Posted on Tue, May 11, 2010 @ 12:41 PM
This blog posting is the final post in the employee relations issues series. Here are the first two posts if you missed them.
Handling Employee Relations Issues - Part 1
Handling Employee Relations Issues - Part 2
Some Special Considerations When Handling Employee Relations Issues
Always be prepared to diagnose and determine whether your employee is suffering from a simple a bad mood or from a more serious bad attitude. Is the event that brought this employee to your office a single one-time out of character act or is it a systemic pattern of behavior? That's not to say that inappropriate behavior done just one time shouldn't be addressed, but you should be prepared to understand that everyone has a bad day every now and again.
Also be prepared to be confronted with some of your own behaviors, as in the employee telling you "Well, Mr. Pot, this is Mr. Kettle, and you're black, too!". If you and the rest of the management team, and even - no, especially - the CEO of your company are not exhibiting the behaviors you expect of this employee, your attempt to change him will fail from the onset. This could be the symptom of poor management.
You will also need to be prepared to receive some personal revelations from the employee that explain, if not defend, the behavior. Perhaps they are going through a divorce, a family crisis, had a loved one die, or are having some severe financial difficulties. While they still need to change their inappropriate behavior, they may also need some serious help for a legitimate problem. Be prepared to share details of your Employee Assistance Program with them. If you don't have one, there are many companies who offer professional coaching for just this situation.
And for those of who you say, This is too much. Can't we just fire them and move on? We're an at-will state - we don't even have to tell them we're firing them because they just drive us crazy. Well, that's true, provided there is nothing that can be inferred or implied as an illegal reason for firing them. For more about that, read our employment at will resources.
However, remember that we are dealing with an otherwise good performer, or else we'd be disciplining them based on performance. So, if they are a good performer and have the knowledge and the skills to do the job well, wouldn't it be worth it to see if they also had it in them to change their behaviors and get on the bus with the rest of the team? Some of them just won't, no matter what you do. But some of them will, once you show them that you have the faith that they can. And these are the employees that can often work wonders.
If you're struggling with employee relations issues at your company, you may want to take a look at using assessments and in-depth background checks for your recruiting processes. If you'd like better employees for your organization, download the whitepaper to the left now.
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Posted on Thu, Apr 08, 2010 @ 09:43 AM
Believe it or not, football practice is just around the corner, and for all of you Louisville fans out there, we've got a fiery new coach filling his players full of the kind of motivation we need for a great season.
I love Louisville, but I'm also a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. I have the officially licensed Troy Polamalu jersey, the "terrible towel," and a nerf football with the team logo on it. As you can imagine, I was pretty disappointed with this past season.
Coming down from the Super Bowl high of last season to watching a team that couldn't close a game was very frustrating. I came across an article the other day written by another diehard Steelers fan trying to put to paper his thoughts on what happened in 2009. He gave two possible explanations, one being injuries and the other being the change in their hard-nosed running offense to a bleak passing attack. I was still puzzled. How could a team as talented as the Pittsburgh Steelers perform so poorly? It didn't make sense.
So here's my take. I think the root of the problem is very simple. It stems from a lack of motivation.
What is Motivation?
Motivation is the activation of goal-oriented behavior. Without it, you can't reach your goal. The same is true in most companies today. More and more companies are asking their employees to do more with less, but in the process are creating disengaged employees who are not performing at their peak and are often times even de-motivated. Unless employees are engaged, the company cannot be successful. The Pittsburgh Steelers discovered that first hand.
Here are 5 simple steps you can use to get your employees engaged and work more effectively as a team:
1. Set Clear Expectations
Employees need to know what is expected of them and how their role fits into the big picture. As in a football team, they need to know what position they play, when they are to play it, how they are to play it, and what exceptional performance looks like.
2. Recognize and Reward Outstanding Performance
Wouldn't it be strange to go to a football game where the fans cheered only when each team scored? Of course it would, because fans cheer each time the ball is moved down the field. Don't wait and reward only one employee with the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, cheer the progress of all employees regularly. Remember, when a team wins a Super Bowl, everybody gets a ring!
3. Open the Lines of Communication
Football coaches and coordinators are constantly communicating with the team players throughout the game. They let them know what obstacles they may encounter and how to work around those obstacles. Players also communicate back to the coaches.
For example, the offensive coordinator can communicate to the quarterback what he is seeing from the stands, and the quarterback can communicate back what he sees on the field. Employees need to know that they are not playing alone. They need to feel that their opinions and ideas are respected and listened to. Don't make the mistake of only barking orders through your headset from your booth in the stands - make sure you are listening, too!
4. Invest in Your Employees' Development
You don't become a starting quarterback overnight. The coach works hard to develop 2nd and 3rd string quarterbacks to step into that role one day. Make sure that you regularly discuss career goals and development opportunities with your employees. Consider succession planning where appropriate.
5. Set Compensation and Benefits at a Level That Demonstrates Your Commitment
Money is ultimately not a motivator. In fact it shows diminishing returns at a certain level depending on the job, but setting pay and benefits at a competitive rate will go a long way in communicating your commitment to your employees. If they feel you are paying them what they are worth, they will feel as if their talents are recognized, and they will respond naturally with better performance.
Now I am not saying to pay them all at the NFL rate, but make sure you do a market analysis to make sure what you are paying is keeping up with market trends. If you can't afford what a certain position demands, it might not be the right time to hire.
Employee engagement is all about commitment and direction. If employees are given clear instructions and feel valued and respected, your company will score touchdowns every day.
Is motivation suffering in your workplace? Are you doing all you can to keep your employees happy? It may have a larger effect that you think. Give us a call today at 502.753.0970, or just leave us a comment with your question. We'll be glad to help.
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Posted on Fri, Mar 26, 2010 @ 09:10 AM
Alright. So after our little break from the bad bosses blog series to go over some of the finer ways to deal with March Madness in your office, we bring to you today the final posting in the bad bosses blog series. The first post in the series got some very heavy exposure in the blogosphere community. Make sure you check that out along with the rest. Here are links to the first three in case you missed them.
How to Deal With Poor Management - Part 1
How to Deal With Poor Management - Part 2
How to Deal With Poor Management - Part 3
So without further adieu, here is the final post in the beating bad bosses blog series, courtesy of IntegrityHR.
So, what do you do if you are unfortunate enough to have a bad boss? It's a difficult situation, and one that you need to assess thoroughly before taking any action. However, here's the best advice that we can provide to you. The first three topics covered all the different types of bad bosses, in (we admit) quite a bit of detail. The last post is your Top 7 Tips on How to Deal With Poor Management.
1. Document accurately
Write down issues that are affecting you and your ability to meet your goals in the workplace. Be prepared to present them in a diplomatic, practical way. That is, while your feelings are important, don't rely only on hurt feelings as being the problem. You need to be able to show that the manager's behavior is negatively impacting the performance of the workplace. Also, don't accuse the manager of being one way or another - simply state the facts and how the situations are affecting you and your colleagues.
2. Remain Objective and Professional
Don't get emotional when preparing your argument, and don't get angry. You need to remain professional throughout the exercise and show that while you are looking out to be certain you are getting the respect you deserve, you are also looking out for the betterment of the company as a whole. Getting emotional and angry can cause colleagues and upper management to lose respect for you, and can reduce the credibility of your argument.
3. Talk to the Boss - i.e. Communicate
It's possible he or she is not aware of the behavior that is causing him or her to be a bad boss. Be courageous - many people are afraid to confront a boss, and justifiably so. It takes nerve to confront someone who can make your life miserable, but since they are already doing that, you have little to lose.
Ask for a meeting so that you will have time to discuss without interruptions, and have an agenda with notes prepared so that you won't get flustered when it comes time to talk. Have your documents with you. Be brave, and be respectful. If your manager is not aware of any of these things, be understanding, and offer suggestions for improvement and what you need from him or her in order to reach mutual goals. If your boss is aware of his or her behavior and doesn't see a need to change, move on to step 2.
4. Be worthy of respect and ask for it
Tell your boss that you expect to be treated respectfully in the workplace, and provide examples of ways in which he or she has treated you disrespectfully. Be careful not to be too direct. This can often come across as an attack. Be sure to make it known that you're only trying to increase the company's performance beforehand.
5. Continue to Document Problems
Maintain your list of issues that are reoccurring. Eventually, you may have to escalate the situation to someone higher in management, and you will need an accurate list of what occurred before and after your talk with the boss. Include dates.
6. Escalate to Upper Management or HR.
If the behavior continues after confronting your manager, go to Human Resources, or to upper management, according to company policy. Your employee handbook should have a policy to tell you how to report complaints (typically referred to as "conflict resolution" or "grievances"). This is when your documentation comes into play, and it's another reason why it was so important that you spoke to your manager first yourself. It shows that you were professional and mature enough to try to resolve the matter on your own at departmental level.
7. Recognize when it's time to leave.
Sometimes, you do need to just walk away. There are situations when managers are toxic because the organization itself is toxic, and that's not a situation you are likely to change on your own. There's no shame in taking the high road and walking away, rather than risk letting the negative atmosphere impact other areas of your life, such as your home and family.
Always remember that good can come of a bad situation. If you are forced to leave, learn from the experience, and apply that knowledge in potential future situations. You can beat your bad boss. If you try hard enough, maybe you can even have their job. :)
Be on the lookout next week for a new topic. We've got some interesting stuff brewing in the IntegrityHR Blog Lab.
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Posted on Mon, Mar 22, 2010 @ 10:55 AM
Leveraging March Madness
Today we're taking a short break from the bad bosses blog series to bring you some helpful advice on how to deal with march madness in your office. This post can help you flip the madness upside down and show you how to use this once a year event to skyrocket your office morale.
We're less than a week into it and there's no doubt that your office is already suffering from March Madness. Brackets completed over a week ago are now taped to cubicle walls - at least those that haven't been crumpled and tossed when the scrappy Panthers of Northern Iowa won in their surprise upset over the overall #1 seeded Kansas Jayhawks - WOW!
Getting back to the real action, the truth is that employees are checking the scores every chance they get, chatting about game highlights at the coffee pot and snack machines, and cutting out early, (or taking the day off entirely) if the opportunity permits to catch the game at the neighborhood pub. Forget dual monitors enhancing productivity during this week. You can bet one of those is being used to stream the games, courtesy of CBS offering March Madness on Demand, which streams games live to any computer - a very tough barrier for office productivity.
How to Flip the Madness Upside Down
Now, one approach would be, of course, for employers to simply say "No way! - as many do. I've heard many accounts of friends' employers sending out mass emails threatening discipline for anyone caught watching games or even talking about brackets - but there is another way to approach it.
This is work, for crying out loud! Forget basketball and get back to your jobs!" This would be a reasonable response and is most often the road taken, given that estimates for the cost of lost productivity in the US during March Madness range from 1.2 to 1.8 billion dollars.
However, before you staunchly get on your soapbox and claim your rights as an employer, let me give you a little hint: They are going to do it anyway. It's unavoidable. It's a national event unlike any other that a lot of people have stake in. Even if their bracket pool is only worth $32, the bragging rights and the fun are what matters.
But here's the kicker. If you outlaw any sort of March Madness activity, your employees are going to have to sneak around, they are going to resent you for having to sneak around, and they will probably waste even more time because they will have to think of ways to be sneaky - quick Pam, hide the taskbar!
So consider this. Instead, take this time as an opportunity to improve office morale by being supportive of their pursuits and permitting a few weeks of indulgence. By allowing the activity, you can set parameters on it, and can control the amount of time spent away from work and how information and scores are accessed (by providing televisions, for instance, if bandwidth concerns are an issue). You can determine that you can allow office brackets, but if you are not comfortable with employees having pools, you can say that the competition must be for fun only without an exchange of money, or that money collected will go to the winner's selected charity - not Bob's new car fund.
Even employees who are not particularly interested in basketball will enjoy the camaraderie of getting together with their fellow staff members if short breaks are designated to watch the games on a single TV or computer, and everyone can enjoy a break in the dress code by supporting their favorite team. A company sponsored lunch (or employee provided pot luck!) is another great way for employees to spend time together and get to watch an afternoon game for a little while. Your employees will appreciate this and they will reciprocate.
Increasing Office Morale
There are a number of ways employers can support the fun of March Madness, and by being active with their employees, management can establish boundaries so that things do not get out of control. Is it going to cost a little down time? Of course it will. However, that cost is a small price to pay for savings you will get compared to leaving employees to their own devices, and compared to the goodwill you will earn from employees who will remember the time allowed for fun when overtime is required for the next weekend inventory.
Can you think of any other ways to use March Madness to your advantage? We'd love to hear your comments!
HBBV3FHBVGRZ
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Use our blog as a resource - http://integrityhr.com/blog
Stay on top of of your organization by subscribing to our blog via email or RSS to the left. If you would like to Contact Us about any of the concepts in the above blog posting please call 502.753.0970.
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