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Feedback: November 2009 Archives

Plain vs. Ex-Plain

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By Robert Braathe on November 25, 2009 6:46 PM
The more you have to explain things to people, the less "plain" it becomes.  This applies to training situations, dealing with your employer who wants a reason you aren't performing, and a variety of situations that require limited explanation.

The better you design your training manuals, the less you have to explain their contents to others.

The more forthright you are with your employer, the less you have to explain the reasons you aren't performing like you should.

Remember - the better you develop your relationship with others, the less complex your relationships will be, and the more confident and strong they will become.

Taking a Left Turn on Red in a Left Turn Only Lane

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By Robert Braathe on November 21, 2009 2:06 PM
Something I claim to have invented was the left turn on red in a left turn only lane.  There was a stretch of road near Sea World in Orlando where no traffic ever would be coming and I'd sit there waiting for the left turn lane to go green.   After about 4 or 5 times waiting and waiting, I decided to make my own rules and turn left on red when there was no oncoming traffic.

Today, in fact, I also did the same thing in Saratoga!

What does this have to do with HR?   Sometimes we face rules that are meant to be broken that won't hurt anyone else.  For example, if there is a candidate we really feel should be considered for an opportunity but they don't necessarily meet the qualifications, we may want to sell the candidate to our superiors or to the hiring manager based on other qualities they possess.

Or, we may do a schedule change for someone who was late one time in 6 months who had a legitimate reason for being late, rather than punishing them with a late on their attendance card.

Another example of a "left turn on red" in the workplace can be doing something outside of your responsibilities that may require supervisor approval, but by waiting until a supervisor arrives would cause a customer more stress and the business possible loss in revenue.

What left turns on red do you take?  Share them with me at robert@galaconcierge.com

Kangaroo Court - HR and Baseball

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By Robert Braathe on November 17, 2009 9:50 PM
Many teams have a player run court they call the Kangaroo Court to hand out "fines" for infractions like missing a sign, making an error, and so on. 

In the workplace, such a program could encourage fellow employees to contribute donations to a fund that would benefit an employee incentive program or a raffle.  Something that may work in lieu of money may be entering people's names in a drawing for a prize at the end of the period.  You could get one entry for every time you do something very well, and lose one entry when you make a mistake.  You can also enter entries when you see someone succeed and reward them for their honor.

Stopping the Manager Game

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By Robert Braathe on November 12, 2009 9:29 AM
Do you have an employee who likes playing managers against one another?  Do you someone who tries to get the answer they want to hear by asking people the same question over and over?

To stop people from playing this "Manager Game", a good sit-down to go over expectations with the employee may not work.  Employees of this type should be discussed in a forum by the management team to ensure that everyone is aware of what this person is trying to do.

Once it is out in the open what this employee is doing, developing a consistent game plan ahead of time to deal with questions by this employee may be the best approach.


Thoughts on Sway - The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior

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By Robert Braathe on November 10, 2009 9:21 AM
I just finished reading Sway by Ori and Rom Brafman, which shared some excellent points on many Human Resources related issues.  Here are a sample of quotes and passages from the book and some comments.

"As difficult as it can be to admit defeat, staying the course simply because of a past commitment hurts us in the long run" (Brafman) - sometimes we stick with a job or a role just because it is comfortable.  It may take great courage to move on to something else.

The book talks about LBJ's leadership strategy - calling people in the middle of the night, or taking visitors off guard by calling a swimming break and jumping in the pool. (Brafman) - being an effective leader means not always following the same pattern all the time.  Mixing up how you communicate and how you conduct yourself can keep people on their toes and keep you always on top of your business.

The book also discusses how a new professor was introduced to a class, and half the class was given one intro, and half another, with the only words changed in the passage being "very warm person" and "rather cold person".  The perception of this teacher was totally different between the first group and the second group.

This book was a great read that took me a while to get through because there were so many amazing bits of information to absorb.  I'll share a few more in a future post.

Debates on Hot HR issues by students of SUNY Delhi @ Schenectady County Community College

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By Robert Braathe on November 7, 2009 9:36 AM
On Tuesday December 8th at 1pm, my students at SUNY Delhi at SCCC in Schenectady will be debating hot issues in human resources.  

If you are interested in attending this free event, please contact me at braathrj@delhi.edu. 

Five debates will take place, and each will be followed up by questions and answers from the audience and students.

Writing The Wrong

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By Robert Braathe on November 3, 2009 9:15 AM

One of my favorite presenters shared with us on day one of training that "Email is forever."  The startling thing I have seen since that day back in 2004 has been that while email has grown in popularity and use, email ettiquette has not.


To avoid "writing the wrong", don't put anything in email that you don't want people to read over and over again.


Another way to avoid "writing the wrong" is sending a return receipt with your messages to ensure that people take the time to write back rather than immediately responding.  This can help you keep people on track with the messages you send, and also ensure that you and your employees aren't responding without thinking first.

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