Most employers are of the mistaken belief that the need to go in for an employee satisfaction survey indicates that there is something wrong with the company. The view the fact that the management has to resort to a survey as being indicative that the traditional reporting structures and response mechanisms have collapsed. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, if truth be told, organizations which conduct employee satisfaction surveys are considered to be ones that care about the opinions of their staff. Organizations that conduct employee satisfaction surveys are construed to be the ones that are concerned about having satisfied employees.

If you’ve ever faced dissension among the ranks at work, or if your productivity is sliding after a confrontation between your management and the staff, you might consider going in for an employee satisfaction survey. A good employee satisfaction survey needs to be predictive in nature. It needs to identify problem areas, put them into questions that elicit productive responses and to use those responses to change or remedy the situation. An employee satisfaction survey that is administered at the right time can often do much to remedy the problems that plague a company from within. And if these problems are not identified and rectified, they will lead to large scale collapse of systems.

What questions you need to build into your employee satisfaction surveys depends a great deal on the kind of industry you operate in. If you are in manufacturing, where you have an assembly line workforce and supervisory staff, expect to include a number of organizational behavior questions. You might even have a number of opinions regarding unions, pay per hour, overtime and even break lengths. If you operate with a predominantly white collar workforce for instance, expect to have questions related to job security, job satisfaction. If you work with service providing staff, be prepared to deal with stress, customer interface and training issues. In short, the nature of your employee satisfaction survey depends almost entirely on the kind of employees you have.

There are also a number of website that can provide you with ready made or customizable employee satisfaction surveys. www.explorance.com is one such enterprise wide survey software provider you can use if you want to conduct an employee satisfaction survey in a large enterprise. The site www.questionpro.com on the other hand provides you with easy to use, simple surveys that you can try for a month and then buy for effective dissemination. There are scores of other websites that offer simple to complex surveys that you can test, customize and implement. Remember though that these employee satisfaction surveys can only allow you to rate how satisfied your employees are or aren’t! What you need to do to rectify the situation and to convert all your employees into happy, content professionals, through the knowledge and understanding that your surveys have provided you with.

If you are a business with a large number of employees, you are likely to be confronted by a number of issues. Enhancing productivity is always a concern and you might have your sights set on it. Getting the company messages to all the employees will be another main point and you would need a communication channel to help you do that. Maintaining employee morale is likely to be another area of interest to you and finally, creating a way for your employees to bond will figure prominently on your mind.

Your one stop solution to all the above problems is an employee newsletter. The moment most employers hear the words ‘employee newsletter’ they try and look for reasons why they can’t go for it. Who will create the content? How can I afford the cost? Does anyone at all read nowadays? Why do I need an employee newsletter?… will be all be questions that will come your way. But what if I were able to prove that you can inexpensively produce a quality newsletter that educates, communicates, interacts and bonds with your employees, making them productive, happy workers!

The first role that an employee newsletter plays is that of an information resource. In most large organizations, where there are myriad divisions spread across geographies, employees may more often than not, have little time to interact with their colleagues. Sure, they do and will continue to interact with people sitting close to them or in their own department, but they will scarcely have the chance to interact with people from other, unrelated divisions. The employee newsletter will help draw them close.

Worried about content for the employee newsletter? Well, throw open a call for a volunteer editor and you will be surprised to find how many people are keen to start and continue an employee newsletter. In fact, you could pick good communicators from various departments and constitute a whole editorial team. If you have nothing to do with the printing, publishing or web business, you might need to find a freelance graphic designer who will do the design the employee newsletter for you on a monthly basis. If you want to make the employee newsletter professional that is! And as for cost, you don’t need to go in for a printed version. Make your employee newsletter an online one and e-mail it to all your employees!

Finally, what about the efficacy of the employee newsletter? You’ll be surprised to discover how employees take to it. To be honest, the employee newsletter is a two way communication device. While the management gets an opportunity to communicate policies, change in business structure and to make official announcements, the employees too can find a wealth of benefits in the employee newsletter. First and foremost, it will provide them with a platform from where they can air their grievances. But putting them in touch with their colleagues from other parts of the company, the employee newsletter will enhance camaraderie and cross organizational bonding. And finally, by offering them with some fun and entertainment at the office, it will make them happier and stress free employees. And as every management guru worth his salt will tell you, happy employees make the most productive employees. And if setting up and sustaining an employee newsletter is the way to go about it, why not?

If we own or have ever worked in a reasonably large business, we would be familiar with what is commonly known as a marketing plan. Meant to increase the sales of the product or service, the marketing plan identifies tips, tricks and strategies to help increase the sales. But hand in hand with the marketing plan, goes what is known as a communication plan. Now this is something that not many of us may be aware of. A communication plan for an organization has long been seen to be a frivolous and inconsequential plan that had no measurability and was not proven to be capable of making a difference. But that is no longer the case. Today, nearly every organization understands the need for an effective communication plan. Most business owners as well realize that a communication plan is much more than mere words on a paper. Effective communication is as critical as a steady cash flow or even the initial seed capital required to launch the business.

Most organization in today’s world will have a communication plan. Gone are the days when the owner of an organization spreads the word to his friends and relatives to increase his market share. Now a communication plan is a business necessity and like the other elements that go into the making of a business, can either make or break the reputation and performance of the business. Again, most companies make the mistake of believing that a communication plan is required only when things are not going well. That is a mistake. A communication plan is required even to keep the various stakeholders of the business, like the investors, the management, the employees and even the customers informed about the happenings in the business. Being connected to the business in some way or the other, they too will be impacted by whatever is happening with the business. An effective communication plan therefore will serve as the bridge to keep them posted and satisfied.

But it is when times are bad that a communication plan will shine through. It is not sufficient to start thinking about a communication plan when the bad times come along. In fact, unless an organization has a well developed and tested communication plan already in place, the chances are that it will be unable to tackle the requirements of the hour. Sometimes called a crisis communication plan, this is a communication plan that is tested for any eventuality and is kept in storage to be used in a crisis. Some companies face financial ruin while others may see an exodus of their staff. Still other companies may have to battle bad publicity while the political situation could have impacted yet another company. Whatever be the case, the only way in which these companies can come out of the problem and resume their business activities as well as resurrect the confidence of their various stakeholders is through an effective and efficient communication plan.

Of all the despicable and disgusting cleaning tasks known to man, the most disgusting one is without doubt cleaning toilets. Cleaning toilets wins hands down. While I am never averse to rolling up my sleeves and getting dirty in the quest for a cleaner house and surroundings, I always and inevitably balk at the prospect of cleaning toilets. Call me sensitive, but I think a repository for human excrement needs to be cleaned by a machine. I can never get myself to indulge in cleaning toilets for anything in the world and I am sure most people would agree with me. I was even very sure of this till I happened to flip through a catalogue of toilet cleaning equipment one day at a mall.

In our house, we use little more than a bottle of germicide and a good old fashioned mop to indulge in cleaning toilets. During the times I have witnessed the cleaning staff in my office or at a mall, I have noticed that they use very similar equipment for cleaning toilets. The exception is our janitor at office, who uses liberal doses of noxious acid in his task of cleaning toilets on all the floors. Can’t say I disagree with the chap. Cleaning toilets in your home is one thing, but cleaning toilets at places frequented by hordes of other individuals is another thing altogether! Maybe the fumes were a way for him to knock his senses out before he began with cleaning toilets. He does seem to do a very good job though and I can’t really complain about the maintenance of our office toilets. They invariably sparkle and are clean and dry. But each time I think about cleaning toilets, I almost sully them all over again!

But getting back to the catalogue, there was a whole range of cleaning equipment, especially used for cleaning toilets. Now considering that I hate cleaning toilets as much as the next man, I can only consider it an act of a higher power to find myself browsing through that catalogue. I mean what other reason could there be? So I dutifully went up to the hardware store the catalogue guided me to and bought myself some heavy duty equipment to help me in cleaning toilets. After all, my disdain for cleaning toilets had always not gone down well with the other members of my family. While each of them took turns at cleaning toilets at home, I ran far away each time they looked for me to help them with the task. Now, with my newly purchased equipment, I was eager to prove that I too could indulge in cleaning toilets like the next man. Provided I had the right equipment of course!

Many people find an answering service helpful to take calls and handle customer or client needs when they are unable to do so.  An answering service can provide a variety of services.  Some options available include basic message taking in your absence. Sometimes, a live person taking a message is easier than leaving voice mail. An answering service can also dispatch services based on the incoming call. Perhaps a plumbing service provides 24 hour service. An answering service can dispatch the emergency technician on call to service the customer in need.

A well trained answering service can provide an excellent front end to your customers and clients. Done well, the customers may not even realize they are reaching an answering service and should feel as if they contacted the business directly. This can provide an excellent and transparent answering service solution.  An answering service will handle your incoming calls in the manner you direct. You can provide specific information to the answering service operators to handle the incoming calls. This may include taking messages, paging or calling on call staff, or getting additional information from the incoming client caller.

Answering services can answer your phone with a live person whenever you need it. Perhaps you need a person 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to provide a virtual front office for you. An answering service can provide a professional live presence at an affordable cost. If you only need a little extra help, an answering service can provide after hours or overflow support when your phones are busy.

Many answering services start plans at under $30 per month.   Some plans start at the number of calls per month. If you have a very high volume of incoming calls, you should expect that your monthly cost for an answering service will also be higher.

Connecting to an answering service, once you have subscribed, can be as simple as forwarding your calls to a toll free number to be handled by the answering service. Some answering services may even dedicate representatives to your account so that your clients and customers will interact with the same group of live people every time they call.

Choosing the right answering service will depend on your business needs.  Investing in an answering service can be a positive business decision. Many people would rather talk with a real person than leave voice mails that they don’t know will be heard. An answering service provides a caring, personal touch to your business.

Organizational behavior, the study and use of how people act in organizations, is a discipline well wrought and appreciated by the best of managers.  The managers fit into and implement one of the major models of organizational behavior.  The autocratic model is where the leader for the most part is “in control” and the employees are dependent followers.  The custodial model is where money is the, the need is security and the manager is caretaker of the paradigm.  The collegial model has workers serve the interests of the organization as partners, as self-guided team players.  The supportive model emphasizes drive and recognition.

In the same respect, organizational behavior implementation also concerns individual types of employees.  As Twyla Dell in “Motivating at Work” determines them, the types are of four characterizations, which Dell cleverly defines with alliterations.  The Pioneeer is the pusher, the producer, is impatient, is exasperating and is to the point.  The Wheeler Dealer is debonair, dashing, democratic, is an idea person and desires to help and please.  The Caution Captain is a caretaker, a conservator, is consistent, kind, careful and cooperative.  The Systems Thinker is sensitive, is a processor, is systematic and a synergist.

Organizational behavior emphasizes other paradigms and processes, as well.  For instance, the manager will take into account the degrees of socialization versus individuation within the working group and on the part of each worker.  The organizational behavior approach, considers how the individual employee interacts with, impacts and is affected by the group dynamic.  In this regard, the manager studying organizational behavior will take into account how each employee sits on the scale of a construct that factors in his or her degree of isolation, creative individualism, conformity and rebellion.  All while considering these degree factors along with personality characteristics.

Much time, money, intellect and energy is spent to determine such organizational behavior variables.  From having the staff psychologist to the efficiency expert visit to implementing tests like the organizational behavior index, managers seek to ensure employee security, afford growth and see profits at their optimum.  The manager might study such skills as those taught in OBM (organizational behavior management) courses; might seek out a degree in a field such as Organizational Psychology; or might emphasize the concept along the way during training and experiential duties.  A combination of all of the above and more is ideal.

We recently purchased, installed and began using Adobe Creative Suite at work. Although I am a diehard Quark fan, the cost of purchasing the software, was too cost prohibitive for our office. We opted for Adobe Creative Suite because it includes two of the industry standard tools for design - PhotoShop and Illustrator - and a contender for the title of number three: InDesign. So, like it or not, I have been forced to learn how to use Adobe’s layout tool and I must admit, I’ve come to like it.

At first, I balked at the differences between Quark and InDesign. Using Quark had come to be second nature for me. It’s so intuitive, I felt like it was an extension of my own body. So, it’s not surprising that making the switch to InDesign was somewhat painful for me. I can now use this tool quite adeptly, accomplishing pretty much anything I could previously do with Quark, much to Adobe’s credit.

Another bonus that is included in Adobe Creative Suite that I like is the image bank. I’ve installed it on my computer at work and it’s a great asset in my daily job. Part of my day’s work includes updating our Intranet home page with stories and imagery that relates to our region and workforce. The image bank included on the Adobe Creative Suite CDs is quite vast and a welcome resource when other image sources have become overused and exhausted.

We have recently installed Adobe Creative Suite at home. Although my husband is yet to be convinced about InDesign being a close contender to QuarkXpress, I’m quite confident that if he gives InDesign a run for it’s money, he will be pleased with the outcome and quickly become skilled in it’s use. I’ve even heard that you can have cloak InDesign to mimic Quark, if you really just can’t get the usability out of it with it’s current functionality.

In my opinion, releasing Adobe Creative Suite as a package deal was a marvelous move on the part of Adobe. They have revolutionized the tools used by designers across the industry, getting a stranglehold on the market. There will always be those who swear that Quark is better than InDesign, however, the purchase of InDesign is much more economical, especially when obtained as part of Adobe Creative Suite. The cost factor alone is likely enough to end this debate once and for all.

A ball point pen is a great writing implements. They were not invented until shortly before World War II, in 1938 by Laszlo Biro. The creator got the idea from newspapers. He noticed that the ink in newspapers dried quickly and did not leave smudges, so he thought it would be a great idea to make a pen that used the same ink. To do that, he could not do a standard fountain pen, since the ink was too thick and dried to quickly for that. Instead, he put a tiny ball bearing at the very tip of the pen which would roll around, dispersing the ink as the pen moved on the page.

Ball point pens are still, to this day one of the best types of pens. They leak less than fountain pens, although the down side is that they dry out quickly sometimes. As a writer, finding just the perfect pen is really important to me. I don’t use a standard ball point pen, but instead use a pressurized pen modeled after the astronaut pens that can write in zero gravity. These pens have a pressurized capsule inside. Normal ballpoint pens depend on capillary action, combined with gravity, to keep the ink flowing. As the ink supply gets lower, they begin to work sporadically, stopping and starting, and it is very frustrating to write with one of these.  Trying to figure out exactly when it has become too unreliable and should be thrown out. My pressurized pen writes smoothly and continuously until it is completely out of ink. It only takes it a few letters to go from writing well to not writing at all and there is no need to fight with it.  It only stops writing when the ink supply is out.

There are other considerations that go into finding a pen then ink flow, believe it or not. One of these is the feel of the pen. A plastic ball point pen are alright, but there is nothing more pleasurable to write with than a nice heavy metal pen with an elegant design. It is soothing and comforting in your hand, it has weight, it has substance. It can be a fountain pen or a ball point, it doesn’t matter, it will be a joy to write with.

Another consideration is what kind of writing you are doing. If you are an artist or a calligrapher, you will require a much different kind of pen then a writer would use. If you press down hard when you write with your ball point pen, you will want much less ink flow than if you barely press down at all. The best thing to do is to experiment and see what works for you.

Many people get lost in their work each day. This is especially true if they are focusing on a computer monitor and typing away at a keyboard. Coffee breaks and lunch time are often neglected because the hours pass so quickly. When they do finally glance at the clock, it’s time to call it a day. With an alarm clock download on their computer they can schedule their breaks at the beginning of the day or week. The chime will ring at the specified time telling them to take advantage of a well deserved few minutes away from their desk.

These software programs can be found for free on many websites all over the Internet. They are easy to install and with a bit of tweaking an alarm clock download program can notify a person of everything from meeting times to medication schedules. They are certainly not only for the office as they can serve so many uses in the home as well.

Reminders are often welcome for anyone with a schedule to keep. A new mom would certainly agree to that. Trying to get an infant to follow a sleeping or eating pattern is virtually impossible, but there is a way that an alarm clock download program can make life a bit easier in a household that has just welcomed a new addition. One way is to set the alarm clock download to ring to the time when the baby’s vitamins or any medications are due. It also helps for the parents who may find themselves so overwhelmed by caring for a newborn that they forget their daily medications too.

Families with several children would do well to download one of these programs. Things like play dates, practices and homework times can all be scheduled into the alarm clock download program. In fact, every family member can have their own distinct tone that rings to remind them of what they need to tend to. With a computer in a community space like the kitchen or a family sitting area, every appointment is certain to be remembered.

If you’re a relatively organized person and aren’t looking for something to remind you of small things each day, you can still make great use of an alarm clock download program. Birthdays, anniversaries and special celebrations can often slip even the most organized person’s mind. With an alarm clock download program you only need enter important dates once and each year you’ll be reminded of them. Setting up the reminder for a few days or a week before someone’s birthday will give you ample time to get a card or gift in the mail so it arrives right on time.

Are you old enough to remember the days when someone in the office had to lug a heavy postage meter and stand in line, waiting for a turn to fork over a check in exchange for crediting the meter with the check’s amount of postage? What a hassle. Thank goodness those days are long gone.

Now you can have the convenience of having a meter in your office, but you don’t ever have to traipse on down to the Post Office to fill it up. Thanks of technology used by Pitney Bowes, a venerable company based in Albany, New York. Venerable here meaning that they have a long and successful track record helping people with weighing and affixing postage to packages in their own offices. There may be other U.S. companies than Pitney Bowes that make postage meters, but Pitney Bowes is the big player in the market.

How does it work?  You might wonder. It comes with a phone cord. Plug it into any old standard telephone line, push the meter’s “refill” button, and it takes less than a minute to refill the meter. Less than a minute compared to the old standing in the post office line routine. Not bad. Then you unplug the meter and get back to building your business. Your credit card will be charged with the amount credited to the meter. What could be easier for a small business person or office manager?

Another thing is you don’t have to use one of those flimsy little hand scales to weigh your packages.  You hope and pray that it’s accurate amount so that your package isn’t returned with a “postage due” stamp on it. You don’t have to worry about putting too much postage on either. The meter comes with a nifty electronic scale that can determine the exact weight of your parcels. And voila, you have a very professional level mailing operation.

Now, stamps are wonderful. They come in all sorts of beautiful designs. But metered mail looks more official, more professional. The company offers a 60 day trial, so you have nothing to lost by trying it out. Sometimes they offer free bonus coupons that are redeemable for postage after the trial period.

If this piques your interest, you can find more information at www.PBMAIL4.com. Before you jump in, though, it would be a good idea to evaluate the volume and type of mail you send out. Obviously if you mostly just send out a low volume of letters and use a FedEx delivery occasionally, stamps and a FedEx account may be all you need. Bumping up to a meter may not make sense. But if you’ve got some volume and variety in package size and weight, and you want to contribute to your professional presence, check it out.