Employee Relations: October 2009 Archives

The conference call can be an effective way of keeping everyone on the same page.  However, becoming a serial conference caller can create a situation where the call becomes a chore for those who are on it, and a redundant way of communicating.

Effective conference calls can get people on the same page from remote locations.  They can get everyone into a "room" who needs to hear critical data but can't necessarily be in the same place at the same time.

To avoid making conference calls a chore, ask yourself whether the call needs to be weekly (or daily, or whatever regular frequency you have it).  Much like any other meeting, determine an agenda beforehand, and send out information related to the call before the call.

Some of the worst calls I have been on have had similar themes:

1.  Too frequent

2.  Too focused on minutae.

3.  Untimely (at an inconvenient time to the flow of the day

The best calls have had similar themes as well

1.  Sporadic

2.  Focused on a global big-picture agenda

3.  At the beginning or end of the day

Tell me about your best and worst conference calls at robert@galaconcierge.com

A reader submitted a question about whether or not to contact HR after you leave a company.

Q:  I recently quit my job, because I could not stand my boss.  I'm going to call HR today.  Do you think I should just leave a message with a list of my issues?  Or should I just let go of the whole situation?

A:  I commend you for calling HR after you left, because some people just leave a job and don't take the time to speak on their concerns.  Looking over some of your grievances, I feel that it will be productive to call them, even though you have left already.  You will have the peace of mind knowing that you had someone to talk to, and also you will hopefully enable others to not have to go through what you had to.

The probation period (30/60/90) days at the start of employment or new opportunities can be an effective way to allow both the company and the employee to test the waters and see how well things match up between all parties.

Framing the probation period appropriately to not make it "do this or be fired" scenario can be a delicate exercise in diplomacy.  Someone asked me recently what I felt about their policy of telling people "if you don't do well in 90 days, we aren't keeping you."  I commented that their needs to be a more delicate approach, and that taking such a hardline stance might set people up with the expectation that they are being watched on every move.

The probation period should be a give and take exercise, where management can monitor, make recommendations, and adapt training if necessary.  Likewise, it should be a time where the employee should feel comfortable to address concerns that may affect their continued employment.