Archive for Observations

| April 10, 2013
No comments

Incentive Programs Working or Not?

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock PhotosWith experience or being around a long time, you get to see lots of programs come and go. One of those programs that seem to change frequently are incentive programs. Wikipedia puts, “an incentive program as a formal scheme used to promote or encourage specific actions or behavior by a specific group of people during a defined period of time. Incentive programs are particularly used in business management to motivate employees, and in sales to attract and retain customers.” Can you think of some? I know quite a few (well, lots). It is one of those tools to help the organization to instill a continuous improvement in performance. Think back on those programs, did they work? How did they make you feel?

When I look over the many incentive programs that I have experience with there are some common themes of those that have been successful.

  • The incentive program was well thought out. Answering the questions of what behavior are we going to reward. That behavior has to be above the expectation of all employees. Going after the top of the class. Hopefully inspiring others to what to reach the top.
  • The program awarded past performance.  The program has a timeframe that is long enough to help develop a better picture of a sustained performance.
  • The reward is timely, specific and impactful.  What is the award that is given? Debate around money, plaques, pat on the back and public recognition need to be considered before implementation. Setting the award will be critical in how well the program is received by the employees.

Let’s face it, this is a touchy area that managers have to navigate carefully. I have seen many a program start off with the best intentions, but fail shortly after implementation. Why? The list is long. The critical ones that pop up quickly are the incentive program is not focused on top performance. Many programs are focused on getting “all” to do what their expectations are normally (attendance). Some programs are set up that the employees can work the system to be eligible for. This has a huge effect on the employee base, as they will “see” the gaming going on and the program could demotivate many folks. Lastly, the award has to be meaningful. Some expects say that money should not be a motivator, that just the recognition should be enough.

Over the last couple of years, I am seeing some new incentive programs that will be interesting to see how well they will work. Those are the incentive programs for lowering health insurance costs. Those particular incentives to be healthy. Helping add money to the flex spending accounts for employees that are not overweight. For employees that attend health seminars or complete a company sponsored information session. There are many examples. With the raising cost of health care, these incentive programs are popping up everywhere. Is it too early to tell if they are working? Are they fair? Time will tell.. I know for me, I got healthier by increasing my exercise and diet, so that I could get some additional funds to help offset my health care costs.

Do you think incentive programs work? As a manager, I know I spent more time dealing with the incentive program than maybe the organization planned. Please share the good, bad and ugly…

Image courtesy of: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Enhanced by Zemanta
Category: Leadership, New To Management, Observations | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
| April 4, 2013
2 comments

Identity Theft – A Real Life Example

identityMany people have seen the movie Identity Thief. I was one of the many! I truly enjoyed it and laughed. Identity theft in reality is not a joking subject. This post is about the experiences that I have had to share with my mom. She was a victim of tax identity theft. When filing her, 2011 federal tax return, she was sent a letter that her taxes were on hold. She came to visit me and we got on this right away. Below is just some of the steps and some of the happens that she has encountered along the way. Safe to say, that no one wants this to happen to them…

Once she showed me the letter. I called with her on the line, to our IRS hotline number to get a clearer picture of what has happened. The shared with us that this her return has already been sent. That they now have a second return (which was her’s), which they have flagged as possible tax identity theft. The agent on the phone gave me some basic information on next steps. I asked the all important question of how long will it take to get her the money that she is owed? He led us to believe that 30 days from when the id theft process has been done. From June 2012 till today – nothing! I guess 30 days depends on what closed or done means.

Steps that had to be taken – letter from the CPA stating that the taxes in question are in fact “her” taxes. (makes me wonder if you do them yourself – do you write your own letter?). File a report on what happened with your home fraud agency. Which she did. After some time – she received confirmation that she was a victim of tax id theft. She was given some report that definitely showed that these folks are good. They filed her taxes quickly. They had an address in Chicago (my mom has lived 2000 miles away for quite some time). They received $10K in return in a card! News to me that you would want that you can get your return in a card. Second shock – $10K in return. My mom has never received $10K from taxes in her life. The other red flag was the big deduction of continued education. All simple red flags that our IRS should have seen before they process the tax return. I guess it just is processed and looked at later.

Next was a follow up with the IRS office again (45 days had passed!). The answer to that call, was the time to process is running a lot longer than you were quoted back in June 2012. The throughput time is now more like 6 months. Nothing like adding 5 months on… That deadline came up – still no check! She calls again (as 2012 taxes are due now – which she will wait to insure that her name is cleared). They said that go ahead and submit your 2012 taxes that a note will be put in the file so they can process. Guess what? My moms 2012 taxes are held up! Because of the tax identity theft (of 2011).

My mom’s frustration level is at a boiling point. I guess just about everyone else would be just as bad. Me, I try to keep a calming approach to this. I recommend she can again and get an answer to why has this taken so long, what is needed to close this properly and express that you now have 2 years of tax returns that you are not getting that you need. Well, that call only got us to the point of the theft agency has to close the case before they can process. I guess going back to the done part – that was not clearly communicated as the done. Months go by and nothing happens and the answers you get just lead you to believe soon. The next phone call was to the identity theft agency that needs to close the case. That call was not good. They did not have an answer for when the case will close. They hinted to an additional 30 days. Mom was now passed boiling. For maybe the first time that I can remember she hung up on someone. Ouch!

She calls me… Fills me in! I can really sense the frustration. I am getting frustrated. After a few minutes of venting.. I ask her to maybe go to the local theft agency (my mom works in local law enforcement office) and see what maybe they can do from their end. What is the worst that can happen – nothing! Also, I think this one would be an awesome one to hit up the local news “on your side” folks. Maybe they can shake a tree and get the money freed up.

Morale of the story – make sure that you are taking the necessary steps to insure that identity theft is not going to happen to you..

Enhanced by Zemanta
Category: Observations | Tags: , ,
| March 20, 2013
2 comments

Retired Guy Series: You Thought It Was Over

I know it has been a long time since an installment of the retired guy came out from me. I really am not truly retired… I wanted to share some of the experiences that I have been gathering along the way.

I continue to do lots of volunteer work. Az4Education has helped me pick up some new skills in marketing and social media. I am enjoying helping out the organization. We have tripled our donations year over year. We have given out as much of our budget in scholarships as possible. Making me want to bring in triple the donations again, next year! I am also keeping my presentation skills sharp, with Big Brothers, Big Sisters – every month or so, I present to the new crop of “Bigs” their orientation material. I truly enjoy meeting new people! Each of these volunteer opportunities have added more interesting and wonderful folks to my network.

I started my own consulting business, which is slowly gaining some new clients. I am happy that I can get out and help organizations with training on leadership, process engineering and some basic IT knowledge. Again, the people that I have met along that journey has been outstanding.

To the point of the post. I still from time to time, look for permanent employment of my “second” career. I just don’t blast my resume out there for just any job. I have plenty to keep my busy. I want to do something that I feel will make my complete life complete. My experience in looking and applying for said jobs is the point of the post. Looking for the right job is difficult… When it comes up, you get totally excited and want nothing to do but get that position. I have seen a couple that I have applied for, that would be my dream “second” career. I applied and waited. I reached out to my network to see if I could nudge the process. With some success. I still am waiting to hear. I know that there are lots of people out there looking for work. It is a companies dream to have a huge supply of folks that you can pick from. The problem is – why not get back to those that applied? At the very least, let them know the job is filled by another candidate. Don’t leave people hanging. I have plenty of experiences to share! I am able to learn new things really quickly. I am passionate and when I am in, I am all in. You get everything your wanted and then some. I have a proven track record to back it up.

What do you think goes on with potential candidates when they are out networking with each other? They are talking about what is happening in the job market. People are talking! Your organization is being discussed and an evaluation is being shared. I don’t mean sour grapes if a person is passed over. I mean the initial evaluation of a company is right there, upfront in the hiring process. First impressions are lasting ones.

What impressions do you want to leave with the hiring process?

  •  Clean and easy to use application process. Communications with the applicants as to status. Dispositions every applicant.
  •  Difficult on-line application process to maneuver. Cyber black hole of communications. No follow-up or disposition of applicants.

Human beings are feeling beings. I know from experience that I have shared some awesome feedback on companies and organizations that have done a very good job of their first impressions. I may have not gotten the job, but that is not why I shared my feedback. They did an outstanding job compared to others. They have my vote for getting the best possible candidate as they are the best possible organization to work for. Their first impression was outstanding.

For organizations, please make sure that you are making the right first impression. As you may lose a potential outstanding candidate for you position from your experiences with others. You do that to the candidates!

Enhanced by Zemanta
Category: Observations, Volunteering | Tags: , , , ,
| March 19, 2013
No comments

Another Year…

In a few days, SteveBellNow will have completed its fourth year of being out there. The site has come a long ways from the initial thoughts. I wanted to take my writing of an internal blog, externally. Sharing my experiences! I wanted to share my passions for leading organizations, coaching sports and just my travels to different places. Things change… I don’t coach ice hockey anymore, but I did get an opportunity to coach my grand daughter and he 3/4 year old soccer team! I don’t have my internal company blog anymore, as I have retired. Some things remain the same… I still have a passion for sharing my experiences with leading organizations. I still write about my overall observations, but they sometimes take on a political stand (which I really don’t want to write about). Politics gives me plenty of opportunity to apply my passion for leading organizations. Unfortunately, most of the examples I get to share are more on the what not to do variety.

Some things are new…

  • Sharing my new experiences as I now work for myself. I am now using my experiences to help consult with organizations to help them. Starting up a business is definitely new…
  • I am doing plenty of volunteer work. I hope to take my experiences with being a volunteer to bigger and better highs, by helping to process engineering the volunteer life cycle and help make the overall experience better for all involved. I bet we can all share some good, bad and ugly stories around the volunteer life cycle.

I want to thank those that regularly stop by SteveBellNow! I am going to keep on writing… In advance, I hope that you will enjoy some of the new items that I will be putting up on my volunteer reprocessing thoughts and my continued efforts of sharing my experiences on leading individuals/organizations.

Thanks again! Steve

Category: Observations, Volunteering | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
| March 6, 2013
No comments

Some Examples You Can Really Learn From

How best do you learn? When I am coaching my hockey players, I like to use demonstrations of what is expected. Learning from examples are probably the easiest way to get your point across. I learn better from both good and bad examples. The bad examples are much easier to point out the mistake. When it comes to collaboration and leadership…  All we have to do is watch the news on any given night and we get to see how “NOT” to do things. Collaboration is totally necessary when you want to be a good leader. You have to be able to get your team together and work for a common goal. Something that our leadership in Washington, DC failed to learn or chooses not to do. So, we will use their example as to not follow when we are doing our own work.

When you think of working together for a common goal (minus Washington), everyone has to really want to meet the goal by accomplishing to their best of their ability by working together. You don’t have to be best buds or like each other. You just have to check your personal agenda at the door and get to getting stuff done, well. As the leader of a team, it is necessary for you to set the example of how the team will work together (or not – in the case of Washington).

I have always learned more from failure than from success. Failure means that I have to take a deep, hard and long look into the overall failure. I usually learn a lot about what to do better, next time. So, use the failures of our government on how they collaborate and learn from them.

  • Check your agenda at the door.
  • Work together for the common goal.
  • Be a part of the solution, not pointing out what is not working. Best to offer complete solutions rather than your own one-sided view.
  • Listen to each other. It is amazing how one persons half-baked idea will pair up with another persons idea. Making it a complete idea… Other folks may call this a “third alternative” solution.
  • Celebrate as a team. Not this side or that side of the team. The complete team! Getting great work done, takes everyone.

Just remember, you can control yourself and set the example of how things should and could go. Don’t wait for someone else. Or you can have the same overall effect that our government leaders are having on their collaborating together – nothing. You want to be successful? Well, you have a great example of how not to do it!

Category: Leadership, Observations | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries  
Rimons twitter widget by Rimon Habib