By Ryan Estis, Business Performance Consultant

I walked into the restaurant five minutes early for our 6:30 p.m. reservation. He was waiting to greet me by the bar. I couldn't help but smile. I've never forgotten the sales lesson "showing up on time means you're five minutes late." He was always five minutes early.

As we slid into the corner booth, it certainly felt like old times. After working together for more than a decade, we had enjoyed some great dinner conversations and it was good to reconnect. He had been a mentor, friend and hands down the best boss I ever had. Dinner with him was always a special occasion, and I would usually reflect upon the evening long after it ended. The big insight might come in a brief moment, but it was always included. Many of the lessons I learned from him are foundational principles I still practice today. Working for him was a life-changing experience.

If you have ever worked for an extraordinary leader, I'm sure you can relate. The best leaders are acutely aware of the impact they have on people and recognize that leadership is about helping people become their very best. Leadership isn't a job. Leadership is a responsibility.

 

By Gina Abudi, President, Abudi Consulting Group, LLC

I was talking with a client (COO of a national organization) the other day who was complaining that he needed to talk to his management team again about an upcoming change initiative. He was putting off the conversation because it was such an effort for the management team to engage their staff in the change initiative. No matter what they tried, employees were disengaged and unmotivated to implement any changes.

I asked my client if he ever tried talking about change in a more positive light. In other words, not when something was happening and the company needed to react, but rather, more focused on thinking about the future? He hadn't. We handled this particular change initiative, and then immediately began engaging the employees in conversations about opportunities — a positive approach to change discussions.

 

The manner in which employers communicate with their employees has a direct impact on employee engagement and job satisfaction, according to theEMPLOYEEapp’s 2014 Employee Communications Satisfaction Survey of more than 325 U.S.-based workers.

 

For 10 years, NEHRA has provided scholarship assistance to college students in New England who are preparing for careers in human resources. Applicants MUST be full-time undergraduate or graduate students at an accredited college or university. The selected recipient will be awarded a $3,000 scholarship at the Awards Lunch, held at the NEHRA Annual Conference, on Oct. 9, 2014.

We will also be awarding the 2014 John D. Erdlen Scholarship. This special scholarship is presented in the memory of John D. Erdlen, founder of NEHRA, and is awarded annually as part of the Future Stars in HR Program. Applicants MUST be full-time undergraduate or graduate students at an accredited college or university. The selected recipient will be also be awarded a $3,000 scholarship at the Awards Lunch, held at the NEHRA Annual Conference, on Oct. 9, 2014.

 

Project 20/20 is an on-site mobile vision clinic (literally, a rolling optometry clinic "eye truck") that visits the office! We are a free employee benefit to offer and we accept all major vision plans so there is no extra cost to the employee.

 

The Worksite Wellness Council of MA is seeking your assistance in publicizing a state-wide worksite wellness benchmarking survey.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts are collaborating on a state-wide benchmarking survey to gather information on existing policies, practices and programs that promote and protect employee health and well-being. This benchmarking survey will address a range of topics relating to the administration and management of worksite health promotion initiatives. It will also provide a comprehensive review of program details using a validated tool, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Workplace Health Scorecard.

Our goal is to use the results from this survey to compare against similar surveys conducted in the past (2001, 2008 and 2011), allowing us to observe changes over the past 13 years in providing Massachusetts employees with opportunities to engage in healthy behaviors while at work. The results of the 2014 Benchmarking Survey will be used to determine future programming and support to worksites to help create healthy work environments.

 

Strategic HR New England enters year three to great critical acclaim. Engage with a senior-level, strategic-thinking audience in every aspect of the conference. Discover programming that encourages you to think big. Share HR lessons you've learned along the way. And take in the magic of the historic Mount Washington Hotel.

 

Purchase a job posting by July 4 and receive 20 percent off using the code: July4Job.

Save even more by signing up as a NEHRA member for the special rate of $99, using the code: July99.

If you are looking to attract qualified HR professionals, the NEHRA job board is the place to post your openings. With 30,000 hits a month and averaging more than 200 views per job, your openings will fill quickly!

 

When: July 23-24
Location: Hanover Insurance, Worcester, Mass.
Cost: Members, $499; Non-Members, $649*
*Non-Member Pricing Includes a One-Year NEHRA Membership

 

When: Aug. 7
Location: Forefront Conference Center, Waltham, Mass.

Cost:
For Course and Certification Exam:
Non-Member: $2200
NEHRA Member: $1350
World at Work Member: $1495

Course Only:
Non-Member: $2085
NEHRA Member: $1255
World at Work Member: $1390

Credit Information: 16.0 HRCI General Credit Hours

 

When: Aug. 25
Cost: Members, Free; Non-Members, $80
Credits: 1.5 HRCI General Credit Hours

 

When: Sept. 11-Dec. 11
Location: Quincy Marriott Hotel
Cost: Members, $1299; Non-Members, $1499

 

When: October 8-9, 2014
Location: DCU Center, Worcester, Mass.
Cost: Early Bird Rates Available NOW