Masonry Magazine July 2005 Page. 10
President's Message
million working adults do not have coverage. In 39 states, at least one working adult in every 10 does not have healthcare coverage, while in eight other states, it's one in every five working adults who are uninsured.
"Characteristics of the Uninsured: A View from the States" was released on April 28, 2005, by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) as a prelude to May's "Cover the Uninsured Week," the largest nonpartisan campaign in history to focus attention on the need to secure reliable, affordable healthcare coverage for all Americans. Some of the most influential organizations in the country-including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) cosponsored the campaign.
The ranks of the uninsured affects our industry as well, with our members not being able to offer medical benefits to all of their employees. The Compleat Benefits Solution helps our members address this concern by offering a limited benefits medical plan. Limited benefits medical plans are one of the fastest-growing insurance products today to help address the concerns of the uninsured workforce. While the limited benefits medical plans are not major medical insurance, they are a great way for the working adult to get access to limited benefits.
And last but not least, let's not forget about the health savings accounts (HSAs) that hit the news in January 2004. According to a May 5 article in the Washington Times, the number of Americans enrolling in health savings accounts has more than doubled in the past six months. And, of course, the MCAA member has access to these HSA high-deductible health plans through The Compleat Benefits Solution.
In closing, the MCAA has endorsed The Compleat Benefits Solution program so that our members can go above and beyond, take control and make a difference in the benefit plans that you offer your employees. And just as you think of the MCAA as your voice for the masonry industry, you can now also look to the MCAA with the help of our experts as your benefits think-tank by keeping you informed of the industry's best-case products, practices and services, and most importantly helping you, our members, find answers through The Compleat Benefits Solution.
If you were not able to stop by the MCAA booth at the Showcase to talk with our benefits experts representing The Compleat Benefits Solution, or to attend the Masonry Showcase, please feel free to visit the MCAA's web site (www.masoncontractors.org) and click on the link for The Compleat Benefits Solution, where you will find pertinent information on the program and contact information.
Communication is Everything!
# MASONRY NEWS CONTRACTOR TIP
Do you have an army of employees waiting to follow you to the top? Or are these people just pretending they are on your side while waiting for the first opportunity to jump ship and go to your competition?
Employees watch how we react to situations, and this determines whether or not they want to follow us. Would you want to follow someone who is negative or says one thing then does another? In fact, how we communicate to our people is directly related to how they feel we care about them. This is big! Studies show that people's perception of others when we are communicating is based on the following: 55% is non-verbal (e.g., facial expressions, gestures and body language); 38% is based on the tone of voice we use when we are talking, and only 7% is verbal (i.e., based on the words we use). Compare this to how you talk to your people every day to see if they will stay behind you in the long-run.
The best example I have ever seen of this was last year during the presidential debates. I watched every debate and felt that President Bush was on the right side of most of the issues (of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion).
Before the first debate, most polls showed Bush ahead by nine points. It appeared that, if Bush held his own during the first debate, the election was over. Then, during the debate, presidential candidate John Kerry brought up some key points that were upsetting to Bush. When Kerry did this, Bush scowled.
The cameras picked this up for viewers all over the world to see. At the end of the first debate, no one seemed to focus on anything but Bush's facial expressions. The result was that Kerry won the debate big, and the presidential race was at a dead heat.
In the third debate, when asked what part his wife and kids played in the election, Bush said that his wife, Laura, told him to stand up straight and don't scowl. That has got to be the best advice a leader could ever get.
Make sure when you are leading your people that you are not saying one thing and displaying another by your facial expressions and the tone of your voice. For if you do, your message will be lost, and they will believe the actions you convey instead of your words.
So the next time there is a crisis at your company, show your people how calm, cool and collected you can be in the face of fear. Your strength will set the tone for the rest of the organization to follow. In the end, this will strengthen every single person on your team. Sometimes a healthy look in the mirror makes all the difference in the world.
Damian Lang is President of four corporations is Southeast Ohio. He also holds seminars to show mason contractors how to better compete in a difficult industry. For information on one of his seminars, call (800) 417-9272 and ask to speak with Damian or Kerri.