Dulye & Co. blogs

How to Make Yourself Memorable in a Distracted Workplace

Linda Dulye — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:03:34 +0000

This time of the year, the media is on overflow with advice columns for college grads about standing out from the pack during job searches and interviews. And for good reason, an estimated 1.7 million U.S. college graduates are readying to enter the job market.

That’s even more competition for getting attention in a workplace that is increasingly distracted. Standing out and being memorable is far from a requirement for tassel-turners. It’s the challenge-du-jour for seasoned workers, regardless of level or industry.

Being memorable makes things happen—for you and your workplace. People who captivate others’ attention and keep them thinking about them create a connection. That connection leads to dividends—a phone message from a traveling colleague that gets promptly returned, for example. An accepted lunch invitation from a busy client, or full participation at a team meeting that you are leading.

Nobody wants to be forgotten. But it takes work to register positively on others’ radar screens. Here are seven tips to help make you simply unforgettable:

No. 1: Have a face. If you can’t be there face-to-face for an interview, use virtual and social media to convey who YOU are through a photograph, Skype or LinkedIn entry. We live in a very visual world. Seeing someone helps create a memory and a lasting impression.

Get Rid of Stale Survey Data With Instant Insight ™

Linda Dulye — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:49:54 +0000

What’s keeping your workforce from giving their best?

You can’t afford to wait 12 months for an employee survey to tell you. Rapidly gauge the attitude and actions of your organization with Dulye & Co.'s Instant Insight™.

This unique measurement program goes beyond any survey software by delivering hard results, simple analysis and actionable approaches for improving performance lags. No lost time on cumbersome analytics, demographic sorts and statistical reviews.

Engage Employees to Give Their Best

Linda Dulye — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:15:34 +0000

Employee engagement looms large as a challenge facing all organizations, big or small. For the past two years, “keeping employees engaged” was rated as the most significant workplace challenge by nearly 800 global business leaders in a major industry study.

Now, as the job market and economy rebound, concerns are growing not only about engaging employees to give their best, but retaining those employees that you spent time engaging. So, with all of this in mind, I lead a webinar this week on “How to Engage Employees to Give Their Best,” – and it really struck a nerve.

Engage Employees to Give Their Best

Linda Dulye — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:52:28 +0000

Thank you to everyone who attended the Engage Employees to Give Their Best webinar!

We would like to provide you with a complimentary consulting session on creating a Specator-Free Workplace where employees will go above and beyond. If you are interested in the complimentary session, or have any questions about the topics covered in the webinar, please contact Roger Gibboni at rgibboni@dulye.com / 845-987-7744.

Don’t Go Down Like the Titanic in Your Next Job Interview

Linda Dulye — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:35:35 +0000

Over the last few years, many have compared the U.S. economy to the Titanic – headed straight for an iceberg – and ultimately disaster. But despite all of the ups and downs, business leaders remain optimistic about the economic prospects in the year ahead.

In a new survey by Chase Commercial Banking, more than half of the senior financial decision makers polled at 1,000 U.S. companies said they plan to hire more workers.

Great news for current or soon-to-be job hunters. But are you ready for the big interview?

The Cost of Missed Opportunities

Linda Dulye — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:39:25 +0000

As an avid Syracuse University athletics fan, I’m still smarting over the loss of our men’s basketball team in the NCAA Elite 8 tournament. There were many missed opportunities in rebounding and shooting that snarled players’ performance. In the end, those missed opportunities cost the team a big game.

That’s not strictly a sports story. Missed opportunities play havoc as well in business. Indecision, or, not taking the opportunity to make a decision, has its own costs – and those costs sometimes exceed that of an even bad decision.

As consultants, clients often come to us to help them make a decision. They invest time and money in our services. We collect data, make recommendations and create action plans. Sometimes, despite the investment of time, money, and compelling research, a client elects to do nothing. Among their reasons: “It’s not the right time because we’ve got so much on our plates,” they tell us. “Let’s wait until after the executives’ offsite meeting,” they say. The bottom line: It’s a missed opportunity. And there’s always a cost to the organization.

Read more: http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/legal-hr/2012/03/28/missed-opportunities/#ixzz1qQk5kbfM

How to Use March Madness for Small Talk With Employees

Linda Dulye — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:32:00 +0000

March Madness is here and has taken hold of workplaces, large and small. It’s a rarity to find an office associate – whether on the loading dock or rug row – who’s not pulling up online scores and checking over their brackets. Even the Oval Office has a March Madness pool.

Most likely you’ve heard of the productivity stranglehold of this hoops hoopla. One major study estimates this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will result in 8.4 million hours of lost productivity among U.S. workers.

Oscar-Winning Film, The Artist, Inspires Us to Really Listen

Linda Dulye — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:43:01 +0000

At 100 minutes, the Oscar-winning Best Picture, The Artist, may be the ultimate practice session for improving your listening skills. I’m sure you’ve heard by now that it’s a silent movie – an extraordinary resource for training to listen with your eyes and zoning in on non-verbal cues.

Watching this brilliant black and white film requires fixed focus on the actors – their facial expressions, hand gestures and body movements – to fully comprehend the storyline.

And the same applies when it comes to communication at the office.

Get on the ‘Linsanity’ Wagon and Up Your Game

Linda Dulye — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:19:35 +0000

Even if you’re not a sports fan – it’s hard not to know about Jeremy Lin. The New York Knicks point guard has spawned a fanatical following dubbed “Linsanity” that has taken over The Big Apple, the country and points well beyond.

Lin’s on-the-court performance this month has been insanely stellar. In less than a week, he sealed a Knicks Valentine’s Day-victory with a last-second (actually, .5 second) three-pointer. Twenty-four hours later, he helped the Knicks’ winning streak climb to seven games. Over the weekend, a disappointing February 17 loss against New Orleans proved to be a small bump in the road—because Lin rebounded with a 28-point performance against the Mavericks two days later and moved the victory needle another notch. The Knicks have won eight of their last nine games—and Lin has netted 20 or more points in all but one of those games.

Is Communication MIA in Your 2012 Business Plan?

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:42:22 +0000

I had a call with a business leader last week to talk about the business horizon for 2012.

It was the first time I had spoken with this leader, who heads manufacturing operations at a major global company. One of the things I wanted to know about was his business plan for the new year. He immediately started talking about safety, quality and some other operational goals, which was expected. After a few minutes, I asked him where communications fit into the business plan and he responded that it didn’t.

It was just assumed.

The truth is, it was absent. And, the leader’s company is headed for a 2012 of dramatic upheavals in workflow and workforce reductions. Visible, painful changes will hit just about every department and level. And yet, missing in action is a game plan for openly, regularly and consistently talking about what’s happening, why it’s happening and what people need to do to stay focused and work together.