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The Importance of Effective Onboarding

It’s gratifying when a candidate turns into an employee. You’ve recruited your perfect fit. Effective onboarding of new employees is critical to team building as well as to company culture. By contrast, in all solid corporations both small and large, much effort goes into the recruiting process and drawing the brightest talent into your team. It’s important to continue the strong momentum with effective onboarding.

Let’s review key steps to effective onboarding

Set up clear expectations New employment is one area of life where there shouldn’t be surprises. Set up clear expectations on both parts. Review with the employee before their official day what they can expect in the office, out of the office if they work remotely and also in terms of team collaboration and culture. Help them be at ease with the first few days clearly planned. By the same token, make company policies that are important to know right away very clear. Examples are punctuation, weekly conference calls and similar guidelines. Setting up clear expectations ahead of time will make the onboarding process run more smoothly.

Have their work space amply prepared In the busy company atmosphere, important details of onboarding can easily go neglected. Make sure this doesn’t happen in your new employee onboarding.

Here are some ways to ensure your new employee feels welcomed and prepared for their new workplace.

1. Have their office ready. 2. Enlist your IT department set up the email of the new employee and have this information and all passwords ready for them on, or before, their very first day. 3. Similarly, the IT department can clear any previous user information from hardware and software systems that will be used by the new employee. 4. Prepare the team with whom the new employee will be working to expect their arrival. Encourage personal or email introductions on the first day. 5. Provide your employee manual and any other important materials to them on their first day. If you don’t have an employee manual or yours needs updating, see that these tasks are completed prior to their onboarding. A brief and straightforward employee manual can be designed and completed in just a few days.

Outline training thoroughly Many industries have new employee trainings that can last up to a month. In smaller companies they may last a couple of days. Still, in the start-up environment training is on-the-job. Whenever possible in your onboarding process, outline for your new employee what they can expect in terms of training. If they will not be receiving a great amount of formal training, it’s fair to let them know that up front. Then, pair them with a seasoned mentor to help guide with learning. If yours is one of the fortunate cultures to have thorough training systems in place, cover this with the new employee as well. How long will each day be? How long is the entire process? Are there stages to the training regimen? Finally, what are the expectations of leadership with regard to balancing training with new primary responsibilities?

MG (Retired) Mike Diamond is CEO and founder of Diamond Strategy Group. Diamond Strategy Group is a leadership development and consulting company. We focus on improving the quality of leadership within organizations by utilizing the same methods Mike and his consultants have used in both military and civilian sectors. We invite you to stay connected! Visit us online at www.DiamondStrategyGroup.com and connect with Mike Diamond Strategy Group on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail us at [email protected] for more on training and consulting for your company!

To request Mike as the keynote speaker for your next event, e-mail [email protected].

Order Mike Diamond’s book, The Diamond Process, now at www.diamondstrategygroup.com/book/

#fridayreads #leadership #mikediamond

Why Does Feedback Matter to Your Team

#fridayreads #team #feedback #leadership

How to Handle a Team Reorganization During a Company Merger & Acquisition

Merging with another company can put a decrease in employee morale. When this happens there is the possibility of layoffs, relocation, and a lot of overall change. Employees may become a part of a different team, new location, and even a new country – all with the same expectation of making great work and overall productivity. However, most companies tend to face a lot of angst and anxiety over the new changes rather than starting off meeting those new goals right away. Mergers and acquisitions occur every day all over the world. However, there are certain steps you should take when bringing two companies together to ensure you avoid disengagement or angry employees. Keep reading below on how to handle a team reorganization during a company merger and acquisition.

Be Transparent When going through a merger or acquisition, be sure to be transparent, Explain the entire process to your employees. Be clear and explanatory and try not to be vague. Ensure the employees that they can communicate with you and help them to feel reassured and at ease when giving them the new information.

Pay Attention to Managers Be sure that your managers are keeping their teams informed of everything that is going on within the company and the steps that the company plans to take in the future. Employees should also be encouraged to seek out information when they don’t know the answer to a question.

“Team Charter” Team charters help to define what the purpose of your team is and create structure within the new team so everyone knows their expectations. Basically, a team charter acts as a roadmap for members to see where they are headed, how to get there, and what directions they will need to take. This is a great way to bring together two teams or a group of individuals who are new to working together. To start the process of a team charter, have everyone participate in a discussion that goes over the following: the team vision, values, objectives, roles, operations, communication, accountability, resources, and support.

Welcome Questions Throughout the entire process, be sure to welcome questions. Employees should feel safe to ask questions and you should provide an honest answer. This will instill trust in your employees and help to create loyalty towards the company.

While mergers and acquisition can seem to dampen employee morale and productivity, the above steps should help ensure your company handles it the best way possible.

MG (Retired) Mike Diamond is CEO and founder of Diamond Strategy Group. Diamond Strategy Group is a leadership development and consulting company. We focus on improving the quality of leadership within organizations by utilizing the same methods Mike and his consultants have used in both military and civilian sectors. We invite you to stay connected! Visit us online at www.DiamondStrategyGroup.com and connect with Mike Diamond Strategy Group on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail us at [email protected]!

To request Mike as the keynote speaker for your next event, e-mail [email protected].

Order Mike Diamond’s book, The Diamond Process, now at www.diamondstrategygroup.com/book/

#mikediamond #fridayreads #mergers #acquisitions #leadership

Is Lean Six Sigma Right for Your Organization?

The Lean Six Sigma was originally created to eliminate waste and improve manufacturing quality to no more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. Banks have used the Lean Six Sigma to support their growth strategy, financial services companies have used it to put mergers on track, and retailers have used it to increase efficiency while also improving customer service in the store. As you can see, the Lean Six Sigma has many benefits and has worked for a multitude of companies – no matter the type. So, what is the lean six sigma? Keep reading the article to find out further information.

Lean Six Sigma Approach The Lean Six Sigma is a tool that is used by businesses in order to streamline manufacturing and production processes, as we stated above. However, the main emphasis of the lean six sigma is to cut out unnecessary and wasteful steps in the process of creating a product. By removing these steps, it ensures that the steps that are taken add value to the product. According to the lean methodology, you should determine if something has value by taking into consideration whether or not a consumer would be willing to pay for it. Any part of the production process that doesn’t add value is removed from the equation. This helps to ensure that the process is profitable and that the businesses flow runs smoothly.

Benefits to Lean Six Sigma While implementing Lean Six Sigma has strategic advantages, there are also additional benefits that companies tend to enjoy. For instance, as an organization begins to reduce its waste, it increases employee productivity. This happens because, with less waste, there is less rework. The Lean Six Sigma also increases employee motivation, which then affects employee satisfaction. One of the greatest benefits of implementing Lean Six Sigma is an increase in customer loyalty. This occurs because of the increase in speed at which products and services are delivered. This allows your customer satisfaction to increase and then leads to retention, better known as more business!

If your company is looking for a new implementation to have the business running more smoothly and to reap additional benefits like an increase in employee satisfaction, customer loyalty, and productivity – then the Lean Six Sigma may be the right fit for you. While this is not a cure-all to fix company problems instantly, it is a new way of doing better business.

MG (Retired) Mike Diamond is CEO and founder of Diamond Strategy Group. Diamond Strategy Group is a leadership development and consulting company. We focus on improving the quality of leadership within organizations by utilizing the same methods Mike and his consultants have used in both military and civilian sectors. We invite you to stay connected! Visit us online at www.DiamondStrategyGroup.com and connect with Mike Diamond Strategy Group on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail us at [email protected]!

To request Mike as the keynote speaker for your next event, e-mail [email protected].

Order Mike Diamond’s book, The Diamond Process, now at www.diamondstrategygroup.com/book

#fridayreads #mikediamond #leansixsigma

Does your company think the more meetings you attend the more busy and productive you are? Well, it's just the opposite and can cost companies a lot of money. Meetings should be meaningful and with the right people in the room.

#meetings #fatigue #mikediamond

Meeting Fatigue and How Much Meetings Cost a Company

Have you ever felt mentally or physically exhausted from attending so many meetings? Some days it can feel like all you do is attend meetings and if we are being honest, some of them seem to be a waste of time. It has been found that an excessive amount of meetings can take away from employee morale, decrease employee engagement, and make a company less proactive. Not only can those meetings make your employees exhausted, it also loses your business a lot of money! How much money you ask? Well, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that United States businesses lose around $37 BILLION dollars in meetings every year! So, what can be done to kick meeting fatigue to the curb and save your company some money? Keep reading to find out.

Reflect Reflect on yourself and take note: are you the change you want to see in your company? Employees tend to take their cues from the boss, so are the meetings you are having each week actually necessary? If they are not, you can easily cancel the meetings and start turning them into emails, chat messages, or informal face-to-face conversations.

Think Before Attending Before you click “accept” on your next meeting invitation, consider your return on investment. By attending this meeting will it help you to achieve your goals? If not, then kindly decline the meeting request. When you decline, it might unnerve people at first but that is okay! If the meeting being hosted doesn’t add time or value to your business, there is no reason to attend. However, if it does, you should attend but pay attention to the length of time. Rather than it being a sixty-minute meeting, can it be done in thirty with less sidebar conversations?

Find the Requestor One of the most useful things you can do to minimize meetings is figure out who at your business requests them most often? You may not be surprised to find that one or two people seem to request meetings the most. Have a conversation with this person and ask them to engage in less structured conversations. Let them know that it’s okay to send out large emails containing information. Also, let them know the importance of minimizing meetings because it is maximizing employee productivity and time.

By minimizing your meetings each week, not only will it help you personally, it will help your company financially. By reducing the amount of meetings your employees must attend each week, it should increase company morale and productivity which is an overall win for everyone.

MG (Retired) Mike Diamond is CEO and founder of Diamond Strategy Group. Diamond Strategy Group is a leadership development and consulting company. We focus on improving the quality of leadership within organizations by utilizing the same methods Mike and his consultants have used in both military and civilian sectors.

We invite you to stay connected. Visit us online at www.DiamondStrategyGroup.com and connect with Mike Diamond Strategy Group on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

To request Mike as the keynote speaker for your next event, e-mail [email protected].

Order Mike Diamond’s book, The Diamond Process, now at www.diamondstrategygroup.com/book/

#mikediamond #meetings #fridayreads

#mikediamond #leadership

Mental Qualities of Great Leaders

These days, it is vital for companies to have genuine leaders in an ever changing global economy. This raises a few concerns when going through the hiring process because questions like ‘What qualities should leaders have?’ may arise. Lately, research shows that it’s more than just common traits that some of the greatest leaders have, they have to be able to flexibly adapt their strategies in line with their personal qualities, culture, and circumstances. This new thinking about leadership puts an emphasis on authenticity, openness, caring, and flexibility. Leaders should be genuine and lead by example. Below are a few important qualities of great leaders.

Inspiring The greatest leaders want you to become the best you can be. Great leaders inspire us to reach for the stars and help us to realize that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. They touch us through inspirational stories and personal connection, which motivate and energize us towards goals. The greatest leaders put in place a structure that allows an employee to have personal development.

Supportive Great leaders take time to listen to those around them and connect emotionally at all levels. They know the importance of understanding and listening to the concerns, values, and aspirations of those around them and strive to build an organization where people feel heard and important. Great leaders are always looking for ways for others to do their best work.

Committed The best leaders are passionate and committed to not only their work, but those around them. They are always willing to make a personal sacrifice in order to achieve a group goal. Great leaders show self-discipline and are not selfish. Take into account Nelson Mandela, who spent years locked away in order to help achieve freedom for his people.

Understanding Great leaders have typically “walked a mile” in the shoes of those around them. The fact that have endured hardships helps those around them to stay loyal and respectful towards the advice they are given. A great leader will show that based on the same principles and rules, they expect others to follow and not abide by the “do as I say, not as I do” motto.

Being a great leader is more than just having a set of well-established procedures and completing tasks effectively each day. Being a great leader means you connect with people on a personal level and are passionate about those around you. If you are looking to become a great leader, take into account the qualities listed above. You will need to develop a sense of empathy, openness and compassion for those around you.

MG (Retired) Mike Diamond is CEO and founder of Diamond Strategy Group. Diamond Strategy Group is a leadership development and consulting company. We focus on improving the quality of leadership within organizations by utilizing the same methods Mike and his consultants have used in both military and civilian sectors. We invite you to stay connected! Visit us online at www.DiamondStrategyGroup.com and connect with Mike Diamond Strategy Group on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail us at [email protected]!

To request Mike as the keynote speaker for your next event, e-mail [email protected].

Order Mike Diamond’s book, The Diamond Process, now at www.diamondstrategygroup.com/book

#mikediamond #leaders #fridayreads