All of us at R. Carnegie Associates are deeply saddened by the tragedies of September 11, 2001 and are concerned about the current world events and their impact on the everyday lives of all employees. If you would like information about crisis management tools for HR professionals, please use the following link:
http://www.hrtools.com/frames.asp?display=c_home.html

• On Becoming A Mentor
• Now That You've Hired the Best, Here's How to Keep the Best
• R. Carnegie Associates Survey Results: What Motivates Me?

On Becoming A Mentor
By Stephanie Daniel

"Good mentors don't rescue. They support." Chip Bell, Managers as Mentors

Think about a defining experience in your career, one where you felt like you'd done your best work and were on top of the world. Where were you? What did you accomplish? Who motivated you along the way? Chances are you had a mentor that offered you guidance and expert advice, a person who saw you for who you were and appreciated your true talents. This individual might have been your manager or co-worker; perhaps it was a trusted colleague from a different company. Regardless of who that person was, most likely you will never forget the impact she or he had on your life and your career. Maybe you've been placed in a mentorship role recently and want to pass along the wisdom and knowledge you gained from your experience. Here are some common traits found in people who are exceptional mentors.

1. They are passionate listeners. As simplistic as it sounds, excellent mentors make it a daily practice to listen before responding and to ask for clarification when they don't understand a point. They realize that personal anecdotes can be good teaching tools, but also appreciate the fact that their protégé has a need to talk, to work through issues in a safe, non-judgmental setting. Good mentors are great listeners and particularly skilled at reflective listening; that is, interpreting and restating the speaker's message so that both parties clearly understand each other.
   
   
2. They model their values and stay true to their beliefs. In other words, they walk the talk. For example, if they say they are committed to work-life balance, they "live" that belief themselves and model it for their employees. Strong mentors realize that their words and behavior carry power and are mindful of the fact that a harsh word or action can inhibit their protégé and cause that individual to lose trust and confidence.
   
   
3. They help the protégé discover unique talents and strengths, and avoid trying to mold the individual into something they are not capable of or interested in being. They are skillful at bringing out people's best ideas and strengths to achieve critical business objectives while helping the protégé reach his or her full potential. They honor the protégé and the process of learning.
   
   
4. They celebrate the protégés successes and help put setbacks and failures in perspective. Wise mentors look for ways to acknowledge and celebrate their protégé's achievements to help to keep them motivated, energized and challenged. They also provide an open environment for the protégé to discuss setbacks and explore ways to learn from failures and carry on. Rather than making vague statements such as "you are a fine writer," smart mentors are specific in their praise and feedback. They are sincerely interested in the individual they are mentoring and are honest and consistent in their approach.

In the ideal, mentorship is a power-free relationship that fosters learning, improvement, and new levels of mastery. It is one of the most important roles an individual can hold in his or her career, and with some thoughtful preparation and planning, it can also be one of the most rewarding.

Now That You've Hired the Best, Here's How to Keep the Best
By Robert Carnegie

For the past few years, in a phenomenally tight labor market, you've worked hard and spent a bundle of money attracting the best talent available. Despite the turn in the economy, you still need to be vigilant to assure your investment in your human resources pays off. That translates to focusing more than ever on retention, motivation, and morale. This is not solely a Human Resources department accountability! Every manager, at every level, has an ongoing responsibility to create and maintain an environment that keeps people energized, productive, and "engaged" in achieving the mission and goals of the organization. And it's not simply a matter of "keeping them happy".

Here are just ten things you can do:

1. Keep 'em informed! Regularly communicate both the short- and long-term goals of the organization. In these times of uncertainty, people want and need to be "in the know".
   
   
2. Clarify roles and responsibilities of all team members, so that you avoid conflicts and misunderstandings about accountability. This is essential especially if you've reorganized or reduced the workforce.
   
   
3. Solicit all team members' expectations for you and of the company. This does not mean you can meet all of those expectations, but better to know them now than find out as they're leaving. See if some of these expectations are "negotiable", and let them know the ones that can't be met. Don't fill people with false hopes about their jobs or the company's future.
   
   
4. Quell rumors. Trying to neutralize gossip that's been going around for a few weeks or even a few days is like trying to unring a bell.
   
   
5. Ask employees what motivates them on the job. Certainly some will say "more money", but look for the non-financial rewards that many employees cherish: sincere praise, a chance to be heard, an opportunity to learn a new skill, increased responsibility, respect.
   
   
6. Don't allow an individual's negativity to spread. This stuff is more contagious than the flu.
   
   
7. Hold people accountable to do their jobs, and don't allow slackers to put the burden on others. That person and others will interpret your silence about someone dogging it as consent.
   
   
8. Point out to each team member the direct relationship between doing a great job and how they contribute to achieving the department and corporate missions. Everyone contributes!
   
   
9. Evidence a sense of urgency to solve problems and conflicts as soon as they arise. Inactivity here can be disastrous.
   
   
10. Provide frequent feedback, good or not so good, to all team members.

R. Carnegie Associates Survey Results: What Motivates Me?
By Robert Carnegie

Over the past three years, in one of our most popular workshops, we've kept a running tally, asking participants to check off the top six things that motivated them most at work, from a list of over 30 items. This informal poll includes over 700 people from all types of organizations: technology, manufacturing, government, and non-profits, and it's incredible how consistent this list is, no matter what the product or service, no matter what level of employee we're talking to. Here are the top six motivators from our poll, in order of rank:

# 1: RECOGNITION OF MY WORK
# 2: INTERESTING WORK
# 3: tie between CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN DECISIONS RELATED TO
MY WORK; and CHANCE FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT
# 4: GOOD PAY (ok, it had to be here someplace)
# 5: BEING GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY
# 6: CHANCES FOR PROMOTION

For those of you who want to know a bit more, #7: KNOWING WHAT I DO COUNTS FOR SOMETHING, and #8: RESPECT FOR ME AS A PERSON.

We encourage you to use the information above to create a more motivational climate in your organization.

Enter your email address if you wish to be notified when a new CLIENT CONNECTION newsletter is published.