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In This Issue
Some analysts predict that a large number of employers will terminate their health plans in 2014 and simply pay the annual penalty of $2,000 per employee.
After all, they argue, employers’ health plan costs will only continue to rise, and the fines will be relatively modest compared to what it will cost to continue providing coverage. Additionally, there will be exchanges where insurers must accept everyone, so employers who terminate their plans will not be banishing their less-healthy employees to the ranks of the uninsured. All of this, they project, will make the prospect of getting out of the health insurance game irresistible to many employers. Read More
Communication is about content and delivery, fifty-fifty. But when it comes to leadership, it’s all about the delivery. Of course what you say matters, but how you say it, how you relate to folks, is what differentiates great leaders from the pack.
That means you can have innovative ideas, indeed you must, but if you can’t deliver them in a way that connects with people and relates to them in a meaningful way, you won’t get results. Read More
A bipartisan pair of lawmakers have introduced a bill that aims to ensure better tax compliance on the part of professional employer organizations and protect small businesses.
Congressmen Kevin Brady, R-Texas, and Mike Thompson, D-Calif., introduced H.R. 2466, the Small Business Efficiency Act of 2011, on Friday. The bill would provide clear rules for professional employer organizations that are voluntarily certified by the Internal Revenue Service to collect and pay federal employment taxes for their small business clients. The legislation will provide certainty for small businesses that use certified PEO services and allow employers to focus on their core business, not government paperwork.
“America’s economic recovery depends upon our small businesses being able to Read More
When it comes to creating a productive office environment—it’s more than just four walls. Check out this interesting article on the top office distractions that may be affecting your employee's productivity levels. Read More
Everyone likes to get a pat on the back for a job well done—especially if that pat includes some type of bonus or other financial compensation or recognition before colleagues. Businesses often face the dilemma of wanting to recognize employees' efforts and performance, but during difficult financial times they may have very limited budgetary resources to do so. However, rewarding employees and motivating performance does not always require a tremendous outlay of money. You may be surprised to learn that if you were to ask some of your employees they may actually prefer other types of recognition. Read More
If you fancy yourself a PC power user, you know how valuable it is to keep your hands on the keyboard. Constantly switching between typing and mousing can really slow you down when you're powering through that TPS report.
Lucky for you, the wizards at Microsoft have built some time-saving (if little-known) keyboard shortcuts into their operating systems over the years, with some really handy ones gracing Windows 7 and most modern Web browsers. Read More
Fifty-four percent of American adults say they won't take a vacation this summer, according to a Rasmussen poll taken in May. And it can be particularly tough for entrepreneurs who are the lifeblood of their businesses. American Express released a survey in May that concluded that, while 67 percent of small business owners took a vacation in 2006, only 46 percent plan to do so this year.
A deep freeze has not destroyed the crop of pina colada ingredients, nor have trade union disputes led to a shortage of tiny parasols to adorn the tops of coco frios. Rather, small business owners tend to push themselves even beyond their limits, says Craig Jennings, a serial entrepreneur and regular vacationer. "Self-employed people are absolutely relentless.” Read More
No matter how you might try to avoid them, at some point in your career you will need to have difficult conversations with your boss. It might be asking for a raise, delivering bad news or explaining you can't get all of your assignments completed. How you handle these conversations can make the difference between a positive or negative outcome.
Jodi Glickman, a former Goldman Sachs investment banker and founder of Great on the Job LLC, has written a new book, Great on the Job, which delves into how to have an effective communication strategy at work. She provides step-by-step guidelines on handling tricky situations. Read More
Building a customer relationship is a fundamentally different process from making a sale. Yes, selling may be part of the process but when it’s done right, relationship building is about creating a long-term connection, even if it means not making a sale today. Here are some quick rules for relationship building. Read More
Know It To Win It
July's contest question is the following:
Give an example on how to increase your self-awareness.
Send the correct answer to eESINews@eesipeo.com within 5 business days from the PeopleTalk release date and you will be entered into a drawing for a prize. Following the drawing, we will contact the winner to verify their contact information and reveal the prize for delivery.
Remember, please send your answer to eESINews@eesipeo.com
In addition, if you know someone who would like to start participating in the PeopleTalk / Know It to Win It contest, have them enter their winning answer too.
Good Luck to All!
If you missed a previous release or simply want to review an article of interest, all our PeopleTalk newsletters have been archived. Read More
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25 Money Saving Tips for Small Business
In the current economic climate, everyone is attempting to ‘tighten their belt’ and save money. For small businesses, it isn’t just a matter of lowering expenses, but actual survival. Although especially effective for small business, these money saving tips can be applied to any size business and some may even help you at home as well.
1. Laptop computers can sometimes be used instead of standard desktop computers and consume approximately 90 percent less energy. Whenever possible, have your employees use laptops.
2. Review your phone usage and research ways to reduce this necessary expense. Whether you reduce the number of phone lines, change your plan or replace your current service with an internet based service such as VoIP, there are a variety of ways to lower your phone bill without it affecting your clientele.
3. Save the monthly fees and statement fees that your merchant account charges by switching to an online service like PayPal. These online plans do have specific “per transaction” fees, so analyze your account activity before making the switch.
4. Printer ink can often be an extremely high line item in your budget. Review different ways to save, whether it is buying in bulk or using recycled printer cartridges.
5. As stated previously, printer ink is expensive so share printers. Have your employees share their computer printers, reducing your utility expenses while also using less ink.
6. Remember what your parents always told you and turn out the lights. By turning out the lights in unused areas of the office or having motion sensor lights installed, you can see dramatic decreases in your utility bill.
7. Use the internet whenever possible. From sales calls to business conferences, there are a variety of internet-based technologies, such as Microsoft Office Live Meeting, that can provide you with low cost ways to negotiate with clients. Additionally, there are free web conferencing tools such as Zoho Meeting, which can lead to tremendous productivity.
8. Review your weekly spending. Are you purchasing office supplies once a week? Try buying in bulk once a month.
9. Do you have unused office space? If so, investigate the possibility of subletting the space. Sharing the rent and not paying for unused space are two very good reasons to discuss it with your landlord.
10. When looking for seasonal or general office staff, look into hiring students or working with a college for internship opportunities. College interns receive college credit while they work in your office, reducing your payroll and increasing your productivity.
To continue with 11-25, click here...
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Lower Your Stress Level: Lessons From Baboons
In a National Geographic video documentary, “Stress: Portrait of a Killer,” Stanford University neurobiologist Dr. Robert Sapolsky shows us the effect of stress on our bodies. The stress response is critical to our survival, as for example when we run away from a physical danger. What is interesting is that we turn on the exact same stress response for purely psychological states: thinking about our job, the taxes we have to pay, or a 30-year mortgage.
“The key difference,” says Dr. Sapolski, “is we are not doing it for a real physiological reason and we are doing it non-stop.” So by not turning off the stress response for “life’s traffic jams,” we secrete the same corrosive hormones, and after a while, the stress response is more damaging than the stress itself. Chronic stress undermines our immune system, clogs our arteries, restricts blood flow and kills brain cells which affects learning and memory. If you have ever doubted the effects of stress on your body, this documentary will dispel them.
In studying wild baboons for the past 30 years, Dr. Sapolsky reports that these primates organize themselves into distinct social hierarchies and subject one another to social stress. The stress increases blood pressure, damaging artery walls in low-ranking baboons. The research also discovered that the same applies to humans.
Our standing in the social hierarchy can produce high stress hormones—subordinates, for example, are more subject to the harmful effects of stress. “Feeling” low-ranking is also detrimental to our health. This is tied primarily to a lack of control and predictability the lower we are in the corporate food chain.
New findings also show that stress shortens the genetic structures, called telomeres, which protect the ends of our chromosomes from fraying. The shortening of the telomeres accelerates the aging process in low ranking baboons, and the same happens in humans who are chronically stressed.
While we cannot eliminate stress from our lives, there is a lot we can do to minimize its effects. Here are some tips to help you:
1. Pursue interests outside your job
If your job provides you with little control, consider involving yourself in outside interests where you can thrive and be in control. You can be the captain of a soccer team, the president of a Toastmasters club, the organizer of a volunteer group, or the strata council chairman. Your job description does not define who you are as a human being. You are infinitely greater than that.
2. Practice a relaxation method on a regular basis
We all have in our power the ability to lower our stress level by choosing a stress management technique such as mindful reflection or a favorite hobby. An example of a relaxation response that is considered highly effective is the method developed by Dr. Herbert Benson of the Harvard Medical School. The important thing to remember is that whatever method you choose, it needs to be done on a regular basis.
3. Abandon the notion that being super-busy is cool
We have evolved into a society that sees multi-tasking with an ever-increasing number of gadgets, a packed calendar and popularity based on number of responses to our blog as an indication of status. Valuing more serenity and a less frenetic approach, is, in fact, the smarter choice for our brain and our heart.
4. Strengthen social bonds
We build a reserve when we forge positive relationships with family, friends, colleagues and neighbors. The same also applies to our online networks. Don’t solely focus on your closest circle of friends; cast a wide net of friendly and supportive relationships. Consider, for example, using LinkedIn to reconnect with former colleagues or even classmates. Join a special interest group where you bond with others in a common interest. These ties strengthen us and replenish our emotional bank accounts.
5. Work on developing a calm demeanor
Stress doesn’t affect everyone in the same way. Science has proven that some personalities are more prone to the devastating effects of stress. As this video,“Dealing with Stress” by the BBC shows, a baboon or human who is a Type A personality is more susceptible to illness and premature death.
If you are not sure whether or not you are a Type A, take this test from Psychology Today. If you are a Type A, work on being more patient and consider tempering your approach to perfectionism and to being a workaholic to the point of excess. This is not a suggestion to do poor quality work; it is a suggestion to use wisdom in deciphering what truly matters and to use moderation so that you can thrive for the long haul.
6. Be an empowering leader
If you lead a team, consider the health effects of micro-managing subordinates. Share important information, give latitude and control, give people a say in what goes on and show appreciation. We all know this, but approaching these leadership practices from the point of view of the employee’s physical health makes empowerment more imperative.
Empowering employees also makes business sense. For example, customers today have a great deal of power in their hands thanks to technologies such as social media, mobile devices and cloud computing. The way we do business is changing. You need empowered employees who can respond and interact with these empowered customers. In their book, Empowered: Unleash Your Employees, Energize Your Customers, and Transform Your Business, Josh Bernoff and Ted Schadler dub these new breed of employees as HEROS, which is an acronym for “Highly Empowered Resourceful Operatives.” The book will give you a roadmap and tools on how to create an organizational culture that nurtures and takes advantage of the value that HEROs bring to your business.
7. Take responsibility for your team’s mental well-being
Studies show that working for a bad boss can increase our risk of stroke by 33 percent. Evaluate the leadership skills of the people you put in charge of others, and if there are some that don’t encourage the heart, help them improve this aspect of their leadership. If you team has an aggressive, non-caring office “baboon,” don’t allow that person to control the stress thermostat for everyone else in the team.
8. Maintain a hopeful perspective
Expect a positive personal future. As Warren Buffet recently said: “We take our body blows from time to time, but this country always comes through.” When we maintain hope, we are more prone to put forth a greater effort which raises the odds that we will be successful. Hope is an energizing tonic and an anti-dote to stressful thoughts.
If each one of us, on a daily basis, works to minimize the harmful effects of stress not only for ourselves, but for those who come in contact with us, we would be creating a better world—one that is characterized by civility and kindness. “Kindness,” said Goethe, “is the golden chain by which society is bound together.” This is one great differentiator between us and the baboons.
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