Making people and ideas findable

Mandy Cooley's Blog (17)

Shopping is a Skill... Does it help a business, though?

I am not lacking in skill: for example, I am good at finding deals! Shopping is a skill of mine... Not necessarily a skill my husband likes me to hone, but one that is good for my family (and my wardrobe). We recently acquired a new client who had managers with a lot of skills, too. They are a pretty typical business that thought they had their act together > One multi-unit manager (whom I will refer to as This Guy) > Two or three managers per site > Tons of hourly employees who have… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on May 1, 2009 at 1:47pm — No Comments

Smile & Move (like it was made for Smaller Indiana)

I ran into this video while reading today's edition of John Maxwell's Leadership Wired. There were so many things about it that made me think of Smaller Indiana! 1 - It is all about how we grow when we give and serve. This venue (SI) is all about serving through gifts - giving time, energy, attention, knowledge - for the sake of growing one another and the communities in which we live. 2 - The end asks us, as viewers, to "smove" - which is a great parallel to the smoosiers found here every day… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on April 21, 2009 at 10:07pm — No Comments

What's In It For Me?

I’ve been writing a series on the culture and the spirit of company policies; particularly, the policies that are included in an employee handbook. I think there are many factors that impact the culture of a business, but policy is CERTAINLY one of them. Employees, like children (no disrespect intended to either group), just want to know the rules, how far they can bend them and what happens if they break the rules. However, similarly, they also like to know what they are going to get as part of… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on April 10, 2009 at 2:07pm — No Comments

To Work or Not to Work (as a momma)

Once upon a time, I was the director for a nationally owned child care center. Since leaving that position, I find myself having conversations with new parents or soon-to-be parents that are curious about the insider scoop. So here is the start of some scoop… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on April 9, 2009 at 3:00pm — No Comments

Staying out of Trouble

You, as the business owner, need to stay out of trouble. You have enough to do in the daily operations of the business, you don’t need unnecessary drama. Employee manuals, as I have said before, are designed to establish guidelines and expectations for employees. But, there is a certain protective nature to them as well – protective of the business, that it. Four policies that cover key aspects of protection for the business owner… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on April 8, 2009 at 11:13am — No Comments

Rules of the (Big Kid) Sandbox - part one

There are a few policies, or rules of the sandbox, that every company must communicate and enforce. These are the ones dictated by the government. Truthfully, I find that these are the least communicated and enforced policies, and therefore are most often misunderstood. (Click here to read more about these big kid rules.) Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on April 6, 2009 at 9:57am — No Comments

Misunderstood HR

HR folks are so misunderstood. Often HR is associated with one of two things: hiring and firing. And while the HR department of every office/company will handle these things, there is so much more that goes into the HUMAN RESOURCES of a company. A business cannot grow and flourish without people (a.k.a. “humans”). They (these humans, I speak of) are the supply of energy, ability, and skill that make it possible to function each day (here come the “resources”). So of course, when managing these… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on March 16, 2009 at 11:30am — 1 Comment

More about MS Awareness Week

Yesterday, Laina Molaski posted about MS Awareness week. I have had the chance, as an Ambassador for the National MS Society, to talk with the local Indiana chapter about great things happening in the quest to share the stories of MS and increase awareness about the disease. There is a great song that was written in honor of the fight for MS... I have added the lyrics as text and a link to the song on my blog… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on March 6, 2009 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Reference Checks on LinkedIn?

Yesterday I received a request to connect with a client on LinkedIn. For some reason I was drawn to the bottom of the message where I read: "DID YOU KNOW you can conduct a more credible and powerful reference check using LinkedIn? Enter the company name and years of employment or the prospective employee to find their colleagues that are also in your network. This provides you with a more balanced set of feedback to evaluate that new hire. " As an HR consultant, we often speak to businesses ab… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on March 3, 2009 at 8:00am — 6 Comments

Does ‘this guy’ work for you?

At a recent seminar, I fielded a question that comes at me often: “How can I fire ‘this guy’ that just isn’t working out?” As I began to probe into the situation, there were numerous events that led the business owner to feel that ‘this guy’ was not the best person for the job: showed u… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on February 17, 2009 at 9:45pm — 2 Comments

Your Ad Cost What?! Cost Effective Ways to Find Quality People

I’ve discussed what to look for in an employee and where to look for the perfect addition to your team. However, somehow you have to get the word out to the places you think you will find him/her. There are a multitude of places to put your ad, but what will be most cost effective? I recently read Laurie Ruettimann’s post on Punk Rock HR FAQ: Resumes & Networking where she discusses the value of one’s resume and the importance… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on January 20, 2009 at 8:00am — No Comments

Where Do You Find What You are Looking For?

In my last post I began discussing practical tips to find good employees. Many of you are looking for new talent for your team and finding the right fit is a challenge with the influx of candidates. Specifically, I challenged you to define EXACTLY what you are looking for. Here, I am sharing the first of two posts about where to find your next employee. There are two things to consider – 1) where he/she will be found and 2) what is cost effective for your business. Look at your list of what you… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on January 8, 2009 at 10:03pm — No Comments

Are You Getting What You Want?

Despite the doom and gloom message all around us (thank you TV, radio, newspapers, anyone else focusing on the negatives…), a lot of businesses are growing and so is their workforce. However, since there have been a few more people propelled into unemployment recently, the candidates looking for jobs seem to be everywhere. I would like to offer, over the next few posts, some practical tips for business owners who are hiring on how to navigate the sea of resumes that flood in when searching for… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on January 6, 2009 at 2:32pm — No Comments

The Culture of Your Workplace

In a season when companies plan “holiday” parties, send well wishes at this “holiday” time, and give gifts of “appreciation”, this is a good time to discuss the place of culture and religion and spirituality in the workplace. We all know, in a law suit happy society, talking about religion in the workplace can be a source of frustration. Many business owners take one of two opinions on the topic: “Don’t ever talk about religion, I don’t want to deal with the threat of discrimination.” or “This… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on December 11, 2008 at 3:20pm — No Comments

What makes a good consultant?

As a practicing consultant, I am often asked about what I actually consult. So many businesses have worked with consultants who are pushing a particular agenda – which, in my humble opinion, does not make one a consultant. (Rather, I think that makes one a sales person.) Others have worked with consultants who seem to have only one view of their subject matter. Not really a consultant either. Still more businesses owners are meeting consultants that have recently transitioned into their current… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on December 9, 2008 at 4:24pm — 2 Comments

Is it worth checking?

Communicating expectations is a regular part of every manager’s quest to increase and maintain employee efficiency. Surely, you have set some type of expectation for your employees. But how recently have you checked to see if they have met your expectations? If it is worth expecting, it is worth checking. Here’s why… One of our clients runs a preschool. At her preschool, it is the expectation that teachers put things away in the closets in a standard, uniform, and organized manner so when ano… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on November 17, 2008 at 10:42pm — No Comments

What Motivates You?

We work with many businesses in many industries - but the one common denominator is that they all have employees. With each of those employees, each manager is charged with the responsiblity to motivate and inspire in order that each person meet his/her potential. However, before you can address someone else's motivation - you must know your own... Do you? As a way to generate some interesting dialogue (if not, at least interesting posts) - tell us what motivates you. What… Continue

Added by Mandy Cooley on September 15, 2008 at 2:28pm — 4 Comments

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