Flashings

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Survey indicates worker dissatisfaction

Anxious American Worker, a recent survey of 1,000 randomly selected U.S. residents conducted by New Brunswick, N.J.-based Rutgers University's John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, indicates many U.S. workers are concerned about losing their jobs and worried about their financial outlook.

According to the survey, more than one-third of U.S. residents report having financial trouble. One of every three workers surveyed is concerned about personal job security, and 30 percent of those surveyed report they have more temporary credit card debt than they have in permanent retirement savings. Additionally, 50 percent of those surveyed say they are working the number of hours they want to work.

In addition, the survey indicates 25 percent of U.S. workers are dissatisfied with their health care benefits, and slightly fewer are dissatisfied with their education levels. Fifty percent of the workers surveyed believe they need more education or training to achieve their career goals.

About 25 percent of those surveyed say they are less satisfied with their jobs than they were a year ago, and 30 percent say they are more satisfied. Forty-four percent of workers surveyed say they are "about as satisfied" with their job situations as they were a year ago.

One of every three workers surveyed claim there has been a change in the number of hours they work during the past three months. Fourteen percent have experienced reductions in work hours, and 18 percent are working more hours.

"Nearly a decade of unaddressed worker concerns is contributing to rising anxiety as many Americans believe they cannot achieve or hold on to the middle-class American dream," says Carl E. Van Horn, professor and director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. "Technology, globalization and reductions in health and retirement benefits have fundamentally altered the way companies conduct business and engendered fear in the hearts of many American workers."

The complete survey is available at www.heldrich.rutgers.edu.

Firestone Building Products names new president

Mike Gorey, chairman, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Bridgestone Firestone Diversified Products and president of Firestone Building Products Co. LLC, Indianapolis, will be leaving his positions to become president, U.S. & Canada Consumer Tire Sales division at Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC. Gorey will remain a member of Bridgestone Firestone Diversified Products' board of directors.

Mike Vall, currently Firestone Industrial Products Co. LLC's chief operating officer, will become president of Firestone Building Products.

Ken Weaver, who serves as corporate controller for Indianapolis-based Bridgestone Americas Holding Inc. and vice president, finance, for Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, will succeed Gorey as chairman, president and CEO of Bridgestone Firestone Diversified Products.

The personnel changes will be effective Jan. 1, 2009.

Understanding poor performance

Is there an employee in your company who is not meeting your expectations? Consider these factors to find out why he or she is underperforming:

• Poor communication. Is the problem stemming from a lack of communication or a miscommunication? Has the employee been given step-by-step instructions? To make sure the underperforming employee understands your instructions, have him or her repeat them in his or her own words before beginning work. Additionally, reviewing your communication methods with a colleague can help you improve how you give instructions.
• Organizational problems. Is the ability to meet your expectations beyond the employee's control? Is he or she getting cooperation from other employees? Does he or she have the proper equipment needed to achieve a project's goals? Removing such obstacles may improve the employee's performance.
• Natural ability. Is the employee capable of meeting your expectations? Is the employee performing the work he or she originally was hired to perform? If you have shifted the employee's responsibilities to meet a changing need, you may have exceeded the employee's aptitude. It may be necessary to reassign the underachieving employee to duties he or she can perform.
• Adequate training. Does the employee have the training necessary to achieve your goals? If the employee's responsibilities have changed, he or she may need additional training to perform new responsibilities.

Source: Adapted from The Motivational Manager, September issue

Details

J.C. Robinson III

What is your position within your company?
I am president of Frye Roofing Inc., Bluefield, W.Va.

What is the most unusual roofing project you've performed?
A flat-lock lead-coated copper roof system on a multilevel dome over a Brazilian teak wood deck supported by Italian marble columns. The structure was located at an old family cemetery in the middle of nowhere, miles from any town, let alone a city. It was completely open underneath.

What are your favorite aspects of your job?
Watching our employees learn, grow, develop and prosper

Why did you become a roofing contractor?
To develop an exit strategy and plan for the owner

What was your first roofing experience?
Installing shingles on a family retreat

If you weren't a roofing contractor, what do you think you would be?
A chef. I love to cook—and eat.

What is a motto that you live by?
"Do the right thing."

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Wild bird hunting—doesn't matter where

What three items are always in your fridge?
Real butter, beer and parmesan cheese

What is the most high-tech thing in your house?
A laptop

Where is your favorite place to shop?
Cabelas

If you could invite any three people to dinner (dead or alive), whom would you invite and why?
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin to try to figure out how our government got so screwed up

What is your roofing industry involvement?
I am past president and board member of the Virginia Association of Roofing Contractors. I'm also an NRCA director.

People would be surprised to know…
My lovely wife Teresa, Frye Roofing's business manager, has somehow managed to live and work with me for 30 years.

EPA encourages small businesses to recycle

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently reformed a rule that will encourage small-business owners to recycle and reclaim their waste.

In reforming the rule, EPA has streamlined requirements for certain hazardous secondary materials, including materials generated and legitimately reclaimed under the control of the generator; materials transferred to another company for legitimate reclamation; and materials that EPA or an authorized state determines to be nonwaste through a case-by-case petition process.

As part of its Regulatory Review and Reform (r3) initiative, the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy named the "definition of solid waste" one of this year's Top 10 Rules for Review and Reform. The r3 initiative aims to work with federal agencies and small-business owners to review and reform outdated and ineffective regulations to reduce the $1.1 trillion small-business owners spend each year to comply with federal regulations.

"EPA has listened to the voice of small business," says Thomas M. Sullivan, the Office of Advocacy's chief counsel for advocacy. "By reviewing and reforming the definition of solid waste, EPA is encouraging recycling rather than disposal. Small businesses care about the environment, and EPA's reform will reward small businesses that recycle with less paperwork."

Build better conflict-management skills

Conflict management is an important part of being a good leader. Here are some tips for improving your conflict-management skills:

• Acknowledge the conflict. Avoiding a conflict may cause it to escalate. Confront the problem directly to avoid making a bad situation worse.
• Speak your mind. Don't stifle your opinion. If you disagree, say so, but do it in a calm and controlled manner. When others see you can disagree without coming across as angry, it may encourage them to do the same.
• Ask for feedback. Some employees may be reluctant to share their opinions with you without being invited to do so. You may need to invite employees to provide feedback several times before eliciting a response.

Source: Adapted from Communication Briefings, May issue