Leadership Keynote Speaking

I love that I have taught thousands of people in hundreds of organizations from around the world how to get along better with coworkers. I have valuable lessons on creating places of employment filled with enjoyment.

Story telling is an art that requires thoughtful examples of times when people had common experiences that have lessons that are memorable. Communication skills are at the very core of getting along better with others. It is about understanding expectations and the psychology of why people do what they do.

Leadership is the key to creating workplaces that people love to give their best at. Employees who feel valued and are given the right tools to be successful by their leaders are inspired to create and innovate. Every person must know that he/she makes either a positive or negative difference. It is about choice and clarity.

Want to learn more? Invite me to speak with your organization. I each human relations and I want to make a positive difference.

Thanks for reading!

Kindest regards,
Paul
Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
"The Organizational Doctor"TM
www.paulgerhardt.comwww.paulgerhardt.com

How to Have a Career You Love

Start today and feel great about the new direction you are taking your career. You do not need a new job to be happier. You need to do things a little different and start looking at things from a new perspective.

If you supervise people, be better at it. Here is how: http://paulgerhardt.com/how-to-be-a-better-boss/

If you want to be a better employee, teach your boss to be a better boss. You need to do things differently too. It is all about perspective.

What you focus your attention and energy on changes. So, start doing things differently. Make time to do it. You will be glad you did. It means each day, do something a little better and different. You may be surprised how easy it is.

Thanks for taking your time. I would love to hear your comments.

Thanks,
Dr. Paul
Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
"The Organizational Doctor"
www.paulgerhardt.com Leadership Training and Leadership Workshops That Make a Positive Difference

Know How You Learn: Adult Learning Theory

Effective leaders and employees know what they know and know what they do not know. The thing that the best employees understand is that change is constant. Organizations must stay competitive by keeping everyone--leaders and employees fresh and motivated.

The best way to do this is by bringing in an outside trainer. Team building is fun and can help bring new ideas to the organization and invigorate employees and leaders alike. Here is a short article that can help: http://paulgerhardt.com/?p=494

Leadership training helps participants in every position come to conclusions on why they are important. Learning is an active process and it must be done in a way where everyone feels, valued and respected. Learn more. Take a minute to read this quick article on leadership training. Click Here.

Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox. Sign up for free! http://db.tt/rnfBTLWQ

Leadership Development Pays

Sometimes one person can truly make a positive or negative difference. The greatest cost of doing business is associated with employees. Loyal employees that are truly happy with their jobs offer creativity and greater production. Dissatisfied employees steal time, resources, products and employee morale. Leadership training is the key to lower costs, enhancing job satisfaction and increasing revenues. You can be a hero and make a positive difference through bringing in an expert that can train employees to give and be their very best.

Leadership Training Makes a HUGE differences!

Consider this: http://paulgerhardt.com/?p=455

Call toll free: 1-866-513-4296 for Dr. Paul Gerhardt, The Organizational Doctor - www.paulgerhardt.com for leadership training and employee development services.

How to be a leader

Every person must feel they truly make a positive difference in the workplace. If you want to make more money and have more control of your career, consider what the best leaders know about being effective.

Here are eight steps to being a leader: http://paulgerhardt.com/?p=450

My decades of leadership experience and doing leadership training for leaders of all types of organizations inspires me to share with others. I hope you enjoy the short mentioned above.

If you would like me to come and help make a positive difference in your place of employment with training and development, please contact me: 1-866-513-4296 or email: dr.paul@paulgerhardt.com

I look forward to helping  your employees be invigorated and motivated to be and give their very best!

Leadership Tool Box

My leadership training toolbox is filled with tools that bring out the best in employees and supervisors. It all starts with having a leader who does the right thing.  If you supervise employees and want to increase productivity, employee morale and job satisfaction here is what you should know and do: http://leadershiplessons.blog.com/?p=218

The items on the list from the link shared above should be done every week. You will find that by doing those things--your job will be easier and bring you greater job satisfaction and more job security. I hope you enjoy the article: http://leadershiplessons.blog.com/?p=218

Leadership is both an art and a science. Practice those things--takes time and patience. In the long-run it pays off.

Thanks for stopping by.

Kindest regards,
Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt
"The Organizational Doctor"TM
www.paulgerhardt.com
1-866-513-4296

What is the Difference between a leader and a manager?

Quick leadership Training Lesson:

Effective leaders trainers will tell you that leaders see their people differently than managers. Managers are focused on production and profits. Leaders know that you must earn the hearts and minds of followers and treat employees with genuine respect. Respect is earned and every leaders knows that he must earn never violate that valuable relationship founded in respect.

If people see you as a micro-manager, then you probably have a lot of deeper issues going on at work. When you are around, people are probably scared to make a decision without you. this is YOUR fault. The best organizational leaders want their employees to make decisions that benefit the company. If you are a micro-manager, there are many more losses that you should be worrying about. Your employees are probably stealing from you, calling in sick, looking for work elsewhere (hiring and training new employees is expensive. The bad word or mouth advertising is killing your business.

Loyalty is earned out of kindness not out of fear. Leaders create meaningful relationships with employees and inspire greatness.

Consider this: http://paulgerhardt.com/?p=440

My leadership training workshops make a lasting positive difference. Give me a call today: 1-866-513-4296 or email: dr.paul@paulgerhardt.com

I can help transform managers into effective leaders.

Public Speaking 101

If you ever have to give a speech, you will want to remember these basics.  

Tip 1: Depending on how long you have to speak, have three points to talk about. Make them the very things you want them to remember.  

Tip 2: Be confident and speak clearly. You get to set the tone and how you deliver what you say will make the difference.

Tip 3: Summarize your speech at the conclusion. If you let your audience know you are getting ready to conclude, then they will perk up and listen closely. They want you to finish on a positive note.

Here is more. Read this: http://leadershiplessons.blog.com/?p=212

If you need a keynote speaker or leadership training. Please contact me today:

Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD: dr.paul@paulgerhardt.com or toll free: 1-866-513-4296

Kindest regards,
Paul
www.paulgerhardt.com

Free Leadership Training Lesson on Path-Goal Theory

This quick leadership training lesson reminds managers that leaders must set their employees up for success. This requires that leaders remove all obstacles and give their people all resources and connections in order to accomplish the goals of the group easily.

Everyone knows that leaders must empower people to make the best-decisions possible, but it is still important to direct and influence people to make the right decisions. Smart leaders will do everything to help reduce stress and anxiety of their people. Consider this: http://paulgerhardt.com/?p=416

Hire Paul Gerhardt, PhD.

Training for managers that works. 

Contact Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt: 1-866-513-4296 or www.paulgerhardt.com for more information.

What is Management Training

Management training is all about helping every team member be his/her very best. Every manager must be a leader. This means, having the right skills to motivate, inspire, build a vision and earn loyalty of followers. Successful professionals all know that leadership is both an art and science.

If you have people calling in sick, quitting their jobs, unhappy employees, arguments, low production, or apathy, it sounds like you need leadership training. Consider this : http://paulgerhardt.com/?p=427

Management training is all about remembering what it takes to be more effective in the workplace. A trainer must come from outside of your organization, evaluate the issues and involve as many people as possible in training that brings people on the same page and creates effective solutions. The value of good training is immeasurable. It can last a long time if done right.

After all, losing employees and customers is far most costly than helping them be their very best. This is done with well-trained managers. Make a positive difference with management training.

Thanks for visiting. If you want to learn more, please do not hesitate to ask.

Kindest regards,
Paul
Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
www.paulgerhardt.com

Effective Communication Made Easy

Be powerful in your communication. Consider what the best, not evil, salespeople know about communication. Life is so much better when we know that we are all in sales and we can choose to be good or bad at it. If we are poor communicators, we probably have poor relationships. If you have lots of good relationships, you probably know these essentials of effective communication.

Here is what you need to know about being effective at work and home: http://leadershiplessons.blog.com/?p=210

I hope you enjoy the free lesson!
Kindest regards,
Paul
Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt
www.paulgerhardt.com

Dare to Dream! How to Accomplish Goals

Goal setting is easy. We create everything twice. We first must see it in our mind, then we can put things into motion to make it happen. The clearer we see things, the better the results. Consider this: http://leadershiplessons.blog.com/?p=206

I dare you to start visualizing your success and write things down. Put thoughts into action.

Leadership Training Matters

If you want to stay competitive, you must consider fresh perspectives and build teams that are inspired to give their very best. Consider leadership training for these reasons: http://paulgerhardt.com/?p=423

How to Make Things Better: Creating Power Change

Everyone must feel like they matter. You can create powerful change that makes things better by involving others in the process. Change is always needed. However, it is feared and hated by those who are comfortable with the old ways of doing things.

Sticking with the old ways may cause your team and organization to lose market-share and be less competitive. Things must always change for the better. You must do your part in making things better. Don't be a part of the problem. Be a part of the solution. Here is how: http://leadershiplessons.blog.com/?p=208

Change is a good thing. Make synergy and involve everyone.

Thanks so much for taking time to visit my blog. Send this to 10 friends and make a positive difference. If you liked this article, please like it on Facebook and share it with others. Make it a great day! We get to choose how we feel about it! Remember, if something is worth doing, it truly is worth doing well!
Kindest regards,
Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
The Organizational Doctor TM
www.paulgerhardt.com

Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All rights reserved.

Manage Time and Relationships Well

We cannot please everyone all the time. However, if we want to maintain positive relationships, we must consider how we say things. Sometimes we must tell others "no" in order to get things done well. It is not what we say, but how we say it that matters. Be nice, schedule other time for your coworkers and family if possible, but be nice. Consider this: http://leadershiplessons.blog.com/?p=202

Thanks for visiting and sharing your time.

Kindest regards,
Dr. Paul
www.paulgerhardt.com

Tips for Better Communication

Leadership training helps you communicate more effectively. Arguments are not fun. If you avoid them, then you are not growing, nor will the other person grow either. Take assertive steps to be heard by allowing others to be heard too.

Manage conflict with maturity. Here is how: http://leadershiplessons.blog.com/?p=200

Learn more about being your best. I would love to help: http://paulgerhardt.com/workshop/communication-skills/


Be your best through regular training and being open to new perspectives. You will be glad you did.

Quick Leadership training lesson on ethics

Have you considered why ethics really do matter. This leadership training lesson on ethics will only take a short time to read, but may help you have much greater job satisfaction than you could ever dream wildly possible. Consider this free leadership training lesson. Click here.

Leadership training can make a power impact on individuals. One day of training can enhance morale, productivity, and employee retention. Contact Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt Dr. Paul Gerhardt to find out more.

Daily Thought That My Change Your Life for the Better

Here is how to create a life you truly love. I guarantee this is one you will want to share with others and be cool because you did. This one is worth reading a couple of times. Trust me. Your success in life comes from the vision you have of what is possible. You must therefore know you are seeing things properly. You may not be--and truly think you do. It comes from the effort and hard work you put into every task. You may not be getting the best results from what you are doing and not even realize it--but truly believe you are giving and getting your the best. 

This is deeper than you may understand--It comes from the quality of your relationships, being that you get to where you are with the help and support of others. What you really must know is that you may be limiting your success because either you do not truly have a clear vision of what success looks like for you or you are not allowing yourself to utilize what others around you can fully bring. The worst part is, your ego tells you that you are. Step away from your ego and take different look. Really. Do it!

Consider this:

Synergy is a scientific term that suggests that efforts of many people can create the outcomes greater than what they could each produce added together. In other words, 1+1+1+1 equals much more than four. It produces an outcome of perhaps 20 or 100. If you want to have much greater successes, you must have synergy. This means you must utilize the strengths, ideas and energy of others to the greatest potential. You can only do that when you are deeply listening and seeing things through the eyes of others. You may not being hearing enough from others because you are too busy to do what could benefit you most--deep empathic listening! Stop being so busy. It will pay MUCH higher benefits if you just stop and see things differently by listening differently.

Here is why:

How you see the world, truly affects what you get. If you believe that a coworker is smart and has great ideas, you will want to listen more to that person and support her ideas. This may change how she sees you and she may continue to share even greater ideas with you that help you be successful. Then the two of you can enroll others in those ideas and inspire greatness with others because you have earned deeper trust with them through your trust you built by seeing things through their eyes and truly-deeply hearing them.This is how synergy truly works. It is about making your intentions to deeply hear and build really deep-deep strong and authentic trust. It is about focusing mental energies and seeing things differently and shaping your world with extraordinary vision that can only come through synergistic means.

Are you hearing me? Are you the best you can be? Are you really bringing out the best in others because you see them in their true light? How you see things depends on how well you truly listen to others because YOU earned their trust.  You may think you see it how it really is, but I suspect you are not because you are assuming you are.

Thanks so much for taking time to visit my blog. Send this to 10 friends and make a positive difference.

If you liked this article, please like it on Facebook and share it with others. Make it a great day! We get to choose how we feel about it! Remember, if something is worth doing, it truly is worth doing well!

Kindest regards,
Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
The Organizational Doctor TM
www.paulgerhardt.com

Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All rights reserved.

How To Build A Career and Life You Love

Ever wonder why some people seem to have the greatest life, be the most-popular person around or have more power than others? Relationships are truly fragile! When we lead others or work in a group with others, we cannot forget how important it is to be intentional about getting along. This is especially true if we are in a leadership position.

Being a leader of course means having followers. It also implies that we must always be seen as doing the right things for the right reasons. If there are policies in place or laws, we need to do our best to make sure we are respecting them. This means doing them and upholding them. "Bending the rules" can be seen as cool to some, but by others, it the long-run it will cause people to question your integrity.

Effective leaders find ways to help people understand how important it is to follow policies and laws. After all, they are usually in place to project people, culture and standards. If they need to be changed, then put action in place to change them, but until then, know they help create a sense of safety that really is important in workplaces and society.

We can never afford to compromise a standard because our integrity is the only real thing we have. If you are not faithful to a coworker, boss, friend or loved one, then others will question whether they can trust you. Leadership and relationship strength is measure through levels of trust after all.

When someone questions your integrity, own your mistakes and make things better through apologies and doing things right. Be seen as someone who always has the best interest of others in mind. Doing the right thing as it relates to expectations of others is the right thing to do, unless people will be harmed in any way.

The key to building successful workplace relationship and stronger relationships at home is by building and maintaining trust and giving others the benefit of the doubt that they are doing the same thing too. This may sound pretty simple. And for the most-part it is.

We learn a lot of wisdom in kindergarten. Things like being honest, follow the rules, apologize when we bite someone and put your coat on it is cold outside are all great examples of things that still apply to us as adults. It is all about relationships and doing things to stay happy and healthy.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this article. If you enjoyed this article, like it on Facebook and share it with others. Make it a great day! (We get to choose how we feel about it).

Kindest regards,
Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
The Organizational Doctor TM
www.paulgerhardt.com

The Number One Key To Success Revealed

Ever wonder what the absolute key of being successful in life, career, and relationships are? Well, in my over a decade doing leadership training and working with leaders of numerous organizations in various industries, I am confident I know what it is.

It is simple, but complex. The number one key of being successful and happy is to know yourself first. Yep! That is it! What it truly implies is that we take time to do personal assessments and start seeing our world through the eyes of others. We need to know our own strengths, weaknesses and triggers.

Professionally, I recommend doing assessments that gathers the insights from others about us. I like doing 360 degree evaluations of leaders. Most followers want their bosses to be better, as do peers. When safely dispersed 360 degree evaluations facilitated by an external excellent leadership trainer can be a real eye-opener.

You do not have to be a CEO of a major corporation to benefit from these types of personal assessments. Anyone can take personal assessments that help them learn about themselves. My two top-favorite personality assessments I am certified to facilitate are Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator (MBTI) and DiSC Behaviors.

Each of these tools help us see what our preferences are and what we do. They also help us understand why we do what we do. Once we know about ourselves, then we can make the necessary changes in our actions, communications and ideas to better get along with others.

The key to being successful in life is to know yourself and know that we need others to help us get what we need. There is enough success in this world for all of us. If we want to be truly happy, then we need to change our own self first and make it our number one intent get along with others.

If you enjoyed this article, share it with others who may benefit from it.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. Make it a great day. (We get to choose how we feel about it).

Kindest regards,
Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
www.paulgerhardt.com

Choose to Create a Life You Love

Tired of the way your life is going? Make some changes. Ask yourself what your perfect life would look like, then create a plan of action to make those goals happen. Do something now. It takes moving one foot at a time to move forward. This is the way that it works with everything. Slow and steady win the race.

Start by rating your life on a scale from 1 to 10. If you decide that you are a perfect 10, start counting how many things you are thankful for. Make a real list. If your life is five or lower, decide what it is about your life that you are not happy about then change those things. Set your goals. Be as clear as you can be about what you want. Do not worry about others, this is about you and you alone.

We create our own successes. Things in motion stay in motion. Get moving!

Make it a great day!

Kindest regards,
Paul
www.paulgerhardt.com

True Happiness: The Secret to True Success

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
www.paulgerhardt.com

Ever wonder how you could find the perfect job that you will love to roll out of bed to go to every day? It really is about knowing yourself first and searching for jobs that are in perfect alignment with YOUR personality traits. Leadership scholars and professional development coaches have studied leadership for hundreds of years. However man has been discussing the philosophy of what makes a good leader since the beginning of documented time. Countless studies have been conducted on personality, behaviors and varying leadership traits. Conclusions have suggested that there are a variety of leadership characteristics that leaders should possess in order to successfully influence others in a way that promotes the greatest effectiveness. Smart organizational decision makers recognize the specific traits of employees and leaders they are looking for and screen for them using assessments, interview questions and probationary trial periods of employment.

While no single person can be all things to all people, smart employers recognize that identifying personality traits plays a huge role in creating proper fit for employees. Some employees will usually be great at what they do because they are in an environment that brings out their very best. Those same employees can be moved to other teams or to work for other leaders where they just cannot get along or they feel they are a fish out of water. So, it is wise to recognize what makes great employees great and build teams with leaders and coworkers whose personal traits build collaboration and excellence. After all, bleach and ammonia are great cleaners, but when mixed, it quickly becomes toxic and destructive. So, chemistry of people works the very same way. Great in one combination and toxic in another is a phenomena that takes place when forming workgroups and teams.

Bad decisions in placing leaders and team members together can be costly in both terms of lawsuits, production, profits and reputation. Loyal-happy employees love to come to work and give their very best. Unhappy-dissatisfied employees act out in ways that sabotage success, call in sick, slow or stop productivity, and do things that destroy morale.

Organizational leaders must recognize that teams are only as strong as their weakest link. If they want to build teams that keep the organization competitive and strong, they must have the right people in the right places. This suggests that first an organization must both recognize the traits of the leaders and the subordinates. Second, they must identify what strengths the teams and leaders are missing and fill it with the ideal person or people that have those missing strengths--but also have other traits in common with the others who are leading.

Oil-based paints can create some beautiful colors when mixed with different colors that are also oil-based. However, water-based paints will not mix well with oil-based paints because there is not enough similarity in make-up to allow them to bond. So it is also with creating winning teams. Chemistry matters! Water paints are beautiful in the correct environment, as are oil-based paints in their ideal environment.

If we truly want to be happy in our places of employment, we cannot be on autopilot. We must actively take personal assessments and determine who we are as individuals. We must search deeply for our authentic-self and feel free to be who we are. We must be able to convey in words that others can clearly understand who we are. We must accurately know our strengths, weaknesses, triggers, likes and dislikes. We are not doing HR professionals any favors by not conveying accurately our personal traits. Likewise, Human Resource professionals are not doing individuals or teams any favors by taking a person whose personal traits do not mix well with the leader and other members of a team or misidentifying personal traits of the employee.

In order for hiring professionals to make the perfect placement, they must accurately determine the actual traits of those they are interviewing. This leaves great responsibility on every job candidate to know himself/herself accurately. Some of the best assessments for knowing strengths, preferences, behavioral traits and communication styles include Myers-Briggs (MBTI) and DISC. It is important to find a qualified and certified professional to administer the assessment and educate you on the outcomes.

Leadership assessments are also available and can be quite useful in helping individuals and leaders know themselves and their subordinates better. Smart organizational leaders know who they are working with and adjust their leadership style, communication and actions according to the needs of each individual. This doesn't imply that they take on a fake personality, but it does mean that they must be aware that their actions, insights and paradigms--which can and will have either a positive or negative responses. Good employees can become bad ones quickly with a leader that does not fully understand this concept.

Within the behavioral studies of leadership discoveries suggested that effective leadership hinges on skills which can be learned and styles which can be applied. One researcher, Robert Katz, suggested that leadership skills, instead of being innate, can be learned. At one time, there was a great debate whether leaders were born or made. Now we know that effective leadership can indeed be taught. Katz proposed that leadership skills can be classified into technical, conceptual, and human; and he developed a leadership model that suggested that proficiency at varying degrees depending on the management level that the leader operates at. Hiring professionals must be aware of every leaders' weaknesses and strengths and be active in helping hone those traits with consistent and meaningful training that sticks!

The literature suggests that leaders at lower management levels would find it more important to have technical skills than conceptual skills. Those in middle management would find equal amounts of conceptual and technical skills important. And, those at executive levels of management would find that conceptual skills are way more important than technical skills. In Robert Katz’s model, human skills remain equally crucial no matter which level of management the leader belongs. However, no matter the level, those who need to inspire employees to give their very best must genuinely understand their employees, use Emotional Intelligence actively, and apply effective leadership traits--which can be learned best through experiential leadership training done by outside independent trainers.

Scholars argue whether there is a place for trait theory of leadership. For all its apparent shortcomings, the trait theory of leadership is able to offer some useful information. It can be made use by people in all management levels in all organization types. Leaders and managers can use the information from the trait theory to assess their position within their organization and how to work on how strengthening their position. Leaders can get a deeper understanding of their individuality and the way they are able to affect people within the organization. The theory is something a manager can use to become aware of his or her weaknesses and strengths so they can understand how they may be able to develop their leadership skills better and be their very best.

Finally, if you want to find a job that energizes you, inspires you to be your best, and uses your own talents to make a positive difference--you must first accurately know your authentic self truly and deeply. Contact me or other qualified professionals to take scientifically-validated personality and behavioral assessments that help you get to know your true self. Once you have this valuable knowledge, you will can give your best, because you know what that really is. You can also develop your areas of opportunity (sometimes called weaknesses) through proper training and professional coaching. However, know that we are best at doing things we are strong at and truly interested in more.

If you found value in this article or know others who could benefit from it, please share it. There truly is enough success in this world for each of us. Make a positive difference by helping others be their very best with meaningful assessment, professional coaching and training. I am always happy to help.

Thanks so much for taking time to read this articles.

Best wishes,
Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD

Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All rights reserved.

Creating Powerful Relationships Through the Communication Process

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD

Having effective communication skills is probably the top skill every leader must possess. Likewise, developing excellent communication skills is essential in leading a fulfilled life both personally and professionally. Every individual creates his/her own successes in life. I believe that the meaning of life truly is about having and managing successful relationships. Every relationship is built around interactions founded upon some sort of communication. The good news is that despite, education, gender, experience and background, it is possible for every person to start TODAY and learn effective communication interaction skills.

Some folks believe that communication is both an art and a science. However, most take communication for granted. This may be because they have had the gift of being able to do some things well and have gotten due to their individual talents. In spite of everything that one can do well, having effective communication skills can and does tend to enhance personal successes. It takes everyone involved to be on the same page to communicate with others and successfully broadcasting what we each have to offer. The more we can offer, the more valuable and therefore successful we can be.

In the workplace, an average fifty percent or more of the time is spent by employees communicating with each other. It is important to note that nearly one-fourth of all problems at the workplace are also caused due to lack of effective communication or some sort of miscommunication. We must realize that we are communicating all the time.

Some social scientists will tell you that a surprising aspect related to communication is that nearly seventy-five percent of all communication is nonverbal. This percentage varies depending upon who you ask. However, what is important to know is that body movement, eye contact, facial expression and posture are all non verbal modes of communication. When others are within viewing distance of others, they are picking up on nonverbal communication--what our face and body is communicating about our feelings and attitudes.

Stress is very often caused due to communication errors or a lack of communication. When messages communicated are not clear and concise, it can lead to huge misunderstandings between managers and subordinates. Miscommunication ultimately leads to job stress and low productivity.

Miscommunication often occurs between peers at the same level of an organization or at any level which often causes stress. Expectations must be clear and those who are expected to carry it out must have a clear understanding of what is expected. Communicators (message senders) must make sure that they have not just been talking, but effectively communicating. One must not assume that just because someone affirms with "Yes, I understand." Because that could simply mean, I don't' want you to assume I am weak or stupid. It may mean, "Would you please repeat what you said? I was busy doing something else and you did not have my full-attention, but I did not want you to know that I needed a second to focus on your communication."

The good news is that effective communication can be learned. Training may be the best investment an organization may make in their employees. It may pay insurmountable dividends in the long-run. Interactive workshops truly are an amazing way to develop effective communication skills. tons of research has proved that teaching supportive and empathetic skills will help in improving interaction and make it more effective. Apart from improving the basic skills needed for interaction, a side benefit of communication training programs imparts a lot of importance in giving respect to the person who is speaking. Every person in every organization deserves and must feel genuinely respected in order to maximize interpersonal successes.

At every level of an organization due to the very nature of organizations, it is absolutely important to appreciate and understand the other person’s thoughts and opinions no matter their age, gender, education, experience and cultural differences. Essentially, if you break it down, the important components of any form of effective communication involves the sender and receiver. Both parties must feel respected and be shown respect in order to get the messages across effectively.

From the onset, messages that are crafted and developed by the sender must absolutely be clear and concise. Sometimes the whole message does not come out the way that it is intended. Taking a little extra time to communicate what is intend is a smart investment of time. By doing so, it will be much easier for the appropriate message to be understood by the receiver. Likewise, the receiver also has the responsibility to take some time to stop what he or she is doing and listen attentively to the message that is being conveyed. If the receiver is unable to comprehend the message, it is his duty to ask questions and provide necessary feedback to the sender.

Effective leaders understand that the process of communication will break if there are even the smallest barriers to it. Employees might experience frustration if they feel they are not listened to and shown genuine respect. Any barrier can also lead to long-term discontent and ill feelings between employees and leaders. As a result, expectations may not be met by both parties and will ultimately lead to poor working relationships, resentment and work-related stress.

Be aware of communications barriers which may include:

· Physical distance between the sender and the receiver. Too much distance may result in certain words or phrases not been heard or misheard.

· Cultural barriers, which can be differences in belief systems.

· Body language and nonverbal barriers which include any gestures, facial expressions, or body positions that are not properly understood by the receiver.

· Tone of voice or the way we say things also matters.

Each and everyone of these barriers must be considered for effective interaction among individuals. Communication is essentially the tool used for exchanging information, express emotional attitude of an individual, increase awareness and also used for cooperation among people.

Essentially, these are the various types of communication we all should be aware of:

· Intrapersonal communication which relates to an individual’s innermost beliefs, feelings and influences. Interpersonal communication is used to interact at the workplace. It is the medium of interaction between managers and subordinates, employees and clients and any other professional exchange of messages between individuals.

· Small group communication takes place within teams that work in an organization. This sort of interaction can be used to plan, develop and implement projects within the team.

· Organizational communication refers to oral and written interaction among employees and management.

· Public communication can be both formal and informal.

It is vitally important to remember that communication is and MUST be a genuine two-way process. If either one of the people involved (sender and receiver) do not fulfill their individual duties and responsibilities, EFFECTIVE communication is doomed to fail. Communication is an ongoing and continual process where the interaction is taking place at regular intervals. Communication is much more than just talking. The best leaders and employees are trained to understand the true value and importance of communication. They fully understand all that is involved in making every communication effective and meaningful on a daily basis, while giving those involved in every communication the proper respect they deserve.

Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All right reserved.

A Quick Lesson on Aggression and Workplace Violence

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
www.paulgerhardt.com

As leaders, we need to face the facts and recognize that there are times when aggression can occur at work. Aggression is not something that most people enjoy being around or being the recipient of. Aggression can be defined many ways. Knowing how to identify the signs of potential workplace aggression from the first indications can alleviate the situation and create a harmonious and productive environment. Aggression can come in many forms, it can include physical violence or threats of it, teaming up against a colleague, yelling at colleagues, and many other such acts. Understanding the sources of aggression may be useful. It can involve religious, racial, or gender differences and be a result of various types of discrimination. As leaders, we must realize that we may be the cause and not know it. Believe it or not, much of the time aggression can be found to come from supervisors, bosses, colleagues, suppliers, or customers.

Identifying workplace aggression in the workplace can be easy if you are looking for it. It can be noticed in the form of bullying and may be practiced by more than one worker teaming up against another. Bullying can be rather subtle and very often difficult for the victims to handle. Acts may include continuously complaining about the employee (victim) for one thing or another, defacing or destruction of the possessions of an employee or work materials, attempting to hinder the progress of the worker, and isolating the victim or rejecting an employee. It may be passive-aggressive where little choppy negative statements are spewed out as small jabs at individuals.

For some employees, they will try to ignore such aggressive behaviors by simply avoiding it. However, everyone must realize that working in a workplace where aggression is persistent can prove to be an unhealthy and classified as a hostile working environment. When the bullying is documented, employers need to correct the problem once a complaint has been received. Aggression must be handled in a respectful, but assertive way. Instances of workplace aggression should be addressed as soon as possible. Employers must look at all angles of each situation with an open-mind and listen carefully to all parties involved. There is probably much more to it than what you could find on the surface. One must not jump to conclusions, and be aware of any mental filters that can be formed through biases. Awareness is always the key to creating win-win workplaces. The smartest organizations create positive workplaces by educating and training all employees within their organization in order to avoid aggressive behavior getting out of control. It is not a "flavor of the day" program, or "just another mandatory training," but an opportunity for growth for all involved.

Training and education is the best way to change attitudes and behaviors and ensuring that the workplace is safe for all workers. This means that workplace aggression and harassment is clearly defined and spelled-out to all employees, supervisors, and managers. There should be detailed explanations on what harassment is, why it is not acceptable within the organization, what the workers can do about the problem, what are the responsibilities of the employees when it comes to addressing workplace aggression.

One of the most-difficult but necessary things for employers to do is set clear guidelines for which behaviors are acceptable and which are not. There must be a clear plan in place for solving problems of aggression when they do happen. All employees need to know what the consequences of such bullying behavior are, and what is expected from every employee. Awareness helps create a positive and productive organizational culture.

Organizational policies should include written methods that clearly define and recognize aggressive situations and behaviors, the resolution procedures--whether the complaint is formal or informal. It should specifically state what the steps to be taken are to file a complaint and how those complainants will be protected from the aggressors. It should also state what the rights of those accused are.

Leaders and managers must be wise, responsible and have an open-mind in all workplace situations. The ultimate goal is to retain valuable employees and to create an environment where everyone is working together to create a genuine feeling and workplace of progressive-positive success. Leaders or the people who receive, investigate and mediate any complaints must be knowledgeable about the processes. They must also be aware of what decisions they can make and what are the types of support are available to the victims. These types of information needs to be found in the organization’s records and policies in the form of a harassment prevention program. Each and every employee should have a copy, and be aware of the policy’s details. The organization's leaders and all supervisors must also be participants in all policy dissemination, training and education.

Every leader must look at his/her own actions and consider if he/she could ultimately be the cause of any possible aggression from employees. It may start with something as innocent as not listening to an employee or not recognizing the value that an employee brings to the organization. Leaders sometimes fall into the trap of believing that because they are a leader, that they see and know everything. The wise leader deeply listens and show respect to each and every employee. They must consistently and acknowledge and show appreciation to every employee at every opportunities. They must also realize that employees may know things that they do not know and encourage employees to share their valuable ideas.

Employers must take responsibility to ensure that each and every one of their workers feels supported. They can create positive work environments by leading by example. They must follow and to understand the company’s rule and regulations or code of conduct, just as each employee is expected to do so. Having clear and well defined policies, supported by proper training prevents workplace harassment and/or aggression. Well-written policies leaves very little wiggle room for any type of harassment or bullying. The enforces of the policies also have a responsibility to look at all angles of the aggression and realize they may be part of the problem. Workplaces that are perceived as fair, supportive and positive are ones that promote growth and harmony.

Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All right reserved.

Leaders Born or Made? The Complexity of Effective of Leadership

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
www.paulgerhardt.com

There is an age-older debate whether leaders are born or created. Ever wonder why some people seem to be natural leaders while others seem to never get a clue? Twenty-first Century organizations must realize that leaders can be developed well to meet the needs of this new competitive environment। Studies point out that leaders can be developed and that leadership is usually an evolving process. The act of being a leader takes place through the various interactions of people. It is not only through bureaucratic influence from the top to bottom.

Leadership takes place at all levels of every organization and is all about inspiring people to give their very best in each and every action. There are numerous theories and studies that have taken place since the 1800's, however many of the ones that leaders use today came about from studies in hard sciences which include labor, business, chemistry, biology, the military, and physics.

Complexity leadership theory is the study of intermingling agents, which act with limited data and results in interactions which can generate varying outcomes for each leader, rather than the expected of the sum of what some may expect will result if you simply added up the each of the pieces of work from each employee. It is the goal of each leader to have employees work together to meet the goals of the department and ultimately the organization. In theory, effective leaders are directing the actions of each individual, so that they understand how their specific work is necessary and does impact the success of the organization. In essence, each leader has a responsibility of leading his/her employees to a genuine feeling that they do indeed make a positive difference.

Studying great leaders and understanding how to successfully apply leadership theory is what the best leaders do. The basic leadership principles can be learned and must be at the core of every leader's decision. Failing to treat followers in a way that facilitates individual greatness, means that a leader is simply failing at being great . Administrators must do much more than focus on control and efficiency. They must genuinely inspire a sense of value and willingness to contribute greatness of each employee while the adapting to each and every hurdle that emerges. Leaders must realize that there will always be emergent leaders in every department that must be recognized and groomed to continue to grow. Likewise, each member must recognize their own value and a feeling of accomplishment in every action as it contributes to the success of the totality of its organizational parts.

A classic example, from the leadership literature is what takes place in a flock of geese. When geese fly together, each bird has a set of simple “rules” for the speed, distance, etc. in relation to other birds it flies with. The individual behaviors on part of all the birds in the flock lead to the “V” formation of the flock overall – this is something “qualitatively different” than the totality of each individual parts.

Similarly, with effective leadership in action, the combination of every person’s action is suggested to lead to outcomes that are outside of the scope of any one person. Leaders must be adaptive and recognize that leadership can occur in any role at any level in the organization and is not tied to a specific level or position. It consists of creative interaction, inspiration, kindness, and shared leadership which leads ultimately to innovation.

Great leaders should realize the complexity of their jobs. Effective leaders enable adaptive change to occur by empowering each individual to give his/her best freely. They must enable each employee to not only want to give their hand and feet freely, but inspire their minds and hearts to share abundantly for the betterment of the organization. For this to happen, there are several conditions needed in order for this to occur regularly. First, there needs to be a genuine feeling of collaboration among the all individuals working in the team and players of each external systems related to functions of each related individual. Leaders must know that excellence comes from vigorous, dynamic networks of people linked through their individual jobs that frequently go beyond the limits of a workgroup or a sub-unit within the organization. Each interaction of every employee must be facilitated by a leader to allow for the free exchange of multiple points of view and new information which may have been stifled in a traditional model of leadership.

The second condition is that there must be a genuine feeling of freedom among each of the representatives of every department of the organization. Individuals must fully-recognize the inter-dependency of their workplace, which is a natural multifaceted adaptive system. Effective leaders must realize that Interaction by itself is not enough. Leaders must be an active-driving force which nurtures information exchange and enables the development of newly formed and inspired to be great--realities.

Smart leaders know that the third condition is that healthy tension is needed in order to provide inspiration that successfully motivates individuals to enact and create adaptive-positive change. Internal tension can be created in situations of diversity, wherein systems, communication, personality dynamics varying constraints and interdependency tend to nurture creativity. External tension may be created through actions of differing levels of leadership.

The bottom line about effective leadership is that it is an active process and there must be intentional and thoughtful actions from each leader. Leaders must inspire greatness and model it with integrity of every action. Every employee must be empowered to be his/her very best, while given the tools and autonomy to deliver success. Leadership greatness can be developed through training and on-going studies. It should be nurtured everyday intentionally and positively.

Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All right reserved.

What is Supervision and Why it is So Important

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt

It is vitally important to know that supervisory skills must and can be built through effective and proper training. What skills do the best supervisors have? This is an excellent question! Supervision may be the primary reason that turnover is so high in most organizations. The fact of the matter is, that most people quit their jobs because they have been mismanaged by their supervisor. So essentially, supervisors may be costing every organization MUCH MORE money in the long-run than one may realize.

Most supervisor's intentions are very good. The fact of the matter is, although intentions may be good, actions do speak louder than words. Too often excellent employees get promoted to the position of supervisor because they were very good at their jobs. However, when they are promoted to supervising of the employees doing the job they once did, they find themselves struggling in conflict with their employees or dealing with apathy and/or unmotivated workers.

The reason that turnover is so high in many organizations is very often due to the skills and quality of supervision. Supervision is an indispensable part of management. However, in most organizations, leaders do not realize that just because employees may be very good at doing their jobs, it takes a different type of skill to supervise employees. Seriously, it takes special training to gain the skills necessary to lead employees properly. Supervision truly is an essential part of what it takes to keep an organization strong and healthy. Having good people with poor supervisory skills can be the weak link and can cause the slow painful demise of an organization.

Supervisory development is usually done internally by someone within the organization in charge of training. Type of the organization, level of employees, objectives, etc. obviously vary from one organization to another. However, the basic functionality of a supervisor is essentially to the same.

Supervisors must be leaders! Managers, supervisors and leaders all have interrelated jobs within every organization. The development of supervisory skills takes time and must not be rushed through. The long-term consequences of employing supervisors with poor supervisory training can be extremely expensive! This is because supervisors are the people in the organization that have the largest influence over the job satisfaction levels of employees.

When employees are not happy, they lose motivation, loyalty and often can sabotage the success of their departments. The costs associated with employee theft, apathy and turnover are insurmountable. Studies show it is MUCH MORE cost-effective for supervisors to facilitate a work environment that promotes job satisfaction and motivation than to constantly pay for expenses like law suits, efficiency loss, recruiting, hiring, and training.

Some studies on supervision suggest that having well-trained supervisors is considered the most important aspect for achieving desired results within each department of every organization. Numerous studies pronounce that if supervisors’ skills and knowledge are limited to the technical aspects, the lack of other competencies will result in ineffective output by employees. In other words, a supervisor may have good knowledge on the technical aspects of the work, and the organization to guide the employees; however the lack of proper communication and other important supervisory skills can affect important organizational outcomes and success.

It is vitally important to know that a supervisor with poor interpersonal skills is more likely to ruin the performance of the subordinates, which obviously will have a dramatically adverse effect on the organization. Eventually, development of supervisory skills must become an important responsibility of every manager to acquire in order to continually be successful in lowering operating expenses and other vital accomplishments of company objectives and goals if organizations want to remain healthy and competitive.

Supervisory development is critical! By definition, supervision involves fulfillment of various needs of management and employees. The supervisor should be competent enough to perform the duties with great efficiency and effectiveness as well. Below are some of the essential basic aspects considered vital for supervisors:

• · Ability to deal with all level of employees

• · Ability to make decisions

• · Ability to solve problems efficiently and effectively

• · Adaptability and flexibility

• · Are available and seen regularly

• · Have excellent communication, both oral and written

• · Possess and have great interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence

• · Know all major responsibilities and duties of every employee

Supervision is a challenging job which supervisors should be well-versed in and able to handle each versatile function effectively and efficiently. The best supervisors EARN the trust of those they supervisor and must fully understand how important their jobs are and be seen always giving their best, being fair and being available.

Duties of supervisors: Major functions of supervisors include recruitment, delegating and directing tasks, evaluation of tasks performed, streamlining the work, etc. Additional or secondary functions involves the supervisor’s duty to allocate work, promote employees, recall the work completed unsatisfactorily, take disciplinary actions on irresponsible employees, suspend or terminate the employees with poor performance, deal effectively with grievance reviews, ensure performance appraisals and rewards for each employee is appropriate and timely, as well as other duties assigned by management from time to time.

Although supervision involves multifaceted responsibilities, the power of the supervisor can be limited by the power of a manager. However, it is the ultimate responsibility of the supervisor to motivate each employee towards accomplishing the objectives of the organization in a timely effective and efficient fashion.

Bottom-line on supervision: In organizations where supervisors are trained properly, there should be essentially no drop in the performance and efficiency of employees, even when the supervisor is away. Supervisor development should be focused on filling the gaps between the management functions as well the technical aspects. Training may seem like a waste of company funds to some. However, in the long-run it provides un-calculable returns and greater profits for the organization.

For more information please contact Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt at www.paulgerhardt.com

Career Management and Job Satisfaction

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
www.paulgerhardt.com

Finding a job you love that pays well is the dream of nearly every American. Have you ever wondered why some people manage to find the best jobs—while you are working extremely hard and you never seem to catch a break?

You are not alone! Tons of research has been conducted that exposes the secrets of career management and best-practices that if followed lead to the paths of the quickest advancement. Studies illuminate that there may be specific attitudes which are the key to obtaining that ideal dream job and or promotion. The saying "Attitude is everything!" may be more true than you have considered. A positive career-related attitude that includes job satisfaction is clearly linked to promotions and getting your foot in the door.

Another thing that job seekers should know is that research suggests that practice makes perfect. One must continually demonstrate frequency of using career management best-practices, keep a positive attitude which shows organizational commitment and always looking for reasons to have satisfaction with your job. In other words, keep your horse before your cart!

Job satisfaction and career satisfaction are very much related to intentionally deciding to choose and hold a feeling of happiness with your life at work. This positive attitude must be accompanied with creating an environment of workplace contentment in many ways regularly. Career satisfaction is measured through levels of happiness that is experienced through a person’s place and choice of employment.

Essentially, job satisfaction comes from a person’s current work situation. It is built upon factors like location of the job, working conditions, supervision quality, relationships with coworkers, and other influences. Psychologists will point out that the opposite of job satisfaction is actually not job dissatisfaction, but "no job satisfaction." Take a moment to think about that!

For a leader, it should be one of the highest priorities to help create an environment that lends itself to employees loving their jobs. One of the highest costs in running an organization is associated with employee turnover. It should be remembered that one the most important factors in any successful organization is a culture that facilitates job satisfaction in every department with every employee. Experts will tell organizational leaders that job satisfaction is directly related to a person’s sense of meaning. It is important for each employee to feel effective and valued in the workplace. This suggests that leaders must do all they can to remove barriers that may diminish job satisfaction both internally and externally, as much as possible.

Here are the keys to organizational success then: Make sure that you do your part to build a culture where recognition, achievement, responsibility and the work itself are built into the job and facilitated. These are job satisfaction’s most influential factors. These factors are more influential than status, working condition or interpersonal relations. Studies have regularly concluded that the feelings workers have about what they have achieved and have been recognized for are the most common feelings associated with increased job satisfaction. Every leader has the opportunity to make this happen. It must be intentional, regular, and above all else sincere.

So what causes job dissatisfaction? Some studies have discovered that the factors associated with job dissatisfaction have a different set of relationships. Leaders should take note that the strongest factor associated with dissatisfaction on the job is the perception of unfairness. Employees need to feel they are being treated fairly in every instance. Leaders may have favorites, but need to make their intentions always be seen as fair for all. Other factors of job dissatisfaction are having a feeling that there is a lack of opportunities to professionally develop or grow. On the list too of things that contribute to a feeling of job dissatisfaction is discontentment with salary and wages.

Factors that dissatisfy could then lead to the development of behaviors and attitudes that would clearly indicate that there are challenges in the workplace that are not being addressed. However, it has been studied that things that may lead to job dissatisfaction are not the mirror images of job satisfiers.

Leaders should note that motivation and satisfaction are very different in terms of performance and reward. Motivation is essentially influenced by perceptions about the relationship between rewards and performance that are forward-looking. However, satisfaction is related to how employees feel about the rewards that they have received. In other words, motivation is an outcome of expectations of what will happen in the future. Satisfaction is essentially about past experiences.

Career management is the process which people develop an understanding of their environment and themselves. Those who are in charge of their own career advancement regularly acquire feedback about their progress in their careers. By doing so, it helps build and create strategies about career goals. Leaders should know that the best-practices of career management for employees must aim to help workers develop new skills or to update their old skills consistently. Great managers help employees make better career and job choices and assist them in giving opportunities to prepare for higher levels of responsibility within the workplace.

When leaders are focused on creating places of growth through a focus on employee career management, it lowers turnover. Turnover reduction leads to higher levels of productivity. This builds a pool of experience that helps the organization grow and maintain a competitive stance.

The bottom line in career management is that leaders must create places where employees feel completely or mostly satisfied in their careers. Successful organizations must be consistently doing things to help their individual members grow within the workplace and see opportunities for genuine growth. Managers should do all they can to cultivate a positive environment where people see themselves as being treated fairly and always being given tools to be their very best.

For more information contact Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD. at his website: www.paulgerhardt.com

Leading Diverse Generations in the Workplace

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
"The Organizational Doctor"
www.paulgerhardt.com

We are living in some very interesting and for some scary times. Right now, the United States is challenged with serious unemployment issues. As leaders, we must take a deeper look into a phenomena that is taking place. Every day, approximately 10,000 Americans are turning age 65 and eligible for retirement. Numerous organizations in all parts of the world are experiencing significant shifts in their demographics of employees. These shifts are a direct result of workforces that are aging and are also simultaneously becoming age-diverse. This means that decision-makers and coworkers alike in every type of organization should be more aware of the capabilities and needs of fellow employees. Being cognizant of workers in all age groups ideally cultivates creativity and efficiency. Creativity is the foundation of what it takes to yield stronger and more competitive organizations.

Experienced workers are the life-blood of organizations. They have wisdom from their years in the workforce that help avoid making expensive mistakes. Their experience may also create a solid foundation of doing things more efficiently and effectively. Various researches have studied the aging process and how it affects employee behaviors, goals and emotions. It is important to note that people experience changes differently as they age. Scholars don't always agree about how to manage the changing workplace. However, employees must consider this important topic if they want to remain competitive.

Interesting studies on generational differences at work evaluate values and attitudes. These studies shed light on a topic that employers must be standing up and paying more attention to immediately. Developmental theorists are beginning to advocate for a more optimistic view on generational differences which suggests that leaders can take action to remain competitive. Turnover is one of the greatest costs of doing business. When employees retire, talent may be lost. Therefore employers should evaluate how to keep their Baby Boomers long enough to train the next generations to successfully-succeed in workplace activities once their elders have gone.

I believe that it all begins by realizing that success should be measured in terms of quality workplace and customer relationships. The strongest organizations have realized that relationships need to matter in the workplace. Legendary companies like Google are famous for creating an environment that fosters both creativity and camaraderie. It is difficult to beat competition where employees go out of their way to do their best for the benefit of their workplace. Loyalty is earned and can easily be lost. When employees feel forgotten or unappreciated, they may sabotage their organization and in the least lose their sense of dedication. Similarly, too many nursing homes are filled with people who are seemingly forgotten and left to die. This reoccurring phenomena of relationships with members of society are often altered in quality or are even severed when people age. This feeds the ugly vicious cycle and perception that as adults grow older, they disengage from society. Why not find ways to keep employees of all ages appreciating each other, feeling valuably-appreciated and working together to grow by inspiring each other to be the best we can be?

Creativity and growth in the workplaces requires employees to work as members of a team. On the other hand, the results of distancing of employees may result in the opposite--diminished creativity and performance--especially of aging-seasoned workers. Organizational leaders and decision makers must do all they can to help employees of all generations feel valued and included in most activities of the workplace. Leaders should be cautious not to expect the older members of their workforce to withdraw or engage in behaviors that are counter-productive due to their disengagement. This means treating older workers and younger ones with the kind of respect they expect. Challenge all generations to work closely together and be open to sharing each other's ways of doing things with a win-win mindset.

So how can organizational leaders retain Baby Boomers longer in order to train their replacements sufficiently? Studies suggest that as adults age, they continue to strive to maintain the same activities, behaviors, relationships and personalities. As they maintain these elements of their lives, aging adults continue a connection with their experiences. Employers should have the mindset and be aware that there is scientific evidence that suggests that aging adults are able to maintain continuity in their personal traits, steadiness with their close relationships, and intelligence. So, there generally should not be any reason treat aging Baby Boomers like their time is short or to expect less. In fact, it has also been found that aging adults have a tendency to maintain their levels of productivity if managed properly.

There are also studies that have revealed that aging adults perceive themselves as being the same individual all their lives and there is also a significant stability in how they perceive specific characteristics about themselves. This also has important implications in the workplace as older adults would be more concerned with the maintenance of good relationships at work and continuing good performance in the job. It has been found that older workers have a tendency to display fewer withdrawal behaviors, continue behaviors which maintain efficiency and productivity, and display more actions necessary for workplace safety.

Organizational cultures that maximize relationships also maximize productivity and creativity. Creating policies and procedures that cultivate respect for all generations is truly the key to success. Each generation is said to be distinctly different from one another. However, creating work teams of multiple generations will help cultivate positive-relationships and yield greater ideas and organizational strength. The bottom-line is that all organizations must utilize EVERY employee wisely in order to maintain competitiveness in their market. Making everyone feel genuinely valued and appreciated could mean the difference between an organization that loses its talent prematurely or continues to grow stronger with time.

Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All rights reserved.