J. H. Kraus Consulting

07/28/2020

Toxic workplace on the Ellen Show. The report says that Ellen herself is not under investigation, and that she has nothing to do with it. I love Ellen and believe she has a good heart, but ultimately, she is responsible as the top manager, whether she did anything wrong or not. The tone for the organizational culture comes from the top.

Time to clean house of toxic managers that work for her, and reinforce the values that the organization espouses, including "Be kind to one another." She will need to take a hard look at her hiring and screening process, performance review methods (especially of those who manage others), and reward systems.

"Culture change" starts at the top, and she will have to actively work to reinforce desired behaviors of her management "team" and coach them to improve. Top executives cannot "delegate" responsibility for changing the culture. I'm sure she will do the right thing.

06/15/2020

I have asked businesses and organizations to make a statement against systemic racism, beyond their EEO policies and statements of values. I will do the same.

As an Organization Development consultant for most of my life, I am FOR humane, democratic, and high-involvement management practices that engage and empower employees in problem-solving, decision-making, and culture change. I am FOR a focus on quality, customer service, and safety, with an emphasis on prevention – a proactive approach to planning, process management, efficiency, waste reduction, and cost control. I am FOR equality, respect, justice, and peace.

I stand against abuse of power and hate in all of its forms – racism, violence, bullying, hazing, bad cops, bad managers, and mean people in every walk of life and profession. I stand with Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ Pride, MeToo, and all oppressed, abused, and harassed people in our schools, workplaces, and communities.

I am FOR leadership that creates a culture of mutual respect, trust, open communication, and teamwork. I support leaders who put people first and value others’ opinions and ideas, who seek consensus and commitment, who coach and teach, and who are willing to lead positive change.

I promise to try to do better, as well.

06/11/2020

I will continue to support TJ Maxx! Finally, a business with the balls to make a real statement, instead of "We're an Equal Opportunity Employer." Know where you spend your money or do business, and root out complicit silence. Encourage businesses to take a stand against systemic racism, or if you are a business owner, do the right thing and speak up.

If you are worried about "getting political" and maybe alienating a few customers, then you are part of the problem. We've all learned where you stand on "Safety" thanks to COVID-19, now let's see where you stand on people.

05/20/2020

COVID-19 Re-Opening Planning and Guidance

While my consulting work focuses on "Leading Organizational Change" in normal “good” times, there has been no greater single factor that has impacted on how we all do business and operate our organizations than COVID-19. Managing transformation and organizational renewal used to be just a nice thing to do if you had the time. The compelling need for change wasn’t strong enough to devote thought, time, and effort to continuously improving and “managing change.” We were too busy doing stuff.

The pandemic changed all that – now the pressure to change what we do and how we do it, and maybe even WHY we do it, is coming from the outside. If you hadn’t given much thought to transformation before, you may be trying to figure out how to move forward now. I want to point out some helpful tools and information, including the Tompkins County Area Development website (TCAD.org) and the NY Forward Reopening Tool (https://www.businessexpress.ny.gov/app/nyforward).

Keep in mind, the guidelines accessible through these resources apply to both non-essential business reopening and essential businesses that have remained open all along. In order to operate, business owners are required to comply with all safety guidelines for their industry, and must affirm that they have read and understand their obligation to operate in accordance with the guidance. To be fully compliant, business owners must develop a written Business Safety Plan.

Some business owners, including essential businesses that have been operating all along, are not even aware of these guidelines and their obligations. Businesses and organizations can check their NAICS code, and review the guidelines that pertain to their business. There is also a “Re-Opening Plan Safety Plan Template” that businesses can download and use. As far as enforcement, my understanding is that authorities will not be inspecting, but if there is a complaint from the public, businesses may be asked to produce their COVID-19 Safety Plan.

If you have questions or need assistance with finding and interpreting the guidelines, feel free to contact me. I am happy to help you research and develop a basic plan to protect you and your employees, customers, and suppliers. No charge!

Be well! Stay safe!
COVID-19 Re-Opening Planning and Guidance

While my consulting work focuses on "Leading Organizational Change" in normal “good” times, there has been no greater single factor that has impacted on how we all do business and operate our organizations than COVID-19. Managing transformation and organizational renewal used to be just a nice thing to do if you had the time. The compelling need for change wasn’t strong enough to devote thought, time, and effort to continuously improving and “managing change.” We were too busy doing stuff.

The pandemic changed all that – now the pressure to change what we do and how we do it, and maybe even WHY we do it, is coming from the outside. If you hadn’t given much thought to transformation before, you may be trying to figure out how to move forward now. I want to point out some helpful tools and information, including the Tompkins County Area Development website (TCAD.org) and the NY Forward Reopening Tool (https://www.businessexpress.ny.gov/app/nyforward).

Keep in mind, the guidelines accessible through these resources apply to both non-essential business reopening and essential businesses that have remained open all along. In order to operate, business owners are required to comply with all safety guidelines for their industry, and must affirm that they have read and understand their obligation to operate in accordance with the guidance. To be fully compliant, business owners must develop a written Business Safety Plan.

Some business owners, including essential businesses that have been operating all along, are not even aware of these guidelines and their obligations. Businesses and organizations can check their NAICS code, and review the guidelines that pertain to their business. There is also a “Re-Opening Plan Safety Plan Template” that businesses can download and use. As far as enforcement, my understanding is that authorities will not be inspecting, but if there is a complaint from the public, businesses may be asked to produce their COVID-19 Safety Plan.

If you have questions or need assistance with finding and interpreting the guidelines, feel free to contact me. I am happy to help you research and develop a basic plan to protect you and your employees, customers, and suppliers. No charge!

Be well! Stay safe!

http://tcad.org

04/27/2020

"Leadership and Culture Change: Strategic, Comprehensive, Integrated" - My slogan has nothing to do what I do, and everything to do with what you do! I'm not a role model - I'm somewhere between Tony Robbins and Chris Farley!

04/27/2020

Organizational change is driven by internal and external forces that ultimately increase the perceived need for a different strategy, new goals, or improved processes. Internal factors are within their control, such as people, products, or processes. External influences include trends in the economy, society, the workforce, and politics that are outside of their control. Sometimes it's a transition, sometimes it's a complete transformation.

Never has such an external force impacted ALL of our organizations like the coronavirus, forcing us to reflect, rethink, renew, and reinvent nearly everything we do. In some ways, it's a good time to be a "change management" consultant and leadership coach - a mostly captive audience with a perceived need for change.

I am glad to discuss a "Do-It-Yourself" approach to leading your organization's change journey. It is a flexible, customized, and self-paced process with a "train-the-trainer" flavor. I can teach you enough about Organization Development (OD) to make you dangerous!

Best to you in leading your change efforts! Be well! Stay safe!

04/12/2020

Story on Leadership coming up on CBS Sunday morning. Let's see how many "lead" by domination, threats, fear, and blame. I'll bet zero. Happy Easter everyone!!

03/19/2020

Are you a business owner, executive director, or committee chairperson of an organization in transition, looking to grow, or just trying to survive?

Whether you are a fairly new organization or you have a long, established history, it is important to occasionly reflect and plan for the future. Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People) suggests taking time to "sharpen the saw." As an executive, make sure to take some time to develop your craft as manager, leader, and coach.

I am available for confidential, personalized consulting via phone or video conference. I won't tell you what to do, but I will ask questions and make observations to guide your organizational "self-renewal" efforts.

I am offering an intial pro bono consultation in managing change, strategic planning, and creating a self-sustainable approach to continuous improvement. We can discuss your organization, management philosophy, organizational structure and processes, and existing initiatives to change and improve.

I can't fix you or your organization, but I can help you help yourself and your organization lead and facilitate a tailored change management process. Think of it as a way to increase your "macro-management" and reduce your "micro-management."

Feel free to reach out, or I may check in with you sometime soon. All the best! Be well and do well!

Regards -

Jerry

"I won't give you a fish, but I can teach you to fish."

Jerry is a teacher at heart, and brings 40 years of experience in the work world in all kinds and sizes of organizations, primarily in Organization Development (OD), leadership training, HR & labor relations, and quality assurance, as well as operations, sales, and service roles.

01/29/2020

Bob Eberling passed away in 2016. He tried his best.

Bob Ebeling was one of five booster rocket engineers at a NASA contractor who tried to stop the 1986 launch of the space shuttle Challenger, which exploded 73 seconds into its flight. He was 89.

11/11/2019

Find balance between your pre-frontal cortex and your amygdala.

"The problem is that most organizations spend far more time focused on generating external value than they do attending to people’s internal sense of value. The irony is that ignoring people’s internal experience leads them to spend more energy defending their value, leaving them less energy to create value."

Observing your responses is the first step to improving.