HRCleanUp

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.

When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Rearrange

Did the Brady Bunch singing "When It's Time To Change, You Have to Rearrange" fly through your head when you read the title?  If it didn't, you and download it from iTunes.  Change is hard.  Change is good.  When my company hosted our Managing High Velocity Change conference  a few weeks ago I personally didn't realize how much I need to change.  Daily routines become habits and old habits die hard.  That is why change is hard and doesn't come easy.  Just ask a smoker.

So, what does this have to do with HR?  The answer:  Everything.

HR has a unique opportunity to be the change we want to see in our organizations.  When we say "oh, we can't do that" or "did you fill out the form and route it through six layers of approval" we know we have change indicator.  As we become more and more strategic and less and less tactical we must step back and see the wider picture.  That wider picture include a true business analysis of where we are today and where we need to go.

• We must RECOGNIZE the need to change.
• We must DEVELOP the plan to change
• We must EXECUTE the plan

It sounds so simple.  Especially when you see it in sound bite form.  But it is really really really hard to do. I recently read that CEOs spend almost 20% of each day making sure that the changes they have implemented are actually happening.  If the CEO is spending 20%, I'm guessing we need to spend at least double that.  Coaching, mentoring, and being the champion of the change.  It is exhausting.  It is lonely.  But, trust yourself.  Trust (but inspect) your team.  Trust in the change.

It will be worth it in the end.

SHRM...on T.V.

Tuesday night I was watching the New Hampshire primary returns on CNN.  They did a great job and if you haven't seen their "Election 2008" interactive set...well, you are missing out.  In any event, when they cut to commercial, I went to the bathroom.  Through the door, I heard We are the Society of Human Resources Management"...I, thank God for TiVo, quickly played back the spot.

SHRM is now advertising our profession on CNN!  I'm not sure what to make of it...I know organizations like AFSCME and The UAW run goodwill spots...but SHRM?  The spot talked about how we help businesses succeed through people.  Which, if we're playing at the table, is true.  But most of the time, I fear that we are just processing forms.

Is the next spot a Saturday Night Live parody?   "Hi, we're SHRM.  We're here to process your forms..."

Oh God, I hope not.

P.S., Don't look on YouTube for the spot, it isn't there.  It's no on the SHRM site either. 

Britany Spears and Human Resources

If you were the HR Director at Britney Spears Inc. and you had to bring her into your office on Monday to discuss her MTV Video Music Awards performance, what would you say to her?  Would you put a note in her permanent record?  And if you did, what would it say? 

I'd say that Britany needs a PIP.  You know, the infamous Performance Improvement Plan that we give employees who just aren't cutting it in their jobs.  We usually secretly hope that they will quit instead of going on the PIP but, more often than not, the employee really wants to succeed so they opt for the PIP.  But we know that they really should have taken the package.

If I had to put Brittany on a PIP, here are a few of the things that I would need to see immediate improvement on:

• Lip Syncing:  Britany would immediately have to report to a Lip Syncing Coach.  I mean, people pay good money to watch Britany lip sync
• No more Diddy before shows.  It just can' be good.
• Listen to your supervisor.  The wardrobe captain is just that, The Captain.  Listen to him.  Wear what he says.  He knows better than you do.
• Call up your EAP (Employee Assistance Program) and get the help you need.  You've obviously tried to make a comeback before you are ready.
• Know when to say when.  Britany, is it time to give this up?  Are you really happy?

It might also be interesting for Britany to get some 360 feedback from her bosses, peers, and coworkers.  She might learn a thing or two.  I'm also guessing that my friend over at JobDig would agree with my advice. It seems like something that they would say. 

A Letter to Lindsay Lohan

Dear Lindsay,  I'm so glad you were able to plea bargain and spend less than one day in jail.  It must have been so traumatic!  If only you had an EAP program to turn to.  EAP?  That stands for Employee Assistance Program and I'm turning into a big fan of them.  Why?  Well, recently I've begun reading a new book called Corporate Confidential written by Cynthia Shapiro.  It is making for fascinating reading.  Why you ask?  Well, because the author is letting us working folks in on what goes on behind the scenes at our companies.  And, of course, HR is a big part of the problem.

"HR!" you exclaim?  "I thought they were my friends" you say...don't believe it for a second.  So, if your company has one, and you need to go and talk to someone about your boss, your disease, your ugly co-worker, go to the EAP.  The EAP's I've worked with in the past only report back usage not names.  That can be the difference between committing career suicide and moving up the corporate ladder.

Oh, and Lindsay, get some more help.  You need it.

Love,

~Jay

PS:  I'm going to be talking about this book a lot.  If you haven't picked it up, please do so.  We can have blogbookclub.

Could Paris Hilton Work Part-Time?

The Seattle Times had a great story that discussed why it is so hard for women (and men) to find part-time jobs--that the choice is full-time, full steam ahead or career off-ramp.  At the same time, employers seem to have a very hard time with the concept of part-time work.  They seem to equate part time with not really there.  And, so, the dearth of part-time professional jobs.  Or, the "part-time" job that is negotiated but turns out to actually be a full-time work load but only pays part time wages..."oh, and by-the-way, I know your not here on Tuesday's but could you come in for this one meeting?"

The other beef with Part Time employment comes from the manager who has to give up a full-time headcount for a part-time person. Hey, if I'm that manager and I have my choice, I'll take the full-timer almost every time.  The manager is left with the nagging question "why can't I have two part-timers"?

  Here's my point, as the labor shortage gets worse, and it will--I guarantee you, HR is going to have to help organizations re-think part-time labor.  Why should part-time jobs exist only at the Gap?  We need to re-think salary, benefit, and FTE structure to make part-time workers more palatable.  What type of programs need to be in place to make job sharing possible?  How can we reformulate benefit programs to work with part-timers instead of against them.  It's a big challenge but one I think HR professionals need to get acquainted with and they can start by renting 9 to 5.

Oh, and if you are looking for part-time work--those jobs are almost always hidden.  You only get them by networking. 

A Bridge Collapses in Minneapolis

I'm sure by now everyone had heard about the devastating bridge collapse in the Minneapolis area.  I know that I for one was very happy when I learned that none of my friends or clients were impacted.  However, it got me thinking about organizational preparedness in times of crisis.  If a bridge collapses on a Tuesday and an employee fails to report to work on Wednesday, do you have a program or plan in place to readily deal with that issue?

   

Or, what if that bridge were the only way to get to your office?  And, what if a group of your employees commutes triple in length overnight?  Are you ready, willing and able to let people work remotely?  Are your managers prepared to be flexible?  Is the technology in place for people to access their desktops remotely? 

    

What would you tell you clients?  What if your client was impacted?

   

HR has a responsibility to have the plans in place to deal with these type of emergencies.  It is another "value add" we can bring to the table.  My biggest fear, however, is that the plans are made and then they are sitting on someone's laptop in a folder marked "Emergency Plans" and no one knows what the plan contains.  It's my opinion that training across the organization needs to take place and HR should spearhead it.  Each employee should know what to do in the case of an emergency--including the answer to this question "what is your alternate route to work?".  You would be amazed at how many employees only know one way to the office.

If you don't believe me, ask a few of the people who work with you.  You'll be amazed at the blank stares.

Lindsay Lohan and Employee Development

I was in LA last week.  And, I admit it, I went on one of those Hollywood tour buses that takes you around to see the homes of the stars.  One of the points of interest for us was the spot where Lindsay Lohan crashed her car and got arrested for drunk driving.  That evening we learned that she did it again—the day after she was released from rehab.

 

Oh, poor Lindsay.

    

But, what we forget is that change is hard even when you are sent to a bajillion dollar rehabilitation facility.  How is it that managers, and executive in particular, expect employees to change with little or no support?  We move entire departments to the south or to China and we expect everyone to just accept that and go on.  Or, we implement new software that changes the way we do work.  Again, we expect everyone to just move on. 

    

I’m all for moving on.  I just think it is harder than we realize.  Just look at poor Lindsay.  As HR, we need to keep the change discussion running within our companies.  We need to make sure that we give people the opportunity to make positive change, understand when change is optional and when it isn’t and what the consequences for not changing are.