May 2006
Spectacular Weather Greets Skytop Retreat Participants
Blue skies? Seventy degrees? Surrounded by a golf course? "Don't pinch me. I don't want to wake up" must have crossed the minds of the golfers attending the Spring Retreat. In spite of the lure of the extraordinary weather in such a magnificent setting, attendee's managed to stay in their seats for two very informative sessions over the three day retreat.
Lew Cohen gave a sobering assesment of the future of energy costs and possible strategies to mitigate the roller coaster ride that the commodities market has taken us all on. Few things in life are certain, but it seems certain that the fuel prices we thought were a fluke and unsustainable, are likely to become the standard for reasons that do not reflect the old rules of the supply/demand market. Hedging your bets with prepurchase of fuels and even financial instruments such as futures were offered as some methods that facilities managers should consider to keep fuel budgets in check.
On a brighter note, Garold Markle of Energage, Inc., offered an entertaining day-two session on every managers favorite topic: evaluations. Over the course of three hours Gary managed to establish: a) Managers hate doing them, b)Employees hate getting them c)They're generally not tied to raises (or at most even high praise is rewarded with a inflation linked increase) so they go in the file without accomplishing much. Markle's Catalytic Coaching approach offered managers a different way to consider the review process that could either dovetail with an existing evalution program or replace it altogether. Inspiring the employee and accepting measureable goals is the key to keeping employees energized and engaged.
All in all it was an outstanding three days. Members, don't let the next one slip by without attending.
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