Employee Relations: April 2009 Archives

Do you have someone in your organization who constantly is displaying a "woe is me" or "I don't like this" attitude?  Perhaps you have a perennial malcontent on your hands.

Do you have someone who likes to stir up everyone, for no other purpose than to draw attention to themself?  You have a pretend activist on your hands.

Dealing with these two types of personalities can be delicate, time consuming, and draining.  However, following some sound principles can prevent either of these characters from becoming more of a problem than they should.

By following solid coaching and counseling procedures, you can keep track of someone's concerns and issues.  Identifying patterns can be much easier if you keep track of what the perennial malcontent's concerns are, and whether they are signs of an organizational ill or just someone complaining for the sake of doing so.

Likewise, when there appears to be someone who is raising a stink just for the sake of doing so, channel that persone effectively by using their talents and skills to your advantage.  If you find that the pretend activist actually has the ear of their peers, you may want to use them to spread "actual" news vs the gossip that they usually share.

Share your stories of Perennial Malcontents and Pretend Activists by emailing me at

robert@galaconcierge.com

 

 

 

 

 

Q: To what extent do corporations use behaviorial studies to hire individuals? Do human resource departments do studies on individuals behaviors of any nature or do any psychological testing?

Today I will share with you a few of the comments I've received from readers on their experiences in the hiring process.  I had gone through four official phone interviews up to and including Sr.
Dept VP's. 

I am often asked questions along the lines of

"How do I make this person work harder?"
"How do I keep this person from coming in late all the time?"
"XXXXX hasn't done anything productive for the last XXXX months, what can I do?"

These questions (with some flexibility based on union contracts, labor agreements, company policies) can all be solved with an effective "3-D Policy" - Document, Discipline, Dismiss.
(McGrath mentions the 3D Policy in their article "Document, Discipline, Dismiss: The McGrath 3-D Approach to Documentation of Employee Performance and Misconduct
Issues.")

Not everything documented has to be of a negative nature.  But documenting as much as possible about someone's performance helps you cover yourself in the event of a complaint.

I've been blessed to only have had to fire a few people in my lifetime, and all of them were a result of following an effective Document Discipline Dismiss policy?

How have you effectively used 3D or a variation of it?  Let me know at robert@galaconcierge.com

Manners, Positivity, Heroics was a book I wrote in 2005 about a methodology called Manners, Positivity, Heroics.  When practiced, these three traits can lead to a very productive and vibrant workplace.

Manners - As I've explained in a prior entry on how to politely handle turning down a job and how to handle turning down applicants, manners and etiquette are lost arts in many places.  Going over the top with kindness never hurts.  As my grandmother used to say "you get a lot more with honey than vinegar.

Positivity - Both as an applicant and as an employer, displaying a positive attitude at all times despite what may be going on inside makes a world of difference.  The time for the frown is behind closed doors.  As my friend Christy used to tell me, "smile more, it works".

Heroics - Doing little things to make a difference that are often sight unseen can turn an applicant or an employee into a motivated machine. 

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sprinkling in stories of "MPH" that I have seen and experienced in the workplace.  Likewise, I'll look forward to hearing some of your stories.

Email me your "MPH" moments privately at @ robert@galaconcierge.com, or post a comment below.

And if you'd like a copy of my book, they are available at

http://www.lulu.com/rjbraathe

In my entry earlier this week, I spoke about how to turn down an employer politely.  Today, let's look at the flip side; how to turn down candidates who you aren't going to select or have continue on in the recruiting process.