‘Employees’ Articles at Everyday People, Page 13

When Kids Grow Up . . .

What happens when kids grow up? They become our employees !!

I find it fascinating in the workplace today that HR practitioners have lost sight of this reality. How much time of your day is spent on behaviors that seem childish? When you look at the policies and procedures you write, are you doing it for a better workplace, or trying to address those who won’t behave ??

This list of “what if’s” can string on and on. And, often in our workplace it does !! When you ask people what they think about employees, it isn’t positive. That is really a shame. It’s a shame because we’ve allowed the workplace, and HR, to be driven from a negative filter. It’s the “let’s see what’s wrong and address it” model.

This past week I had a great opportunity to speak at the INSHRM Leadership Day for their volunteer leaders. We laughed, howled and learned together. I showed them my newest HR “tool” that has proven to be very effective. I doubt you’ll see it in many of the blogs, publications and theoretical models that keep churning out in our field. Take a look . . .

It’s a Kaleidoscope !! A toy.

You see, I’ve been giving them out to the managers of our stores because I want to have them “look at things differently.” When I handed out the first batch of them, I did the HR thing and started jumping to the next point in my presentation. I had to stop because I turned around and each person had their kaleidoscope pointed up toward a light, and they were twisting it to see what new shape would appear next. There were a lot of “oohs” and “aahs” coming from this great group of Team Members.

Then it hit me again . . . what happens to kids when they grow up ??

A better answer is that they still love to play !! They love to laugh and have fun !! They want to enjoy what they do and it’s fairly obvious that most workplaces have taken this inate element of who we are as people and controlled it.

Our WORK is more important than bringing ourselves to work. We’re so used to creating and designing new systems that we have lost sight of the simple fact that kids like to play.

So, this week go out of your way to laugh !! I mean it. Instead of looking for the next great team building exercise, have fun yourself !! If employees see you having fun, they’ll be curious and wonder what’s happening.

Trust me. If you do this, it will change your perspective and how you look at HR, at employees and at work !! Be a kid !! You are one anyway !!

Opportunity or Task ??

“People. They’re all around us every day. It’s as if we HAVE to deal with them !!!”

Sound familiar? Sound like you? Sound like most people in the workplace . . . and HR? It’s not surprising. The workplace is filled with people. It’s an amazing fact. They desperately want to interact, communicate, perform and excel. But, most of our efforts each day are to limit, thwart, conceal and conform. Why is that?

Do you know that the 1st thing the vast majority of people do when they take that first step out of the car to enter the office is to heave a massive sigh and drop their shoulders resigned that they are off to WORK once again. We do all in our power to make sure that people are in line, on task and diligent. We overlook the chance that they are creative, intuitive and willing.

I think it’s because we treat the interaction between people as a task and not an opportunity. We dread the possibility that someone will want us to stop, spend time with them and listen !! Our e-mail, twitter account and texts are vastly more important than the conversation we are “stuck in” right now. We are so horribly distracted and long for impersonal means of communication, that we will do almost anything to make sure we keep things short and sweet in person. Ironically, we wonder why people never change the behavior we see in them that we wish would improve !!

The fact that this must change in the workplace is a gross oversight in HR !! In our quest for “engagement,” we refuse to genuinely interact. By making things a program, we miss the opportunity to take things in, relish and reflect on what is said and then act in tandem with others.

We tend to say, “Well, if Steve would just change, then I could make things work between us.” (or something similar) The fact is that we need to take the initiative and first step to look at others (even the really difficult ones) as an opportunity each and every time we interact. People deserve this to be honest.

So, this week, drop your task list even though it will make most of you twitch a bit. Look around you. Find the sea of people that are a vital component of you are and what you do and dive in !! It will get messy, challenging and even overwhelming. But, the outcome is worth it !!

It’s Just Dough !!

Have you ever made a comment thinking it was innocuous, but it really had damaging effects ??

Let me help you out with this. Your comment usually starts with “It’s just . . .” You don’t mean this to be harmful, but you don’t see how your position is calling the situation simple or “below you.”

I’ve heard people say, “What’s so hard about what you do? I mean, it’s just HR !!” Needless to say, I didn’t feel to good about how that person viewed me or the work that I did. You see, this post isn’t an indictment of others, it’s a confession of my behavior.

At LaRosa’s, we have a bakery that makes our pizza dough. The great Team Members that work there start as early as 3:00am and the 2nd shift wraps up around midnight. They make thousands of pizza doughs a week. One of the positions in the plant is along our two lines where the dough balls get flattened and then sent down a conveyor and people stretch and shape the doughs as they pass by.

Imagine if this was your job. Now, imagine if you stretched dough for 40 hours a week for 20+ years !!

Could you do it? I am at the Bakery often and there have been some Team Member issues, as there are in all locations. People one day were having conflict over how one person on the line stretched dough vs. another person. I said, “Seriously? It’s just dough !!” The brilliant Admin. Asst. who works at the Bakery quickly corrected me. “No, Steve, it’s their job and they want to make sure that it’s done right. It matters to them.” You could have seen my shoulders sink into the floor because I knew she was right.

This weekend I went to the retirement party of one of our doughline Team Members. She has been stretching dough for over 20 years. I came to realize that without her, and others who do great work, I wouldn’t even have a job. If we don’t have dough, we don’t have pizza !!

Look around your organization. Are there people or positions that you feel don’t contribute much? How arrogant is that? If you’re in HR, you should feel the weight I felt when I made this trite comment.

ALL people add value !! ALL of them !! It’s time we did our best to rid our companies and our profession of any more of the “It’s just” comments.

I felt very fortunate to be invited to Joyce’s retirement and loved seeing her pass to her next phase of life. What she did was critical to the foundation of our company and our customers. I will never belittle someone and what they bring to work again. How about you?

Talent Takes Time !!

This weekend I had an incredible time with my son and 5,000 other Boy Scouts at Peterloon. This isn’t a post about scouting, it’s about talent.

You see, this weekend my son was the “Senior Patrol Leader” meaning that he was in charge of the entire weekend. He made sure everything was packed, ready to go, the camp was set up and the boys/adults had a productive time during the event. He had to organize activities, keep track of details, encourage great behavior and address behavior that was a little more “challenging.”

During the camp tear down, I was about to “direct” some scouts to take care of things, when my son stepped in and said, “Dad, that’s not what we’re going to do. That’s not a good use of our time. I want to see the boys move the dining flies, tear down the chairs and then put things in the trailer. Then we’ll eat. We need to get these things done so we can stay on track.”

Did I mention my son’s 15 ??

This is the same young man who has done all of the goofy things boys do. He’s incredibly funny, creative, witty and caring. I am sure he will be successful in whatever he chooses to pursue. His ideas are so far out of the box as to how to approach people that he finds people following his lead and innovation.

He’s a great example of why talent takes time. If you would have told me that my son would become the young man I saw taking charge this weekend when he was young, I would have laughed out loud !!

Too often in organizations, HR follows the bright shining star who bursts onto the scene. Everyone follows this person exclaiming their talent and the gold mine of leadership that he/she is sure to be for years to come !! At times, this plays out. However, too often the supernova is just that – a super nova. They dazzle, draw attention and may do something short-term that astonishes everyone around and has great initial success.

Talent happens over a slow burn. Talent is sustainable. Talent is consistent and remains constant . . . over time.

So, when you clamor for the next “Talent Management” seminar or best practice, step back and review the employees around you. Who is that person or department that consistently builds others up? What person(s) make others shine through bringing their whole team along? Are you trying to develop a series of supernovas, or true talent?

I can’t wait to see what happens in the future for my son. I know it’s impossible to predict. He’s surprised me so far. I’m sure the great people around you will surprise you as well . . . if you just look out for the talent all around you !!

Don’t You Forget About Me !!

Over the weekend, I saw the new movie Pitch Perfect. Part of me wanted to see it because I love comedies, but the other part of me wanted to see it because I was in a Show Choir – the Varsity Singers – during high school. It seemed like a great combination, and I was right !! (Make sure you see this flick !!)

What made it EVEN better was the reference to an essential movie that I lived through – The Breakfast Club. I was surrounded by all of those characters in the movie, and let’s just say I could “connect” with Anthony Michael Hall.

The key theme in this legendary movie, was that these people didn’t even know each other until they were forced into a situation during detention. Even then, they had incredible filters and stereotypes of what each person was like, or so they thought. The Pitch Perfect movie plays on this by pulling together another unlikely group of people together to make an amazing team !!

Too often, as HR professionals, we want to group people together in our organizations instead of celebrating their individuality. We’re concerned that if people don’t “play by the rules” or “fit in,” then they’ll surely be trouble makers. Also, in the classic closing song by Simple Minds, the lyrics remind us not to “forget” people.

Organizations tend to reward, promote and recognize those that are the most vocal and visible. The people who may be the true talent who underpin those that are public are often relegated to anonymity. Since they never speak up, we are okay with it.

This needs to change. ALL employees have the opportunity to add value. ALL employees !! These great, unmined talents need someone to take note of who they are and not “forget” them. This is squarely upon our shoulders as HR people.

I’m not talking about the exercise where everyone shares on every answer during a meeting or training session. I’m talking about seeking these employees out intentionally and giving them our attention to let them know that they matter !!

So, this week, be like the end of The Breakfast Club !! Break down the filters, seek out the greatness that works all around you and lift them up !! They’re waiting for you !!

Read a Good Book Lately ??

A good friend of mine (and of many), Becky Robinson, started this great new group calle Team Buzz Builder. If you are part of the the “team,” you are asked to read new books and then give your opinion about them. This is new to me, but I wanted to be involved because I am a voracious reader !!

In fact, right now I’m finishing up the first book of the Hunger Games trilogy, just wrapped up the great read Social Gravity by Joe Gerstandt and Jason Lauritsen as Talent Anarchy, finished a book by Thomas Cahill and am about to pick up a book by Dietrich Bonhofer. I love having 3 to 5 books going at one time. It may be a little erratic, but I dig it.

Every once in awhile a book stops you in your tracks and makes you delve more into it and enjoy every moment. I recently came across just such a book. It is Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go by Beverly Kaye and Julie Winkle Giulioni. I couldn’t put it down – literally !! The book is fast paced and yet the most insightful book around the topic of professional development that I’ve ever encountered !!

The book struck a true cord with me because it’s approach made so much sense. As HR professionals, we keep looking for THE system that will finally address the lack of feedback and/or performance metrics in our organizations. We continue to hold onto the ancient notion that the annual “sit in front of my supervisor who rarely tells me how I’m doing so he/she can focus on my weaknesses” is effective. It’s not.

Employees long for development regardless of their level in an organization. The notion of “up or out” doesn’t come close to how lean organizations operate these days. Beverly and Julie have written out a perfect method to address all forms of development and have made it relevant to ANY industry type.

HR – please take note of this. I’m not a person to just share my opinion if it’s not something I’d be willing to practice. I’m using this book as our “script” at looking at development internally at the Leadership level and in our pizzerias. I’m getting a copy of the book for each of the SHRM Chapter Presidents in Ohio because I want to see them develop as leaders and for them, in turn, to develop the HR folks in their chapters.

The book is a must read because it’s applicable. How often do you find that ?? I recommend you read the book first and make your determination. I’m all in !! I hope you will be too !!

Where Everybody Knows Your Name !!

This past week was the Ohio HR Conference. It was phenomenal in each and every way !! This was my 14th year as either an attendee or SHRM volunteer at the event. There are so many aspects of the conference that resonate with people ranging from the great programming and professional development opportunities, the gigantic themed resort at Kalahari or the social times together.

I’m fortunate to have several of the speakers as friends, and I made sure to ask them what resonated with them. More often than not, they said that they felt truly welcomed and a part of the fabric of the Conference. (Side note – we invite the speakers to stay all week with us at OHSHRM and let them attend sessions, social gatherings, etc. just like the attendees) Now, we have speakers who don’t do this as well, but the ones that do notice the vibe.

Growing up in the 80’s as a young adult, I was a HUGE Cheers fan. Every episode of the sitcom was great because the cast of characters wanted to see each other and share their lives and experiences. Even the theme song captured the “culture” of their beloved Boston pub . . . “Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name, And they’re always glad you came; You want to be where you can see, Our troubles are all the same; You want to be where everybody knows your name.” Theme by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo.

HR people long for that camaraderie just as everyone else. It’s great to have a culture that promotes that because the hope is that those HR pros can continue that effort in their organizations !!

You see, sometimes the best “professional development” is to remind us that we need to recharge our batteries and be welcomed. This coming week, make sure to be welcoming yourself and show employees the value of being welcomed each and every day !!

Go Tagless !!

I love the new campaign from Hanes with Michael Jordan. The most recent ad shows a man trying to cook at his grill while the tag is telling him everything to do. (Watch it here).

The “tag” line at the end of the commercial is fantastic !! “Tags are annoying. So we got rid of them.”

The message sticks with you and you see yourself nodding as the tags in your clothes mysteriously start to itch. But I digress . . .

We tag people all the time (or label them). It happens in all facets of life, but especially in the workplace. By labeling someone, we feel we can contain them and that they should fit in our box of who we think they should be. I’m not specifically calling out the classic EEOC categories here either. We put labels on people and expect them to live within those. Most of the time those labels aren’t communicated either. They are just whispered by management, or they are our filter on performance reviews.

HR has a chance to really impact an organization when it comes to removing tags !! However, we need to start with ourselves. You can’t expect others to follow this movement, unless you first remove your own tags.

For instance – remove the tag that you’re “only” in HR. We are a vital facet of all organizations due to the simple fact that they have people. If they have people – they need HR. Secondly, remove the tag that you only exist for either management or employees. You exist for ALL employees and can therefore be a consistent force and voice for all levels of the organization.

When you’ve removed your tags, then look at the various HR systems in your Company to see where things need a little trimming. Allow your employees to develop, grow and move throughout the company instead of making sure they fill a certain niche. It doesn’t mean promoting everyone “up or out,” but it does allow people to excel by taking on work where they can add value and utilize their strengths.

One “tag” you should keep is “genuine.” It’s missing in many corners of our profession, and it needs to be sewn back on. Helping organizations remove their labels is essential and it is an area where we can shine !!

What do you say? Can you do it, or do I need to have Michael Jordan come over and say, “Hand it over.” Go tagless with me. It rocks !!

Great HR is messy !!

Just recently I was involved in conversations with supervisors who both said, “I wish people would just do what I say !!” It wasn’t a passing phrase. It was emphatic !! They were both frustrated with employee situations and felt they had hit a wall.

I asked them both if things would be easier if what they said came true. If people jumped at every word, command or thought from a person above them, would things be better? They didn’t waste one second in telling me, “Yes, of course it would.” I couldn’t let this coachable moment pass . . .

(Steve) “So, if people would never disagree, never have their own ideas and input, you’d be good with that?”

Silence. They stammered and said that they didn’t mean it to be so concrete, but I think they did. I understood their frustration and it all boils down to this . . . Working with people is messy !! That is why it ROCKS to work with people !!

I don’t think anyone wants to be in a situation of constant turmoil. However, that is not usually the case for people in most workplaces. We tend to manage and lead to the extremes, so when frustrating people and/or situations arise, we think that ALL people are now awful. It really is intriguing because another component that usually comes along with these impasses is that the OTHER people involved are the frustrating ones . . . never us.

Too many HR people want to manage from the outside and keep things clean and tidy. The more “defined” everything is at work, the more control you wield. It isn’t true actually, but it’s how we feel.

If you truly want to practice diversity, leadership and development in your companies, then you need to dive into the fray and get messed up yourself !! Show people your quirks, your vulnerabilities and your willingness to show them how HUMAN you are !!

I readily admit that I’m a mess. It’s how I approach things because it allows me to meet people where they are and not where I think they should be. It has led to more situations working themselves out versus causing more frustration.

This week, get messy !! You’ll love it !!

Ah, Creativity !!

This past weekend, my wife and I celebrated “date night” by going to see the new movie Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson. It was spectacular !! A quirky love story that was colorful, insightful, well acted and involved incredible visual images and dialogue. Also, it portrays Scouting in a perfect way which made me proud to be a Scoutmaster. But I digress . . .

This post isn’t a movie review, but an observation. You see, this movie is rare in this day and age of film. Companies tend to opt for the bombastic blockbuster with the hopes of pulling in mass amounts of revenue regardless of the quality of the characters or the story. Don’t get me wrong, I’m right in line to see these visual joy rides as well. My son and I have an agreement to see all comic book related movies (except Ghost Rider – I mean . . .) We love the distraction and the ability to pretend to be Superheroes. It is fun !!

But . . . it is also short lived. We keep wondering “what’s next?” Will there be a sequel, and will it “live up” to the one we just saw? It’s honestly a lot like many people approach HR.

We want to have the blockbuster program, change, initiative that would make the Senior Management team take notice and give us that strategic position that we yearn for. So, we focus so much on grand moves and positioning within our organizations to get noticed and justified, that we stop being creative.

Whenever I hear the term “best practices,” it just means that you’re copying what someone else is already doing. That may work for you and certain components to transfer between companies in their HR efforts, but many do not.

It’s time for us to be creative !! When you were a kid, you could take ANYTHING and make it into something incredible and limitless !! As adults, we keep forcing ourselves, and our employees, to be rational and pragmatic beings. Creativity gets sapped when it runs into policies, procedures and rules.

So, what can YOU do about it? Willing to be the Moonrise Kingdom in your organization? Willing to look at things differently and see how they lead to have long-lasting, meaningful change?

I am. I hope you join me !! It’s a far brighter adventure !!