Well the kitchen is moving along, of course not as fast as I would like (but frankly nothing does!). New floors are in and they look beautiful. Cabinets are in but lots of finish work needs to happen. Then about a two week gap before the counters can go in. But I have to say, even with just the minimal cabinets installed, it is going to look great in the end, I can already tell.
It seems like I am constantly being asked to complete a survey. And as a trainer, I ask all my participants to provide feedback via a survey. But I have noticed that often I do not get the complete, insightful answers I hoped to get. So, we need to teach people how to answer a survey effectively. This does not mean “lead the witness” or direct responders to give you the answer you are looking for. Instead, help the responder by giving him the tools to answer the question, so that meaningful information can be gleaned from the response.
Teaching your employees to answer thoughtfully and thoroughly when questions are asked, gives the organization the information they need. Getting the needed information ensures that the organization can make the intended change or improvements. Also, showing your employees how the survey responses can benefit them with improved processes or communication can gain buy-in from the employees. So set your employees up for success by teaching them how to be effective survey responders.
So often when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, we are in a rush to throw out the old and move onto the new. But I think it is important to acknowledge where we have been and what we have accomplished. Frankly, it is an important employee communication piece and an important motivational piece.
Whenever you are in “build mode” it is taxing on those involved. There is a high degree of heavy lifting in the content development phase and an increased level of anxiousness from a change management perspective. Subject matter experts are tasked with extra work beyond their “day job” and fellow employees worry about their world changing including expectations and tasks.
In early 2016 I took a project identifying performance gaps in Fortis Construction Inc.’s employee development. After numerous surveys, interviews and content reviews the gaps became obvious. The areas of focus became:
With such robust focus areas determined, one can imagine the fast and furious pace to achieve some of these items for 2016, given the rapid-paced environment that Fortis works under. The accomplishments for the year were tremendous. An on boarding curriculum was created with 14 new classes developed. New hire paperwork became an electronic process instead of a time- consuming paper process on the new hire’s first day. Customizable learning plans were developed and rolled out.
There is much more to achieve including a 2017 training strategy, a LMS to figure out and branding to develop. But it is important to stop for a moment and acknowledge what has been accomplished and the work it took to achieve these audacious goals, so I developed a one- pager titled the 2016 Employee Development Snapshot.
The snapshot highlights development accomplishments, training attended (both required and optional; internal and external). I also highlighted number of SME hours and freelance hours. While putting together the snapshot, I learned a few things:
Record-keeping is key. I learned that as an organization, we haven’t been too good about keeping track of things. So for next year, I have already created tracking documents. This is important since I will be developing snapshots for each year going forward.
Short and sweet ensures it gets read. Given the fast-paced nature of our environment and the information overload that we all deal with, the snapshot is one page, with graphical representation where possible. It is also a color document so that it stands out visually. Wording is bulleted rather than full sentences for scanning readability.
Celebrate the wins and lay the ground work for future work. The snapshot is meant to remind all employees of how far we have come and how the organization values the employee and their development. It hopefully will inspire some employees to get involved in the next phase of work that needs to be completed, too.
A look back is as important as future planning. Employees need the “pat on the back” for goals met. The snapshot ensures employees stop for a moment and recognize what they have achieved before moving forward to conquer the future.
I love to cook but my delectable masterpieces originate from a cramped, dysfunctional kitchen. The cabinets are falling apart, the bamboo floor is a mess (and don’t match any other flooring in the house!) and the counter space is lacking. So lacking that my sink is actually a bar sink (so that I could preserve as much counter space as possible).
When we moved in the house six years ago we changed the concrete counter to quartz and bought new appliances. It was a quick way to live with the kitchen for the short term. Even though I hate that I spent money on a quartz counter top that we were not able to use for the remodel, it has been beneficial to really see how I use the kitchen. This history really helped me know what I wanted and needed in a new kitchen.
Right now, we are in week two of the remodel. We went down to the studs, electrical has been updated, a new french door was installed, drywall put up and currently new white oak floors are going in so that they match the main level flooring.
It will be exciting to see the final product. I hope to have cabinets installed next week, if all goes well. Half of my budget went to the cabinets. They are custom, all wood, soft close with all the organizational bells and whistles. Appliances are being delivered on February 25th, so that is my drop dead date (if only in my own mind).
seniyegroff 