Tribe, Inc.

My parents shook their heads with confusion when I signed up for Muddy Buddy. They were a little more concerned when I signed up for Warrior Dash. But this year, when I announced I was registered for Tough Mudder, they were already numb to my crazy races. My mistake was to show them the YouTube video of the course when I went home for Easter. Now they’re worried and insisting I get a tetanus shot.

For those not familiar with the growing popular mud races, Tough Mudder is 10-12 miles with 25 obstacles such as running through waist high mud for a mile, running through gasoline soaked hay stacks on fire, and crawling through water and mud filled pipes. The obstacle that really has me nervous though is the electroshock therapy. Running through live wires, randomly charged, some up to 10,000 volts.

At first I thought I’d just sprint and hope for the best. After watching a few YouTube videos of people completely face planting after getting shocked, my new strategy is to make my boyfriend be my shield and run directly in front of me. Fingers crossed he goes for it.

As crazy as it sounds, the nervousness aside, I am actually quite excited. I love the energy at these events, and while I might not be having a super fun time the whole three plus hours it will take me to finish, the sense of accomplishment at the end is incomparable.

I never did get around to getting a tetanus shot, but don’t worry Mom, the risk paragraph doesn’t list lockjaw as a potential problem. Only broken bones, torn ligaments, concussions, spinal injuries, paralysis, heart attack and death. None of which a shot will prevent. Wish me luck!

The past few years have seen article after article about the economy and the fragile state of employment. Recently however, a study by Randstad, a staffing and HR services company, revealed some data that represents a move in a positive direction. It was their conclusion that U.S. workers are feeling more secure in their positions and are less likely to sacrifice things important to them to keep their jobs. The study also concluded that 45 percent of the workers in the study plan on exploring new job options when the market picks up.

So what does this mean for you the employer? It means the battle for top talent is beginning. Now is the time to get ahead of the curve and make an investment in engaging your workforce so you retain the services of the employees you already have. And at the same time, you need to be on the hunt for star talent in search of a change. A stronger more secure economy allows people to reassess their careers and consider all of the different prospects available to them.

For companies with a goal of increasing engagement levels in their workforce, you should ask yourself: What is it about your company that will make people want to join/stay with you? Have you instituted a solid recognition program? Do your employees have the opportunity to develop themselves through internal and external resources? Does each employee feel like they’re doing meaningful work? Do they feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves?

The answers to these questions are what will help you keep your talent home, bring in new additions and allow you to build a fully engaged workforce. One full of confidence that maximizes and improves performance and productivity across the board.

Not only is change in business inevitable, it’s also unavoidable. Even a company that brags about still producing their products “just like the old days” has many different processes and procedures that surround that product’s creation and distribution. But with each change comes something new for employees to familiarize themselves with and adapt to. That “something” may be a new process that’s rubbing them the wrong way or a welcomed change they’ve been looking forward to since they started their career with your company.

Production
One advantage of change, that’s usually the basis for it to begin with, is an increase in production. It could be the implementation of a new system that streamlines processes or new equipment employees use to be more effective in their roles. But this is also where the con of the situation comes into play. A change in operations can also lead to confusion and cause work stoppages that result in hits on the bottom line. This may be a part of the learning curve that was accounted for when the change was designed, but if not, it can be a challenging time for a company.

Resisters and Embracers
Change scares employees because it’s taking away something familiar and introducing an unknown. Inevitably, this leads to a certain level of resistance from some of your workforce. These are employees that don’t understand why the change is happening and want no part of it. Their opposition can bog down the change process and counteract the companywide efforts being made. The flipside of this is when a welcomed change occurs that’s embraced by the majority of the workforce. This speeds up the acceptance process and allows the change to develop to its full potential so any targeted goals are more easily reached.

The Simple Truth
At one point or another, change is going to find you. It may come from internal sources or from industry pressures, but no matter what, it’s best to take a positive and open-minded approach. It takes a certain level of trust to buy-in to the research and evidence put forth by your company’s leadership team, but when you consider that they’ve brought your brand to its current level of success, it might be a good idea to offer them the benefit of the doubt.