NFIB Issues Annual Warning Ahead of 2019 Valentine’s Day
Don’t let your business become a single’s bar on February 14
WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 5, 2019—There’s never a rest for the small-business-owning weary. Congratulations to the small businesses that made it through the holiday party season without incident. Now, another happy occasion approaches, one also potentially fraught with legal trouble—Valentine’s Day.
“Employers should always be on high alert, and at the first hint of something bad, nip it in the bud, immediately,” said Elizabeth Milito, senior executive counsel with the NFIB Small Business Legal Center. “Despite all the recent media exposure on sexual harassment and misconduct, there will always be those who need the message reinforced and reinforcing it at the workplace is the best place to start.” Milito recommends five steps to take.
ATTENTION NEWS EDITORS—Elizabeth Milito is available for interviews and further comments at the cell number above. A two-minute video with more information can be viewed here.
For more than 75 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.
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Companies Typically Underinvest in Managers.
Here Are 12 Ways to Invest in Yourself.
Yes, we all agree that managers often draw the short straw in terms of training opportunities. But David Deacon says the most important part of your job is not about technical skills anyway; it's about attitude and intention (and those ARE under your control).
Melbourne, FL (February 2019)—We all know managers do crucial work. They shape culture, improve employee performance, drive creativity and innovation. And yet, fewer training dollars are typically earmarked for managers than for people at other levels. You're right: This makes little sense. But don't despair, says David Deacon. There's a LOT you, the individual manager, can do to improve your impact on those you lead and on the company as a whole.
"I'm not saying you don't need training in the technical skills of management," says Deacon, author of The Self-Determined Manager: A Manifesto for Exceptional People Managers (Motivational Press, Inc., January 2019, ISBN: 978-1-62865-582-7, $19.95, www.selfdeterminedmanager.com). "Of course you do. But what makes a great manager has far more to do with your attitude than anything else.
"While you may not get to choose the training your company invests in, you can choose your attitude," he adds. "You can choose your intention. In this way, you invest in yourself."
Attitude and intention. Deacon says they are the cornerstones of becoming what he calls a self-determined manager—one who constantly and intentionally creates environments of over-achievement, where people thrive and produce great work.
"Bad managers are so focused on their own needs, or their own fears, or their own performance that they lose sight of the negative, unproductive, demotivating, or destructive environment they are creating," he says. "It's like they think it happens accidentally. On the other hand, the best managers intentionally choose the environment they hope to create."
Making this deliberate and intentional choice is the most powerful thing you can do to become an exceptional manager. Everything else you do will flow from this decision, and, without question, you'll be a better manager regardless of any skills training your company may or may not offer. That said, here are a few pieces of advice from Deacon.
Get hyper-focused on the power of amplification. By virtue of being a manager, your words and actions are amplified. (You cannot stop this, because it is inherent in the way organizations are shaped.) Every pronouncement you make may be repeated many times by your direct reports, every action you take may be emulated many times, and every expectation you set will be reflected in the work of your team. Amplification can be good or bad, so make sure that you remain aware of how anything you are "putting out there" is being received and interpreted.
Set your own standards (and make them high!). Self-determined managers never look outside themselves for the standards of their work. So, set your own very high standards and strive to live up to them as far as possible. You are the one who defines professionalism and sets benchmarks—and when you do this, you will be recognized as a role model for others. Remember, however, that recognition is a by-product, not a goal. Your intention should be to do a great job because that is the point.
If you need training in a certain area, ask for it. There are certain things all managers need to be able to do: give feedback, coach employees, hold tough conversations, communicate clearly, manage time and tasks, and so forth. If you're lacking in a critical area—and, yes, you're most likely aware of this—ask for training. If your company can't or won't provide it, you must seek it out yourself. Be proactive about developing the skills that will help you create the best environment possible for your team.
Start treating employees like adults. Work is not school. Adults do their best work when they are treated as adults. Therefore, great managers don't bully, shout, patronize, belittle, name-call, behave aggressively, or condescend. To generate trust and respect, you must create an environment where adults can do great things.
Stop playing favorites. Some managers give certain people time and attention, but offer little contact or guidance to others, based on personal preferences rather than business or project reasons. Those in favor can do no wrong regardless of how much (or little) they do or the quality of their work. Those out of favor learn to moderate their efforts and simply do enough to stay out of trouble. The result? People direct their efforts toward staying in favor; there is no focus on performing well. Resist any urge to have favorites among your team.
Be more restless. Each week ask yourself and your team: What can we do better? The best managers have impatience (if something is worth doing, why wait?), an instinct for continuous improvement (good enough is never good enough), and a lingering sense of constructive dissatisfaction (how can we do this better next time?). They set themselves and others very high standards of performance and conduct.
"This demanding impatience for ever-greater impact and ever-higher standards can make self-determined managers very difficult to work for," admits Deacon. "Just be sure to always balance the high expectations with encouragement and a positive approach."
Have a plan in mind for your people. The best managers have a good sense of where they believe each of their people should be headed. For each employee, look forward and ponder three thoughts: 1. Where might they be in a few years' time: perhaps a bigger job, a different role, or a larger team? 2. Do you have a clear view of what they need to learn now and what they need to learn next that will support their future growth? 3. Do you have a sense of responsibility and accountability for helping them make that progress?
"With great managers, the plan is mainly in their heads, and they can tell you instantly what it is," says Deacon. "Not in the language of career frameworks and competency models, but in words that show what they see and appreciate and hope for and worry about for each of their people."
Manage your own energy. Self-determined managers know that maintaining their energy and enthusiasm is their own responsibility. Pay attention to your energy levels and develop habits that help you sustain them. Focus on fitness, nutrition, and stress management and be alert to signs of burnout, to taking on too much (or too little), and to giving yourself breaks.
"Remember, one of the most powerful outcomes of maintaining your energy is how it enables you to be positive," says Deacon. "If you feel good, you will show it and transmit it!
Learn something new. Take a class, master a new skill, even take up a new hobby outside work. The best managers are interested, curious, open, and alert. They are forever seeking knowledge. This extends far beyond their professional work and reflects their interests, passions, pastimes, and preoccupations.
"First, thinking 'widely' opens possibilities by helping you foster connections, recognize new opportunities, and find better ways to do things," says Deacon. "Secondly, broad knowledge and curiosity make you adaptable; a key part of career success is about applying what you have learned in new situations."
Learn to like the people you work with (yes, even the unlikeable ones). If you deal with someone who is unlikeable, find something to appreciate about them. First, it changes the nature of all interactions and maximizes the chance that you'll be successful. You get a less cooperative, less inventive, and less engaged relationship with someone you do not like. Secondly, it furthers the chance that your team members will overlook your unlikeable qualities and focus on your best traits as well. Finally, everyone responds well to being treated well.
Figure out why the work of the team matters and articulate this to them. Without this sense of purpose, it's hard for people to make a greater effort, direct their energies, and self-correct. Further, they will struggle to relate their actions to their employer's performance, substituting instead other purposes, such as pleasing their boss or doing only work that interests them.
Don't expect perfection, but do keep working toward it. It's virtually impossible to be self-determined 24/7, says Deacon, especially when you lose your focus because other things get in the way. Maybe your boss makes an unreasonable request or creates a firestorm you must pay attention to, or the CEO is creating a negative environment, or you have a problem in your personal life. These kinds of things happen to everyone—even self-determined managers. During these times, it's important to stay conscious and determined, catch people doing things right, articulate clearly, and find meaning and purpose to transmit to your people.
"Until you believe that you are worth investing in, you can't be a self-determined manager," says Deacon. "Decide right now that you not only deserve to become the best manager you can possibly be, but that you are capable of reaching this achievement on your own. Once you do this, you'll be unstoppable."
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About the Author:
David Deacon is the author of The Self-Determined Manager: A Manifesto for Exceptional People Managers. He has been a human resources professional for over thirty years and passionate about how managers manage for almost as long. He has worked for a variety of the world's leading companies, including Credit Suisse and MasterCard, and has lived and worked in the US, the UK, and Asia.
A thought leader in the fields of learning and development, talent management, and leadership development, Deacon has influenced leaders and teams around the world and created better-managed companies as a result. Recognized by the Best Practice Institute as a "Best Organizational Practitioner" in 2014, he continues to drive impact through leading world-class talent management approaches in the companies where he works.
For more information, please visit www.selfdeterminedmanager.com.
About the Book:
The Self-Determined Manager: A Manifesto for Exceptional People Managers (Motivational Press, Inc., January 2019, ISBN: 978-1-62865-582-7, $19.95) is available at bookstores nationwide and from major online booksellers.
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J.D. Power has just issued the release for Volume 1 of its 2019 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Studies.
These studies, which cover full-service and non-contract carriers, are based on responses from 11,531 customers who contacted their carrier’s customer care department within the past three months. It evaluate customer care experiences across 12 different customer care channels: phone customer service reps; in-store contact; online chat; email; social media post; carrier app question post; automated telephone systems; website search; social media search; user forum; video from carrier; and carrier app search.
For full-service carriers, T-Mobile ranks highest with a score of 833 on a 1,000-point scale, topping Verizon in second at 812. Cricket ranks highest with a score of 815 for non-contract carriers and Consumer Cellular ranks highest with a score of 868 for non-contract value carriers.
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On China, the US Public Stands Apart
by Mel Gurtov
595 words
Why isn’t the American public as agitated about China as are the Trump administration, the mainstream media, and even many China specialists? In a recent article, Daniel Drezner, a political scientist at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, raises this question, noting that the public seems strangely at odds with everyone else when it comes to the so-called China threat.
Polls show that China ranks well below Russia, North Korea, and Iran when people are asked about their international concerns. Terrorism and protecting American jobs rank highest in priority. Yet Trump’s national security team identifies China, along with Russia, as the chief threats to the United States. The media seem to agree that the “China challenge” to US global leadership, militarily and not just economically, is a great and growing concern. A number of China watchers who normally urge cautious engagement with Beijing now see an aggressiveness that needs to be forcefully countered.
So why isn’t the US public convinced? I’d say it comes down to contact in various forms. First, and most obviously, Americans are far more likely to meet or observe people of Chinese descent—regardless of their status or country of origin, including Chinese-Americans—than Russians, Iranians, and North Koreans.
And I think it is fair to say that those contacts are overwhelmingly favorable: Chinese are seen as being accomplished, hardworking, polite, and focused on family. Second, Americans use “made in China” products all the time; “China” is familiar to everyone mainly as a thriving commercial entity. When Americans worry about China, it is mainly (seven of ten polled) that Trump’s trade war will hurt their pocketbooks, not that China will act aggressively toward Japan or Taiwan.
Third, despite the administration’s official designation of China as a security issue, both the administration and the media devote much more attention to threats from Russia, North Korea, and Iran than they do to China. Yes, there’s the South China Sea dispute and some bad publicity about the Belt and Road Initiative, but these have far less saliency for Americans than does Russian election interference, North Korea’s nukes, or Iran’s meddling in the Middle East.
So the explanation of the “mystery” of the US public’s perception of China is in plain sight. That doesn’t mean, however, that the perception will remain positive. Historically, sudden changes in American perceptions of China have occurred fairly regularly.
If the trade war continues unresolved, if another military incident involving US and Chinese forces occurs, if Xi Jinping’s suppression of human rights becomes even more blatant, or if China’s worldwide economic initiatives and cyber hacking become too aggressive, perceptions could turn very negative. But so long as China is perceived by the US public mainly in economic terms, with due appreciation of the benefits to the US and the world of China’s rise, it is unlikely to generate the same heat other countries bring out.
And that’s a good thing, because the current wave of official and media hostility toward China is not conducive to dispute resolution and a search for common ground. Quite the opposite: these forces are pushing for a new Cold War, encouraging those in China who think likewise. As I have argued many times, China should be treated as a competitor, not a threat, with an understanding that diplomacy and deeper engagement, not force or pressure, is the best way to deal with areas of friction between our two countries.
祝我所有的中国朋友猪年快乐: Happy Year of the Pig to my Chinese friends!
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Mel Gurtov, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Portland State University.
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Learn ways to engage stakeholders, expand student access to high-quality career pathways and ensure programs are closely aligned to regional and state industry demands.
Journeys in Innovation: Local Leaders Share Their Stories
Learn how these on-the-ground leaders communicated a vision for better serving students, secured support of local communities and executed their plans to make innovation a reality!
BONUS VIDEO
Andreas Schleicher on Career and Technical Education
The OECD's Andreas Schleicher continued his general session conversation backstage with Jon Schnur of America Achieves. Hear Schleicher's thoughts on Career and Technical Education and much more.
Learn more about ExcelinEd's Innovation policies at ExcelinEd.org.
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