Companies usually use some type of employee performance evaluation to assess successes and gaps in performance and convey these assessments to employees. Although this might be helpful, it’s not enough. If you want your employees to be more engaged and productive, you need to understand their intrinsic motivations.
To do this, consider adding these questions to the employee performance review conversation. (Notice that we use the word “feel” a lot because it’s the employee’s emotions that should concern you.):
- How do you feel about your job?
- How do you feel about the direction of the company?
- Do you feel that you have improved your skills over the last year?
- To what extent do you feel that you have grown as a person while working for us during the past year?
- What do you feel is the most valuable thing you do at work?
- Where do feel you can add more value to the company?
- Out of curiosity, have you looked at other job opportunities or are you completely satisfied here? If not, what would it take to satisfy you?
- Do you feel you’re being paid fairly? If not, what do you feel you should get paid and what do you base that on?
- Do you feel we have exhibited a management style that’s caring and supportive? If not, how can we do a better job of this?
- Is there anything that we haven’t spoken about that feels unfair to you and might get in the way of our working relationship or your success at this company?
- Is there anything else you would like to share that we haven’t talked about?
These are brave questions to ask because most managers really don’t want to dive into the emotional landscape – which is a big mistake. As Daniel Goldman reminds us in Emotional Intelligence, it’s your E.Q., not your I.Q., that’s most important to becoming a great leader or manager.
Consider having this conversation outside of your office where it might feel safer for the employee. For example, “Now that we’ve discussed your performance I like to have a little deeper conversation about your work here and I don’t want to do it in the office. Where would you like to go talk about this? “
You don’t have to buy this idea wholesale. Test it out. Play social scientist and begin with just one employee. Let him or her know that you’re opening up to a more meaningful conversation; and that because you’ve never tried this before it will be a learning experience for both of you!
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Some type of health exam is a requirement before you can take out many life insurance policies. The result of this exam can have a significant impact on your rates, and even on whether you qualify for a particular policy at all. Following these simple tips can help ensure that your health exam goes smoothly.
# 1: Eat a Healthy Diet
As soon as you know you are going to be taking the exam, start doing your best to eat a healthy diet. Many people feel that if their diet has been less than perfect in the past, there is no point in improving it before a health exam — but nothing could be further from the truth! In particular, try to minimize or eliminate your intake of fried, salty or sugary foods, as well as sodas and alcoholic beverages. Instead, eat a balanced, nutritious diet containing plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbs and lean proteins.
# 2: Stop Smoking
Never smoking at all, or at least stopping permanently, is of course the best course of action for your long-term health. However, if you do smoke, you can improve your exam results simply by not smoking for at least 24 hours prior to the exam; this will help improve your blood work, blood pressure and heart rate.
# 3: Cut Back on Physical Exertion
Normally, of course, physical exercise is very good for your health. However, for two to three days before the exam, avoid hard physical work and exercise. Such exertion can elevate the protein in your urine and be erroneously flagged as a kidney issue.
# 4: Rest
Go to bed early the night before your exam. Fatigue can negatively impact certain components in your blood, giving the appearance of a chronic health problem you do not actually have.
# 5: Avoid Caffeinated Beverages and Stimulants
Finally, avoid caffeine as much as possible during the days leading up to the exam. Caffeine can elevate your heart rate and blood pressure, negatively impacting the results of your exam.
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Roughly two million burglaries occur each year. Protect your home and family when you implement five landscaping tricks that don’t compromise your home’s exterior appearance or value.
1. Place Hostile Plants by Entryways
Burglars typically target easily accessible windows and doors. By placing hostile plants loaded with thorns, briars and brambles near these entryways, you discourage potential burglars. Several hostile plants to consider include roses, holly, raspberries, bird’s nest spruces, needle bushes and Spanish bayonet.
2. Trim Shrubbery Near the House
Overgrown shrubs, bushes and flowering plants look untidy, and they give burglars plenty of places to hide. They also prevent neighbors and anyone on the street from seeing suspicious behavior near your home. Protect your home when you keep shrubbery trimmed to lower than three feet tall all along the exterior of your home. Remember to trim plants away from the sides of your home too.
3. Use Noisy Ground Cover
Burglars try to be as quiet as possible, but noisy ground cover around your windows and doors alerts you to their every move. Pea gravel or other crunching stones do the trick, and you can find these burglar deterrents in colors that match your existing landscaping.
4. Install Short Privacy Fencing
Tall fences and tree barriers increase privacy, but they also obscure burglars. Install short fencing with an open design instead. If you already planted trees or shrubs, trim them so that the canopy starts at eight feet or higher off the ground.
5. Turn on the Lights
Most outdoor landscaping includes lighting of some sort. Opt for strategically placed motion-activated lighting as you reduce your chances of being burglarized. Place these lights near all your doors and windows and along pathways. They frighten burglars away and warn you when someone walks near your home.
Your home’s landscaping adds beauty and value to your property. It also deters burglars. Talk to your insurance agent today and discuss additional landscaping tricks that deter burglars and protect your home.
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Ringing in the new year often means that it is a great time to take an inventory of your business. Far beyond simply an inventory of any supplies that you might possess though, a thorough inventory of your business practices could bring to light some weak spots that could stand to be shored up. Periodic examinations such as these can help make your business both stronger and more successful.
As April 15th, Tax Day, quickly approaches, many businesses spend a great deal more time scrutinizing their financial records. While this is a job that can certainly be overseen by you, for the most objective view of your financial situation, enlist in the help of an outside agency. The company that you entrust with completing your taxes each year can be a good resource for this type of review.
The business insurance policy you have in place is a crucial element of its success. Not only does it protect you in the event that something unexpected happens, it also ensures that your employees are treated well, giving your company the reputation of being a great place to work. Each year, though, it is a good idea to make an appointment with your insurance carrier.
At this appointment, you and the representative from your insurance company can go over your business insurance policy to ensure that it is still providing the type of coverage that meets the needs of your business. New regulations regarding the insurance industry as well as laws that could potentially affect you are often implemented at the beginning of the year. Working with your insurance agent to customize a policy to meet the growing needs of your business will help get the year off to a good start and ensure your continued success.
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Business insurance is a necessary step in ensuring that your company is compliant with any applicable laws. While many of those laws are designed to protect the public, your insurance is also designed to protect your business — and by extension — yourself as well. After all, if you are like most business owners, you put a great deal of yourself as well as your own financial backing into ensuring that your business is a success.
While no one likes to think about it, the fact is that catastrophic events sometimes befall businesses. Indeed, many types of insurance are designed to minimize the effects of these types of events on the business to help ensure that it can emerge from it relatively unscathed. One such type of insurance is involves including a discretionary payroll expense endorsement on the policy.
As you look toward the new year, now is the time to decide if an endorsement for discretionary payroll expense is a good move for your business. While you are probably like most businesses and you want to make sure that your employees are paid first, there are some times when this is does not make good business sense. It is for times such as these that this type of endorsement was designed.
If your business income is interrupted — either due to a crisis or another reason — a discretionary payroll expense endorsement allows you to pay those employees that are deemed necessary. Similarly, you can specify which classes of employees should not be paid under a particular set of circumstances. Doing so can help you protect your bottom line as your business begins to recover.
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Since 1984, Monterey County has participated in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This participation, as well as the continued compliance with federal regulations, allows county residents to purchase flood insurance. Even if your business is far from any form of water such as rivers or creeks, it could still be affected by the intricate system of drainage improvements and facilities that the county maintains in an effort to protect its residents and their properties.
Federal Mandates
If you wish to relocate your business to an area that lies within the 100 year floodplain as determined by Monterey County engineers, or build within that area, federal regulations mandate that you purchase flood insurance in order to take advantage of any federally backed financial assistance for doing so. Even if you are not planning to move your business and you are happily ensconced in your current location, purchasing flood insurance is a wise business decision.
Weather Conditions Warranted Protection
Businesses that are not located within the flood plain are still at risk for being damaged due to flooding. Weather occurrences such as El Nino, for example, can cause extreme amounts of water to be dumped in areas that are ill-equipped to deal with such an onslaught of weather. Weaken structural supports like building foundations, or even elements of the property itself such as hills, can allow water to breech the boundaries of your business and cause flooding.
Industrial Accidents Pose a Concern
Water main breaks are incidences that do not occur often but the results can be devastating if you have not prepared for the possibility prior to it occurring. Not only will you need to be concerned with paying for the costs of replacing your damaged inventory and property out of your own pocket, you might struggle with losing sales from your customers during this period of time.
Flood insurance is a way to gain peace of mind that allows you to rest easier at night. Knowing that your business – and its assets – are protected in the event of an unexpected flood is a smart business move for the longevity of your company.
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