Give Me Your Lunch Money!

Bring up the topic of bullying and most people will conjure images of the classic school bully strong-arming their classmates for some "extra spending cash". Unfortunately though, bullying may not go away permanently along with the end of childhood. A growing number of employees are speaking up about subtle and overt bullying they have experienced in the workplace. The Workplace Bullying Institute defines bullying as:

repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators that takes one or more of the following forms: 

• Verbal abuse

• Offensive conduct/behaviors (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating, or intimidating

• Work interference — sabotage — which prevents work from getting done

Many of us can attest to being either witness or victim of a workplace bully and can provide several examples. In fact a CBS News article, How to Handle a Workplace Bully, cites a 2007 study where half of U.S. workers state they have "experienced or witnessed some kind of bullying on the job".  Some bullies are quite hard to pinpoint and address and might be those employees labeled "difficult" to work with. For example, I worked with an employee who had been with the organization for several years. She was knowledgeable about her position but was also easily offended when given any direction or, even, when asked a question about her processes. She would then "freeze out" the offending person who dared ask a question. On occasion, she would have loud outbursts of anger at other employees. The result - employees whose processes were closely tied with hers would come to me and request that I act as mediator. The employees felt trepidatious around her.

Bullying has a wide range of negative effects for both the organization and the employees. For the organization the existence of bullying can mean lower productivity, higher turnover, higher training costs, and increased potential for legal action. Employees being bullied may experience stress-related ailments.

The best way to reduce bullying in the workplace? Make it a less conducive atmosphere for bullies. In the example I gave above the long-term employee had been allowed to display bullying tendencies for several years without firm consequences. This implied that it was an accepted behavior in the organization. Proactively put a policy in place that defines bullying, indicates the reporting process, and outlines that disciplinary action will be taken on employees found to be bullying. For some great information and a sample policy check out the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries' fact sheet on bullying.

Facebook Won't Keep Your Secrets

Many of us have griped about a bad day at work but many people are using Facebook and other social media sites to share their frustrations rather than utilize other avenues. Recently, the Wall Street Journal contained an article highlighting the increase in litigation stemming from loose fingers. The article, Workers Claim Right To Rant on Facebook, states that "more than 100 employers have been accused by workers over the last 12 months of improper activity related to social media practices or policies". 

There is a distinction, however, between mere griping and discussions made with the goal of improving working conditions. The National Labor Relations Board states that "mere complaining isn't protected" according to the Journal article.  The article goes on to offer a few guidelines from the NLRB as to what constitutes protected employee behavior. For additional examples of cases involving social media employee complaints, try this article from Smart HR Manager: "Social Media: NLRB Says Employees' Job Complaints on Facebook Are Protected". On the employee side, here are some tips from CNN Living: "Can Facebook Get You Fired?". 

How best to address this? Well, the Smart HR Manager article gives you a clue when they indicate the company "did not establish that the employees violated any of its policies or rules" - have a clearly defined policy in place and ensure all employees have read the policy, agree to it, and provide training regarding procedures for handling employee complaints.

Cultivating a Happy Culture

Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com, states that he likes to place focus on work/life integration rather than work/life separation. The idea is that we really don't (nor can we truly) separate our work lives entirely from our personal lives - maybe a solution to an issue at work comes to you in the shower or you find you need to interrupt your workday to attend an event at your child's school - either way each part of your life is integrated into the other.

The key to making this work is to cultivate a culture of fun and creativity. This doesn't have to mean a business where it's all play and no work. Hsieh recognizes the value in making work a place you actually look forward to coming to each day - imagine that! Of course there must be boundaries, but boundaries can ensure the safety and protection of both the employees' rights and the company's mission while allowing for a little fun. Take a look below at the Time.com interview with Hsieh to catch a glimpse of what a happy culture looks like.

Keep 'Em Happy And The Rest Will Follow

Employee perks - two words that you don't often hear together when corporate coffers are tightly locked. While it is true that the first benefits to be placed on the chopping block when the economy heads for the deep end are tertiary benefits, making the effort to offer low-cost perks can reap considerable rewards for a company. Certainly, the retention of talented employees can offer a competitive advantage in any economic climate. Lower turnover relates to less spent on new-hire training. Employees in a company that offers perks are more apt to stay loyal to the company once the economy gets above water. The 9th Annual Study of Employee Benefit Trends puts it best:

This year’s findings reveal a workforce that has grown more dissatisfied and disloyal, to the point where one in three employees hopes to be working elsewhere in the next twelve months. Yet employers do not appear to be tuned in to this potential flight risk. Focused on the challenging business environment, employers remain confident of strong levels of employee job satisfaction and loyalty. A loyal and satisfied workforce is part of the foundation of business growth. Widening cracks in this foundation may force employers to pay a price in reduced retention and productivity when the job market improves.

Perks can be lofty, such as those offered by Clif Bar: generous merchandise discounts, on-site gym, concierge service, reimbursement for "going green" via up to $500 in reimbursement for purchasing a commuter bicycle, and an on-site restaurant. Perks can also run toward the frugal end such as those that are low to no-cost; a sampling includes:

• relaxing the dress code (e,g, allowing business casual everyday)
• free snacks
• allowing employees to bring a pet to work (designated "dog days")
• job sharing/flexible scheduling
• a wellness program
• education plan (lower cost professional development courses, integrated with a succession plan) 

For additional ideas take a look at articles from HR World: Building Company Loyalty With Unusual Benefits or 25 Ways to Reward Employees (Without Spending a Dime).

A Tech-Connected Employee is a Happy Employee

You begin the day by checking your iPad for emails and respond while sipping your morning brew. You then take a call from one of your staff while on your way into work (after pulling off the road, of course). Once you get to work you jump onto your computer, update yourself on what's going on in the organization, and spend the rest of the morning pulling and analyzing some reports. You then grab your laptop and head into an afternoon meeting. On the way home for the day you might make a call to a work associate before arriving home. While watching television you jump onto your iPad and decide to check email one last time. Sound like a few days in your life? Today's issue of The Wall Street Journal contained a point/counterpoint article regarding the use of personal electronic devices for completing work-related tasks. The article, entitled Should Employees Be Allowed to Use Their Own Devices for Work?, takes the opposing positions of inevitability versus legality. 

Often, employees' personal devices are newer, faster, and easier to use than the technology available at the office. As John Parkinson, managing director of ParkWood Advisors, states: "They're being asked to do more work outside the office; why should they be saddled with the office technology at home?" Erik Sherman, blogger for CBS Moneywatch, does not feel this is a compelling enough reason to allow usage of personal devices for work. Sherman asks "Has anyone undertaken a study that actually showed employees to be more productive because they choose the type of computer, smartphone or tablet they used?"

What about cost savings? When a company leaves it up to the employee to purchase their own devices (by reimbursing a set amount or a percentage based on usage) the company is freeing up capital it can then use in other areas. Or at least that's the general idea. When employees are allowed to use their personal devices for both work and recreation, the potential for unwanted viruses or glitches increases. This can tap the IT department even more and negate any cost savings. 

How about the privacy issue? Loosening up restrictions on personal devices also makes an organization more vulnerable to violations of privacy laws, leaks of proprietary information, and a host of related legal issues. So, what to do?

Go proactive (no, not the skin clearing regimen, the actual practice) and ensure your organization addresses these concerns in policy. Clearly outline what is acceptable usage and let employees know that the organization has the right to monitor "anyone who connects to your business network, regardless of whose device they are using" as Parkinson outlines. 

I leave you with one final quote, this one from John Zappe, blogger for the recruiting community ere.net who noted results from a CareerXroads survey: The "survey found only 20 percent of policies were written by HR, but 100 percent of them will sooner or later involve HR."

Shhh! Your My Favorite

A number of articles have been appearing recently surrounding the claim that many parents have a fondness for one of their children over another. Time magazine ran the topic as a cover piece in their October 3rd issue with the ego-inflating title of "Why Mom Liked You Best". A study cited in the Time article found that "65% of mothers and 70% of fathers exhibited a preference for one child". With all the interest surrounding the topic I began to think about how a study of that nature might translate a bit toward the relationship between manager's and the employees they manage. I would venture to take a little leap here and state that playing favorites with employees can wreak havoc on employee morale, productivity, and attrition - never mind the increase in employee relations cases it may generate. Replace the word in brackets with the one in red in this excerpt from the Time article:

"My [mom] manager didn't like my [older sister] co-worker and did like me," says Roseann Henry, an editor and the married mother of two girls. "Everyone assumed I had it great, except that my [sister] co-worker tortured me pretty much all the time — and really, what affects daily life more for [a kid] an employee, the approval of a [parent] manager or the day-to-day torment of [an older sister] another employee?"

In "Playing favorites with your employees" Eric P. Bloom, blogger for Gatehouse News Service, states that managers must put aside a very human and normal tendency to like some employees more than others and, instead, focus on treating all employees with fairness and respect. Bloom states: "As a final point, when senior executives are looking across their management team in search of future senior executives, they tend to look for people with strong leadership skills, company-compatible management styles, and respected internal reputations. Managers that blatantly pick favorites and ignore other staff members don't generally fit into this category." 

Bottom Up Leadership

It seems the cry of any human resource professional organization in recent years has been for human resource professionals' to stake their place at the strategic planning table. One of the best ways to ensure a place at that table is to show what human resources does to support the profitability of the organization. Employee development = facilitation of new ideas = increased profits. Yes, there is a connection between it all. 

Employee development is not about a staid development program. You know, the one that is executed in a perfunctory manner and no one remembers when it was developed? It is about an adaptable and open conduit for the flow (in both directions) of development. As you will hear in the interview below of Brad Anderson, former CEO of Best Buy, this can be referred to as "bottom up leadership". Anderson supports the "collapse of distance between the person who can see the customer need" and those at the top. 

Adventures in HR Law

Time.com's recent article "Hertz Fires 26 Muslims For Refusing To Clock Out During Prayer Breaks" had me once again considering how my organization would handle a legal situation making the news. I will not profess to a great expertise in human resource law and I can safely say that not many human resource professionals will run the risk of making decisions involving the law without research and confirmation (often from the legal department). What I am very adept at is having a cache of resources from which I draw from. You have to be accurate when working within the confines of human resource law. Mistakes are costly. Have you ever spent some time looking around the offices of your organizations' legal team (or any legal counsel's office)? What do you see? Hoards of books. Research. Reference. Point made.

When faced with a situation that spills over into the law, I have found something that is a superb frame of reference from which to begin. It is something I took away from professional development in employee relations at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. The tool is called the HR Law Navigator. The Navigator works like a flow chart that, depending on the answers, guides you in identifying the categories of human resource law that may affect the outcome. The categories are: [employee] treatment, benefits, compensation, and safety. As you work through the Navigator you are posed a series of questions that act to zero in on the law(s) relating to the situation.

Although the Navigator does not seems to be offered outside of Cornell's professional development you can construct one by utilizing a similar format. Construct a flow chart that starts by asking top-level questions and then drills down. For example: the first question may be to "Identify Employee's Status" (e.g. Does situation involve an independent contractor or employee?). The next flow chart step may be to "Identify Organization's Status" (e.g. Where does employee work?; How many employees work at the organization?). You would then proceed to consider the various issues at play and then identify which category (or categories) and which law(s) the issues relate to. 

Make sure to consider any local and state laws that may apply to the situation, seek legal advice, and formulate a plan for follow-up for prevention. Try using Cornell University's searchable human resource library as a resource. In addition, save as favorites the web sites of various agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, and links for local and state agencies.

The Mapping of the Law

In my latest quest to get more in touch with my creativity and in my continuing quest to satisfy my interest in all things human resource, I decided to combine the two pursuits into a mind mapping project. Mind mapping, a technique used to retain information through visual representation, was developed by brain and learning lecturer Tony Buzan. Mind Maps, as the official technique is referred, are used to "turn on" parts of your brain that you may not typically utilize when attempting to commit information to memory. Most people take notes and try to study those notes - according to the ThinkBuzan web site this is called "linear notation". Often, linear notation is ineffective and forces individuals to learn strictly by rote rather than establishing associations, meaning, and connection.

Check it out - it's actually a very interesting way to put thoughts down on paper and the result looks like something between a diagram and the spreading roots of a tree. Here's my attempt at mapping employee relations-related laws (click on the map to open a larger view):

Smiles and Frowns are Contagious

The October 2011 issue of SHRM's HR Magazine contains a short article by freelance writer Alice Andors entitled You Can Cry if You Want To. The article is written around several questions such as "Is it okay to cry at work?" and "Does crying at work damage a man's reputation more than a woman's?". You may be surprised at the answers (yes it's okay and no, the opposite is true). The article ends with an answer as to why human resource personnel may be observing more displays of emotion now: "The anxiety level is overwhelming today - anxiety about keeping up with change, parents aging, kids in college, job security, world instability. Tears and anger are byproducts of deep-lying fears and frustrations for both men and women." 

While no one can dispute these are challenging times, what has long been a source of contention is whether true expressions of emotion in the workplace are acceptable? Has the current state of things affected general consensus on the topic?  My view? I agree, in general, with what Andors indicates in the article though I would add this: expression of emotions are acceptable in the workplace so far as they are addressed positively and professionally. Let me explain. In times of stress, productivity may suffer as morale dives. If employees feel they must continually put on a pleasant facade, then the downward spiral of poor morale and dwindling productivity is only encouraged. Conversely, if an expression of anger (and we're not talking "throwing a chair into the vending machine anger", we're talking "I'm visibly upset and I want to address the issue with you anger") or of sadness is apparent - fulfill the role of the bartender. Listen, guide, and encourage.  

Is there a negative to being negative (e.g. displaying emotions construed as negative) in the workplace, though? In Managing Emotions in the Workplace: Do Positive and Negative Attitudes Drive Performance?, Wharton School professor Sigal Barsade's findings are discussed. 

If the company is losing money and experiencing the effects of downsizing, should the manager, feeling stressed and overwhelmed, convey his despair to his workers? Or should the manager try to appear cheerful and act as if nothing is wrong? Barsade says it's possible for the manager to convey emotions that are both authentic and positive, saying something like, "I know you're worried. Things aren't looking good, but you know, we have a way out of this and we can work [on it] together." The employees will appreciate the honesty and take comfort in the optimism, she says. 

Are You Turning The Key In The Right Direction?

Being in the field of education and loving TED as I do (see post from September 6th), I felt compelled to view one of the most popular talks on TED. It is a talk given by Sir Ken Robinson, creativity expert and author, on the topic of how schools kill creativity. The talk is quite entertaining and interesting so take a few moments to watch it. What I found most interesting about the talk and in reading over some of Robinson's work, is the connection between education and human resources. Now, in this circumstance, I am using the term human resources to mean humans as a resource. I make the clarification because I think we, as human resource professionals and managers from all walks of life, forget that is the general scope of what the profession deals with. 

The education, in all manners (e.g. formal, organization-driven, on-the-job, etc...) of human resources is integral to moving forward in any business. The following quote by Robinson in his book Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative sums it up nicely:

It is often said that education and training are the keys to the future. They are, but a key can be turned in two directions. Turn it one way and you lock resources away, even from those they belong to. Turn it the other way and you release resources and give people back to themselves. To realize our true creative potential - in our organizations, in our schools and in our communities - we need to think differently about ourselves and to act differently towards each other. We must learn to be creative.

How is your organization supporting education, training and development, creativity? Are you unintentionally marginalizing the talents of your employees by utilizing a "one size fits all" training program? Is your training program designed such that instead of proving flexible training and open access to resources it forces employees to mold themselves into the construct of the program and cuts off open access, thereby "turning the key the wrong way"?

Mentors, Mentees, and Mentoring...Oh My!

"Is mentee a real word? I hate it" states Andy Grove, former chairman and chief executive officer of Intel recently in this article at Bloomberg Businessweek. Grove feels that managers should be acting as a mentor by being open to sharing information and learning from others everyday. Grove has a special dislike of mentoring programs constructed as stand-alone, separate programs that lead participants to feel as if mentoring is something you do part-time. "My problem is this: As a manager you are supposed to be a resource. The principal job of somebody in management is to be a resource to the people who work for you" Grove clarifies. The point is that mentoring should not be confined by the constraints of scheduled sessions and company-sanctioned forms and processes. 

Another current take on mentoring is that many organizations have not brought mentoring into the current age. Mentoring is not strictly about seasoned managers taking younger, less-experienced employees under their wing. This contributes to the many myths that surround mentoring. Here, courtesy of Amy Gallo, contributing editor at Harvard Business Review in her article Demystifying Mentoring is a list of common mentoring myths:

1. You have to find one perfect mentor
2. Mentoring is a formal long-term relationship
3. Mentoring is for junior people
4. Mentoring is something more experienced people do out of the goodness of their hearts

Check out both articles and think about your organization's mentoring plan. Maybe it's time to update it, bring it in line with current business needs, and ensure mentoring is less a program and more a integrated part of company culture. 

I leave you, my fellow human resource practitioners, with a final quote from Grove (you'll love this): "I suspect the reason these programs exist is so HR can beat you up and have something they can brag about". Oh boy...

Achoo! Work Is No Place For The Flu

It will soon be flu season again and, inevitably, coughing and sneezing employees will begin to appear. Before you break out the industrial size container of antibacterial wipes and ban anyone with a slight sniffle from your office, take a few minutes and read over the helpful hints on How to Prevent the Flu in Your Workplace from Advanced Safety and Health. This tip from the article, however, is the one that seems to be the most difficult and tricky to convey: "Let it be known that sick employees should stay home whenever possible."  Most organizations agree they do not want sick employees spreading the love (um, germs) in the workplace but at the same time employees may feel they are expected to come in. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (aka the CDC - why not the CDCP? - good question) has a wealth of information on their site to help answer the question, including checklists to ready your organization for the coming germ onslaught.

Part of any good flu awareness campaign is marketing regarding your plan to keep the workplace free of zombie-like germ carriers. Here's a nice poster courtesy of the Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community to get you started:

Flu Awareness -

Social Pressure: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Periodically, I like to put on my "outsider glasses" and search through social media sites to find out the latest buzz regarding my organization. I do this to learn what the current perception is of the organization and how aligned our mission and goals are with our actions and results. In the era of networked social media, our customers have the ability to instantly communicate what they like about what we are doing and what they would like to see done differently. Make no mistake about this: they will tweet, post, and blog about it. Prior to the explosion in social media outlets, customers had to be fairly upset with your organization to take the time for letter writing (or even a phone call). Now, it's as simple as pressing the submit or send button. David Kirkpatrick writes in Social Power, an article for the September 26th edition of Forbes, "Both your customers and your employees have started marching in this burgeoning social media multitude, and you'd better get out of their way - or learn to embrace them". 

Okay, so we know that social media is here and must be reckoned with if your business is to succeed. How can you make all those quick bites of feedback work for your organization's benefit? Kirkpatrick states that "customers and employee activists can become the source of creativity, innovation and new ideas to take your company forward". Positive feedback is great to get, it lets you know you are on the right track, but negative feedback is what is going to make your business - that is, if you are open to it and act on it.

Acting on negative feedback means recognizing an opportunity for improving a service, product, or even a process (here's the tie-in to human resources!). It may even mean soliciting suggestions from your customers. Customers and employees appreciate "authenticity, fairness, transparency, and good faith" Kirkpatrick further states.

Take a look at the article and think about how your organization is utilizing social media (or ignoring its existence) and how that reaction is affecting your business. 

Who Are You Stapled To?

The September 12, 2011 edition of Forbes magazine contains a special on the 100 Most Powerful Women. Anne Sweeney, co chair of Disney Media Networks and President of the Disney/ABC Television Group, spoke to Forbes about the inspiration behind her success. The resulting article portrays Sweeney as someone who values her team and feels that individuals working on teams should not only know their own jobs but also what their jobs mean to other teams. When addressing a group of teams about their new jobs she is quoted as saying: "I want you to wake up every morning feeling that you are stapled to the other person. Understand that one of you is not successful without the other being successful. And when one of you fails, the other fails as well."

I found this quote interesting in not only the use of the word "stapled" but also for the meaning and intention. In the words of English poet John Dunne, "No man is an island, entire of itself". This is true in all facets of business as it is in life. Regardless of what your actual role and responsibilities are, I'll bet that your job affects someone else and another's affects yours. It is not something we think about consciously and many times are only aware of it when something goes wrong: you can't get your report completed because someone over in accounting hasn't completed your department's projections, etc..

Now is a good time to become more aware of the interconnectivity of departments within your organization and ask yourself the question: Who am I stapled to?

Equal Opportunity Learning

I love TED. Now, before my husband reads this and casually asks me "So, who is this Ted guy?" I would like to clarify that TED is a nonprofit organization owned by the Sapling Foundation established to "foster the spread of great ideas". I've known TED for a long time and have thoroughly enjoyed the time I've spent listening to the presentations Ted offers. TED re-entered my life recently when I was on a hunt for open courseware. Open courseware allows you to take courses and listen to specific lectures all for the small price of your enraptured attention. Nothing else. No money required - isn't that great!

So, in keeeping with The Human Resource Resource's mantra of community learning I present to you a presentation from Richard Baraniuk, founder of Connexions, regarding open-source learning. Take a listen and imagine what could be done in your organization with the ability and freedom to create better quality, customized and instantly updatable training materials all at low cost. Then - imagine being able to make the training material interactive because, as Baraniuk states in the presentation "We really don't understand until we do" [practice the new skill, use the new knowledge].  

Now that you've got a taste of what open-source learning can do. Check out our list of open-source courses and lecture links. There is something to be had for everyone - from general business and human resources to lectures on specific topics of interest. Then keep the community learning momentum going by coming back and sharing what you found!

Meditations on Mediation

I received in the mail recently information about a mediation training seminar scheduled in my area. Until I received the advertisement I had never really given much thought to mediation. I always relegated mediation to the purview of attorneys.  After performing a little research into mediation and mediation training I now realize that I can safely say virtually everyone in the field of human resources has used mediation techniques at some point: when investigating harassment or discrimination complaints, resolving disputes between employees, counseling employees for performance-related issues, and even in managing professional relationships. Most of us have had little or no training in mediation - we just simply use our business acumen and common sense. Training in mediation develops a skill set to facilitate a structured formal process that takes under consideration the needs and goals of all parties involved.

Whether you decide to seek training from an outside provider or develop an in-house training program, training your managers and human resource professionals in mediation can provide the following benefits:

1. enhancement of conflict resolution skills
2. improvement in negotiation styles
3. adaptation of communication styles to the situation
4. reduction in escalation of disputes to litigation level
5. allows for quick, mutually satisfactory resolutions
6. fostering of mutual respect among participating parties

Want more information? Start your own research by reading this article from UK's HR Review titled Mediation: It Really Works.

For the Culturally Refined

As part of their requirements toward earning ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification, our instructors on the standard ESOL Endorsement track  must take a course entitled "Cross-Cultural Communication and Understanding". The course covers theories related to the effect of culture in learning and achievement for individuals from diverse backgrounds. The content of the course is designed to assist instructors in identifying and understanding the nature and role of culture, cultural groups, and individual cultural identities. I was reviewing the course content recently and thought how applicable the content was to business as well as education.   

Maybe we all should be required to complete  such a course? There is no doubt that the culture we each identify with has tremendous influence on our learning, communication styles, belief systems, value orientations, and patterns of thinking and behaving. All of these play a part in our roles within the organization.

What about the dangers inherent with ignoring the effect cultural differences have on all of the above? All employees in any organization would benefit from lessons in honoring diversity and caution to the dangers of stereotyping and the over generalization of  any specific population.

Dr. Deborah Swallow, an international speaker and seminar leader in the areas of cultural diversity, intercultural communication, and international business practices, has created a blog of her own with some very useful content. Check out her blog topics related to cross-culture here.

The Three "D's" of Training

Let's face it. Budgets are tight and the outlook, judging by the swirl surrounding the debt ceiling agreement and Wall Street's reaction, is not promising relief in the short run. If your organization is not one of the few flush with cash reserves (okay, if your organization isn't Apple) then your organization is not likely placing hiring at the top of the priority list. What should, however, be at the top of the priority list is employee development. The ongoing development of your employees is key to the continued success and growth of your business. Concentrating efforts on developing employees provides both short-term and long-term benefits like:

• aids in succession planning initiatives
• enables cross-training
• allows for lateral movement (crucial at a time where positions are being consolidated or moved due to restructuring)
• creates greater employee job satisfaction through greater autonomy and a sense of value to the organization

My organization has a separate department that is devoted to the development of our employees. The department offers in-house training, which is termed "in-service training". Employees can sign-up for either a mandated or self-initiated training via a self-service system that is web based. This is a vast improvement from our previous method - printing and distributing hard copy booklets listing all training offerings. Due to training and development having such importance now more than ever, I began to research how other companies transformed their employee development. I came across a video for a presentation by Martha Soehren, Chief Learning Officer of Comcast, who spoke about how Comcast transformed the design, development, and delivery (hence, the three "D's") of their program. I have included a link to the video Consolidating Multiple Technology Platforms to Bolster Learning Capabilities at Comcast Cable should you want to take a look. Here is a bit of what I took from the video (with my notes added):

1. Perform a task analysis of your present system, including a look at trainers' functions. Are trainers performing administrative tasks? How much time are trainers able to devote to actual training rather than administrative tasks?
2. Define your goals. Ensure the goals are quantitative as well as qualitative.
3. Create realistic timelines. Build in checkpoints and points where you will readdress components that are not working.
4. Train the trainers. This is an integral piece to any successful training program. How many of the trainers in your organization have received training on offering instruction?
5. Review tasks assigned to supervisors. These are your coaches and act as support for the new skills being practiced by employees. Are supervisors spending an inordinate amount of time mired in administrative tasks?

An additional point comes from a recommendation by the American Society for Training and Development: trainer to participant ratio should be at approximately 1:250. Remember, though, this is a guideline and may need to be adapted based your organization's particular needs. In the same respect class size will be dictated by training content and participant composition.

Of Psychopaths and CEOs

Bloomberg Businessweek recently ran an article discussing a book by Jon Ronson titled The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry. The book is based upon the research of Robert Hare, a psychologist who authored the psychopath test known as the PCL-R. Apparently, as a result of Hare's research findings and Ronson's extrapolation of data, there are quite a few psychopaths in the CEO echelon. What attracted my eye in the article was this paragraph:

 "Agonized intellectuals full of sympathy for the common man aren't meant for the corner office. Such persons would be useless making repetitive decisions about whom to fire and whom to give raises and how much to spend on marketing to children. Human resource executives have known this for a long time..."

Can that be true - meaning both the indication that to make a good CEO one must have a singular focus on what is best for the organization without regard for the affects on the human resources of the organization and of human resources, that human resource professionals of worth know this (and, dare I say) support this?

According to Academy of Chief Executives (whose title also includes the amusing statement "Meet the board you could never afford") blog contributor Joe Adams, CEO of Adams & Associates and director of the Executive Association of Great Britain and one of the chairmen of the Academy for Chief Executives, the ingredients for a good CEO include:

Inspirational Leadership

Recognition and Reward

Personality

Mentors

From the concise list above I am not reading psychopath. In fact, much of what I see in the ingredients lead to a CEO who is aware that it takes a strong team to make anything happen in an organization. How do you make strong teams that work cohesively? You ensure they have the tools needed, coach/mentor (another ingredient), build in check points for projects, recognize and reward (yet another ingredient). Not sounding like a ruthless CEO here either. It makes you wonder how would CEOs you are in contact with do on the PCL-R?

Interview With a Star (Hint: It's You)

Due to the convergence of reduced recruiting budgets, the need for highly skilled workers to fit a global workplace, and the availability of video-chat technology, "Skype-type" interviewing may be in your future - either as an interviewer or interviewee. View the Time.com video below for some quick tips on how to prepare for a interview that makes you the star:

What did you think? You have to agree, any interview would be made easier if the interviewer were a teddy bear. Some additional items to include on your preparation checklist are:

• ensure you download the program (such as Skype) that you will be using and test your computer's set-up with a friend
• create a professional user name (definitely not "lumpykins25")
• watch hand movements, you don't want to be overly expressive or make sudden movements that may cause screen blur
• eliminate any background noise to the degree possible 
• remember to smile and project a positive attitude through the screen

Water Cooler Talk

The topic of office conversations quite often turns to one of the same topics that you hear in coffee shops, book stores, college political science classrooms, or at home with the visiting relatives anywhere: politics. This is especially true given the current state of politics. With an increase in voting campaigns and no lack of hot button campaign topics people may feel more at ease talking politics. Take a look at this video clip from Vault.com to get a little slice of how politics is discussed in offices like yours:

http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/videos-details?VIDEO_ID=3820#.TicTZDckAqA.blogger

So how do you ensure, as a human resource representative, that what began as a healthy debate does not escalate into a grievance by an offended employee? First, make sure that you establish some ground rules by example and organizational culture. Lets start with that healthy debating. It is better to discuss politics with a view to understanding the opposing position that to debate someone with the goal of making a "convert". Another tip - don't make it personal and don't take it personally. Remember that the best way to open up a dialogue (and get your views heard) is to seek common ground.  

Plato, the Sophists, and Ethics in Business

Much has been written in the past few years about business ethics. Ethical considerations permeate all aspects of an organization and, I'm sure you will agree, one area it is especially important for is human resources. We are familiar with the social mores, values, and practices that outline the ethical decision-making process within our culture of familiarity, but what about multi-nationally? What about the unique ethical considerations faced by an organization that operates in countries where business is conducted in ways that are considered unethical by western standards? Is there a separate set of ethics for each cultural context or is there a set of universal ethical standards?

These questions go far back - back to the Greek philosophers. Plato believed that truth was unchanging, that there is a universal truth. The Sophists, a group of traveling teachers from Iona and Athens, argued that truth has cultural relativism and changes relative to time and circumstances. The two beliefs are debated even today. Allan C. Ornstein and Daniel U. Levine state, in the text Foundations of Education: "Universalists contend that what is true today has always been true. Relativists argue that changing values make life satisfying at a particular place and time."

What group do you concur with? A wonderful quote that highlights the relationship between human resources and ethics appears in People Management  by R. Johnson: "All HR practices have an ethical foundation. HR deals with the practical consequences of human behaviour". Given this, do you believe there is a standard set of truths that inform ethical actions or is truth relative and ethical implications affected as a result?

Some factors to consider in weighing each side (in no particular order):

• shareholder returns 
• free market principles
• the intrinsic value of goodwill
• abuse of physical resources
• human/animal rights violations
• discrimination
• general employment practices
• confidentiality

Miss Manners for Business

When I married my husband I experienced a little bit of culture shock. Being married means participating in the holiday rituals and traditions of both families. Being a newlywed married into an Asian family, I found family gatherings on my husband's side to be a bit bewildering. There were so many different traditions. I did not want to seem disrespectful and so I mimicked the behaviors I observed to "fit in". Eventually those mimicked behaviors became second-nature.

The same type of bewilderment, concern for appearing "unknowing", and adapting through mimicry are also found in the workplace. Whether you are new to a particular organization and are feeling out the corporate culture or new to a specific role within the organization we all find a way to maintain a semblance of capability.

What many do not realize, however, is learning your way around the corporate "traditions" and "rituals" is important to your success in any organization and is simply practicing good business etiquette.

Business etiquette can be everything from knowing department protocol to ensuring you remove your leftover lunch from the office fridge before it becomes a scientific culture. For a great list of office rules read the article Workplace Etiquette: Be Your Best At Work by etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts, former Director of Protocol for the City and County of San Francisco.

Or, if you would like a more office-centric, rather than global, guide to business etiquette peruse USA Today contributor Steve Strauss' article: Top Workplace Pet Peeves and Etiquette Mistakes.

Supersized Responsibilities After Downsizing

These are tough and uncertain times for many organizations and public education is one of those sectors deeply affected. Working within the field of human resources in public education I have learned that along with the great reward inherent in knowing you are a part of building the future through education comes an inevitability: when the state needs to trim the budget education is going to take a hit. So our organization has been faced with making some very hard decisions and, of course, layoffs. It is an unfortunate situation for the employees who will soon find themselves looking for other employment but what of the employees that remain? 

Great care and planning was placed on providing assistance to transition employees who will be downsized but there also should be planning toward not only reallocating job responsibilities to those that remain but also on reassuring remaining employees that they will have support. It is important to note that the treatment of employees left after a downsizing directly affects employee morale and retention - two important factors when faced with a smaller workforce that must maintain an expected level of performance. A fitting quote by Alan Downs from Business, The Ultimate Resource states: "[Downsizing] ... leaves laid-off employees angry and surviving employees feeling helpless and demotivated. Helplessness is the enemy of high achievement. It produces a work environment of withdrawal, risk-adverse decisions, severely impaired morale, and excessive blaming. All of these put a stranglehold upon an organization that now desperately needs to excel".

So what to do? The same amount of work may need to be done but with fewer employees and so you have the organization's concerns. You also have the employees concerns and fears about the unknown. First, reassure the layoff "survivors". Ensure department managers make the time to speak with each employee individually to discuss their current (pre-layoff) reponsibilities and why they are valued as employees. Look for opportunities to reduce steps in processes and solicit input from employees as you rebuild your department and reassign job tasks.

For some employees  broader responsibilities may be seen as an opportunity for growth and learning while other employees may simply mourn the loss of their "old" job duties. Putting time into working with each employee will make the changes a little easier for everyone.

Uncomfortable Conversations

As human resource professionals (and managers tasked with human resource functions) we have all been faced with the task of beginning disciplinary steps with employees who have not been performing at expectations. I think it is safe to say these make for some uncomfortable conversations. How well these conversations go are dependent largely by how well the organization outlines expectations, how thoroughly any situations are investigated, whether employees are treated equitably, and solid documentation throughout the process.

Another important point to remember is to provide the employee an opportunity to explain their side of the story. Making sure the employee has the opportunity to be heard will reduce resistance from the employee when it comes time to outline a course for correction.

Although there are many versions of the steps involved in progressive discipline, here is one example to begin with:

1. Have a meeting with the employee to clearly outline the problem.
2. Indicate that you are using the conversation as a verbal warning.
3. State the date(s) by which you will follow-up and be clear on the
    expected level of performance anticipated by that date.
4. Evaluate the employee's performance against expectations.
5. [If performance not at expectations] issue a written warning.
6. State the date by which you will follow-up again.
7. Evaluate the employee's performance.

At this point (and, for some, throughout the entire process) your organization's policy may dictate whether the discipline moves to the final stages by placing the employee on probation or moving straight to termination. Also, the severity of the issue may require that a move directly to probation or termination is made. Another consideration is whether the employee is part of a collective bargaining unit. Consideration of the collective bargaining agreement will need to be made.

For another version of progressive discipline guidelines, take a look at the detailed information available from Indiana University's, University Human Resource Services: http://www.indiana.edu/~uhrs/training/ca/progressive.html

Overall and very important: bear in mind the reason you are working through the progressive discipline process with the employee is to correct the issue. The goal is to guide the employee back to a level of performance that at least meets expectations.

Don't Stand Too Close To Me

To continue with my communication theme I thought it would be fun (yes fun) to use personal space and nonverbal cues as a topic. Have you ever tried to not communicate with someone? Even when you attempt to stop communicating with someone you are communicating. Remember that communication does not just involve what is spoken, but also includes what remains unspoken and, in a significant portion, nonverbal cues. Let's focus on the nonverbal cues. What comprises a nonverbal cue? Here is a list for starters (I know you can think of some additional ones once you read over these):

• Attire

        Suit or shorts, t-shirt and flip flops?
        Subdued color or wild, geometric patterns?
        Lots of decorative jewelry or discrete pieces here and there?

• Decor

        Pictures of multi-continent travels or posters about teamwork?
        Personal artifacts or family photos?
        Cozy, soft chairs or "velvet smoking jacket" leather chairs?

• Body Posture

        Arms folded across the chest or hanging casually by the sides?
        Palms out or in?
        Sitting back and relaxed or straight up and leaning forward?

• Eye Contact/Facial Expression

        Looking directly into your eyes or down at the ground?
        Distractedly looking around the room or at own hands?
        Corresponds to the message or is disconnected?

• Arrangement of Space

        Sitting behind the desk or next to you at a table?
        Placement of personal items throughout?
        Papers spread out across desk?

Use the above questions to make yourself more aware of nonverbal cues and to assist you in communicating more effectively with others. Each of these cues provides insight into personality, power structure, and even the meaning behind the message.

Now, onto the really fun part...personal space. Personal space is your individual and invisible boundary within which encroachment may cause you some measure of anxiety. We have all had that uncomfortable feeling of someone (okay, let's say it's the "close talker" from Seinfeld) getting just a little too close for comfort. What do you do in that situation? Step back a little? Or does your reaction depend upon whether the person is male or female (and whether you are male or female), your age (as well as the other person's age), and position of power? I bet it does. Let's take a look at a couple of interesting things. First, did you know that there are several possibilities when it comes to personal space bubbles? Take a look at this illustration from Cornell University School of Industrial Labor and Relations.

Which bubble is yours? How is your bubble different in different situations and with different people?

Here is some more interesting information regarding individual personal space. It is a wonderful web page replete with photos to illustrate their points and was compiled by students at Worsley School, located in Northern Alberta, Canada: http://www.worsleyschool.net/socialarts/personal/space.html

Can You Hear Me Now?

I was recently in a meeting where I wanted to make a point yet was cognizant of not offending the receiver of the message. After attempting to relay the message "softly" I found that, to be understood, I had to simply "just say it". Being a person who can alternately be called passionate in one circumstance or stubborn in another I know how I can be perceived and I do have an awareness of adapting communication styles. What is more difficult to be aware of are the finer subtleties involved in knowing what style you are, what the other styles are, reading each situation, and determining which style is best to use. Communication is greatly about competencies and yes skill.

I believe most people have their default communication style and when you are adept at using a hammer, all the world looks like a nail (yes, I did use the cliche). Unfortunately, using your hammer in all situations will only make it difficult to achieve success. To be an effective communicator remember to (as taken from Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations):

• Choose the right behavior for the situation
• Exhibit understanding of the other person's concerns
• Consider the possible underlying reasons for other's behavior
• Use your skills
• Self-monitor and adjust where needed
• Display a commitment to mutual benefit 

Curious as to your communication style and not ready yet to take a Myers-Briggs assessment or another intensive assessment? Try the quicky here: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/thompson_ob/html/ch04open.html from the textbook Organizational Behavior Today by Leigh L. Thompson and see if the result fits your perception of yourself.

Gimme the 411!

MBWA. How many of you have heard about MBWA? What does the acronym stand for? MBWA is Manage By Walking Around. It is a way to get a feel for the current climate of your department through social contact with employees. It is a good way to foster a team environment and to encourage civility in the workplace. Hewlitt-Packard practiced MBWA begining in 1973 in direct response to the business philosophy of the company's founders. Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard felt that, for a business to succeed, people have to be placed ahead of profits. MBWA is a valuable tool in gathering information (solicited or otherwise) from employees about their concerns, ideas, and overall satisfaction.

There are also other methods by which you can gather feedback from employees. Each method has its benefits and considerations:

360-degree instruments

These can be interviews, formal written feedback, or surveys. Be extremely careful in how a 360-degree is administered as a poorly constructed 360-degree can cause more harm than good. Ensure all involved in the process have been adequately trained.

Focus groups

Facilitated discussions with small groups of employees, ideally selected among a cross-section of affected employees.  To make a focus group session successful, put time into selecting the best setting and allow some organic thought streams, especially if gathering the focus group to discuss general issues rather than a specific topic.

Surveys

These are questionnaires that have a focus on a particular issue of concern or inquiry. A well-constructed survey can assist organizations in identifying development opportunities. Surveys can also gauge employee satisfaction and changes across time.

There are many other forms of gathering feedback. Any method used should be carefully planned in order to make full use of the benefits and avoid any potential downfalls.

The Mature Resume

Watch this video clip from The Early Show and Money Magazine for resume tips (or what to look for when hiring). You have to love the advice to keep the fax number off the resume...any other things a no-no for a resume that may "date" the job seeker?

Airing the Dirty Laundry

I've just read an article by Christine Crews, VP for the Employers Association Forum, Inc. as published in the Summer 2011 edition of HR Florida Review. The topic of the article is Technology's Impact on HR. It speaks about walking the fine line between allowing access to technology while at the same time managing all the good and bad that can come with it. This is a topic that affects organizations of all types and sizes. Many organizations have email policies and may have policies governing the use of technology but many of these policies are ambiguous and do little in the way of speaking directly to what is current in technology. For example, not many organizations specifically focus on social media within their technology use policy. In fact, some organizations have decided to lock out certain web sites (read: Twitter and Facebook) with the goal of preventing time spent by employees performing such unproductive tasks as updating followers on what they think about the movie they watched last night.

What these organizations may not have considered when creating their policy is the fact that social media cannot be blocked by a firewall or a policy. Social media is not restricted to work hours. What are employees (or for that matter anyone within the organization) posting for all to see during their lunch (on their iPhone, Blackberry, Evo, tablet pc, etc...) or while at home, at a coffee shop, bookstore, and so on? How does a company manage their reputation and maintain an open workplace at the same time? Are there benefits of allowing open access to social media while at work?

A PDP By Any Other Name

Just because (just because I'm so into human resources - yes, it's true and yes, you can giggle) I "Googled" the term "performance development plan" and came up with (drum roll).....37,400,000 hits. Of course, mine was a simple search, no Boolean methodology used, but still I thought that there is a tremendous amount of information to be had on all things performance. There are also myriad terms used in connection with career planning among them: individual development plan, personal development plan, professional development plan, and performance development plan though for purposes of this post I will use the term performance development plan (pdp). I also noticed a rather high number of universities from the University of Idaho to MIT using pdp's. This seemed to make perfect sense to me as a pdp is intended to focus an individual on their career path, the skills they need to develop to help them reach their career goals, and a timeline to guide them.

A pdp can be very useful and enlightening if constructed and utilized in the right manner. Unfortunately, I have heard feedback from managers that they did not feel they had the time, effort, and support developing a pdp warrants. Or - the focus may be on employees who are high-performers and those employees who are not the current shining stars may miss the opportunity a pdp affords. So, quick moral of the story: developing a well-thought out pdp is important to both the organization and the individual. A great pdp:

empowers employees

assist with career succession planning

fosters loyalty

boosts productivity

increases retention

Work-Life Balance

Just came across a great article on work-life balance. Although this Yahoo! Finance article is mainly about the top 25 companies (as rated by their current and former employees) for work-life balance, the article also contains various reasons to support why establishing a flexible set of benefits is beneficial to all.

Hey Coach I Need Your Counsel

I've never played on a sports team and have never coached one but I have been a coach. I am not a psychologist (and have never played one on tv) but I have counseled employees. The coaching and counseling I am referring to is part of providing ongoing feedback as a human resource professional or as a manager. I was thinking about this topic today after recalling a particularly challenging employee I once supervised.

Several years ago one of the employees I supervised was one who staffed a key area of our department. The employee was responsible for greeting customers, determining what assistance they needed, ensuring the customer received the assistance needed, providing forms where requested, and answering phone calls and general email inquiries. The employee was hired because of their past experience in working with customers, fluency in several languages, and the fact that at the interview the employee gave a strong indication they understood how their role would influence how others saw our department on first contact.Unfortunately, not long after the employee was hired we began to receive complaints from customers stating the employee was rude and seemed unwilling to help them. In addition to observing these things myself, I also noticed that the employee became flustered when several customers were waiting for assistance at the same time. When I had a coaching session with the employee to point out specific things the employee had said to customers and actions the employee had taken that gave the perception of rudeness, the employee did not understand. To the employee, they were merely offering quick service to our customers. I learned, after speaking further with the employee that the behaviors may have stemmed from learned cultural differences in expectations and assumptions. I outlined the expectations our customers had and provided specific examples. Only after the desirable behaviors were modeled by working with the employee did the employee begin to understand.

When coaching employees it can be difficult to remember that the focus must remain on the behaviors being exhibited and not the (real or perceived) attitudes of the employee. It is integral to remember that point as the employee's receptiveness to coaching will depend on providing specific examples of behaviors and not general statements regarding their attitudes. For example, state "Stieg (as in Larsson, yes I read the trilogy), you have been late five days within the past two weeks and your reports have contained multiple mistakes" and not "Stieg, you seem to not care about your work as of late".

What amazingly positive and/or incredibly unbelievable stories might you have about being a coach or being on the receiving end of a coaching session? Did you learn some "what to do" and "what not to do"?

Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Remember that little song by Santa Esmeralda (okay, I do listen to disco from time to time, it's my guilty pleasure) that pleads: "I'm just a soul whose intentions are good"? Those lyrics popped into my head as I was thinking about communication. How often have you had a message to convey that somehow did not reach the intended receiver as you had hoped? Did you blame the receiver for not paying attention or did you stop and consider what their communication style is? Quite often in my career I have had the opportunity to work with some very talented people. These people were recognized for their talents but were also, sometimes to a greater degree, known for the "quirks" in their personality. What it came down to was learning how to best adapt to each person's style of communication. What communication style are you? There are several models to choose from - let's try the HARP model. The HARP model defines four, distinct communication styles:

Harmony (otherwise known as "Can't we all just get along")

The person using this style as their main style (we all use the four styles at various times though we have main styles we use most often) is focused on maintaining relationships. They do not like confrontation and seek to avoid it.

Action (the "Get-r-done" people)

This person gets jazzed about possibilities and being part of forward movement. Action people, though, have a wee bit of difficulty stepping back and taking in the overall picture. Details are not this person's strength.

Rational ("Just the facts" here)

Logic, reason, and detail are the friends of Spock and those using the rational communication style. These people want clearly defined plans and want to keep emotion out of the process. They like to see the light at the end of the tunnel and they enjoy the walk through the tunnel even more.

Pragmatic (Just maintain control....)

These people want it done their way and like to see results. Pragmatic people are highly focused and highly competitive. Game on...

Can you identify your main communication style? What about the style of your boss, co-workers, reporting staff, and even your significant other/other family members? Now, how to you adapt your communication style when conveying a message to someone with a similar style? A very diferent style?

http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/blogs/entry-detail

TMI (The Misbehaving Interviewees): Lessons In Interviewing From "The Office"

http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/blogs/entry-detail?blog_id=1280&entry_id=13362&sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4ddbe878aaed8bb1%2C0

Introductions All Around

Hello my fellow human resource learners. I say learners because isn't that what we all are? The human resource profession is a constantly evolving one, where federal, state, and local (and, for some human resource professionals, international) laws are continually being reinterpreted or clarified. It is an area of practice where some dance a short rumba with human resources here and there and others practice it each day as if readying for a dance competition!

What do the words "human resources" mean, though? We can use the BusinessDictionary.com definition: "The division of a company that is focused on activities relating to employees. These activities normally include recruiting and hiring of new employees, orientation and training of current employees, employee benefits, and retention." That seems a bit dry and, let's face it, boring. Is that what the field of human resources is all about, the simple reaction of human resource professionals to the daily operations of an organization? Much has been said about the strategic aspects of human resources as of late, so much so that it is becoming more of a buzzword and less about the underlying importance of what the human in human resources is all about.

Let's consider the FreeDictionary.com definition that focuses on the economic impact of human resources: "... the contribution to an employing organization which its workforce could provide in effort, skills, knowledge, etc." I like that. That's what human resources is about and that's where we bring value to an organization - managing the unique assets that each and every employee brings and the intrinsic value those assets hold.