Email or telephone?

Do you pick up the telephone to call your clients, vendors, or co-workers? Is an email message easier or more effective? Often workplace employees will report that they typically prefer email over telephone use. Is there a generational or cultural difference in how we respond to these questions?

Many organizations are concerned about effective communication, and even more organizations report that they experience “miscommunication” too often. Should our dialog styles vary depending on the person, or only on the situation? In other words, many will say they use the telephone or face-to-face communication for more complex issues which seems to make sense; but should we consider other factors before writing that quick email or picking up the telephone?

Hiring Smart – Competency Modeling!

Many of us trust our instinct or our “gut” when it comes to making hiring decisions. Often we make hiring decisions based upon a resume or employment application and a brief interview. We tend to hire people who we like or people who give us a good feeling about their capabilities. Sometimes we make great choices and sometimes we make bad choices.

Competency modeling can help align people with the skills necessary to perform specific job duties or functions in your organization. A competency model, typically defined as a group of characteristics that drive high levels of performance in particular job or occupation, can help organizations make hiring choices based on an individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) instead of based on a feeling of compatibility.

Building competency models for jobs or occupations is the first step in improving hiring practices. If your organization struggles with the costs and time associated with the hiring process, or worse yet terminations, building a competency model may help.

Harmful Conflict Increasing?

A recent LinkedIn Poll suggests that harmful workplace conflict is on the rise!

Results from a recently posted poll may suggest that harmful workplace conflict is currently increasing in organizations. The polls appears as follows:

Harmful Workplace Conflict in my Organization is:
... increasing
... decreasing
... staying about the same
... not a problem/doesn’t exist

This poll originally posted on November 27, 2009 has had the following results:


42% increasing
35% staying about the same
14% decreasing
7% not a problem/doesn’t exist

Are you on LinkedIn? Take the poll/see updated results here.

Need help with harmful workplace conflict? Coaching and training sessions are available in both on-line and traditional face-to-face formats. Visit the website or contact me directly.

www.appreciativestrategies.com
dennis@appreciativestrategies.com