It looks (and feels) like summer has finally decided to kick into high gear, with temperatures consistently hovering around 90 degrees. Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of echoing your relatives who’ve retired to Arizona: “But it’s a dry heat!”
No, the heat is not dry here. In fact, during lunchtime this week the humidity index was 62%. I don’t know what that means except that combined with the heat, it’s the point at which I want to collapse on the sidewalk and lie in the fetal position.
And apparently, it’s the point at which three friends and I decided to walk the 330 steps up to the top of the Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument.
After eating lunch on the circle (I had a toasted Subway sandwich that was not toasted before I left the store), we made our way up. The top is anti-climactic to say the least, with no information plaques or quarter-operated telescopes or room to walk around or air that is not your friends’ recycled breath. Additionally, the sun beams in through large windows to create an environment much like an oven, wherein the only thing baking is the collective sweat of those unfortunate enough to have made the climb. Our stay was brief.
I had a good sweat going as I returned to the offices, and I became very appreciative of the AC that welcomed me.
I know there are plenty of businesses that aren’t so lucky, and I feel for those who have to deal with this heat on the job. But according to a research project in the UK, personal comfort isn’t all that declines when temperatures rise. The study revealed that heat makes 63% of workers sleepy and lethargic and that 59% admitted to being less productive.
So the next time you think you’re saving money by keeping the AC off, remember the findings from our friends across the pond and reconsider. Besides, you don’t want all your chums smelling like rubbish.
Thousands of dollars, probably millions, have been spent on books, tapes and seminars looking for the secret of customer service. I will spell it out here. The price: A few moments of time now, followed by several years of practice.
Satisfying our basic need for acronyms, I give you ACE: Attitude, Communication, Empowerment.
Attitude: A customer service representative needs to be predisposed to wanting to help. Their job is one of concierge, docent, problem solver, sounding board and an amalgamation of several other traits. This person cannot take anything personal, but must personalize the customer and care for them as a person. This is a hard balance to strike and not all of us are capable of it.
Communication: There is such a thing as too much information. There is no such thing as too much communication. Return calls, return e-mails – answer the phone when it rings. Sounds simple, because it is. Never wait to deliver bad news. Tell the customer you still don’t have the complete answer, let them know what you do know. Never avoid a chance to talk to someone.
Empowerment: The customer service representative needs to be able to institute solutions. There cannot be any hiding behind policy. Policies are guiding lights, not the path. All customers are unique. Their situations are unique. Your staff must be able to respond accordingly and quickly.
There you have it, for free. The true price lies in the implementation.
The U.S. Chamber offers an interesting post regarding education in the United States.
The author surmises:
Particularly in highly technical fields, such as computer science, private training is often tailored to the specific needs of a company or niche industry. While earning a masters degree might provide one with a broad foundation of knowledge and skills, it is almost always necessary to have that training be finely tuned to the needs of their employers. Regardless of where the training takes place, it becomes a marketable skill for the employee to take elsewhere … According to the 2008 Corporate Learning Factbook, the business community is subsidizing this educational enrichment to the tune of $58.5 billion each year, mirroring the federal government’s investment in education.
In related news, check out the Ready Indiana program to see how the Indiana Chamber is helping the business community make the right connections for workforce training needs.
So what do you think? Has the educational ceiling in America been reached? Is this an indictment of public education or just an inevitable paradigm shift? What, if anything, should be done to change it?
A corporate wellness program (learn more about wellness at the Chamber’s Business of Health web site) is a great tool to improve employee health/performance, reduce health insurance costs and recruit/retain young talent. At the Indiana Chamber, we are in the second year of our program. I’d like to share a few of our initiatives for you to consider at your workplace:
1. Annual health screenings and flu shots
2. Walking Club – Tuesday, Thursday at 11:30
3. Yoga – Monday during the lunch hour
4. Guest speakers - motivation, nutrition, healthy cooking and exercise
5. Wellness Wednesday – free healthy snacks for staff members
6. Corporate health club membership - educational material and discounts for staff members
7. Chamber-sponsored kickball team
8. After hours functions – bike ride on the Monon Trail, hiking at Brown County and basketball games
9. Monthly wellness newsletter
Our wellness points rewards system offers up to two additional wellness days each year if the employee reaches a certain point threshold every six months. The top point recipients receive wellness days and gift cards to health food outlets.
If you find these to provide great returns for your company, feel free to buy me lunch. And, no, a deep-fried Snickers from the State Fair is not acceptable.
Talk about a good news, bad news scenario. That’s the situation with the second of the Chamber’s Letters to Our Leaders — the relationship between economic development and issues regarding energy and the environment.
The history: Indiana’s low-cost, reliable energy supplies have been a major benefit in attracting business investment. Whether at work or at home, we simply expect the water to flow when we turn on the tap and the electricity to come on when we flip the switch.
The future: as our state continues to grow (which we all want and need), the pressure on those supplies is increased. Are the resources going to be in short supply tomorrow, next month or next year? Probably not. The bad news terminology is probably an exaggeration; it’s more of a warning that we better have a long-term plan in place to take full advantage of future opportunities.
Mixing new energy resources with clean coal technology, conservation and more are part of the mix. Our message: Let’s start that planning now, so we don’t pay (in the form of shortages and usage limitations) later.
Read the letter; view the one-minute video summary below. Share your opinions.
By the time this post reaches the blogosphere, I’ll be out of the country in scenic Canada in search of tasty walleye, trophy northern pike, and possibly to put my name on a waiting list to see a doctor should I fall ill during our 2009 trip.
Yet while the gas price fiasco may be adding more costs to this summer’s excursion, it seems employers in Canada’s neighbor to the South are taking steps to ease the fuel burden on their employees. Here’s a post from Compensation Force explaining how Minnesota’s businesses are adjusting to gas prices.
There’s no questioning that the creation of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) has provided a major lift to Indiana’s business attraction and expansion efforts. Now the public-private organization is able to utilize some extra talking points with others taking notice of the state’s improved business climate and performance.
News of the CNBC survey (Indiana making the largest improvement nationwide from 26th to 13th overall with top 10 rankings in business friendliness, transportation and cost of doing business) traveled fast last week. Low business costs (especially compared to Midwest neighbors) were also cited in Forbes and Milken Institute reports. The IEDC has more in its Why Indiana section.
The state, and all those who made it possible, deserves credit for the improved performance. Fortunately, we know no one is going to be satisfied until we’re topping the various polls, lists and surveys. Indiana improved in eight of 10 categories in the CNBC tally, but moving from 48th to 37th in economy (I’d place us a little higher than that seeing the struggles elsewhere) certainly leaves room for more.
Other states, of course, aren’t standing still. We’ve got to continue to meet the education and workforce challenges, among others, to keep up and maintain the progress. That’s the impetus behind the Chamber’s Letters to Our Leaders and continuing to work with all involved for the benefit of our state’s employers and their employees.
Thousands of dollars, probably millions, have been spent on books, tapes and seminars looking for the secret of customer service. I will spell it out here. The price: A few moments of time now, followed by several years of practice.
The U.S. Chamber offers an 
A corporate wellness program (learn more about wellness at the Chamber’s 
Talk about a good news, bad news scenario. That’s the situation with the second of the Chamber’s Letters to Our Leaders — the relationship between economic development and issues regarding energy and the environment.
By the time this post reaches the blogosphere, I’ll be out of the country in scenic Canada in search of tasty walleye, trophy northern pike, and possibly to put my name on a waiting list to see a doctor should I fall ill during our 2009 trip.
There’s no questioning that the creation of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) has provided a major lift to Indiana’s business attraction and expansion efforts. Now the public-private organization is able to utilize some extra talking points with others taking notice of the state’s improved business climate and performance.
