Tag Archive for Teamwork

| April 3, 2013
One comment

Hot Potato, Hot Potato

Employee Engagement

Two words Managers know they want but don’t know how to get.

Two words HR loves to say but doesn’t know how to get.

The potato that no one wants (or knows how) to catch.

Except me…I intercept that spud every chance I get. 

 

It is not Rocket Science.
Slide1First, NEVER forget that it starts with a relationship.

Don’t feel like building a relationship?

Game’s over…you lose.

Whether you are a Manager or an HR Professional, do everyone a favor and resign now.  You’ll save everyone from the suffering of employee turnover, low productivity, decreased quality, and overall pissy attitudes.

 

Second, define it.

Whether you define it in the context of your company, your department, or your team, define it!  What  is “engagement”?

  • What does it look like?
  • What does it sound like?
  • What is the result of having it?
  • What is the result of NOT having it?

Don’t know the answers?  Go ask someone!

Ask your customers, ask your stakeholders, ask your vendors, ask your employees!  Trust me, they know what it is.

 

Third, measure it.

If you care about it, you’ll measure it.  Likewise, if you don’t measure it, your employees, your customers, your boss, etc. will think you don’t care about it.

Don’t know how to measure it?  Don’t make it difficult.

Take the answers from the questions above and put some data to them. Then, track it, talk about it, figure out what the data means, and put some intentional and thoughtful work into improving things.

 

Fourth, recognize it.

Where the heck would you be in your marriage, in your friendships or in your other relationships if you didn’t recognize the value the other person added to them? You’d be in fewer relationships, that’s for sure!

Therefore, recognize when your employees get engaged in something.  Whether it be their involvement on a project, their offering of ideas for a problem, or their demonstrated commitment to a customer…when they get engaged, recognize their effort!

 

Is there more to employee engagement?

Of course there is…and I’ll write another post next week with some other ideas.  But for now, start with the simple stuff.

Build the relationship, define what engagement means to you and your team, measure the results and recognize the effort.

 

Oh, and two last things…

 

Managers, quit waiting for HR to do something “corporate wide.”  You don’t need HR; you need a mirror and some gumption.

Be honest with yourself, identify which relationships need some work, and do something to change it.

Then, sit down with your team and ask what they think about engagement.  Trust me, they’ll have some ideas on the subject.

Then, commit to personally engaging more…with them and with work.  Reciprocity is almost guaranteed.

 

HR, quit blaming Managers for increased disengagement.  Last I checked, placing blame didn’t turn the problem around.

Instead of simply “surveying” the workplace and pontificating about “the value” of increased engagement, try modeling the behavior yourself.

Start facilitating some discussions about the subject and putting some pragmatic solutions into place to respond to employee’s concerns, desires, etc.

Try coaching your supervisors and workforce on stepping up, leaning in and otherwise getting involved with work.

 

Hot Potato, Hot Potato…who wants it?

 

Category: Employee Relations, Leadership | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
| January 13, 2013
One comment

Modeling Diversity

young, curious, kind

wise beyond her fourteen years

Carolyn Kinzie

 

I had the pleasure of having lunch with my daughter this afternoon.  I eat with her all the time but today, it was just us and there was no rush.  Nice doesn’t begin to describe it.

 

I only have my kiddos one-half of every week so often, the first day together is “catch up” day.  I was telling Carolyn about the diversity class I taught earlier this week and she appeared to be more than “politely interested.”  She asked all kinds of questions, had tons of comments and thoughts about it, and then offered her own story about a movie she watched at school.  The movie had been about bigotry and bias.

 

I sat, listened and was so proud of my daughter.

 

Carolyn’s questions, thoughts and stories told me that somewhere in that beautiful 14 year old frame was a heart willing to learn, willing to accept, and willing to include others, regardless of what they looked like, where they came from, or how they talked. Whether they were bookworms, jocks, nerds, geeks or otherwise, she believes they have a place in her circle.

 

This evening, as I wind down my day, I am contrasting what I saw in Carolyn with what I see at work.  Over the years, I have learned dysfunctional teams all have something in common: communication problems and a lack of willingness or interest in diversity.

respectCarolyn’s questions told me that she is interested in learning about others.  It was obvious she’s curious about cultural differences, educational differences, age differences, communication differences, thinking differences, etc.

 

Carolyn’s thoughts and concerns told me that she is an accepting and forgiving young soul.

 

Carolyn’s comments about what is happening at her school, about her ideas for intentionally “mixing groups up” for lab work, teamwork, etc., told me that she sees how our differences make for a better “whole.”

 

And finally, Carolyn’s concerns about what she perceived as “wrongs” or hatefulness tells me that she recognizes prejudice and, thank goodness, is extremely uncomfortable with it.

 

Carolyn’s thoughts and attitudes are exactly what managing and promoting diversity is all about.

 

Be inquisitive, not judgmental.

You can’t manage diversity without first having an awareness and understanding of everyone’s differences.

 

Be open minded and accepting.

You can’t promote diversity without first believing that everyone has value.

 

Be forgiving.

We all make mistakes, we all have habits we need to break, and we all have bias’  that perhaps show through in our words and actions.  This doesn’t necessarily make us bad people…it just makes us human.  Moving beyond those moments and forgiving mistakes will go a long way in encouraging and capitalizing on diversity.

 

Be pro-active.

Diversity isn’t an initiative or an activity that simply comes and goes…it’s a way of thinking, a culture if you will.

Diversity, in terms of our labor market, is happening on its own.  However, managing diversity, accepting diversity, promoting diversity…these things will not happen on their own.

As leaders, we must be pro-active.  We must encourage the learning and understanding of our differences.  We must begin to communicate the value these differences bring to our work.  We must reach out and include others who may have previously been avoided or overlooked.  And above all, we must put a stop to prejudicial behavior.

 

I am proud of my daughter…I pray that her values will continue to be demonstrated at school, on the soccer field, at work, etc.

 

Carolyn makes an excellent role model, and I aspire to be like her.

 

 

Category: Employee Relations, Leadership | 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 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 23, 2012
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Haters Gonna Hate

Human Resource professionals, especially those who work in Employee Relations’ programs, see it all!  We are exposed to employees’ pride and egos, their ambition and their perseverance.  We see victims, aggressors, observers and doers.  We meet collaborators, competers and accommodaters.  We witness generosity and selflessness, laziness and selfishness.  We observe hatefulness and take notice of unprofessionalism.

 

While hatefulness and unprofessionalism are hardly inspirational words, they inspired this post!

 

Recently, I concluded a workplace investigation that despite all the discriminatory allegations, counter claims, and retaliation complaints thrown around, what it boiled down to was there was a lot of hatefulness (feelings) and oodles of unprofessionalism (behavior).

 

Hatefulness and unprofessionalism…
they have no place in a workplace!

 

Yet they are everywhere!

 

Whether they are blatantly standing in the hallways or silently lurking in the break rooms, they are there.  Whether they are worn as royal garments or protective armor, they are carried by us.  Whether they are in the spotlights or clandestine whispers in the ear of employees, they make their way into our communication, our interaction and our work.

 

What makes someone hate?

I suppose there are lots of “reasons” and I’d be lying if I told you I have not defended my “reasons” to hate others in my past.

I’ve hated a boss, I’ve hated a coworker, I’ve even hated some customers.

But here’s the thing, I didn’t allow my feelings to affect my behavior.

I don’t know why I refrained from doing so – certainly I wanted to from time to time!

  • Maybe it’s because my mother taught me not to or maybe it was because I was given clear expectations by my boss.

  • Perhaps it was because I did not want to get in trouble or it’s possible I just wanted to look good!
  • Maybe it was because I was confident but then again, I suppose you could argue it was because I was not confident enough.

 

Who knows and who cares?
I didn’t allow my feelings to affect my behavior.

 

 

 

But many of us do!

We think we have the right to behave unprofessionally simply because we don’t like, STRONGLY dislike, or hate another human being.

 

I CALL BS!

 

While at work, we are expected to effectively and consistently communicate with our customers, colleagues, bosses and anyone else who is involved in our work.  What we “feel” about these people should have no negative impact on what we say, how we say it, how much we share, how much we offer, etc.

 

While at work, we are expected to work WITH others.  Whether it be on a project, activity, or simply within a close physical proximity, our efficient and productive interaction with others is required.  What we “feel” about these people should not matter.

 

While at work, we are to focus our minds, bodies and efforts on work.  We wouldn’t spend 1/4 of our time conducting personal business from the break room or spend 1/2 of our time practicing for our next music audition.  What makes us think we can spend a preponderance of our time perseverating about how much we don’t like someone, thinking about how we can get them in trouble or encouraging or persuading others to turn against them?  It’s ludicrous – if we want to waste our own resources, we can, but we have no right to waste those of our employer!

 

While at work, we must comply with our employer’s rules and policies.  Whether we like it or not, we are bound by a duty of loyalty to our employer.  Don’t want to be bound?  No problem…resign…it’s that simple!  Most companies have a rule, policy or standard for work behavior and therefore, we must comply with it!  (And don’t try pointing your finger at the other guy.  Clean out your own closet before you start cleaning out his!)

 

What it comes down to is this: while at work, we are paid to work.  PERIOD, END OF STORY, MOVING ON!

 

  • If we are spending time talking about but not talking with the person we hate, we are not earning our keep.
  • If we are spending time avoiding, interfering or otherwise sabotaging the person we hate, we are not proving ourselves worthy of continued employment.
  • If we are spending energy identifying workarounds, switching shifts or projects to avoid the person, requiring others to “mediate” or “referee” our interactions with those we hate, we are proving ourselves useless to our employer.
  • If we decide that our ego and pride give us freedom to break the rules and otherwise ignore our duty of loyalty to our employer, we can and should expect our employer to do the same.  In other words, your employer can and should considering severing your relationship.
Hatefulness…it’s your choice…haters gonna hate.
Professionalism…it’s your choice…demonstrate it or leave.

 

 

 

Category: Employee Relations | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
| September 18, 2012
One comment

Wanted

I’m not afraid to admit it…I like country music.  I don’t like “classic” country unless it involves a bit of bluegrass…but I do like “today’s” country and find myself listening to it in the car, at my FroYo shoppe, while I clean the house, etc.

 

A few months ago, I heard for the first time “Wanted” by Hunter Hayes and immediately the song resonated with me on a personal level.  I won’t go into the details of that LBJ (long boring story) but know this…I listened to it over and over again!

 

Anyway, I heard the song this morning and, being in a better emotional state, listened to it from a different perspective…from that of the workplace.

  • I thought of Employee Engagement and how feeling wanted is a strong motivator.
  • I thought of Employee Satisfaction and how feeling wanted equates to feeling important, desired, and coveted.
  • I thought of Recognition and how showing someone he/she is wanted is a valuable feedback activity.
  • I thought of Leadership and how I need to ensure my staff feel appreciated and indeed, wanted.
  • I thought of Teamwork and how everyone needs to feel a sense of purpose, a sense of inclusion – they need to know their teammates want them around.

 

Everyone wants to feel wanted!

This feeling is a basic sentiment we learn when we are young.  Knowing someone truly wants you gives you a sense of wholeness.

(This is not to be confused with self-importance but instead, it should be thought of as feeling “complete.”)

 

 

I think the feeling of being wanted is a high…it’s euphoric, and perhaps even addicting!  (I’d do quite a bit to keep that feeling, wouldn’t you?) 

Powerful stuff indeed!

 

To illustrate this point, I offer two stories. 

Years ago, I had a boss who wasn’t the nicest person on the planet; she had an extremely short temper combined with a strong hankering for perfection.  On top of all of that,  she struggled a bit with clearly communicating her expectations.

However, she consistently let me know she wanted me on her team, she regularly told me she appreciated my thoughts and hard work, and she often told me she was happy she chose me over the competition.

The result?

Regardless of what went wrong on any given day, I didn’t give up, I didn’t get resentful, I didn’t think of greener pastures, etc.  I knew I was wanted…it was the drug that kept me satisfied.

 

Likewise, I once had a colleague who was the biggest pain in the butt.  He was a bit self-inflated, he managed time about as well as I manage my caloric intake, and he was always talking about the latest video games.  Annoying and obnoxious, that’s what he was and most people avoided him.

I didn’t.  I had no interest in stroking his ego, enabling his work or learning about video games but I liked working and being around him.  He said thank you in creative ways such as “I am glad you were around to help me with that” or “I’m thankful for your brain.”  He had funny ways of telling me that his work benefited from my insight.

The result?

It was quite addicting, that feeling of being wanted, and I helped him out as much as I could.

 

Being wanted by someone, whether it’s a supervisor, a colleague, an employee, a client, etc., is a mighty thread.  As long as the connection remains, you’ll always have something motivating you, pushing or pulling you to “do” something for that person.

 

But what happens when the thread is broken?

 

What happens when someone stops wanting you, or stops making you feel wanted?

 

Consider how many times we hear the following…

  • My supervisor is playing “favorites”!
  • It doesn’t matter” how hard I work because my boss won’t notice anyway.
  • My manager is trying to push me out of this organization!
  • My teammates are leaving me out.

 

I think these feelings are stemming from needing, but not feeling wanted.   

And I think we should do something about it.

 

I am making a commitment today – to my staff, colleagues, clients and customers.  Whether it be through my actions or my words,

I want to make them feel wanted.

 

Category: Employee Relations, Leadership | 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 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: , , , , , , , , , ,
| August 2, 2012
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Insights From The Baseball Field

I had the pleasure of watching the Little League Majors games for the Alaska State Championship this past week.  My nephews team, the Juneau Majors, were playing and, as a good aunt would, I attended every game!

As I sat and watched the games, I thought how nice it would be if the things I saw on the field could be seen more in the workplace.

What do you think?

  • Coaches capitalizing on players strengths and talents

  • Coaches, family and friends supporting the players with positive feedback, fun anecdotes, and words of encouragement
  • Errors and missed opportunities met with acceptance, correction and/or forgiveness
  • Players listening…really listening to their coaches…and acting upon the coaches’ suggestions, direction, etc.
  • Players engaged with the game whether they were on field or on the bench
  • Celebrations for the little things
  • Compassion and empathy

I wish supervisors would capitalize a bit more on the strengths of their teams.  I learned a long time ago to plow with plow horses and race with race horses – if you screwed the two up, you’d have two unhappy horses and the work wouldn’t get done!

 

I think we can give more praise.  I don’t think it needs to be over the top but it saddens me that more people don’t give thanks and/or kudos when they should!  And I think we should have fun with it – just saying good job is fine but gettin’ creative with it is even better!

 

I think supervisors should communicate that errors at work are opportunities for growth and learning instead of opportunities for ridicule or blame.  Likewise, I wish more employees were as open to feedback as a young ball player!  Wouldn’t that be nice?  Perhaps supervisors wouldn’t avoid giving constructive criticism if it was taken in the spirit it was given?

 

I know we can be better engaged with our work!  When a player is disengaged with the game, the coach sometimes lets them play a different position…now there’s an idea!  The coach sometimes encourages the players to try another sport…to find something they are passionate about.  There is another good idea!  I think we should take advantage of our right to manage the workforce and move people around when we see complacency set in or when we see that someone is bored and/or not excited about his work.  I also think we should make it easier and less stressful for our employees to leave – if they truly don’t have passion for our company and/or our work, why do we want them?

 

I definitely like the idea of celebrating the little things.  I used to have a quick “huddle” with my staff every Friday to celebrate the crazy things that occurred during the week.  At first, my staff thought this was a stupid idea and drug their feet to this mandatory “huddle” outside of my office.  But before long, people were scurrying to my office around COB on Fridays.  Lesson learned?  People like to be recognized and, for the most part, giving employees a small taste of success every once and awhile makes them crave the big payoff!

 

I wish people would show more compassion and empathy at work.  I don’t believe in over doing it…I’m not the type…but I do think we have to meet people “where they are” and if this means cutting them some slack every now and then, so be it.  If this means we “ooh and ahh” over the pics of their grandchildren, so be it.  If this means we touch their shoulder or give them a hug when they tell us their dog died, so be it.  My mom used to tell me I should take every chance I get to show compassion because one day, I would need it returned.  I believe she’s right.

 

Finally, above all else mentioned here, I saw smiles on that field…tons of them!  These kids were having fun and, in turn, their coaches were enjoying things.  Likewise, the fans were having a ball!  We should do more of this at work.  I was chastised once for laughing too much at work…the coworker told me it was obvious I wasn’t working as I was having too much fun.  HA!  Quite the opposite was true!  (Looking back, I realize that because she was an accountant, she couldn’t possibly understand having fun at work!  Hee Hee Hee, I couldn’t resist that one!)

 

So that’s it…insights from the baseball field!  

 

By the way, my nephew’s team won the State tournament.  They are currently in California representing the great state of Alaska as I write!

 

Category: Employee Relations, General | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| July 21, 2012
2 comments

Red Headed Speed Bump

I don’t like “fast food.”  Occasionally, if the need arises, I’ll go to Subway.  It was my visit yesterday with a patron in Subway that inspired this post.

 

The line was fairly long and usually when this happens, I slip out of line, head three stores down to SoYo, my FroYo shop, grab coupons, come back and hand them out.  But yesterday, for no reason in particular, I chose to wait out my time in line.

 

In front of me was a CUTE red headed boy.  (Please know I prayed for a red headed child…most of my siblings got one and darnit, I wanted one too!  But alas, I have two towheads.)

Anyway, this little boy had beautiful red hair so I complimented him accordingly.  He politely said thank you and I proceeded to tell his mother that I was jealous of her carrot top kid!

The young boy asked if I had a picture of my kids.  I showed him a recent one from my phone.  His mom then showed me a recent one taken of him and his little sister.

 

It was then that I noticed she had
a tear in her eye. 

 

 

“Moments of Significance!”

 

 

 

I allowed silence…and then it came: her story.

Her daughter had died.

They felt fortunate to have had her in their lives for 20 months. 

They had started a foundation in her name. 

They missed her but knew she was in a safe and pain-free place. 

Her son had won the chance to name an animal in the zoo and he named it (a lamb) after his sister.

 

I cannot tell you how happy I was that the Subway employees were turtle slow that day!

Had they been on their game, I would not have had the opportunity to be the sounding board this woman needed.  As it was, we kept talking long after the sandwiches were made.

As she talked, I noticed that her entire body changed; her face went from pained to relaxed as she spoke of her daughter’s genetic disorder, her ailments, her life and her eventual death.

 

For no reason in particular, I chose to stay in line.
For every cathartic need in her heart, this loving mother told me her story.

 

She wouldn’t have if I had not noticed that small little tear.

She wouldn’t have if I had not allowed the brief moment of silence.

 

She and her son came back to SoYo later and while we didn’t talk then (I had since gone back to my real job!), I got a sweet message and a picture of her son with his cup of FroYo!  I am confident this is a start of a good relationship.

 

Today, as I reflect back on yesterday’s conversation, I realize I move too fast.  Shoot, I typically pride myself on it!

 

However, I also realize that as a parent, a friend, a daughter, a sibling, an HR Professional, a Supervisor and a Leader, I need to slow down.

 

 

How many “moments of significance” have I missed?

 

How many of my family members, friends, staff, colleagues or customers have needed to tell their stories, release their pain or frustration, receive empathy, eliminate confusion, obtain information, etc. but I was or am too busy to notice?

 

How many chances to build or repair a relationship have gone undiscovered because I am multi-tasking or am otherwise pre-occupied?

 

I don’t know how many…but I fear the number is large.

I commit to this: from now on, the number will be smaller!

 

What about you? 
Are you moving too fast?

 

 

 

Category: Employee Relations, General, Leadership | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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