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April 2013
Is the Next
Mark Zuckerberg
Working for You?
Visit mratraining.com for more training information.
As if it wasn’t hard enough to manage people in the workplace, now we
have employees who come from four very distinct generations who bring all
their baggage with them—good and bad! What’s a manager to do? Making
assumptions about what people from various generations have to offer the
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
workplace isn’t the answer. Working to understand what drives people of
different ages is worthwhile. Certainly each and every one of us is shaped by
our experiences and the times we grew up in. Of special interest is the newest
generation to enter the workforce—Gen Y—those born in 1980 and later.
While some may want to discount this generation in terms of what they have
to contribute, this group brings a unique perspective that will help set the
direction for a business’s future.
by Linda Hildebrand
Linda Hildebrand is Manager Ayres Associates, headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, makes it a mission
of Training Operations at MRA
to engage all employees no matter what their generation. From a young
and Editor of the The Institute of
Management Journal. professionals group to the needs of older professionals who may decide
to continue working rather than retire at a traditional age, Ayres focuses
on mentoring and rewarding innovation to get the most from all their
employees and they find that this approach works well for their business.
Other organizations can learn from the initiatives that Ayres has put in place.
Employee engagement and employee development are hot topics at MRA too,
no matter what the generation. Last year, MRA completed a comprehensive
review of its flagship leadership series and the new series—Principles of
Leadership Excellence—was launched in January. Research was conducted to
identify what the leaders of today and tomorrow need to best help them lead
their organizations. Great leaders know how to foster engagement. MRA is
also seeing increased interest in employee engagement surveys as companies
struggle to re-engage and re-energize their employees after several tough years
of limited staff. Investment in employee satisfaction and employee training is
coming back to the forefront for many organizations. Let MRA know how we
can help!
EDITOR
Linda Hildebrand
262.696.3374 / linda@mranet.org
ASSISTANT EDITOR FEATURE ARTICLE . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Gretchen Daul
Is the Next Mark Zuckerberg Working for You?
ART DIRECTION/GRAPHIC DESIGN
Zovig Ohanian
by Bonni Yordi
The Institute of Management JOURNAL is distributed
quarterly by MRA-Institute of Management, Inc. Reproduction
in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. COMPANY INSIGHTS . . . . . . . . . . 4
Letters to the editor are welcomed. Correspondence should Ayres & Associates
include name, address and phone number and sent to:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Attention: Editor IM Journal
by Nancy Caldwell
N19 W24400 Riverwood Drive, Waukesha, WI 53188
or e-mail Institute@mranet.org or Fax 262.523.9091.
WISCONSIN PROGRAM PROFILE . . . . . . . . . . . 6
N19 W24400 Riverwood Drive Evolution From Management to Leadership
Waukesha, WI 53188
262.523.9090 | 800.488.4845
Program Information & Registration
Jill Weink STAFF PROFILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
262.696.3588 / jillw@mranet.org
Business Development
John Limbach
Michelle Kionka
262.696.3321 / michelle.kionka@mranet.org
MINNESOTA
BOOK REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
9805 45th Ave. N. The No Excuse Guide to Success by Jim Smith, Jr.
Plymouth, MN 55442
763.253.9100 | 888.242.1359 by Janet Kloser
Program Information & Registration
Nicole Cunningham
763.253.9169 / nicole.cunningham@trusightinc.com SUPERVISORY/LEADERSHIP TIPS . . . . . 9
Business Development
Kathy Packard Bad People or Bad Actions?
763.253.9113 / kathy.packard@trusightinc.com
by Bob Unke
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
625 North Court, Suite 300
Palatine, IL 60067
847.963.9860 | 800.679.7001
PRODUCTIVITY STRATEGIES . . . . . . .10
Program Information & Business Development The Low-Carb Office: Reducing Waste and
Doree Kaforski
847.963.9860 / doree@mranet.org Improving the Health of Processes
IOWA/WESTERN ILLINOIS
3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100
Moline, IL 61265
CUSTOMER SERVICE TACTICS . . . . . 12
309.764.8354 | 888.516.6357 Superior Customer Service Fuels Success
Program Information & Business Development
Debra Carlson
by Bob Unke
309.764.8354 / debrac@mranet.org
MRA’S MISSION IS TO MAXIMIZE
PERFORMANCE OF ORGANIZATIONS AND
EMPLOYEES SO THAT BUSINESS THRIVES.
MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013 1
Is the Next
Mark Zuckerberg
Working for You?
FEATURE ARTICLE
After years of conducting employee engagement MENTORING AND FEEDBACK
surveys for companies, I became intrigued about Gen Ys are sometimes perceived as lazy, demanding, and
inexperienced wasters, but what they really need is mentoring.
how generational differences impact engagement. They come in with this tremendous technological skill set that
A colleague, Dr. Susan Hannam, and I published the workforce hasn’t seen before, but they need a lot of mentoring
a report titled, “Engaging a Multi-Generational in order to take advantage of their valuable skills. “With that
mentoring, I think organizations are going to see what a plus this
Workforce” that looks at how businesses can generation can be,” commented Susan Hannam.
capitalize on the different generations, and in Part of the mentoring is making sure that Gen Ys feel they
particular Gen Ys (also known as Millennials). After are constantly learning and growing their tool box of experience;
reading our publication, The CEO Magazine in then they will be less likely to leave,” says Susan. “In terms of
growth and development, this could be as simple as proper attire,
Australia interviewed Susan and me. etiquette, and how to write professional reports, memos,
~ Bonni Yordi or business plans. There are a lot of skills that these
young employees don’t have.”
Adapted from the article by Georgia Gregory, “Is the Next Mark Shadowing a higher official is a great way to be
Zuckerberg Working for You?,” The CEO Magazine, 2012 mentored. It helps the Gen Ys see what they need
to learn, because most of the time they want to
move forward fast and get promoted quickly into
Google, Apple, Dell, and
a role that they might not be
Facebook are four of the most
so familiar with. “Shadowing
successful companies in the
helps them to see directly
world, and were all started by
what they need to know,”
employees in their twenties
who were looking for the right mentions Bonni Yordi, “which
place to offer their talent. The motivates them to go back and
truth is the good ones tend to learn more before progressing.
leave organizations in search It’s much more effective than
of higher ground. It’s in their telling them, ‘You’re too young
blood; they know what they to be promoted.’”
can do and how much they
have to offer.
2 MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013
MEANINGFUL WORK Using this flexibility is one of the best ways to attract and hire
the best workers. “Eighty percent of employees want to work
By the same token, Gen Ys need to feel they are doing
flexible hours if it doesn’t harm their careers. It’s not just a Gen Y
meaningful work. This means putting what they are doing into
thing,” observes Bonni.
context. “They really need to know where the company is going,
what the position is, and how they fit into that plan,” states With four generations offering their expertise in the
Susan. “Whatever work they do, they want to make a difference. workplace, it is often very easy to overlook the newcomer and
That’s a strong core value of most of Gen Ys.” lean towards the wiser, more experienced employee. However,
generational differences, when managed properly, also improve
UTILIZING THE TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY productivity within the company. “This was determined from a
Gen Ys bring in a different set of technological skills that global study done with over 100,000 employees from different
often are way ahead of the companies that are hiring them. “This companies,” says Bonni, “and it was because they had to learn
has never happened before, and it is turning the workplace upside how to talk to each other and communicate—as a result,
down in many ways,” says Bonni. “In the past, younger workers becoming more creative and more innovative as they came up
were really treated as stick soldiers, and there was a firewall that with better ways of getting the work done.”
separated the managers or the seniors from the new hires. But
that has really changed now with the high technology skill level
that the Gen Ys bring in. They can begin contributing to the
company fairly early on, if they are recognized and they are given
an opportunity to do that.”
The Gen Ys are much more likely to give their employers
early warning of innovation or new things in the personal tech-
nology world that can affect their business. “And this generation
grew up with that,” says Bonni. “They’ve used it for years, and
they can help an organization use this personal technology in by Bonni Yordi
their business and for their customers.” Bonni Yordi, Ph.D., Director, Business Research, MRA,
FLEXIBILITY is currently writing a white paper on this subject. If
you would like to receive a copy when completed,
This is an opportunity for CEOs and companies to rethink please email bonni.yordi@mranet.org.
work—what is work and where it is done? Technology has made
things possible that were otherwise not, even ten years ago, and
living to work is a thing of the past. “Flexibility is no longer a
favor that businesses hand out,” comments Bonni. “It’s a com-
pelling business strategy. A number of studies show that when
companies give employees freedom to work, they become more
engaged and their productivity goes up.
“Gen Ys are not really lazy. They may want to go home to WHICH GENERATION?
watch their kid’s soccer game in the afternoon, but then they’ll
be back on their laptops working later in the evening. So it’s not
TRADITIONAL
that they don’t want to work; they just want to combine their
Born between 1927 and 1945
work life and their personal life. They don’t view work in the BABY BOOMER
same way as the older generations.” Born between 1946 and 1964
GENERATION X
Born between 1965 and early 1980s
In 13 years, 70 percent of the workforce GENERATION Y
will be Generation Y, making it all the Born in 1980 or later
more important to manage and mentor
this group of talented individuals.
MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013 3
If the word “cool” sprinkles through their An Open Door Culture
Engaging all employees has been a bedrock value since the
conversations rather than “sweet” or company’s inception. Until his death last year at age 87, Ayres himself
“awesome,” they’re likely Baby Boomers. modeled that value every day, often taking younger employees to
lunch. The culture encourages interaction among employees at all
If they quip, “That’s the real McCoy,” levels. As President Tom Pulse explained, “We practice an open door
it’s a safe bet they’re members of the and open communication policy with all employees, from the newest
employee to the most seasoned. There’s no generational hierarchy. It’s
Silent Generation. Gen X was weaned on a strong foundation for engagement.”
Watergate, and Gen Y oozes tech savvy. All
The Fountain of Youth
four generations, each shaped by different
One of the company’s most successful steps to address the needs
world events, societal phenomena, and of various generations sprang from a 2011 brainstorming session.
diverse parental philosophies, rub shoulders Management posed the concept of starting Younger Professionals
COMPANY INSIGHTS
(YP) Groups, and employees welcomed the idea.
in today’s organizations. Growth of YP Groups has been quick. According to Connie
Holden Peterson, Vice President-Human Resources, six groups
While it may sometimes appear that the sole commonalities formed in the first year, each with a budget of $1,000. “There’s no
of these distinct generations are Tater Tots and Twinkies, forward- hard and fast rule about who can join a group or when or how they
thinking organizations find success in engaging every segment meet,” shared Holden Peterson. “Each group is organic. They mold
through conscious, consistent efforts. Count Ayres Associates among themselves, selecting their own focus.” Director of Transportation
those that recognize the value of making strides in this arena. Relations Marty Hanson, who kicked off the YP concept, added,
In 1959, founder Owen Ayres launched a five-person civil “One of the keys to making YP Groups successful is for upper
engineering operation. Today, Ayres is among the nation’s top management to give it the go-ahead and then stay out of the way.”
architectural/engineering firms. Two hundred seventy-five employees YP projects are wide-ranging. One group’s interest in community
collaborate across 13 offices in seven states. Headquartered in Eau service resulted in a commitment to deliver Meals on Wheels while
Claire, Wisconsin, Ayres serves a vast client list with countless types another group signed up for the Adopt a Highway program. Assisted
of specialty-service projects such as easing highway traffic congestion by the HR Department, others have coordinated social events and
or leading a statewide mapping initiative. hosted guest speakers.
Ayres Associates:
Engaging a
Multi-Generational
Workforce
by Nancy Caldwell
4 MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013
Volunteering to work on a project for the company, YP groups company’s mentoring program. Although various mentoring
offered suggestions for redesigning Ayres’ business cards. Thanks to arrangements existed at the management level for years, in early 2012
their input, the new card design is progressive, including a QR code Ayres began offering the option to connect every new employee with
to make it easier for potential customers to load contact information a mentor. “The program is an informal relationship between a new
directly into their smartphones. employee and someone who’s been with the company for five to
“Without a doubt, YP Groups give the company new, fresh ideas, ten years at a minimum,” explained Holden Peterson. “We match
and we benefit from their contagious energy,” said Holden Peter- them up based on answers to a questionnaire and suggest that they
son. “The fact that we have YP Groups can aid recruitment efforts meet once a month for one year. The pairs choose their own focus,
as well.” There is benefit on the flip side, too. YP Group member completely business-related or a mix of business and personal.”
Amanda Winters commented, “YP gives us the opportunity to net- The first seven pairs wrapped up this past December, offering
work in the business environment, and we can express our creativity.” positive evaluations of the program. Structural engineer and mentor
Dubbed “The Fountain of Youth” by President Pulse, YP Groups Dan Sydow offered, “I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to help new
help spur change. While group members understand that manage- staff learn more about our company and industry. Being new to a
ment sincerely welcomes suggestions, they are also aware that not all company can be overwhelming, and the mentoring program helps
suggestions may be implemented. Even when an idea is not accepted, ease the transition.” Mentees’ evaluations were equally upbeat.
the discussion of its pros and cons is beneficial. From Winters’ per- Rewarding Innovation
spective, “It’s helpful to understand why things are the way they are
and why some ideas aren’t appropriate.” Ayres’ new Innovation Award program aims to heighten
employees’ focus on developing new markets and identifying new
What About the OPs? approaches to current markets. With its cross-generational bent,
The needs of older professionals also receive ongoing focus. In the honor augments several established awards programs. Making
many cases, explains Holden Peterson, those needs are related to its debut with two awards in December 2012, the first recognized
work flexibility. An employee who is not yet ready to retire fully may transformation of an existing process to add value for customers
flourish with a scaled-back workweek, allowing years of knowledge and efficiency for Ayres. The second acknowledged the creation of a
and experience to benefit the company during a measured retirement. company-sponsored blog that has generated project leads.
“Losing valuable employees gradually is a much better option As President Pulse sees it, “We believe that conscious, continued
than immediate, full retirement,” noted Holden Peterson, “so we efforts that shine a light on the value that every employee brings to
encourage older employees to be open about their work preferences.” the table go a long way to successfully melding a multi-generational
The company-wide, longstanding policy of flexible work hours helps workforce into a highly engaged team. We’re committed to making it
alleviate challenges that life circumstances bring. work, every day and in every way.” With an open company culture,
cross-generational focus, and emphasis on rewarding innovation,
Mentoring Offers a Boost Ayres Associates is Boomer “cool,” Gen X “awesome,” and Gen Y
Older and younger employees alike find satisfaction in the “sweet”—all rolled into one.
MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013 5
Evolution from
Management to
ªª Generations — With the current mix of generations in
the workforce, comes a mix of experiences, practices, and
ideas. Learn how leaders can respect the differences and
Leadership strengths brought by each generation while handling the
challenges that differences in perceptions and experienc-
es bring to today’s workplace.
Special Offering for Graduates ªª Organizational Culture — Increasing your awareness of
cultural norms and learning how to communicate and
of MRA’s Principles of act appropriately within the organization’s culture con-
tributes to your success as a leader. Learn the value of
Management Series aligning your actions and the activities of your direct
reports with your organization’s culture.
ªª Business Strategy — While companies don’t expect their
PROGRAM PROFILE
frontline supervisors to set business strategy, they do
Isn’t it always the way? expect these leaders to understand the organization’s goals
4000+
You just bought the latest and strategies, align their employees’
work with the goals, and effectively com-
smartphone, and they are municate those goals and strategies to
already coming out with the their employees. Learn how to connect
the work of your employees to your
next iteration that is more business goals and communicate about
exciting and has participants have completed the Principles
those goals in meaningful, productive
ways with your employees.
more features. of Management series over the past 25
At MRA, we know that a training
years, and our members have consistently program is just one piece of the learning
And while MRA has launched told us their managers have learned process that makes behavior change and
an exciting new series with new valuable skills that helped them contribute skill application possible. We also know
features—Principles of Leadership to their organizations. that our members want their employees
Excellence—you need not feel to not only learn, but use their skills to
like you are missing anything if make them more productive at work.
you are one of those who recently Our Principles of Leadership Excellence
completed the Principles of Management Series. We are offering Series is designed to get that return on your investment. You
a two-day program intended specifically for graduates of the PM will have access to the Principles of Leadership Excellence
series that includes new material that was developed based on the website where you
research we conducted in the past year. can tap resources and
In our effort to continuously improve training for our Upcoming Dates: contribute to online
members, we researched the current thinking on leadership forum discussions. In
development. More importantly, we asked our members what April 9 & 16, 2013 addition to posting
their supervisors and managers needed to be able to do. We June 13 & 20, 2013 your own questions
weren’t surprised by our findings. We know that sound man- August 22 & 29, 2013 and comments, some
agement practices, for instance, are still vital to any manager’s learning modules will
success. But we also found that there are key issues today that Time: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm include assignments
weren’t of concern to leaders five or ten years ago. Cost: $455 for MRA Members; for posting comments
$595 for nonmembers about the specific
Program Highlights topics or issues. We
Location: MRA Conference Center, will also support
ªª Emotional Intelligence — This is the capacity to recognize Waukesha, Wisconsin learning transfer after
your own feelings and those of others and to manage
the program via an
emotions in yourself and others. Research has shown that To register, call MRA registrations at online graduate forum
people who are emotionally intelligent are more success- 262-696-3319 or logon to network with your
ful leaders than those without emotional competencies.
MRA’s website: www. peers.
You will learn to develop the self factors and relationship
factors that increase your emotional intelligence. mratraining.com.
6 MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013
John Limbach joined the MRA team in December. John
is a proven leader with over 25 years of expertise selling
quality, service, and value over price. He chose to join
MRA after leading an award-winning, print and interactive
publishing company as their CEO for over 15 years. John
was the creative force behind new products and services
from conception to market. He has demonstrated the
unique ability to develop and build successful sales
and business development teams to grow companies
exponentially while providing outstanding customer
service. John has worked throughout the United States
to help commerce and tourism organizations serve their
STAFF PROFILE
memberships and communities via customized image
programs. He has also worked as a sales leader and sales
manager for companies such as a national payroll provider
MRA WELCOMES where he served as their first Human Resource Services
John Limbach
Territory Manager for Wisconsin and as a Territory Sales
STAFF PROFILE
Manager in Wisconsin for a leading soft drink company.
Focusing on growth and the member experience, John has
Business Development Director a talent for truly listening to those he serves and his team
members to proactively identify and resolve challenges,
“MRA truly puts the interests, reverse negative trends, improve communication, control
costs, automate production, and improve sales programs
needs, and concerns of our valued
and training to maximize productivity and revenue
members first. Having a wonderful generation. His experience includes working with and
staff vigilantly poised to help any for foreign-owned entities as well as public, private and
member overcome a challenge, find family-owned entities.
and develop an employee, or achieve John joined MRA because he truly believes in our mission.
a goal provides the courage behind He looks forward to sharing this mission with more
our business development team’s organizations, our next new members, and engaging with
conviction to promote our services our current members to ensure that all can benefit from
our cost-effective expertise to achieve their overall goals.
and seek out our next new member.”
John earned a BBA in business administration with a minor
in biology from the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire.
| INSTITUTE
MRAMRA | INSTITUTE
OF MANAGEMENT
OF MANAGEMENT
JOURNAL
JOURNAL
— April
— April
20132013 7
No Excuses!
When is the last time you made an excuse? Played One of the strategies identified as “own your own choices”
the blame game? Personally and professionally, it refers to people calling bad choices “mistakes,” and the need to
recognize that they are intentional choices. Rather than place
is easy to place blame instead of acknowledging blame elsewhere or on an entity beyond their control, people
your own contribution to a less than ideal outcome. need to realize lessons from those bad choices. This helps avoid
defensiveness and the possibility of repeating them.
The No Excuse Guide to Success: No Matter What Your
Smith is a dynamic speaker,
Boss – or Life – Throws at You and his book makes readers feel
by Jim Smith, Jr. gives a fresh he’s having a candid conversa-
tion and challenging them to be
perspective on a hot topic in better. Jim Smith Jr.’s style is that
business today. of a coach, and he will call you
out on a behavior or thought.
One of the five nominees for the
BOOK REVIEW
The No Excuse Guide to Success
NAACP Image Awards for Literary is an easy read with short chapters
Instruction in 2013, this book rein- full of real life examples from
forces content in MRA’s new Principles Smith and others. You may grin
of Leadership Excellence Series. or grimace, but you’ll discover a
desire to break out of destructive,
In the book, Smith focuses on blaming behaviors and instead
ten principles or “winning ways” act with purpose. Jim shares tips
to live a purposeful, excuse-free and urges the reader to do some
soul-searching while completing
life: start, stop, and continue action
ÎÎ Own Your Own Choices plans, tools, and self-assessments.
ÎÎ Focus on Positive Outcomes Don’t be fooled by the simple
and Expect Success language. The thought-provok-
ing questions and exercises at the
ÎÎ Embrace the Uncertainty
end of each chapter lead you to
ÎÎ Do More With Your Best examine your work behaviors.
ÎÎ Listen With Three I heartily recommend
Ears The No Excuse Guide
ÎÎ Remove to Success. Plan to
Self-Created read it in small incre-
Barriers ments to give yourself
time to work through
ÎÎ Pursue Your Passion, the exercises and fully
Not a Paycheck process the meaning. Implement
ÎÎ Give Up “Right-Fighting” your chosen actions, and then share it with others who will
ÎÎ Avoid the “Taking the Credit” Trap benefit from the guided journey down accountability lane.
ÎÎ Live With Urgency and Purpose
by Janet Kloser
Janet Kloser is a Training Specialist at MRA.
8 MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013Bad People
or Bad Actions?
SUPERVISORY/LEADERSHIP TIPS
Try Out the Concept of “Traveling Light”
I try, and I believe I’m largely successful, in Why, then, do I see, on a regular basis, communication that
focuses on who we are and not on what we do?
“traveling light” when it comes to how I interact
Questions like “what on earth were you thinking?” aren’t
with the people around me—my family, my focused on what someone did (or didn’t do) in a particular
coworkers, people I’ve provided leadership to instance. They are, instead, questioning the intelligence of
the individual. And when we provide leadership for someone
over the years, and people I come into contact who is willing to imply that our intellect isn’t up to the task,
with in my everyday life in the community. Now the outcomes are an increase in self-doubt, a corresponding
that airlines, for example, have sought to increase increase in dependence on the leader which prevents them
from having time for the more strategic/higher value added
revenue by charging us for baggage when we fly, responsibilities they never seem to have time for, resentment
I think the idea has an even greater relevance. from employees with a stronger self-concept, and decreased
Too, the increased dialogue we all see about the engagement. In short, none of the outcomes we all say we’re
trying to accomplish.
concept of bullying, be it in schools or cyberspace, When, on the other hand, I have a concern about someone’s
adds impetus to the concept. performance and I decide to “travel light,” the conversation
is different. I assume that the mistake, the oversight, the
It starts with a principle I often invoke when working with concern expressed by a customer/client was unintentional
new leaders. I ask how many of them have made a mistake at and is an opportunity for learning to take place. Make no
work within the last 60 days. Invariably every hand in the room mistake, everyone is accountable for their own actions, I’m not
is raised, and relatively quickly at that. suggesting that there’s any lack of potential consequences, but
I then ask a few follow-up questions: the real issue is what went wrong, not who went wrong. By
ªª “How many of you made that mistake deliberately?” focusing on what went wrong and how it can be corrected and
No hands go up. new ideas be applied, there is often a growth in self-confidence,
a decrease in dependency, increased loyalty, and a greater sense
ªª “If you work for me should I think the mistake means of engagement on the part of the employee I’m working with.
you’re stupid?” No hands go up.
More importantly, the second option, the traveling light
ªª “Should I be concerned about your motivation?” option, forces me to be curious and asking questions instead
No hands go up.
of judging before the facts have been presented. It creates an
ªª “Should I be concerned about your commitment to atmosphere where there is less fear, and ultimately less implicit
what we’re trying to accomplish?” bullying.
No hands go up.
I suspect that, 98 percent of the time, that same set of answers
would be offered by 98 percent of the people we interact with.
Yes, we make mistakes, but they’re not deliberate, and do NOT
indicate a lack of intelligence, motivation, or commitment.
by Bob Unke
Bob Unke is a Senior Instructor/Development
Specialist at MRA.
MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013 9The Low-
Carb Office: In the office setting, there are eight general
Reducing Waste and Improving classifications of non-value-added activities
PRODUCTIVITY STRATEGIES
or waste:
the Health of Processes ;; Over Production: Paperwork printed before it is
needed, materials and items purchased before
they are needed, and work done before it needs
to be.
;; Excessive Transportation (movement of information
or stuff): Excessive email attachments, informa-
tion hand-offs, report distribution, circulation
of paperwork for signatures, and paperwork
traveling long distances to arrive back where
it started.
;; Excessive Motion (movement of people): Going to
the fax machine, the printer, the copier, and
meetings too often or too far. Tracking down
documents or equipment to complete a task.
;; Excessive Inventory: Overflowing in-boxes (elec-
tronic and paper). An over-abundance of office
supplies, sales literature, storage space, and
piles of information processing in batches.
;; Waiting: The system is “down” too often, or is
Do your office or administrative processes seem sluggish and too slow to respond. Playing telephone tag,
slow? Does it take longer to do work than you think it should? waiting for signatures or information from
Do you re-enter data or make extra copies of reports? Do you customers or other employees. Some people
have to track down documents or feedback to complete a task? with too much to do and others with too little
If you can answer yes to any of these questions, your organiza- to do.
tion may be on the “High Carb Office Diet.” Yes, even office
processes can suffer from an overabundance of the wrong kind ;; Defects: Lots of data entry errors, design errors,
of carbs, those non-value-added activities known as waste in the extra change orders, multiple levels of checking
world of lean enterprise. Just as we now know there are good of work, and proofing.
carbs and bad carbs in our diet, so are there value-added (VA) ;; Underutilized people: Minimal authority and
and non-valued-added (NVA) activities in our office processes. responsibility given for basic tasks, excessive
Value-added activities increase the value of what you do in the management “command and control,” and
eyes of your customer. These activities change the form, fit, or too much turnover of personnel. Work stops
function of the product or service. In essence, if a customer knew while someone is on vacation.
you were doing the activity they would be willing to pay you ;; Extra Processing: Data re-entry, making extra
to do that activity. These customer-approved activities are the copies, unnecessary or excessive transac-
equivalent of those low carb foods that provide a steady supply tions, or expediting.
of energy to our bodies. An example would be customer service
taking an order from the customer to buy our product or service.
Non-value-added activities are those that do not increase the
value of your product or service. These activities do not change
the form, fit, or function. The customer would not pay you to
do these activities if they knew you were doing them. These are
the equivalent of high-sugar carbs—they keep you busy, but do
not provide added value for the customer. An example would
10 MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013be customer service making a copy of the order and filing it in a processes in a simple and straightforward way using the Value
pend file in order to follow-up and check on its status. Stream Map.
Could your office benefit from eliminating the non-value- A Value Stream Map is a visual representation of every process
added activities that consume resources and add nothing of value step in the material and information flow, from beginning to
to the process? The first step to improving the health of your end. It allows you to “see” the process and to determine where the
office process is understanding your office Value Stream. waste and improvement activities lie. Once you have identified
the current state of the process we can start to develop a future
A Value Stream shows all the steps, state. The future state is a process with the
value-added and non-value-added, non-value-added activities removed and the
required to complete a product or support value-added activities eliminated or
service from beginning to end. There minimized.
are two types of value-added steps— If you want to learn more about Value
primary process steps that directly Stream Maps and how to achieve
create value for the external customer an effective future state process
and support process steps that create with little waste, contact Jodi
value for the internal customer and McMahon at 262-696-3352 or
are currently necessary to run the Jodi.mcmahon@mranet.org.
business. All other process steps
are non-value-added. You need
to eliminate the non-value-added
process steps, and minimize the
support process steps. To do this,
you need to be able to see the
He used to be an “A” player.
What happened?
A recent survey found that the number of quits has increased by over 20% in recent years.
According to a worldwide engagement study, the highest driver of employee engagement is
whether or not workers feel managers are truly interested in their well-being.
PERHAPS THE ANSWER IS LEADERSHIP — MRA CAN HELP!
Develop key leadership competencies to build and maintain engagement with
MRA’s Creating an Engaged Workforce Series. This four-part series provides leaders
with advanced leadership skills and best
practices that result in higher levels of Creating an
employee engagement. Engaged Workforce
Series Start Dates:
Waukesha, May 7
Palatine, July 9
Appleton, September 18
For more information or to register, call 262-696-3319
or go to www.mratraining.com
MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013 11Superior 3. Are customers treated professionally? Courtesy and
Customer
tact are never simple. Yet, they are among leading factors
customers report that bring them back to a business a
second time. Customers want to be sure they are dealing
CUSTOMER SERVICE TACTICS
with people who know their product, their business,
Service
and, especially, how to treat people well.
4. Can customers count on you to listen? Perhaps most
important of all, your customer wants to know you are
Fuels
interested in their business. It takes time to understand
another person’s point of view. Listening half-heartedly
and jumping to conclusions may lead you to misinterpret
a customer’s needs.
Success 5. Will customers have a pleasant experience using your
facilities and interacting with you? Simple mechanics
such as a dirty restroom, phone line static, or cigarette
butts next to the front door can turn a prospect
Today’s competitive business away. How your company presents itself is
environment rewards companies a sign for customers of how business
that offer superior customer transactions will be carried out.
service. Service leadership is made up
A simple survey of your of many individual parts—all
HEADLINE
own consumer experience of them delivered by people.
may tell you that, in no The key is to be prepared in
uncertain terms, getting advance because it’s difficult
employees to deliver to repair damage done,
superior service is no even if it is unintentional.
automatic matter. Treating people with
value is the foundation
There are several for delivering superior
attributes of service that customer service. Using
customers uniformly and these five questions can
routinely expect. Answers to start the planning process for
these five questions can serve creating a staff that takes care
as goals as your company plans of business by taking care of
to develop service leadership. customers.
1. Can customers trust you?
Do you deliver as promised?
Return phone calls? Perform as
you said you would?
Customers develop their expectations for the future
based on current experiences dealing with you.
It’s important to be consistent when handling the
customer’s business. While apologies help to remedy a
problem, they can never replace reliable follow through
in the first place.
2. Can customers count on you to take charge of their
problems? Customers expect you as a supplier, to know
their business so well that you will bring up important by Bob Unke
issues even before the customers are aware of them. Bob Unke is a Senior Instructor/Development
Taking the initiative to seek out essential information Specialist at MRA.
from customers is a mark of service leadership. Thinking
and planning from your customer’s point of view helps
differentiate you from other competitors.
12 MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013Principles of Infosoft Group Inc. Rytec Corporation Society Insurance
Lauren McBride Gus Kuester Jennifer Morgan
Management Bill Noreika
Inland Power Group Veolia Water Milwaukee LLC
Anthony Hodnett Aaron Steinman Charles Hunter
ABB Inc.
InSinkErator S & C Electric Company Joe Rosga
Tim Obermann
Brian Francour Stephanie Hibicke Vulcan Global Manufacturing
Amerequip Corporation
International Foundation of Secura Insurance Joe Rasmussen
Jim Varner
Employee Benefits Plans Brian Salm
American Superconductor
Matt Pugh
Kelli Kolsrud Kerry Scherer Creating an
Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Julie Stich Server Products Inc. Engaged Workforce
J J Keller & Associates Inc. Alex Gintner
United of Wisconsin
Michelle Burke Skana Aluminum DentaQuest
Brian Martin
Victoria Felix Cathy Schad Michaelle Schrank
Associated Bag Company Wendy Sommers Secura Insurance
Standard Process Inc.
Jimmy Lilly Becky Doell
Kenall Manufacturing Stacy Blint
Batteries Plus LLC Patrick Foley Rachel Kitzan Cheryl Flaherty
Jarrod Pietsch Lisa Livieri John Mauthe
KHS USA Inc.
Blackhawk Molding Company Scott Grewe Clarence Weisflog
Butch Fellows
Kleen Test Products Stearns Division (Rexnord Leading Effective
Brookdale Senior Living Carol McCormick Industries) Teams
Colleen Clancy Eddy Vicioso
Klein Tools Inc.
Casey Keller The Prestwick Group G E Healthcare
Richard Miller
Michelle Radtke-King Kevin Keepers John Fusco
L-3 Communications
Cardiac Science Corporation Vulcan Global Manufacturing Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP
Electrodynamics Inc.
Laura Peterson Solutions Elsa Chavez
Ed Pallme
Charter Steel Admin. Div. Tim Mercado Johnson Health Tech North America
Laserage Technology Corporation
Earl Beyer Hector Rivera Alex Hanson
Kyle Baker
Rebecca Geiger Waukesha Bearings
M3 Insurance Solutions Inc. Kondex Corporation
Jacki Voskuil Andrew Bleese
Lacey Endres Steve Prink
Curt G. Joa Inc. Weir Minerals North America
Julie Luedtke Supreme Cores Inc.
Vickie Butzen Nick Newman
Macromatic Industrial Controls Michele Apuli
Diamond H20-Griesbach Weldall Mfg. Inc.
Corp. ZBB Energy Corporation
Corporation Jaime Multhauf
Eric Horwath Benjamin Golner
John Griesbach
Medela Inc. Wildeck Inc.
Edgerton Hospital & Health Services
Cassy Cooley
Wayne Winnecke Pamela Day Advanced
Emergency Nurses Association
MetalTek International-Wisconsin Wisconsin Lift Truck Corporation Communication
Tom Barnhill Jamie Wolter
Thomas Barbee
Mid-City Foundry Company Wittenstein Arena Aptar-Mukwonago/Seaquist Closures
Ellen Siciliano
Anthony Pinkowski William Boyle Sue Christian
Federal-Mogul Sintered Products
Jesus Vasquez Zimbrick Inc. G E Healthcare
Robert Hattaway
Miller-St. Nazianz Inc. Timothy Porter Haiyan Wei
Hunter Jahns
Todd Meyer Curt Raisbeck
First Business Financial Services Inc. Chris Vande Zande
Lenny Propson
Tracey Hulick Mike Werner
Travis Schaefer
Froedtert Health Mark Stenz
Kathy Schulz
Morton Drug Company Inc. Group Leadership
G & V Machine Company Inc. Carrie Heldt Skills
Adam Stauffer
Phoenix Products Company Inc.
Guaranty Title Services Inc. Tom Feldhusen ABB Inc.
Ryan Basler Davor Vlaski
Placon Corporation
Gulfstream Aerospace Services Wes Courtney Charter Automotive
Corporation Jesse Kramer Ryan Donnell
Russ Hudack Peter Schroepfer Federal Tools & Engineering LLC
Bob Mollen
Plymouth Foam Inc. Lisa Belke
Health Payment Systems Inc. Randy Pearce Glue Dots International
Jeff Bogenschneider
Poclain Hydraulics Inc. Tom Abler
HUSCO International Craig Mrkvicka Grede Foundries Inc.-Liberty
Erik Carlson
Port Washington State Bank Foundry
Troy Dow
Cheryl Boldt Ramiro Arias
Hydraforce Antonio Sanchez
Process Retail Group Inc.
Doug Bates
Derron Bohne Kleen Test Products
Jay Brizzolara
Putzmeister Inc. James Schubert
Dennis Burnett
Sascha Wolfer Neosho Trompler Inc.
Hydratight
Q P S Employment Group Inc. James Artrip
Brad Schultz
Sarah Hyde Quest Technologies/3M
IEWC
Michael Chilson
Eric Dombeck
MRA | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL — April 2013 13NONPROFIT ORG.
Institute of U.S. POSTAGE
Management, Inc. PAID
N19W24400 Riverwood Drive MILWAUKEE, WI
PERMIT 3708
Waukesha, WI 53188
MRA membership is a great value with a lifeline of
time- and cost-saving benefits that help you create
powerful teams and a safe, successful workplace.
Stay Connected
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We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Email: infonow@mranet.org
2013
HR Conference
Explore. Engage. Excel.
May 21–22, 2013
May 21: Professional Development Day
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Escapade Boat Cruise: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
w.mranet.org
May 22: HR Conference ww
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
ESCAPE to the beautiful Heidel House
Resort & Spa in Green Lake, Wisconsin,
for a day of exceptional speakers,
practical application, and networking.You can also read
