Tag Archives: communications

The Oxymoron of HIPPA #agreesharon

Posted on August 25, 2016 | Leave a comment

#agreesharon

Life is filled with so many interesting moments that I decided to create a weekly conversation starter around one of the more entertaining observations made during the previous week. Nothing too complicated — fun to see how people answer the question.

       Let me know what you think.

doctor patient talkingOxymoron : You are sharing a semi-private hospital room with someone.

Are HIPPA policies enforceable? How?

If you were the one in the 2nd hospital bed, would you leave the room whenever your roommate has a conversation with a medical professional?

Would you tell your family and friends about the roommate’s situation?

 

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I Went to School….#agreesharon

Posted on August 19, 2016 | Leave a comment

 

Life is filled with so many interesting moments that I decided to create a weekly conversation starter around one of the more entertaining observations made during the previous week. Nothing too complicated — fun to see how people answer the question.

       Let me know what you think.

Pre-School_GraduationImagine you are having one of those exploratory networking conversations with someone….both participants have a solid 20 years of professional work experience. One person kicks off the introduction by saying: Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I went to school….

Really! With twenty years of work experience…why would you begin the conversation with your school history? Keep in mind: (1) We do not share an alma mata and (2) You did not recently acquire a new credential in your industry or in a new industry.

Why would someone set the tone with this introductory statement?

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Posted in #agreesharon, Are You Listening to Me?, Communicating Every Day, General Observations

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Encouraging or Discouraging??

Posted on August 15, 2016 | Leave a comment

#agreesharon

Life is filled with so many interesting moments that I decided to create a weekly conversation starter around one of the more entertaining observations made during the previous week. Nothing too complicated — fun to see how people answer the question.

Let me know what you think.

With the Rio Olympic games in play, I found myself reading both current and historical articles about the event. Is the expression “You do not Win Silver….You Lose Gold” helpful to the competitive mindset or an insult to anyone other than he/she placing first?

medals

 

Have you made anyone feel that 2nd or 3rd place was not good enough? More importantly, did it provide any positive impact on the outcome?

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Posted in #agreesharon, Communicating Every Day, General Observations, Items of Interest, Observed Communications

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The Ongoing Conversation Needed with Performance Management

Posted on June 5, 2016 | Leave a comment

How does the performance management system tie to the needs of the business and how does individual performance get measured at the business dashboard level?

This question provided the big picture challenge addressed at the March 22 NYHRPS Forum facilitated by Dr. Anna Tavis. While previous practice sought to replicate the GE methodology, it is no longer the gold standard for management and leadership. Rather today’s leaders have become fast, lean machines that try something and test it on the go.

Intrigued by the case studies presented by Dr. Tavis, NYHRPS members wanted to continue the dialogue with specific action items that they could take back to their offices. And so, on May 3, NYHRPS Board Member Deb Seidman facilitated a Mastermind Group amongst a small group of members who had participated in the earlier Performance Management discussion. Participants brought case studies that reflected their current work. As a Mastermind group, questions were posed and advice was given, allowing the NYHRPS member to leave with an agenda that they could develop in their own organization.

Cultural Changes at the Grassroots Level will Impact the Success of a New Performance Appraisal System

While a wide range of questions came up during the discussion, case study conversations focused on three specific themes across organizations
• How does a small company take the best of the processes followed in a large enterprise while keeping its entrepreneurial spirit and nimbleness?
• How do you create of a culture of feedback at a grass-roots level?
• How do you create a common line of sight across organizational and personal missions…..so as to improve performance and achieve common goals?

With Forum participants representing both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, Dr. Tavis asked:
• How do employee motivations differ in for-profit vs a non-profit entity?
• If nonprofits are mission driven, what does the concept of top down goal setting look like?
• Is a bottom up approach to goal setting more applicable to the non-profit where grass-roots programs and local area relationships are critical in meeting the organizational objectives?

One group considered what they would do if they were starting a performance system from a clean slate. Lessons learned from previous discussions provided the important anchors for building a new system or revising one in place.
• First and foremost end with a positive impact on the business strategy
• Focus on a simple method to identify good performers
• Create a culture of constructive feedback to accelerate and sustain high performance
• Get buy-in by incorporating the employee perspective
• Include customization for significant groups by division, generations, etc.

Another interesting moment in the conversation focused on finding champions to support those spearheading the organizational changes. Both the General Counsel and the Marketing teams were singled out as strong partners.
The Mastermind meeting structure was a new format for the Forum Committee. It brought nuances to the meeting that can only be discovered when individuals share the specifics of their individual stories in the spirit of trust, confidentiality and peer advisement. The Forum Committee thanks both Anna and Debbie for their contributions in facilitating these programs and to our participants who came prepared to share and to learn.

A recap from the March 22 discussion can be found here.

NYHRPS Break-Through Innovation Series of Forums provides a platform to discuss emerging issues among thought leaders, peers and HR decision makers in intimate settings limited to 15 participants and 2-3 experts.

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Ah-ha Moments for Competitive Intelligence

Posted on August 6, 2014 | Leave a comment

Competitive Intelligence can have a huge impact to the bottom line of a business. This knowledge comes in many forms, and ultimately, it is the application of human intelligence and human logic that reveals the value in the data, the trends and the inconsistencies.ahha moment lightbulb

With this in mind, the “aha” competitive intelligence moments will often reveal themselves where you least expect to uncover them. Here are some questions to help you find the “aha” in non-traditional places, creating competitive advantages for you and your organization:

1.     Does it really matter what the competition is doing?

Competitive Intelligence is not just about looking at what your industry competitors are doing; it is about seeing your business through a completely new set of eyes.

Better stated: The activity of your peers is only one part of the equation.  In fact, case studies show that many innovative breakthroughs came from non-industry competitors. Yes, know the industry competition and, do position yourself favorably. However, do not spend so much time on the competitor activities that you forget to focus on the activity of THE most important piece of the marketplace: the customer!

2.     Can you make lemonade out of lemons?

We know that every production line output includes first quality and imperfect items. Does your business allow you to develop a secondary distribution channel for the “seconds”? For example: “ding and dent sales” for furniture or appliances or consignment stores for manufacturers over-runs.

The lemonade concept has been successfully applied to situations where fixed costs render heavily discounted, last minute offers a preferable option for the business. Last minute vacation websites (think Travelocity, Cheap Tickets) alongside of theatre ticket offerings (think Play-by-Play and Theatre Mania in NYC)  have trained many consumers to plan these activities at the last minute, thereby allowing themselves  an experience that may otherwise be unaffordable.

3.     Do you have a diversified reading list?

We’ve all been trained to regularly read the daily newspapers and the industry journals for our business specialties. However, Best Practices are often industry-agnostic; can you imagine any call center manager disputing the value in real time call monitoring and feedback loops? Reading industry journals from any other industry but your own; reading political articles that you do not agree with and occasionally scanning a forever classic Dr. Seuss book….can move your mind into new directions and thought patterns that can impact your business?

4.     Does this really have to be a seasonal item?

Back in graduate school, I prepared an advertising campaign for matzo as an all year round cracker choice. Fast forward to today’s metropolitan grocer and you are likely to find boxes of matzo year-round. In a similar fashion, Gold’s Horseradish has created another category of condiments and eliminated horseradish as a seasonal product.

5.     How can you change consumer behaviors?

Slowly is the pessimist’s answer. By speaking to emotions is the more logical answer. Create a competitive advantage for yourself by focusing on the emotional level appeal.

Forget the product benefits – Focus on the storyline. This is another great example of seeing a situation through a different set of eyes. Madison Avenue examples of this:

  • Nike is not about shoes and running shorts. It is about a state of mind: Just Do It. Get out and exercise
  • The L’Oreal tagline” Because You’re worth it” moved the emphasis off of the products and onto the consumer. Yeah, I am worth it – I am beautiful
  • What if we could apply this to our children’s chore-list? Imagine: “A neat room is a higher test score”
  • Zappos is a customer service company…that happens to sell shoes!

SUMMARY:

Competitive intelligence is not just about looking at what your industry competitors are doing; it is about seeing your business through completely different sets of eyes.  And using these new and varied viewpoints to maximize opportunities.

 

Original posting: FIVE KEY Questions on Competitive Intelligence. New Places to find the “ah-ha” by @sharonlewisnyc #EQlist buff.ly/1gsE3Dz  via @CASUDI

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Posted in General Observations, Items of Interest, Marketplace Scans, Retail

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Tame The Elephant in the Room

Posted on July 15, 2014 | Leave a comment

You know that feeling you get in your gut when a difficult subject needs to be addressed and you suddenly become the world’s master of procrastination.  Is there an elephant in the room?  What do you do if:

  • The customer service center was unable to handle the volume of inbound leads generated by your Facebook campaign.
  • You hit “reply all” on a conversation which included sensitive subject matter intended only for “reply to sender.”
  • An entire electronic file appears to be missing and the intern is still working on updating the documents.
  • Cash is missing or you realize that someone chipped the heirloom figurine and neglected to tell you.
  • Your toddler, who is in the middle of toilet training, decides to show off their new skills in the toilet remodeling department of Home Depot (Just saw this LOL scene on TV).

No matter how much training you have in mediation or facilitation, these sorts of situations are rarely viewed as light conversation.  Unaddressed, these issues foster confusion and make everyone distracted, preoccupied, and sometimes fearful.  All of these emotions waste valuable time and hamper productivity.

Wikipedia describes the elephant in the room phrase as “an obvious truth that is either being ignored or going un-addressed…an obvious problem or risk no one wants to discuss…” awkward moment image

Five Steps to Managing the “Elephant in the Room”

Recognizing the elephant in the room is an important first step.  The real finesse, however, comes in acknowledging  the elephant in a manner that allows everyone to feel comfortable enough to participate in the discussion and then to move past it.  Let’s take a look at some of the ways that we can tame the proverbial “elephant in the room:”

  1. Open up the discussion by expressing the issue and inviting input from others.  To do this effectively necessitates that you share your views with little or no emotion.  Why?  Because emotions are contagious and at this point, you are looking to ask others to share.
  2. Asking others to share their viewpoint displays consideration for their perspective.  Stop and listen —really listen—to what they say.  Acknowledge their input and demonstrate a sincere interest in their comments.  Creating an environment where someone feels like they can share allows you to discuss a potentially “forbidden” subject and sets the tone for continued dialogue.  As the dialogue continues, you collect more information that can be used for a reality check.
  3. Do a reality check:  Is this really an elephant or can we resolve this with less drama?  Your attitude on this may set the tone for others and alleviate stress or awkwardness.  Honesty expressed in a calm and thoughtful manner can help to disarm the elephant.
  4. Be honest, direct and convey confidence.  A difficult issue becomes an elephant in the room when it is ignored despite everyone being aware of it.  By naming what others may be avoiding, you will transform the elephant into an obstacle—obstacles are far less overwhelming for the psyche to handle and move off of.
  5. Move forward:  Thank everyone for their inputs.   Summarize the next steps.  Ask others to concur with your summary.  Where possible, ask others to take on a responsibility that increases the likelihood of maintaining harmony.

Deep breath.  You can tame the elephant and move forward.

original post : “You, too, Can Tame the Elephant in the Room” http://ow.ly/qJHb8 by@sharonlewisnyc [TODAY’S POST] #MENGonline #Marketing #Leadership

 

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Posted in Communicating Every Day, Customer Service Delivery, General Observations, Items of Interest

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How Do I Trust Thee in the Workplace: Let Me Count Five Ways

Posted on July 9, 2014 | Leave a comment

How Do I Trust You?
For many, the answer could not be simpler: I trust you or I do not trust you. Who cares how you define it?

I propose that the answer is not quite so simple:
• Trust is a cornerstone of creating change
• Trust requires a relationship between two or more people; Not all relationships are created equal
• Trust implies that even when you, yourself, are uncertain of something….the other party (parties) will help you to uncover the issues and direct you to a solution
• Trust involves a leap of faith; it is easier to speak about trust than to “do trust”
Hence, just like we have various types of power, types of love and types of communication….we have numerous types of trust in the business setting. The person that you trust to run your medical office is not necessarily the same person that you trust to decorate your home, edit your son’s college application or help you with your retirement planning.

Here are FIVE KEY questions to understand trust in a professional working environment:

1. Do you have Professional Trust?
Professional trust in the business setting is often a function of dependability.
• Will you deliver what you promised/exceed the expectations of what you promised?
• Are you a team player?

2. Do you have Rules-Based Trust?
This refers to the trust that people have in the rules of society. For example: people politely form lines when walking up stairs; they avoid eye contact on crowded buses and they superficially begin most conversations with the expression:” How’ya doing?”

In previous work environments, rules based trust said that if we work very hard and demonstrate loyalty to one employer, our efforts will be recognized in status, salary and security. In today’s environment, those rules have changed. Hard work is a function of one’s personal drive to achieve and those achievements are portable into other situations, employment or entrepreneurship.

3. Do you have Situational Trust?
This reflects personal experience and is assumed to carry forward to the current situation. It applies to both workplace and non-workplace forms of trust.
• We trust our management team to provide guidance and support to us in meeting our objectives;
• We trust our educational systems to engage us in learning that will be valued in the marketplace;
• We expect that those we work with will be supportive of our personal efforts and responsible in the delivery of their own individual responsibilities.

4. Do you have Medical Trust?
I sit in the endodontic chair having root canal and trust that his expertise and his steady hand will get me through the procedure

5. Do you Trust Your Instincts?
This is another one of the trusts that have both workplace and non-workplace applications.
• You must have a level of trust in yourself so as to be able to trust another
• There was an Oprah magazine article that said something like “take advice as advice”. Everyone gives you their two cents, but you have to follow your gut.

Summary:
Trust is a special relationship that exists between two or more people. The power of trust is significant as it is the cornerstone of change, as well as the cornerstone of on-going working relationships. Not all trust is created equal. However, every form of trust deserves to be treated as the valuable asset that it represents.

How do I Trust Thee in the Workplace…Let Me Count Five Ways!

This blog originally appeared 01/2014 via #EQlist: What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Ask to be Successful goo.gl/d4XFwV

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Slow Down to Accelerate

Posted on July 24, 2013 | Leave a comment

Our family lived in Toronto for 9 years. For the first 6 months, I was so pleased when I would call someone and by the time that I finished saying “Hi so-and-so” they were already responding with “Hi Sharon”. Caller ID was not the vogue yet so I felt so special that they recognized me so quickly. How did you know it was me so fast?” I would ask. The answer was always “your accent”. “What accent, I sound just like you do” Hmmmmm

Two other times in my life I have been told that my speech is distinctive. The first significant time was also in Canada. On the launch team for a first of kind product in the country, it was an exciting time and one where my USA experience was often referenced. In one particular meeting with the SVP of the division, I was presenting my ideas on the qualitative and quantitative research strategies that I was responsible for spearheading. I was SO excited. My hands were moving, my lips were grinning ear to ear and I was excited to be telling the story and responding to the questions. At the end of the meeting, the SVP pulls me aside and says slowly and seriously:

  • Your ideas are fabulous. You understand our objectives and have a great handle on how to approach the business
  • Your energy is contagious
  • However when you speak so quickly, I can barely keep up with you.

With a big grin on his face, he said: “If I am digesting the details to put your second suggestion into place and find myself coming out of this mind-set to hear you speaking about the fourth suggestion, we both loose. I am the big guy here. I cannot admit that I missed a step and need you to go back and explain something to me again. LOL. Seriously, please speak slowly. Make sure that I am with you every three-to-four sentences. In whatever way you must, get the input of the audience and the senior most member of your audience more often so that you know when best to move on to discussing the next suggestion. ”

I will never forget that moment and I do a pretty good job stopping myself whenever I find myself racing through a presentation that I find super exciting. Self: Speak slowly

The second time in my life that I have been told that my speech is distinctive took place a few weeks ago. My mind was racing and I was determined to have an uber-efficient day. With a pre-scheduled exploratory telephone call, I took the call ready to learn and to share. Some 6 minutes into the conversation, I was told” “Sharon, I know we have spoken at the ….  Association meetings however I am having trouble placing your face right now.” In front of a computer, logged onto Linked in, I soon appeared on the screen of my colleague “Sharon, of course, I know you and remember you. Are you okay? You sound very tense. Did I say something to make you uncomfortable? When we spoke in person, your smile radiated energy and I was thrilled to speak with you. It is my pleasure to help you. Is everything okay with you today?”

Wow. I was shocked. There was a lot on my mind. And, one particular comment she made diverted my attention to how best to approach the particular challenge. This person did me a huge favor by telling me that my voice had betrayed me. Huge eye-opener!

I will never forget that moment. I am currently looking for a wonderful visual to keep on my desk that is guaranteed to make me laugh. Perhaps I will also use the long recognized mirror – on – my – desk trick, while further alternating between standing and sitting just to keep all senses active.  Self: Deep breath. Speak in a manner that displays on-going confidence and enthusiasm.

Guest Blogger @AARPNY. Tweets all mine

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Ya’ Think You Heard Me? The Art of Good Communications

Ya’ Think You Heard Me? The Art of Good Communications

“Ya’ Think You Heard Me? The Art of Good Communications” http://ow.ly/mbFix by@sharonlewisnyc [TODAY’S POST] #MENGonline #Marketing #PR

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Posted on June 21, 2013 in Uncategorized

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