My friend, John A, called me about all the new taxes affecting his music company. He was a bit anxious about his ability to continue operating in the black while retaining his talented employees. After some discussion he decided the best thing to do was to reach out to his accountant to get professional advice. John asked, What can I do to reduce my tax burden, I am already at the limit. His accountant's reply? "Well John you're doing everything right and by the book. Seems to me you're just going to have to make more money.", then hung up the phone.
Businesses today, across the country, face the very same problems. Regulation, not enough growth capital, health care costs, energy costs, more taxes, complexity of taxes, uncertainty about the economy's future. Sure, if you have the time, the money and the mentality to lobby legislators all day long for relief, more power to you. Frankly I haven't found one business owner, large or small, who enjoys such luxuries. Irrespective of the obstacles being imposed on you by regulation and economic uncertainties, facing these gremlins squarely will help you survive and excel. Here we look at the most pressing obstacles you face and ways to jump over them.

"I have yet to understand the dynamic here. We followed best interview practices and went forward to hire a wonderful team of talented, enthusiastic software developers. We provided them with a flexible work environment and top pay. After 3 months, half of them decided to jump ship and go with a competitor. Finding quality technicians is not so easy. These kinds of experiences dumbfound me and threaten my client base."
Not an uncommon storyline for employers today. Of course I could easily pontificate and play sideline pundit. I could tell this employer the reason much of his tech team left him was because he did not adequately engage and motivate them. Maybe so, maybe not. Fact is that incenti-vizing your workforce is not a cut and dry process. There are no magic bullets or cookie cutter solutions or that perfect gift award that will guarantee you loyalty. You can, however strengthen your level of employee loyalty, performance and community by understanding an often overlooked truth.
The reasons why talent joins you in the first place?  Here are some answers.

Author, editor and super salesman “Og” Mandino tells his story this way. "December 12, 1923 was my birthday, born Augustine Mandino. The nickname "Og" came via my paternal grandfather. I always loved reading and writing and became my high school paper's editor. My main influence, of all people, was my dear mother who always instilled in me the idea that I would be a great writer. Her inspiration led me to go for my dream of attending the University of Missouri's journalism school. That's when my life took an unexpected, very dark turn. As I was ready to enter college in 1940, my mother died suddenly, right in front of me, from a massive heart attack as she was preparing my lunch. Completely crushed, I literally lost all desire to go on. I managed to find some work in a paper factory until 1942. Then I joined the United States Army Air Corps where I became a military officer and a bombardier. I flew about thirty bombing missions over Germany on board a B-24 Liberator during World War II.  My fellow pilot was movie star, James Stewart. After the military the only work I could find was as an insurance salesman. I got married and went on the road. My life consisted of unsuccessful, lonely days and nights, traveling. Most of my time consisted of sitting in bars and drinking more and more. I became such a desperate alcoholic that I couldn't keep my job anymore. My first wife and child left me. At 35, I became a wandering derelict and a hopeless alcoholic. My life consisted as never being more than a few paces ahead of bill collectors.  When I finally hit rock bottom, one cold wintry November morning in Cleveland, I was ready to take my life. A local pawn shop had a pistol in the window for sale. I was ready to go in with my last 30 dollars and end it all".
How did Og Mandino miraculously turn his life around and become a super successful salesman and author?  His bestselling book, The Greatest Salesman in the World continues to be a worldwide top seller. His books have sold over 50 million copies and have been translated into over twenty-five different languages.

We bring you interview two with author, teacher and coach, Diane Ingram. Diane conducts workshops for business leaders, entrepreneurs and employees on tapping our talents. Her emphasis is on personal empowerment, presenting a unique approach.  In our last interview, Diane talked about how we can create a performance culture within our organization.  In today's interview, we discuss her latest book: "SHINE! Be Empowered and Engaged at Work" Her ideas put focus on finding purpose, meaning and clarifying values. Qualities she says dramatically impact our personal, professional lives and overall performance. How to empower youself and live with purpose is where we go in our interview with Diane.

Job Title: VP Human Resources.
Job Function: recruiting, labor relations, compensation, benefits, payroll, computer skills, organizational development, support sales and safety departments, tons of paperwork, create regular reports, Spanish a plus, oversee communications, boost loyalty while retaining employees, manage multiple tasks in spite of frequent interruptions, solve every problem, ability to walk on water.
OK, so I added the "walk on water" part. That's what we hear sometimes from HR executives we work with. It often feels like this. When you know where the stones are, you can easily follow them underfoot to safe harbor. As one ex-military friend Bill M. told me, "If you're infantry you're the unit's direct value component, everyone else is support." In the manufacturing environment, you are of direct value to the company being on the plant floor building a product or selling it to customers. Otherwise you're just part of the support team. In hospitals and medical organizations if you are the nurse or physician, you are directly caring and healing patients. Your work has direct value. The remaining personnel are considered a supportive role. The point is that in every organization there are individuals who's activities add direct value and those who provide a supportive function.  In the past, HR's role was more a supportive one. Today you are being asked to do more and be of direct value in ways that impact profits and performance. For example, one of HR's biggest challenges is retaining great employees and improving loyalty.  More than ever, of direct value to an organization's financial health. Here are some important ways to engage, retain and encourage loyality from employees.

“We know from speaking to our members who work at our hospital that morale is suffering and stress levels are on the rise. We are fearful for what the future holds for patients, for our nurses and health care workers. We know our members want to be able to provide patients with the compassionate care they deserve." says Glen Turp Director Royal College of Nursing Yorkshire. According to the US Dept of Labor, stress levels among hospital workers are indeed on the rise. Big time. The destructive effects of stressed out, burnt out hospital employees can hurt everybody. Maybe you're one of its victims. However, if you have been living life on this planet, the idea of experiencing a completely stress free lifestyle is ridiculous, impossible and even unhealthy. Knowing when healthy stress levels move to unhealthy ones is key. Building a workplace culture that engages, motivates and recognizes your nurses, facilitators, staff physicians and other personnel for their contribution brings happier employees.  Its no secret that creating a happier staff creates happier patients. Adding recognition impacts the individual to contribute to morale, quality of care, industry reputation and your bottom line. Here are some ideas that will help you and your organization breath easier again.

If you've been reading our blogs, our focus has been on best ways to recognize and engage your most valuable asset, your workforce. Of course. We're an incentive company. That's what we do.
"Self proclaimed incentive pundits" like us are hard wired to want to educate and provide you with perfect solutions to improve your organization's communication and motivation level.  You come to us because we can guide you to results. As your company's leader, your focus is to achieve those performance results. Of course. That's your mandate. If you are a CFO, you know well how employee performance can dramatically impact your bottom line.
Yes, incentives are a powerful addition to your overall workforce strategy. However not all employees are alike and what you don't know can hurt you and your organization.
Here are some employee profiles, their character traits, what makes them great and how to protect yourself from those who are not so great. 

"I was very honored to be nominated by my co-workers for my efforts in the company," noted project specialist for a high profile technology company.  "I will go above and beyond for anything that my team needs in the future. And it makes me want to be more aware of all the people around me and what I can do to recognize other employees."
Workforce community recognition or peer to peer can be an effective, low cost approach for reducing turnover, boosting performance and morale. Co-worker acknowledgements inspire. When a peer recognizes a colleague it creates strong bonds within the workforce conducive to all doing a better job. Another plus is the lessening of pressure on managers and senior leaders already overburdened with additional work responsibilities. Peer to peer recognition is positive and personal. One example is the peer nomination structure in the entertainment industry. Winning a peer driven Tony or Oscar is largely what makes it so prestigious. However, before you decide to make the move to a co-worker recognition initiative, here are some observations I hope you will find helpful.

When Susan came back from lunch she complained of something in the office air that was making her feel nauseous. She needed to leave and was unable to return for the rest of the week. Her absence would prove costly to her organization as their head customer service representative. Customers would ask for her and she wasn't there. It hurt business. Not an uncommon scenario. For some of us, things like indoor odors, car exhaust, pollutants or second hand smoke are easily tolerated. Some of us can even dance our way through a high risk chemical factory with no after affects. I recall having a neighbor who smoked a pack of non filtered cigarettes every day for over 60 years. He passed away not from smoking but from a broken heart after losing his wife. But those of us who are hypersensitive?  Chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs)  can actually become a life threatening issue.
There are different degrees of tolerability to pollutants because we all have a unique physical body and a unique metabolism. Then there's Sick Building Syndrome, a huge issue. The World Health Organization reported in 1984 that "up to 30% of new and remodeled buildings were causing health hazards for employees."
Here's a simple, natural, cost effective way to improve your office environment wellness level. The answer will surprise you!