Welcome to the May Newsletter from Workplace Matters! 

  Are You A Balanced Leader? 

A human capital management survey was conducted in early 2009 by APQC. The survey indicates the top challenge of its members and customers is “clearly rewarding, retaining, and engaging remaining employees”.   

The recent boom and bust experience demonstrates the shift in challenges that plague business leaders and human resources professionals.  In Alberta, employers went from struggling to recruit and retain employees to seeking ways to minimize costs, maximize productivity, and motivate and retain remaining employees.  Couple this shift with rising global competition; the ongoing need to retain an engaged and productive workforce is paramount to achieving a competitive advantage against “lower labour cost” competitors.  

With predictions of slow economic growth on the horizon, smart business leaders, like Nash Virji, President and CEO of Elite Fleet Courier, are looking to learn from past experience.  Virji states “Although our business has seen an increase since the recession, we want to use this slower period to enhance how we motivate and retain people.  Our aim is to create an even better work environment – one that recruits and retains talented employees as we experience business growth.”  Many other business leaders continue to express their desire to minimize or, better yet, avoid the need for “warm body recruiting” during the next boom period.
 
These business leaders are seeking ways to develop leadership skills, despite the need to cut costs.  They know that if they want to attract talented people and avoid high rates and costs of turnover as the economy picks up, they need to invest in people.  APQC contends that investing in employees is critical to “come out ahead of the game when the economy improves”.  Leadership development is imperative to investing in employees.  Virji is looking at doing just that with his leadership team.

When it comes to developing leaders who retain a productive and engaged workforce, it is vital to get the overall balance right.  Improving productivity and engaging employees need to be balanced priorities for all leaders.  However, not all leaders understand this balance.    Read more >>

Do you know if your leadership style is in or out of balance?

Invite Workplace Matters in for a Lunch & Learn Seminar.  We will administer a self-assessment that will enable your leaders to recognize the advantages and disadvantages of their leadership style and develop a plan to achieve a more balanced approach.  Contact us to find out more about our Lunch & Learn Seminars.

To review an outline of our two-day “The Balanced Art of Leadership” learning program click here or contact us to discuss your leadership development needs.

Check out these great leadership resources:

Leading With Soul

by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal

Leading With Questions

by Michael Marquardt

The Leadership Challenge

by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner

In this issue

  Are You A Balanced Leader?

  Coach's Query

  Free Self-Coaching Plan

  Survey:  Preparing for the
     Next Boom

  Leadership Development
     Solutions

  Must-Read Books

"Too many workplaces are almost devoid of meaning and purpose.  They are ruled by technology, efficiency, and the bottom line, with little regard for what human beings need in order to experience personal fulfillment and success.  Over time, this takes a heavy toll on motivation, loyalty and performance.  It is a road to crisis and decay – unless we find ways to reinfuse the workplace with passion, zest, and spirit.”

-  Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal in Leading with Soul

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