It’s a great time to teach business concepts

As employees watch the public markets ride a rollercoaster, leaders are presented with a tremendous opportunity to focus employees on their own business. If you are committed to building a workplace where employees can think and act like owners, you know that apathy can rule. In these uncertain times, people are paying attention. Perhaps you have heard some of these questions.

“Do the changes in the stock market affect our business?”
Now is a good time to focus energy on things employees can control and eliminate distraction by things people can not control.

“What if there is a big crunch in the credit markets?”
Firms that effectively manage cash can do better in difficult times. This may be just the time to deepen understanding about how terms, collections, and inventory management impact your business.

“What if our customers are affected by the economy?”
When even leaders don’t know the full answer to the question, it is a great time to refocus on the basics of what you believe drives success in your business.

A modest investment in business education now – when people are focused on financial issues – can build the kind of foundation of shared understanding that is essential for a sustaining culture of ownership.

Below are a few of the services that Workplace Development provides clients to enhance the development of business literacy among ESOP participants.

• Tools to communicate about performance.
  We provide client companies with custom tools -- emails, payroll stuffers, electronic communication, business education or written business updates -- that “tell your unique business story.” In many cases we can provide you with custom tools in less than 10 days.
• Connect job performance to company success.
  Our organizational coaching can help you to create the environment where business education is “built-in” to your routine communication. We help you to make your critical measures come alive through both business education and systematic approach to communicating about performance.

Call Cathy Ivancic at 330-896-7285 or for more information about our business education services.

Topics for challenging times

How can employees influence our company stock value?

How do we make money?

Our ESOP value and the public market

Comparing 401(k) and our ESOP

Cash management: Our secret weapon for tough times

Recent comments from participants about our business education approach ...

“Great instructor! Engaging, knowledgeable and entertaining.”

“Great presentation, very knowledgeable”

“Excellent, keeps your interest high, engaging and fun”

“Passion!! Passion!! Passion!!”

“Great program”