Given the times we live in, it is now more important than ever that everyone in your organisation is fully behind what you are trying to achieve. Whether you are focused on new product introduction, customer retention or simply trying to ensure the survival of your Business, engaging your employees will always be central to these achievements. Worryingly however, Employee Engagement is on the decline worldwide. It is a mistake to think that fewer job opportunities mean your People will be automatically engaged with their current job. In fact, anxiety over job security and increased pressure to perform can lead to disengagement which in turn leads to poor performance and lower productivity.

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Symposium Outputs

Understanding Employee Engagement

OMT Group presentation on Employee Engagement at HR Ireland Nov 09

Employee Engagment

Download the Millennial Generation Survey Report (PDF format)

Download the Millennial Generation Survey Presentation (PDF format)

It was an interesting mash-up (for want of a more fitting word) on the issues which Leaders are facing right now.  Stories were shared, experiences were analysed, successes and failures were reviewed for common themes and finally some clear and workable approaches were agreed which could be taken back to the Business.

We turned our findings into a ‘Grasp the Nettle‘ and you can find it under our Grasp the Nettle Series on our website.  However, the biggest finding we had that day was the realisation that if we were to gather together an even larger group of Business Leaders and take the same approach then the Organisational Development and Leadership insights that would be generated would be very powerful.  A seed was sown and now, a few months later, we are delighted to announce that OMT Group, in conjunction with the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick will be running a Leadership Symposium at UL on Wednesday, 2nd of December.  ‘Leading Businesses, Leading People’ will bring together about 100 Senior Business People in a very dynamic and interesting way to throw out the questions and thrash our the answers.

So!  If you are interested in being part of this event put December 2nd in your diary and watch this space - we will be back in touch in the coming weeks with more of the details.

What are first blogs supposed to be? Well in the longer term I hope to be talking to you about the challenges facing Businesses and how Organisational Development Strategies and Management Development Solutions can meet these challenges. But in the short term, for my first blog, let me tell you a bit about myself.

When I left a large Corporate Organisation in 2004, I believed I was fully prepared to run my own Business. When I look back on how different my life was then it still amazes me. I was a Director with around 150 People in my Business Unit, budgets that were there to spend and various Teams I could call on. More importantly I had plenty of time just to think and generate ideas. So why did I decide to change everything?

Well it was the ideas – I’m good at coming up with solutions and new ways to tackle issues and this lends itself very well to Organisational and Management Development. I had met many challenges and resolved many issues in my Organisation – why not now help others in the broader corporate arena?

However, I always had people to implement these ideas and when they did I got all the plaudits! Now I run an SME in the worst economic environment possible!! I manage cash flow, hire and fire People, even recently having to move some to a 4 day week, something Finance & HR would have done for me back in 2004!! I manage bank loans and deal with government agencies (and forms!!). I’m required to call other small companies looking for payments. I’m getting calls looking for money - again the things I didn’t even consider when leaving the corporate environment.

All that said I really enjoy working for myself, despite finding myself looking for more time to do what I do best – providing People Management Solutions to Business problems, helping people develop their careers & setting real objectives that work. Today’s economy requires more of what I used to do but fire fighting is too time-consuming to allow it. So…… I’ve decided to focus on improving my Business and less time stressing out on what banks and creditors want!

So, this blog is my starting point. Some time to think and reflect. Some time to myself to ponder the issues facing Business’ today……and hopefully, by sharing it on-line, it will also help others like me.

If you are interested in the answers to any of the above questions, then you should become a Member of the Business Owner’s Board. If you want to hear more about the Business Owner’s Board call us on 061 333 640.

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Why Innovate?

“Like short skirts, innovation has traditionally swung into and out of fashion: popular in good times and tossed into the closet in downturns. But as globalisation tears down the geographic boundaries and market barriers that once kept businesses from
achieving their potential, a company’s ability to innovate – to tap into the fresh value creating ideas of its employees, partners, customers, suppliers and other parties beyond its own boundaries – is anything but faddish. In fact, innovation has become a core
driver of growth, performance and valuation.”

So says the McKinsey Quarterly 2008 Number 1 and in Ireland we seem to be wakening up to the fact that creativity, research and innovation are critical to our future prosperity. We now have a Minister responsible for Science, Technology and Innovation, there is a proliferation of Innovation Seminars, Enterprise Ireland is increasing its funding support and the Government has an Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation. So what is Innovation?

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