Are Companies Following Marissa Mayer’s Management Footsteps?
Marissa Mayer is the new CEO at Yahoo.
She is instrumental in changing things whether its for the better is yet to be discovered. Her new rules are no working from home. If you did not want to work in the office then you do not want to keep your job. This did not go over very well with people who worked from home on their computers. They started to submit pleas for special circumstances but this rule is being strongly enforced.
Will other companies follow suit? Many people feel that it is a huge step backwards in productivity.
People develop management ideas from their backgrounds – in life, in family, in education. Telecommuting conflicts with what Marissa Mayer wants businesses to do. She is focusing her efforts more on technology and less on media. This bold move caused much scrutiny from outsiders as well. Those who have the luxury of being able to work from home started getting worried that their company might also consider limiting this practice.
Consider all of the pros and cons of Marissa Mayer’s management footsteps. There are people that are on both sides of this change.
Pros:
- Everyone will work together as a team if they see each other at work in person.
- There will be more interaction and sharing of ideas if they are in the office.
- Productivity may escalate if there are no at home distractions.
- It is simpler to have meetings to discuss specifics if everyone is there.
Cons:
- There will be added expenses for the employees such as daycare and work attire.
- Contact at work escalates illnesses such as the flu. These are viruses that are spread in work environments.
- The work day will be confined to only the hours the office is open. Usually if people work at home they may work longer hours or on weekends to get the job finished.
- It may create a sudden loss of employees that go over to other companies that offer work at home situations.
The pros and cons on this issue are balanced but a lot of companies like the face to face interaction and the ability to physically see people working. As old school it sounds coming to the office everyday to work encourages people to keep their focus throughout the day rather than having distractions that come with working from home.
This is a topic that would be very controversial in a course in the online business degree curriculum. Students whom are going to school for business enjoy the ability to take classes online and are used to discussion boards and lectures that they can stop, rewind or replay. Some students argue that they do much better in this environment than they do by physically going to class. However, going to work is a bit different than catching up on lectures, the work environment has always been a place you go from 9-5 you build relationships, collaborate, and are able to be approached by coworkers who have questions or concerns.
What side of the debate are you on?
Image credit: telegraph.co.uk
How to Prevent Fraud from Occurring in Your Business
Fraud can happen in any business. From employees to customers, credit card fraud to theft, there are a number of ways your business can fall victim to fraud. If you don’t have a MBA in fraud management, and none of your employees do either, here are some things you can do to help prevent fraud within your business.
The industry your business is in will determine the levels of security needed for certain things. The first step is to set and enforce a strict company policy against fraud. Make it clear to all employees that fraud will not be tolerated under any circumstances and will result in immediate termination. Post a sign for your customers that shoplifters will be prosecuted. If you make sure your intolerance of any kind of fraud clear from the beginning, you will have less people wanting to try.
When it comes to employees and the security of confidential information, you may want to consider running background checks on potential candidates. It does add a little more time to the hiring process and costs a little bit of extra money, but this will also come with two great benefits.
The first is that by stating upfront you will be doing background checks, those who know they won’t pass will move on the next job posting making your stack of resumes to sift through smaller. The other benefit is that you will have peace of mind knowing that you have hired a trustworthy employee.
Along the same lines as background checks, you want to make sure you ask for, and check, a candidate’s references. You can find some very helpful information just by contacting a professional reference.
Another security measure that a business should take is limiting access to confidential information. Don’t let anyone except the accountant or HR department handle payroll or see the businesses bank statements. Do not allow anyone access to clients’ payment or personal contact information. And if you’re a small business owner, appoint someone whose sole job is to review financial reports and run spot checks to help keep everyone accountable.
While you may not be able to completely protect your business from every kind of fraud imaginable, there are certain things you can do to help protect it. Your business is your livelihood and more than likely your employees’ livelihoods as well, so make sure you do everything in your power to protect it!
Image credit: hi-techmerchants.com
Training and Development for a Growing Company
Managing a burgeoning company can be a tricky task – not only do you have to deal at the speed of business, you have to handle all of the changes and challenges which spring up as your company grows. A solid base in instructional design and technology can help assist with this, enabling you to tackle issues as they arise. Here are some common issues and challenges, and ways in which you can solve them.
One common area for issues is the staff pool itself. Many companies don’t want to shell out money to hire employees for specific roles which aren’t yet needed…but as the company grows, you may quickly find yourself without the necessary specialized staff once areas open up. Going through the hiring process for these new roles can then set you back weeks and slow or even halt business.
You can help avoid this roadblock by investing in strong, all-around staff members who can cover new fields as the jobs arise. Employees like these give you lots of flexibility and are great assets to a growing company. Also, consider just how valuable and important a training program can be. Some companies even hire training managers to ensure that employees both old and new are efficiently and smoothly instructed in new tasks they need to tackle.
Even if you don’t opt for a training manager, it’s important for you to have a clearly defined set of training goals, something which can be assisted by good instructional design and technology. First, identify which topics employees need to be versed in and assess their current level of knowledge on those topics and skills. You don’t want to waste time putting experienced workers through a full overview of a topic that they may only need a refresher in. If you are allocating the training job to certain employees, ensure that they, too, are trained in….well, training! Make sure they are comfortable teaching other people and assist them as necessary.
A good training course often involves resources for the employees as well, so be prepared to provide training materials. Depending on the subject, handouts, manuals, videos, slides or computer programs may be needed to help facilitate the training. Finally, an assessment at the end of the training can be very useful to help you gauge how well employees learned the content.
Another common problem growing companies find is that their organization and systems don’t grow with them. Good planning with instructional design and technology can help ensure that your internal structure and systems you use remain flexible enough to grow as your company does. Keep an eye on current growth and consider future growth when designing your company’s systems and tools.
For example, make sure technology your business uses can scale upwards with larger employee pools and client numbers. Ensure that new areas of interest or markets can be integrated into the current system without an overhaul or redesign being necessary. This will guarantee a smooth transition as your company grows.
Good instructional design and technology can save you more than just time and money – they can save you clients. Some quickly growing businesses find themselves overwhelmed and unable to keep pace with the growing number of requests. Being unable to keep up with demand can mean lost opportunities in today’s fast paced world, which can result in your potential clients going to competitors instead.
Make sure you are prepared for the challenges growth can bring by anticipating future change. Aim for well-planned internal structures, adaptable systems, and a flexible environment suited for good training in new topics.
About the author:
Denielle is responsible for a wide variety of tasks at her present company. She is always willing to take on extra tasks and does so with a smile. She enjoys spending time with her family as much as possible and loves hosting BBQ’s for everyone to get together.
Image credits: Ambro/Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
