Is there really such a thing as a “turnaround?”
Hopefully none of us have had to experience disciplinary actions in the workplace. However, we’ve all heard about it if we haven’t personally witnessed it. There are a lot of theories about how to handle discipline well, but in reality, it seldom seems to do go very smoothly, let alone be a true “turnaround” moment for the errant employee. So what do you all think…is there a “best” method of discipline? Have you ever witnessed a true turnaround effect?
What does it all mean?
Annual performance appraisals…most of us have had them at one job or another. Often viewed as a chance for a much-deserved raise, I wonder how we really feel about them. Do they typically improve an employee’s relationship with the employer, or are they more often damaging? What are your thoughts/experiences?
Motivation
When it comes to employees, motivation is always a struggle. So what does it take to motivate people? Is money the best motivator?
Is it still necessary?
Perhaps one of the most controversial issues in employment, even education, has been Affirmative Action. The question that we will discuss this week is: “Is Affirmative Action still needed?”
What do you think of when you think of HR?
Whether we have an HR department or not, all of us have heard of this group. So when you hear the term “HR,” what do you think of?
How To Make Things Better…
This is straight from Seth Godin. After I read it this morning, it seemed so applicable to virtually every area of life, that I wanted to share it with you. Take 3 minutes to read it and you can start making things better…everywhere.
The downward spiral is all too familiar. A drinking problem leads to a job lost, which leads to more drinking. Poor customer service leads customers to choose other vendors, which of course leads to less investment in customer service, which continues the problem.
Your boss has a temper tantrum because he’s stressed about his leadership abilities. The tantrum undermines his relationship with his peers, which of course makes him more stressed and he becomes more likely to have another tantrum. An employee is disheartened because of negative feedback from a boss, which leads to less effort, which of course leads to more negative feedback.
Most things that go wrong, go wrong slowly.
The answer isn’t to look for the swift and certain solution to the long-term problem. The solution is to replace the down cycle with the up cycle.
The (too common, obvious, simple) plan is to live with the cycle that caused the problem instead (“When I get stressed, I freeze up, so I need to figure out how to avoid getting stressed”). The simple plan puts the onus on the outside world to stop contributing the input that always leads to the negative output. That’s just not going to work very well.
The Rise of the Difficult Employee
In a recent article of the same name, SHRM.org explored “The Rise of the Difficult Employee.” Recent data suggests that the number of employers referring employees to corrective programs over the last four years increased, rising 120 percent. The question is why? Are we working in a more stressful world, causing employees to “lose it” at work? Are managers just more afraid of legal consequences and therefore do little or nothing about people with problems?
What has been your experience? How do we deal with the difficult employee?
Money…It’s not everything!
According to this except from SHRM.org, money seems to be necessary to attain employees, but not sufficient to keep them… Do you agree?
“Money, Its Not All Employees Want” (SHRM.ORG, 8/6/12)
“When employers act as though the 1959 song “Money (That’s What I Want)” represents employees’ top priorities in the workplace, they miss some of the most important drivers of satisfaction and engagement.
“It is well known that money is a short-term motivator,” Jayne Mattson, senior vice president, Keystone Associates, told SHRM Online. Ultimately, employees look for an organization and position where their values are met, core skills are utilized and work tasks align with interests, she said.
Pay does help attract and even retain employees, according to Towers Watson, a global professional services company, but “sustainable engagement” requires much more than money. According to Towers Watson, sustainable engagement is a combination of: Read More…
Love this tool…
Goodreads
