Downsizing, rightsizing, reductions in force, layoffs, or whatever you call the process, it's one of the most difficult tasks for organizations to manage. Too often in the past decade, we've witnessed the anguish, stress, and frustration managers face when they must not only select who's to go, but then need to communicate this decision to the departing staff members.

Of course, there's another side to this process--- the way both former and existing employees perceive how well the downsizing was conducted. If you've ever been on the "receiving end" of this process, you probably remember vividly what that event was like. How well were you treated? What were you told? Were compassion and empathy clearly evidenced in the way the organization handled the discussions? And what about remaining employees? What were their perceptions of the downsizing process? How do they view the company now? How are managers to deal with their anxiety, questions and concerns for the future?

Downsizing is a process that needs to be managed well, from the CEO to the first line supervisor. It's NOT solely a Human Resources department responsibility! This unfortunate, yet often necessary activity requires planning, coordination, communication, and compassion at all levels, starting even before a final decision is made to reduce the population. Managers, especially those who have never had to conduct downsizing conversations, can always benefit from coaching or training that gives them both the skills and the confidence to carry out this responsibility professionally and effectively.

If you or your organization needs assistance in managing a downsizing, please call us, toll free, at 1-866-529-3971. We have the knowledge and the expertise to make this very difficult process a well-planned, compassionate experience for all involved managers, departing staff and remaining employees.

We're pleased to announce several new programs we've developed over the past few months. Each of them was designed with the goal of improving individual and team morale, productivity and effectiveness. For more information about any of these programs, please call Bob Carnegie, toll free at 1-866-529-3971.

Increasing Your Emotional Intelligence
Several studies now indicate that no matter how high your IQ is, that doesn't mean you have high EI, or Emotional Intelligence. Sound like an oxymoron? It isn't! For decades we've been told to keep our emotions under control at work, don't display them; don't let them get in the way of your work.

This program takes the opposite position-that your emotions are important, and the development of Emotional Intelligence (EI) promotes better interpersonal relationships and greatly improved personal effectiveness. In fact, Dr. Daniel Goleman, author of several books on emotional intelligence, suggests that business leaders and star performers are not necessarily defined by their IQs or even their job skills, but by their emotional intelligence: a set of competencies that distinguishes how people manage feelings, interact, and communicate. Studies done by experts in hundreds of corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide conclude that emotional intelligence is the barometer of excellence on virtually any job.

Companies like Kaiser Permanente, State Street Bank in Boston, and Nichols Aluminum have used EI competency training to harness the power of emotions to reduce stress, build stronger teams, improve conflict management and negotiation skills, and achieve challenging goals across their organizations. The program offered by R. Carnegie Associates includes an excellent training video and several interactive exercises that will keep participants involved and invested in boosting their Emotional Intelligence.

Managing the Power of Expectations
It's a fact. Limited expectations bring limited results, high expectations lead to exceptional results. This workshop trains managers how to create positive results through the phenomenon known as the Pygmalion Effect, and improve productivity and morale in the process. This concept is applicable to all organizational relationships--team members, peers, bosses, customers, and vendors-- and teaches participants how to put and keep those relationships on track, despite the inevitability of change, conflict, competition, or stress. Workshop tools will help participants grasp the importance of managing their expectations, and enable them to develop comprehensive plans for applying the Pygmalion principles in their daily work environments.

Effective Problem Solving
Organizations today rely on their people to make the right decisions. Increasingly, people are evaluated on the basis of their decisions, some of whom rely upon intuition; others upon detailed analysis. Underlying most decisions are problems or potential problems. Oftentimes, these are potential opportunities. Defining the problem or opportunity as well as reaching a decision generally requires working with other people. Explore, practice and adopt a common language and methodology for use among problem solvers and decision-makers who may be intuitive or analytical. Define and get at the root causes of problems, explore and evaluate corrective actions and decision making options, identify and specify actions to reduce risks and determine the best solutions, and increase buy-in among "I have a hunch." Versus "Just the facts, all the facts, please." approaches. Turn hunches and facts into a process. And, increase the probability of solving problems, not merely fixing them over and over, as well as making more productive and profitable business decisions.

Successful Customer Relations
The way we treat people at work has a lot to do with how they work for us. In Rosenbluth and McFerrin Peter's book, The Customer Comes Second, there are numerous lessons to be learned about exceptional customer and client service. When you treat your customer and client care people with respect, entrusting them to make "the right" decisions for your customers and clients, and your business, you'll experience the rewards of increased business growth and profitability. Customer, client and employee loyalty and retention increase.

These lessons, combined with concepts applied from Wiersema's work entitled, Customer Intimacy will enable you to propel service approaches to greater levels. You will learn how to better coach people to define and respond to customers' and clients' unique requirements, whether they are external or internal customers and clients. And, improve their business transactions and interactions.

360° Feedback Assessment and Workshop
"While perceptions may not be the ultimate truth, they are what people use to make decisions..."Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Morrison & White, et al

Most often, self-perceptions of our own work behaviors and performance are not what others perceive. And, traditional performance evaluation is a top down process with performance feedback only from our supervisor. 360° Assessment is designed to get objective, anonymous and confidential feedback from among peers, direct reports and superiors, in addition to self-assessment. Designed for professional development, not to be used as a substitute for performance review and/or compensation awards, 360° Assessment is proven to be a strong tool for change. In fact, what better positive motivation for behavioral change exists in today's team based workplace, than feedback from credible coworkers?

360° Assessment and Feedback process includes coordination, orientation, data interpretation, action planning for individual development, and identification of organizational trends-strengths to leverage developmental needs to favorably impact business strategy - Administered electronically, with results delivered by confidential individual and composite reports, interactive feedback workshop, augmented with brief one-on-one coaching sessions-

FISH! Unlocking the Keys to A New Corporate Culture
Last year we worked with a client who was implementing FISH! philosophy into their organization, and wow, were we impressed! We facilitated three half-day workshops for them, and walked away with a lot of insight and inspiration for applying FISH! in several valuable ways. Want to increase your employees' energy? Release their potential? Show them how to have fun while being more productive? And there's more! FISH! can help solve problems with recruitment and retention, integrity and trust, attitude and accountability, and creativity and innovation. Create a playful, engaging and enthusiastic workplace that will improve relationships with customers, vendors and co-workers! Through discussion, team exercises, and pure play, we can assist you to develop a new corporate culture. All FISH! programs are custom-designed for your business, for your employees, to meet your needs.

We are very pleased to announce that Joanne Quinn Moffatt has rejoined the R. Carnegie Associates team of consultants. Joanne brings more than 25 years of diverse human resources management experience in areas such as strategic planning, training and development, recruiting, and performance management.

Joanne's background includes executive responsibility for strategic and operational human resource initiatives at a technology solutions and manufacturing business. Most recently, she worked as an organizational development consultant for a publicly-traded electronic design automation software firm where she created a world class corporate university and designed and facilitated leadership programs worldwide.

Joanne has also conducted human resource audits and has done recruiting and training for high technology, software development, processing and instrumentation, manufacturing, food and beverage, environmental consulting and professional service clients. Much of this work was done in her capacity as a consultant for R. Carnegie Associates in the mid-90s.

Joanne's education includes a Bachelor of Arts from Emmanuel College, Labor Relations studies at the University of MA, and she is currently completing her MBA. She is also a certified Quality Education Systems © Instructor, AchieveGlobal (formerly Zenger Miller) Facilitator, Praendex, Inc. Predictive Index cAnalyst and Center for Creative Leadership SkillScope © Consultant. She has worked with Development Dimensions International (DDI) and numerous testing, assessment and employee survey groups, including Organizational Analysis and Design ©[OAD].

For Joanne's complete bio, please click here and feel free to contact her at joanne@rcarnegie.com.

There are times when we just have to crow about one of our own! Senior Consultant Joanne DuBosque can now add another super accomplishment to her long list, after an essay she wrote recently was published in the New York Times. In late October, the newspaper solicited short essays from people describing the most unforgettable teacher in their lives, and Joanne's essay was selected among thousands to be published. Here it is, along with a picture (taken circa 1975!) of Joanne, and her brother, Rick:

My brother and I are "Irish twins". Rick preceded me in this world by 11 months, so he has always been older and wiser, and my greatest teacher.

When we were ten, he taught me patience and resolve when he said to stand still as the boys at the bus stop threw caterpillars at me. It worked; they stopped. In those early years I learned many sports from my brother: basketball, baseball, football and soccer, body and board surfing, and downhill skiing. Through these he instilled in me a sense of both independence and equality.

As seniors in high school, Rick taught me the importance of grieving as he wept openly at the funeral of his best friend, who was shot down in Vietnam.

At 32 years old, Rick was diagnosed with a rare form of macular degeneration. With his sight rapidly failing, his career as a gourmet chef ended. Never easily deterred, he chose another career, received two Master's degrees and is at work on his Ph.D. to retrain the visually handicapped. He has demonstrated to me and to many others the amazing possibilities that spring from determination and hard work.

Throughout our adult life, Rick has reinforced the meaning of family, always staying in touch no matter where he was. His generosity is enlightening to friends and strangers alike. And, he has never let me forget the importance of having fun. He constantly adds to his extensive model railroad, and recently bought a 1953 MGTD.

A great teacher is someone who not only gives practical advice and teaches by the book, but also someone who leads by example. Rick's teaching abilities come naturally. I am fortunate and proud to have benefited so much from his talents.