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YOUR PEOPLE BEL L W ETHER Volume 2 | Issue 4 | Fourth Quarter 2011

Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

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This issue we take a look at how relationships with the people we work with can have a huge impact on our businesses. If you really think about it, we see the people at work sometimes more than we see our families. Our family relationships have a lot of dynamics and our associations at work are no different. In this issue we’ve packed it with information on how to work with those relationships and keep your anxiety at a minimum.

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Page 1: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

YOUR PEOPLE

BELLWETHERVolume 2 | Issue 4 | Fourth Quarter 2011

Page 2: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 20112

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© 2011 Centage Corporation. Centage, the Centage logo, Budget Maestro, Planning Maestro, Link Maestro and Analytics Maestro are trademarks or registered trademarks of Centage Corporation. All other brands or products mentioned are registered trademarks of their respective holder(s). All rights reserved.

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©2011 Kissinger Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited, and information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Kissinger, EDI Advantage 2010, Smart Software That Means Business, and associated Kissinger logos are trademarks of Kissinger Associates, Inc. Sage, the Sage logos, and the Sage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc., or its affiliated entities

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Page 3: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

90of spreadsheetbudgeting

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• Cutbudgetingtimebyupto50%• Eliminateformulaerrors• Generateresultsyoucantrust• DirectIntegrationtoyourSAGEERP• OneClickP&L,BalanceSheetandCashFlowreporting

© 2011 Centage Corporation. Centage, the Centage logo, Budget Maestro, Planning Maestro, Link Maestro and Analytics Maestro are trademarks or registered trademarks of Centage Corporation. All other brands or products mentioned are registered trademarks of their respective holder(s). All rights reserved.

* PwC study

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Centage_BW_Inside Ad_final.indd 1 5/27/11 4:13 PM

Page 4: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 20114 Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 20114

It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miser-able man. ~Benjamin Franklin

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

se

ct

ion

s Letter from the Editor 5

Leadership 6

Sales and Marketing 10

Cover Story 12

Book Report 16

Customer Relationships 18

Industry News 19

Customer Story 24

Human Resources 26

6

8

26

12

22

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55bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadershipbell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

OPEN FOR AD

LETTERFROMTHEEDITOR

BELLWETHERA Blytheco, LLC Magazine

Volume 2Fourth Quarter, 2011

www.blytheco.comwww.bellwethermagazine.com

STAFFEDITORApryl Hanson

CREATIVE DIRECTORGreg Went

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSAlicia AndersonSteve GeskeHoward HansenApryl HansonJeff Johnson, CPA and Tom Siders, CPABrian KellyNicole Laurier Mike Marino, Ph.D.Lt. Col. Rob ‘Waldo’ WaldmanDawn WesterbergGeni Whitehouse

ADVERTISING SALESDori Fitch

SUBSCRIPTIONSwww.bellwethermagazine.comOr contact Dori Fitch - (800) 425-9843, Extension [email protected]

Bellwether Magazine is published by Blytheco, LLC with principal offices at:23161 Mill Creek RoadSuite 200Laguna Hills, CA 92653

If you wish to be removed from the mailing list or to add names to the mailing list, send your request, including name, business name, and mailing address to the above address or to [email protected]

This is a copyrighted publication and all articles herein are covered by this copyright. Any use of the content for commercial reasons or other form or reproduction of material herein is strictly prohibited without prior, written approval of Bellwether Magazine.

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Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 20116

LEADERSHIP

With all of the “communication” out there about communication,

with all of the articles, books and 3-ring workshop binders, what

if there was a secret dynamic that all of them have been missing?

What if that secret was so fundamental to every relationship

that understanding it would revolutionize your understanding

of communication and completely transform your relationships

both business and personal?

As it turns out, there is such a secret. And though it takes a

lifetime to learn to use it fully, understanding the basic dynamic

behind all relationships and all communication is fairly simple.

Communication Skills - a “Virtual” Reality

The first step in understanding this secret dynamic is to

open your mind about what you’ve been taught about

communication so far. You’ve been taught that communication

is a straightforward, logical process of cause and effect.

Rooted in common language and standardized meanings,

communication has been presented as a skill in producing

shared meaning. Pay attention to definitions, syntax and the

organization of ideas, take into account cultural, gender and

generational differences, toss in a few neurological studies

and rapport skills and you’ve got your basic recipe. When “the

bubble” over the other person’s head matches “the bubble”

over your head, you’ve been successful.

Communication is presented much like learning to play billiards.

You learn some basic rules of physics. You learn to predict the

outcome of certain trajectories and interactions. You learn the

cause and effect rules of the billiard balls so you can plan your

next shot on the table. Once you’ve sunk all the balls on the

table and taken care of the 8-ball, you win!

But what if all that you’ve learned was not the whole story? What

if all these observations and rules only represented a “virtual”

reality? (like the Matrix!) What if there was a whole other reality

behind what you’ve been doing that changes all the rules?

What if it turned out that in your game of “communication

pool,” someone secretly replaced the cue ball with one made

of steel and then placed magnets under the table?

The “Hidden Level of Communication Reality”

As it turns out, the process of communication is far more

complex than what we have been led to believe. For over 20

years now, theorists in a field called “Family Systems Theory”

have been uncovering the hidden reality behind the reality in

which we have been operating. These theorists have learned

that communication is not a logical process; it is an emotional

process. They have learned that communication is not linear

cause and effect. You can’t control outcomes by controlling the

input. They have uncovered a reality behind the virtual reality

and hidden “rules” that operate quite differently from what we

normally expect. In the same way physicists have discovered a

quantum reality with its own rules that makes up our universe,

these theorists have discovered a quantum level of reality with

its own rules that is hidden behind the level we observe with

our five senses. To continue our billiards metaphor, they have

discovered the “magnets” under the table of communication.

So what is this reality that underlies the “virtual” reality within

which we have all been tying to operate? What are the rules?

What makes up the “underside of the table” regarding our

behavior and our relationships?

Have you ever found yourself baffled and frustrated by someone’s inability to understand your point of view? Have you ever found

yourself driven to order the latest book or attend the latest seminar in an attempt to improve your communication skills? Of course you have.

What the Experts Couldn’t Tell You about Communication, Relationships and Creating Change

Steve Geske is President and Co-founder of the consulting firm Healing Leaders, whose mission is “To develop enlightened leaders through self awareness, resourceful responsiveness and authentic presence.” He is a frequent author and speaker on the topic of leadership development. Learn more about Steve at www.healingleaders.com

About the Author

LEADERSHIP

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7bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

The “Magnets” Under the Table

As it turns out, this reality is not logical. It is emotional. By

“emotional”, we don’t mean happy or sad stuff. I’m not

talking about our emotions. We are talking instead about

the set of instincts developed through thousands of years

of evolution that motivate our most basic behaviors. These

include the flight or fight response, the herding response

(yes, we are a herding species) and the shortcuts that have

been hardwired into our brains causing us to act first and

then make up the logical reason for acting a millisecond

AFTER we have responded.

Neurological research demonstrates that logical choice and

volition are primarily an illusion created by our conscious

awareness. We have the impression that we make many

conscious choices each day. Some of us believe those

choices are mostly ruled by logic. The research indicates

otherwise. Muscle responses can be observed moving

an arm or a finger BEFORE conscious awareness of any

decision to do so. While conscious intention and choice are

possible, in fact, most of us are running on automatic pilot

during most of the day. Our brains are creating the fiction

we call “choice.” We are emotional beings operating on

these well established internal programs

The automatic, non-logical, emotional character of our

inner selves presents a challenge to communication and

the way we behave in relationship to each other. One

basic premise, proposed by Family Systems theory, is that

a relationship between two people will always contain

a certain level of anxiety and over time, this builds up

and threatens the relationship. In order to stabilize the

relationship, these two people subconsciously collude

in redirecting the anxiety between them towards a third

person, entity or idea. This means that the basic unit of

all relationships is not two but three. This unit of three is

called an “Emotional Triangle.” Emotional triangles (ET’s)

make up the “magnets under the table” in the game of

relationships and communication. Emotional Triangles

make up the crucial dynamic that has likely been frustrating

your best efforts “on top of the table” as you try to “line

up your shots” in attempting to communicate with others.

Below is a brief tutorial:

Emotional Triangles

ET’s are a way to understand how relationships REALLY

operate. They provide a reliable “map” that is an alternative

to relying on linear, cause and effect understandings of

relationships based on the social science model of reality.

An Emotional Triangle understands that relationships

are ALWAYS in threes. There is always at least one other

person, entity or thing that makes up the third element in

a relationship.

The Third Element

Almost anything can make up the third element in an

Emotional Triangle. It can be:

• A person

• A role

• A belief

• An addiction

• A neurosis or a fear

Positions within an Emotional Triangle

Emotional Triangles have two “positions.”

1. Inside - containing two people, or one person and a

thing or entity. This position is always shared and feels

comfortable and safe. It is the position we instinctively

prefer and seek in all our behaviors.

2. Outside - containing one other person, thing or entity.

This position feels anxious and threatening. Instinctively,

we avoid the outside position

Emotional Triangles - Illustrated

Emotional Triangles are evident in all relationships. An

example can be seen in the relationships of children -

especially girls.

Observe, Mary and Jane on the playground. They are best

friends forever (“BFFs”). They like the same clothes, music,

pop stars but unfortunately, the same boy. Now that’s

a problem because it threatens their “BFF” status and

creates anxiety between them. What are they to do?

Unconsciously, to help stabilize their friendship, they start

whispering about Suzie behind her back. They make fun of

the way she looks and acts. They tease her, Suzie gets mad

at both of them.

BFF status secured! Mary and Jane’s friendship is now

tighter because of a common enemy without having to

address the fact that they both like the same boy.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Continued on page 30

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Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 20118

SALES&MARKETING

Having no radio contact at 20,000 feet and separated from my fellow pilots by 10 miles on a night combat mission in hostile territory was a dire situation. What if I lost my engine or was engaged by ground fire? How could I call for help? Without my radio, I felt very vulnerable. If I didn’t get checked in, I would have to abort the mission and head back to base.

Suddenly my back-up VHF radio blared with the terse sound of my flight lead, “2, come up 239.9.” I breathed a sigh of relief and immediately changed frequency. “Vipers, check-in, confirm master-arm hot!” We acknowledged his call on the radio in a crisp, monotone cadence, “2, 3, 4.”

I flipped the master arm switch to the “hot” position and readied my weapons. My wingmen and I were now one synchronized formation, with a clear flight plan and a mission objective that had been delivered in our pre-mission briefing. Our radios and radar linked us together. We were ready for battle.

Communication in combat is essential to successfully execute a plan. It ensures safety, keeps everyone focused on their responsibilities, and builds awareness in rapidly changing environments.

In order to communicate effectively in the heat of battle, fighter pilots:

1. Brief the mission in order to establish objectives, delegate responsibilities, analyze threats, and review contingency plans.

2. Establish a communication (“comm”) game plan which confirms when and where to change frequencies.

3. Ensure positive two-way communication is

established during critical elements of a mission.

4. Brief a back-up plan in case communication fails (known as “radio-out” procedures).

5. Debrief every mission to review lessons learned and reinforce training.

When the heat is on and adversity strikes, how do

y o u communicate with your team? Do you have a “comm plan” with your employees, colleagues, and customers? Are you taking the time to brief your missions to ensure all your wingmen are on the same wave length and understand their roles, responsibilities, and objectives? Finally, are you aware of those who might be on the wrong frequency or off course? If so, what’s your plan to get them back on target?

Checking in with your wingmen, listening to their questions, and understanding their challenges are fundamental components of teamwork and leadership. They are the cornerstones in building an environment of mutual support and trust, especially in rapidly changing, competitive environments.

Want to communicate better with your team? Try out these communication “wingtips” and watch the impact they have on your organization.

1. Have a ‘mass briefing’ at least once a month. Gather your troops and communicate the latest

wo long minutes passed since I last changed radio frequencies. We were approaching the Iraqi border and my flight lead still had not checked me

in. I was getting nervous.

by Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman (The Wingman)

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9bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

trends, organizational goals, sales updates, and product upgrades etc. Your wingmen need to hear important news (both good and bad) from you first. This is also a great time to publicly recognize your top performers.

2. Conduct feedback sessions on a consistent basis. Sit down with your wingmen and let them know how they are doing. Are they meeting your expectations? Ask about their goals and challenges and how you can help. Then solicit feedback on you as a leader. What could you be doing better? What would they like to see from you? Avoid letting your ego get in the way of their feedback.

3. Walk the flight line. Get your hands dirty with your wingmen. Spend time with them on the job and observe how they do business. Ask questions. Show them your appreciation by connecting with them as people first and employees second.

4. De-brief your missions. Remove your ‘rank’ and conduct a nameless, blameless, and rank-less de-brief after every critical mission. Find out if objectives were met and analyze why they weren’t. Search for trends and communicate these to the rest of your organization.

Your aim when communicating should be to create an environment where others can come to you for help. Try to listen as much as possible in order to build what’s known as Situational Awareness (SA). SA is a comprehensive understanding of the mission, your surroundings, and the variables that can affect its

execution. The greater your SA, the greater your ability to solve problems, handle contingencies, and adapt to change.

So, make it a priority to check in and stay in communication with your team. It’s one of the most important things you can do as a leader to build situational awareness and trust. For if you fail to check in with your wingmen, they’re likely to check out.

About the author:Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman (The Wingman ) is the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Never Fly Solo. A leadership speaker and consultant, his clients include HP, Verizon, Aflac, Nokia and New York Life and he’s been featured on CNN, Fox News, The Harvard Business Review and MSNBC. To learn more about Waldo and his programs and to download his Top Gun Sales Team white paper, visit www.YourWingman.com or call 1-866-925-3616.

LEADERSHIP

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Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 201110

SALES&MARKETING

by Alicia Anderson

Early in the hiring process, review the job posting to be

sure it’s still relevant for your business. Map out what you

are looking for in a salesperson, and write down some

potential interview questions. Having a few qualifications

in mind will help you weed out resumes.

Take a look at your buyer. If your decision-maker is a

highly technical manager, you need a salesperson that can

get very deep technically. If your buyer is more of a CEO, a

candidate with experience meeting with executives will be

a good fit. Match your sales team to your buyers.

Listen and watch for clues. Did the candidate research

your business before the interview? If not, will they be

equally unprepared for the meeting with your prospect? Is

their resume clear, persuasive, and free of errors? If not, will

they carry a similarly sloppy proposal out to your prospect?

Seek energy and positivity. Both are important to success

in sales. Selling can be disheartening and draining, but

the good salesperson is persistent, with the ability to look

at themselves, their companies, and their industries with

optimism and perseverance.

Training salespeople

There are two types of sales training: the basic mechanics of

selling, and specific training on your company or products.

Hopefully most of your team is familiar with the mechanics,

but helping them sell your product or company will require

a few important steps:

Set expectations very clearly. What will it take for your

new salesperson to achieve success at your company? The

more details you can provide about what you expect, the

easier time a salesperson will have managing their time

and resources to achieve those goals.

Let them learn from others. Have them ride along with

more experienced salespeople. Let them spend time

with the customer service representatives. Expose the

new salesperson to team members who know what they

are doing – this will help them learn the language and

processes of your company.

Have regular one-on-one meetings with your reps.

This is some of the most important time you can spend

with your sales team. Individual representatives need

time with you that is structured and consistent to go over

their specific deals and challenges. This gives the two of

you time to work on how to strategically approach certain

deals and work on how to win. Here the salesperson can

be more vulnerable and let you know how it is going for

them personally without having other sales team members

involved. Keep this a safe place for them, and a way to

encourage growth and learning.

Keep it up. Training should not end for ANY of your staff

after the first few weeks of employment. Make learning an

ongoing part of your company culture. It keeps your team

energized and challenged, which means greater results for

your business.

You want to grow your company, and your sales team is critical to enabling that growth, right? But

hiring good salespeople is tough for two reasons: 1) great salespeople are always in demand so the market is always tight, even when economic times are tough; and 2) salespeople are really good at selling themselves, so they can tell you what you want to hear. It’s your job to be prepared.

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11bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

What may be helpful is if we think of that person, sitting

in their home or office. What are they going through right

now? What are they experiencing? AND what will they type

into Google?

This may sound like a strange way to go about designing

your web pages and content. But the user experience is

what we should be trying to understand and develop our

pages based on the content they are looking for.

Let’s take a simple example. I love cooking. I’m working

away in the kitchen while preparing a meal; I’m moving too

fast and accidentally smash my finger in a cabinet drawer.

It hurts, but I have no idea how much I’ve injured myself. I

ignore it and keep cooking. I wake up in the middle of the

night, my finger now swollen and throbbing. What do I do?

I turn on my computer to research what???

Do I search for a “solution,” which might be a splint, a

bandage, or aspirin?

Or, do I search for my problem, like “how to determine if

you have a broken finger” or “broken finger” or “sprained

finger”?

Here’s a hint – most users are going to start with their

problem.

Most of our websites are calibrated to show up based on

solution-related information, like aspirin. Unfortunately,

very few people search on this type of key word. Sure,

aspirin is popular, people know what it is and a certain

number of people will search on that. What I’m suggesting

is that while you must have product-related information out

there, you can’t ignore the fact that there is an entirely large

population that isn’t finding what you’re selling.

Suggestion:

Run a brainstorming session inside your organization

to come up with as many searches people might use on

Google to look for what you’re selling. You can even turn it

into a contest. Research how often people are using these

terms and phrases and incorporate new pages into your

website that talk specifically talk to those issues.

Somehow along the way, with the web being invented and completely changing our sales process, we have forgotten that we are still selling to people who are trying to solve a problem. There is value in solving that problem and people are willing to

exchange money for that solution. Yet, we’ve created mounds and mounds of content sitting upon pages and pages of the web describing a product that doesn’t really address a problem at all.

by Apryl Hanson

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Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 201112

COVERSTORY

by Howard Hansen

Fewer questions we ask in private conversations or public dialogue with leaders create more surprise than this

one: “How much time (as a boss) do you spend with the least mature people in your business?”

Sometimes we ask this question when speaking with

groups who consist mostly of business owners, managers

and leaders. We purposely use the term “least mature”

because we have come to believe that performance

problems in companies are nearly always demonstrated

in those who not only have fundamental disconnects with

the organization’s values, but also possess lower levels of

emotional maturity. By raising hands, audiences usually

indicate more than half of their number spend “more than

fifty percent of their time working with employees whose

performance is below acceptable standards.”

When raising their hands, some audience members look

like they are ready to be complimented on their dedication

to coaching higher performance from those who most need

it. We change that expectation when we reply, “What if you

spent that much more time with your best performers”?

Why is this so? Leaders have been taught to believe in the

following thinking:

• Efforts to improve substandard performance are likely to improve group aggregate performance.

• Identifying poor performance and “turning people around” is one of the sacred responsibilities in every leadership position description. It may invoke a high score on the leader’s performance review from her boss.

• Performance review systems mandate spotting low performance and documenting efforts to improve it.

• High performers don’t need much attention. They are self-proficient and self-sufficient.

• It’s a good path to becoming a Leader Hero, one who appears to care deeply about the positive contributions and

success of everyone.

All this is largely myth.

Experience shows efforts to

improve others’ performance,

particularly in those whose

performance is impaired by their

own emotional immaturity, creates

almost no R.O.I. Most managers and

leaders tell us that, despite their best intentions

and large investments of time, the likelihood of

turning immature team members into adequate

performers is slim and turning them into star

performers is none. As a result, more than half of

leaders’ time is often spent on non-productive efforts.

All the while, those who are depended upon to produce

critical results get less time from their leaders. This is

considered acceptable since these high performers appear

to be on performance auto-pilot. When our audience

members consider what they might do to stimulate even

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13bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

higher performance from the best, had they more time

available for them, our listeners surprise themselves with

new ideas.

Performance reviews, long the bane of managers who dread

the responsibility of undertaking them, contribute to this

problem of paying attention to the immature. Performance

review systems were designed to equip managers with a tool

to constructively address poor performance and, with any

luck, influence an improvement in that performance.

We argue that performance reviews

worsen the time-with-the-immature

ratio by consuming more energy from

leaders and placing its focus on the

usually irredeemable performer.

Performance reviews are conducted

through emotional prisms. As

time for review discussions

draw close, both managers

and employees began

to dread the meeting.

During review meetings,

awkward and sometimes fearful

defensiveness prevails, despite

the best intentions of managers

to make it positive, look to the

future and offer development

assistance. The result is poorer

preparation and uninspired

delivery of feedback. Those who

measure aggregate organizational

improvement wonder whether so much

effort for so little gain is worth the cost.

Who are the least mature?

They can be identified by characteristics

offered by Edwin Friedman:

• High reactivity; the tendency to intensely react to challenges and crisis which others take in stride and manage with calm rationality.

• Herding; the movement of the emotionally susceptible to gather together, communicate with high anxiety, over define problems and avoid creative efforts to find best solutions.

• Blame displacement; a focus on personal victimization by believing challenge and uncomfortable moments and environments are created by others.

• Quick fix mentality; the process of rapidly selecting a solution – any nearby and available solution (often the first one considered) – to quickly dispose the uncomfortable existence of an anxiety producing problem.

The least mature (or more immature) in any group,

including families, tie up energy resources. They are

eager to create a negative presence. We have come

to call these people, “step up transformers”. Neutrally

anxious energy goes in. Highly anxious energy comes

out. The net outcome is leaders’ energy levels are

reduced along with the capacity to focus on creative work.

About Howard Hansen: Howard Hansen is a principal with the consulting

firm Healing Leaders, whose mission is “To develop

enlightened leaders through self awareness, resourceful

responsiveness and authentic presence.” He is a

frequent author and speaker on the topic of leadership

development.

Learn more about Howard at www.healingleaders.com.

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Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 201114

Walt Disney once said “you can dream, build

and create the most wonderful place possible

– but people make it happen” … he was right! Your

company’s greatest asset is its people. According

to the National Institute of Health, half the workers

in America, 51%, will have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder

during their lifetime. Your workplace is filled with people who are

wrestling with stress, anger, anxiety and depression. In fact, anxiety is the

leading mental health issue in the United States closely followed by mood

disorders like depression.

Statistics from a recent study done at Harvard Medical School, published in The

Journal of the American Medical Association, revealed the average person with

depression and anxiety issues can’t work or do normal activity for 5 weeks in a

year – comparing with just 15 days for diabetes or hypertension. Employed

adults with major depression lose about 8 hours of productivity a week on

the job. Depression alone costs US employers about $31 billion annually in

productivity, not counting disability leave payments.

Depression and anxiety sap energy, cause problems with concentration,

memory and decision-making. Supervisors or managers are

extraordinarily impaired because the nature of their work is to – make

decisions! And, the personal and financial costs escalate still further if

a worker’s untreated depression and anxiety contribute to alcohol or

drug abuse.

Sadly, only half the people needing treatment are getting any and many

of those receiving treatment are still struggling. Frankly, what we’re

doing these days isn’t working very well. The use of anti-depressant

medications in the United States doubled from 1996 to 2005. Smart

employers are beginning to seek expert assistance for their

employees, helping them balance their

lives from biological, psychological,

social and spiritual

perspectives.

by Mike Marino, Ph.D.

COVERSTORY

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15bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

Dr. Marino has an extensive background in communications and mental healthcare, hosting a

nationally-syndicated call-in radio program for 5 years and directing an in-patient psychiatric

hospital. He has also served as Corporate VP at the world-renowned Amen Clinics and has

presided over a nationwide network of over 600 mental health clinicians. Information about his

Managing Workplace Stress and Conflict seminars can be found at www.TheADbootcamp.com.

If stress could be defined as overburdening an existing

structure or capacity, in general, humans have more stress

today than at any time in history. We have more sensory

input today than ever before. One Hundred years ago our

two primary sources of information and communication

were speech and written materials like books, mail and

newspapers. The came the light bulb, movies, radio,

telephones, TV, faxes, computers, the Internet, e-mail, cell

phones, texting, Facebook, Twitter and who knows what

instant communication method lies ahead? All the modern

conveniences that were supposed to make life easier have

also increased the pace and sensory overload of life. Your

employees likely have their stress cup filled to overflowing

before they even arrive at work!

Companies are finding that when they help their people

– productivity increases, the bottom line is better and

everyone sees the difference in the work environment.

Small changes in developing an employee’s thinking

patterns, relationship skills, healthy diet and exercise habits

can make a huge difference in defeating workplace stress,

conflict and apathy.

Investing in employee in-service training for stress

management, offering incentives for participation in

structured exercise programs and providing professional

counseling through an Employee Assistance Program have

proven to be winning strategies for building a vibrant,

productive workforce.

Looking for tell-tale signs of discouraged and overwhelmed

employees can save your company a lot of money, grief,

time and turnover. Depressed and anxious employees

typically show signs of…

• Sleep deprivation

• Sadness

• Loss of interest in life

• Low energy

• Poor concentration

• Changes in appetite

• Either slowness of movement or fidgety physical affect

• Dark thoughts and talk

Teaching your supervisors to watch intently for signs of

emotional and mental strain will ultimately make them

better and more productive leaders. It’s imperative that

supervisors develop and maintain an open and honest

dialogue with employees … one that centers on active

listening. This is not the time for a supervisor to give

direction, but rather to listen intently to how the employee

answers key questions like…

• How are you doing?

• What are you feeling?

• What are you thinking?

• What is helping you here and what is not?

This opens the door for pro-active intervention that will

ultimately yield more productivity, better performance

and higher company morale. For example, you may

discover your employee cafeteria serves mostly high-fat,

high-calorie foods which are counter-productive to quality

brain function and overall energy and health. You can

make a change there painlessly and the message to your

employees is – we care about you!

Offering free wellness classes to your employees is another

great way to build your bottom line. Most community

health centers have exercise, yoga and stress management

teachers who would be pleased to come to your place

of business and lead a class for a nominal fee. Again,

the message is – you are not just an employee, you are a

person to us.

When your employees have better lives, they are better

employees! Investing in their emotional, psychological and

physical success pays dividends in every way – you won’t be

disappointed!

About the Author

by Mike Marino, Ph.D.

Page 16: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 201116

by Geni WhitehouseBOOKREPORT

Drive : The surprising truth about what motivates us | Daniel H. Pink

Most traditional businesses use one of two approaches to motivate their employees – reward or

punishment. In this book, Daniel Pink offers research to prove that neither of these methods are successful

in the long run. He examines a number of interesting scenarios from late pickup fees at Daycare, to the

candle problem as evidence of failed motivational schemes. Once Pink finishes tearing down the old

“Type X or Extrinsic” reward systems, he teaches us how to construct “Type I or Intrinsic” motivational

environments. In order to give people Intrinsic rewards, he says they must have autonomy over “their

task, time, technique, and team. “ By the end of the book, you will want to reconsider all aspects of your

compensation and reward systems.

Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul | Stuart Brown, M.D.

Most business people associate game playing with non-work time. Stuart Brown is out to change that

mistaken impression. Brown illustrates the value of play in “sparking curiosity and alert observation.” He

talks about the developmental importance of child’s play and play’s positive impact on brain development

in children and adults. He shows how play gives people distance from a problem so they can identify a new

solution. Rather than advocating for a game of Angry Birds at every desktop, Brown suggests starting with

physical activities and then finding a way to tap into whatever activity gives you joy. He puts the impetus

on individual employees to find aspects of their job that allow them to play and explore while staying true

to themselves. Just don’t buy the book as justification for that new office pool table you’ve been wanting

to purchase.

Six Thinking Hats | Edward De Bono

Edward De Bono calls thinking “the ultimate human resource.” In his book, “Six thinking

Hats” he offers a methodology that helps individuals and teams think more clearly. He uses a

metaphor of different colored hats to separate different types of thinking. A white

hat represents a neutral perspective and is mainly concerned with facts

while the red hat represents an emotional perspective. De Bono says the

red hat allows a thinker to say “ This is how I feel about ...” By walking

individuals through a discussion of ideas or topics one brightly colored hat

at a time, De Bono frees people from their limited perspective and forces

them to consider an issue from six different angles. The book is step by step

guide to using his methods in every situation imaginable and will

forever change the way you approach brainstorming.

Human resources are one of the most valuable forms of business capital. But people require constant care and support. These

books address three important aspects of working with people – how to motivate, entertain, and inspire them to become the

kinds of creative thinkers who can excel in today’s businesses.

A self-proclaimed nerd, former technology executive and CPA firm partner, Geni Whitehouse has made it her mission to eliminate boring from the world of presentations. The author of “How to Make a Boring Subject Interesting: 52 Ways Even a Nerd Can Be Heard,” Geni believes her mission as a presenter is to understand a subject well enough to approach it from an angle that will not only educate her audiences—but will resonate with them. Learn more at www.evenanerd.com.

About Geni Whitehouse

Page 17: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

17bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

The goal is for you to fall in love with your business again.

Begin a process of fun work with the purpose of awesome results.

Marketing StrategyMarketing Plan and CalendarCampaign Development Marketing MetricsContent DevelopmentPublic RelationsSocial Media

www.dawnwesterberg.com

Geni WhitehouseSPEAKER AUTHOR

CONSULTANT NERDShe’s been called the “comedian CPA.” A self-proclaimed nerd, experienced software executive and former CPA firm partner, Geni Whitehouse has made it her mission to eliminate boring from the world of presentations.

STRATEGYEXECUTIONEVANGELISMCONTENT DEVELOPMENT

www.evenanerd.com

BOOKREPORT

www.bellwethermagazine.com/ads

(wanna advertise in Bellwether? drop us a line)

Page 18: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 201118

Host a user group

If it’s appropriate for your business, consider getting

your customers together to talk about your product or

service. Offer learning opportunities or helpful resources

and encourage them to share ideas with each other.

Encourage them to connect with each other and expand

their own networks. Who knows, you might even get a

great new idea from your group!

Start an advisory board

When it comes to buying behaviors for your company, your

customers are the experts. Invite your best customers to

participate in an advisory board. Have regular meetings

(quarterly is fine) where you run new ideas by them or

get their feedback on previous concepts. Their input will

usually surprise and revitalize you, and client rapport will

be strengthened because you respected them enough

to ask for it.

Create loyalty programs and rewards

Everybody wants to feel special. Your customers are

special, so create exclusive programs and offers for your

loyal customers. Maybe it’s a “frequent buyer” card

with a free gift or product after a certain buying limit is

reached, or new and unique content that no one else has

access to. Segment your customers to find out who your

repeat buyers are, and reward them.

Use social media

Too many times, the job of “customer service” is

relegated to front-line staff – the call center team or

salespeople. Social media can help get everyone in your

business – executives, HR staff, and managers – on the

“front line” with your customers, so that everyone can

understand more clearly what it takes to serve customers

well and meet their needs.

The bottom line is this: you cannot understand how to move your business forward until you understand your customers. Here are

some good ways your business can listen to customers more effectively, while at the same time creating a feeling of community among customers.

CUSTOMERRELATIONSHIPS

These tools can also help you sell your business to prospective customers. When they see how much time and energy you spend creating customer communities, it reassures them that they will be well cared for when they choose to do business with you.

by Alicia Anderson

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19bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

With the advent of social media, you can no longer hope

to sweep the problems with customer service under a

‘virtual rug’. If a customer has a problem with a company

you can be sure that they will post about it on Twitter,

Facebook, Google+, anywhere to let others know about

their dissatisfaction. Larger companies with a strong social

media presence who are watching all relevant feeds can

jump in and handle the problem.

However, small and medium-sized businesses can’t always

be monitoring social media - they don’t have the time or

the personnel, they need to run their business and ensure

they get sales. So what can they do to ensure they always

give great customer service?

Customers using Business Process Management

technologies report that by automating customer service

requests, they are able to ensure that they can respond

immediately and automatically to a problem and put tracking

procedures in place so that the problem is monitored and

resolved in a timely fashion to the customer’s satisfaction.

Business Process Management applications ‘loosely

couple’ business applications enabling organizations to

automate virtually any employee-driven business process.

They usually include features like automated alerts,

automated web content publishing, document automation,

workflow and routing requests, and data services and

integration. They use data within existing systems to make

manual processes more automated and bring important

information to light.

For example, one company’s customer service

representatives were being swamped with a repetitive

manual process. Their customers were going to their

website and registering to receive containers for recycling.

The registrations were arriving by email and the customer

service representatives had to manually rekey the

information into their CRM system.

They used a BPM tool to set up a series of tasks to

automate the entire process. The emails now come in from

the website and automatically generate a customer service

ticket in the system. A notification of the order is sent to the

appropriate customer service representative. If the email

is from an existing customer, the refill request is recorded

onto their account. If they are new customer, an account

is automatically created and the order details recorded.

Additionally the task sends out confirmations and thank

you messages to the customers for their orders.

Since this automation process has been in

production, the customer service representatives

have been able to focus on real customer service

issues and are much more efficient.

The question is ‘what do

you want to automate?

What manual processes

are burdening your staff,

slowing down response

time, and inhibiting great

customer service?

Good customer service has always been a key component to the success of any business. In the past if you didn’t treat a customer well it didn’t necessarily

matter because new customers might not hear about the poor customer service until they experienced a problem themselves.

About the Author

Nicole Laurier is VP of Sales and Marketing at Fisher Technology, the North

American distributor for TaskCentre authored by Orbis Software. Follow Nicole

on Twitter at @nicolelaurier.

INDUSTRYNEWS

by Nicole Laurier

Page 20: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 201120

by Jeff Johnson, CPA and Tom Siders, CPA

INDUSTRYNEWS

Serving customers and growing the business. For many people in your shoes, those are the two tenets that drive most decisions. That’s great, but you also need to factor in where you’re headed,

right?

You will leave your business. It may not be today or tomorrow. It may not be by choice, but you will leave your business. Do you have a plan for that? When you leave, what would that look like? If something tragic happens and your exit is unexpected, what happens to the business? What effect

will it have on your family? A plan not only provides context and the basis for adapting to unanticipated events, it also provides alternatives based on assumptions about your goals, objectives and resources that may need revision.

Unfortunately, even owners who have great business plans often fly without Exit Plans. If an unanticipated event arises (such as a deterioration in the economy), they shelve their exit plan thinking (and thinking is all they have since they haven’t created a written plan) because their only option is to wait for conditions to improve. These successful owners would never consider a similar passive response to be acceptable in a business plan.

If the importance of an exit plan isn’t obvious yet, consider this:

First, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers’ survey of 364 CEOs of privately held, fast-growing companies, 65% planned to exit within a decade. Translation: there may be a glut of companies on the market which may drive down the value of your firm.

Second, if you’re a Baby Boomer, the generation following you is smaller in size so expect far more sellers than buyers in

the marketplace.

Third, even during boom times less than half of the owners who have tried to sell their business actually were able to accomplish it

(2005 Business Reference Guide, Tom West).

“Begin with the End In Mind.” -Stephen Covey, speaker and author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

Page 21: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

21bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

INDUSTRYNEWSFourth, if you choose to wait for a rising tide in the economy and the M&A market to exit, you’ll lose control of the timing of your exit, how much and the terms of payment you’ll receive, and even the type of buyer.

Exit planning is what we mean by working on, not just in, your business, and it pays off long before you leave. The process of creating a plan involves determining the firm’s current value, the factors that may have the biggest impact on future value, your financial needs and taking time to consider what different exit options might look like. These are all factors that can, and should, play a role in your day-to-day decision-making, providing one more tenet to guide you.

When you begin with the end in mind, you’ll know what to do when you get there, despite the glut of sellers, dearth of buyers, volatility of the market, and the myriad of known and unknown influences on your business.

One of the most successful entrepreneurs and planners in American history, John Pierpoint Morgan, said, “The wise man bridges the gap by laying out the path by means of which he can get from where he is to where he wants to go.”

Jeff Johnson and Tom Siders are CPAs and partners with L. Harris Partners. Jeff and Tom each have over 30 years experience in successfully helping business owners plan for and transition out of their business. You can reach them at LHarrisPartners.com or (952) 944-3303.

About the Authors

Are You Compliant with Your State Labor Laws?

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www.SierraWS.com(800) 822-0973

Page 22: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 201122

Who can take advantage of these tax credits?

For profit companies in the United States, i.e. C, S and

LLC’s can all apply these tax credits to their Federal Tax

Liability. Because non-profits and municipalities don’t pay

taxes, they would not qualify. In addition, some states

have also started similar programs to provide incentives to

employers hiring.

The WOTC tax credit is renewed by congress every few years.

CMS, LLC’s Brian Kelly explains “The Work Opportunity Tax

Credit is not going away. If anything, we see the program

expanding with the current high unemployment rate,

expansion to hire more veterans, expansion to Natural

Disaster Zone(s) and possible US Territories.”

Just recently in August 2011, President Obama announced

an initiative for employers to hire 100,000 unemployed

veterans by 2013, the “Returning Heroes Tax Credit”.

This initiative will offer participating companies a $2,400

tax credit for hiring short-term unemployed veterans. The

White House also put on the table for Congress to approve

an additional tax credit incentive of $4,800 to companies

hiring service members who have faced unemployment for

six months or longer.

Per Brian Kelly, the president of CMS, LLC, an organization

that provides a full processing service for WOTC, the

average tax credit is $2,400 per qualified new hire, $4,800

for each new disabled veteran hire, and $9,000 for each

new long-term TANF recipient hired (over a 2 year period).

On average, 10-15% of the workforce may be qualified. If

In these challenging times, here is a way to save money, with Work Opportunity Tax Credits. “WOTC” is a federal program designed to promote the hiring of individuals who qualify as a

member of a target group with barriers to employment (see Qualifying Groups on next page). Employers participating in the program can receive a Federal Tax Credit (typically $2,400.00) for each qualified employee, which can be used to reduce your company’s federal income tax liability.

INDUSTRYNEWS

by Brian Kelly

Page 23: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

you have 15 qualified new hires per year, that translates

into potential savings of $36,000. “I don’t know anyone

who would turn that down in this economy,” said Kelly.

“Saving money is making money.”

Why aren’t companies taking advantage of this

program?

CMS finds most companies are not aware of this federal

tax credit, or if they are familiar with the program, they

don’t have the resources or don’t want to ask the sensitive

questions needed to acquire the tax credits. That’s exactly

the reason many companies outsource this function to

CMS. CMS performs the screening process of each new

hire and thus protects the employer from any sensitive

situations and shields them from a liability standpoint.

Qualified Employees

The WOTC qualified employee will be a member of a

qualifying group, and must work at least 120 hours for the

employer. If the employee works between 121 and 399

hours, the employer could receive a partial credit of 25%

of their wages up to $6,000.

To obtain a maximum credit of $2,400 the WOTC-certified

employee must work a minimum of 400 hours or 180 days

of service for the employer. There is no limit to how many

qualifying new hires your company can have.

Brian Kelly is the President of Cost Management Services (CMS) and has over 25 years experience in the Employee

Management industry. CMS has been providing employment tax credit “WOTC” processing services for over 15

years for companies of all sizes, including several large CPA companies, across the United States. Follow Brian on

Twitter @cmsbrian or visit his website at www.cmshris.com

About the Author

23bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

by Brian Kelly

• Long-term TANF recipient -- member of a family that received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for at least 18 consecutive months ending on the hiring date, or a member of a family that received TANF for any 18 months beginning after August 5, 1997, and the earliest 18-month period, beginning after August 5, 1997, ended during the past 2 years ending on the hiring date, or whose family stopped being eligible for TANF because Federal or state law limited the maximum time those payments could be made, and the individual is hired not more than 2 years after such eligibility ended.

• Other TANF recipient - member of a family that received TANF payments for any 9 months during the 18-month period ending on the hiring date.

• Veteran – member of a family that received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (food stamps) for at least a 3-month period during the 15-month period ending on the hiring date, or a disabled veteran entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability hired within one year of discharge or release from active duty or unemployed for a period or periods totaling at least 6 months of the year ending on the hiring date.

• 18-39 year-old SNAP (food stamps) recipient -- member of a family that received SNAP benefits (food stamps) for either the 6-month period ending on the hiring date, or for at least 3 of the 5 months ending on the hiring date in the case of a family member who ceased to be eligible for such assistance under Section 6(o) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977.

• 18-39 year-old designated community resident -- individual who lives within an Empowerment Zone (EZ), or Rural Renewal County (RRC). New: On December 17, 2010, P.L. 111-312 reauthorized each HUD-designated urban Empowerment Zone (EZ) and each USDA-designated rural EZ from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2011.

• 16-17 year-old summer youth -- individual who works for the employer between May 1 and September 15, and lives in an EZ.

• Vocational rehabilitation referral -- disabled person referred to the employer upon completion of (or while receiving) rehabilitation services approved by the State, the Ticket-to-Work Program, or the Department of Veterans Affairs.

• Ex-felon -- individual who was convicted of a felony and who is hired within one year after the conviction or release from prison.

• SSI recipient -- individual who received Supplemental Security Income benefits for any month ending during the past 60-day period ending on the hiring date.

QUALIFYING GROUPS

Page 24: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 201124

Currey & Company is an Atlanta-based company that manufactures and sells high-end lighting, furniture and

accessories to the designer market. Currey designs are featured in designer showrooms, elegant hotels and restaurants, and stylish homes.The company’s focus on its employees is what truly sets it apart. Robert Currey, the founder, is a visionary whose philosophy is that people are the heart of a business, and an individual’s capabilities are essential to developing a company to its highest level and utmost potential.

In that spirit, the company offers unique educational programs to its employees. All staffers are eligible, regardless of position or tenure. Almost 70% of Currey employees participate in some program. Currey’s education program consists of several offerings:

• English as a Second Language classes. About 60% of its roughly 100 Atlanta based employees are non-native English speakers – many employees come from Atlanta’s Hispanic and Vietnamese communities.

• GED classes so employees can get their high school diplomas.

• Citizenship classes for those seeking to become American citizens.

• Computer classes, in Excel and other commonly-used applications.

• Work-specific instruction to help employees cross-train or acquire needed skills.

• Tuition reimbursement - the company pays 100% of college tuition for its employees.

by Alicia Anderson

CUSTOMERSTORY

Emphasis on Employees

www.curreyco.comYou can learn more about Currey & Company at:

Page 25: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

25bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

The company’s emphasis on employees doesn’t stop with the education programs. Controller Mike Moran says, “During the height of the recession, we opted to furlough workers instead of instituting layoffs.” The company also offers standard benefits (health, dental, 401(k), disability), as well as the ability to purchase product samples at significant discounts.

Lauren Gold is Currey’s Education Coordinator. Gold started at Currey as a part-time ESL teacher, and now teaches many of the courses herself in the company’s dedicated training room. Since the program’s launch in 2002, yearly employee turnover has decreased to almost zero. Employee loyalty means that company managers spend relatively little time and money on staffing or recruiting.

Team member Juan Miguel Mir was recently awarded his GED, opting to take the exam in his second language, English. Mir said “I feel so little, so now I need to grow.” Mariana Leal took citizenship classes at work, and became an American citizen in April, 2011.

In the shipping department, Alma Solano clearly summarized the benefits of the education program – she is working towards getting her GED on a “fast track,” hoping to finish within six months. “To me, it’s been great. Without this program, I would have to drive to a school and spend three or four hours a night attending school,” said Alma. “Here, I can spend an hour and a half, not have to commute, and have more energy and time for my job – it’s really motivated me!”

Currey’s internal newsletter is an elegant, printed piece which highlights employee stories. A recent version includes a story from a

sales representative, who says “I love the heart and soul of this company and feel very honored and blessed to be a part of it.” Currey & Company truly understands that investing in employees pays off in loyalty and

productivity, and the result is an environment of high achievement and cooperation among all levels of the company.

“I love the heart and soul of this company and feel very honored and blessed to be a part of it.”

Employees being trained at the Currey & Company facility in Georgia

Page 26: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 201126

But often, these employees can be few and far between. More frequently there is a mood of resignation, doing what needs to be done and hoping that things will get better or another job opportunity will come along. While there may be some hopeless cases, as leaders, part of the burden is on us to make the workplace and the company objectives dynamic and inspirational to our team.

Mary Poppins (magical motivator and practically perfect in every way) used fun to inspire her young charges to seek optimal

performance. I can still remember Julie Andrews’ lovely voice singing “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun – you find the fun and snap – the job’s a game.” While this is an admittedly corny reference – there is undeniable truth in the message. Look around. Has the workplace become dreary and devoid of fun? Is it an environment of optimal performance?

Leading researcher, psychologist and author Mihaly Csikszetmihalyi uses the term “Flow” to define when we achieve optimal performance in an activity. You’ve probably

Ask any employee and they’ll tell you that they’ve taken on a lot more responsibilities over the months and years – most of it maybe not what they wanted or expected. A lucky employer has people on the team

who eagerly look for new challenges, a better way to build the mousetrap, ways to use tools to streamline tasks so that they can dig in to metrics and results that might suggest a more effective approach to attaining goals.

by Dawn Westerberg

What Is Preventing YourPeople from Achieving

Optimal Performance?

Page 27: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

27bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

experienced flow – it’s when you become so absorbed in an activity that you lose all track of time, thoughts settle down and you’re in a mode of complete focus, and you seem to be operating at maximum effectiveness. There is an enormous sense of satisfaction that follows achieving the flow state.

It seems almost like serendipity when we enter a flow state. Most of us would love to be able to enter the flow state on demand. So what prevents us?

C s i k s z e t m i l h a l y i ’s research indicates that there are two impediments to flow state: boredom and frustration. If we’re unchallenged by an activity, it becomes boring. If we are too challenged by an activity, it becomes frustrating. We enter flow state when we are in the zone between boredom and frustration. We feel challenged but at the same time we feel equipped to meet the

challenge – that’s the perfect environment for flow and optimal performance.

As leaders, we can help our team find that zone where flow is most likely to happen. Do we throw tools or technology at our team and wait to see if they sink or swim? Could an investment in training help to better position our teams to feel equipped to

meet the challenge in front of them? Could a thoughtful

conversation help to illuminate a boring process

as being vital to the company and give the person responsible a different mindset to bring to the task? Can we as leaders

enable a little bit more fun in the workplace (getting back to Mary Poppins)?

I think we can. And the degree to which we

assist our team in finding optimal performance

directly affects the degree to which we will enjoy a transformed workplace.

Dawn Westerberg is the President of Dawn Westerberg Consulting LLC where she

specializes in helping business owners fall in love with their business again through

installing marketing systems that optimize fun work and awesome results. She is an

Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Coach and has held senior management marketing

positions at Sage, Lawson, and Open Systems. You can learn more about Dawn at

www.dawnwesterberg.com.

About Dawn Westerberg

“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun - you find the fun and snap - the job’s a game.” Mary

Poppins

People from Achieving

Page 28: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 201128

HUMANRESOURCES

Let’s take an example of a CEO who has built a small company from the bottom up. This CEO cares

deeply for his people. Often times during the day he can be found wandering from desk to desk

asking people not only about their day but also about their families. When times are tough, he focuses

his teams on how to get things done instead of blaming people for what hasn’t been done. He doesn’t yell but remains calm,

and when people bring things to his attention he listens. If an employee has a family issue, he takes the time to understand

the situation and work with the employee on what is needed. What type of culture is this building in the organization?

Take a look at another CEO - one that puts strict guidelines on his people about how many family photos can be left on their

desk. He monitors the times they clock in and out of the office and puts limitations and consequences in place if people are

late. He installs cameras to watch his employees when he is not in the office because he is worried that they aren’t being as

productive as they could be if he isn’t there driving their behavior. What type of culture is this building in this organization?

What type of leader are you?

Every leader and every employee in a business builds culture. That seems to put a lot of responsibility on the Human Resources

team in a company along with managers to find, hire and develop excellent people that build upon the culture. It only takes

one bad manager, who takes his or her own approach, to misalign and derail a team and subsequently and entire company.

As leaders, it is our role to keep managers and employees aligned to mission and vision and therefore culture.

Who do you have in your organization that is risking your company’s culture?

Think about how your developing culture is impacting the productivity of your business.

Many of us tend to avoid conflict and often sweep what we consider small issues under the

table. Small issues and challenges that we see as potential derailing qualities need to be

addressed as they appear so that your teams know that certain behaviors and attitudes

aren’t permitted. This is the way that culture begins to develop. Likewise if behaviors

are excused, ignored, or even tolerated, the culture learns collectively that this is what

is accepted, and this is how the company develops.

As a leader think about:

1. What are you ignoring that you shouldn’t be?

2. Who on your team is at risk for derailing the culture you want to have?

3. What type of leader are you, and what culture is that building in your organization?

For more stories on cultures that have been developed, check out our blog

series under the “Leadership” section of think.blytheco.com.

Building culture in an organization sounds like a daunting task, and if you think of it that

way it will be. Culture isn’t a set of initiatives or tasks that you assign to someone on

your team to execute in hopes that at the end of the performed tasks there will be culture.

It is so much more. The everyday interactions inside your organization and the people you

choose to work with as a part of your team determine the collective group culture.

Much Adoabout Culture

by Apryl Hanson

Page 29: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

29bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

from Blytheco’s 2011Social Business Benchmarking Survey

Just a few interesting stats from Blytheco’s 2011 Social Business Benchmarking Survey (SBBS). How does your company stack up?

For additional results of the survey, visit our website at www.blytheco.com/survey.

The top three business issues that IT leaders are looking to solve in the next 24 months are:

Greater automation of tasksIntegration between systemsReduction of paper generated

95% of marketers report using a website for brand awareness. Other top tools used for brand awareness are:

Events/tradeshows – 76%Print advertising – 62%Word of mouth – 62%Twitter – 62%Facebook – 62%

Executives are optimistic. 80% project growth for their companies in the next year.

Most (80%) HR leaders use LinkedIn personally, but only 44% say they use it for recruiting new employees.

By far, the largest source of qualified leads for salespeople is referrals from customers or partners, with 82% saying they rely on this source for leads. Websites are the second largest source, with 61%.

HUMANRESOURCES

about Culture

Page 30: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

Bellwether Magazine | Fourth Quarter 201130

Magnets Under the Table (continued from page 6)

Dynamics of Emotional Triangles

Mary and Jane occupy the inside of the Emotional Triangle and Suzie is

stuck on the outside.

It is normal for a person on the outside to get anxious, try to change

things between the two insiders and get an inside position.

Suzie reacts. She yells at Mary and Jane and calls them names.

Unfortunately, this backfires and only solidifies everyone’s position. Suzie

has just supported the status quo. Nothing changes.

Anxiety and reactivity by the person in the outside position only solidifies

the relationship between the two insiders. This is true between adults as

well. It is even true when one of the insiders is a thing rather than a

person. The spouse of an alcoholic will only solidify the relationship of

the alcoholic with the bottle if they continuously nag and try to change

it. Nagging is futile and only supports the addiction.

There are all kinds of relationships that leaders end up on the outside

of. The insiders can be:

• Two employees who can’t get along. (Yes, they are insiders.)

• An employee or group member and his or her disease.

• An employee or member and his or her anxiety.

• You fill in the blank.

How to Stop Supporting Stuckness

So if anxiety and reactivity of the person in the outside position only

keep things stuck and prevents real change, what is the person on the

outside to do? The answer is:

1. Manage personal anxiety

2. Remain non-reactive

These seem counter-intuitive but we instinctively advocate for these

behaviors when we tell a child who is getting teased in school to “just

ignore it” and don’t respond.

The main point of Emotional Triangles is this: All attempts to directly try

to change the relationship between two insiders in an emotional triangle

are likely to result in the opposite effect. A correlation of this is, “You

can’t will togetherness.”

The best chance for change (and it is no guarantee) is to stop trying to

become an insider. Rather, stop the “reactivity loop” from the outside

position of the Emotional Triangle.

A direct intervention must be abandoned. In fact, the very idea of

intervention must be abandoned. Instead of applying leverage to

change someone, the attention is given to one’s presence to encourage

a climate in which others can choose to change, or not.

Non-anxious Presence

The person in the outside position of an Emotional Triangle cannot

attain an inside position. Being anxious and reactive from the outside

position is counterproductive.

The key to negotiating change in relationships is through intentionally

staying in the outside position.

This is called “maintaining a non-anxious presence.”

There are 2 ways to stay in the outside position and refusing to support

things the way they are.

1. Focus on self rather than the others -You can only change yourself and you have to stop trying to change others.

2. Manage your own anxiety - Self care is important. If you need others to change to be ok, you give away your power.

Page 31: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

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Page 32: Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Your People

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