June 2006 | Volume 1 | Issue 11

In this issue:

• From the Desk of Dr. M...
• Something to Think About
• Feature Article
• Pass it On...
• Health Tips
• Cost Cutters
• Dr. M Recommends
• What's Happening

FROM THE DESK OF DR. M...

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Change, a keystone to great lives and great companies, is often difficult and fearful to make. Focusing on the desired results is a good way to motivate change.

"Change starts when someone sees the next step."
William Drayton

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."
Dale Carnegie

PASS IT ON...

A couple months ago we started our Pass It On campaign and we asked you to help us get Commuter-Assist.com known to those we serve.  We are happy to report that you are hearing our request. 

We thank you.  We are very aware that nothing can happen without you .  All are work is for naught without you.

FEATURE ARTICLE

The Commuter at Work

It’s 8 AM and J. Commuter has just arrived for an important meeting that could bring the company a very large contract. As usual, the meeting starts on time with a review of the contract and the various options open to the company. J., being a senior VP of the company, is asked to comment.

After the meeting, the CEO asks J. to come into her office. She asks J. if he’s alright. J. stumbles on his words and seems somewhat embarrassed by the question. He’s been working long hours and, with his new commute to the outer suburbs, ninety minutes away, has been feeling tired. But he didn’t think anyone would realize the effect it was all having on him.

The CEO tells J. that she was surprised at some of his comments and that he seemed to be distracted, not paying close attention, as she has known him to do.

Because they have a good working relationship, J. tells her that he has been having trouble lately. He’s been tired, sleepy and not fully focused. He attributes this to his new schedule which has him up and on the road very early in the morning and late at night. The commute, he admits, is taking its toll.

The CEO tells him to go home and take the next day off. Over the weekend, she goes over what transpired. Being concerned not only for the company, but for its employees, she decides to call a meeting.

She begins the meeting by asking everyone to answer questions that are handed out around the table about their travel time to work and its effects on them.

After they have been collected, she begins the meeting by stating, “It has come to my attention that our company may be facing a very serious problem. This is why I asked you to answer these questions. You may think these are personal questions I asked. You may think that honest answers will do you harm. I want you to know that the harm is in not confronting what I believe is happening to many of you. Without honesty and a game plan to solve this problem, you and the company are in jeopardy.”

With that, the CEO described the problem of her employees. From mailroom clerks to vice presidents of divisions, many were commuting to work and spending several hours a week traveling to and from work. She, at first, didn’t think to include those who were airborne several days out of the month, but as the discussion progressed, they made it known that they faced many challenges, as well.

As the discussion continued, it became apparent that something had to be done. A committee is appointed to gather information, review possible actions and make recommendations.

The CEO had realized that the long commute was taking its toll on the employees, but also on the company, and solutions had to be found. The health of the employees and the company itself, as well as the growth of both, was at stake.

She understood that ignoring the problem, believing it was the individual employee’s problem to handle, was like hiding her head in the sand. Sooner or later, her company would also suffer.

Organizing the committee was the first step toward handling the problem. That alone not only gave everyone hope that a solution would be found, but it made the employees feel important to the company. Something they had deemed solely their problem was being addressed by the company. It seemed to give them the will to work harder and produce more, even if it meant making more adjustments to their schedules.

Strategies needed to be developed and it would take time to implement solutions but, with the whole company resolved to overcoming the problem of the long distance commute, success was sure to occur.

So what strategies did they look at? Some were designed to help the employee, some the family, some the company. Some were already in use at other companies, others were innovative.

The committee discovered that long distance commuting was not limited to one group of employees but was seen across employees of the company. They interviewed the commuters and their co-workers and bosses and found the impact of commuting affected them, as well. They had access to a few of the spouses and older children of the commuters and became aware of how the families made adjustments, sometimes major ones, to accommodate the commuter.

They read studies and discovered that what they saw in their company was not unusual. Studies found workers began the day tired, were less efficient and angrier than non-commuters. The studies showed more family problems, with the commuters less involved with their families and their communities. More days off from work, more reports of illness and more dissatisfaction were seen in commuters, according to the studies. (Many of those studies were cited in earlier editions of Commuter Chronicles. You can access them from our web site.)

The committee reviewed services that were available and found that, while traditional public transportation was often inadequate, many other services were in place to help the commuter. State governments and private and non-profit sectors had developed ride-share programs. Carpools and vanpools were available, as well. An innovative program that allows drivers to share information on road conditions had been initiated (come to our teleconference on July 6 for more on this program, (www.Commuter-Assist.com). There were forums and emergency services, too. (In earlier additions of Commuter Chronicles, we describe these various services. You can access those issues from our web site.)

Telework, flexible hours and limiting travel to other states and countries by the use of telephone conferencing and web conferencing was also presented in the committee’s report.

In addition to these programs, the committee, realizing all commuting could not be limited, suggested tools to limit stress and develop good lives for their workers. They saw Commuter-Assist, which helps commuters and employers with ways to limit the stress of the commute and develop success in spite of long commutes, as a component of their needed change.

With so much help available, The company was on its way to helping both their employees and themselves to make the changes needed to continue growing. A survey of employees showed them willing to be engaged in this change. A follow-up survey done a year later showed the changes had been incorporated relatively smoothly and with good success.

Many companies are beginning to understand that changes like these make for more productive employees and affect the bottom line. Maybe your company can also profit from some change to how the commute is handled.

What's a Happy Employee Worth?

According to a Watson Wyatt study done in 2005, companies with “highly engaged employees” generally achieve financial performance that is four times greater than do companies who have employees with poor attitudes.

Mark Schoeff, Jr., author of the article which described these statistics, wrote that “stock prices of 11 high-morale companies increased an average of 19.4 percent in 2005, outpacing the 8 percent rise attained by competitors in their industry, according to a recent study by Sirota Survey Intelligence. Conversely, the stock of thirteen companies with medium or low morale increased only 10 percent, or 9 percentage points less than their peers.”

Sirota attributes problems with employees to paying but not nurturing the employee. Motivation declines and the employee is no longer invested in the success of the company. Sirota notes that lack of loyalty by management toward the employee is reciprocated by the employee’s lack of loyalty toward the company.

Michael Warech, of Watson Wyatt, calls it a two way street. The employee must have “some skin” invested as well. For offering challenging work, autonomy and training and educational opportunities, the employee must offer a balanced amount in productivity, loyalty and commitment.

The company is made up of individuals with needs and wants. Too often, the “company” is seen as an inanimate object, therefore without feelings and needs. It is easy to be disloyal to a thing when a better thing comes along. It’s not so easy to be disloyal to people. It is easy to deny needs and wants of an inanimate thing, not so easy when we are dealing with people.

So what’s a happy employee worth? Well, according to the Watson Wyatt study, 9 percentage points. Of course, that doesn’t include the intangibles.

Book Yourself Solid has a better than 80 per cent success rate in helping professionals and entrepreneurs develop their practices and businesses. Michael leads you through the process, step by step, until you have a full practice, service or business and a waiting list, too. The people you meet and his rolodex are enough to make the course valuable but, what you’ll learn and the attention he gives you rounds out this course.
Go to...

Book Yourself Solid

Michael Port

IN THE NEWS...

COMING SOON...

CONQUER THE COMMUTE: TOOLS FOR THE ROAD AND LIFE

Hopefully, next month the e-book Conquer the Commute: Tools for the Road and Life will be completed and available. It is in its final polishing and you can order it at a 30% discount by clicking on this link Click here and  reserve your copy of this new e-book today. 

Commuter-Assist.com began in January 2006.  In that time, it has been ranked by Google 4 out of 10, and by Alexa in the 200,00s.  It has begun a bi-monthly newsletter and a monthly teleconference series.  It has over 10,000 citations to its articles on the Web.

Commuter-Assist aims to make a difference in the lives of commuters and  all who love them, work with them, and employ them. 

You can help us do this by taking the survey that asks your opinion and needs.  This link will take you to the page, 
http://www.commuter-assist.com/survey.htm.  We want to know how you want the site and the services to work for you. 

You can also help by passing on a copy of the newsletter or a link to the site.  Finally, come support us in our new venture, Commuters in the Know LIVE!, the first Thursday of each month.  You’ll learn a lot and have a little fun, too. 

Please support the sites we link to.  They are all part of the services to commuters.  Maybe some day we can all get together and make a difference in the public transportation and the roads we use.