Millerwood Communications

Healthcare Reform Misses Mark

What I keep hearing from Washington is that we need to overhaul the system to insure the uninsured and improve the quality of healthcare for everyone. What happened to cost-containment? Wasn't that the primary objective?

If legislation is passed whose sole goal is to insure the unemployed and manage the quality of care,  we are not only going to see increased costs for businesses and individuals, but we may even see the quality and timliness of care decrease. Here is what the healthcare reform should do: 

#1 - Take measures to reduce the overall cost of healthcare in the U.S. Reform how litigation is handled to reduce the cost of malpractice insurance for those in the healthcare profession.

#2 - Build on the healthcare system we have today, instead of dismantling the foundation of private healthcare.

#3 - Focus on prevention communications on a national level.

#4 - Leave Medicare benefits alone, and not cut services to the elderly to fund a government plan.

#5 - Do not increase costs for businesses and individuals by taxing benefits on those who wish to elect private insurance. Wasn't the point to reduce the cost of healthcare?

#6 - Offer government health plans to qualified low-income U.S. citizens, especially children, at a subsidized cost through private insurers, similar to what is being offered in Massachusetts.

#7 - Do not discourage employers from continuing to provide healthcare benefits so that individual citizens can continue to provide their own healthcare.

The path that is being proposed is going to eliminate competition for private insurers, which will drive them out of business. The only option will be go to a public, government funded plan. The choices and quality that we currently have today in the best healthcare system in the world will be gone. 

Originally, I thought healthcare reform meant that everyone could enjoy the same care with contained expenses. I am disappointed in the direction this is taking.

Life Lesson from Oz

This past weekend was my daughter's fourth birthday party.

Being her first year of preschool, she wanted to have a party with her school friends (18 to be exact) and neighbors. In February, we decided on a "Wizard of Oz" theme.

At the beginning of the year this sounded easy compared to the conferences, sales meetings, training programs and numerous other work events I've planned.

Not the case.

What I learned is that with adults, you can hand them an itinerary and they will go to where they are told. Start in Conference Room B, then go to D, then A and meet in the ballroom at 4 p.m. 

With children, it's a completely different playing field. You need to state each item in the agenda three, four, five times. You need to keep the activity lively and engaging. Any lag in the excitement and you've lost them. The agenda needs to keep moving.

Any idle time between activities, you've lost them. Kids need to be filled with anticipation. If they care about what's coming next, kids will follow you to the end of the earth until they know. If they don't care, you've lost them.

Kids need to be involved. Directions that require everyone to shout in unison or answer questions keeps them thinking and on their toes. And speaking of on their toes, there has to be games that require running, jumping and racing.

If they stand in one place too long, you've lost them.

Luckily, we had a party packed with liveliness, excitement, shouting, running and jumping so we were able to keep our audience interested. It worked. Our party-goers left piled high with rainbows, ruby slippers, bubbles, hearts, diplomas and badges. And, exhausted.

So, what really is the difference between adults and children?

Not much.

Just because they shuffle to Conference Room B to D, are adults really learning anything? Or, inside are they just kids who have mentally left the party. Did you lose them?

If you give them boring monologues from trainers or repetitive speeches from the organization's leadership, are they listening? While the goal may be to motivate and inform, the result could be a desire to find a comfortable chair in the back of the room and nap until the end-of-the-day reception. 

I think, too often, we assume that by just putting people in rows of chairs and telling them something, it will be absorbed. But it does take stimulation to keep people engaged and receptive.

For your next event, try livening it up a little. You don't have to have the Wicked Witch fly by on her broomstick or a bubble blowing contest with Glenda, but add enough fun to keep the blood flowing and  listening. A theme always works well to tie it together, and the opportunities are limitless.

For me, my only criteria is no costumes in the workplace. Just a personal thing.

NEEBC Trade Show: Communications Now

On May 14, we joined about 50 other service providers at the New England Employee Benefits Council Annual Benefits Fair and Trade Show. The theme this year was "Successful Strategies for Tough Times."

Despite the economy, this professional and well-coordinated event was well-attended and we were kept busy most of the day addressing questions.

Like the previous day at the Route 2 Expo in Fitchburg, Mass., most, if not all, of the topics of conversation were focused on the economy. Sample questions included:

• What strategy do we use when talking to our employees about investing in a 401(k)?

• How best do we keep our employees updated on the status of company financials?

• How can we improve our internal communications on a smaller budget?

• How do we prepare our employees for increases to health care plans?

In each case, we talked about strategy and planning. For communicating changes, plan to get messaging out way in advance of the change. Communicate the changes several times so people understand what they need to do and when they need to do it by.

When planning the message, put yourself in the receiver's shoes. "What do they want to know?" "What are their biggest concerns" Then proceed to address those questions. 

Across the board, we talked with people who are adapting their business for the changing economy. Communications is a vital part of those changes.  

 

Lucky winner (right) of a Legal Seafood gift certificate from the Millerwood treasure chest. Pictured with Christine Miller.

Proposed Legislation Has Employee Impact

The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), if passed, will allow union organizers to opt for a card check process instead of a secret ballot election.

Basically, union organizers would approach employees asking for a signature to elect to bring in the union. This strong-arm tactic removes all privacy from the employee while making this important decision.

Why change a system that is already favored by non-union and union workers?

A recent Zogby poll found that 71 percent of union members believe that the current private-ballot process is fair. A McLaughlin & Associates poll found that 74 percent of union members favor keeping the current system in place over replacing it with one that provides less privacy.

In addition, if the union receives a majority vote among employees, the contract between the employer and the union can be mandated by the federal arbitration board. This means the federal government can dictate wages, retirement rules, benefits and working conditions for a period of two years. Translated, the government can take over American businesses.

This is important legislation to follow to preserve the rights of employees and businesses. Click here for more information from SHRM on the EFCA proposed legislation.

Climate Change at Route 2 Expo

On May 13, Wendy Lennon (pictured above) and I were fortunate to participate in the Route 2 Expo in Fitchburg, Mass., sponsored by several Massachusetts Chambers of Commerce.

It was our second year exhibiting at this event and we found it to be very different than last time. In '08 the top topics were manager/employees miscommunications, the rising cost of benefits and general morale challenges.

This year, we encountered people giving us resumes and business cards, and asking for impromptu interviews, people with questions on how to keep customers who are making significant budget cuts,  and many conversations on how to let people know the organization is cutting back. 

A lot has changed in a year, but one thing we continue to see is that in any economy, communications is always part of a solution. What we also see is that the solutions people need are not elaborate expensive programs.

Many times, a consistent, creative and honest approach, coupled with a targeted strategy, is all that is required.