Home Library Translate
A A A
Share »
Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on LinkedIn
Connect »

Blog: Human Resources

Menu

  • This Blog's Home
  • Guest Writer Submissions
  • Policies
  • To Subscribe to a Blog
  • About
  • Feedback

Are your employees ready to succeed?

By Sheri Mazurek on July 15, 2010

One of my favorite reads is the Fistful of Talent blog. The blog hosts a number of talented HR folks who focus on moving the profession forward.  The perspective of this group is fresh and I highly recommend adding this to your reader.

In a recent article posted on the blog, author Tim Sackett discusses the workforce readiness of college grads (or should I say the lack of). He further provides insight on how the parenting of these graduates fails to prepare them for the skills needed to be successful in the workplace.  His list is right on the mark and I encourage  you to review it here

So, what do we do if we find one these ill prepared college grads on our work team? For many  of us, we continue the training of the workforce just like the well-meaning parents did before us.

  1. Problem solving: “I don’t know what to do, I am going to have my manager handle this.” Managers if you are always solving the problems, you are doing nothing for the development of your team or for yourself. If you have time to solve all the problems, them keep solving them!
  2. Collaboration: Do any of you have “chain of command” rules in your organization? Or do you find yourself saying, “Next time, you need to ask me.”
  3. Agility/Adaptability: Anyone use those checklists with time frames for each and every task that is completed during the day?
  4. Entrepreneurialism: Do you employees know how their work contributes to the bottom line? Do they know what factors control the department budget? Do they know you have a department budget? Have you ever asked for input in the budget?
  5. Oral and Written Communication: What are your doing with your poor communicators. Do you just keep them away from clients/customers and find them a job that doesn’t require much. Are  you modeling solid communication skills?
  6. Accessing and Analyzing information: If you are always solving their problems and giving them the answers, how will they develop these skills?
  7. Curiosity and Imagination: This is probably the most stifled skill of all. Our employees can’t think on their own. “We do things this way because it works or because that is how we have always done it this way.” Have you ever heard the saying, “keep doing what you’ve always done and you’ll get what you always get?”

If you want to succeed in business, your people have to succeed. Develop their skills and keep them engaged. That just makes good business sense. And remember, like parenting, management isn’t for cowards!

As always, your comments are encouraged.

—

For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

—

You can also follow me on twitter @Sherimaz

« Previous Next »

Search Our Site

Meet the Blog’s Host

Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 15 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. [Read more ...]

Recent Blog Posts

  • What I Learned about Leadership from the Blue and Gold
  • Keeping Employees Motivated & Slick as Ice in the Summer
  • From a fuzzy idea to a survey to actionable intelligence: How to plan an employee survey to encourage organizational change.
  • Resume Fail
  • Words of Wisdom
  • Protect Them
  • Are You Ready for the Talent Management Storm?
  • 2013 Predictions are In
  • Happy New Year
  • My Holiday Wishes for You

Categories of Posts

  • Basics and Overviews
  • Benefis and Compensation
  • Employee Performance Mgmnt
  • General Resources
  • Recruiting and Hiring
  • Talent Management
  • Uncategorized
  • Workforce Job Planning

Related Library Topics

  • Benefits and Compensation
  • Career Development
  • Employee Orientation
  • Employee Performance Mgmnt
  • Employment Law
  • Hiring
  • Human Resource Management
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Outsourcing
  • Personnel Policies
  • Recruiting
  • Screening Applicants
  • Talent Management
  • Training and Development
  • Workforce Planning

Library's Blogs

  • Boards of Directors
  • Building a Business
  • Business Communications
  • Business Ethics, Culture and Performance
  • Business Planning
  • Career Management
  • Coaching and Action Learning
  • Consulting and Organizational Development
  • Crisis Management
  • Customer Service
  • Facilitation
  • Free Management Library Blogs
  • Fundraising for Nonprofits
  • Human Resources
  • Leadership
  • Marketing and Social Media
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building
  • Project Management
  • Quality Management
  • Social Enterprise
  • Spirituality
  • Strategic Planning
  • Supervision
  • Team Building and Performance
  • Training and Development
About Feedback Legal Privacy Policy Contact Us
Free Management Library, © Copyright Authenticity Consulting, LLC ®; All rights reserved.
  • Graphics by Wylde Hare LLC
  • Website maintained by Caitlin Cahill

By continuing to use this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.X