Four Ideas for a Positive Workplace

People who think positively are more self-aware, innovative and strategic. And those are exactly the type of leaders needed in an organization. While a company’s leaders may not be naturally positive, there are a few key actions to help cultivate positivity throughout the entire workforce.

Express appreciation. Gestures as simple as telling employees they are performing well or saying “thank you” can create a positive buzz throughout the workplace.

Encourage fitness. Feeling positive comes a lot easier when you feel well physically. Eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference in mood and energy level. You can do a real service by setting up voluntary classes on weight loss, exercise, nutrition, and wellness. Set the tone by taking part in them as well.

Focus on teams. The amount of goodwill that comes from a group accomplishment is often greater than that of a single person’s achievement. This is due largely to the relationships we build and the larger scope of the outcome.

Give skepticism its due. Positivity is highly important in the workplace, but telling people “Everything is great” when it isn’t, does not serve us well either. Skepticism is not the same as negativity and is an important counterpart to positivity.

There are many important tasks that are essential to success. More important is the attitude in which we tackle them. Positivity brings a world of options and opportunities.

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Gemini Energy Services Featured in Windpower Monthly

Gemini Energy Services, a division of Orion International, was featured in this month’s issue of Windpower Monthly Magazine. The article, by Mark Anderson, discusses the $200,000 Department of Energy workforce development grant recently awarded to Gemini. Anderson quotes Mike Starich, President of Orion International and a former Marine Captain, as citing companies including Clipper, Vestas and AES as having enjoyed the benefits military veterans can bring to the job by hiring Gemini employees for permanent positions. "Veterans are used to the travel. But, above all else, it’s their technical skills combined with maturity and the ability to make smart decisions. That makes it a nice fit overall," Starich says.

Jimmy Haley, Gemini’s Director of Operations, tells Anderson that he sees many similarities between working in an engineering plant on navy ships and the technical aspects of wind turbines. "You’ll find the same components in a wind tower that you’ll find in a destroyer on the Pacific Ocean," says Haley. Thanks to this DOE grant and the additional $154,000 committed by Orion, Gemini expects to add considerably to the 40 contract workers it currently employs. Click here to read more.

Peer Interviewing

When considering how to hire, retain and develop the best employees, there is one technique that is becoming increasingly popular. Peer-to-peer interviewing has job candidates meet with current employees at the company. The candidate is able to ask questions about the company and job, while the employee can evaluate the employee and then tell the boss his or her thoughts and impression of the candidate. This technique allows the organization to get a more complete idea of a candidate’s overall fit.

Peer-to-peer interviewing can be successful in a number of ways. Applicants are able to learn more about the company from the “tell it like it is” approach an employee might use. Plus, a candidate is more likely to let their guard down around a peer, providing a more accurate sense of how they’ll fit.

Being involved in the selection of future coworkers is good for morale and productivity. The fact that employees now have more invested in the hirng process within an organization strengthens commitment and builds a community atmosphere. Employees are also more invested in the new hire’s success and are more likely to help them succeed. Additionally, new hires begin work with the knowledge that their peers support them.

There are downsides that should be considered as well, but these can be managed. There have been instances where unhappy employees end up performing the interview, and ultimately discourage the candidate from taking the job. Be sure the selected interviewing employees are genuinely positive, happy and enthusiastic.

Some employees could find an applicant threatening and not recommend him or her out of insecurity. Make sure employees participating in these interviews get along well with everyone, have great people skills, are articulate and understand what the company is looking for in their next hire.

In addition to the qualities already mentioned, interviewers should be trained and must be made aware of what questions are unprofessional or illegal. Make it clear that employee feedback is important, but HR and management still make the final decision.

Peer-to-peer interviewing can be a useful tool to get an accurate sense of if an applicant will truly fit within your culture, and can have positive effects on your current employees.

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Veterans Excel in Retail

The word "retail" often evokes thoughts of cashiers, stockers, and customer service; however, behind the scenes, it takes a well-oiled management, logistics, and operations team to keep business thriving. Retail is just one of many industries in which veterans are successful leaders. From enlisted Technicians to Junior Military Officers, hiring managers in the retail industry have found a talented labor pool in veterans.

One such veteran is Ashley Arney. A former Army Captain, Arney was recently placed by Orion into a Leadership Development Program (LDP) with Safeway, a nationwide grocery chain. LDPs are an increasingly popular tool used in many industries to ensure a solid pipeline of future leaders. Hiring Managers find that putting key hires through a rotational training program and exposing them to many facets within their companies helps in their development, retention, and performance.

When asked about how her experience in the Army prepared her for her new role with Safeway, Arney answered, “From my very first job after flight school, I was given more responsibility than my non-military friends could even imagine. I had to utilize my leadership skills almost every day. There is probably not another job that could prepare for the corporate world more than being an officer in the military.”

It is not just JMOs like Arney that are finding career satisfaction in the Retail industry, though. Paul Cordy, a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserve, was familiar with Wegmans Food Markets, a regional supermarket chain, when Orion presented him with the opportunity to interview for a Distribution Supervisor position. He jumped at the opportunity to work with a company ranked #3 on FORTUNE magazine's 2010 list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Cordy is enjoying his new job and says his new position utilizes his experience as a Gunnery Sergeant.

Arney and Cordy are just two examples of how veterans fit into the retail industry, but they are very common examples of how the leadership skills developed in the military serve the retail industry well in all facets of business, from Operations to Logistics and Transportation to Management. Click here to read more.