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Preventing the Snow from Wrecking Havoc on your Business

Yet another day of blizzard conditions. That was a word that was barely uttered in the Washington area in previous winters, yet now it appears to be commonplace. So what actions should one take to proactively combat what there is no denying mother nature? I came across this blog post from Joe Mechlinski, of EntreQuest, a colleague and trusted advisor and I encourage you all to read it. Good, good stuff packed in here (yes, pun intended)…Let us know how you are creating opportunity out of this weather!  Click Here

~Kathy Albarado

No One Path

Recently Women in Technology (WIT) celebrated the lives and accomplishments of 48 women who had been recognized by the WIT Leadership Awards over the last 10 years.  Inspired by WJLA Anchor Maureen Bunyon, a book was recently published entitled “No One Path–Perspectives on Leadership from a Decade of Women in Technology Award Winners.”

Last week Maureen led a panel discussion featuring a line-up of several of these exceptional women profiled in the book.  The panel included: Deloitte’s Linda Keen Solomon, CGI US-India President Donna Morea, White House National Economic Council Senior Advisor and SBA Administrator Ginger Lew, eCommerce Industries founder Paula Jagemann, DoD’s Anne-Marie Hartlaub-Kesseg.

The topics they discussed ranged from social responsibility, to innovation, forging a career path, how they took advantage of opportunities to excel and what recommendations they would have for girls and young women today who are preparing to enter the workforce.

One of the many things that amazed me about these women is their genuine authenticity.  Paula Jagemann made a comment that resonated. “Innovation is recession proof.  In times of recession, entrepreneurship is on the rise.”  She is a prime example of her philosphy, growing a business to $100M in revenue that germinated from her own experience as a consumer and her creative desire to improve that experience for the masses.The title of the book unfolded and became apparent as each interview took place.  These women leaders have accumulated significant accomplishments and yet there was no ‘one’ path for any of them. Like Donna Morea, President of CGI US and India believes, “The more interesting careers are the ones that blaze a trail rather than follow a path…the path is really only seen in retrospect–when one turns around to look back.” The book is available at Amazon. com, http://www.amazon.ca/One-Path-Perspectives-Leadership-Technology/dp/1439245002 I encourage you to check it out! Their stories will inspire you. ~ Kathy

Communicating Low or Non-Existent Salary Increases

Average salary increases for 2009 are forecasted between 3.1% and 4.1% in separate studies conducted by HR consultancies Hewitt Associates, Mercer, and Buck Consultants. At the low end of the spectrum, the Hewitt study found that base salary increases at 411 large U.S. companies surveyed are projected to be 3.1% — the lowest base salary increase projection since just after September 11, 2001. How do organizations address lower-than-usual (or non-existent) salary increases and/or bonuses while maintaining a positive morale and an energized workforce? The answer is to COMMUNICATE.

The organizational compensation philosophy should be clear at all times, although this becomes increasingly important during challenging economic times. Is compensation performance based? Tenure based? Or dependent upon operational factors or some combination? Information should be communicated early and honestly to avoid surprises. Some organizations may hesitate to communicate compensation decisions that fall short of employee expectations for fear of attrition, but consistent, clear, and early communication will help to establish trust and prevent voluntary turnover.

Top management should first communicate any compensation-related decisions and the rationale for the approach being taken by the organization. This will lay the groundwork to make subsequent discussions between managers and their staff less challenging. If the organization has a bonus program directly tied to organizational performance, communication should be consistently provided regarding the status of progress toward financial targets. Read more