<The Regional Leadership Program for Fall 2009, was held at the Gatto Associates Training Center in Pittsburgh, PA. The participants focus on personal development with an eye on business development, networking, and learning how to be a productive part of the firm. The key to success is to ensure that people within the firm are part of a succession plan for growth. For more information on the Regional Leadership Program for 2010-2011

Please call (412) 344-2277

Gatto Associates, LLC. was honored to be a Sponsor of the Prize Patrol for the 2009 Human Resource Leadership Awards. This prestigious award was presented for the first time by the Pittsburgh Business Times. Winners were honored at an awards ceremony and showcased in a special supplement in the Pittsburgh Business Times.  Congratulations to all of the winners!

Newsletter September 2009

Stay up to date with Gatto Associates News. We distribute an e-Newsletter quarterly which keeps you informed on our always changing industry. Gatto Associates continues to be recognized in our industry for building relationships with our clients and focusing on their individual training and development needs. We set ourselves apart by customizing our training and assessment services to fit the specific requirements of each company that we work with.  We are committed to developing innovative training programs and workplace assessments that provide value to our clients.

Please click on the picture for a link to the e newsletter page to subscribe.

Gatto Associates is very excited to have its new website up. We have created a site to house all of our assessments to be administered online. We are developing customized Online Pre-Hire and New Employee Screeners. We are now able to customize these for the job position, responsibilities, company, etc.

Give us a call at 412 344-2277  for more information on our online assessment center.

Gatto Associates has launched it's new website. The new website features a wide array of product listings, media files, articles, and Dr. Gatto's monthly blog.

You can now easily connect with Dr. Gatto on Linkedin by using the button on the homepage.

We have developed an online assessment center for our clients to use. This assessment center gives clients the option to administer assessments to employees and have them take the assessments online on their companies own secure client page. The new assessment center provides a tool for clients to have customized online assessments available to their employees.

Surviving the Economic Layoff “Creating the Psychological Healthy Workplace”

Many twists, turns, greed, and gratuitous corporate spending have caused the massive layoffs of 2008/2009. Leaders, as a result, have made and will continue to make organizational changes because of the economic downturn. This crisis has several resultant aspects: destruction and rebirth of business as we now know it, the emergence of a new type of leader, and the new strategies HR departments must now develop to deal with not only those being laid off, but also those surviving the layoffs.

This economic recession is like a forest fire. Forest fires are devastating, with death, tremendous destruction, exceptional pain, and massive costs. Going through a fire creates emotional upheaval because of loss of history, private belongings, and the sense of what was done and accumulated for years no longer has value. But a forest fire also clears away all the land’s old overgrown brush and debris that has stopped new growth from springing up. After a period of time, new growth begins to emerge from the cleared land. This rebirth creates a very lush, green covered ground. In the same way, people right now are caught in an emotional upheaval but what will result through all of the consolidation? How many jobs will be lost and business landmarks sold? The banking, financial, housing, and automotive industries are failed industries in the midst of their metaphorical forest fires. As in the past, we should be able to see a rebirth through business consolidation with new jobs being created as these new organizations become stronger. This economic forest fire has brought tremendous emotional pain, through this rebirth process; however, in two, three, or four years, we will see leaders emerge who are capable of dealing with the newly created business configurations. The consolidation of these organizations will give people the opportunity to look at business in a fresh way, creating novel enterprises, and innovative entrepreneurial possibilities, and through these possibilities, many people will be able to find and realign themselves with positions that will help them to grow and develop.

In order to be a beacon through the forest fire, new leaders, to be effective, will need to be leaders of hope. They must be visible, and must explain to people how to get through this crisis. They will have to be frank, transparent in their dealings, and creative. It is essential to help people understand that, while this is devastating, there is still a direction and a strategy of hope to survive. Leaders need to be communicators, be able to over share information, to go up and down through various levels within their organizations and communicate a message of direction, economic success, and business success. They will be required to help all levels of employees understand what the goals are for the next three to six months, what the possibilities are within a year, and what people will be doing, specifically by product and service. They will have to help people to know who will be involved, how the organization will be altered, how people will work together, and how consolidated jobs will be created and measured. Effective leaders will need to build an organizational strategy for approximately six months, beginning today, and continuing next week and the week after, repeating the cycle every week. It is practical and realist to focus on a six-month period of time, indicating that these are the kind of things that have to be done today and for the next six months. If accomplished, success will ensue. Leaders need to help people to know how they will be evaluated and how success is measured. They need to be able to communicate the what, who, when, and how of doing, and that the successes will be continually measured. People should put SMART (Specific, Measured, Action, Realistic, Time-bound) goals in place, making very specific measureable actions so that it will be evident as to whether they are on the track to success or not. Goals should be practical, realistic and put in a time frame. Leaders must have the leeway to go back and rethink in a very practical perspective what must be done now and how it must be accomplished. True leaders can be identified through their behaviors of listening, communicating, taking action, understanding the economic drivers and creating organizational passion. They understand the passion of people, they instill passion in people, and they help organizations to identify what there greatest strengths are. Right now, through this rebirth of organizations, leaders have a great opportunity to go back and find out what their greatest strengths are, communicate them daily, instill the confidence of strength in people, and lead people to utilize those organizational strengths to success. If leaders do that, they will be able to get through this chaotic forest fire. They need to understand where they presently are and the capabilities needed to move forward. Leaders cannot afford to take the easy way out: they need to refocus on those great strengths within an organization. The right questions need to be asked, such as what causes the success in an organization. Once identified, those causes should be communicated and driven through the entire organization. If leaders do that, employees will rally around them.

This crisis has been an extremely difficult and emotional time for the HR people who deliver the message to those being laid off and those staying. There is no logical, satisfying way for HR people to justify layoffs because currently, layoffs are happening to those who have “done nothing wrong” and in fact, have done everything right. However, HR people in organizations that are humanistic are doing some of the following things: 1) They are letting people know the possibility of layoffs in advance; 2) They are finding ways to support the employees, such as having them take classes on resume building and interviewing skills. 3) They are providing meetings for families to discuss how to deal with their money during a period when someone is laid off, or how to borrow. Unfortunately, most organizations today simply call people in, and in a very sterile and uncaring way, say “you have been laid off, security will walk you out, your computer has been locked, pick up your things, put them in a box, and leave.” This is what happens when organizations are led by people who lack integrity, insight, and the ability to create vision. If organizational leaders would take care of people through layoffs, the transition would be smoother, and the people actually having to deal with this would be better in the transition of change. It would not take a great deal of time for leaders to stop and reflect as to how they can humanistically lay people off.

People who have survived a layoff go through an emotional upheaval as well. In addition to guilt, the survivors find themselves with consolidated job responsibilities and an impossible workload. Leaders need to pull people together and communicate that many jobs have been consolidated. They need to let people know that they are in this together, are reorganizing and building a new work team that will now be responsible for heavier workloads; that no one has a defined area; and that they are going to be responsible for the work production as a team. It is not the time to talk about job descriptions, but rather focus on team responsibilities, how the team will work together, how it will get through this tumultuous period. There should not be any “I” statements, only “we” statements. The process should be one of a team that will accomplish the goal and do whatever it takes together. People will be drawn to inspirational leaders who are visible and courageous in leading.

Resilience is the ability to come back from a trauma. People will be resilient if they see hope, if they see people who are willing to work with them and help them in many ways. An opportunity is lost if leaders are not visible on a day-to-day basis. Imagine Ulysses S. Grant going to his troops and saying: “We are in a war for survival and it has been devastating. It has been a long war, hard fought and I know you all have made many personal sacrifices. I tell you what, I will be back in a year or so to see how things are going.” That is what many corporate leaders are doing through their silent and absent voices. Leaders need to be visible, inspirational and compassionate. They need to be out in front of their troops, leading them, communicating success and inspiring them to do more.

Companies that have failed need to acknowledge the organizational changes and the emotional stress on workers, risk creating an even greater mentally unhealthy and unproductive environment than that caused by the current economic crisis. Many people feel overwhelmed right now, but leaders can address these high levels of anxiety and stress by being aware and proactively addressing issues, thus creating psychologically healthy workplaces. Good leaders must continual give feedback, recognize high performance, let people know specifically what they are doing right, and in a very constructive caring, mentoring, coaching way, support people. The stock may have collapsed, but the morale of America doesn’t need to go with it. It is going to take a unified front for all to get through this. The next few months may be doom and gloom but the fire is out, and creating that team approach, helping people understand what it means to be resilient, and working together will produce the new growth.

We have seen the fire burn, smelled the smoke and are watching it fade out. We have taken a look at those who are leaving, those who are delivering the news of change, and those who have survived the layoffs. Now the cohesive glue of trust must be applied. This team approach of sharing information and pulling energies together is the right way to go through this economic, emotional, changing time. Leaders must now demonstrate quiet confidence in guiding organizations towards success.

Layoffs: Taking the Right Emotional Action

The words that many people are most afraid to hear today are, “You are laid off.” When receiving this news, people can go through a rapid cycle of emotions: surprise, anger, rejection and acceptance.

In the surprise stage (”me, why me, what did I do wrong”), bargaining may begin: “I will take a cut in pay if I can stay.” Anger may manifest itself in unrealistic negative statements such as “I always hated this company” or “George and Mary, who did not get laid off, never worked as hard as me.” In rejection, the expression “this was an awful place to work, I’m glad I’m out of here” typifies the emotion.

A person who demonstrates acceptance looks at the layoff as an opportunity to find a better job with new challenges and new people. However, for people who are laid off, it is more often a natural first reaction to focus on self and blame themselves or the company for everything. Thinking such unhelpful thoughts as “this should not have happened at all,” or “everything the organization did was wrong” needs to run its course.

Continuing to focus only on the negative can be destructive and, in fact, may impede finding a new position. Once the thoughts that support anger and “rejection of the company” dissipate, being laid off can then be viewed as a new transition period of positive thinking, as a change in employment status, as a time to move on.

There is actually much that can be done to help speed up the time to resilience or recovery. To arrive at this point, the individuals must create a new mental process by thinking differently about the event:

They can tell themselves that even though they are experiencing negative thoughts they also realize that they still have a great deal of talent.
They can remind themselves that they have the confidence within themselves to be successful when they move on to a new position.
They need to be aware of emotions, but shouldn’t excessively indulge in those emotions.
They need to look at the layoff as a learning process to help prepare them better for the next position.
The emotions of anger and rejection at this point are replaced by a new healthier emotion of acceptance and a willingness to move on. Once the person reaches the acceptance stage, the commitment to find another job is the positive response to the negative situation of being laid off.
A layoff can be viewed as a painful and devastating period disguised as a great opportunity to advance. Look at the situation in a positive light and ask what has been learned through this work and layoff experience. Have the confidence within oneself to write a new resume, network effectively, present positively in an interview, and accept another position. Refocus on opportunities from past positions that can be used to best benefit in new positions. Review what training and certifications were attained in prior positions and list what opportunities are available through networking.

All of these thoughts help to correct and balance the emotional relationship within the individual. People in such situations must learn to accept where they are. Acceptance doesn’t mean agreeing with the way people ran the organization, or agreeing with the involuntary termination. It means understanding emotional reactions, being ready to begin a new position with self-development thoughts, and then moving on to a positive and challenging new opportunity.

Here are actions that can be taken to begin the resilience process (the comeback).

Buy a notebook and begin keeping a journal outlining all of the actions that you will take. Action topics to keep in a journal could include a list of networking organizations and identification of key people to network. Write dates, places and people in the journal.
In your journal, outline your emotions, how you are feeling, the situation that triggered each emotion, and best/worst-case outcomes.
Outline professional skills and knowledge, personal skills and abilities (such as presentation experience and PowerPoint abilities).
Locate the appropriate professional organizations in which to network. Look, for example, at the Chamber of Commerce, the Lions or Rotary Clubs. Go to professional organization lunches at places such as engineer clubs, High Tech Council, or human resource management organizations.
Become more active: don’t fall into disengagement during this emotionally chaotic time of being laid off. To keep active is most important at this juncture. Look at the newspapers or Business Times and identify various ways to professionally network and put this in the journal.
Challenge yourself to maintain a positive attitude about the present situation and the future. Finding a job is a job in itself. It is vital to create a positive attitude about yourself, the future, your family, and the workplace, and to maintain confidence within to find a new position.
To begin the actual job search process, write in the journal all the talents that you have demonstrated in past positions. Many people do not realize that their job title – for example, engineer, administrator or salesperson – does not solely nor adequately define their skills. You should look at all of the skills that you have actually demonstrated. Some of the skills could include putting presentations together, creating PowerPoint slides, leading meetings, facilitating, asking questions, advising, coaching, mentoring, phone skills, networking skills, the ability to build trust, and systematically asking the right questions. Those are all skills that stay with people regardless of a position, if they have confidence in themselves to effectively verbalize and utilize those skills.
Simulate an interview – practice to say things such as, “What I have learned in my last job was….” or “I am looking for a position that will challenge me.”
There is a lot you can do to regain confidence and to carry yourself in a more positive light. Even though this is an extremely difficult period, the best way to move beyond is to remain calm, positive and confident, and accept the job of finding a job.

Rex Gatto, Ph.D., winner of the American Society of Training and Development Outstanding Speaker Award, is an internationally known speaker and author whose insights and breakthrough research on the characteristics of U.S. management have helped organizations enhance their productivity and individuals enrich their lives.

Gatto Associates held it's Human Resources Networking Breakfast this week. Those who attended enjoyed a relaxing continental breakfast while connecting with fellow HR Professionals before heading off for their work day. This was an opportunity for people to exchange ideas and meet with other local Human Resource Professionals in a small group setting.

For more information on Gatto Networking Breakfasts or other upcoming events Please call us at 412 344-2277

The Process of Assessing Performance

The key to the success of every organization is the performance of its employees. As a professional in a supervisory capacity, you serve an important role in the career and personal development of the staff under your direction.

The process of assessing performance should foster open communication and create an environment that enhances the development of skills and the performance of the individuals involved. Feedback is one of the most powerful tools for supporting and improving an individual’s performance and increasing a company’s profitability.

An effective evaluation and appraisal system should:

• improve the employees’ understanding of the job in relation to the firm’s standards and measure how well these standards are being met by the employees.
• link evaluations to the firm’s business objectives.
• motivate employees to want to improve.
• assist in the development of action plans for improvement.
• create ownership on behalf of the staff for their own career development.
• be both formal and informal.
• improve recruiting and retention of top performers.
• leverage employees’ strengths.
• encourage employees to assume greater responsibility.
• provide a basis for periodic salary adjustments.
• aid management in selecting the right people for promotion, transfer, or training.
• provide safeguards of objectivity and fairness in the assignment of personnel.

People need to be educated and coached on providing meaningful feedback as well as  receiving  it.  Gatto Associates, LLC offers workshops and coaching sessions on Giving and Receivng Feedback in the Workplace.  Our firm also offers a full range of assessments, available on-line, that can be utilized to further target opportunities for development of professional skills.  Please call me for a free consultation regarding providing feedback training to managers.   Contact me at (412) 344-2277 or email me through the website.