Choices and decisions are a part of life. We all make them at
just about every turn of the corner. We see young children and
infants even, deciding between options and arriving at a decision.
In fact, I saw a study overseas recently that analyzed the cognitive
ability of children six months old and under. Results indicate that
these little tykes have a far greater cognitive capacity than we ever
thought possible. Even better were the tee-shirts they received,
which read, “Scientist in Training.”
The
Hill
Group, Inc.
recently participated in the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance's Industry and Education Exchange (INDEX) Provider Showcase. The event brought together training providers and human resource professionals to interact and learn about common needs and opportunities. We were privileged to have our President & CEO, Chris W. Brussalis, present on the topic of "Optimizing Leadership for Organizational Success". The presentation provided a snapshot of The Hill Group's organizational development practice area focused on training and capacity building. As a provider member of INDEX, The
Hill
Group, Inc.
will continue to partner with area organizations to assist them in achieving their desired vision and goals. Through these efforts, Southwestern PA will continue to grow and develop into a world-renowned marketplace for commerce, culture, and
creativity.
The
Hill
Group, Inc.
CEO honored as one of Pittsburgh's "40 Under 40" and as a
"Regional Fast Tracker"
PITTSBURGH, PA, August 6, 2003 - Chris Brussalis, President and CEO of The
Hill
Group, Inc., a national management consulting firm celebrating 50 years of excellence, was recently selected as a "Fast Tracker" by the Pittsburgh Business Times. This distinguished honor recognizes Mr. Brussalis as a person who has made significant contributions to the region's business and civic enterprises. In addition, Mr. Brussalis was selected as one of the region's "40 Under 40" by Pittsburgh Magazine in association with the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project. This award recognizes Mr. Brussalis as a leader under the age of 40 making the region a better place to live. He is also Adjunct Professor of Management and Policy at the Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University.
Senior Center Benchmarking Study: Focus on Marketing
Recently, one of our own, Dana Jarvis, Manager of Project Services for The
Hill
Group, Inc.
graduated from Leadership Pittsburgh, Class XIX. During his LPXIX experience, Dana led a team in the creation, development, and implementation of a Senior Center Marketing Benchmarking Study. The study examined marketing practices of senior centers in Allegheny County in comparison to those in North Carolina, a state renowned for cutting-edge senior center development. Results of the study demonstrated a need to better understand changes in the emerging senior market. Other key results included the need for enhanced funding, staff, and training. For more information about the study, please visit: http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2003/09/15/focus2.html.
If the idea of “Hear no evil; See no evil; Speak no evil” is an
applicable description of your organization’s communication and
leadership strategy, then listen up!
What is the office buzz telling you about your organization?
Maybe all you hear are the groans associated with the strategy of budget
tightening. Not surprising, this has become an all to common cry in
both the public and private sectors.
Those leaner and meaner organizations, which have weathered these
uncertain times, have often done so with fewer staff and less resources.
Expectations for employee productivity and growth remain high as the hopes
that more profitable times will soon emerge. Not surprisingly, in
this environment recent employee surveys report lower job satisfaction and
higher stress levels. In addition to the burgeoning workloads,
employees cite that lack of communication and listening is contributing
greatly to this satisfaction rating.
“I got a project. They got a project. Wouldn’t you like
to have a project too?” Welcome to the 21st Century where everyone
has a project. Gone are the days when a project was just an excuse
to do something different. These days, projects move at the speed of
light, and if you don’t hold on, you’ll be left behind. There
are so many variables as inputs, processes, and outputs, half the time,
project managers don’t know if they’re coming or going. Let me
correct myself. Successful Project Managers (SPMs) know what
they’re doing from project development through implementation and
evaluation. So, what do SPMs do? They have Herculean
persistence to ask questions and get answers.
Think to yourself about a time when you had to do a project. How
did it feel? What were your challenges? How did you face
adversity – smiling or whining? Who was on your team? How
did you motivate them? What were the critical changes that were
associated with your project? How did those changes impact your
organization’s strategic direction? How did you know? What
were the next steps? Were you and your project viewed as a success
or just another project to be shelved in the proverbial filing cabinet?
Operations
research (OR) initiatives are normally associated with increasing
efficiency, decreasing costs, and streamlining operations. OR
modelers are normally concerned with optimizing production functions or
supply chains to save money for the corporation. But using
quantitative methods to optimize softer business goals is rarely a goal
for these mathematical modelers. However, as our economy becomes
more service oriented, goals like customer service and customer
satisfaction have become important business drivers. These types of
business goals are not as tangible or easily measured as traditional
business drivers like cost, efficiency, revenue, etc. In an
innovative and ambitious optimization modeling project, a freight rail
company in Canada decided to make customer service the optimization goal.
The
freight rail transportation industry is rarely associated with words like
“innovative.” At least not for the past century. For over
100 years, freight rail transportation networks have been operated on a
tonnage-based model. Trains ran when they reached the minimum
tonnage required to be profitable. While this method seems to have
worked well enough for generations, 21st Century customers are
increasingly demanding more individualized services or finding other
options for transporting goods.
Management strategies and best practices bombard us from journals, newsletters and e-mails daily. As a busy individual you may find it difficult to sort through all the great ideas and figure out what strategies you should be pursuing to stay at the top of your game. This is the basis for our new section, titled "Top of Your
Game." In this section, we will provide quick hits to enhance your personal and organizational success.
This quarter's focus is on Leadership. Our list of quick hits about leadership is based on our experience as well as the scientific literature. While this is not an exhaustive list, it nonetheless targets some core areas of leadership development. This list could be expanded upon during a staff development. It could also be utilized as a reference point for leadership development, where examples of each behavior are noted and reviewed in a personal or team oriented environment.
Motivate and inspire others through a share vision
Challenge the status quo
Focus on continuous improvement
Provide an excellent role model
Communicate well with staff at all levels
Recognize the importance of social responsibility
Strive to acquire new knowledge and apply it accordingly
Provide an environment where everyone can surpass their potential
Reward and recognize the accomplishments of the team
THE
HILL
GROUP is pleased to announce its recent
engagement with The Maryland Governor’s Workforce Investment
Board and the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and
Regulation, to host The Governor’s Healthcare Workforce
Summit held on August 28th in Annapolis, MD. For
the first time in Maryland, the Summit brought together over
160 key stakeholders in the healthcare industry – employers,
educators, licensing and certification organizations, and the
public sector – with the common goal of developing plans to
deal with the workforce crisis in Maryland’s healthcare
industry.
Over the past year, industry members and government agencies
formed a Healthcare Steering Committee to address healthcare
workforce development needs and to plan and host the Summit.
These key regional stakeholders and change-makers partnered
with THE
HILL
GROUP to develop the strategy of the Summit, and
plan for follow-through to achieve real change in the
employment and training of workers for the healthcare
industry.
The Governor’s Healthcare Workforce Summit provided a
rich forum for the exchange of ideas and a platform for
creating initiatives that will greatly impact the future of
Maryland’s healthcare workforce. United States
Assistant Secretary of Labor Emily Stover DeRocco addressed
the Summit participants and expressed her praise for the
project, “I think it is a template for the nation. It
is in the fact, the single state event that is mirroring what
the Bush administration is trying to do across the country in
the growth sectors of our economy.”
THE
HILL
GROUP is excited to have partnered with the
Maryland workforce development system and healthcare employers
and is proud to showcase this project. Hill Group
president Chris Brussalis and consultant Alyson Cole met with
Secretary DeRocco in October to discuss the development of the
strategy for the nation.
US Department of Labor Assistant
Secretary, Employment and Training Administration, Emily DeRocco
and Maryland Secretary of Labor Licensing and Regulation, James D.
Fielder pose with Maryland hospital CEOs William Robertson -
Adventist Health System, Kenneth Bancroft - St. Agnes HealthCare,
James Hamill - Washington County Health System and Ronald Peterson
- Johns Hopkins Health System at the Maryland Governor's
Healthcare Workforce Summit.
These materials have been prepared for educational and information purposes only. They are not consulting
or legal advice or opinions on any specific matters. Transmission of the information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, a consultant-client
or attorney-client relationship between The Hill Group, Inc. and any recipient of this material. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional advice.
