“Teamwork -- noun: work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole.” Do the individuals on your team know their part? Have you discussed and defined each role? Have you reinforced the importance of each team member’s performance to the group?

Does your team have an agreed upon method and process for interacting with each other? Has your team discussed how it wants to "be" together? Has your team identified the dynamics that will result in the highest level of performance for everyone?

If you pick up a training or human resource magazine these days, you're likely to find at least one article about how to work with, maximize, engage and otherwise lead the "Millennials". Sure it rhymes with perennials, but these people aren't just popping up in the spring, they are with you day-in and day-out in the workplace.

Oprah has topped the list of celebrities whom hourly workers, including teens, are motivated by to make their day more fun. According to the SnagAJob.com online survey of 2,300 people, Oprah was the top choice ahead of Angelina Jolie and Will Ferrell among workers 18 to 24, 25 to 44, and she was also the clear choice of workers ages 45 and older.

What does this mean? Perhaps nothing, but it is another indication of the intergenerational workforce and the little quirks that are emerging that may affect how we hire, motivate, and retain employees.

It’s that time of the year that we all “love” – budget season. In this article, we have provided you with a simple 3-step process to identify your training needs and estimate your training budget for the upcoming year.

Investing in your greatest asset – your people – is one of the most important things you can do to develop talent, improve retention, increase productivity, and create a culture of learning and growth.

The 50 Best Small and Medium Places to Work were announced by HR Magazine in July. Open communication, teamwork, employee training, and cultures which breed the idea of exceeding expectations, are among the characteristics of these top companies.

Yet many organizations, and managers, don’t recognize that a key part of the elements that build a winning team and a great place to work is discipline.

What? Discipline the Non-Performers?

“Eighty-one percent of the respondents to the 2005 Skill Gap Survey of the American Manufacturing Workforce (Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, 2005) said they couldn’t find qualified workers to fill their open positions. As far as manufacturers are concerned, the skills gap is upon us,” notes Stacey Jarrett Wagner, managing director, Center for Workforce Success, at the National Association of Manufacturers. - Training and Development magazine, February 2006

Have you ever wondered why it is, that even with the most careful planning and organization, certain projects fail to achieve the results you envisioned? Ask yourself this question, “Did I derail my own plans because I was not willing to delegate?"

Some Perspective

Several years ago I was asked to do some consulting for a Fortune 500 company. At issue was finding out why the organization was so fragmented in its approach to business, even though the organizational goals had been well articulated and included in its vision, mission, and strategy. After some key employee interviews and focus groups in each of the main divisions, it didn’t take me long to see the problem. It was glaring.

Talent. In its most simple definition talent is any individual who has the capability to make a significant difference to the current and future performance of the company.

It is no wonder that more and more organizations are realizing the importance of good talent as a competitive edge. The scary thing is that in the next 10 years, HR professionals expect three out of 10 employees in their organization’s workforce to retire. That’s a lot of talent leaving organizations.