Issue 212

March 
2007

publisher:
Gail Johnson

 

 Orientation:
Process or Event?

 

  "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."
 ~Will Rogers
         
 
Congratulations! You finally hired someone for that position you've been wanting and waiting for. Whew! Right?...Wrong! Now you have to put at ease those "new employee anxieties." You know...answer all the unspoken questions in your new employee's head:  What am I doing here?What do they expect of me? Who can I go to for help? Will I fit in?
 
Orientation seems so complicated and for some of us is so daunting that we skip it--expect for the steps Human Resources makes us take. This article isn't about the HR function of orientation--an event that happens one time. I'm talking about the ongoing process that accomplishes two important objectives:
  • Makes the employee want to return
  • Makes you want them to return
I could speak at length about training--because that's what I do; but orientation can be simplified, if we think about it as the "vowels" of your organization: A-E-I-O-U and sometimes Y. Allow me to explain:
 
A -- achieve success The new employee should achieve some quick successes on the job from the very first day. Failure is a demotivator and you want her/him to return the second day feeling like he/she can be successful here.
 
E--expectations should be clearly and honestly stated. Don't take short cuts here, cover everything you can think of from dress to behavior to confidentiality. (Some men don't know pajama bottoms aren't acceptable on casual Friday and some women don't know that while earrings dangling are attractive, navel rings dangling are not.)
 
I--invite the new employee in; make them feel welcome, prepared for, expected. (Name tags should be ready, their computer should already be set-up and log-ins ready, plan for someone to have lunch with them on their first day and tell them about it, make certain you--or someone you've assigned--checks in at the end of the day to see how it went, etc.)
 
O--overstate the obvious. This is a sub-set of clear, honest expectations. Reiterate that breaks are 15 minutes, lunch 30 minutes, as well as start and stop times.  (Inform them if start time is 8:30 a.m. that you expect them to be at their desk/workstation ready to go at 8:30 a.m.)
 
U--uphold your end of the responsibility. The employee made a commitment to your organization, you need to do the same. If you say you'll check in later in the day--do it. If you say you communicate best through email--respond to their email.
 
Y--you! It may seem to simple to state--but I'll risk it anyway. Employees want access to you. Yes, busy, too much work on your plate, hired others to take care of this--you.
 
Orientation is the first glance your new employee has to see that you are an organization that does what you say you will do. Employees need to know from day one how they fit in. They need to feel welcome, needed, and successful. Your job is create an atmosphere in which this can happen. Make this first impression a great one--remember Will Rogers words--you won't get a second chance.


Camp-Tastic!
--by Pam R Parr
 
Give me a C! Give me an A! Give me an M! Give me a P! What does it spell? CAMP! And you know what that means--another group of “green beans” working with our best customers’ kids and these “green beans” don’t have a clue!

 

Gail and I love campers.  We love day campers and overnight campers; we love the adventure seekers and the arts and crafts gurus; we love sports campers and computer campers--campers of all ages, interests, and abilities. Why, you ask? Because without campers our Camp Staff Orientation program would meet the same fate as the Maytag repairman!

 

We call our fun, fast-paced, interactive workshop Camp-Tastic. We think you’ll call it “Dead on Target.” We cover topics such as appropriate and inappropriate language, appearance and conversations; how to deal with difficult parents and coworkers; responsibilities as a team member and much more. Our program lets you concentrate on the culture and procedures specific to your camp and leave the “tough” topics to us. If you want more details or need to reserve a date please call us at 630-554-9301 or email us at johnsong@face2facetraining.com

 

 Oh, speaking of camps, I almost forgot! We will be speaking to the Young Professionals ACA-IL on March 22 (http://www.acayp.org) and then the American Camp Association Midstates Conference, April 12th in St. Charles at Pheasant run Resort (http://www.acamidstates.org/leadership.php#Johnson) presenting our Management Workshop called “Who Said management can’t be fun.” So sign up and come join us. You’ll have some fun, interact with your peers and have an opportunity to look at management in a different way. (If you email us and let us know you found out about the ACA workshop through our website, we’ll buy your lunch for the day!) Hope to see you there!

 

Check out our website for other public appearanceshttp://www.face2facetraining.com/appearances.htm.
Until next time….

 

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
 
Edited by: Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

 

Economist Steven Levitt has a different way of looking at events and behaviors that make them less mysterious and more transparent. The things he looks at are not complex or unusual, but rather ordinary.

 

It is precisely in the ordinary that Levitt finds the extraordinary--that's the "freaky" part; his ability to sort facts in a fresh way.

 

Levitt asks: Which more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do sumo wrestlers and schoolteachers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? If these questions fascinate you, the answers will astound you.

 

The twist, for me, is the lessons we can learn for our organizations. There is always an explanation for what is happening...we simply have to sort the facts in a fresh way. We need to take a page (or several dozen) from Levitt and take the politics and suppositions out of our observations and simply look at the facts. Freaky, huh?




 
April 12
American Camping Association MidStates Conference (Pheasant Run)
May 18
Reaching Forward Conference (Rosemont)
May 16, 23, 30
Public Seminar
Customer Service Series (Chicago)
June 23-24
American Library Association Annual Conference (Washington, DC)
 CONNECT & GROW is an interactive newsletter for business professionals who value commitment and passion in their professional and personal lives.

If you found something of interest in this newsletter, please forward it (in its entirety, please) to a friend or colleague.

 The focus of CONNECT & GROW is to provide brief insights into the world of interpersonal business communication.  It is edited by Gail Johnson, founder of Face to Face Communications and Training.  For more information, a complementary consultation, or initial training assessment email  Gail   or visit our website