Wane?

The Conference Board reports that U.S. worker job satisfaction has declined 14 percent in the past two decades, and is still in a declining trend. According to a TNS survey of 5,000 U.S. households, the percentage of workers satisfied with their jobs, by year, was:

• 61 percent (1987)
• 59 percent (1995)
• 51 percent (2000)
• 52 percent (2005)
• 47 percent (2006)

The figures are no cause for alarm, necessarily, but indicate a troublesome trend. Why do we pay close attention to satisfaction trends? Because each employee's job satisfaction statistically correlates with whether he or she will quit, and his or her absenteeism rate. And overall satisfaction rates strongly correlate with productivity and profitability. Management Malpractice reports, “...The decline in job satisfaction is widespread among workers of all ages and across all income brackets. Half of all Americans today say they are satisfied with their jobs, down from nearly 60 percent in 1995.

But among the 50 percent who say they are content, only 14 percent say they are "very satisfied."

This report, which is based on a representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households, conducted for The Conference Board by TNS, a leading market information company (LSE: TNN), also includes information collected independently by TNS.

"This information reveals that approximately one-quarter of the American workforce is simply 'showing up to collect a paycheck.' The survey finds that job satisfaction has declined across all income brackets in the last nine years.” from Management Malpractice."

Satisfaction and profitability aren't a dichotomy, but instead are linked reflections of the underlying effectiveness of leadership practices.

If you suspect that your employees are simply showing up to collect a paycheck, all is not lost. Much can be done, with adjustment of management styles, assessments to get the right people in the right seats, and amazing performance goals.

Barr Corporate Success can help drive teams and individuals to outstanding profitability and job satisfaction. Call or e-mail today! Return to Barr Corporate Success For more data and analysis of worker satisfaction, causes, and effects, please see : http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/13/business/workcol14.php, accessed 8/4/07. U.S. Job Satisfaction Keeps Falling, The Conference Board Reports Today. Source: The Conference Board, Feb. 28, 2005 http://www.conference-board.org/utilities/pressDetail.cfm?press_ID=2582, accessed 8/4/07. http://www.managementmalpractice.com/in_the_news.php

"The No As*h@#!@ Rule"

We apologize for using a word that may offend the sensibilities of some. We'll alternate between the vulgarity, and the more accepted "jerk." We hope that after reading, you'll agree it's worth discussing.

As you can tell from the length of the post, we like the book. Read it!

Stanford University professor and Robert Sutton has not only legitimized the word "asshole" in business conversation -- he's made it practically unavoidable.

"It all started in 2003 with a half-serious proposal that I made to Harvard Business Review, when their senior editor Julia Kirby asked if I had any suggestions for HBR's annual list of 'Breakthrough Ideas.' I told Julia that the best business practice I knew of was the 'no asshole rule.'"

Despite Sutton's expectation that no such title would ever be published by HBR, the article was embraced, and drew so much media attention that he followed it up with the frank, amusing and well-researched book, very directly titled The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't. If you're actively dealing with a jerk, read it. You may find help with your current situation, and at worst, will better be able to recognize and avoid assholes in the future.

Sutton offers welcoming reassurance to anyone who has ever thought, "I don't care how productive this guy/woman is, it's just not worth it to put up with him/her."

Experts agree, and for sound business reasons. Assholes are not worth it. Sutton shows that whatever numbers the jerk generates in terms of individual sales or productivity, more comprehensive metrics prove that jerks take a tremendous toll on morale, overall productivity, and unnecessary turnover.

A partial list of factors Sutton suggested we consider when calculating TCA (Total Cost of Assholes)

• Distraction from tasks, the effort devoted to avoiding unpleasant exchanges, recovering from them, avoiding blame.
• Damaged sense of safety and an environment of fear that discourages "discretionary effort," suggestions, risk-taking, learning from own and others' failures, and honest discussion.
• Reduced motivation and energy at work.
• Stress-induced physical and emotional illness.
• Potentially impaired mental acuity.
• Continual and ongoing bullying transforms targets into assholes.
• Absenteeism
• Turnover due to asshole's abusive supervision, plus time spent looking for new job while at work
• Costs of victims' retribution toward the company.
• "Combat pay" for those who stay.
• Time spent "cooling out" victimized customers, contract employees, suppliers, outsiders, and internal employees who are victimized.
• Settlement fees and successful litigation by both victims, and alleged assholes (wrongful termination claims).
• Increased health insurance costs.

When those factors are considered, it becomes apparent that assholes cost more than they are worth. Add in the damage to personal lives, marriages, and other relationships, and assholes become a toxin that must be removed.

Have you experienced or witnessed any of Sutton's "Dirty Dozen"?

These are common everyday actions that assholes use.

• Personal insults
• Invading ones "personal territory"
• Uninvited physical contact
• Threats & intimidation, both verbal and non-verbal
• Sarcastic 'jokes' and 'teasing' used as insult delivery systems
• Withering e-mail flames
• Status slaps intended to humiliate
• Public shaming or 'status degradation' rituals
• Rude interruptions
• Two-faced attacks
• Dirty looks
• Treating people as if they're invisible

If you haven't, then you're among the lucky few. Sutton cites one study showing that 27 percent of workers in a representative sample of Michigan residents experienced mistreatment by someone in the workplace, with one in six reporting persistent psychological abuse. And a 1997 study of 130 U.S. nurses found that an astounding 90 percent reporting being victims of verbal abuse from physicians during the previous year.

If you have, then you're obviously not alone. We empathize. Without real concrete incentive to change, such as forceful intervention from higher-level management or powerbrokers, it is difficult to stop an asshole. While some are unaware of the effect their behavior has on those around them, others may simply not care, or not be able to control themselves.

Sutton writes of several levels of asshole:

• "Temporary assholes" are having a bad day or moment. Miscommunications and frustrating situations can at times bring out the worst in all of us. All of us have probably offended, if only by rolling ones eyes during a difficult meeting. As long as offenses are infrequent, apologized for, and an isolated aberration from usually friendly, respectful behavior, temporary assholes are part of life.
• "Certified assholes" are workplace polluters who "display a persistent pattern of episodes that end with one 'target' after another feeling belittled, put down, humiliated, disrespected, oppressed, de-energized, and generally worse about themselves."
• "Flaming assholes"... 'nuff said.
• "Two-faced backstabbers" are particularly noxious weeds. They "have enough skill and emotional control to save their dirty work for moments when they can't get caught, and are much tougher to stop, even though they do as much damage as a raging maniac."

Sutton proposes two steps for detecting assholes: find those who persistently leave others feeling demeaned and de-energized; then look to see if their victims generally have less power and social standing than the tormentor. The basic hallmark of assholes is "kiss up, kick down." Does the alleged asshole persistently leave the person he interacts with feeling worse about him- or herself?

Hundreds of cross-disciplinary studies have attempted to define practices that lead to greater productivity. Supportive, warm work environments that reward risk-taking and creative thinking are often most productive. Assholes utterly destroy creative, supportive, productive teams and create a contagion of anger, resentment, and bad behavior. The more powerful the asshole, and the longer his or her behavior goes unaddressed, the more widespread the effects, and the harder to recover from.

Sutton writes, "Research on everything from student groups to top management teams reveals that constructive arguments over ideas -- but not nasty personal arguments -- drives greater performance, especially when teams do non-routine work."

Certain industries in particular are haunted by the myth of the "temperamental rock star", which misleads companies into hiring and retaining -- with gritted teeth and clenched fists -- assholes who put up good numbers. They're often considered part of the price of doing business.

Sutton writes, "There is so much evidence that civilized workplaces are not a naive dream, that they do exist, and that pervasive contempt can be replaced with mutual respect when a team or organization is managed right -- and civilized workplaces usually enjoy superior performance as well."

There is hope. The workplace is changing as the nature of our work shifts more to knowledge work requiring good interpersonal relations and teamwork. Owners and management are paying attention. For example, Virgin founder Richard Branson devised a test to avoid assholes; he dressed as a chauffeur and picked up candidates personally. Other companies are actively training HR and other hiring professionals to weed out asshole candidates.

In the meantime, Sutton recommends you ask yourself: "Am I part of the problem, or part of the solution?" Your answer may determine the course of your career.

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Bob Sutton's blog

The Moment of Truth

Freezeframe: A regular mid-level customer, Bob Smith, has just complained to one of your employees. Bob's brow is furrowed, and his right hip is thrust out a bit. He's just run his left hand through his thinning hair, and his right hand is waving slightly out to the side, palm up.

If we looked at your employee, representing you, what would we see? Eye contact? Looking down at the desk/counter? Body language?

...annnnnd "Action!"

What will your employee say? What will he or she do? Will the customer's issue be addressed? Will the customer want to continue doing business with your company?

Feeling confident? Let's up the ante. New research shows that customers fall into discrete categories:

• 43% are shouters - people who tell as many people as possible when they experience bad service.
• 27% are switchers - people who switch to another company and don't tell anyone.
• 15% are seekers - people who try and find a better way to get good service.
• 11% are sulkers - who just put up with the bad service and sulk.
• A full 20 percent will rant to more than 10 friends about their bad experience.

Source: SunGard Availability Services, UK.

And the common wisdom:

• 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers.
• It costs less to keep customers than to find new ones.

A recent McKinsey Quarterly article demonstrates how critical "moments of truth" are in profitability. Customers who experience a high rate of positive outcomes in "moments of truth" broaden their connection with the company, consuming more services. Those who experience negative outcomes tend to leave, or stay but "sulk" by seeking any additional services elsewhere. That's why it's vital that emotion-laden moments when a customer has a problem result in an employee's empathetic, appropriate, and helpful response. That response can either cement relationships or break them. Companies spend fortunes creating and enhancing brands, but without frontline follow-through, customers don't return.

While recruiting employees with high commitment and high emotional intelligence is a good approach, companies must go further. McKinsey suggests that companies can hard-wire excellent customer service by engaging employees in certain ways. It stands to reason that those who have their needs met are more motivated and enabled to meet the needs of others. Companies can best foster that culture of excellence by:

• Stressing a deeper meaning, and clear sense of purpose within frontline work, to integrate work with the values, beliefs, psychological needs, thoughts and feelings of workers.
• Influencing mind-sets of employees to both increase their abilities and help them acquire the right emotional skills.
• Aligning compensation, processes and structures with the goal of customer service, clearly placing value on customer-retaining behaviors.
• Mobilizing frontline mentors to model and teach emotionally intelligent behavior.

You know better than anyone: Is Bob going to leave with a smile on his face?

If you're not sure, call Krissi Barr at 513-470-8980 or e-mail krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com

Competition tops challenges list

Study: Senior executives of companies with revenues of $1 billion to $10 billion report that the major business challenges of the next two years are:

• Increased competitive pressures (83 percent)
• Responding rapidly to changing market conditions (67 percent)
• Failure to innovate (60 percent)
• Satisfying customer expectations (52 percent)

Source: Mercer Delta Executive Learning Center and the Economist Intelligence Unit poll of 233 senior execs, as published in USA Today business section.

So that means....

... we should watch what the other guys are doing...?

Yes and no. Yes, watch what other companies are doing. Yes, keep your ear to the ground for what's happening in your industry. But no, you're not going to win by chasing the competition. Your company needs to find its unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in order to find the greatest potential for growth.

...we don't have time for strategic planning, since It's all moving so fast...?

No! Strategic planning is more important than ever! Market change is the "sea of business." If you're trying to stay in one spot, you'll get pounded by the waves, sputter, and eventually go under. Those waves can be seen coming: prepare your board, begin paddling in front of them, and your company will ride those waves, right in the curl! That's what strategic planning, done right, can do for you and your business. We can help you spot current and coming business trends based on your knowledge of your industry, find the sweet spots in those waves, and paddle right into them. You also build your "surfing" skills in the process.

We must pressure our workforce to innovate, innovate, innovate!

Nope. As a matter of fact, if you approach it like that, you will shut down innovation completely, and probably cost yourself some big turnover expenses in the process. You know, innately, that innovation is borne out of atmospheres of trust, openness, and risk-taking, and all studies back up your "gut instinct" on that. Imagine a far-fetched example: If someone put you in a room with 10 straws, 16 pins, 6 LifeSavers, and a pair of scissors, you could devise a primitive car in no time. Reading this, relaxed, you're probably generating ideas right now. But if someone were standing over you, threatening physical harm if you failed, you'd be far more likely to poke yourself with a pin than produce workable, much less innovative, model. Great teamwork produces great innovation. If you don't have the former, you're not likely to get the latter.

... satisfy our customers? We are, aren't we?

Is there a note of uncertainty there? Don't just sit there! If you're not sure, find out! The best practice is for everyone in your organization who interacts with customers on a regular basis stay close to the customer, ask questions, learn customer needs, and meet them.

Barr Corporate Success helps businesses meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

To learn how Barr Corporate Success can help your business meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, call Krissi Barr at 513-470-8980 or e-mail krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com.

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You May Need a Consultant If...

Unless you've been on a deserted island for the past 10 or so years, you're likely familiar with Jeff Foxworthy's "... you might be a redneck" stand-up routine. Granted: The one sure way to make humor unfunny is to overanalyze it, so I'll keep my academic musing to a minimum! The key to Foxworthy's successful and universal humor is we have all known, seen, or been what he describes. You may not identify yourself as a redneck, but at some time or another, you may have done some of what he describes, to some degree, and those are the jokes that get the biggest laughs out of us.

Now, switch gears with me, and consider the performance of your company, your team, yourself.

We all face business challenges, both personally and as an organization. Sometimes a business is just not growing as fast as it could and should, is in a rut, or worse -- is shrinking. Sometimes the most difficult part of running a company, division or team is leading the it in the right direction and ultimately putting it on the right path to grow and prosper.

"But we don't need any help, certainly not a consultant!"

That would mean something is badly wrong, right? Not necessarily. Your car runs fine, but might not if you skip regular maintenance and tune-ups. You change the weight of oil in your car for cold/hot weather. Put on snow tires for different road conditions. It's no weakness of your car that you consult a mechanic. Using a consultant to take your business to the next level is no different. Want a Maserati, or a beater?

Go in for a tune-up!

Listen to the watercooler conversation. Look at the numbers. Consider the morale of your teams. Listen to your own thoughts.

If any of the following rings true… you need a consultant!

(May we suggest Barr Corporate Success?)

• “We could seriously use a new $1 million.”
• “Our organization feels stuck.”
• “Revenues and growth are flat or falling.”
• “Sales are sluggish and costs are rising.”
• “Our competitors are gaining market share.”
• “Oh, it’s a bad economy, everyone’s off.”
• “The business just isn’t profitable.”
• “Customer demands are changing constantly – how do we know what they want?”
• “How can we find new customers and markets?”
• “Vendors demand more and more from us all the time.”
• “I'm not sure the right people are in the right positions.”
• “People are burned out, unmotivated, and turnover's on the rise.”
• “No one around here makes decisions.”
• “Does our compensation plan reward good performance?”
• “There goes the rumor mill again. These office politics are wasting time.”
• “Most of my team is -- at best -- 'C' players.”
• “How do we get more out of our partner relationships?”
• “We'd love to be more efficient, but how?”
• “What advantages could we get out of new technology?”
• “Sales are giving away the store!”
• “Our product quality and service is weak.”
• “Product development is taking longer than expected. The market’s not waiting.”
• “We’re considering a merger or an acquisition.”
• “New industry regulations are seriously hindering growth.”
• “Industry rules are changing. Our operations aren't aligned to those changes.”
• “No one seems focused on the bottom line.”
• “We spend more time putting our fires than planning for the future.”
• “Well, this is the way we’ve always done it.”
• “We need some solid strategic alliances.”
• “Succession plan? There is no succession plan.”
• “Strategic vision just isn't there. We need some new ideas to grow the business.”
• “We need more innovative leadership.”
• “We need a business, sales and marketing plan with teeth.”
• “How do I develop leaders from within my company?”
• “How can I get my teammates to be as passionate about the business as I am?”

Sound familiar? We can help.

Call 513-470-8980 or e-mail krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com

"So What Exactly Do You Do?"

For most of us, casual social situations sometimes bring the questions, "What line of work are you in?" The most succinct answers, in our case, are "business consultancy," or "strategic planning and implementation." But that's a little pat, and doesn't really answer the question, now does it?

It depends on what a business or organization needs.

With 20+ years of experience in high-level business, an incredible educational pedigree, a deep personal commitment to ongoing learning, and a personal track record of outstanding results, our founder (and chief!) Krissi Barr dives in, takes stock, and gets busy!

What Barr Corporate Success Does

The one constant in business, as in life, is change. Ability to adapt to an ever-changing world is always a basis for success. And since the greatest assets of your company are its people, corporate success reflects your people’s success. BCS works with a team of your key players who are capable of raising company-wide performance to levels colleagues, customers, and competitors would consider the new standard.

The process to getting there is highly customized for your people and organization.

With a bottom-line focus, Barr helps your team:

• Increase net profits – Break the routine and change the rules. Improve the selling process, generate more customers at greater margins, cultivate advantageous vendor partnerships, evaluate and actively work with key performance financial measurements.
• Heighten competitive awareness and advantages – Stand out from the rest. Put into practice the skills, focus, and structure of businesses at the next echelon to capture new opportunities.
• Communicate better internally and externally – Foster creativity. Understand individual behavior, attitudes, values, and communication and how these impact team dynamics, sales, and customer relations. Improve company interactions, supplier relationships, and customer satisfaction.
• Create enthusiasm and excitement – Put fun back into the business. It’s phenomenal to be a winner on a winning team. The team proactively moves forward, not just putting out fires.
• Achieve tactical brilliance in strategic planning and operations – Aim high. Think big. Look for profitability in problems. Goals are specific, relevant, aggressively implemented, and actively tracked.
• Grow yourself, and your people... and reduce costly turnover – Be a star. Live up to your potential. Leadership, individual and team skills are sharpened with a vision for success.
• Cut costs – Leverage your supply chain and purchasing to drive down costs. Optimize operations efficiencies. Implement cost saving processes that cut costs without cutting corners.

The Big Picture

The Barr Corporate Success process is not just about strategic planning. It’s about setting exceptional goals and implementing actionable, measurable, timely actions to facilitate taking ownership for performing at much higher levels. By considering the big picture, business challenges, corporate culture, and personal concerns, Barr pulls all facets (and potential obstacles) together.

Barr helps teams get all oars in the water, pulling in the right direction, in perfect synchrony, to achieve amazing results. To learn more about how, please check us out at www.barrcorporatesuccess.com, or for personal attention, just call us! 513-470-8980. Or e-mail Krissi today! Krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com

Relationship Woes?

Good relationships aren't difficult -- bad relationships are! In a business environment, poor relationships are also expensive. An Adecco Staffing survey of 1,000 workers reports that 49 percent of employees say yes, their relationship with their boss directly affects their productivity.

Yeah, it's that important.

Many managers don't really understand what motivates and matters to their employees. We sometimes assume, or think we know, but we don't. Let's look at another study, this time ranking the factors that most influence employee performance. In this study, not only were employees polled, but managers were also asked to predict what those employees' rankings would be. Were the managers right? Take a look.

What Managers Expected Employees to Say

1. High wages
2. Job security
3. Promotion within the company
4. Good working conditions
5. Interesting work

What Employees Really Say Influences Them

1. Full appreciation of work done
2. Feeling of being in on things
3. Help on personal problems
4. Job security
5. High wages

Feeling appreciated and clued-in ranks higher than wages largely because to be appreciated and well-informed prepares us to make outstanding contributions, meet critical goals, and make smart decisions that will result in career growth.

Think of the stereotypical editorial assistant, fetching coffee and doing front-line work -- the pay's not high, the prestige isn't high, and he hasn't chosen that environment to learn different blends of coffee beans. He's learning the business, making a contribution to the big picture, and working toward a fulfilling career.

Make time for important conversations...

Do you have to know the names of your direct reports' pets? Of course not, but knowing your employees' life and career goals helps you leverage what you and your employees have to offer one another into a healthy, productive relationship. A global consumer response survey of 1,625 workers gave some insight into welcome conversation. What aspect is most important when employers communicate with workers?

• Giving insights on how to be more effective (52 percent)
• Showing how to fit into the company's vision (47 percent)
• Explaining the company's vision (45 percent)
• Engaging on a personal level (41 percent)

Build those relationships. To your direct reports, you are the company. The company's strategic goals and how it all fits together comes from you. If you can't sum up those strategic goals, go to your boss, who may go to her boss... It's a conversation that may have unexpected benefits!

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