HRCleanUp

The Sustainable Organization

 Today, I went to a NEHRA seminar title "The Sustainable Organization" that was lead by Robert Kelleher, Chief Human Capital Officer for AECOM. 

I've been to many sessions about the trends that are impacting our organizations including generational challenges, loss of available talent, the power of social networking, the cost of employee disengagement, and the fact that the number of available workers is going to continue to shrink despite our current environment of layoffs.

Bob, however, took all of these seemingly disparate events and brought them all together in his presentation.  For any HR or organizational leader, any of the single events is cause for concern but aggregate them and there is cause for alarm.  Bob's session was food for thought for many in the room.

Bob's 12 trends included:

1. Changing demographics and declining savings
2. Fostering generational harmony
3. The new definition of diversity
4. The World Is Flat (as an aside, required reading for my HR students)
5. Declining ambition
6. The loyalty factor
7. Engagement
8. Are we flexing?
9. Innovate and educate
10. The era of the CFO
11. Corporate social responsibility

I think, however, that rather than thinking about these trends and worrying about them, it is time for HR leaders to step up to the plate and start putting in the policies and programs that are going to effect change.  Not just little bits of change but sweeping change.  Change that will forever impact the way we think about organizations, leadership, and work itself.

Each of these trends, alone, is a project or two.  As an HR professional, which one to tackle first. 

Today I was talking to our department project assistant.  We were talking about something as simple as cleaning up the common file folder.  She told me "it is just such a big task" and I reminded her that "a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.  Let's start by creating a taxonomy and we can go from there".  In fact, let's schedule some time to this this week.

So, HR Leaders...what is your first step?

Emily Post

On Sunday mornings, I can often be found watching CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood.  There is something about the cadence and in-depth nature of the show that I find relaxing and interesting at the same time.  This morning, they did an in-depth story on Emily Post.  When is the last time you actually thought about Emily Post?

Perhaps it is time for many of us to revisit Emily Post.  As Generation Y moves firmly into the workplace, many of us have noticed their sheer lack of anything  that looks or feels like etiquette.  For us Gen X'ers, we've taken our cues from the Boomers before us.  And while I think the Gen Y'ers have the most to learn, I think that almost all of us could use a refresher.

We're all so busy and it often just doesn't seem to matter.  Why bother to write a thank you note?  Why even bother to wrap the gift?  I recently read a blog post by a recruiter who was telling people that is showed desperation if you sent a Thank You note after an interview. 

Geez...what is this world coming to?

As you whirl through this holiday season, meeting and greeting, think about the "Thank You".  Stop by the store and buy some cards.   And pick up some stamps, too.   It will only take you a few minutes to write up a three sentence expression of thanks.  Keep the cards (and the stamps!), not at home, but right there in your desk drawer.  Use them throughout the year whenever you feel moved. 

You'll be surprised at how "Thank You" will become a part of your regular routine.

HR Students vs. The Automobile Industry CEOs

Last week in my HRIS course that I teach at Suffolk University, my students had to present a business case to the senior management of  a fictitious company.  The business case had to present the current state of affairs, the desired state of affairs, the cost of doing nothing, a procurement and a high level implementation plan. 

What does this have to do with the Automotive Industry?

As I was listening to these very sharp students discuss the ROI on HR technology solutions it occurredto me that they were better prepared for class than the CEOs of the Big 3 American Automakers were for their Congressional Hearing.  These executives just showed up.  No plan in hand.  No imagination.  No justification.  Did they just plan to "wing it"?  My students, on the other hand,  had done more preparation and funding justification for their in-class presentations than the heads of the Big 3 American Auto Makers did for a presentation to the Congress of the United States.  And most of my students took the Subway to class vs.  a private jet.

We constantly berate HR professionals for their lack of business acumen and avoidance of all things related to the bottom line of a business; however, if my students are any indication of what is to come in the field, I think that the CEOs of the Big 3 can learn a thing or two from them.

First, be professional.  Second, be prepared.  Third, have a plan of action.  Fourth,  when you are asking for a handout, don't take a private jet.  Perhaps the three of you could carpool.

Employee Disengagement is a Global Challenge

Level of Disengagement by Generation and Region

Country	Baby Boomers (1946-1964)	Generation X (1965-1977)	Generation Y (1978-1990)
Australia and New Zealand	13%	24%	25%
China*	--%	34%	33%
Continental Europe	18%	20%	28%
India	16%	12%	14%
North America	17%	20%	35%
Southeast Asia	16%	20%	35%
United Kingdom and Ireland	18%	22%	30%

*There were too few survey responses for Baby Boomers in China to include

There are some interesting observations that you can draw from the information above.  First, disengagement isn't a problem only in the United States...it is a global problem.  Second, the problem crosses generations. So, those boomers who preach "younger workers didn't have to pay the same dues as I did" are not totally preaching the truth but the numbers do show that younger workers are more disengaged.

What programs are you putting in place to improve engagement from all of your workers?  My company, Profiles International can help.  We focus on employee engagement, pre-hire selection, and leadership development.  We frequently start, however, with engagement.

Q & A with HRCleanUp

Hello HRCleanUp,
 
I hope all is well with you!  I am having an interesting issue at work and I was wondering if you had any advice.  Our VP of Strategy came to me today because he is having an issue with his Marketing Associates (20-somethings) and his Marketing Director (65).  The Director of Marketing purchased a number of blue cardigan sweaters with our company logo on them for all the female Marketing employees to wear at trade shows.  Now, you would think this would not be that bad...but the sweater is HUGE.  An extra small was way, way too big on me...and Im not tiny!  Needless to say the associates were not happy about this and complained to the VP about having to wear "old woman clothes".  There is a trade show next week and the VP asked my advice on communicating the views of the associates to the director, in a "PC" fashion.  I really could not think of anything that was particularly helpful and non-offensive to the director!  I looked on numerous websites and there is a lot of information about millenials vs babyboomers, but not advice on how to deal with a situation like this.  Id like to be able to go back to the VP and give him something that is useful.  Do you have any ideas?  I know you are probably laughing at this point, I was laughing about it too, but need to come up with some type of solution.  If you have any thoughts on this, I would greatly appreciate it!!

HRCleanUp Responds,

The VP made a huge mistake when he didn't bother to include his 20-somethings in the decision making.  I don't blame them one bit for not wanting to wear a sack sweater.  What if he told them to go with the sweaters for this next trade show.  Then, when they get back, he could task them with finding a replacement.  If they pick it, they have to wear it.  The costumes at a trade show really are important...how the company shows itself makes a difference.  Since they will all be at the trade show, they can do some initial research about what might work better.  On their breaks, they can cruise the trade show floor and report back ideas and suggestions and have fun as a team finding something new.  The VP can be a part of the process and have with the stealth research too.

Performance Reviews--Ewww!

Samuel Culbert had a great article appear in the Wall Street Journal the other day titled Get Rid of Performance Reviews!  I couldn't agree more--and many of my students agree with me.

Last week, we were talking about Integrated Talent Management systems.  An ITM is all things talent management--it includes applicant tracking, performance management, succession planning, etc.  When we got to the performance management portion of the lecture, we ended up having a great discussion about the trials and tribulations of the performance management system (and it didn't seem to matter if the "system" was in Excel or in a great web based performance management system).  The students all lamented about the same things:

1. It makes me, and HR in general, feel like the organizational "nag"
2. We have to force managers to complete review
3. Everyone hates the process
4. No one is learning anything--in fact, most managers turn in the ratings so they can process the merit increase before they write the review!

Perhaps it really is time to change the methodology for performance reviews.  As Generation Y and the Millennials come into the workplace regular feedback and performance discussions are critical--how will we meet their needs without a performance management system?

When we do leadership development work with organizations at Profiles International, we focus on coaching and on 360 assessments.  Leader know thyself.  Manager, know your people and play to their strengths and develop their weaknesses.  Easier said than done but many companies out there are trying and we're anxious to help more make a real impact on their people--and their bottom lines.

Jeans and Flip Flops

We often lament that the Millennial’s that are coming into the office today are pushing the envelope in many ways.  We don’t like they way they want to work when they want to work.  We don’t like that they feel like they can just “chat-up” the C.E.O.  We don’t like their self expression—tattoos and piercings.  There is a lot we don’t like.

But, consider this for a moment:   There may be incredible talent in your organization That Doesn’t Look Like You.

It is our job in HR to figure out how to harness and utilize that talent.  It may be Millennials is may be someone who thinks differently, or someone who speaks a different language 10,000 miles away.   Organizational leadership must break out of the traditional mode of thinking and start opening up to new possibilities.

The old adage, “do the same thing over and over gets you the same thing over and over” holds true to a point, however, it may change to “do the same thing over and over and you’ll go out of business because someone else will come along and do it better, cheaper, and more creatively".

As business leaders, we’ve got to constantly scan our internal talent for leadership.  We must identify them early and develop them.  We need to take some risk and we’ve got to make some investment.  In the 1980’s most organizations dismantled their job rotation programs, their executive leadership programs, and any sort of true talent development.  What we have now is a dearth of leaders prepared to lead. 

We’ve got to catch up quickly.  Generation X is ready to go.  Let’s give them a crash-course in the tools and skills that they need to truly lead organizations into this new world.  As for the Millennials, let’s rest assured that they don’t look or act like us.  And that is O.K.  We just need to identify them, develop them, and embrace them for they are our future—and I think it is going to be a lot more fun.

Never Fear, Underdog is Here!

Have you ever worked with someone who creates chaos and disaster every time they walk into the room or join the conference call?  Has this same person somehow spun said chaos and disaster into a situation where they came in and take all credit for solving the problem or, have you ever worked with someone who is constantly putting herself in a "Here I Come to Save the Day!" position?

A few weeks back, the Wall Street Journal ran an article called "Munchausen at Work" (for those of you who don't know Munchausen--and that included me--it refers to  a German storyteller who told preposterous tales about his adventures as a soldier and hunter; his name is now associated with any telling of exaggerated stories or winning lies (1720-1797)) .  The article discussed employees who made errors and then told the boss about they swooped in and saved the day. 

I know people who thrive on this behavior.  Think about your IT department.  They love to tell how they saved the day when they caused the problem!  People who work with clients also love to swoop in and take credit for saving the client relationship when in fact the person who worked the relationship long before you came along was doing  just fine thank you very much.

The Journal had some good tips on how to create a culture that doesn't encourage or support this behavior:

1. Stress teamwork over individual problem-solving
2. Be way of creating office "heroes"
3. Watch out for information hording
4. Ensure bosses are attentive to employees' needs

Back to School

Most of you know that I teach at Suffolk University in their HR Master's Degree program and I love it.  Why?  Most of all, I enjoy the students, the discussions in the classroom, and the fact that I demystify technology for them in my HRIS course.  However, last year, I had a head-on collision with Millennials in the classroom.

It was hard.

Why?  First, most of them did not have a point-of-view on anything related to HR.  They were so busy processing transactions that they couldn't see the forest through the trees.  Secondly, they just didn't have the life experience to carry on the types of discussions that I had hoped to have in the course.  And, Finally, I learned that because I sent our the presentations at the end of each evening, they didn't bother to take notes.  They just sat there and listened (or daydreamed--hey, it was 7 p.m. in the evening). 

So what am I changing this year?

1. More focused, in class, reading and discussion
2. I won't be sending out the presentation after the lecture
3. More frequent check-in's with them to find out where they are at in terms of the reading and the course material in general
4. More structure to the course as a whole
5. I'm implementing a final exam
6. Cell phones must remain in the off position--no texting during the lecture!

It isn't as much fun for me as a professor to grade on things like attendance and reading comprehension however just showing up and sitting there isn't an option in my book. 

Does your organization think differently about Millennials in the workplace?  In the training room?  I woud love to hear from you about what works and what doesn't.  This old dog is always willing to learn new tricks--especially if they work!

...and for my Millennials...the picture is Rodney Dangerfield.  If you haven't seen "Back to School" or "Caddyshack" shame on you.  Log onto Netflix and get them in your queue.

You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!

Last week, my friend Gretchen Neels's invited me to attend her Total Image Management seminar.  I was flattered to be invited since Gretchen and I have never had the opportunity to meet in person--although we had become good phone friends.   Plus, it was at the Boston College Club downtown and breakfast was included.  So, I figured that I couldn't lose.   Great views and free breakfast--a winning combination in my book!

I got myself up at the crack of dawn and headed downtown with no expectations whatsoever.  However, the minute I arrived, I knew that I was going to enjoy myself.  The other people in the room were interesting, the view was spectacular, and the coffee--although not Starbucks--was good.  Since I didn't know the total plan for the morning I was pleased when Gretchen went over it and I was excited about the content:

• Your personal image--what you wear says a lot about you
• Your emotional intelligence--how you respond to the people around you
• Your position of power--effective networking

We had three hours to complete the lofty agenda--we could have used another hour there was so much great information.  Here are a few things that I learned and I'll share them with you. 

1. Your clothing from 5 years ago doesn't work today--you should update your wardrobe regularly with good quality clothing from a higher end store.   The old adage, "dress for the job you want" is alive and well in 2008.
2. You can use personal ques from others to guide your behavior.  Take the time to notice what the other person is wearing, how they position themselves in the room, and who they are talking to. 
3. Your personal image is your first impression on others.  When is the last time you thought about it?

Finally, Gretchen shared this quote with us and I'll share it with you.  It is as true today as it was in the 1600's:

Good Clothes Open All Doors

Thomas Fuller, 1608-1661, English Church Historian

Interested in Gretchen's Seminar or in coaching from Gretchen?  Check out Neels & Company