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Employee Relations: July 2010 Archives

Hate Everyone (And Slowly Let People Endear Themselves To You)

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By Robert Braathe on July 29, 2010 8:19 AM
The title of today's entry is a quote from one of my father figures and favorite clients.  He told me that he has followed this motto through his life and it has helped him develop stronger relationships and to protect himself from situations that may not be on the up and up.

Upon first hearing this, it seemed kind of rash, but when looking at the concept deeper, there is a great deal of sense to it.  When we "hate" someone, that generally brings about a great deal of passion that can easily be turned into love or respect.  Hate often involves being affected by someone or something so much that it drives us to action.

Think about someone you have "hated" before; if they didn't matter to you, would you feel hate?  Probably not; you'd feel ambivalence. 

I've used this motto to help me be nicer to people that I initially "hated", and focus on how to turn the relationship or experience into one of mutual respect and support.

Start hating! (wink)

Managing to Do Nothing

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By Robert Braathe on July 27, 2010 4:42 PM
One of my all-time great insults was when I told someone that indeed they were a manager - they managed to do nothing.

As managers, there is a fine line between managing and leading and doing too much work that can be done by those who are supposed to be reporting to you.  However, there are few greater ways to motivate your staff as to do the work that they do and do it well.

Some of the finest restaurants, retail establishments, and hotels I have visited have had the presence of a leader during busy and peak periods performing alongside their team and steering the ship from the front lines.

What kind of manager are you?  Do you manage to inspire or manage to do nothing?  Let's hope it's not the latter!

How to Use an ATM Properly

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By Robert Braathe on July 14, 2010 2:09 PM
What does using an ATM properly have to do with training, careers or HR?  A lot actually.

I hate using ATM's most of the time because people spend so much time at the ATM you'd think they are opening up in account or something.  One of my zany ideas that I gave to a couple people who work at banks is that they should have people standing out at the ATM's from time to time to manage crowd control and show them how to use it properly!

One of the exercises I have my students work on in HR class is writing together a training procedure for how somebody who has never used an ATM for can use one effectively.  None of my former students have gotten it right so far (at least in my mind).

Here is what I feel is the proper procedure for using an ATM

1.  Prior to pulling into the parking lot or approaching the ATM, have all checks signed, your card out of your wallet, and be prepared for whatever transactions you are going to complete
2.  Insert card into ATM within 5 seconds of approaching the machine, and enter PIN
3.  Complete your transactions
4.  Pull away from ATM and replace your card in your wallet.

What my students have always forgotten is #1.  Many people, in any situation, forget the preparatory steps that need to take place before an actual procedure begins.  This ATM instruction guide is an example of how you can incorporate preparatory steps into any training model.

So the next time you pull up to an ATM, if I am behind you, I hope you are following my guidelines!

A Smile is Worth a Sale

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By Robert Braathe on July 12, 2010 6:44 PM
As I meandered through a sea of gift shops in Lake George today, I was struck by the lack of customer service at any place I went into.  There were the same product lines in almost all of the stores, arranged in the same way.  Until I came to the last stop on our adventure today...

We stopped in a store and immediately across from us was a person smiling and excited that we were coming in.  All we got fromher was a good afternoon and a smile from ear to ear, but I was sold; this was the place I was going to buy something, whether or not I needed it (since it was a vacation day after all).  I looked around for something, anything at all, just because it was the first time on our journey that I actually felt someone cared for our money and our business.

What do you do to make the people who walk into your business feel special?  Or is your business like the sea of others in tourist areas offering nothing until someone comes to pay at the cash register?

I will remember the smile from today forever.  It reminded me of the days I worked at Disney and when everyone smiled at every guest, and made them feel special.

When HR Fails to Do Its Job - An Excerpt and Analysis

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By Robert Braathe on July 10, 2010 9:04 AM
Michael Wade recently posted a story on US News and World Report's websited called "When HR Fails to Do Its Job".  In it, he discussed the effects of inaction by HR professionals when their are problems in the workforce.

Very often, companies will turn a blind eye to issues of personalities in the workplace, hoping they will work themselves out.  However, when a company continues to allow morale to decrease and disenchantment to increase, it usually is because they have been inactive in dealing with growing or continual problems between personalities.

Wade mentions that:

"Human Resources professionals have three roles: administrator, cop, and consultant. Too often, they focus on the first two and neglect the third. When that happens, it is easy for supervisors-and employees-to drift and for matters to get worse."

In many companies, this is sadly the case.  Problems between people and with employees need to be nipped in the bud, because if they aren't, they can lead to good people leaving organizations.



Inflexible Holiday Schedules

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By Robert Braathe on July 5, 2010 8:13 AM
Today marks an anomaly on the workplace calendar; a holiday celebrated as a federal holiday the day after the holiday has taken place. This kind of thing typically happens when a holiday falls on a Sunday.

Unlike some workplaces, where holidays mean staying open (and sometimes for extended hours), many workplaces today are shut to give those who work a Monday-Friday workweek the day off.

Unfortunately, rather than looking at the past numbers as an indicator of whether to open or close, many businesses today will still remain open for regular business hours despite anticipated lower business or non-existent business.  

As I have stated before to many of my colleagues, I often believe many businesses only stay open on days like this because of a fear that people will go to the competitor and find something better there, and to never return.  It is my belief that businesses with that mindset have far worse problems than they realize, as if you are fearful of losing a sale on a holiday, you probably don't have yourself focused on your customers in the first place.

So if you are considering opening today, best of wishes, and hopefully those who are working for you are recognized.  For those of you who are closed today, enjoy your holiday and best wishes as well!

Staying Connecting and Networking

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By Robert Braathe on July 2, 2010 8:04 AM
One of the greatest tools for career success is proper networking.  Networking isn't about just contacting people when you need something; it's about building relationships with others that are mutually beneficial.

One of my favorite colleagues often has said about me that he likes working with me because I don't just contact him when I need something; there is always a rapport between us outside of the sharing of resources and information about jobs.

Recently, I just picked up two projects from contacts I have nurtured over the years; one with a professor I met 15 years ago and another with a former boss who told me if I ever wanted to work for him again to just let him know.  These kind of opportunities would not have resulted if I hadn't maintained contact and rapport

What do you do to networking and stay connected with others?  Share your best practices for a future column at robert@galaconcierge.com


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