Archives Point of View
What to do when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Impacts Case Settlements:
The Benefits of an Accessibility-Focused Case Evaluation
A White Paper by Michael Fiore
One of the likely unintended consequences of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is that Special Need Trusts (SNT’s) may be impacted due to settlement criteria that can be based on past, present, and future medical needs.
Teleseminars on Disability, Diversity, and the Changing Workforce. One hour of learning that can change the way that you think.
Tech Update: Read an article about the implications of 32-bit and 64-bit processors for Assistive Technology Solutions.
Looking for qualified candidates with disabilities?
A Job Board for job seekers with disabilities and the businesses looking to hire them.
The Value of a Mission
As we slide our way into the New Year, we as professionals and leaders have many things to consider. I suspect that more than a few of us are sitting in a meeting at this very moment, discussing strategies that will navigate your department or team or organization through the complex webbing of the ever-evolving process of business development.
In doing so, stock is taken of the previous year’s performance. Where were our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats? The rudimentary SWOT analysis again enters your life as the impartial (and sometimes unforgiving) machine that it is objectivity. In this setting, at this very meeting, you will observe people who are aggressive, people who are weak, and people who just don’t care.
At the end of the day, none of this matters unless everyone (aggressive, weak, and indifferent) understands what the vision of the company is. Without a shared vision, this meeting is worthless, because you have nowhere to get to, nowhere to be. You could have 20 of the sharpest, most open-minded, even-tempered personalities in the world, in this meeting, and they would achieve nothing – because there is nothing to achieve.
Too often in the professional world (more often than many leaders would like to admit), there is no clear statement or goal toward which an organization is driving. With this type of business model, it seems, to me anyway, foolish to be anything other than disinterested. Why should I care about something that doesn’t exist at any real, concrete level?
As a result, employees carry out their tasks without pride or prejudice – and go home. Well done, you’ve earned X amount of dollars because your yearly review put you in the top half of your organization. Nice work – you’ve edged out mediocrity by a hair.
To promote change, we need a little more than this. To make us care, we need something to care about.
Leaders will be surprised to find out how many people want to care about something. Wouldn’t more people want to spend their day motivated by a vision rather than submerged in tasks that are the means to some obscure end, which only leads them farther down the road of indifference?
It is imperative that employees at every level have a complete understanding of the vision for their company – whatever that vision may be.
Leaders, it is a New Year and it is critical that you know what you want to do. Create a vision that you and your staff can support. Break down strategies into manageable tasks, and make each individual understand their contribution to the goal. Prioritize, communicate, and create actionable structure. Reinforce your vision with scheduled meetings. Never be afraid to adjust, modify, or trade strategies or resources in order to achieve your vision. Always feed the hunger for guidance and control the tempo of your operation.
Remember, your vision is what makes you a leader. So, it’s 2007 – what do you want to do this year?
For more information, contact Seth Acosta.
