Movie Magic At Work
By Ron | June 28, 2010
When I was working in Silicon Valley I witnessed the battle of the brains – the left side and the right side which brings me to my latest movie review: “Extraordinary Measures” starring Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser.
Fraser plays a pharmaceutical company executive who has two children dying of Pompe disease. Harrison Ford happens to be a scientist who he tracks down because Harrison is zeroing in on a cure. Brenden convinces Harrison to leave his university setting to start their own company dedicated to finalizing the medicine.
Harrison plays an exaggerated version of the engineers I knew and loved at the electronic companies where I worked – all left brain (analytical, data-driven, not too good at interpersonal relations). Brenden, on the other-hand, is the administrative type - all right brain (people-oriented). The two clash over and over again. Does this sound familiar, you HR folks?
Things get really dicey when they are forced to merge their floundering company with an industry giant. Believe me, this part really rung true to me - Harrison Ford rebels against the big corporate rules while Brenden’s boss benchs him (they only tolerate him to get to Harrison’s technical knowledge). The culture clash is not unlike any thing I saw between the the large computer company which gobbled-up the disc drive company I worked for. The engineers were forever challenging the policies and procedures forced down our throats from the big company back east.
I loved the scene where the Fraser character calls a meeting in the cafeteria with all of the employees who are working on the drugs for curing Pompe. He introduces his sick kids to the team which obviously has a huge motivational effect on the team. I have done similar things aimed at getting employees excited about their work.
The flick has a happy ending with Harrison Ford providing Brendan’s kids with the right meds he invented. Just like in Silicon Valley, our engineers would develop the latest, hottest products just in time to meet the market demands.
Sometimes, the movies do mirror real life.
Topics: HR | 1 Comment »
Words Matter
By Ron | June 21, 2010
On the recent cover of a popular Human Resource publication is the headline…
Diluted Diversity
“WHILE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION STILL RAGES IN THE WORKPLACE…”
Excuse me…. RAGES???
I’ve been in the field for some time now and I can’t possibly wrap my head around the extremity of this word in the context of diversity. I don’t think that these type of statements ever help and I believe that it was irresponsible of the editors of the magazine to put that headline on their cover.
I know for a fact that we’ve “come along way baby” and the Human Resource Department gets full credit from me on the progress regarding diversity.
Nuf said.
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Take This Job And Shove It
By Ron | June 3, 2010
There is a current belief that the economic tide is turning and that many employees are poised to tell their bosses, “I quit!”
I’m not buying it. I think we’re along way off from a turnaround. Anyway, I read this article the other day by G. L. Hoffman who believes that the economy is improving and that companies better get their act together or they’re going to start losing their good people to other companies.
He goes on to suggest that companies should start adjusting salaries and work schedules now (assuming that pay was kept low and employees were working extra hours). He also said that attention should be paid to respect, culture, the environment, giving compliments for work well done and involving them in new and exciting projects, blah, blah, blah.
Ho-hum. Nothing new here.
Any company that changes the way it treats employees in down times deserve to lose them when things get better. I happen to believe that good companies do the right thing by their people no matter what shape the economy is. I know that when Hewlett Packard asked their people to take salary cuts, they were happy to do it to keep the company going. HP always restored the employee salaries when things got better.
I also believe that most employees like to pitch in and do extra during the tough times to help their companies survive. There is nothing like a sense of purpose.
Topics: HR | No Comments »
Contemporary Living 101
By Ron | May 27, 2010
I have a confession to make – I read the Sunday Comics. I consider it a learning experience.
For example, in last Sunday’s comics, the strip, “Pearls Before Swine” had the mouse character sitting at his computer:
Panel 1 – I am here to work on my resume. I will finish my resume.
Panel 2 – Ping! (computer)
Panel 3 – Ooh!…An email. Could be important.
Panel 4 – Hey, it’s got a “You Tube” link. Gotta watch it.
Panel 5 – Ha. Ha. That’s great. Hey, they’ve got more like that.
Panel 6 – I’ve never even heard of this show. I’ll Wikipedia it.
Panel 7 – Wait, that’s not the right show. But who’se that girl? She’s hot.
Panel 8 – I’ll “Google Image” her.
Panel 9 – Oooh. Look at these photos. I’ll post ‘em on “Facebook.”
Panel 10 – Hey, I got a friend request.
Panel 11 – Wait. I don’t even know this guy.
Panel 12 – I should google him.
Panel 13 – Whoa. He’s a freak.
Panel 14 – I’ll write about him on my blog.
Panel 15 – Wonder who’s talking about my blog. I should google myself.
Panel 16 – No No No No… It’s resume time…Do the resume.
Panel 17 – Ping! (computer)
Panel 18 – Ooh! An email.
I love this strip because it accurately describes how many people are being unproductive in today’s world. It is funny and sad at the same time.
What’s this got to do with Human Resources? Everything. The type of behavior demonstrated by the mouse has to be permeating our workplace. As much as the computer is a major tool for productivity, it is also a major distraction for efficiency and effectivity.
We all are aware of this problem, but unlike the days of the past where we could monitor the work being performed on the assembly line, it is extremely difficult to do so in the row of cubicles in the modern corporation. Just one of the many challenges that face our 21st century HR department.
Topics: HR | 1 Comment »
They’re Playing My Song, Ma
By Ron | May 21, 2010
Regarding “inspiration as worker incentive,” Consultant Dov Seidman states that companies are still “asking employees to play by the rules, to follow company policies and using just carrots and sticks to compel or incent them to do so (perform) is a system that is fraying and showing its limitations – especially in a recession when there are fewer carrots to go around.” His suggestion is…”not to get leadership and culture through governance, but to get governance through leadership and culture.” He goes on to say, “I think we have entered the era of inspiration. When you are inspired, you are acting from within. You are guided by beliefs that you hold to be fundamental. You’re pursuing a mission that you think is worthy of your dedication.”
Dov, we have always been in the era of inspiration whether management knows it or not. Intrinsic motivation has always been the most powerful incentive. It is just that most managers I’ve known believed that workers will only jump through their hoops for financial or material rewards. They regarded anything else has “touchy-feely” nonsense foisted upon them by those Human Resource people.
Dov is right about this - now that there are fewer financial incentives available, managers can’t dangle carrots in front of their employees anymore. Maybe, Maslow’s and Herzberg’s theories are still as valid today as they were back then. This is definitely our chance as Human Resource professionals to help our managers focus on appealing to the intrinsic motivation of our employees. Dov is coining a new term for it (inspiration) and that’s okay; let’s just don’t miss this window of opportunity.
Topics: HR | 2 Comments »
You Don’t Fire Your Kids
By Ron | May 14, 2010
Layoffs do not only hurt those employees hitting the street, they also hurt the companies as indicated in the latest research. The data tells us that the companies which cut the deepest deliver smaller profits and weaker stock returns as long as nine years after a recession.
The report actually gave a reason – these companies can’t ramp up as quickly once a recovery begins. Makes sense.
However, my experience has told me that most companies that reduce their workforce are more hurt because of a loss in a level of trust from their remaining employees. The guy or gal who is left behind has to be thinking, “Am I next?”
Another observation from my time in the trenches – employee productivity goes down after a layoff. When you would think that employees would work harder to avoid the axe, they generally don’t. I believe that their motivation suffers because they no longer believe in the company like they used to – loyalty takes a hit.
Many companies tell their people that they are like a family. Well…. when your real family has a financial setback, you don’t fire your kids.
Topics: HR | 1 Comment »
Doom, Gloom And When Is The Next Boom?
By Ron | May 7, 2010
I keep asking my financial advisor why he is optimistic and I never can get a straight answer (or maybe I just can’t understand his answer). Frankly, I see no light at the end of this tunnel and I keep challenging him to give me one ray of hope. I’m sure that living in California (the Greece of America) doesn’t help either. I’m sorry but I just see doom, gloom and this time I just can’t see the next boom.
I only bring this depressing subject up because I keep reading articles that tell me about Human Resource budgets beening slashed due to the economy while our job in HR just keeps getting more complicated and I see no end in sight.
Doing more with less seems to be the order of the day. As our budget and manpower shrinks, we’re facing more complex issues than ever:
- What to do about employees’ involvement in social media and blogging
- On-line reference checking
- Flex Perks including telework programs
- Zero tolerance policies regarding violence or threats of violence
- Class actions against 401K’s
- Layoffs and managing/motivating the remaining workforce
- The confusing aspects of the FLMA
- The HealthCare reform bill and it’s impact on our health care plans
- More internal demand for change management help
I could keep adding to this list of course, but I think I’ve made my point – if this recession is going to continue on as I believe it will, we in HR need to buckle up and plan for a very long ride. This time I think we not only have to work smarter, we’re going to have to work harder too. So much for work-life balancing.
Topics: HR | 1 Comment »
HR As Employee Advocates, Oops, Not So Fast
By Ron | April 30, 2010
A recent article penned by Jim Redon stated that HR “…is not always your advocate. Employees often turn to HR if they’re having a problem with manager, but they don’t always come away satisfied…employees should realize that HR answers to the company…HR is a spear carrier for the boss.”
Interesting. Actually, this is not a new concern. Years ago, I attended a meeting with other HR professionals where “The Shrink of Silicon Valley” was the keynote speaker. He told us then that we had serious schizophrenic tendencies because of the fact that we had to serve two masters – the boss and the employee and that we could not effectively do both. We agreed. I can’t remember that we walked away from this conference with any hope of resolving this issue. I think that the issue still exists with us today.
I never felt that I was the “spear carrier for the boss.” I believed that in most cases, I gave the employee sage counseling, but so many times, it wasn’t what the employee wanted to hear and he or she would walk away dissatisfied.
Sometimes, the employee actually had an ineffective manager who was the source of the problem. In this case, I was put in a difficult situation – I couldn’t “bad-mouth” his boss. I would tell the employee that I would follow-up on his concern and as you HR professionals, know, the next steps of dealing with the employee’s boss doesn’t always work out so well.
In either case, we rarely come out as heroes to the employee who comes to us for assistance.
Topics: HR | No Comments »
It’s Time To Put The Performance Review Out Of It’s Misery
By Ron | April 22, 2010
“It’s time to put the performance review out of it’s misery,” claims Samuel A. Culbert in a recent article. He goes on to say that the performance review is a “pretentious practice that produces absolutely nothing.” Mr. Culbert also presents an alternative method where the boss is held accountable for the success of the employee. He encourages conversations between the two where the manager asks the employee, “What do you need from me to deliver what we are both on the firing line to produce?”
I say,”Amen to that.” I’ve said before that grown-ups do not need report cards; they need coaching and the removal of obstacles to the employee’s success. Unfortunately, I haven’t met too many managers that are good at this.
I’ll still vote no on performance appraisals except for The Al Haussmann Method I’ve noted here before: Meet a few minutes a week with each direct report and tell them what they did great that week and what they could have done better. Get their input, take notes and give them a copy. You can call it your Ten Minute Coaching Session.
I’ve seen it in action and it works great.
Topics: HR | 1 Comment »
Labor Relations “Professionals” Keep On Hurting Us
By Ron | April 16, 2010
You’ve heard me cast dispersions on the Labor Relations people at the auto makers. You know, how they gave the store away to the union and caused the demise of the auto industry. Well, the same Labor Relations folks are alive and well and doing their “roll-over” act in our local, state and federal governments.
Let’s take, for example, my home state of California….
San Luis Obispo County Supervisor, Adam Hill, said during a pension presentation at a board meeting, “The old joke that GM is just a health insurance company that makes cars on the side is not a joke. My concern is that the county government is becoming a pension provider that provides government services on the side.” What Mr. Hill was referring to is the fact that his county will pay 5X as much on pensions as it does on prosecuting criminals.
Paying for retirement benefits is forcing local governments to lay off employees and cut back major programs. 80 of the largest cities in California have $28 billion in unfunded liabilities.
And, compensation is over-the-top too. In Sacramento, average pay for state workers grew by 50% from the year 2000 to 2008 to an average of $82,897. In Oakland, the average pay for police and firemen have tripled to $114,741 since 2000.
I understand that this problem is a nationwide one. Bankruptcy is facing many local and state governments and there doesn’t seem to be any solution in sight. In fact, the proverbial ostrich has his head in the sand.
Topics: HR | 1 Comment »
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