Tag Archive for Role of HR

| May 23, 2013
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The Frontier Project…a reflection

“A question that sometimes drives me hazy:  Am I or the others crazy?”

Albert Einstein

 

I had the distinct pleasure this week to be a part of an event put on by Talent Anarchy called The Frontier Project.

Nearly impossible to explain correctly, I will describe it as a think tank. Forty or so professionals, either brilliant, curious or a mixture of both, gathered to talk about the role of Human Resources – what it was, what it was not, and what it could be.

I will rely on The Frontier Project’s founders, Joe Gerstandt and Jason Lauritsen, to communicate how the two day event went and to share the results of our brilliance and curiosity. Keep an eye out on the event’s website as that’s where the report will likely be.

This post is my attempt to communicate what The Frontier Project did for me.

As do most events where professional networking (aka socializing for me) is possible, The Frontier Project had me resting my head on the pillow much too late in the day but with the energy of a recent graduate. In my opinion, there is no better way to get fired up about your career than sharing minds, great conversation, good food and, lest I forget, tasty beverages.

fired upTo that end, I ask you, “when was the last time you met with your colleagues to have a conversation about your trade?” I don’t mean when was the last time you met to discuss a specific piece of garbage you are dealing with at work but instead, I mean your career in general.

If it’s been awhile, may I suggest you do something about that?  Engage him/her with your thoughts and ideas about the work you are challenged to do.

  • What could you do better or differently?
  • What skills do you think add value to the work?
  • What do you think you need to develop?
  • Why did you choose this career?
  • What is it about this field that turns you on?

Trust me, meaningful discussions about these things will get you fired up.

 

The Frontier Project, with its fantastic venue and decent coffee, not only got me fired up about my career but allowed me to learn…and remember.  Because I no longer “touch” HR operations every day, I don’t know about a few things (ok, few is probably a fib…I don’t know about a lot of things) and this event helped me, to some extent, “come back into the fold” regarding HR processes and practices that have escaped me (perhaps it was me that escaped them but you get my point).

While I have no intention of returning to HR generalist work and certainly don’t yearn to write a job description or assist in the completion of paperwork, the dissection of these processes, the discussions about these processes, etc. was good for me, and I propose it would be good for you as well.

I akin it to me pulling a shift every now and then at my FroYo shoppe. I intentionally do this at least once every two weeks for the sole purpose of not losing touch with what I expect my staff to do, for not losing touch with what our customers expect, want, and receive, etc.lightson

There’s extreme value in that, and I am grateful for the opportunity to revisit my knowledge, and to identify what parts of my expertise are no longer relevant. Things change and only through visiting the work do schmucks like us become aware of these changes!

That being said, when was the last time you visited your front line? When was the last time you engaged with your staff about the job classification process? When was the last time you sat in on orientation?

Perhaps there is a space in your knowledge bank that is dusty, rusty or no longer needing the mental real estate.

 

Finally, The Frontier Project pointed out, in somewhat of a startling discovery, that I am not curious enough.  And, if my inability to play legos with my 6 year old boy is any indication, I am not nearly imaginative enough.

I don’t know if it’s my age, if it’s this particular moment in time in my life, or if it’s because of some other reason but I realized that while I incessantly tease my clients and colleagues about being creative, about pushing themselves outside of their paradigms, about daring to be different, etc., I sit in my comfortable career, perhaps grateful that these folks have not required me to practice what I preach.

While I am temporarily sparing myself the blame and shame of hypocrisy, I remain disappointed in my limitations. Therefore, I commit to seeking help in this regard.

Whether it requires meeting with and immersing myself in discussions with the emerging workforce, reading books about topics I know nothing about (excuse me, where are the books on ANALYTICS?), or watching crazy sci-fi movies, I will start to re-energize my curiosity and develop my imagination.

I will, as I heard numerous times these past few days, work to develop a beginners mind.

 

The Frontier Project…that’s what it did for me.

 

Slide1
If you were standing on the frontier and looking at the future of your trade, what would you see?

 

 

Category: General, Leadership | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
| March 24, 2013
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Coaching ‘em

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

Vince Lombardi

 

Last week I had the pleasure to present my thoughts and ideas on performance management to a large group of Human Resource professionals on behalf of the Northwest Human Resources Management Association. Specifically, I was presenting my ideas on HR’s role in helping supervisors do “performance management” well.

 

As I scanned the audience, I was surprised to find so many “seasoned” HR professionals looking back at me with awestruck expressions.  I thought this was curious because I was sure this concept was old hat to them.

 

But I found something different. These faces, who are the same ones I’ve seen around the HR community for years, belonged to professionals who had not really stepped out of their practical, transactional role and into an advising, non-directive role.  Sure, they proudly wore their “I Luv HR” buttons for years, but their reach and scope in their roles had been limited.

 

While they recognized the steps of performance management, very few of them realized how to “teach” or “coach” supervisors in these processes. Even fewer of them fully understood how poorly implemented performance management processes could result in quite the opposite…a lack of performance, a lack of clarity, a lack of engagement, etc.  Hence, the need for “coaching” the supervisor is critical!coaching

 

I knew that many HR pros in my community were working in “traditional” roles, but what was surprising is that so many of them didn’t realize they were still in them! Only when challenged to think about “advising” a supervisor, “mentoring” a manager, or assessing risk did they realize there was a big difference.

 

I adjusted my presentation accordingly and I must say I’m tickled about the results.

 

Many of the participants contacted me days after the session and noted that they are now looking at their job in a much different light! They feel inspired to change the way they behave and engage with their supervisors. They are excited about their roles as employee advocates, and they are willing to “push” the envelope when it comes to speaking up for what’s right, just and “strategically” smart for their employers.

 

Remember, no one needs to give you permission to show your value. 
Step out, step up and make up your mind to do it. 

 

Your customers, your employer, and you…will be glad you did.  

 

 

Category: General, Leadership | Tags: , , , , , ,
| February 21, 2013
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Hindsight

I’ve moved a lot.  I lived in about 15 different places before I was 25 years old.  I’ve been in my current place longer than I have ever lived anywhere; I’ve called this house my home for just over six years.

 

I’m moving at the end of the month and this has me thinking about office moves.  Throughout my HR career, I have been through about six “office moves” and to be honest, I hated them.  Not because I didn’t want to move – I could have cared less – but because I had to listen to the griping and complaining from everyone else.

 

I didn’t get it.  It was just an office, cubicle, or location in town…what was the big deal?

 

Today, as I look around my home, see my my half-filled boxes, stare at my soon to be empty walls, etc., I get it.

 

Today, I realize, with regretful certainty, that I failed to empathize with those who were depressed, scared, or otherwise disturbed because they were being separated from their surroundings.

 

Today, I realize the staff was feeling something that, at the time, was foreign to me:

They were attached.

 

 

moving

  • They probably found comfort in their environment.
  • They probably grew accustomed to the heating/air conditioning “quirks.” Shoot, they may have developed certain habits because of them.
  • They probably liked and/or depended on the idiosyncrasies of the sounds, the lighting, the physical walls/desks/etc.
  • They probably relied upon their neighbors and appreciated their “commute” to the restroom, break room or conference room.
  • They probably enjoyed the convenience of the printer being right next them or grew to depend on the silence of it being so far away.
  • They probably were grateful for their storage or loved their view.

Regardless of how many times I, or some other schmuck, told them the new space would be “just as good” or “better”, the uncertainty of the inevitable change and the “detachment” from their surroundings negatively affected them.

 

Change is hard!

 

As an HR Professional, I should have known better!  I should have been more patient.  I should have shown some compassion when I couldn’t summon empathy. I should have recognized the reasons behind their gripes and complaints.

 

If I would have felt then what I feel now, I would have done these things:

hindsight

  • Hold a meeting - numerous meetings if necessary – about the move.  I don’t want to leave employees in the dark about where they will be in the new space.
  • Facilitate discussions about what they like about their current space, what they dislike about their current space, etc.  I’d manage these discussions…we can’t all get what we want…but I think allowing people to talk about what is reasonable/unreasonable, what is probable/not probable, etc. would be helpful.

And, of course, I would share these concerns, requirements, and desires with whomever was in charge of the new space.  I know I could use my rhetoric and persuasive communication skills to communicate the value of considering their requests!

  • Help employees lighten their load.  It’s overwhelming to think about packing when your stuff is piled everywhere and you don’t want to give it up.  A quasi “buddy” system works well for these circumstances.  I think of it like a hoarding intervention; one person is assigned to “reality check” the other as the packing occurs. (Make sure someone is available to offer good advice on records retention!)
  • Actively listen to staff, which of course would involve keeping my own opinions to myself.
  • Reinforce the positive characteristics of the new space while confirming all of the neutrals or downsides, if any.  There is nothing worse than getting into a new space and realizing that no one told you there wouldn’t be as much storage, there were no bathrooms on that floor, the elevator was right outside your cubby walls, etc.
  • Give the employees a choice, if possible, of anything new.  Whether it be colors of the walls, types of chairs, or where storage cabinets will go, many of the staff will appreciate having a voice in these decisions.
  • Refrain from telling anyone that the move is “no big deal” because the fact is, it is a very big deal to them.

 

Yuck, I hate it when I realize I failed someone.
Perhaps you can succeed where I did not.

 

 

Category: Employee Relations | Tags: , , , , , ,
| January 21, 2013
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Managing Grief in the Workplace

Grief bombarded into my home this weekend when my daughter learned that her friend had taken her own life. Accompanying the sadness, confusion and torment that my daughter felt was a flood of my own memories, equally as torturous and dismal.

Carolyn and I worked through the weekend much like my own mother and I did many years ago; we gathered with friends, we wept alone, we sat numb, we spoke of confusion, anger and guilt, and we prayed for comfort…for our friend’s family as well as ourselves.

The Federal holiday today gives Carolyn one more day to process this tragedy before she returns to school, but she remains anxious about facing the questions of her peers, the missed work from Friday, the test she’s not prepared for, etc.

 

Carolyn’s stress reminds me of one of my first challenges as an HR Manager many years ago.

fathers griefAn employee had lost his teenage son on a Friday evening.  This man, a seasoned engineer, was new to town and had not quite built a social or professional network.

He was also a bit of an introvert and while his colleagues knew him, they didn’t really “know him.”

I had just promoted to my position as HR Manager and received a call on Monday morning telling me that this man was scaring his colleagues, that many in the workplace were weeping and/or overly anxious and that I needed to fly to Fairbanks immediately to “deal” with it.

I won’t bore you with the details but this poor man was having an emotional breakdown in the workplace; he was disoriented, angry, violent, and manic.

He had come to work three days after his son died because he had no personal leave and even if he did, he hadn’t worked long enough to use it.  He had come to work three days after this son died because he didn’t believe his boss would appreciate his project falling behind.  He had come to work three days after his son died because he didn’t want to disappoint his new colleagues.

This poor man was in the depth of grief and yet he came to work.  It’s no wonder he broke down.

When his coworkers learned that he had lost his son, many of them fell into what happened to me this weekend…a strong recollection of my past – a “reliving” of my own grief.  Some of our employees had what I can only describe as an awakening of grief that had been suppressed.

By the time I arrived in Fairbanks, the tormented father had been taken home but we still had five employees extremely upset and overwhelmed.  Most of the remaining staff in the Fairbanks office were so pre-occupied with everything else they were unable to focus on their work.

I quickly realized I was ill equipped to manage grief in the workplace.

 

I had no processes, no back up plan, no resources, etc.  I had an Employee Assistance program but I had no easy way to “initiate” that resource and put things into place to get my employees help.

The employees who weren’t overwhelmed with their own emotions wanted to “help” but most didn’t know how.  They weren’t counsellors, they weren’t clinicians, they weren’t family members, they weren’t friends.  They didn’t know what to say, they didn’t know what to do.

I wish I could say I saved the day but alas, I didn’t.  I believe I failed this grieving father and his wife and, while doing so, had one of the toughest, most emotionally draining weeks I have ever had.

 

The only good that came out of the week is this:
I made a plan just in case it ever happened again.

support

 

 

My challenge to you, as an HR professional, Administrator, Office Manager, etc., is to create your plan for managing grief in the workplace.

 

If you put this work off for a rainy day, you will be as ill equipped as I was, and you will realize that you, too, failed an employee at a time he/she needed you most.

Your plan doesn’t have to be fancy…it can be as simple as a checklist, a list of phone numbers, a few names of some volunteers who are willing to step up and coordinate things, etc.  I recommend you reach out right now to a few people who have dealt with this type of thing before.  Form a small committee and put your plan on paper.

Start with these things…and see where the conversation leads you.

 

Designated Contact Person

Can the employer identify one or two people who will be the designated contact person(s) for the grieving employee?  It’s less overwhelming for the grieving employee when he/she knows there is only one or two people to call.

 

Paid Time Off

Does your employer offer bereavement leave or any other type of paid administrative leave that can be utilized for the death of a family member?  If not, does your employer allow for donated leave?  Are employees able to use these types of benefits regardless of their tenure?

(If you do have these benefits, please take a moment to remind your employees of them!) 

 

Current Work Interview

Is it possible to contact the grieving employee to get a very quick “status” check regarding current workload?  The intent of this interview is not to make the employee worry about the work but instead, to ascertain what can immediately be handed off to a colleague, the boss, etc.  Perhaps you can gather enough information to simply let the customer/client know that a deadline may need to be changed, that he/she will be working with a different employee temporarily, etc.  The result of these interviews is a “release” for the grieving employee – he/she can “let the work go” and focus on the personal things.

 

Support Network

Does the employee have a support network?  Is he/she a member of a church?  Is he/she a member of another group – bowling, gardening, Lion’s Club, Elk’s Club, etc.  If so, can you or should you notify someone?  Can you remain in contact with that person so the grieving employee doesn’t have to for the near future?

While this may seem like you are “crossing” a boundary, know this…a grieving person is overwhelmed with making/receiving phone calls.  If someone from work can relieve some of this burden and maintain the interaction/engagement with others, so be it.

holding hands

Can your employer create a “support” network from your workforce? Oftentimes, someone who has dealt with the death of a loved one volunteers to be a resource for others.

Utilize these employees – it’s good for everyone!

 

Meals, Errands and “Taxis”  

Does the affected employee need some help with meals, running errands, getting kids or family members to/from school, sports, airport, etc.?  Often, these types of things are overwhelming.  Keep in mind that many of your employees want to help but don’t feel they know the person “personally” enough to do the more “intimate” work that needs to be done during these times.  Buying a pizza, making some meals, picking up a relative at the airport, etc. is a great solution.

 

Professional Help

Does the grieving employee have access to counseling?  Does he/she understand how his/her benefits works for this type of care?

Do the other employees have access to counseling?  Do they need to be reminded about their benefits?

Would the company benefit from having someone come in and facilitate group sessions?

 

Phone Numbers/Websites

Do you have a list of local phone numbers that would naturally be called upon in these types of instances: funeral homes, hospice, florists, newspaper, churches, clinicians, state sponsored/subsidized programs, etc.

I know what you’re thinking…this isn’t your job…but trust me on this one.  Your employees can spend time tracking down this information or you can create a one-page resource document that has much of it at their fingertips.

 

Resource Packet

Can you create a “packet” for someone the moment you learn of their situation?  Pamphlets, books, phone numbers, websites, and other resources could be in this packet.  Names of employees who have offered to help others could be included.  Gift cards for local restaurants, dry cleaners/alterations, florists, etc. could be included.

You’re only limited by your imagination and compassion when it comes to a packet that is intended to comfort and help.

 

I know this is a long post, and I thank you for reading it.  If you don’t already have something in place, I hope this has inspired you to put a plan together.

 

We can’t plan for death and grief…but we can plan for managing the effect it has on our workforce.
Thank you for caring enough to do so.

 

Category: Employee Relations | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
| November 23, 2012
3 comments

If We Look Hard Enough…

I didn’t get along very well with my siblings…just ask them, they’ll tell ‘ya!

 

My mom, a single parent, grew tired of me and my siblings bickering all the time and would often look up to the heavens and ask,

“What did I do to deserve this? 
Can you please help my children love each other?” 

 

This would, naturally, result in eye rolling from us and we would continue to argue, offend each other, do things out of spite, etc.

 

When I became a teenager, I think my mom finally gave up asking God to intervene because she started doing something new when we fought.

 

Mom would drag two chairs out from behind the dining table and put them facing each other…close!   She would then drag our bickering butts over and sit them in those chairs, facing each other, so close our knees and legs would touch.  YUCK!

 

Mom would then give us our directions:

Don’t move!
Don’t talk!
Don’t look away from each other!

 

and then, she would offer her final expectation…

Find something to love!

 

You see, my mom believed that if you looked at someone long enough, you’d always find something to love, to like or, at the very least, to appreciate.

 

Please note, me and my siblings would sit there for awhile, glaring at each other, rolling our eyes, etc.  But, alas, you didn’t disobey my mother for long.  She was nearly 6 ft. tall, red headed on the outside and the inside, the eldest of 7 siblings and an Okie!  (For those of you who have heard of this combination via southern folklore, you surely know that compliance is the only option!)

 

Eventually, me or my sibling would break the silence and tell Mom we were ready…and subsequently, she would facilitate a discussion about likes, dislikes, differences, commonalities, etc.

 

This practice took time, it took patience, and it took work…but it wasn’t long before the trick was no longer needed.

We had absorbed the lesson, we had acquired the skill, and we had embraced the concept.

 

As a Human Resources Professional, I use my mom’s “trick” all the time!  

 

I don’t make my employees/clients sit and face each other nor do I suggest they touch legs and arms until their will expires…but I do encourage, persuade and sometimes even force them to identify something to appreciate in each other.  Or, if the situation is desperate, I start with helping them identify common ground, and then I build from there.

 

I use this practice in group settings when entire teams are at odds.  I use it one-on-one when staff feel the need to complain about their peers or about leadership.  And I use it when supervisors are fed up with their staff.

 

Twenty one years ago this month, my mother passed away.  Today, I am grateful for what she inspired me to believe.

 

I believe that only when we can find the good in others can we learn to work with what we consider as bad; 

 

I believe that only when we appreciate our commonalities can we accept our differences; and 

 

I believe that if we look hard enough at someone, we’ll find something to love.

 

 

 

 

Category: Employee Relations, Leadership | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| October 29, 2012
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You Know What They Say About Assumptions

I recently taught a class on Performance Management and, like in many previous classes, I was amazed to learn that most supervisors don’t take the time to talk to their employees about what is expected of them.

WHAT? 

 

Craziness, I know…but many supervisors are simply assuming the employee knows what to do, how to do it, who to do it with, etc.

You know what they say about assumptions.

 

A Supervisor’s job, among other things, is to direct, lead, monitor and manage the work.  He/she hopefully has the right staffing levels or other resources to ensure the work gets done well but trust me, he/she could have twice the amount of resources necessary and would still fail if expectations were not communicated! 

 

Performance Management is a cyclical process and includes:

 

  • Communicating roles and responsibilities
  • Communicating standards that need to be met
  • Communicating how the standards will be measured
  • Monitoring the performance and communicating how to the employee is doing compared to the standard
  • Providing resources and/or adjustments (and communicating accordingly)
  • Celebrating success and/or reinforcing the standard

 

Good supervisors pro-actively engage with their employees throughout this process!

They don’t leave things to chance, they don’t rely upon someone else filling the employee in, they don’t wait until the employee figures it out on his/her own, and they certainly don’t discipline or otherwise chastise an employee for not performing well when the fact is, he/she failed to communicate what was expected in the first place!

 

By the way, Human Resources professionals play a key role in this process!

 

We should be coaching our supervisors to ensure they are able to communicate clear and concise expectations and standards.

We should be helping our supervisors facilitate discussions with the employees about objective and realistic performance standards and measurements.

We should be helping our supervisors identify development opportunities for staff.

We should be mentoring our supervisors in the areas of constructive feedback and recognition.

We should be facilitating a fair and just process for determining if discipline, demotions or other administrative actions are to occur.

In other words, HR Professionals should not make assumptions about what the supervisor knows either!

 

Cuz you know what they say about assumptions.

 

Category: Employee Relations, Performance Management | Tags: , , , , , , ,
| October 23, 2012
One comment

Hiring Is Everything!

A Guest Post by Ben Eubanks

 

Recently I ran across a very interesting employee handbook for Valve, a small software company. The handbook talks about the culture and what it’s like working there in intricate detail, but one section really blew my mind.

At Valve, they don’t hire managers or have any supervisors. They simply have people working in different teams who manage themselves as they see fit.

 

If you’re anything like me, you probably said, “Wait a minute, that’s crazy!” or “It wouldn’t work at my company.”

And you’re right, because it wouldn’t. (This brings up another point that we don’t all want/need a building full of innovative thinkers with no limits, but that’s a post for another day!)

 

But at Valve, this system of self-management has worked for over 10 years.

 

How is that possible?  At Valve, “hiring is everything,” in their words.

 

They focus more energy on hiring people, and then they have to spend virtually no time managing or retaining them, because they’ve created a culture that employees love. Imagine for a second that there is a direct connection between time spent recruiting and time spent managing problem staff.

 

Would you rather spend eight hours now recruiting people who are a great fit for your organization or eight hours in the future managing the problems associated with poor hires?

 

You can pay now, or you can pay later, but either way you’ll pay.

 

I’m not sure about you, but I’d pick recruiting any day. It’s a great trade, because even if it doesn’t give you more time in the day, it still adds some stability to your workforce. It also helps to develop the strong ties necessary for a solid employment relationship.

 

On the flip side, spending that time on employee relations problems is sure to cause friction with your managers and work teams. Murphy’s Law (whatever can go wrong, will) says that a person will start having performance issues right when it’s time for a big project that depends on their efforts. If you are focusing your effort on recruiting it’s a timeline that you can manage with significant returns on the time invested.

 

Want to learn more about these concepts? Click here for the Valve employee handbook in PDF format. The hiring section starts on page 43.

 

Hiring is everything, according to Valve.
What about your company?
Could you say the same about your organization?

 

 

About the Author

Ben Eubanks is an HR pro, speaker, and writer. I met Ben this past summer in Atlanta, GA and I quickly became a big fan! His personable, honest and direct approach to his career is similar to my own and, because he’s about 10Xs nicer than me, I quickly realized I needed him in my network!  :-)

Ben works as a one-man HR team at Pinnacle Solutions during the day, and at night he writes at upstartHR.  This is an HR blog with a little humor, humility, and how-to. Check it out to learn more about entry level HR jobs, talent management, and other “in the trenches” HR topics.

Category: Recruitment, Workforce Planning | Tags: , , , , , ,
| September 9, 2012
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Power to Help

A huge storm blew through Anchorage this past week; gusts of over 100 MPH and sustainable 70 MPH+ winds tore apart our little city.  My house and office lost power when a huge grouping of Birch trees crashed into our utility substation.

Without power, I am also without water and heat.  This happens all the time in Anchorage – anyone who has lived here for a year or two has gone through it at least once or twice.  However, this is the first time I’ve been through it as a single mom…and my experience inspired this blog.

Independence…such a simple word.  

 

It means freedom from the control or influence of others.  But it also means the ability to do things without the support or aide of someone else.

 

I have always prided myself on being independent!  I rarely ask for help and consider myself pretty self sufficient.

 

When the weather turned nasty,  I did what any independent single mom would have done…I got prepared!  I made dinner early, got my 5 year old bathed, and ensured all the laptops, IPhones and Ipads were fully charged.  I filled water jugs and put candles in every room with matches at the ready.  I filled the oil lamps and made sure flashlights were put on every nightstand.  When the power went out at 5:00 pm, we enjoyed the adventure!  (Who wouldn’t…it’s like camping without the bugs!)

 

We didn’t get power restored the next day, or the next, or the next.  Five days passed before my house had lights, water or heat. During this time, the “adventure” grew old and my “independence” wavered.

 

I needed help.

 

Asking for help wasn’t pleasant.

I will work tirelessly on my own in an attempt to figure things out.  I will throw a band-aid on a problem for a temporary fix with hopes I can figure out the long term solution before the band-aid wears out.  I will suffer in silence for a long time before I admit I need help.

 

While I have always respected and prided myself on this tenacity, the reality is this: it isn’t always good!

 

My “independence” often results in broken promises, errors or emotional and/or physical burnout.

 

I demonstrate the same “independence” at work and unfortunately, I fear I am not alone.

 

  • How many of our employees are trying to figure things out on their own?
  • How many band-aids is our organization wearing?
  • How many of our employees are suffering in silence?

 

Probably more than we’d like to admit!

 

It doesn’t have to be that way!

 

We can make it easy for our staff to ask for help.  We simply need to model “being human” and admit when we don’t know something or when we can’t do things on our own.  We need to refrain from being judgmental when our staff are struggling or when they summon the courage to seek assistance.

 

We can provide an environment where vulnerability and mistakes are accepted.  This culture can be created by urging creativity, providing positive and constructive feedback, openly discussing problems and potential solutions, etc.  This culture occurs when we use mistakes and shortcomings as learning opportunities and forgive them when they occur.

 

We can pro-actively offer assistance to our teams.  We just need to pay attention!  If we simply get out of our office, walk around and watch and talk with our staff, we will be able to identify where resources and assistance are needed.  Only then can we pro-actively offer it!

 

As leaders, we have the power to help – let’s use it!

 

 

Category: Employee Relations, Leadership | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
| August 26, 2012
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Holding Out

How often do we refuse our fate under the guise of holding out for the right thing? 

 

There is an old story of a young man in Alaska traveling to Florida.  He’s hitchhiking in freezing temperatures and he’s so cold, he can barely hold his sign.  A friendly trucker comes along and offers the weary traveler a ride but says, “I’m only going as far as Georgia.”

Disappointed, the young man rejects the offer.

 

I thought of this story the other day when checking in with a client regarding her decision on a recent recruitment effort.  Long gone are the days when they had plenty of applicants to choose from…when we were blessed with the curse of wanting more than one.  Regardless, the top three candidates, while none could hit the ground running, were willing, able and had the capacity to do the work.  Moreover, a thorough selection process helped us determine they would probably “fit” the organization’s culture!

 

At first I thought the indecision and the delay were caused by cold feet on behalf of the new manager.  But as the days wore on, I realized she was waiting for the perfect candidate.

 

She needed a gentle reminder that her wait could result in the loss of three viable candidates.

 

Please don’t mistake my perspective as wanting her to simply fill the seat.  I don’t believe in settling for a pulse and I would never encourage a manager to do so!

 

I understand her reluctance to make a job offer.

 

We all want someone who will hit the ground running.

 

We all want someone who won’t need the heavy training and one-on-one attention. 

 

We all want someone who immediately knows the jargon, understands the processes and “gets” it.

 

But when a ride to Florida isn’t available, perhaps we should accept a ride to Georgia as a gift!

 

Consider this: would you like to have a new employee who:

 

  • Is bright, self-disciplined, and takes accountability for his own development;
  • Is ready and capable of being an extension of you in his/her delivery of services;
  • Is resourceful and demonstrates sound judgment;
  • Fits into the organization’s culture; and
  • May have a steep learning curve but also the determination to face it head on.

It is true you or others may have to spend a lot of time with this person.  Who cares?  You are spending a lot of time doing the work yourselves anyway.  And hello, you should be spending significant time with any new employee, regardless of his/her knowledge, skills and abilities!

 

Alas, this person may have a lot to learn.  Be thankful…think of him/her as a blank slate and decorate accordingly.

 

Indeed, a “newbie” isn’t going to know the jargon, the processes and the politics.  Consider that a gift in itself!  Capitalize on the ignorance and use him/her as a catalyst to help rid your program of sacred cows, inefficient processes, closed minds and political nonsense.

I know Georgia is not Florida…but it’s damn close!

 

Additional thoughts for the HR Professional

How many vacancies does your organization have today?

How many of them are vacant because the Hiring Manager is holding out for a perfect candidate?

How can you help him/her come to a decision before he/she misses out on the opportunity that is waiting in the wings?

 

By the way, I’m in Florida at the moment so the story was fitting! :-)   Attending the 2012 HR Florida Conference & Expo – fun times!

Category: Recruitment, Workforce Planning | Tags: , , , , , ,
| August 18, 2012
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Out With The Old

I had a garage sale today.  I try to have one every year as I accumulate a lot of crap. Anyway, I heard the saying “out with the old, in with the new” multiple times today.  I’ve heard that saying before during previous garage sales…and I’ve always joked and/or thought to myself, “that’s right…I’ll buy a new {insert worthless noun} with the money I make.”

 

This year was different.  I had this sale in an attempt to simplify my life; I needed to get out from under the tons of stuff that overwhelm me now that I’m on my own.  So when I heard the saying, “out with the old, in with the new,” I disagreed and thought it was best to simply be, “out with the old.”

 

It was then that I was inspired to write this post.

 

This philosophy doesn’t have to apply only to extra sleeping bags, too many pie plates, extra gas cans, multiple carboys, shelves of Disney movies, etc.  It can and should apply to workforce replacement.

 

Yep, I said workforce replacement.
It’s a new term…I just made it up. :-)

 

I’ve been in Human Resources for many years and I’ve seen many supervisors immediately react and try to “replace” an exiting employee. Many nearly panic in their rush to do so!

 

I don’t think this is always necessary.

 

Sometimes, it’s ok to simply be “out with the old.” 

 

  • Perhaps technology can be utilized for some of the transactional work; this may result in decreased “human” activities.

 

  • Perhaps processes can be improved upon to gain efficiencies and reduce waste/redundancies without sacrificing quality or quantity; again, this could mean you don’t need a full time employee anymore!

 

  • Perhaps other staff are willing and able to grow and develop or to otherwise “enrich” or “enlarge” their jobs.

 

  • Perhaps the exiting employee’s hours were filled with sacred cow work that, when you’re honest with yourself, has very little value in your current state and can be eliminated.

 

  • Perhaps there is a need for additional and/or changed work; this could result in needing different skills/competencies than that of the exiting employee.

 

  • Perhaps the exiting employee had actually exited the workforce years ago and was just physically occupying a seat.  (Don’t roll your eyes and claim this only happens with bad supervisors because I’m willing to bet you have a few retired on duty employees right now!)

 

  • Perhaps the organization and its customers would be better served if that work were changed or…don’t shoot me…outsourced.

 

Perhaps perhaps perhaps.

 

Perhaps you’re tired of me suggesting the above things are possible but trust me, you will be a better supervisor and a better manager of your resources if you take the time to analyze the work, think about who is best to perform it, discuss how best to get it done, etc. 

(And, if you’re a good HR Professional, you will prove your worth and assist/counsel your supervisor/manager immediately!)

 

Once you have done a thorough “workplace replacement” analysis, you’ll know if you need to delegate and develop, re-organize a few things, or hire a new employee.

 

If indeed you need “in with the new,” feel free to recruit, screen and select like nobody’s business!  Fill the seat with someone qualified to do the work, aligned with your vision and mission, able to fit into the organization’s culture and motivated to be a part of something great!

 

I’m just asking that you think about it first!

 

Workforce replacement…it’s about analyzing the work that needs to be done and doing what is necessary to ensure it gets done well.

 

That’s my perspective!  BTW, that and a quarter would have bought you a cup of lemonade today at my garage sale!

 

 

Category: Workforce Planning | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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