NEHRA News

Is it an Ivy League education? Is it stints with multiple Fortune 100 companies? Do leaders need to be well-versed in technology and market changes? It is difficult to pinpoint the one quality that will ensure that a person will be a successful leader. There are many exceptional leaders and they have followed a wide variety of roads to their final destinations.

One thing is certain, though — these past couple of years of economic upheaval have been difficult for organizations and their leadership teams. During these trying times, some leaders were made and others were destroyed. While not all successful leaders have similar biographies, most do share traits that helped propel them to greatness and kept them balanced during both turbulent and prosperous times. Here are some of their most important traits.

Character

Any CEO can enjoy success when the economy is thriving. A leader’s character is tested, however, during crisis. Executives show their true selves when faced with adversity, and the most effective are able to keep their values intact even during difficult periods. Instead of being reactionary, they are deliberate and thoughtful. They also realize that their failures will help them grow. Mistakes are valuable learning tools. But failure also reveals a lot about how a leader handles hardship, particularly how he or she treats others in tough times. A leader with character realizes that every person within a company matters — that the business is not just about the numbers. Leaders gain trust and respect by giving it, not demanding it, because they take a genuine interest in people and care about them.

Positivity

A great leader has a way of injecting calm into chaos. When things seem to be spinning out of control (or the stock market is plummeting or the bottom line keeps shrinking) people look to their leaders for guidance and base their own reactions on those of their leaders. Therefore, leaders must be able to settle things down — not feed into hysteria and panic. One way to do that is to look at the positive in the situation. No matter the state of affairs, leaders see a positive outcome and drive towards it. There is always a way (sometimes several ways) out, even if the solution is not immediately apparent. Good leaders have a knack for looking at thorny business challenges with enthusiasm. They thrive on finding the opportunity in the challenge. They have the ability of vision — they don’t get bogged down in the present, but are able to look forward. People gravitate towards positive leaders and want to work with them to find solutions.

Humility

Nobody achieves success or reaches a position of power alone. Accomplished leaders share the accolades and find reward in watching others grow and prosper. Leaders realize that they cannot be everything to an organization. Secure executives know they should surround themselves with smart people and should listen to and learn from them. Encouraging every member of the team to flourish advances the organization — and makes the leader look better.

Predictability

Leaders should be tirelessly predictable. While predictability may seem like a negative quality, it is of the utmost importance in heading up an organization. People should know where their leader stands on an issue and be able to deduce how he or she will respond to a situation. If colleagues can anticipate their leader’s next move, they won’t be left wondering and questioning and can focus on their work. Predictability creates an environment of stability and strength.

Transparency and Communication

Leaders should communicate early and often — explaining the why, what and how. Leaders should make people feel valued, which is demonstrated in something as simple as knowing employees’ names, for example. In turn, employees will want to work hard for the organization. Leaders should create a porthole into their decision-making processes by communicating honestly and frequently. People will feel more secure and know how they fit into the organization and its success if they are kept informed.

These shaky economic times are a great test of leadership skills. Those who can maintain a commitment to leadership will not only survive, but find ways to grow during adversity, help to turn their organizations around, and get on the path to prosperity.

About the Author:
Bob Boudreau is the CEO of Winter, Wyman with over 17 years experience in the staffing industry. Winter Wyman (www.winterwyman.com) is a leading staffing firm for more than 35 years—specializing in permanent, contract and contract-to-perm staffing and headquartered in Waltham.

Have you stopped to think what has been the cost of not investing in these relationships—such as the kind of opportunities you may have missed, resources that were not developed, unidentified trends, lack of visibility, and/or friendships and partnerships that were not enabled to be established. 

During these unpredictable economic times, it is our relationships that can preserve our livelihood as well as our professional capabilities.  As we continue to navigate through these uncertain and complex times, having a network of colleagues to reach out to for resources and assistance is invaluable.  In fact, our ability to focus our businesses, whatever discipline we may be in, on the tried and true basics of building solid and long lasting relationships is essential for success.  Building and nurturing relationships with our clients, customers, employees, colleagues, managers, executives, team mates, and all other appropriate stakeholders is one of the core competencies required in business today.

People can make the mistake of believing that relationship-building only applies to those who are in an external role—nothing can be further from the truth.  Building relationships as a human resources practitioner is just as crucial as for an external consultant or service provider.  There are also different layers of relationships that exist as a practitioner—internal within your organization and external within your industry, profession, specialty and geography.  Having a global reach is essential and cultural awareness is critical.  Relationship building is not a science but an art ... and requires much creativity, passion, enthusiasm and finesse.  Having deep and rich relationships is the best career management strategy for which to invest time, effort and energy!

It is important to execute strategies that allow us to do so in a proactive and deliberate manner.  There is a basic formula which includes a number of best practices that enable us to plan and carefully execute an effective and measurable strategy.  The key is to create your own formula that works for you and fits your style, approach and needs.  The formula is made up of the following:

 
Planning – 30%  Include even mix of strategy, execution, accountability and discipline – create your "formula" and stick to it!  Steps required in the planning process:

Self Awareness – Be ready and able to articulate your personal brand, value-add, differentiating factors, goals and aspirations.  Know yourself well—your strengths, interests, limitations, values and priorities.  Empower yourself with this knowledge and exhibit the confidence of a self-directed, focused and purposeful business professional.      

Business Plan/Goals and Objectives – Do your homework/due diligence; define your business strategy; set goals and objectives.  Have a vision and mission for your career—short-term and long-term plans.  Allow for flexibility and learning to evolve; revisit and adjust regularly as necessary.            

Identify your "key contacts"  – Create your "VIP" list of existing colleagues/clients/contacts, hot prospects and other relevant sources of resources, leads and information.                   

Create a Database of these Key Contacts – Maintain, update and enhance regularly! Select a tool that also has a tickler system to assist with follow up and on-going contact management.    

Develop your Annual Marketing Plan – Be specific, targeted, realistic yet creative; plan for monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual activities.  Stay true to it—follow up and be accountable!  Marketing yourself is essential to building, articulating and enhancing your personal brand. 

Sincerity – 20%  Keep it real—be authentic and genuine:         

Get to "Know" your Contacts and their Needs – What are your commonalities, similarities and differences?  Reveal yourself; find shared interests as well as ways to complement and balance one another; initiate ways to assist each other address needs, concerns and challenges.  Be a resource.

Listen Actively – Engage in dialogic communications; Show genuine interest in helping and being a resource.  Start a two way conversation and keep it going.  Listening more than speaking always leads to attentive comprehension and effective results.                        

Offer Your Time and Expertise – Extend yourself, your knowledge and your contacts as appropriate.  Offer to help in a variety of ways without asking for anything in return.  Act in ways that truly exhibit your passion and values.  Exercise the "golden rule," common courtesy and professional etiquette. 

Outreach/Visibility – 20%  Every portion of each day should include communications of one kind with key contacts:                                                 

Maintain Regular and On-Going Contact – Stay in regular touch with key contacts via e-mail, telephone and in-person meetings.  Be deliberate and planned with your efforts including specific timelines, activities and follow up.  Send notes, book information, articles, links, make lunch/coffee dates, initiate introductions to others, etc.  Follow up in a deliberate and systematic fashion.

Be Visible – Maintain your visibility in the marketplace.  Attend professional association meetings, dinners and events; stay current on the market and industry trends; be well read and educated.  Keep your name out there—write articles; conduct workshops and speaker presentations, be quoted in newspapers and trade journals.  Network, network, network!

Execute Well-Defined Marketing Strategies – Craft and execute marketing strategies that allow you to exhibit your value-add in a disciplined and methodical way.  Identify a plan that is suited for your style and approach—stay true to it!  Find ways to give back to your profession and community.  

Credibility – 15%  Follow through—deliver what you promise in a timely and consistent manner:

Focus on Quality – Walk the talk and deliver on your promises.  Reach out to mentors and advisors regularly.  Stay grounded and humble.  Don’t stray from your mission and vision yet stay open to new opportunities.

Build a Solid Track Record and Reputation – Stay true to your mission; market yourself and your accomplishments regularly; advocate for yourself.  Don’t be afraid to promote your value add.  Establish yourself as a subject matter expert and reputable advisor.  Tell your stories of success, give testimonials and quotes.

Patience/Resilience – 15%  Long term process—can’t be rushed, there are no short cuts:                                     

Long Term Mindset – Don’t expect immediate gratification.  Have a formula and stick to it—gain momentum and never stop!  Relationship building is a long term process to be viewed as laying a foundation and planting seeds for future growth and success. 

Acknowledge and Celebrate Victories – Stay positive and optimistic!  Once you reap the rewards and see benefits achieved, it all makes sense and you will be a believer in the process.  Keeping your eyes on the ball creates a can do attitude and the ability to endure the valleys along with the peaks!

About the Author:
Rita B. Allen is the President of Rita B. Allen Associates (www.ritaballenassociates.com), a provider of career management consulting and coaching services for individuals and organizations located in Waltham, MA.  Her specialty areas include executive coaching, leadership development, management training and career development. 

Yes, we can still joke in the workplace. No one wants a sterile, humorless work environment; that would be no fun. Yet, clearly, some don’t seem to know where the line is.

Consider using these eight tips to help employees learn how to be their most playful selves, while safely navigating today’s complex workplace.

1. Remember that laughter is good for you. According to research:

a. Every time you have a good hearty laugh, you burn up 3 1/2 calories.

b. Laughter lowers stress hormones — particularly cortisol (which can lead to belly fat).

c. Laughing increases oxygen intake, thereby replenishing and invigorating cells. It also increases the pain threshold, boosts immunity, and releases endorphins, a chemical 10 times more powerful than the pain-relieving drug, morphine.

2. Laugh your way up the ladder. In a Robert Half International poll of 1000 executives, 84 percent said that workers with a sense of humor do a better job. Other studies show that the most successful individuals tend to be those with high EQ’s. These are folks who understand emotions and know how to work well with others; they also know how to use humor well.Want to climb the corporate ladder faster? Exercise your laugh muscles more.

3. Use humor in stressful situations. By all means, do use humor to lighten up the mood, relax the tension, and turnaround a situation that is going downhill fast. Using humor in tough situations often works magic!

Too much stress and anxiety can cause "flooding," which is what happens when the brain is overwhelmed with too many stress chemicals.When this happens, our performance begins to weaken, from a diminished capacity to think, listen and communicate effectively.

This is why creativity experts tell us to find ways to relax, laugh, and enjoy ourselves before trying to solve complex problems. This "play time" gives our brains a feel-good chemical bath that will help to keep all pistons firing!

4.  Remember that humor can be a double-edge sword. Laughter has the power to heal—and to hurt.If your amusing comment is meant to bring people together and lighten up a mood, then go for it. If it is meant to single out or disparage any person or group, then refrain from using it.

Also, avoid sarcasm. Frequent use can be an indirect way of expressing anger and hostility. Working with sarcastic people can be tiring and off-putting to co-workers, lowering morale and teamwork.

5.  Be aware of hot buttons and sensitive topics. We all have hot buttons—and we should treat each others’ with care. Teasing Robert about his cow lick or Nancy about her accent may seem cute to us, but after decades of hearing the same comments, they might be really tired of hearing them.

Like all sensitive topics, such as alcoholism, poverty, height, weight and physical appearance, it is best to stay far away from them.

6.  Be aware of the law. It is always wise to stay away from joking about any demographic groups or classes protected from discrimination by law. These classes vary by state but generally include: gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, disabilities and mental illness.

You may think that your ethnic joke is harmless, but there is a good chance that someone else will disagree. Not only could it lose you some friends ("Hey, that joke about Chinese restaurants is not funny!My grandmother is Chinese!"), you might also be breaking workplace laws and risking suspension, fines and even getting fired.

Speaking of the law, remember to also refrain from suggestive and sexual jokes. There is a wide spectrum of how people perceive and react to these, and you might be tripping someone else’s senso-meters.Inadvertently, you might also be helping to create a hostile work environment.

7.  Speak up when you are offended. When we are offended or hurt by someone’s joking, there are simple ways to help us turn the situation around and get us back on the right track. Sometimes, even just a look or just a few words will do. It doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated.Try something as simple as, "Ouch!" or "Hey!" or "Yikes!" or "I am not comfortable with that" or "Please don’t do that." If that doesn’t work for you, sometimes just your body language alone will do:silence, a simple shake of the head, a frown, a raised eyebrow.

8.  We should acknowledge it when we offend others. No matter how well meaning we are, we can never anticipate all the ways that our words may hurt someone else. This is a natural part of our human experience.

If this happens to you, there is no need to panic or get defensive or overly apologetic. Just try something simple to acknowledge the hurt. Try something like, "Oops!" or "I am sorry." or "Thanks for telling me." or "Sorry, that didn’t come out right!"

Of course, if you are not sure why the person is offended, it is important to find out what happened. In cases like this, you might try something like, "Oh, I am sorry! I can see that you are upset. That was certainly not my intention.Can you please explain it to me (so that I don’t do it again)?"

Words to this effect will show that you are someone of good will and that you really care about the other person. It is situations like this that can turn out to be real gifts. In fact, they sometimes give us our most profound insights about the world and can give us a clearer view into the hearts, minds, and spirits of those around us!

About the Author:
Paula Parnagian is president and founder of World View Services (www.worldviewservices.net), an international consulting and training firm specializing in diversity, conflict and organizational effectiveness. Paula is known for her passion in helping her clients create inclusive and thriving workplaces, as well as her ability to create lasting solutions to complex organizational issues. Using a combination of humor, warmth, keen insight and a deep understanding of individuals, organizations, and processes, she quickly and skillfully removes organizational barriers to success.

The Benefits of Community Forum participation and leadership:

•    Opportunities to network with other NEHRA members on a regular basis
•    Opportunities to develop leadership skills
•    Opportunities to share useful information and best practices within the Community Forum content area

Community Forums are designed to be relevant and accessible to all our members.  Each Community Forum is structured in similar ways allowing for the needs and difference of its constituents.

Currently NEHRA has nine active Forums (click HERE for more info) and is eager to work with members to create more.  Specifically we are looking for members interested in helping to form a Benefits Community Forum.  If you are interested in this please contact Pat DiSalvo at pdisalvo@nehra.com.
 

We are also interested in forming a group that is interested in networking and sharing ideas related to work within the areas biotech companies.  Like our HR in Higher Education and HR in Healthcare Community Forums, we are hoping that there is interest from this sector of the local economy.  If you have an interest in helping us to pull this group together please contact Carole Edson, director of membership at cedson@nehra.com.

• To become a fan of NEHRA on Facebook, CLICK HERE.
• If you are already a member of LinkedIn, CLICK HERE to join the NEHRA LinkedIn Community!

If you are not already a member of LinkedIn, you will need to follow the easy steps to create your profile. Once your profile is completed you can follow the steps below to become a member of the Northeast Human Resources Group.

• Find the tab for "Groups" on your home page and select "Group Directory."
• Use the search function in the upper right and type in "Northeast Human Resources Association."
• Click on "Join this Group."
• This will bring you to a description of the group and you will be asked to make selections about your preferences for display the group logo on your personal page.
• Enter a contact e-mail address, a digest e-mail address, delivery frequency, announcements and messages.
• Once you have made these choices click the button "Join Group."
• Your message will come to the NEHRA Group Administrator to verify membership and approve you for the group.

To Join a Community Forum Subgroup on LinkedIn

• Once you are a member of the Northeast Human Resources Group, select "Subgroups."
• Select all the groups you are interested in joining.
• Your request goes to the NEHRA Group Administrator for approval.
• You will receive a message that you are a member of this subgroup and you can begin to read and post information on the Subgroup page.

Current NEHRA Subgroups

• Learning and Development Community Forum
• Diversity and Inclusion Community Forum
• Consultants Community Forum
• Small Business HR Community Forum
• HR Technology Community Forum
• Talent Acquisition Community Forum
• Flexible Workplaces Community Forum

As you may know, NEHRA is continuing to evolve to better meet the needs of members. Therefore, we have created a new membership category: Group Membership.

This category is created to recognize the need, and often the desire, of many organizations to control spending and manage membership expenses for their employees.

What does this really mean for you? It means that if your company has five or more current members, you could experience a savings of 10 percent or more on the total cost of these NEHRA memberships through Dec. 31, 2011. In addition, the group membership allows you to renew all memberships at the same time—reducing the hassle and workload of individual renewal dates. Finally—and perhaps most importantly—it ensures that all members of your team have access to programming, to our new webinars, to resources and information at our website and to networking and professional development opportunities.

• How does the program work? All current members from your organization are renewed on a pro-rated basis—based on the individual membership type (NEHRA or NEHRA/SHRM), to bring them to a common renewal date, Dec. 31. Any new members are added and pro-rated, based on a Dec. 31 end date. The entire group is then renewed for another full year, based on this common renewal date.
• Can I add new members? New members can be added to your group at any time during your membership cycle, and their membership will be pro-rated to maintain them on the single renewal date.
• What if someone leaves? You can easily transfer that membership to another employee within your team, with one quick call.
• How does the membership work? Each group member is assigned an individual membership number, allowing them to access information on www.nehra.com and to register for events, webinars and professional development throughout the year.

This is an exciting new opportunity for you to expand access to NEHRA and save money!

If you are interested in learning more about the group membership or getting a quote for your group, please contact Carole Edson, Director of Membership and Alliances, at (781) 239-8705 or cedson@nehra.com.

In order to take advantage of this component it is important that you make a request for the dues waiver prior to the expiration of your current membership. You can do this by calling Carole Edson, director of membership, at (781) 239-8705.  If you are interest in finding our more about this and the other options available to Members in Transition please check out our website by clicking HERE.

In return for the use of the space, the company providing the space can send up to 10 people to a breakfast workshop or half-day seminar.

If this is something you can help NEHRA with, please let us know by calling Carole Edson at (781) 239-8705 or contacting her via e-mail at cedson@nehra.com.