The refrigerator is my cube mate. My Home Office is set off from the Kitchen in a nice window side nook. To my left, a sunny view through the treetops outside and to my left, a view of Mr. Kenmore. In fact everytime I spin my office chair, I look up, and there’s Mr. Kenmore. Mr. Kenmore is like that guy in the office who always brings in the box of Dunkin Donuts for the department, or the W(ork) BFF who stops off at your favorite café before work to get you your usual (Cheese Bagel Toasted with Chive Sour Cream with Tall Extra Fat Carmelatte Mochacino). Giving you something to graze on throughout the day or to stare at and attempt to resist throughout the day. I do try to ignore Mr. Kenmore. Unfortunately at times, he tends to nag me. Always reminding me what he has (or doesn’t have) inside, that he needs to be purged and cleaned out, that he needs to be restocked for unplanned meals, that I have not yet figured out what’s for dinner or for that matter what’s for lunch. Let me go and look inside … Dang! Got me again! Working From Home has netted me gains far above what any monetary increase could have produced. Being able to raise my family and financially sustain my family with equal balance and without the commute has given me peace of mind like no other. I love it and its helped me become a much more engaged employee by truly integrating my Work and Home Life. And, my boys will tell ya, its definitely helped me to be a better Mom. But I gotta admit, WFH has also netted me something else I never expected: Fifteen additional unwanted and certainly unneeded Pounds. Great. I sit a lot, working on the computer, on conference calls with customers or webex sessions for project meetings, looking out of the window and then back at Mr. Kenmore. Creepy how he stares at me like that…very intimidating. But, I am not afraid. I’m working on a response to Mr. Kenmore. Something to make his presence a little less intrusive, a little less agitating to my work/life balance. And It has to be Special because Mr. Kenmore is also very very special. The strong silent type who’s gaze speaks volumes. It must be something that empowers me and makes me stronger against Mr. Kenmore’s temptations. A Battle Dance. A Battle Dance for Mr. Kenmore. My Battle Dance stops me in my tracks when I head towards Mr. Kenmore, staring him down, and resisting the urge to reach out, I turn 180 degrees to face my back to Mr. Kenmore and then I finally Reach Out: Windmill Rotations fully swing arms for 50 rotations Side Stretches crunching abs 4 sets of 10 on each side Alternate Rotation Toe Touches 4 sets of 10 on each side 30 Squats Drop to the Floor 50 Bicycle Crunches with double crunch on side abs 25 Push ups 25 Leg Lifts Each Side Pilates 100 http://www.livestrong.com/article/9438-do-pilates-exercise/ Hop up! 25 Jumping Jacks And Breathe. I then walk, stumble breathless right up to Mr. Kenmore, reach out, open, and Grab the Water!!! Ice Cold Water. So So Delicious! The Battle Dance for Mr. Kenmore takes about 7 minutes and it makes me super sweaty and super thirsty. My Battle Dance has been a great way for me to get in spurts of exercise throughout the day while I work, increase my water intake, up my (aging) metabolism and has been a great boost for the endorphins! It also gives me something to do besides Mr. Kenmore. Because as we all know, those office romances never work out anyway. WFH Full Time? How do you resist the lure of the Kitchen?p>
09/16/2011
09/28/2010
10/29/2008
Howard Cathey - Recipient of the CSSC Basketball Courage Award
The following is a special report by Senior Correspondent Joe Trimarco – the inspiring tale of the rise to triumph from the depths of bone crushing agony and defeat. Let us take you back to the Summer of 2008, Game 2 of the Infor Chicago basketball team, The Inforcers…..
The Inforcers started the season 0 – 1. They were playing in the second game of the year and were losing by 20 points late in the fourth quarter. It was near the end of the game and the Other Team was on a fast break. Their star player was going in for a slam dunk when Howard Cathey courageously cut to the basket and leaped up to block his shot; even though the game was already decided. Their player crashed into Howard and he fell HARD to the court in terrible pain. The Inforcers Team huddled around Howard who’s face was contorted in pain and unspeakable words indeed spilled from his lips. The team tried to help him off the court to no avail. The recreation center wanted to get an ambulance but Howard would have none of that. He didn’t want his teammates to see him escorted away on a stretcher. After a few minutes, he finally mustered up enough strength to limp off the court and was helped out of the gym.
The next day the team received word that Howard, the Inforcers Star Center, was out for the year with a torn Achilles tendon. The Team was very depressed. How could they make up for his 15 pts and 10 rebounds per game?? In that instant, the season appeared to be lost. But Howard would hear none of that.
“Come on guys, you can do it”. “If you band together and play like a Team we can still have a great season”.
Heeding Howard’s words, The Team went out the next week and played hard, grinding out a tough 2 point win. The following week produced another win; and the same in week 5. The winning streak continued for the next 4 weeks and the Inforcers found themselves in the Championship match after posting a 6 – 2 record. It was a tough Championship game, with 10 lead changes but the Inforcers held on for a 2 point victory. The Team swarmed the court yelling “This one’s for you Howard!”……”Howard! Howard! Howard!”
This week, Howard returned to work and was proudly presented with the first annual “Chicago Sport and Social Club Basketball Courage Award”. His positive attitude, hard work, determination and courage to keep on fighting fueled the The 2008 Inforcers to the CSSC Basketball Championship!!!
You’ve inspired us all Howard! Godspeed Good Fellow…Godspeed
09/19/2008
MultiGen Workforce: Gen X
Members of Generation X, born anywhere between 1961 – 1981, are known as the MTV Generation, the Baby Busters and the Thirteenth Generation. They have been described as the most ignored, disheartened and misunderstood age. Xers grew up in a very different world than the previous generations, during one of the most blatantly anti-child phases in history, and witnessed Watergate, the emergence of MTV , AIDS and Computers. They saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, Challenger explode and saw their parents get laid off.
During an era where their parents had the highest divorce rate in our history, "latchkey" kids were created out of many in this generation, leading to traits of independence, resilience and adaptability. As a result of their latchkey childhood, these workers are the most unsupervised generation of our history and are not used to being closely supervised and are remarkably good at working on their own, and will ideally work well from a virtual home office.
They have also redefined loyalty, many having seen their parents work at the same company for years, only to be laid-off in the end with nothing more than a gold watch to show for it. Instead of remaining loyal to their company, they have a commitment to their work, to the team they work with, and the boss they work for and they will work very hard for a job that they believe in and for something that challenges them.
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What they bring to the table: They are an independent, outspoken, adaptable and fearless group and can move your company forward with their competence, ability to lead by example, and their willingness to take risks necessary for corporate growth. Gen Xers have been self directed from a very young age and they take the ball and run with it Flexible, adaptable, extremely computer literate, Generation X comes out on top.
Good to know for coworkers: Gen Xers believe in mutual respect, open communication, and the willingness to listen to each other and support the principle that you can respectfully disagree with one another and still meet the goals of the organization. They desire workplaces that feel like communities and may focus on relationships over achievement which is what leads Boomers to complain about their laziness.
Good to know for managers: Gen Xers are focused on the job, not work hours. They tend to have short attention spans and they don't want to spend a lot of time talking about things or having meetings. They want to get in, do the work, and move on to the next thing in addition to new challenges and the opportunity to build new skills. They also have a tremendous capacity to process lots of information and concentrate on multiple tasks. When Gen X-ers leave a job, it is for one or more of the following reasons: limited career growth, lack of promotion, lack of regular feedback on work performance, low pay, poor treatment from managers, lack of recognition, and stress— especially stress caused by understaffing.
I love this part of Karen McCullough's Keynote speech on the Multigenerational Workforce. Here, she expounds on Gen X ...take a peek...
08/21/2008
MultiGen Workforce - The Baby Boomers
Baby Boomer employees are employees born between 1946 and 1964. They are the activists - the first wave of the rage against the machine. They witnessed the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the end of segregation and were influenced by the great minds of JFK and Marting Luther King Jr. and, of course, witnessed the Vietnam War. This was a generation that birthed the feminist movement and also saw the beginnings of the non traditional family as the family unit strained under the pressure of the rise in divorce rates. They are our managers, directors and CEO's.
What do they bring to the table - They provide the energy and dedication to see a project through to completion and get the team noticed.
Baby Boomers bring the dedication to get the job done whatever the sacrifice. They ushered in group decision making and also introduced the formal annual review process.
Good to know for coworkers - They are dedicated to be the project at hand and expect the same level of dedication from the team members. They also prefer face-to-face interaction and strive to have consensus decision making. Boomers aversion to conflict can clash with Gen X and Gen Y who may be more direct and unskilled in conflict management.
Good to know for managers - Many in this age group oppose the strict management styles of their bosses from earlier generations. They often question authority and make decisions based upon their core beliefs of right and wrong. They value personal growth and gratification, teamwork. These workers are also easing into retirement and are the main focus of the impending workforce shortage.
Most companies are attempting to plan for the shortage of skilled employees that will result from the Mass Exodus of the Boomers. Infor's Talent Management Suite offers advanced online recruiting, robust employee performance and competency management, easy succession planning, and best-in-class learning management tools that give you full control over how you attract, develop, deploy, and reward your people. The Succession Planning module in particular, provides customized views of your current and future development plans, identifying individuals whose rapid advancement earmarks them for greater achievements, calculating a percentage fit between potential successors and key positions, and prescribing learning recommendations to address any gaps.
Succession Planning can also be used to identify appropriate mentors whose strengths complement the weaknesses of succession candidates.
You can find out more at http://www.infor.com/solutions/hcm/talentmgmt/ or come visit us at Inforum2008 - Hurry Early Registration ends August 22nd!
In the meantime, take a listen to Garry Lee Wright and his Baby Boomer Cliche´ Blues
08/11/2008
Multi-Generational Workforce: The Traditionalists/Silent Generation
Traditionalist employees are employees born before 1946 and are currently make up 5 - 10% of the workforce. Punctual, sharply dressed and proudly conservative they believe that hard work is it's own reward. They are probably also the one's signing your paychecks. They are survivors of hard times - the Great Depression, Two World Wars, and witness to the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Known to be loyal, self-sacrificing, and thrifty, many members of this group are military veterans, credit the GI Bill with jumpstarting their careers and, at work, operate on the military chain of command. It is therefore not surprising that Traditionalists best respond to a leadership modeled in a command-and-control structured hierarchy. Also worth noting, traditional gender roles and family structure were commonplace for this generation, with husbands working while wives cared for the home and children.
What do they bring to the table - They have established our present day workplace ethic and created the "white collar" job. They are "company men" and are loyal to their organizations. They also have exceptional problem-solving skills and the experience and knowledge of what has and has not worked in the past. This generation still tends to believe in the American dream and having achieved this dream they are now willing to "give back" and help others get there.
Good to know for coworkers - Many in this age group lack technological literacy and prefer face to face meetings, stopping by the office or using the phone instead of email or IM. They are excellent mentors to younger generations - tap in to their wealth of knowledge and learn the merits of meetings and one-on-one networking. Last, when speaking with Traditionalists in any context, take the time to really listen. Don’t interrupt and hold your questions until an appropriate pause. They will appreciate the courtesy.
Good to know for managers - Many in this age group thrive on verbal and public acknowledgment of their experience, value due process and appreciate having the reasoning behind decisions explained to them. These workers are also easing into pre-retirement and when motivated to remain in the work force, this age group is a good source of workers to offset the impending shortage of workers and expertise.
A new trend that is coming out of this segment of the aging workforce is the evolution of the Silver Entrepreneur - people who are starting their own businesses after retirement. Here's a short clip on the emergence of this trend:
08/06/2008
Showing my Age in a Multigenerational Workforce
Recently, a co-worker (a baby boomer), upon hearing about this blog, came up to me and said "Hey Gen, I really like your blog!..Hmmm...what Is a Blog anyway??"
Another co-worker (also a boomer) asked me during water cooler talk if I knew who Paul Newman was and I said "The Salad Dressing Guy??"
Oh boy, talk about showing your age.
We laugh a lot here about the many nuances that crop up between our generational gaps. And while some of them are quite laughable, often the differences in a multigenerational workforce can be a challenge to navigate let alone manage. My boss does an extremely great job of managing her multigenerational team; everyone from the Silent Generation/Traditionalists to the Baby Boomers, to Generations X and Y. It takes a very flexible and innovative manager to be able to motivate different types of people who have very different gauges of what constitutes a successful and fulfilling professional life.
Today, there are four generations working side by side in the workforce. Each of these groups has differing values, definitions of success, and perspectives on leadership. Enterprising companies now find that understanding these differences help to bridge the gap.
In this first in a series on the Multigenerational workforce, lets get an overview of these four generations and listen to Karen McCullough in her engaging and humorous presentation “The Generations: Managing the Mix”
07/09/2008
Gas Prices & Employee Productivity on the Rise
The rising cost of gas lays heavy on the minds and wallets of every employee. The issue comes up in conversations on elevators and in lunchrooms all across Corporate America. In response, more companies, including my own, are offering their employees the option of telecommuting at least one day a week if not permanently. And, recently, Chicago-based software firm, 37signals, implemented a four day work week by eliminating Friday as a workday, following the suit of other companies such as American Express and even municipalities such as the entire city of Birmingham, Alabama and The State of Utah.
Challenger, Gray & Christmas' List of Top 10 Workforce Trends of the Future, includes the four-day workweek as the new corporate standard. “The idea of a set workday or a five-day workweek doesn’t make sense,” says John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “It’s not about the time you put in. It’s about the work you do.”
The Very Bright Up Side of the soaring energy costs is that is comes alongside the emergence of Generation Y into the workforce and both are simutaneously Revolutionizing the Workforce and how we view and measure employee productivity. In a study on the effect of telecommuting on productivity published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, lead author Ravi S. Gajendran says “Our results show that telecommuting has an overall beneficial effect because the arrangement provides employees with more control over how they do their work. Autonomy is a major factor in worker satisfaction and this rings true in our analysis. We found that telecommuters reported more job satisfaction, less motivation to leave the company, less stress, improved work-family balance, and higher performance ratings by supervisors.”
BTW: You can read a story of one of our own employee's success with telecommuting on TheLedger.com
Best Buy has implemented the Results-Only Work Environment or ROWE where they've done away with the normal corporate restrictions such as keeping regular hours and even coming into the office every morning. "In the standard corporate work environment, you have to put in face time because that's how you show your commitment to the organization and your level of dedication," says Steve Hance, Best Buy employee relations manager. "When you come into the office, you've got to make sure you're always seen by the right people. That becomes the goal, rather than actually getting things done. With ROWE, all those little rules that we've grown used to living by are out the door. Instead, the work itself is the only thing that matters." So now employees can do whatever they want, whenever they want, as long as the work gets done.
Here's a quick video on how the Results-Only Work Environment achieves the optimal Work/Life Balance for Employees and Changes the mindset of an Entire Organization
06/24/2008
Going Green: Corporate Sustainability - The New Mindset
What is Corporate Sustainability...really?? The definitions can get as broad or as specific as you need them to be but, generally, 4CR defines Corporate Sustainability as an organizations verifiable commitment to operating in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner.
Mel Wilson, a Senior Manager in the Sustainable Business Practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, defines the four pillars of corporate sustainability in his paper on Corporate Sustainability:
Sustainable development - balancing the need for economic growth with environmental protection and social equity by meeting the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
Corporate social responsibility - the ethical obligation of corporate managers to consider and address the needs of society and not just to act solely in the interests of the shareholders or their own self-interest.
Stakeholder theory - if you strengthen your relationships with other external parties, it will be easier to meet your corporate business objectives; the worse your relationships, the harder it will be. Strong relationships with stakeholders based on trust, respect, and cooperation help develop a competitive advantage.
Corporate accountability - the legal or ethical responsibility to provide an account or reckoning of the actions for which one is held responsible. The contribution of corporate accountability theory to corporate sustainability is that it helps define the nature of the relationship between corporate managers and the rest of society and also sets out the arguments as to why companies should report on their environmental, social, and economic performance, not just financial performance.
More and more companies are focusing on innovations that create, what BiggerThinking calls A New Mindset for Corporate Sustainability . In BT's list of the 10 Steps to Sustainability, #10 is to "Think beyond reporting: align all business systems with the company’s vision of sustainability...Sustainability should run through every core system, from talent management to supplier evaluation, customer relationship management (CRM), and...the balanced scorecard. This approach can turn focus into coordinated action that matters."
To that end, Infor provides solutions that help organizations implement green and sustainability programs and we also have a site specifically dedicated to "going green" which also includes information on our products and other resources. Visit our going green site at: http://www.infor.com/goinggreen/
Here's an interesting TED Talk by John Doerr on Seeking Salvation and Profit in Greentech
06/18/2008
Technology QotW: Small Business Tools & Tricks
What tools and tricks do you use to increase your business’ productivity?
Sponsored by HP.
Our business is by no means small, but tools that increase productivity for one increase productivity for All!
My favorite tool would have to be WebEx which provides on demand online meeting and conferencing. My primary role at Infor Global Solutions is to support customers on Infor's HCM software and troubleshooting is much easier when I can quick-start a WebEx session and view my customer's desktop and applications in real time. Sometimes, actually seeing the problem as opposed to trying to decipher the potential problems verbally, makes all the difference in the world when it comes to quickly resolving an issue.
WebEx also helps my company remain cost effective and environmentally conscious by reducing the need to travel onsite for sales meetings, technical support and training sessions and also eliminates the need for faxes and other potential paper waste. Find out more about it at www.webex.com .
