‘Workplace’ Articles at Everyday People, Page 15

You Just Should Know How To !!

You know you’ve said this. You may have even said it today to start the work week !! We wish others would just “get it” because we sure know that WE do !! I’m serious. We want others to just know what to do because we’ve covered it over and over and over (or so we tell ourselves.)

This approach isn’t just true at work. We want others to know how to do things because we told them to do it at home, in our civic activities, at church, at school – almost any environment has the issue of “assumed culture.” This is when the people who have been around for some time assume that others get what to do through some form of mystical symbiosis, and then we get upset when they don’t do things right.

People, more than ever, are frustrated in their jobs and with their companies. As an HR person, I hear this frustration coming from the C-Suite down to the front line on a daily basis. Almost every day I can place the shared frustrations to assumed culture. You see, we strive to make people conform because we feel that if everyone is pretty much the same, then things will go more smoothly.

However, this just isn’t the case. I don’t know if there are things such as HR “formulas”, but if their were, I would have one that goes like this:

Assumed Culture = Conformity which lessens Diversity or AC = Cf < D

This weekend my Boy Scout Troop camped near Old Man’s Cave in Logan, Ohio in the Hocking Hills State Forest. One of the natural formations is called the Devil’s Bathtub.

The waterflow of the river that goes through the park rushes rapidly toward this formation and the water’s force has cut it into the constantly swirling whirlpool until it forces the water out this small opening several feet under the opening. This is very reminiscent of how your employees feel when they are told they should “just know how to” do things.

This week take a new approach. TEACH don’t TELL. It may be frustrating to cover the same things more than once, but teaching people what to do and how the assumed culture works at your organization will make them better performing team members. The time it takes is far more rewarding than building the frustration that eats at you !! Try it out and let me know what happens . . .

Rehumanize Yourself !!

As my iPod continued on its endless shuffle at work, Rehumanize Yourself by The Police came on, and I found myself hitting repeat several times. The song tells of people in “everyday” jobs who are reminded to humanize themselves because their work doesn’t really mean much. Who knew that this song still has significance 30 years later?

I’m not writing about employees who seem to slog through the daily grind, I’m talking about HR practitioners !!

The job that HR does these days ranges from the ideal to the mundane. It’s hard to find a sweet spot to truly excel in HR within organizations due to a myriad of reasons. I’m not trying to define what may be ideal for some and mundane for others. Where I’d like us to focus is this . . . humans are more important than systems !!

Systems are needed and provide great structure and definition. Without them people make things up because they really want to do a good job. But without definition, they’ll make it up to fill time and make sure they are “busy.” These folks are the sloggers. They come in every day, knock out a job and then go back to what truly interests them. Their jobs are a necessary evil to pay the bills. Oh, yeah, I’m still talking about HR people.

No one said that HR had to be mundane !! In fact, great HR is far from it. However, it means getting outside the systems we create and enforce to the real heart of our businesses – the humans.

Where are you on the spectrum? I get it that you can be creative in making new systems and that you can be broad in the “things” side of what HR has to offer. But I’d challenge you in that those things impact people.

At the recent OHSHRM Conference, I challenged the attendees to be positive the whole time at the conference. Sounds odd that you’d even have to say that doesn’t it? But, I felt it was needed because I hear so many people stuck in what they’re NOT doing vs. what they do so well !! I only heard positive things from people because they knew a different expectation was set for them.

In organizations, HR has to set that expectation themselves !! So, this week be positive and encourage others to see what amazing things are truly happening all around you that you’ve been missing. Make sure to . . . rehumanize yourself !!

Image courtesy of Dan White Jr.’s blog

Got an idea ??

Why has HR become passive within the organization? There’s an on-going movement that is somewhat disheartening, and that is that HR feels it’s role is to be reactive and prepared. To always play defense is not a healthy way to approach daily work.

Granted, HR does have to react because of the intangibles that people have each day, but if you’re just waiting for the red alarm phone to ring furiously off your desk, so you can jump into action, you’re doing things backwards. Also, I can’t imagine how stressful you feel HR is by approaching the field this way. When I talk to my peers, too many of them put themselves in this camp. They also feel that this is what is “expected” of them from Senior Management. Yikes !!

Time for something new . . .

Do you have ideas? If so, do you share them, implement them, or shy away from them? Do you feel you do/don’t have permission to act on your ideas?

Have you fallen into the pit of doing things the same way every day and for every situation? If that is the case, let me share that I think that you have missed the value of how vastly different people and each situation you face truly is. Most of us stopped either having, or sharing, ideas because we listened to others who beat us down when we want to try something new.

The other pitfall to ideas is that we think that systems “fix” people. If we have the best system, it won’t matter who the people are. (I’ve heard this quoted verbatim at a company !!) People are the difference at work and great people make great systems shine !!

Back to ideas . . .

I’d like to challenge you to follow my personal model. I intentionally try to come up with 3 to 5 ideas a day to try something new at work. Some are massive ideas, and some are small, trite things that take little to no effort. The second step is that I try EVERY idea out. EVERY ONE !! That isn’t an exaggeration.

The response I can hear those of you reading this is – “But how do you have the time to have 3 to 5 ideas a day and then try them out? My day is so full, I couldn’t possibly do that !!” The fact is, my day is overflowing and I love that !! With 3 to 5 ideas every day, it’s also new, challenging, fresh and positive. Is that true with your full day ??

So, try it. You have to remember that you don’t need permission to think and create. You’re EXPECTED to think and create !! Need to go now. New idea brewing . . .

Please say “Thank You” !!

Sitting at my keyboard in my house on Labor Day, I am thankful that I have a holiday to spend with my family and recharge my batteries. At a time when more and more people focus on what is wrong with our economy, our political infighting and world turmoil, I again am thankful for the day to gather my thoughts.

As I was on a morning walk today, I was reminded of something that I too often forget on days like Labor Day. As I enjoy a holiday, there are thousands of people who are working today to serve others. If you didn’t know, I’m an HR professional in the Restaurant Industry. The company I work for, LaRosa’s, Inc., is a true iconic tradition in Cincinnati. Today, the majority of folks I work with will be at our restaurants serving people who so graciously choose to dine with us.

There are others who are working in gas stations, hospitals, retail locations, hotels, and more while others celebrate the holiday. Ironically, most people take this service for granted and actually expect people to be there to meet their needs. In fact, few people who use these services take time to say, “Thank You !!” to the people who are working while they enjoy their day off for the holiday.

This really needs to change. I know that I hear stories of employees who don’t think their employer gives them feedback or thanks them for their efforts, and they hate it. They should. The lack of constructive feedback in the workplace is a shortfall that too many people encounter on a regular basis.

So, today when you’re enjoying the holiday and you go to purchase something at the hardware store to work on a home project, or you go grab a pizza at a restaurant – say “Thank You” to the people who are working today. It is deserved and will go a long way into making our workplaces better each time someone takes the time to do it. Have a great holiday !!

How do you start the week ??

This past week my two fantastic kids went BACK to school !! My wife and I are truly blessed with two great kids. Our daughter is now a Senior and our son is a Freshman at Lakota East High School. What was so intriguing about their return to school is that when you asked them about the impending school year, they would both huff, sigh and drop their shoulders and say, “Yeah, we have to go BACK to school.”

Now, I know they’re both anxious about what the new year will bring and I’m sure they look forward to seeing old friends, and possibly making new ones. They also will do amazing things this year that they don’t even know exist yet. However, they look at the drudgery of the end of summer and the regiment of school.

It made me think . . . Isn’t this the same thing that the vast majority of workforces do each week?

Seriously. How many of you reading this on Monday morning said, “Ugh, I have to go BACK to work !!”

Even if our weekend was absolutely horrific, we feel it has more value than going back to our jobs. Now, I understand that there are tons of bosses, workplaces and cultures that aren’t going to make the “Best Places to Work” list soon. However, you’re working. Think of those, maybe even in your family, who aren’t working.

Your attitude is the difference when you either go BACK to work, or go TO work. Sure you will face challenges, but isn’t it cool that you have challenges to face? Sure, people will disappoint you and let you down, but couldn’t you do the same?

In order for workplace culture to excel and be truly “engaging,” then it starts with each individual and their approach. It isn’t someone else’s responsibility to make Monday great – it’s yours !!

I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but I make sure that the weekly entry from this blog comes out on Monday. Do you know why I do that? I’m not into SEO rankings or other quantitative metrics to determine my reach.

I want you to have a great start to the week !! Really. I may never meet those of you kind enough to read this blog, but I’ve chosen to be encouraging because it’s needed in all of our lives.

So, I’m off TO work. Can’t wait to see what the next week brings. I’m sure it will be an adventure !!

Maybe I’m Amazed !!

This must just be my “bucket list Summer.” On Thursday, I got to see a second dream rock concert !! In July, I saw U2 with three of my closest and dearest friends at Soldier Field in Chicago. This week I saw Sir Paul McCartney in Cincinnati !!! To say I was geeked would be an understatement !!

To see one of my rock heroes live was amazing. He was more than I even thought he’d be live. And, I think that was true of the 40,000+ people that went to see him. We all had images in our heads, or ideas of how we’d hope he’d perform. Everyone was probably also hoping for him to play “their” favorite song during the night. I know I felt that way and he did play my favorite song of his incredible career . . . ALL of them !!!

What was surprising to me was that there were tons of people who thought he may have lost a step, couldn’t sing as good as he used to. After all, he’s very close to 70 years old !!

Then it struck me. This is how most people view people at work. Most of us look to compartmentalize, or label, people based on our perceptions of what, or who, we think they are. This is not good. We continue to feed on the notion that people are bound to disappoint or detract from us.

In fact, I came across a person this week in a conversation at an outside meeting, and our discussion focused around how he felt that EVERYONE would take advantage of things, or them at work. When I said I disagree and I thought that was a pretty cynical way to view people, they said, “Steve, you’re just naive !!” I disagreed with them and we left the conversation at an impasse.

By the way, the conversation was with another peer in HR !!

I love that I’m naive !! I love that I went to see a childhood hero of mine expecting to be blown away by him and I was !! He played for three hours and had more energy than 99% of the people who came to see him. He told genuine and gripping stories of John Lennon, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton (all his mates) and also about his kids, why he wrote the songs he did and more.

I happened to go to the concert with my amazing wife (crushed when Paul played Maybe I’m Amazed sitting next to her !!) I also was there with another best friend (who’s my HR mentor) and his wife. We were all geeked going in and even more so coming out !!

So, this next week at work, quit thinking the worst about those around you. Instead, be amazed !! Because, the truth is, the great humans around us are amazing !!

Come on Get Happy !!

When you saw the title of this post it either made you smile or cringe. Do you need to be “happy” at work? Heck, can you even be “happy” in HR ??

The cynics out there, many of whom are my dear friends, would be saying things like, “It’s not the 70’s again !! This isn’t The Partridge Family !!” Some people at work, and life in general, feel that making someone happy is imposing on their personal space or beliefs. Others, refusing to be happy, come to work everyday in a dark mood while ominous dirge-like music plays in the background. There are countless statistics that now show that most people want to leave their job for something else. For some – ANYTHING else !!!

So, why am I going on and on about being happy? It’s because I’m knee deep into a great new read called The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. It’s a fascinating book that hit at the right time. The premise is counter to most of the history of the field of psychology and that is this . . . If you are happy, you’ll be successful.

Achor points out poignantly that all of us have been looking at this the other way around – When I get successful, I’ll be happy. However, the research shows that people never feel they’re successful enough – ever.

So, what does this have to do with HR? EVERYTHING !!!

Many HR people I know are miserable in what they do. They are burdened by the reality that working with and dealing with people is rough. There is no doubt about that. But, you don’t have to be miserable.

One of my friends visited one of our franchise locations a few years ago when I just had joined LaRosa’s, Inc. He asked the owner if he knew me and he said, “That’s the new HR guy isn’t it? Man, what’s wrong with him? He’s happy all the time !!” Great isn’t it? The owner and I know each other more now and he’s a great guy. He still wonders how I can be happy and be in HR.

So, this week ask yourself . . . happy ?? I think Achor is dead on by his premise that a person needs to be genuinely positive before they’ll ever be successful. What do you think ??

You never know . . .

This past week I was in the woods at Summer Camp with my phenomenal son and 34 other scouts at Camp Frontier in Pioneer, Ohio. Like most of the country it was as hot as the face of the sun, but my boys and adults were amazing !! We got through the week with sore bodies and an immense amount of bug bites, but they were minimized by the lasting memories that we made together.

As Troop 941’s Scoutmaster, I have two expectations for Summer Camp: (1) FUN !!!!! and (2) Be engaged – both scouts and leaders. This is never a problem for our Troop. They jump into Summer Camp with anticipation and excitement. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a ton of work !! My son took three Eagle Merit Badges along with Kayaking. That’s brutal for a schedule, trust me !!

I always believe in modeling the behavior you expect from others. So, if the boys had a tough schedule, so would I. I volunteered to be a Camp Commissioner which meant that I got to visit and inspect other scout sites for the Baden Powell Award. This is the award given to Troops who meet an extensive list of achievements during the week. Our Troop has earned the award the past three years and I’m very proud of them.

It’s also a great chance to network with other adults who care about Scouting and their boys succeeding. I also volunteered our site to host all the leaders for a social. During the social, I practiced voodoo HR on an unsuspecting crowd by asking them all to introduce themselves and share something exceptional about their Troop. These socials normally last 20 to 30 minutes. They left our site after two hours !!

I have two incredible stories to share with you about making an impact on others. You never know if you’re truly making an impact on someone else. You rarely get to see or hear results. Check these two stories out . . .

As my Senior Patrol Leader, Zach, and I were walking back to our site, the Program Director stopped to chat and asked how the week was going for us. Both Zach and I shared great tales of excitement and the positive aspects of the camp. The Director said that was great because their staff looks through the weeks and notes that some Troops are “magical” and that included 941. We were humbled. In fact he said, “When 941 comes to camp we know we have to step it up even more !!” My young scout leader was stunned when he heard this and said, “Mr. Browne, I didn’t even think we were making an impact.”

The second story is extremely touching to me. One day, two adult leaders from another Troop visited myself and one of my leaders. They had a difficult situation at their site where some older scouts were bullying a 1st year scout. We didn’t judge or want jump to the rescue. We just gave advice which is what they asked for. The leaders went back to their site, talked to their boys using our advice and the young man who was leading the bullying came to them, apologized and asked how he could make things right. The young man who was bullied had left camp, but he returned and finished the week due to these leaders learning how to model behavior vs. going back and yelling at everyone.

I could write for days about camp. It’s a great reminder to understand that everyone impacts everyone with every interaction. So, as you go to work this next week, think about who you’re impacting. You never know . . .

What are you holding on to ??

HR is fraught with so many things that it clings to which aren’t really necessary. We publish policy after policy to no avail. It’s amazing how much is put together in manuals and handbooks with the hope that behavior will somehow be affected, changed or altered.

Recently, I was told about a company that has an eight page dress code policy !! Eight pages !! When I asked about it and actually read it, they missed things that people could wear that would really set people on end. So, instead of addressing the one or two actual people who were not wearing “appropriate” clothing, HR comes out with this eight page literary work – that no one follows !!

While I was surrounded this past week by 70,000 singing fans at the U2 concert in Chicago, the band played a favorite of mine from No Line on the Horizon called Moment of Surrender during their second encore. As I was singing along with Bono (and everyone else), I was struck by the lyrics that say “At the moment of surrender – Of vision over visibility – I did not notice the passers-by – And they did not notice me.”

We sometimes lose our vision in HR. There is so much that we need to let go of and let it float away !! If you truly look at much of what we do, our policies, procedures and systems don’t tell employees how to DO work. They focus on what NOT to do !! And, in having this approach, we’re amazed that things don’t change at work.

It’s time for us to stop doing this. We need to have ways for people to perform, excel and shine in our organizations. We need to stop trying to police behavior and, instead, build a framework and an environment where people can be engaged and utilize their strengths.

So, as you go to work this Monday, take a look at the volumes of things you write which you think are being followed. Be daring. Take a policy no one follows and rip it out of your handbook. See if anyone notices.

It’s time for us to learn to let go. What’s your next move ??

Will it Make a Difference ??

As I’m typing this post, many of my peers and friends are enjoying the SHRM11 Annual Conference. Yes, I am jealous because I always enjoy being with others who share my passion of HR !! The tweets that are flying under the #SHRM11 hashtag are great to read, but they lack in that personal experience. Ah, well, maybe next year . . .

The question I want to pose to the 14,000+ HR pros who have gathered at SHRM11 is . . . Will it Make a Difference?

Will attending the largest gathering of those in your profession change how you approach HR when you return to your various workplaces? When the lights and sites of Las Vegas dissapate, will you be making more of an impact in HR, or will you go back to the norms and ways you are following today?

I hope it transforms you !! You can’t miss the chance to attend events like this and not come away with great things like new contacts, a broader vision of what HR offers, a new way to tilt the windmills that face you on a daily basis !! Don’t just get enamored by the great keynotes, the great vendor events and the endless piles of swag you’ll take home from the Exhibit Hall.

Use this time away from the office this week to come back energized, enthusiastic and willing to move your company forward !!

If people don’t do this, we will continue to fight a stereotype that I personally heard this week from a question I posted on Focus.com regarding development vs. training. A person responded that HR has to first “get it’s act together” before focusing on either topic. I responded to this person and was pretty pointed that I didn’t appreciate his stance on our field. He’s entitled to say what he’d like, but it eats at me that anyone continues to think that HR doesn’t “get it.”

So, don’t disappoint me you 14,000+ HR folks attending SHRM11 !! I know you’ll have a wonderful time, meet and catch up with wonderful peers . . . just remember to come back and make a difference personally, professionally and for HR as a whole !! I can’t wait to see what you’ll do !!