Posted on Wed, May 19, 2010 @ 01:53 PM
It's Time For Summer Clothes - Did your Employee Handbook Address This?
I admit it unashamedly -- I love clothes. And I especially love summer clothes. The bright colors, the light textures and the flowing fabrics that call for sunshine, long walks, and drinks on the deck. However, I also work. Since it's unlikely that I'll be spending my summer lounging in a coastal Italian villa, it's important to remind myself that at least part of my summer wardrobe must be able to acclimate to the dress code policy of my workplace, which is hopefully in the employee handbook.
This begs the often asked question as the days turn hot and hazy, "What is an appropriate summer dress code?" In short answer, that depends on the workplace. However, maintaining some general human resources guidelines in establishing a dress code policy can help keep everyone cool as the temperature rises.
What To Do?
First, employers should communicate the goal and intent for the summer dress code to help prevent human resources problems. Is it to combat heat and humidity in the work environment, to make employees more comfortable, to allow for some summer whimsy, or a combination of all? Regardless of the approach, employers should make it clear that all employees are representatives of the company, and that they should always dress and behave as such.
Second, don't fall back on the "use common sense" argument. Without specifications to the dress code policy, employees will rely on previous experience in other work settings to determine what is appropriate. The same policy may not apply to your workplace.
The summer dress code should have definite parameters, and should supply specifics regarding what is not acceptable. For example, are shorts or capris acceptable, or shirts without collars? In a more formal environment, can employee's forgo ties or jackets? Be certain to give quantified guidelines if summer clothing has posed a problem --- dress and top straps must be three fingers wide, for example, or that sleeves are required on all summer clothing. Are t-shirts ever allowed? If you've experienced HR issues, then you probably need to update your employee handbook to address this?
Also, be sure to keep employee safety in mind when it comes to allowing sandals and open toed shoes. The key to remember is that if employers don't communicate the details of what is permitted, employees simply won't know. (Trust me -- no one wants to revisit Meredith's strapless mini dress on "The Office".) Not only can this affect the professional atmosphere of the workplace, miscommunication can also embarrass the employee who makes a fashion misstep.
Poor Dress is a Policy Violation
Third, your dress code policy needs to state the consequences for failing to adhere to the dress code, and it must be applied equally to all employees. If there are special events or circumstances that would alter the dress code, your policy should also state this and that employees will be advised accordingly. Additionally, something a lot of employers forget to address in their employee handbook is that if Friday has typically been a "dress down day", you need to address if this applies during the summer season and, if so, what is permitted for these days.
Finally, employees should know who to ask if they still have questions about what is appropriate. In turn, you need to make sure that all supervisors and managers understand the dress code and can communicate it and enforce it properly and professionally.
What's your company's dress code like? Do you have dress down days? Are you allowed to wear sandals in the warmer months? Tell us below!
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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 29, 2010 @ 10:11 AM
Can You Discipline Employees for Bad Attitudes?
In a word, yes. But wait! Read the rest --- You shouldn't just go off and write down "bad attitude" on a performance review when you have employee relations issues such as this. There are a number of things to consider, and a way to go about addressing the attitude that will actually be productive and yield a change.
Ultimately, the problem with addressing an employee's bad attitude is that the description of that attitude is subjective. If they are getting to work on time and doing the work that they are supposed to do, it's difficult to address how they interface with others without it coming down to one person just not liking another.
That said, how employees act toward one another is integral to the success of an organization. Employees with bad attitudes can cause a boatload of employee relations issues and cannot be ignored. They do need to be addressed, and sometimes even be told to pack it up.
The key to handling employee relations issues is to focus on objective facts and observable behavior, not the attitude that you feel is causing it. In fact, when you are having the conversation or writing the disciplinary action, leave the word "attitude" completely out of it. Instead you need to give specific of the behavior. If they are inconsiderate to others, give an example (and, yes, repeatedly refusing to clean up after themselves in the common kitchen counts).
If they are rude to others, be prepared to tell them what they've done and how it affects the workplace. If they antagonize others and instigate complaints without merit and start rumors, site the examples and how this impacts morale and productivity. You need to focus on the behavior of the employee, not their character.
But it's just the way that they act and say things, not exactly what they say or do! Rolling eyes, arms crossed resolutely across the chest, not looking others in the eyes, shaking their heads when others are talking, talking over others, etc. Non-verbal communication is critical in our culture, and these are all socially accepted examples of people showing a lack of interests or a negative response. They are observable, quantifiable (how often do they do it?) and able to be documented.
Now that you've isolated what behaviors are unacceptable or detrimental to the workplace, you need to be prepared to tell the employee why. Some behaviors may actually violate workplace policy (housekeeping rules, customer service standards, even behavior that violates Company's Mission or Vision Statement). You also need to be able to explain how their behavior impacts others and why the company expects their employees to act according to other standards.
Stay tuned. Next time we'll discuss how those difficult discussions should play out and how to handle them. Don't miss it!
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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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Posted on Fri, Mar 19, 2010 @ 09:14 AM
Do you ever wonder why your boss still has a job - or how he/she got there in the first place? In our last blog post addressing poor management, we listed a few more descriptions of bad managers. I actually find it quite eerie that I am going through this list right now. It seems over the last week as I have been writing these blogs that I have encountered nearly every type of bad manager in some form. Lucky for you we'll have your how to deal with poor management answers soon. Be sure to keep up!
Here are the final two types of bad bosses :
6) The Incommunicado Manager:
Needless to say, the managers who fail to communicate can fall under several of these categories. Perhaps they aren't communicating information from corporate to their employees or suggestions from their employees to corporate, but either way they appear to be lost with no goals, no clear expectations, no feedback, and no set time frames.
At least, not until something is overdue or not done to par. These managers also tend to stay behind their office door (often locked), poking their head out only occasionally for a glance to make sure they still have a staff. Employees are lost trying to meet expectations that are not defined, or that keep changing, and the managers don't recognize that they themselves are the problem. It is often the case that employees are punished for not doing things they didn't even know they were supposed to be doing?
Sound familiar? This can be one of the most destructive forms of bad bosses.
7) The Bad Employee Manager:
Finally, the worst of the worst. Sometimes, I'm sad to say, simply bad employees get promoted to managers. These managers can manifest in any number of horrors: The managers who claim everyone else's work as their own (probably how they got the position in the first place); the managers who also serve as the office gossip; the managers who are prone to emotional outbursts. The list can go on and on.
Throughout history, there are individuals who get promoted to management who have very little reason to be employed, let alone as a manager. Often, these reasons are beyond our control and beyond our reason (Ever worked with the President's nephew? You know what I'm talking about.) These types of managers can really hinder office morale.
Poor Management Makes No Sense
I couldn't agree more. Why do bad managers get to become managers, and why do they get to stick around? There are a number of reasons for this as well. One, companies are often reluctant to fire employees who need to be fired. Why? Check out this post on how to fire a bad employee.
Another reason is overall poor management of an organization. The "Peter Principle" asserts that in a business hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence. In other words, managers are promoted until they reach a job that they can no longer do successfully, but then they are kept in that job because the poor upper management doesn't want to upset the cart by doing anything about it. Maybe it's might be time for some organizational development training.
Finally, bad managers may stay in place because, although they manage people poorly, they may manage their department well. Production may be up, sales may be up, profit margins may be great, scrap may be low, customers may be happy, etc. The boss may be a high performer on every other scorecard (or they might just be very fortunate).
Bottom line is, in an organization that does not place high enough emphasis on employee satisfaction, managers with poor leadership skills will be overlooked if their department is functioning at a high level in spite of their poor interpersonal skills.
Now that you know the top 7 types of bad bosses you need to know what to do about them. Next time we will discuss how to deal with poor management. Don't miss it!
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Posted on Tue, Mar 16, 2010 @ 12:23 PM
Part 2 of the Beating Bad Bosses Blog Series
In our last blog post we discussed two of the top 7 bad bosses and just how they can be destructive to an organization. Today, in this second installment of the series we will discuss a few more of these oh-so-undesirable types of managers. In Part 3, we will discuss what you can do to beat them (legally).
3) The Non-Leader Manager:
Just because individuals become managers, doesn't mean that they are leaders. This is where so many companies make the most dire mistake. Employees who are excellent at their jobs get moved into management positions, but while they can manage processes, they can't manage people (ever hear of the Peter Principle?). Maybe these are the managers who are afraid of confrontation, who are too wishy-washy, who fail to make a decision, and who refuse to cause a wave.
Employees recognize quickly, though, that managers who won't stand up for themselves, won't stand up for them, either. These are also the managers who don't have the respect of other managers in the workplace, or of their superiors. They themselves are not confident professionals who demand respect and authority and as such, cannot demand it for their team.
4) The All-Relationship Manager:
Some managers are all about the relationship. They mean well in their attempts to build a team, however as they do so they create chaos. As they let employees work without a framework of rules and discipline, their lack of infrastructure will eventually cause their department to collapse around them. What seems like fun at first will cause their employees to have no respect for them as employees get more and more frustrated in the loose environment.
This environment is also ripe for hurt feelings as things get too personal outside a framework of discipline. Managers and employees alike wear their heart on their sleeve and second guess every decision as having a personal motivation.
5) The No-Relationship Manager:
Equally bad are the No Relationship Managers. These are the managers who are all about the rules and the discipline who fail to develop any relationship with their employees, inviting hostility and rebellion. Employees do their best to stay under the radar to avoid the cold evaluation and absence of feedback. Without the give and take of a healthy leadership relationship, employees will be frustrated and disengaged, and will feel that their hard work is taken for granted.
Remember, the number one reason people leave an organization is because of poor management. Are you experiencing high employee turnover at your company? It might be time to think about how to deal with poor management. Part three will be posted in a couple of days. Don't miss it!
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Posted on Thu, Mar 11, 2010 @ 02:46 PM
The Start of a New Series
Today marks the start of another IntegrityHR blog series. This will be an ongoing four part blog series coming to you over the next two weeks that gets down into the details of how to deal with poor management. Don't miss this one. It might save your job, or even your company!
There's a saying in corporate America that people don't leave jobs, they leave their managers. Promotions and pay increases notwithstanding, this is the case more often than not. The people you work with every day can make or break your experience on a job, and it's the manager of an organization that sets the tone and culture. A great boss can make you want to stay a job that may not pay as much as another down the street, while a bad boss makes the 20% raise you took seem like the devil's ransom.
What makes a manager a "bad boss"? There are any number of things that contribute to poor management, but we've dug down to the deepest depths of your daily dose of doom in this beating bad bosses blog (ok, we'll stop with the redundant letters) and have isolated the top seven categories of and how to deal with poor management
1) The Know It All Manager: The Know It All Managers got where they are by knowing their jobs and doing them well. They climbed the ladder quickly and resolutely and never looked back. They are the experts in their fields. And they know it. And they will be absolutely certain that you know it. The problem is that new talent can't emerge under a "my way or the highway" mentality.
While these managers have a wealth of knowledge to share, they often fail to recognize the importance of new ideas. When they feel threatened by the new ideas, they turn to micro-managing, refusing to delegate, and demanding that their stamp of approval be placed on everything - leading to the development of an entirely unapproachable manager and a company that won't develop.
2) The Know Nothing Manager:
The Know Nothing Managers, on the other hand, don't want to leave their stamp, or their fingerprints, on anything. They may claim that they are working on the "big picture", but the real problem is that they don't know the jobs they oversee well enough to dive in and do them themselves. The problem here is that they can't engage their employees, their talent, their projects, or their tools if they don't understand them.
Next thing you know, everyone is scrambling last minute to complete projects and meet deadlines due to their poor preparation and planning. Because they don't understand the jobs in their departments, they can't build upon the skills within them, and therefore can't build up their employees or develop them. These managers recognize that their staff have skills that surpass their own and feel threatened by them, creating animosity and distance, and alienating the team that they are supposed to be leading.
This leads to disgruntled employees because its easy for them to see that their manager (who makes a lot more money than they do and does much less) doesn't know the jobs that they get paid way less to do on a daily basis - needless to say a motivational killer.
Next Time:
In the next installment we will reveal the next two bad bosses, along with how they can lead to turmoil in your organization. Keep reading folks. This series may save your company.
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Posted on Tue, Feb 23, 2010 @ 12:07 PM
In last week's blog post about the Importance of Policy Development we discussed that a lot of organizations simply don't put their policies down on paper, and end up getting in trouble because of it. The bottom line is, get it on paper, and it's that much easier to defend yourself and control your business. This post further discusses the importance of having your policies down on paper.
I'd Rather Not Write It All Down
Even if your intentions are good, unwritten policies lead to trouble because they do not provide clear guidance for managers. Workplace morale and productivity depend on how effectively managers, employees, and colleagues communicate expectations about what is expected, how it will be accomplished, and who is going to do it.
In absence of written policy, a company will often face conflicting messages from managers or supervisors. That is, on some occasions the manager says or does things that convey one message about what's expected of the employee, and on other occasions the boss says or does things that convey a contradictory message. Or, you have two different managers in two different departments applying two different rules.
So How Do You Avoid This?
By having a written policy, you have the "final say", as written policy will trump spoken directive in most situations. This may mean that the manager giving the inaccurate information be disciplined and counseled to read more and talk less (keep an eye on our blog for more on that topic, soon).
Without a written policy for reference, it's difficult to determine who is right or follow standards (because standards aren't clearly defined). Without a written policy for reference, it's difficult to establish expectations for employees.
Eliminating - or at the very least reducing - confusion is the ultimate goal, and putting expectations, policies, procedures, and consequences in writing, is a highly useful tool for accomplishing that goal.
Need help in turning your unwritten practices into sound written policies? IntegrityHR is hosting a free workshop outlining how to create an employee handbook. Click the calendar graphic to download the events schedule.
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