Succession Planning and Strategic Talent Management can help you avoid catastrophic risks and be more competitive now and in the years ahead

By Florian Kete

Mention the word “succession planning” in a small to medium-sized company these days, and you can see the eyes roll. Most leaders these days are worried about top line revenue, and how they’re going make the most productive use of the staff they have and may not want to be distracted by planning for potential vacancies or departures.

What many fail to understand is that there’s a correlation between managing your top talent effectively, overcoming the challenges of the economic downturn, and taking your business to the next level. The “rolling eyes” is precisely the reason someone needs to take it seriously—if your leaders don’t consider it a priority, you can guarantee that no-one else will.

Knowing what to do in case your CEO or one of your key players is hit by a bus is not the only reason to go through succession planning. There are other reasons- but mainly: “It will position your company to be stronger both now and in the years ahead.”

Succession planning is an integral part of strategic planning, Actually it’s somewhat of a misnomer because it’s really an exercise in “Strategic Talent Management.” As Jim Collins detailed in his acclaimed book “Good to Great”, step one to being a great company begins by having the right people on the bus! Unfortunately what works for mammoth organizations like GE and IBM; the firms that have pioneered succession planning—does not necessarily work for smaller organizations.

Succession Planning /Strategic Talent Management for the Small to Medium-sized Business

As you embark on your own Succession Planning Project /Strategic Talent Management Project, be sure to adapt it to the nuances of your business. Take a look at your talent needs over the next 3-5 years and decide how you’re going to fill those needs.

THE TOP FIVE SUCCESSION PLANNING/STRATEGIC TALENT MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS:

These five questions will help you get started on a simplified succession planning and strategic talent management process:

 1. How will you compete in the years ahead? Which positions will be critical to leading the company? Restrict your focus to only positions that are critical to the on-going success of your organization. Don’t get sucked into the argument that “every job at our company is critical”!

2. What talent will get you there? If one of those critical positions becomes vacant, how will you fill it? Increasing responsibilities to someone else’s role usually isn’t a good answer. Maybe you already have people with multiple skill sets AND the desire to do whatever is needed who can fill these roles? If not, you need to know who performs these roles at other organizations that you might want to recruit. What talents that you don’t have will you need to add to your organization in order to compete in the future? Where will you need to be talent-wise to lead the pack or at least to keep up with the pack?

3. What key things you should be working on? If you don’t have an obvious successor and don’t want to steal talent from someone else, are you willing to work on developing an internal talent for a possible role? If so, what are the one or two critical issues that your identified people need to work on during the current year? Are you ready to hold them accountable for developing those key skills? What talent risks do you have right now? Are there key people in critical positions that might leave you? If so, what are you prepared to do RIGHT NOW to prevent them from leaving? Which current employee could be re-assigned to that role successfully?

4. What will you do NOW to develop emerging talent? When is the last time a development conversation took place with talented young people you hope to keep for the future? Has anyone been specific with them about what they need to do to advance their careers? Do they know that they are being tracked for succession purposes? Don’t surprise your young talent that they were being tracked for bigger jobs as you conduct their exit interview!

5. What would you do if you lost a top leader? It might not be a truck that makes you lose a top manager. People have been known to make some crazy career choices after a recession. Can you contemplate life without your top operations person? Or your top financial person?

Succession planning and Strategic Talent Management helps you avoid catastrophic risk, and ensures the availability of experienced and capable employees that are prepared to assume critical roles as they become available.

This process positions your company to be much stronger both today and in the years ahead. In this context you can see how much you have to gain if you do manage your talent with an eye towards the future—and how much you stand to lose if you don’t.

Florian Kete is the Vice President of Human Resources at Excel Polymers. With a background in consulting, business start ups, venture capital organizations and large multi-national corporations (GE, FedEx), he brings a strong, no nonsense business approach to the business of talent management and people development. He is a member of The Senior HR Leader Thought Forum.

By Ralph A. Dise, Jr.

I speak with business leaders every day, and everyone says they want change, but few move beyond lip service because few really know how to effect positive change.

That’s a shame—because as a leader—there is nothing more important you can do than to lead—to purposefully orchestrate organizational change. 

Inertia is another major roadblock—the power of old habits that don’t want to die.

Unfortunately the future of companies and entire communities hang in the balance where change is necessary for survival. Many of the ways we’ve been trained to bring about change don’t work because they’re too complicated, and they rely on top-down communications that has proven time and again to be ineffective.

Introducing “Influencer”

Influencer is a groundbreaking methodology for managing organizational change. Based on years of observation and research, it was developed by some of the brightest minds in organizational development, and…it works.

Years of Influencer research has revealed a simple formula:

1. Clarify measurable results
2. Identify one or two key vital behaviors you wish to change
3. Diagnose why these behaviors are not happening, and then
4. Marshal four more sources of influence to overwhelm the “overwhelming” problems that will lead to the results you are seeking.

The Six Sources of Influence

The Six Sources of Influence are personal, social, and structural—and are affected by individual as well as collective motivation and ability (simplified above).

The beauty of Influencer is that it’s simple and accessible. You can clearly see this in action in the video case study: “All Washed Up”.

It’s so simple kids can do it!

“All Washed Up”: The Problem

Be sure to watch this video. You’ll see that 2 or 3 sources of influence alone are not effective. Once you overwhelm the group with four or more sources of influence, then change miraculously happens! 

This is just one example of many. The possibilities for effecting positive change are limitless! 

“All Washed Up”: The Solution

What’s the bottom line? Influencer works. It’s simple, accessible, and proven. Every person, every organization should be learning how Influencer can be used to drive rapid and sustainable change.

Something to think about: “If you could wave a magic wand, what are one or two behaviors that–if you were successful in changing them–would completely transform your business?”

For more information about Influencer, including a free self-assessment you can find them at Kurt Southam’s website at www.southamconsulting.net.

Ralph A. Dise, Jr. is the President of Dise & Company, the Director Emeritus of Lincolnshire International, and has worked in the field of Human Resources his entire career. You can contact Ralph directly at the Pro People Page on Diseco.com.

Based on a dialogue of leading HR Professionals at the Senior HR Thought Leader Forum at the Union Club in downtown Cleveland

It’s a fact—towards the end of a recession, when the economy starts perking up—the most talented people start looking around for other opportunities.

The best are in demand

Think about your very best employee—either in management or in the field. There are probably several people who come to mind—and really stand out.

Now think about what you would do if these people were to walk into your office and give you two week’s notice today. It’s a scary thought, isn’t it?

Invariably, it is the best people who are recruited away. So now, as the economy is starting to show signs of life, you should take action to keep your “A” players productive, happy, and manage the risk that they accept an “opportunity” with a competitor.

Who are your “A” Players?

Bradford Smart, the author of “TopGrading” says that 10% of your staff are “A” players.

An “A” player is a gifted and productive employee, who’s moved up the ladder, with promotions and responsibilities, and who has a career ahead of them. This person is a change agent; someone others look to for guidance; who others think of as a mentor; someone who sees the big picture; someone who consistently performs to their full potential; someone who brings unique competencies to their job and your company; someone who has career potential with your company.

Can you really afford to lose this person?

“A” players are continuously growing, and show their strength by continually adapting to new and changing environments. The question is: “How to you keep them happy and engaged?”

5 Specific Actions you can take to keep “A” Players

Here are five specific actions you should consider taking to retain your key employees:

1. Start at the top: “A” players demand “A” leadership. During tough economic times, everyone is used to hearing news about the need to “hunker down” and “sacrifice.” Now that your company has survived, everyone’s wondering what your new focus is: “What’s the new operating environment?”, “What are the challenges?”, and “What’s the new strategy?” Communicate the good and the bad. Be transparent and vulnerable. Consider asking for 360% feedback. Being vulnerable and open to feedback at the top makes for stronger leadership.

2. Consider a “closet cleaning”: “This would be my best employee, if he/she didn’t have such an attitude problem.” Like it or not—that person creates a problem because tolerating him or her fosters a culture where employees know that leadership accepts unacceptable behaviors in order to “make do.” It opens the door to other behavior problems. Getting rid of one or two saboteurs sends a strong signal to everyone.

3. Conduct “retention interviews”: Figure out individually what makes your “A” players tick. Meet one-on-one with your top talent and tell them. “You are important.” And then ask “What are the things we need to be doing to keep you around?” You want to challenge your best people with important assignments and make them a part of the decision-making process. If you provide access to strategic information, and seek his or her opinions on what to do next, it will be a “win-win” for everyone.

4. Engage in pro-active career management: Most people, especially the best and most motivated, want to know where their career is headed. Share the company’s strategy, and explain how their efforts are critical to the company’s success. Then provide meaningful feedback and measure their progress. No matter how good an “A” Player is, there’s always room for improvement. The best people want and deserve the truth. Reinforcing what they have done well, but also giving them concrete ways in which they can improve can “help you help them” take your company to the next level.

5. Give your “A” players first chance:  This is a great way to overcome organizational barriers for success. While you are taking inventory of the strengths and weaknesses of your organization, you should be asking “Are there any talent gaps?” “Can these gaps be addressed through training?” Before you look outside for new talent, “can you nurture the talent you need from within?” Expanding responsibilities and developing talent from within is a great way to make your best employees feel valued, challenged, and motivated.

Of course it’s important to recognize and compensate your key employees—particularly if you compare the cost of losing and then replacing a key employee—it doesn’t hurt for them to be well-compensated, but by following the 5 specific actions listed above, it will be a “win-win” and they’ll be compensated fairly for the value they are bringing to your company.

There are many things that you can do to help keep your best employees.

Make sure that you are doing something—because doing nothing will be a most costly mistake

And you’ll risk losing your most important asset: your best people.

The Senior HR Thought Leader Forum at the Union Club in downtown Cleveland is sponsored by Dise & Company – a Professional Services Firm specializing in Executive Search, Corporate Outplacement, and Leadership Coaching.

To learn more about what you can be doing to attract and retain “A” Players, call Ralph Dise at 216-752-1700.

If you’re a Leader you need to combat negativity and maintain a positive attitude (no matter what!)

Based on a conversation with John Milgram and Ralph Dise

“It can be lonely at the top,” but it doesn’t need to be, and it shouldn’t be.

Many people would be surprised at the number of successful corporate executives who feel like fakes—these are highly successful people who attribute their success to luck, timing, or coasting by with a great personality. This includes CEOs of big, successful companies.

Many of these CEOs feel lonely and isolated – and that’s precisely the problem. As a Leader you should not let yourself get isolated in the first place.

It’s understandable though, how Leaders can become lonely and isolated. In our culture, starting from a young age, many children are told “don’t do this”, “don’t do that”. We spend the first couple of years of our children’s lives teaching them how to walk, and then the next sixteen years telling them to sit down and shut up. When and if you’re called upon, it’s a sign of weakness if you say you don’t know something.

But being a Leader doesn’t mean you have to be Superman. Leaders are human, made of flesh and blood, and put their shoes on one foot at a time—like everyone else. Many of the best Leaders are very hands off – they’ve learned to delegate everything to their colleagues and subordinates.

As Leaders, if we’re going to be open to new opportunities, one of the most important things we can do is to work to better understand our own personal strengths and weaknesses, and the strengths and weaknesses of our organizations, and then enlist others—from the HR department to the people who are working in the field—to fight the good fight against our ingrained culture, and tell everyone who works with us: “You are better than you think you are.”

“It’s up to you to build a positive culture.”

As a Leader you must maintain a positive attitude, no matter what. But attitude and affirmations are not enough. You need to show you mean it, because actions speak louder than words. Follow through to better understand your people’s strengths—and then find ways to put them to good use. With use, your strengths—like your muscles—will naturally get stronger and more resilient.

“The Geography of Nowhere”

In “The Geography of Nowhere” (Simon and Schuster, 1994), James Howard Kunstler offers a scathing critique of America’s urban and suburban landscapes, with our endless highways, bedroom communities, and strip malls.

It’s really a critique of our culture. Unfortunately when you compare many parts of the United States to other developed countries, which have put a great emphasis on developing livable communities, it rings true. It should make us think about what constitutes a good human habitat, a good community—and if you’re a corporate Leader—a good organization.

Kunstler received great praise for his work, and like others who’ve worked hard and suddenly achieved acclaim and success, he found acclaim and success somewhat unsettling.

In his own beautifully self-deprecating words, Kunstler says:

“‘The Geography of Nowhere’ was moderately successful. It seemed to help people understand their feelings about a subject that had long bewildered them. I became something of a low-grade guru. I received many invitations to speak to civic groups, professional organizations, and colleges around the country. My initial reaction was panic that people were looking to me for illumination. What could be more natural than to feel unworthy of other people’s esteem? I am aware that many successful figures secretly feel like frauds, including people far more knowledgeable and accomplished than myself. This is apparently a universal neurosis. Everybody feels inadequate. I’ve since formulated a social principle called Kunstler’s Law, which states that: “In any room containing 100 people, 99 of them each think that they are the only one in the room who doesn’t have his-or-her act together.”**

As a Leader you need to stop the negative self-talk and the negative feedback

Kunstler‘s observation is dead–on target. Many CEOs, Corporate Chiefs, and Leaders feel like fakes and frauds, and secretly think: “If only someone really knew ‘the real me’, they’d know that I am a fraud (or a loser, or a jerk).” If you’re ever going to succeed, you need to stop the negative feedback and the negative self-talk. Stop it dead in its tracks.

Here are “Three things you can do to combat negativity“:

1. Surround yourself with positive people – Negative people and negative thinking will only bring you down. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t listen to bad news. You should just have a positive attitude when you hear it, and deal with it accordingly. It’s not what happens; it’s how you react to what happens that really makes the difference between a winner and a loser.

2. Listen to motivational tapes and read motivational books – You need to hard-wire your brain to think positively. Two of the best books ever written are ‘Think and Grow Rich’, by Napoleon Hill and ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’, by Dale Carnegie. They’re classics. They’ve helped millions of executives and managers to get their heads on straight, so they can take advantage of the opportunities that lie in front of them.

3. Celebrate positive attitudes and open-mindedness – You should work always to have a positive attitude, no matter what. If you see someone maintaining a positive attitude despite the circumstances, especially when the going is rough, let that person know you really appreciate it. If one of your employees was faced with a difficult situation, and they work their way out of it, celebrate that success. If someone finds a new way to solve an old problem, praise him or her openly for looking at things with fresh eyes.

As a Leader you are responsible for your culture

If you are a Leader, you set the tone of your business, your household, your civic organization – whatever you do. If you’re a CEO, a division chief, a human resource Leader, or a father or a mother, you have people looking up to you. They will follow your lead, whether you’re leading by intention or by default—so be mindful of how you conduct yourself and the cues you’re giving them.

Do you create a culture of fear and intimidation? Do you tell your people what they should and shouldn’t do? Do you show them just how wrong they are? Or do you project confidence and tell your people that you trust them? Do you celebrate successes and tell your people that working together you can accomplish great things, that working together there’s nothing you can’t do?

If you’re a Leader, and there’s negativity in the workplace, it’s up to you to get rid of it. The tone of an organization is set by the CEO and the HR Leader.

“You really are better than you think you are—and if it’s feeling lonely at the top, it doesn’t need to be.”

Takeways:

• “A positive culture doesn’t just happen; you have to create it.”

• “Work on your strengths and make yourself stronger”

• “Stop listening to the negativity of the news media—and start consuming positive thoughts from other sources”

~~~

Written by Les Proctor, Marketing Consultant to Dise & Company, based on conversations with Ralph Dise, CEO of Dise & Company, and John Milgram, CEO of Aexcel Corporation.

**Excerpted from “Home from Nowhere”, Simon and Schuster, 1996.

Which “A” player is best for you?

By Bill Marshall, Vice President of Executive Search

Wedged between a recession and a recovery, most organizations have reduced their workforces to save money and remain viable. Many corporate bosses are evaluating talent to identify and retain top performers, and recruit the “A” players who will position them to be competitive in the years ahead.

Employers will be faced with higher turnover as the economy recovers. Good talent always leaves for what it perceives to be better opportunities as the economy pulls out of recession.

The Fed is reporting that recovery is underway, yet the labor market remains stalled—with unemployment hovering around 10%. This suggests that there will be many more qualified candidates than there are jobs available for the three to six months.

Then we must still have a buyer’s market, right? Yes and No.

There is a problem that every “buyer” must consider. With an abundance of seemingly qualified candidates, how can you determine which “A” player is going to be the best for your job? The risks and costs of choosing the wrong person for your company can be expensive – in terms of lost money, lost time, and lost opportunities.

It is critical to get it right.

Skills, values, and chemistry

At Dise & Company, when we conduct an executive search for a client, we evaluate candidates primarily for job fit and cultural fit.

Job fit and cultural fit are critical—that a candidate’s skills and experience are relevant to the job—and that the candidate finds the position’s activities and responsibilities satisfying. It’s critical that the individual and the organization possess shared values. Without good job fit and good cultural fit, you don’t have a good candidate. But what is the deciding factor when you have several qualified candidates for the same position?

“Sometimes the best candidate for the job doesn’t look that way on paper”

In my two and a half decades in Executive Recruiting, I have learned never to underestimate the importance of going with my gut, especially when faced with multiple candidates vying for the same position.

This is the “It” factor of hiring in a crowded marketplace.

The right hire is a combination of skills, values, and the elusive “It” factor.

When Instincts should override the data

Your gut instinct is a deep, subconscious voice inside that tells you: “This individual does not have the best track record, but she brings a package that makes her uniquely qualified for the opportunity—this is the person you need to hire. Don’t let this person get away.”

While the old adage that “Past performance predicts future behavior” holds true, there are exceptions to the rule, and you need to be prepared to recognize and capitalize on them.

“A” Players come in all shapes, colors, and sizes.

Sometimes a big setback can be the motivation to succeed in the next position. Sometimes you can find a diamond in the rough—a person who is hungry—and anxious to prove himself after what appears to be a failure or a mediocre-looking performance—“an underdog.”

If a candidate fell down in a previous position, the questions should be: “Did she get back up and dust herself off?” “Is he passionate about the industry?” “Did she learn from her mistakes?” Did he maintain his sense of humor?” “Does she emphasize practice over theory?” These character traits illustrate resilience and determination in the face of adversity—essential traits for success—no matter what the industry.

It all boils down to the chemistry between the candidate and the need. Going with your gut can be the deciding factor that will help you choose the right people to lead your organization and strengthen your competitive position in the years ahead.

Bill Marshall is the Vice President of Executive Search for Dise & Company. You can contact Bill directly at the People Page on Diseco.com.

Why you should enlist others to help you identify opportunities for change

By John Milgram, President, Aexcel Corporation

Even the best leaders develop blind spots—areas in which you do not see yourself or your organization’s situation realistically.

These blind spots, or lack of awareness, could potentially cause great damage to your company and all the people who depend on it.

When things are going well … life is easy.  But when we’re faced with a difficult business environment and there is a real need for change, too often we hang on to old activities.  We hope that what made us previously successful will make us successful again in the future. Yet clinging to old ideas is possibly the last thing we should be doing.

Very often as leaders, we’re completely invested in the things that got us where we are.  We are slow to recognize the need for change. We’re in denial for longer than those who look upon us.

“What can we (or I)  stop doing today to become more productive?” ~ John Milgram, Aexcel Corporation

If your organization could benefit from a change, how are you supposed to recognize it? And if you do recognize a need for change, where are you supposed to go for advice?  

Several years ago, feeling that our company could do better, we came to the realization that the activities of our company were grounded on what had been done in the past, instead of what needed to be done to meet the company’s real business needs.

Operating on the notion that our business strategy was based on what we deliberately chose not to do, as much as what we chose to do, I started asking our people the question: “What should we stop doing?”

Acting upon the input from several key people, we phased out an entire line of business that was very time-consuming and cost-intensive. At the time, this line of business seemed off-limits and the thought of eliminating it caused many sleepless nights.

While the decision to phase out this line of business caused a great deal of anxiety, it eventually led to a dramatic restructuring of the way that we did business—lowering our costs, changing our customer base, expanding our distribution, increasing the volume of sales, and increasing our customer satisfaction.

As a result, our company is in a much better position today than it was 5 years ago, and we’ve been able to weather the downturn without laying off any employees—putting us in a much stronger position as the economy continues to improve, and we inevitably face a new competitive landscape.

Now we try to proactively identify those habits, actions, and assumptions that could potentially damage our business. And I rely on key stakeholders to help uncover blind spots and identify opportunities for change, including  (1) Customers (2) Managers (3) Employees (4) Trusted advisors (including my Board of Directors), and (5) Colleagues.

If you are a leader of a corporation, or the head of a division, or an employee who wants to get ahead, you might want to try this exercise. “What can we (or I)  stop doing today to become more productive?”

Coping with change is difficult. But not as difficult as coping with the kind of change you’ll have to cope with if you wait too long—and lose the opportunity to make the constructive change that will help your business thrive. 

If you take proactive measures to uncover your blind spots, you’ll be on the right path towards understanding the real issues facing your organization, and will be better able to adapt to the changes in your business environment.

John Milgram has been with Aexcel Corporation for twenty-one years, and President for sixteen of those years. Prior to that he earned an MBA from Columbia Business School, and worked in the financial services industry for five years. He obtained his BA from University of Pennsylvania in 1981, and graduated from Cleveland Heights High School in 1977

Ralph A. Dise, Jr. serves on Aexcel Corporation’s Board of Directors.

You really can do it all and still have a real life

By Ralph A. Dise, Jr.

Just because you’ve set big objectives doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your home life.

On the contrary, the bigger the objectives, the more you need balance in your life. And you can’t do it alone.

Great leaders recognize the importance of working through others, whether they are employees, associates, vendors or customers.

Still it’s crucial to have a plan, and to work diligently at executing it. This applies to anyone seeking career success that must juggle multiple responsibilities of work and family.

How do you maintain balance in your life?

We’re all pulled in many different directions at the same time, children, employees, clients, school, community, church obligations…our kids’ activities (ask me about Irish Dancing some day). It’s nonstop.

The demands of running a professional service firm sometimes feel overwhelming. I have to be a leader, a manager, and a contributor. I have to sell, produce, and manage others. I have to give total, absolute concentration to my client’s needs. There are times when I feel I’m being hit from all sides. There are a lot of expectations from everyone—clients, colleagues, community and family. I want everyone to be happy and have what he or she needs (“good luck with that!” you’re thinking).

Communicate/keep it simple

The secret to running anything well is to prioritize your actions. You need to do the right things at the right time-those things that will help you win new customers, provide excellent service, and expand your sphere of influence.

All these actions must be executed in a timeframe that permits you to enjoy a normal life (this is a core value of Dise & Company. My colleagues and I respect one another and set aside time for our families, so that we lead balanced lives.)

Set an Annual Agenda

To ensure that I stay focused on the right things, I’ve developed an annual agenda that includes my top five priorities for the year. It’s simple, to the point and helps me decide what activities and tasks I should place on my calendar. It helps me be very clear about what to say “no” to.

My agenda for 2009-2010

1. Build sales pipeline with qualified opportunities by setting a leading example for my colleagues
2. Grow top line revenues through focused, disciplined business development management efforts
3. Optimize profitability by disciplined management of expenses
4. Grow my team’s professional capabilities by stretching them to learn new things
5. Reserve nights and weekends for my personal life.

My agenda is the basis for all my decisions. If something doesn’t fit into my agenda, it doesn’t have a place in my day.

Try an Agenda for Yourself

To stay balanced, and continue to grow, you really you have to have an agenda to keep focused on your goals for the year, and then you have to have a plan to keep you focused on your daily goals.

The challenge is, particularly in our networked world, where a PDA is now a mini-computer, is to stay focused, avoid distraction, set big goals for the year, (underpinned by big goals every day), and take action every day.

The Daily To Do List

Every morning, before you do anything else, update your daily to do list:

1. What are the two or three big things that will help contribute to your agenda?
2. Recommit to your annual goals
3. Ask yourself “ If I complete these things will it make it a good day?”
4. Ask yourself “Am I being realistic?”
5. Work towards completing the most difficult before you do anything else (especially before you check your email).

When you stop for lunch, look back at the morning, and ask: “How am I doing on my daily to-do list?” In the evening before you leave, take a moment to review your performance for the day. Assess your ability to stay focused and on-track. Did you open up your email too early? Did you spend the day being reactive and putting out fires?

Be Patient – but Selective

You are not going to get everything that you need to be done in one day. The average executive has 37 hours of work waiting for his or her immediate attention at any given moment. How you spend your time is a strategic decision.

Being selective about what you spend your time on is the key to taking back your power, getting control of your situation, and being in charge your life.

You can have it all. You can pursue big goals and still have a life. It just requires an eye on the big picture, a to-do list that is in sync with the big goals, and the ability to say “no” to things that don’t contribute to your agenda.

Ralph A. Dise, Jr. is the President of Dise & Company, the Director Emeritus of Lincolnshire International, and has worked in the field of Human Resources his entire career. You can contact Ralph directly at the Pro People Page on Diseco.com.

Career management is not just a nicety—it’s a necessity

By Greg Reynolds

“I never saw it coming.” That’s what many executives and managers say after they’ve lost their job. “How did it happen?”—“Well one day they called me into the front office and told me I didn’t want to work there anymore.”  And now they’re just another statistic. One of the current 15.1 million people  in the United States who are unemployed. 

 Just another casualty in the job market

Losing a job is incredibly stressful: you have to spend your savings to pay for your living expenses, your self-esteem takes one on the chin, and many people feel depressed and powerless to take control of their lives…, making it even harder to concentrate, to be on your game, and to find the job that’s perfect for you.

It’s a wonder then, why don’t more people take proactive steps to safeguard themselves from losing their job in the first place? Many managers and executives simply don’t understand the importance of a local network of professional contacts. They think they are too busy to acquire new skills, or to attend workshops by local professional associations.

They didn’t have the time, they didn’t take the time, they felt guilty when they did take the time, and now they’re right-sized, downsized or restructured out of their organization. And without a network of professional contacts, they have to start from square one building their reputation.

Start thinking of your career growth and development like a product manager. You are the product. What are you going to do to enhance yourself so that you are “in-demand?”

Whether you are between jobs,  or feeling secure in your current position, managing your career growth and development like a product manager is going to be like an insurance policy against job loss, and to catapult yourself to the next level of your profession.

Here are some simple strategies to help you stay ahead of the curve:

1. Build your personal brand

  “It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you…, and more importantly, and what they think about you.”

 Creating and maintaining a personal brand, and working continually to promote it, are vital to your career growth.

What makes you unique? What makes you stand out?  How do you position yourself as the “go-to expert” in your field? Is this reflected in your resume, your business cards, your online profiles?

Wherever you are professionally, think big and make yourself visible. Make sure to build your profile internally and externally by highlighting your skills in presentations or workshops, writing for publications, and volunteering for committees or panel discussions at a trade conference.

Start small and build from there.

Make sure your message is consistent. Remember that everything you do or choose not to do contributes to your personal brand, from the way you speak to someone on the phone, to the way you conduct yourself at meetings, or how you compose your emails.

And don’t forget that the way you do things is often as important as what you do. Do you speak concisely? Do you command attention? Do you look the part? 

2. Acquire relevant new knowledge and skills

Life-long learning is essential to growth and empowerment.

To stay relevant, professional development is, or should be, an essential component of your career growth and plan: “Professional networking events, trade association meetings and professional development seminars, updates and briefings are not niceties, they are career necessities”. 

Start attending regularly. Is there a class at a community college that can help you strengthen your skills?  Enroll in the class.  To remain proficient in your professional, improve or strengthen your work performance you constantly need new skills and knowledge – now and in the future.  

3. Build your network and expand your horizons

Networking is not only for those actively seeking employment.

You can use networking to meet new customers and prospects, to conduct market research and gather market intelligence, and discover the skills that will be most valuable to your employer or your clients.

By networking you can: 

• Raise your profile by becoming an established and regular networking member of a group, getting your face and the business known, 
• Meet new people and build mutually beneficial business relationships, and 
• Expand your opportunities meeting new business contacts with potential customers, suppliers, and business partners.

To avoid being a statistic, you need to be proactive and take control… work every day on becoming distinguished in your career

Savvy professionals view their own career growth and development like a product manager… “what do you need to do every day to stay competitive and ahead of the curve so you stay relevant?”

Networking activities and professional development functions as excellent opportunities to hone their professional skills and expand their professional network, which will increase their value to the organization and help them grow in their career, which is a safeguard against a job loss. 

Time is of the essence. Tomorrow it might be too late. Start working on your personal brand, acquire some new skills, and get serious about networking today.

You are your own product manager – for YOU 2.0

Greg Reynolds is the Director of Client Development for Dise & Company. You can contact Greg directly at the Pro People Page on Diseco.com.

Combat the negative person in your workplace

By Mark Gonska

Do you know anyone who is always looking for advice? But as soon as anyone offers up an idea or suggestion, his or her common response is: “NO – that won’t work!”

Do you know anyone who wishes they could be recognized for their brains and creativity, but have “NO ideas ” about how they could add value?

Do you know anyone who constantly complains about personal problems, the economy or global competition.  Yet, when it comes to professional development, additional training or any improvement that requires additional effort on their part, they have “NO interest”?

When asked to consider new people, new ideas, new line extensions, diversification – you guessed it… their answer is “NO!”

“Mr./Ms.  kNOw- it-Alls” are particularly common in today’s tough economy. 

Although doing exactly the same thing and expecting different results may seem unlikely, “Mr./Ms.  kNOw- it-All” sees NO need to entertain other possible solutions.  Because everyone “kNOws” they won’t work.

How do you combat the Mr./Ms.  kNOw- it-Alls? Just say “NO” to their negativity.

• Challenge pessimistic thinking and negative beliefs. Don’t let assumptions go unchallenged.
• Avoid negative people. They are their own worst enemy and could become yours.
• Avoid being sympathetic. If you are forced, through your position in the company, to work with a negative person don’t buy in to their road to NOwhere.  Tough love for tough times.

• If all else fails, talk to your own supervisor or human resources staff about the challenges you are experiencing in dealing with the negative person. Your supervisor may have ideas, may be willing to address the negativity, and may address the issue with the negative person’s supervisor.  

Note: Negative people will not bother to read this blog.  They already kNOw it’s just common sense.

Mark Gonska is Executive Vice President of Career Transition Services for Dise & Company. You can contact Mark directly at the People Page on Diseco.com

How Lubrizol implemented a Global Ethics Program to protect the value of the company for all the company’s stakeholders

For many years Lubrizol, through its Lubrizol Additives and Lubrizol Advanced Materials business segments, has been a global provider of specialty chemicals serving a wide variety of markets and end-use applications. 

Lubrizol’s products are used in gasoline and diesel engines, automatic transmissions, gear drives, marine engines, tractors, personal care products and pharmaceuticals, plastics, coatings, paints and inks, and industrial materials.

It has taken time and sustained effort from many people to attain this position. Founded in 1928 in Cleveland , Ohio,  Lubrizol has 7,000 employees worldwide, and  $5  billion sales per year.

The challenge

The new millennium marked a perfect storm for ethics and corruption problems that have resulting in the catastrophic failures of major American Companies.

Some of the companies that come to mind are Worldcom, Enron, and Adelphia. Not to mention Dynergy, RiteAid, Tyco, Global Crossing, ImClone Systems and many others.

Unfortunately, these  discrete failures were symptomatic of the looming systemic failure, and were followed by the sub-prime mortgage crisis, the global financial crisis, and the uncovering of other large Ponzi Schemes tied to Bernard l. Madoff ($50 Billion) and Alan Stanford ($8 Billion).

These failures were brought about for many reasons, including: a culture of arrogance in the companies, fraud, and conflicts of interest. These were complemented by accounting scandals, and the failure of:  independent auditors, rating agencies, regulators, senior management, corporate boards, and outside counsel.

 In such an environment, how does a  $5 Billion company, with 7,000 employees, operating in many different countries and different cultures around the world take steps to ensure that everyone is working together to create value for the company and its stakeholders, and that not one of their employees or vendors does anything to jeopardize the company?

The solution: The Lubrizol Global Ethics Program

Lubrizol has worked diligently over a period of years to create a culture where ethical decision-making is the norm. It purposefully cultivates leaders who produce exceptional results and who consistently make good decisions that benefit the company.

 As part of that effort, the role of Chief Ethics Officer was established.

Partnering closely with the company’s General Counsel, legal community and internal audit staff, the ethics office is responsible for providing leadership on matters related to ethical and legal conduct through the development, implementation and interpretation of the Corporation’s compliance and education strategy.

Senior executives at Lubrizol decided to take a pro-active approach towards an ethics program many years ago. That approach has served them well in that ethical failures reported in the news clearly demonstrated that an excellent reputation can be instantly lost, and it was in the best interest of all Lubrizol  stakeholders to share accountability for protecting the company’s value.

Much time and effort is spent communicating with employees, educating them about their responsibilities as corporate citizens, so that ethics and legal understanding is integrated into everyday decision-making and behaviors.

The hallmark of the Lubrizol Ethics Program is “Shared Accountability”, supplemented with an “Ethics Helpline”-an 800 number used to answer questions and log ethics inquiries.

The Basic Ethical and Legal Conduct Guideline Policy

“Employees of Lubrizol and its subsidiaries, as well as members of our Board of Directors, must respect the laws, customs and traditions of each country in which they operate. At the same time, employees are not to engage in any course of conduct which, even if legal, customary and accepted in such country, could be deemed to be in violation of Lubrizol’s Ethical and Legal Conduct Guidelines.”

(A link to the complete Ethical and Legal Guidelines can be found below.)

Features important to the program’s success include:

• The Chief Ethics Officer reports to the Audit Committee of the Board and reports on the progress of the program regularly
• The support of the Executive Council is unwavering, as is that of the legal community and internal audit
• The Ethics Office and its global network of regional coordinators support the effort on a part-time basis in addition to other functional responsibilities
• The Corporation’s expectations have been communicated globally, in the languages of all employees, via Lubrizol’s Ethical and Legal Conduct Guidelines
• A toll-free help line is in place to receive questions, concerns and reports
• Employees are trained on the Corporation’s guidelines and its expectations of them; program results are also communicated regularly to all employees
• All reports are recorded and investigated. Violations are dealt with swiftly and aggressively

Outcome

In the last year out of 300 Ethics Cases, 15% resulted in disciplinary action, and 5% resulted in termination.

All ethics inquiries are logged. Calls are analyzed by type, location, and severity. Reports are created for the Audit Committee, Executive Council, Senior Management, and General Employee Population.

Lubrizol’s Ethics Program has been cited as an industry best practice by the American Chemistry Council.  Additionally, the program has been shared nationally in programs sponsored by the Ethics Officer Association, the U.S. Government’s Federal Sentencing Commission and the U.S. State Department.

Conclusion

Lubrizol believes an ethics program is essential.  This is a reality that the executives of many leading companies face as communications are instant and everywhere.

The Lubrizol Ethics program (1) enhances shareholder value by minimizing financial and material risk to the Corporation (2) fosters and an environment of corporate confidence in its leaders, associates and systems (3) guides business decision and behaviors, and (4) enhances the organization’s ability to deal with its customers, suppliers, shareholders and employees with honesty and integrity.

Ultimately the success of the program is measured not by how many people who are caught, but by how many people who are helped. 

One thing is clear: Lubrizol is serious about ethical and legal conduct.

Takeaways

You can’t sit back and wait. It’s important to have a proactive approach towards ethics to protect the value of the company for all stakeholders.

Actions speak louder than words. It’s not enough to have an ethics program. There must be follow-through and the guidelines must be re-enforced with separation of company and employee if necessary.

This case study was adapted by a presentation by Mark Meister, the Vice-President of Human Resources, and former Chief Ethics Officer (a position he held for nearly 15 years) of Lubrizol Corporation, to the Senior HR Thought Leaders Forum, sponsored by Dise & Company at the Union Club in Downtown Cleveland, March 2009.

Supplement: The Fundamentals of the Lubrizol Ethics and Legal Conduct Guidelines

Fundamental #1

Insisting on honesty and integrity in dealing with customers, suppliers, all third parties and with one another.

Fundamental #2

Simply stated:

“We Don’t Lie”

“We Don’t Steal”

“We Don’t Cheat”

Simple Test for Ethical Decision-Making

• How would I feel if my family or friends knew of my actions
• Would I behave differently if I knew my actions would be reported on the evening news?
• Does this meet “the treat others as you would like them to treat you” test?

 More on Lubrizol’s Ethical and Legal Conduct Guidelines can also be accessed at http://www.lubrizol.com/OurCompany/CorporateResponsibility/EthicalGuidelines.html