RSM McGladrey ESOP Blog

Make a Choice

Are you a victim?  The vast majority of people in the workforce today feel like victims.  The reason: they are afraid to make choices.

It is easier to sit back and point the finger at your boss, the company, your spouse, and a host of other scapegoats.  The saying, "When you point your finger there are three fingers pointing right back at you," is so true.  We do not want to own up to the choices that we have made and for good reason.  It may take some serious thought as to where the original choice was made that enables you to be the victim. 

Somewhere in your past you made a conscious choice - you alone - no one was there to twist your arm.  Maybe you did not spend the time or get the information that you needed to make a good choice - but you chose that scenario as well.  At some point in our younger years, we are evolved enough to know that we live with our choices.  Too many people go to the grave still choosing to be a victim.

A short list of important choices:

• Getting married
• Having children
• Buying new instead of used
• Eating a donut instead of an orange
• The attitude I will approach my day with
• To exercise
• Getting a divorce
• To quit feeding my brain and my soul
• Using credit cards
• Not taking vacation
• Buying a home
• Last but not least - NOT TO BE A VICTIM

Take the Time

Do you take the time to appreciate the people who are close to you?  I hope you do, many times you only have one chance.  The sad thing is that many people do not grab a hold of that one chance.  They squander the opportunity and then regret it later.

This past weekend I visited my parents and found that my mother had experienced several mini-heart attacks.  She had one a few days before my visit and then one that morning.  So what did we do?  We played the card game "Oh Hell".  We play this game virtually every time I visit - mom, dad, and me.

Mom does not normally win, but she took the gold this day.  I made the comment that they may frown up there in heaven that you won playing "Oh Hell".  We all laughed.  As I got ready to leave, I gave my mom a hug and asked them to call me as things changed.  My mom said, "Do not worry, keep the faith, and if I do not see you again then I will see you in heaven."  I said, "Will do."

Do you take the time to appreciate your fellow employee owners?  I would encourage you to go out today and make a point of giving appreciation to at least one of your fellow owners.  Quit squandering your opportunities and take advantage of at least one!

Do you have "faith" that your fellow employee owner cares about the business and their co-owners?  If your answer to this is no, then I would suggest that you take some time and read some of the other posts on this blog.  It may generate some ideas on gaining "faith" with your fellow employee owners. 

Technorati Tags: employee ownership, appreciation

Achieving Status

Everyone wants to be noticed and appreciated.  Our lives cycle through many highs and lows.  We are told to be patient, pay your dues, keep learning, and someday you will be noticed and appreciated.

Nature teaches us many aspects about the meaning of life.  Here is one of my favorite quotes about nature to ponder - "The mighty oak was once just a nut who stood it's ground."

Read it, let it settle in, and think of the lessons to be learned from this quote.

Are You Learning Something New?

This past Father's Day, I spent some time back home with my father.  We typically walk the acreage every time I visit.  First, we go to the log cabin my father built and then along the prairie to the pond.  From there, we again follow along the prairie to the "Back Point" which has a view of the Des Moines River, the old coal mining town of Fraser, IA, the Boone Scenic Valley Railroad track (steam engines and all,) Y-Camp, and a variety of woods, farms and ponds.

I have been on this walk-a-bout a thousand times.  On this Father's Day, my father shared with me that the state forester had been out to look at some sickly white oaks (luckily they will not die.)  While there, he took the forester on the same walk-a-bout and all of a sudden the forester stopped in shock because he noticed we had Chinkapin Oak.  He was very surprised and said this was extremely uncommon for this area.  He also noted that the acreage had a large variety of trees - again, a bit unusual.  These trees were not planted by our family - they were grown by nature. 

We are still learning something new after all these walks.  Are you still learning something new at work?  I have a feeling that for many of us learning something new is rare.  We go to work day after day, typically see the same people, and typically follow the same routine.  We become numb to the opportunities for learning that are presented to us each day.

Good business requires new knowledge.  Where is your new knowledge coming from?

In employee owned companies, this is even more important.  Owners are responsible for the success of their companies. So how are your employee owners learning something new?

Here are a few suggestions: 

• Open book management,
• Form an ESOP committee that focuses on ESOP and employee ownership education
• Bring in an outside speaker
• Start an education reimbursement program
• Internal study groups
• Book report program
• Communication training (e.g. Dale Carnegie, Crucial Conversations, and others)
• Peer to peer profiling
• Start an internal news letter
• Cross training program.

Pick one of these, or some other idea and implement a focus on learning something new.  Quit waiting for the right time and just do it.  Remember, your competition is just waiting to take away your customers and ultimately your business.

Technorati Tags: fathers day, railroad, trees, camp, ESOP, employee ownership

Holidays - The Day After

Is it not ironic that after a three day holiday weekend, it seems that people are little out of whack at work.  One would think that everyone should come back recharged, ready to go, and in a much better mood.  As I have observed over the years, it seems to be completely the opposite.  People seem as cranky as ever on the first day of the work week, everyone seems to be operating in a haze, and the moods marry any other Monday.

Why is this?  I have a theory that the extra day allows our brains and bodies to experience a routine glitch.  Now do not get me wrong, routines are important, it is part of the human behavior, and they can allow people to achieve a greater degree of success.  I believe these small routine glitches trigger a different emotional and physical response in our bodies that are very similar to the big changes in our lives - death, marriage, job changes, divorce, buying a home, etc...

Change puts a new lens on how we view the world.  Very few of us embrace change, and for most of us we do everything possible to avoid change.  These three day weekends give us a taste of change, but most of us do not listen to the change.  Changes like - I do not want to go back to work, I am ready to get back to work and away from this ____ (you can fill in the blank), what I am going to do with this extra time, I am bored, my body is acting strange, I do not have the fun I used to have, and the list goes on and on.

I would encourage you to examine the thoughts you had today and listen closely to them.  Are there hints of change that you keep avoiding?  Maybe it is time to spend some more time on these thoughts.  This extra time just might recharge you, put you in better mood, and allow you to be ready to go with life.  It is your life to live - so do not let the rest of the world dictate how you live it. 

Technorati Tags: change, life lessons, holidays

The Beginning

Greetings to all of you as you visit this blog for the first time.  This blog was created to spread the news about ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan).  ESOPs offer the owners an exit strategy, the employees an opportunity to become owners, and the company an opportunity to conduct business in different ways that creates more value.  Sounds too good to be true - not at all.  I will guarantee that it will be hard work, as anything successful is!

This blog will expand, explain, and converse on the topics of company culture, leadership, teamwork, participation, communication and how this can drive company performance - maybe even change the world a bit.  It will touch on technical issues of ESOPs at times, but for most of this technical conversation I will redirect you to others for this sage information.

So who am I?  I am the mad doctor, the shaman of change, the challenger of the status quo, but mainly I am just Victor.  A person who has owned his own business, led an ESOP company, worked at a YMCA camp for 13 years, held numerous other positions,  and believes in the power of people.

So without a lot of noise, a very exciting event has begun.  I encourage you to come back, post your questions, throw out new ideas, and join in this wonderful conversation about employee ownership through ESOPs.