Ember Carriers Blog | From Possibility to Results

What is the Right Organizational Development Approach for You?

May 6th, 2013

Mary Hladio

Organizational Development is really the last thing company leadership thinks about when it comes to moving their business forward. And really, they don’t even know what it is.

A majority believe it is simply creating a vision and mission statement. But then they ask, “What is the right way to arrive at a new vision and mission?” For some, their mission statement is their vision. And then they heard you have to have a retreat and include all of your employees, vendors and stakeholders. How can you afford that?

Others think it is just time management, but then they confuse time management with systems. Our people aren’t producing and it’s taking too long to get the order out the door. But a walkthrough of the process from the moment the order comes in the door reveals the bottleneck is at the receptionist desk where the order is received via fax and they’re the only one with access to the fax machine. It may be hours before the receptionist can deliver the order to production because of the fierce activity at the front desk. Simply moving the receiving point of the order resolves the “time management” problem.

Some believe Organizational Development only addresses competency only to learn the issue is actually behavioral. For example, the manager gives the assistant four assignments, and the assistant completes items two and three, but the manager wanted item four first. The manager needs to better communicate their needs and the assistant needs to ask questions about prioritization.

Organizational Development is a multi-faceted approach to improving your company’s performance and encompasses all of these aspects and more. Ember Carriers will identify the right approach for you, call a senior consultant with Ember Carriers at (513) 984-9333 for a 30-minute complimentary consultation to discover how to motivate your organizational change.

Cincinnati 100K Business Makeover Team Chooses Winner

April 28th, 2013

Mary Hladio

$100K Business Makeover

Cincinnati, OH-April 17, 2013- Ember Carriers, provider of organizational development, leadership performance and team effectiveness solutions, has partnered with other organizations to offer G/C Contracting Corp. a Business Makeover. Five successful firms in Cincinnati will provide $100,000 worth of their time, expertise and experience to improve sales, marketing and operations to improve the working environment and increase profitability.

G/C Contracting provides comprehensive general contracting, design/build and construction management services for commercial, industrial, and institutional clients across Southwest Ohio.

“We have experienced a tremendous amount of growth in the past five years. My hope is that this team of experts will provide our organization strategy that will help us build into operational and employee relations that will support that growth,” Justin Conger, the Vice President of Operations at G/C Contracting said.

This was the second annual $100K Business Makeover. Mary Hladio, President of Ember Carriers created the contest, which is based on the idea of bringing a group of business experts in different industries together to share knowledge with another promising local business, in 2010. Innovative Labeling Solutions was the first-ever winner of the$100K Business Makeover, and has shared that their organizational effectiveness has seen impressive growth since the project was introduced.

“Healthy, successful, growing businesses hire more employees, which is good for our region, our city and our community — that is our goal and our reward,” Mary Hladio, President of Ember Carriers, says about her organization’s role in the project, “My team will help General Contracting face the new and growing challenges in their industry, and create a more profitable and effective workplace.”

The other 100K makeover experts include RightPath Business Advisors, Strategic HR Inc., V2 Strategies and Web4Marketing. These Cincinnati companies will collaborate to provide General Contracting Corp. financial, sales and digital marketing and human resources support.

Six Cincinnati Businesses Team Up to Offer 2013 $100,000 Business Makeover

February 4th, 2013

Mary Hladio

Over the life of a business, only 39 percent become profitable, according to a data published by the National Federation of Independent Businesses. And, according to new research from the Cincinnati marketing and business development experts at The Eisen Agency the top two reasons are: too much time spent on non core competencies and failing to ask for help.

So, in a concerted effort to reverse that trend, which is exacerbated by current economic conditions, Six of Cincinnati’s top professional services organizations have teamed up to offer the 2013 $100K Business Makeover, designed to help spur growth in area small businesses.

There is no entry fee, no strings, no catch, nor any obligation for any for profit small business, under $50 million in annual revenue, to compete for the award. For more information and to apply, log on towww.100KBusinessMakeover.com. Entries will be accepted now through March 16, and the award presented at an event on April 16^th.

The $100K Business Makeover team combines the expertise of such noted Cincinnati professional services firms as Ember Carriers, strategic HR, inc., V2 Strategies, RightPath CFO, Web4Marketing, and The Eisen Agency who will provide a combined $100,000 in services to the winner.

Six Cincinnati Based Firms Team Up to Offer 2013 $100,000 Business Makeover

February 4th, 2013

Mary Hladio

Over the life of a business, only 39 percent become profitable, according to a data published by the National Federation of Independent Businesses. And, according to new research from the Cincinnati marketing and business development experts at The Eisen Agency the top two reasons are: too much time spent on non core competencies and failing to ask for help.

$100K Business Makeover

So, in a concerted effort to reverse that trend, which is exacerbated by current economic conditions, Six of Cincinnati’s top professional services organizations have teamed up to offer the 2013 $100K Business Makeover, designed to help spur growth in area small businesses.

There is no entry fee, no strings, no catch, nor any obligation for any for profit small business, under $50 million in annual revenue, to compete for the award. For more information and to apply, log on towww.100KBusinessMakeover.com. Entries will be accepted now through March 16, and the award presented at an event on April 16^th.

The $100K Business Makeover team combines the expertise of such noted Cincinnati professional services firms as Ember Carriers, strategic HR, inc., V2 Strategies, RightPath CFO, Web4Marketing, and The Eisen Agency who will provide a combined $100,000 in services to the winner.

Engaging employees in turbulent times

January 28th, 2013

Mary Hladio

I stopped watching the broadcast news on a regular basis several years ago. But you don’t have to be a news junkie to feel the anxiousness of people. Between the results of the 2012 election, economy and the fiscal cliff people are worked up.

Sharing stories of engagement

This also goes for your company’s employees. They are unsure about the future and their attentions are torn. So how to get employees to feel engaged?

Well story sharing is the best communications tool for achieving a high level of employee engagement.

Acknowledge the elephant in the room: the dismal and uncertain economy. But remember your end goal ois engagement, and refrain from eliciting fear in your employees.

Think of how you might answer these questions:

What was your vision when you started with the company?
Think of biggest success within the company. How did it feel to be part of the success?
Think of the most recent time you felt feel really excited about the work you are accomplishing. What was happening, and why did you feel excited?

Which of these anecdotes might be personally relevant to your employees? Which stories might you share to elicit a connection with the mission, vision and core values of the company?

Now, imagine you being videotaped. On the home page of your company’s web site is you sharing one of these stories.

How do you want the viewer to feel?
What energy do you wish to convey?

And now imagine yourself sharing one of these stories with just one employee; imagine the stories they may tell you, in response to your story.

Imagine the level of engagement you will have achieved – and the benefits it will bring to your company. This is just one simple methods for effective communication used by many leading organizations, to great success.

Call a senior consultant with Ember Carriers at (513) 984-9333 for a 30-minute complimentary consultation to discover and craft your company’s story.

Web: www.embercarriers.com|Twitter: www.twitter.com/embercarriers|LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mhladio

Managing Unwelcome Change

January 21st, 2013

Mary Hladio

During these trying economic times, strive to maintain a healthy attitude and know that things will improve. We are resilient by nature!

Managing the stressful times

It is in times of great stress, experts say, minding your health is perhaps more critical than ever. Eating right and getting exercise may seem burdensome and even frivolous under such circumstances, but such healthy activities actually give people a greater sense of control and calm, says registered dietitian Heather Bauer. “It’s one less thing to stress you out. If you’re in a financial slump, it can give you a sense of inspiration as well.”

“Stress can take serious physical tolls. People under great stress release hormones and nerve chemicals that weaken the immune system, rendering them more susceptible to illness. Stress can also slow the body’s ability to heal wounds,” says Dr. Esther Sternberg, who studies the effects of stress at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Reducing stress means “controlling the things you can control.” For example, when things seem to get too chaotic, taking a brisk 10-minute walk can do wonders for clearing the head says Marlene Clark, a dietitian with Cedar Sinai Medical Center. She suggests penciling the breaks in and giving them as much priority as your other ‘to-do’s’. We need to learn to cope with the ongoing uncertainty. While it may be tempting to turn to a negative vice such as alcohol or overeating, there are healthier ways to deal with anxiety.

Be hopeful; keep in mind that this will pass in time
Taking care of your body will make it easier to maintain your positive thinking
Eat right and get plenty of sleep and exercise
Take time to laugh
Spend quality time with your circle of family and friends

Call a senior consultant with Ember Carriers at (513) 984-9333 for a 30-minute complimentary consultation to discover how to FUEL success in your business.

Web: www.embercarriers.com|Twitter: www.twitter.com/embercarriers|LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mhladio