RentalMetrics 60 Second Grill - Episode 004
In this grill, we lighten up a bit. Hey even we RedMeat craving carnivores need a little digestion help now and again. Digest this video and take some tips on not "overcooking" your staff.
RentalMetrics...red meat for heroes that rent iron and move dirt.
RentalMetrics is the "in-sourced" management
consulting firm for the construction equipment rental sector. We're
headquartered in the heartland of America too. Please browse through our site
to gain some insight on how we think, what we do, and what makes us passionate
(some say obsessive) about extracting every last drop of efficiency from your
operations.
Leadership and Human Resources
Let's Get Engaged - by Paul Gratton
By Paul Gratton, Chief Research Engineer at RentalMetrics
Red eyes. Vapid stare. Listless gait. Moaning yawn.
No, I'm not describing a scene from my favorite zombie movie; this ghoulish scene occurred in my mirror almost every morning in late 2004 as I tried to convince myself to go to work.
This image is burned into my memory - I'm sitting in beige, shoulder-high cubical, my forehead is resting on the computer keyboard. The Muzak speaker is softly playing a MIDI rendition of "Yesterday" by the Beatles. My life slipping away; I can see the sand in the hourglass. I lean up on my elbows and decide recalculate how long it will be before I can retire with a pension. I pull out my calculator and run the numbers...again.
49,674 hours. That's about 22 years. "Thump." My head hit the keyboard again.
For years the Gallup organization has been using the Q12, twelve questions which help assess worker engagement. Gallup's research has found that organizations with motivated, engaged employees consistently outperform those who with employees which resemble disenfranchised zombies. What a surprise!
One company that's taken this philosophy to heart has been the electronics retailer, Best Buy. A few years ago Best Buy realized that the strength of their company lies in the quality of their store employees. They employed Gallup's Q12 at their local stores and saw real, bottom line results.
Are your employees encouraged and energized by their work, or do they resemble zombies?
Check out the Gallup Q12 to learn more about the elements of great managing...and prosper!
Millennial Generation: Your Future Business Leaders
Are you ready for the Millennial Generation to take over key leadership roles in your business? While millennials may be a few years out from the corner office, they're the ones you're likely turning to to build your bench.
As to how managers and colleagues can better connect with the Millennial generation, Ann Mack, director of trendspotting for JWT offers some sound advice. "Millennials are outspoken to their detriment, buy you can pick up on their nuggets of knowledge and genius," she says. "Quite frequently they have brilliant ideas that are glossed over by managers who are rolling their eyes. However, if you tap into their opinions at the right time, the innovation will follow."
I'm still tormented by this issue since it's so easy for us to get into the "Good old days" mentality of how things used to be when we were the ones coming up through the ranks. I see greatness coming from millennials...and then I see people in their late 20's and early 30's living in mom and dad's basement since their t-shirt selling start up failed. Dude.
Either way you look at it...these will be your future leaders. Now go send a text message to your favorite millennial or BFF.
