Top Ten Reasons to Manage Performance Year Round

Do you let your employees slack off during the holiday season?This article will provide you with the Top 10 reasons to manage performance year round so that you don't face the same management problems in the New Year.Whether you're an executive, a manager or a team leader, the following information will be beneficial to you.

Ahhh, the holidays.A time for family, parties, good food, football, gifts and oh, yes - work.It's not last by accident in this list; to the detriment of organizations everywhere, work often comes last this time of year.Not that I want to be Ebenezer and dampen anyone's holiday parade.I enjoy the holidays as much as the next person.But I've seen leaders let up on employee performance programs during this time of year only to face the same management problems in the New Year.With neglect, they may even worsen.

So a word to the wise men and women out there who are trying to do well by their employees: The right time to manage your employees is NOW, as well as the other 11 months of the year.You will do your best work if you keep employee performance on the front burner, where it belongs, all year long.

The wheels are turning now.Some of you are wondering why you cannot relax for these last few weeks of the year and even through part of January.After all, you and your workers have toiled so hard.The answer is that you will toil even harder later if you put off important tasks today.With a doff of my stocking cap to all HR professionals out there, here are my Top Ten Reasons to Manage Performance Year Round:

1.

Complacency is a disease that plagues business.And guess what?It's contagious.The people in one department see their colleagues in another department slacking off right before or right after the company party, and they decide to do the same.Someone meets his goal for November and decides he can tread water in December.His counterpart takes the cue, whether she met her goals last month or not.Believe me, this illness spreads -- and quickly!-- once it gets started.The only known cure is to wash your hands of it from the start to keep it out of your organization.

2.Procrastination is complacency's cousin.The Big P sets in once people are already infected with complacency.Its symptoms include putting off the most difficult tasks from day to day, doing the easy things first, and busying yourself throughout the day with ONLY the easy things.Soon we forget the difficult tasks altogether.The cure?Control The Big C.If you keep that infection out of the workplace, The Big P is easier to manage too.

3.Habits are hard to break.That's why we want only good ones in the workplace.But if you let bad ones grab a toehold, even for a little while, they might just gain a foothold.Soon they have hoisted themselves all the way into your business, and the veteran hard worker who started coming late one Monday now makes a habit of it then and on Fridays too.Or the manager who "forgot" to use a key recruiting assessment tool once or twice now overlooks it all the time.One study suggests that given time, bad habits become learned behaviors, and we lapse back into them when we're under stress.Since stress is a normal part of the work environment, maintaining good work habits is a discipline we need to observe daily.

4.Set a good example for new workers.Bringing in new staff is a regular event at many places, even during the holidays.Put yourself in the new hire's shoes: How will she view the office partying the last half of November and all of December?How do you want her to see YOU?

5.Set an example for everyone.Closely related to showing the new person how work is done in your office is showing everyone else - your colleagues, your boss, your direct reports.Adopt a professional demeanor and it's likely to be viral - in a good way.

6.Manage performance while other business is less "busy." Perhaps some of the companies you work with have slowed down production a bit.Turn this external hiatus into internal productivity.While you have the time, review the things you and your staff need to improve, then put in place a plan to do so.

7.Control the things you can.This is closely related to items 5 and 6.You might not be able to do anything about another department's departure from the day-to-day routine, but you don't have to join them or beat them.Control your own space by managing well.Maybe it will rub off on the other guys.

8.Your competitors are not snoozing, especially if you are in first place and they are in second or third.If you are not in first place, this could be a good time to redouble your efforts and get there.If you are in first place, remember that old adage, 'The bigger they are!

9.Find ways to celebrate all year long.Really.Successful companies should reward their employees year-round, not just once a year.Yes, the end-of-year holidays are a special time for families and friends.But if you take the time to praise and recognize your workforce regularly, your business will reap the benefits year-round and expectations for unending special holiday treatment will lessen.

10.It's a kindness to your organization and to all of your employees to show off a well-managed workforce all of the time.Consider it a beautifully wrapped gift to everyone, including you.

Happy holidays!
About the Author

Jim Sirbasku is co-founder and CEO of Profiles International, a leading provider of human resource management solutions and employment assessments for businesses worldwide.

For more information about performance management, visit our website.

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Sourcing The Perfect Exhibition Stands

If you tell someone not to judge a book by its cover, would you believe that they wouldn't?First impressions count for everything and often it takes just a couple of seconds to determine if you like what you see.Exhibition stands have the power to either invite or reject a customer's business within those few seconds.Finding the right balance between practicality and visual appeal is the key to your success.

Exhibition stands are a highly effective method of communicating your corporate messages to your target audience.The challenge is to win the audience's interest in the first place.Quite often, you will be surrounded by your competitors therefore having the edge is vital for winning the business.

With the latest software technologies now available, stand designers are able to create detailed floor plans and 3D design visuals, allowing you to see the stand before it's even constructed, thus saving you a great deal of time and anxiety.

However before you get to the stage of contracting stand designers, you must consider your budget, so you can determine what you can buy for your buck.Upon application to exhibit at a fair, you will be offered the chance to hire a shell scheme or bring your own stand.A shell scheme is a cheap and cheerful option, ideal for those with low levels of stock to exhibit or small budgets.They include compact rented floor space complete with carpet, walling, facia and normally a basic lighting track and electrical socket.If however, you are bringing your own exhibition stand, you will need to determine how much floor space you can afford when applying to exhibit.

Once you have your space allocated, you will need to supply the overall stand dimensions to your exhibition stand designer.Be sure to pitch your requests to a number of exhibition stand designers to see who can make you the best offer for your requirements.It's important when you are pitching your ideas, to be clear about the purpose of your stand.Are you purely planning on driving traffic to the stand or are you looking for a unit where you can hold business meetings?Will you require seating and privacy or do you want open plan?These decisions will affect the entire layout of the stand so it's important to be clear what you want from the start.

Exhibition show organisers impose strict guidelines regarding build heights to ensure all exhibitors are playing to the same restrictions.The job of the exhibition stand designer is to produce a quality, creative, and cutting edge exhibition stand while adhering to the restrictions imposed by the exhibition show organisers.

By supplying the designer will the appropriate graphics and logos, they will ensure the right corporate identity is projected.The stand designer will also be in charge of managing the specialist electricians, steelworkers, A/V crews and other required specialist trades.

The key to achieving the right stand for your business is careful planning and being open and honest with your stand designer from the start.If they produce a design in the initial stages that you don't like, tell them.At the end of the day, it's not just your money but your corporate identity on the line so you need to make sure you get the result you have requested.

About the Author

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in Event Organising

Find out more about Exhibition Stands and a look at how they help to promote your business.

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What to Do When Your Assessments Aren't Working

Is your assessment program working?Are you utilizing it in the correct manner?This article will provide you with an assessment program checklist that will help you determine its true effects on your business.Whether you're an executive, a manager or a team leader, the following information will be beneficial to you.

Is your assessment program working?Are you utilizing it in the correct manner?This article will provide you with an assessment program checklist that will help you determine its true effects on your business.Whether you're an executive, a manager or a team leader, the following information will be beneficial to you.

Recent conversations with assessment users and providers have indicated it is probably worthwhile to visit this issue.If your assessment program appears to be having less effect than you anticipated or no effect - or worse, a negative effect, it is time for a thorough checkup!

Here is a list of questions for your assessment program checkup:

Do you actually have a program?

Examine the process your business is using to administer and apply assessments.Are the procedures written, consistent and used as designed?

Are you using the assessment results to affect your decisions?

Too often, close examination of the usage of assessment information exposes a simple fact: Results are simply being ignored, underweighted or "explained away" by the people on the front lines of the decision process.

A simple analysis of a prescreening program, for example, will often reveal there is simply no significant difference in the assessment results of those hired and those not hired after assessment.(It's not being used!) In these cases, the front-line decision makers may well believe they are using the information and will often passionately defend the reasons for not using the assessment information in specific decisions.

Is each assessment being used appropriately?
In the Department of Labor's (DOL) Testing and Assessment: An Employer's Guide To Good Practices, this is a cardinal principle.Use assessments as they were designed to be used and for purposes tested in the validation process.

Are your outcome measures job-related, specific, measurable and repeatable?
The selection of outcome measures is critical to the success of your program.The less subjective your outcome measures, the more likely you will be to properly implement, adjust and maximize your program.

Beware of "fuzzy" measurements such as managers' opinions of effectiveness, self-scoring of variables like happiness and satisfaction and correlations with other variables with low or no established reliability of their own.

Are you using a "whole person" approach?
Referring to the DOL once more, this is a crucial question.Assessment programs are, at the most basic level, simply intended to provide information.Information, from any source, is subject to error.It is important to have information from a variety of reliable sources, and any single assessment's information should be combined with information from other sources to minimize error and increase the probability that a good decision will result.

Complete this checkup now and repeat it at regular intervals.

Designing and implementing an assessment program is a process, not a single action.Constant review, continuing measurement and an open mind are the hallmarks of an assessment program that works!

Assessment programs can be used to match people with the work they do.By measuring the essential factors that mark the difference between success and failure in specific jobs, your organization put the right person into every position, allowing them to utilize their talents without limitations.This leads to greater job satisfaction and improved morale because your organization is staffed with a workforce of people who are highly productive, skilled and committed to doing their very best.

By uncovering clues as to why some employees perform at extraordinary levels and some at only average levels, your business will be able to solve many organizational challenges.Assessment programs give you the power to reduce turnover, effectively promote the best employees, increase productivity, identify essential skill sets, improve communication, eliminate stress, create successful managers and develop new leaders.

About the Author

Jim Sirbasku is co-founder and CEO of Profiles International, a leading provider of human resource management solutions and employment assessments for businesses worldwide.

Learn more about how assessments can help your organization - visit our website.

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How To Handle Credit Card Debt

Credit card debt is an example of unsecured consumer debt, accessed through ISO 7810 plastic credit cards.Debt results when a client of a credit card company purchases an item or service through the card system.Debt accumulates and increases via interest and penalties when the consumer does not pay the company for the money he or she has spent.

The results of not paying this debt on time are that the company will charge a late payment penalty (generally in the US from dollar 10 to dollar 40) and report the late payment to credit rating agencies.Being late on a payment is sometimes referred to as being in default.

The late payment penalty itself increases the amount of debt the consumer has.When a consumer has been late on a payment, it is possible that other creditors, even creditors the consumer was not late in paying, may increase the interest rates the consumer is paying.This practice is called universal default.

Consumer debt is consumer credit which is outstanding.In macroeconomic terms, it is debt which is used to fund consumption rather than investment.A credit card is part of a system of payments named after the small plastic card issued to users of the system.The issuer of the card grants a line of credit to the consumer (or the user) from which the user can borrow money for payment to a merchant or as a cash advance to the user.

A credit card is different from a charge card, which requires the balance to be paid in full each month.In contrast, credit cards allow the consumers to revolve their balance, at the cost of having interest charged.Most credit cards are issued by local banks or credit unions, and are the same shape and size, as specified by the ISO 7810 standard.

A secured credit card is a type of credit card secured by a deposit account owned by the cardholder.Typically, the cardholder must deposit between 100% and 200% of the total amount of credit desired.Thus if the cardholder puts down dollar 1000, they will be given credit in the range of dollar 500 dollar 1000.

In some cases, credit card issuers will offer incentives even on their secured card portfolios.In these cases, the deposit required may be significantly less than the required credit limit, and can be as low as 10% of the desired credit limit.

This deposit is held in a special savings account.Credit card issuers offer this because they have noticed that delinquencies were notably reduced when the customer perceives something to lose if the balance is not repaid.Some consider all debt incurred for anything else other than investments unwise or detrimental to the economy[citation needed], while others believe that consumer credit is beneficial to the economy.

Historically, across many cultures, being in personal debt was considered almost immoral.More recently, an alternative analysis might view consumer debt as a way to increase domestic production, on the grounds that if credit is easily available, the increased demand for consumer goods should cause an increase of overall domestic production.

The permanent income hypothesis suggests that consumers take debt to smooth consumption throughout their lives, borrowing to finance expenditures (particularly housing and schooling) earlier in their lives and paying down debt during higher-earning periods.Sometimes the late fees, high annual percentage rates (APRs), and universal default overcome consumers who frequently do not pay off their debt, and the customer declares bankruptcy.

If a customer files for bankruptcy, the credit card companies are required to forgive all or much of the debt, unless such discharge of debt is successfully challenged by one or more creditors, or blocked by a bankruptcy judge on legal grounds irrespective of creditors challenges.

Because forgiveness of debt reduces likelihood of profit and continued survival, the companies are generally willing to offer another deal to the consumers in danger of bankruptcy.This deal consists of reduced APRs, removal of past late fees and penalty charges, and reaging the accounts so that the credit agencies see them as late accounts.
About the Author

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Marketing During A Downturn

Here are two different company's responses to the current economic downturn.

"The second the stock market crashed all my clients stopped.I haven't had any new clients all this week.Business is a shocker.If it keeps up I don't know what I will do.I will have to stop my marketing as I need to cut costs".

"The stock market crash has been the best thing for my business ever.I have so many new opportunities.People need me more than ever to help them find their business edge.I will have to tweak all of my marketing to help people feel confident again.Can we revamp the lot and get it out there yesterday?"

Similar industries.

Same world issue.Totally different outlooks.

In a downturn the worst thing you can do is to reduce your marketing efforts.This tells people you are giving up and you don't think your product or service is really worth the price you are asking for it.

If you are confident in the value you offer, the downturn can be where the seeds of prosperity and success are sown.Most of the world's biggest companies started their success from the Depression.
So, precisely what should you be doing with your marketing during a downturn?

1.Dust off your database.Your previous clients all know your services and offerings.Make sure you go back and touch base with all previous clients (even the ones you haven't spoken with in some time).These people are more willing to buy from you than new customers so treat them like gold and with great respect.

2.Become more personally visible.In a downturn people want more than ever to know and trust the person they will work with.Get out there, meet people and form strong business relationships with them.Don't hide away in your office.Allow people to see the real you - you will attract a better match of clients that way.

3.Boost your credibility.This is the time to go back and get all of those testimonials you have been meaning to get.Include testimonials on your website and your marketing material to ensure people know you have a proven successful track record.

4.Revisit your guarantee.You need strong guarantees for your goods or services.In a downturn you may want to strengthen your guarantee.Instead of 30 day money back guarantee make it 90 days.

5.Show leadership confidence.If you trust the doom and gloom merchants you will curl into a ball in a remote cave.Be out there, show your confidence in your product and the economy and show strong leadership within your industry.People value strong leaders.

6.Watch your statistics.You do need to monitor your statistics for each campaign.If a brochure, flyer or ad isn't getting you the results you were looking for then adjust it.You still should be getting a strong return on investment for each campaign.

7.Don't scrimp on design and printing.It's very tempting to DIY or running your own brochures up.Professional design is just that professional!It looks great and gives you a professional brand and image.Don't cut corners with your design and printing as this is false economy.

8.Stay positive.If you think the sky will fall it will.If you think you will be successful you will be.Find positive, empowered people and hang out with them.Don't stay too long with naysayers as they will drag you down into their depression.This also means don't cut your prices in a vain attempt to stay afloat.You are sending the message that you are desperate.Correctly value your goods and services.

9.Boost your communication.This is the time to increase your communication to customers not reduce it.Keep it informative, credible and up-beat.Don't get tempted to fall into doom and gloom for your headlines or marketing messages.

10.Adjust your website.People will spend more time researching in this market before investing or buying.Make sure your website is information rich, has been optimised for search engines and is easy to navigate.

For most businesses, the downturn will be just a storm in a tea-cup.Yes, you may have the odd spilt drop of tea, but as a whole there is no reason your business can't survive and thrive no matter the economy.

In the words of Warren Buffet "be brave when people are fearful and afraid when people are brave", that is the secret to business success.

About the Author

Ingrid Cliff is a freelance writer and the Chief Word Wizard of Heart Harmony - a writing services studio that helps put your business into words.

For a free copy of the "7 Secrets of Compelling Copy Powerful Words" visit her website http://www.heartharmony.com.au "> www.heartharmony.com.au .

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Tips When Choosing Your Credit Cards

If you are like most people who have reached the age of adulthood and have a job or a bank account and even minimal spending, then you have more than likely received numerous credit card offers both in your mail box and in your email inbox.When people start receiving these multiple offers for credit cards, things can get confusing and often people are left a bit bewildered about which offer is really the best for them and for their financial health.

A credit card can be a two-edged sword.They can be an excellent tool for money management and budgeting and can often help to simplify tracking household expenses, especially when you can get some of the special credit card deals.At the same time, when people use up all the available spendings on their cards and are undisciplined about how and when they used this easily accessible line of credit, they often put themselves in a terrible financial pit that can take them years to crawl out of.

In fact, there are many instances when young and inexperienced people find themselves with new credit cards with thousands and thousands of dollars of available spendings on them.In no time flat they can easily push their cards right to the limit if they are not careful about how they handle this important resource.

When this happens, the person who is new to credit and simply excited about what they are able purchase with their new credit lines are in for a very rude awakening when the bills start coming in and the interest starts to be added to their balances.Often, the interest charges will push the novice's balance right over their limit and then they are also looking at an immediate hike in their interest rate, plus fees and penalties for being over their limit.

This can set the stage for a spiral of indebtedness that can seem impossible to escape from and realistically can takes years, if not decades, go get free of.Because of this, it is important, especially for those who are just entering adulthood and taking on their first full time jobs, to have a very clear and detailed understanding of the terms and conditions that a person accepts when they sign up for a credit card.

Most of the credit card companies are eager to gain new customers who are willing to not only use their credit card, but who will end up carrying a balance on their card.This is when a credit card company makes its money, by charging interest on the amount of the balance that is left unpaid each month.

When evaluating credit card offers, it is important to scrutinize the details of the fine print before you sign the application and send it in or submit an online credit card application.Not only should you check for the interest rate that will be charged, but also for the types of penalties that you will be hit with if you go over your limit or if you are ever late on a credit card payment.

In many cases, credit card companies offer extremely attractive introductory rates on their credit cards, but they also have very harsh and exorbitant penalties in the fine print.Sometimes you will find that it is better to accept a credit card offer with a higher initial interest rate but with friendlier and better terms for the long haul.

About the Author

Find out more tips on credit cards at Mike Selvon resourceful site.

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Patients Are Dying For Attention

Every year, multiple personal injury claims are brought against the National Health Service because of medical negligence cases that have either led to the death or serious injury of a patient.

The NHS has held an enviable reputation over the years as an institution dedicated to the health of the nation.It has been funded by the government and by tax payers money and, although it has experienced its ups and downs within its management, by and large it has been a worthwhile organisation that has saved the lives of millions of people through diagnosis and treatment.

However, the money that is ploughed into a system that Britain was so proud of, has tailed off.The investment from the government is not what it once was and with the growing population and the fact that people are now living longer, there is an ever-increasing strain on the NHS.

Because of this, drugs are not uniformly available to everyone, hospitals are having to use contractors for cleaning and cooking - something that would once have been done by hospital staff trained in absolute cleanliness - and there is a severe shortage of staff with the few available working unacceptably long hours and under performing in their duties.

This leads to untold difficulties.Human error is a part of life but when it comes to having peoples lives in your hands, standards have to be that much higher.Because they are not, mistakes are made, people suffer personal injury at a time when they have no choice other than to put their full trust in a failing system and they have to trust their lives to the doctors and nurses who are, themselves, suffering unbearable pressures.

Personal injury from medical negligence is something that is occurring more and more frequently.Doctors are tired after working double shifts and attention to detail unfortunately comes at the expense of patient's lives.Just this week, a twenty nine year old social worker lost her life to medical negligence after a hospital stay saw her have an operation to remove gall stones.

Normally a relatively straight forward procedure, there is a risk of internal bleeding afterwards and despite the woman's cries for help, doctors were too busy to attend to her.Her family were at her bedside and repeatedly asked the doctors to help her but they insisted she didn't need a review.

Vital signs were not regularly checked and many of the basic checks that would normally have been carried out, were missed.The woman bled to death in extreme pain.

It seems unbelievable in the modern day, with all our modern equipment and the amount of tax money that we all pay, that this could possibly happen.We are not talking about some third world shack style hospital with the local witch doctor performing rudimentary operations, this is modern day Britain with all its high-tech, well-researched, well tested and proven medical practices.

It seems ironic that we are losing people in these types of surroundings when it just seems so unnecessary.

Because of this, families are often desperate for answers and are just as often met with a wall of silence from hospital staff.This is immensely frustrating for those left behind.Their loved one goes for what should be a routine operation and never comes home due to something as simple as a lack of attention.

When hospital managers are not forthcoming with answers, families will often seek the assistance of a personal injury lawyer.When the hospital finds it has a law suit on its hands, they will then sit up and take notice.Compensation is often paid out in high amounts in these cases, and rightly so.

Yet for the families, it is more about finding out what went wrong and also for someone to be held accountable.Death of a loved one is one of the most difficult things to come to terms with but in this day and age, without explanation, it can be even harder.

About the Author

Shaun Parker is a leading legal expert with many years of experience in the compensation industry.

Find out more about personal injury at http://www.stewartslaw.co.uk

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