B2b Illinois - September 7, 2008

The Weekly Business-to-Business Forum

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Editor: Andrew Wheeler 815-929-5416 [email protected] B2B Illinois is a product of The Daily Journal Advertising Department.

Workplace Equity: How to Manage Employees Who are Also Family Caregivers Steve Bell | B2B contributor

With a growing number of Americans providing care for a loved one at home, businesses need to address this growing trend in a way that’s equitable for employees and employers alike. Today, more than 50 million Americans are “family caregivers”— the primary caregiver for a sick, disabled or elderly family member. Since nearly half of all family caregivers also hold full-time jobs, employers need to be aware of the stress and emotional aspects that come with a caregiving situation. As the average life span continues to rise, more employees will take on family caregiving roles. Fortunately, there are ways to create an effective work environment that enables the employee to be productive and continue to contribute to the company’s goals despite caregiving responsibilities. The following suggestions will help.

1. Get to Know Your Staff As an employer or manager, it’s helpful to be aware of your employees’ individual situations and how they may affect job performance. You can do this by spending time with them in an informal setting, such as a break room over coffee, a quarterly lunch out or simply chatting during a slow time. The more you know about your employees, the better you’ll be at managing them through any challenge—just be cautious to not overstep boundaries. Check with your human resources professional to make sure you are following all company rules and national/state employment laws before you start discussing issues like this with your staff.

2. Examine Your Hours of Operation Most businesses have core hours of operation during which staff attendance is mandatory. Identify those core hours for your company. Chances are they add up to only 20 to 30 hours of an employee’s weekly schedule. Use the other 10 to 20 hours to offer flexible work hours to your entire staff—not just those who are caregivers. The key is creativity. For example, you may allow an employee to come in two hours later than usual, but stay two hours later at night. Or maybe someone takes a longer lunch break and makes up the hours later in the day. If possible, consider four 10-hour days rather than five 8-hour days. Remember, the goal is not reducing someone’s hours; it is being flexible in meeting coverage needs during core and non-core hours.

Have you ever set a goal and wondered why you couldn’t accomplish it? You are not the first person to feel this way. In fact, studies show that more than 86 percent of people who set goals fail. And, of those who do succeed, a surprising 30 percent find they are not able to maintain the newly acquired success in the long term. So, why even set goals? The traditional goal-setting method is no longer effective even though most teachers, books, trainers, coaches and schools are still teaching it. You have no doubt heard this method many times: write it down, set a date, make an action plan, and build the steps backwards from success. Unfortunately, this is NOT the correct formula for success. The world’s top achievers—the best of the best—achieve success by doing things a bit differently.

Why top achievers don’t use traditional goal setting. The traditional goal-setting method was developed in the late 1800s in the manufacturing industry; if you wanted to produce X number of units at the end of the assembly line you would need to do A, B, C, and D and presto—you would get X number of units.

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A Win/Win Scenario for All With today’s weakening economy and shrinking talent pool, employee retention is important. Doing all you can to educate employees about resources available and staying flexible will help you develop a win/win proposition that benefits you, your employees and their families.

The problem is this system only takes the process into account, not the participant. We are human “BEings” not human “DOings.” This common formula teaches what we can DO but not what we can BE. Without a significant change in our thinking, behavior and expectations, we can never develop a habit of success—one that develops regardless of the process we use. If you want long-term success, being the right person is just as important as doing the right things.

Top achievers get clarity on why they are going. Many goal-setting coaches encourage their students to gain clarity on where they want to go in order to get there. While this idea is accurate, most people fail to define what clarity really is. Many describe clarity as a description of the final destination— where do you see yourself in 10 years? Anyone who has tried to define clarity this way has found that it’s extremely difficult to describe where he is going if he have never been there before. Therefore, this definition of clarity is incomplete when used in the context of goal achievement. Clarity is strongest when it focuses on an “inward now,” instead of looking at a “geographical location.” Clarity has more to do with why you want something than with what you want.

Payments Beyond Terms Are Increasing The seasonally adjusted Credit Manager’s Index has inched even closer to the neutral economic expansion/contraction point of 50 percent, creeping down 0.2 percent to hover at 50.7 percent. The manufacturing sector index slipped a full percentage point to 50.4 percent, as only four of its 10 components rose. The service sector index fared better, gaining half a percentage point, rounding out at 51.0 percent as six of its 10 components rose. All three indexes have six components at or below the 50 percent level. Overall, there were no dramatic changes from July’s report. However, in both manufacturing and service, dollar collections and the dollar amount beyond terms worsened. The data suggest that tough economic conditions are strangling buyers’ cash flow. Buyers are stretching their payment terms beyond normal and even after that, it appears that they still cannot pay their bills. The seasonally adjusted manufacturing sector index slipped 1.0 percent in August, leaving six of its 10 components below 50 percent. Prices seem to be less of an issue this month in terms of hurting business, but instead they are inflating credit limits and sales. Slow pay seems to be the biggest problem. A manufacturer of valves

SPECIAL SECTIONS

Many companies offer benefits for employees who care for a family member. These benefits may include employee assistance programs, personal leaves of absence, and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). However, don’t assume all employees are aware of the types of programs offered by your company. You can help by making available the information that addresses a variety of employee needs. Post pamphlets in break rooms for local service providers of elder care, childcare, respite care and the Local Area on Aging office, as well as information on the company’s various assistance programs. Making the information readily available increases the likelihood of employees reading it.

NACM’s August Credit Manager’s Index Still Creeping Toward Neutral Point Daniel North | B2B contributor

Special Sections and Feature Pages can be a cost-effective way to reach thousands of readers with a particular interest. Plus, these sections generally have a longer shelf-life than the daily newspaper allowing your business’ message to be seen again and again!

3. Make Information Available

Is Goal Setting Holding You Back? Douglas Vermeeren | B2B contributor

GET YOUR POINT ACROSS

and pipes reported, “Customers are looking for ways to slow payments.” A plastics producer replied, “We are having to exert more effort to get payment for receivables,” while a sheet metal firm reported, “We have some of the bigger customers attempting to extend terms.” On the flip side, international business seems strong, probably due to the weaker dollar, which makes U.S. goods more competitive abroad. A food manufacturer responded that “international sales are increasing very fast,” a furniture manufacturer noted, “Our sales are up on the international side,” while a producer of carpeting reported, “sales to Latin and South America have increased.” The seasonally adjusted service sector inched up 0.5 percent to 51 percent as six of its 10 components rose. However, the fact that six components are still at or below the critical 50 percent value seems to explain the more negative tone of the participants. Providers of HVAC and electrical equipment services noted that they are seeing more NSF checks than ever before. Other survey responses that stood out include a supplier of transportation services that said, “Customers that have never been a problem are going beyond terms.” A repair service stated, “Many customers are expecting us to be their bank!” And reflecting on the “credit

We invite you to join the Kankakee Area Human Resources Managers Association (KAHRMA) and take the pedometer challenge!

Steve Bell is executive director of the Kankakee County Red Cross. For more information on family caregiving, visit www.RedCross.org. For more information on caring for loved ones, you can visit the Chapter office at 1432 S. Fourth Ave., Kankakee, or call 815.933.2286.

The more personal you can make this goal, the more power and motivation you will have to get it. Make your “why” strong, and keep digging deeper with questions until you have a burning desire to attain it. Most of the reasons why people fail to achieve a specific goal can be traced right back to this one point. Without a reason “why,” no one really cares about the destination of “what.”

Top achievers don’t think of success as crossing a finish line, they think in terms of running the race. Top achievers understand that success is a continual process, and the successes and failures of today are used to build the powerful experiences of tomorrow. Every opportunity today is contributing to an opportunity tomorrow. Every experience contributes to learning. Look for ways to continue to grow and expand, and uncover ways to build each success upon the next opportunity. Top achievers set their goals differently, and that is why they achieve successes that others only dream about. Douglas Vermeeren has conducted extensive research into the lives of more than 400 of the world’s top achievers. Doug is also the creator and producer of the hit personal-development film “The Opus.” More information about Doug and “The Opus” is available at www.DouglasVermeeren.com and www.TheOpusMovie.com.

crunch,” a participant in the plastics industry reported, “We are seeing more companies close due to lack of bank funding.” On a seasonally adjusted basis, the year-over-year comparisons for both the manufacturing and service sector indexes show a definitive downward trend, reflecting the deterioration in the overall economy. All 10 of the components in the manufacturing sector index fell, pushing the index down 4.6 percent to 50.4 percent. The service sector hardly fared better as all 10 components fell, driving the index down 4.2 percent to 51.0 percent. Both indexes hover just above the 50 percent dividing line between economic expansion and contraction. The CMI survey asks credit managers to rate favorable and unfavorable factors in their monthly business cycle. Favorable factors include sales, new credit applications, dollar collections and amount of credit extended. Unfavorable factors include rejections of credit applications, accounts placed for collections, dollar amounts of receivables beyond terms and filings for bankruptcies. A complete index including results from the manufacturing and service sectors, along with the methodology, can be viewed at http://web.nacm.org/cmi/pdf/CMI_current.pdf. CMI archives may be viewed at http://web.nacm.org/cmi/cmi.asp. Daniel North is chief economist for credit insurer Euler Hermes ACI, who evaluates the data and prepares the report for the National Association of Credit Management. The National Association of Credit Management (NACM) supports more than 19,000 business credit and financial professionals worldwide with premier industry services, tools and information. More information is available at www.nacm.org.

The Absolute

BEST

Join us on September 16th at 8 a.m. as we welcome The Horton Group, Interactive Health Solutions speaking to us on healthy living and implementing a workplace wellness program. Members in KAHRMA are business professionals in our community who meet once a month, Sept – May at Quality Inn in Bradley, on human resources topics.

in Local Dining

The Definitive Business Contact

RESOURCE

RSVP by Sept 12th and see how you can receive a free health screening: [email protected] or 815-465-2161 ext 239.

“Serve the Professional, Advance the Profession” 090708210105098

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