Some help in turbulent times

Interpersonal Effectiveness Profile (IEP)

With unemployment currently at over 9% in the United States, and expectations that it will continue to rise, it is possible that some of your U. S. based clients have been forced to downsize. Other nations globally are facing similar problems, and if unemployment is not on the rise, then economic growth is falling. This leaves many organizations faced with the challenge of not only how to maintain or preferably increase productivity, but also the possibility of having to cut compensation or benefits or both.

Other company services are often also included in budget cutting programs, and human resource funds can be scarce. These conditions, while necessary to keep companies afloat, generally mean that employees who remain are expected to do more, with less organizational support. Any funds that can be considered discretionary are not spent.

It is no surprise, having lived through numerous other downturns in the economy, that funding for human resource programs are often considered discretionary. We know the smart thing to do is to invest in developing the people you currently employ, knowing you will depend on them more than ever; but that sentiment is not often shared among the financial staff of an organization.

The question then becomes how can we continue to support our clients and client organizations when resources are scarce? Their need for development and training is increased during economic downturns, when pressure is placed on them to produce more with fewer co-workers. But the budgeting for programs is often unavailable.

One solid way of continuing to offer quality development inexpensively is to consider using the Interpersonal Effectiveness Profile (IEP) with your clients. We’d like to remind you of this inexpensive self-scoring booklet available from SCG.

Any of you certified in the last decade would have used this self-assessment during the Certification Workshop. Many of you currently use it with clients who are also receiving feedback from SYMLOG ratings. But it is a tool that can easily stand on its own, and perhaps be a useful tool for your clients while they are carefully watching how their development funds are being spent.

Another major advantage of the IEP is that it is available to all consultants who work with individuals and groups, not merely certified SYMLOG consultants.

The IEP only takes about ten minutes to complete. Participants score results themselves, and the booklet contains helpful “Hints” to incorporate into a development plan, depending upon the results of the participants markings.

The results can then be used with an individual for coaching, or shared with the team in a discussion. The IEP has a complete write-up on its origins, and comes with debrief notes and suggestions for use.

The IEP is a quick and effective way to alert some, and remind others, that their behavior has consequences. The booklet focuses on what impact the raters’ behavior has on others, and ways to make the interaction more productive and effective. It is available in a variety of languages, and has been successfully used worldwide for many years.

If you would like to learn more, or to order, please contact us.

SYMLOG Practitioner's Conference

It has been a long time since our last Practitioner's Conference! We are trying to gauge interest in holding another Practitioner's Conference on March 5-6, 2010, immediately following Certification.

What is the Practitioner's conference? It is:

• Available to all certified SYMLOG consultants, newly certified or veteran users
• A wonderful opportunity to meet other SYMLOG consultants and see how they use SYMLOG in their business
• A review of the latest developments from SYMLOG and how you can utilize them to enhance your business
• Training in advanced topics that can help you utilize SYMLOG to it's fullest, giving your customers more "bang for their buck."

If you are seriously interested in attending the Practitioner's Conference, then please let us know and we will add you to our list and keep you informed as we get closer to the date.

Note: if there is not enough interest, the Conference will be cancelled, so make sure to let us know as soon as possible!

© 2009 SYMLOG Consulting Group