Policies that Increase Labor Demans

I was at a great seminar this week sponsored by CALED - Keys to Successful Economic Development. Bruce Stenslie of Ventura County made a nice point about workforce development, identifying that there are TWO ways to increase workforce/job expansion, one is to increase labor SUPPLY -- i.e. to produce more and better trained workers, the other is to increase labor DEMAND by being more innovative in job situations, benefits, perqs so as to increase the worker's interest in going to these jobs. With the common complaints these days about the Gen X/Millennial workers, this is a place of great opportunity. Work from home situations, family involvement, child care resources, advanced training opportunities, team contributions, a vision of the big picture -- all of these opportunities will increase a business' supply of great workers and retain them to grow and prosper. With the turnover costs of hiring new employees at almost 7 times retention costs, figuring out how to make good workers want to be at your company is a boon. Also see Sac Bee yesterday on best 100 places to work, VSP of our fair city made the cut!

Gallup Management Journal explores what it takes to get top quality employees in today's tight market and it turns out that a good manager is better than more money! "Job seekers are slightly more likely to say that a quality manager (56%) or quality management (55%) is extremely important when looking for a job than they are to say the same about compensation."

http://gmj.gallup.com/content/103114/Job-Seekers-Ask-Whos-Boss.aspx

I was persuaded to take a job once by someone who promised me he'd be, "the best boss I ever had." And he was (so far.)

Especially with the next generation of workers, who value relationships and their own development more than putting in the time for the paycheck, "nearly half of job seekers say the opportunity to learn and grow, the opportunity for advancement, and earning promotions based on merit are extremely important when looking for a job."

And feedback about performance is especially important to workers, especially the ones who have the most potential to excel at your company. People who like to know thy are doing well are the ones who put in the effort to actually do well. Gallup notes, "employees are more likely to be engaged in their jobs if someone at work encourages their development, if someone talks with them about their progress, and if they have had opportunities in the past year at work to learn and grow."

Finally, the sense of purpose and commitment that comes from working with others and contributing to a greater goal encourages workers, and therefore company, success. "Similarly, more than 4 in 10 job seekers say the quality of their coworkers and a great work team are extremely important when applying for a job."

So focus on promoting to management people who are good managers, who can tell what motivates others, who aren't afraid to give feedback -- both praise and guidance -- and who focus on the fairness of merit based rewards.

Help for Managers of Non-Profits/Business Development Service Organizations

California Resources and Training -- CARAT -- is a non-profit organization designed to increase the effectiveness of business development organizations and support non-profit management expertise to increase service capacity through better management, increased funding and volunteer enhancement. http://www.caratnet.org/about.htm I work with many non-profit and service organizations --as well a a huge number of volunteer broad members of such organizations -- that are filled with people of great mind and heart for service without much support for the technical expertise of organizational development and strategic management of resources. CARAT provides training for non-profits, often Chambers of Commerce in management and resource development.

As part of CARAT's offerings, check out, The Free Nonprofit Micro-eMBA(SM): www.managementhelp.org/np_progs/org_dev.htm

This is Management Library's Free, Online Nonprofit Organization and Management Development Program. (Among many resources for management advice and support.)

Who Can Benefit From Program?

Nonprofit executives and board members seeking guidance to start a nonprofit or to firm up the foundation of an already established nonprofit. (And, from the lawyer's point of view...some protection against claims of Board mismanagement!)

Nonprofit service consultants and volunteers who desire understanding of nonprofit organizations, their systems and practices, in order to provide more effective community service.

Highly motivated learners who:- Have limited time and money- Prefer to schedule and locate their own learning experiences- Prefer highly practical results from programs.

Developed by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2007.Much of this program is based on materials adapted from the Nonprofit Capacity Building Toolkit(SM)and Field Guide to Consulting and Organizational Development.

Our Sense of Well-being and Economic Development

Over the long weekend it was apropos to read in the Sacramento Bee results of a survey that studied the public's sense of well-being. One's own sense of well-being and personal happiness does not always uptick even with large growth in personal income, and in fact a sense of well-being is not always tied to factual reality at all.

So there are things that matter more than money. And that gives public policymakers an opportunity to guide economic and other community development in a direction that would make people happier, more productive, and fold over into increasing our prosperity both economic and emotional.

The article cites a few of the questions asked of residents in 26 US cities the results of which could guide economic development and community planning in a more significant way to improve our lives on a wide spectrum of factors. Questions such as: Do you feel safe? Do you have confidence in your city's leadership? Is your city tolerant of people who are different? Would you tell a friend to move here?

Not just money, salary and taxes have an impact, but a community where people are emotionally engaged and attached to their homes, neighborhood, leadership, and future vision can help lower and keep talented workers, increase local investment, and rally support when difficult decisions face a community.

The article gives an interesting example of how to adjust our public policy based on the results of such a survey. For example, if people hate commuting and give a high priority to socializing with coworkers, as was found, then promoting carpooling creates a policy that can satisfy both needs thereby increasing people satisfaction and commitment.

Article: Thursday, November 22, 2007 page A15, by Frank Greve,fgreve@mcclatchydc.com.

The Hiring Process

I'm working with three high level, long career, professional people who are job hunting right now. The horror stories are incredible. With Internet submission of résumés, people infrequently get even any recognition that materials have been submitted; after discussing skill sets and expertise, employers will rarely illuminate for the candidate a "range" of what the expected salary might be; and then there are the formulaic questions repeated to each candidate, creating no opportunity to share information about actual skills, only skills of self-promotion.

And then there's the other side of the coin generation X -who has interests in and needs from their future employer that are very different from the needs expressed and sought by the previous employee generation.

Here is an interesting article discussing the message to then organizations and when it has a not very illuminating and perhaps even in net hiring process: http://www.governing.com/articles/10kmiller.htm

Local county buying foreclosed property

Check out Governing Magazine's October 2007 issue on page 11 discussing how Genesee County, Michigan has created a self-sustaining property tax fund of more than $8 million to allow the county to seize delinquent real estate property, pay back taxes, and repackage property for redevelopment or for re-sale.

The county created the Genesee County Land Bank which determines how to use property in the best interest of the community. The county land bank floated a $5,000,000 brownfield bond, a tax increment financing-based package. Working with community groups the Land Bank to demolish to abandon structures and developed single-family homes and affordable housing. It offered empty lots two adjacent property owners and rehab to single-family homes. In the interim the Land Bank mows lots and clears debris from properties it owns.

More information can be found at:http://www.governing.com/archive/2006/feb/finbrfs.txt

and for information about plans in Genesee County contact: Dan Kildee at 810-257-3024 or dkildee@sbcglobal.net.

Video Best Practices examples

That ICMA!

Here's a great example of using video to get out ideas for ED, especially if you use it to highlight the look and feel of projects that you hope to get approval for. Seems to me like this would also be good fro training videos for teaching -- like business growth and management basics, for example!

http://www.icmatv.com/video_library/?LGM=1

There's one about Sacramento's MATRIX program on customer services... Getting the Customer to Success City of Sacramento, California...
http://www.icmatv.com/video_library/?id=4&vid=152