Guest Article: People Equation Quick Hits: Learning Nuggets from #WorkHuman 2016 by Jennifer Miller

For the past three days, I’ve been immersed in Globoforce’s WorkHuman conference. Have you ever been to a conference that was so amazing, you feel like you’re literally bursting at the seams with all the ideas? Yeah, that’s how I am right now, two hours after the conference wrapped.

 

 

Watch for detailed coverage in the weeks ahead. For now, here are some quick hit ideas that I’ve gleaned from the various speakers:

 

From Michelle Gielan, Positive Psychology researcher

Gielan, who’s a former CBS news journalist, sees life through the lens of broadcasting. When it comes to how we communicate, she says,

In our daily lives, we’re all broadcasters. What we choose to talk about matters. And how we talk about it [positively or negatively]matters as well.

Gielan says if we change our story, we can “change our power.” She’s not talking about telling untruths, but rather finding different parts of a story to share that reflect the positive element.

From Eric Mosley, CEO of Globoforce

On performance appraisals:

Have you ever noticed that when the media reports on performance appraisals, they use graphic, almost violent, words to describe the process? Words like “kill” the performance review, “blow it up” and the performance appraisal process is “dead.” It’s time to find a new way to recognize performance, one that has a more positive meaning.

From Shawn Achor, Harvard researcher, Positive Psychology expert, New York Times bestselling author

Achor talked about the multiplying effect of happiness. If you focus only on an individual’s happiness, then you are limited in your scope. But if you focus on how that individual’s happiness can cascade to improve others’ lives, then you are able to achieve bigger goals.

We need to not only redefine happiness, we need to redefine potential. Last year this conference was about happiness; now we need look at how we define potential – moving from the individual to the group, and how we accomplish great things through others.

From Caroline Adams Miller, Internationally-Known coach, author, speaker and expert on cultivating grit

Grit is behind every business breakthrough. And the good news is, grit can be cultivated. People with grit are lit up with passion, endure hardship with grace and are ok with being uncomfortable.

From Amy Cuddy, Harvard Business School professor, author of New York Times bestselling book “Presence”

When we are present, we liberate others to also be present.

From Christine Porath, associate professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, expert on civility in the workplace

Your success depends on getting people to give more. How you show up and treat people means everything.

From Gary Hamel, author, Harvard Business Review contributor, innovation and strategy expert

You cannot “command” people to be passionate at work. It’s a gift they give you.

 

That’s it for now. I’ve got a lot of really amazing ideas to pass along from the speakers about how to bring more humanity to your workplace. Stay tuned!

 

Disclosure: I attended the WorkHuman conference as an analyst/blogger. Globoforce, the sponsor of the event, provided me with a free pass to attend the conference.

 

Article source:Jennifer Miller - People Equation Quick Hits: Learning Nuggets from #WorkHuman 2016»

Guest Article: See Me, Feel Me by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Leadership Vision

"An essential means for focusing attention on what matters most; what you want to accomplish in your life and what kind of leader you wish to be. A useful vision has to be rooted in your past, address the future, and deal with today's realities. It represents who you are and what you stand for."

They Can't See It

I had the privilege to hear Steve Pemberton, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for Walgreens this week at the work human conference in Orlando, Florida. Steve presented an incredibly powerful message on adversity.

His own.

HIs unbearable struggles as a boy bouncing from foster home to foster home...the endless labels that defined a bright young boy as an "at risk" and "hopeless" soul before his life barely started...the long line of social workers shuffling in and out of his world...all pointing him to a life without a future.

They couldn't see him.

See Me

Steve never lost sight of the vision for his life. That vision included going to college, having a family, and building a successful career. He now has all of those things and so much more including a book about his life and a movie that begins shooting next month based on his story.

Steve's ability to see what others don't see, and making that vision a reality has defined his professional life as well. A quick example...Walgreens built a distribution center in South Carolina specifically designed to recruit employees with special needs, particularly those with autism.

That my friends is having a vision that no one else can see.

How About You

What vision do you have for yourself, for you team, for your organization? Can your colleagues feel your energy around that vision? Now is the time to make that vision a reality.

You can do it.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - See Me, Feel Me»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: 5 Tips for Dealing with a Micromanaging Boss by Jennifer Miller

People love to toss around the term “micromanager,” but what does that really mean? And, can having a boss that’s super-involved ever be a good thing? These are the issues I explore in my post over at the Café Quill site, called: Feeling Micromanaged? Turn it to Your Advantage. I offer five tips for effectively dealing with a micromanaging boss, plus a way to look at the situation in a positive light. Go on over, check it out and let me know what you think.

 

Article source:Jennifer Miller - 5 Tips for Dealing with a Micromanaging Boss»

Guest Article: A gratifying day at the 2016 Mother's Day Classic by Ross Clennett

Sunday 8 May 2016 was a damp day in Melbourne for the nineteenth Mother’s Day Classic.   My immediate family; Michelle, Guy, Nikki and James joined me as we walked the Melbourne course around The Tan. Although it was pouring with rain as we left home, by the time we reached the start line the rain was just a sprinkling. Along with over thirty thousand other people, we did
Article source:Ross Clennett - A gratifying day at the 2016 Mother's Day Classic»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: Dual Existence by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

The world of work presents a ton of challenges. 

How do I look? 

How do I sound? 

Am I prepared? 

Did I cover every potential issue? 

Did my slide deck work well? 

Did I say too much? 

Did I say too little? 

What do people really think of my work? 

Work can be exhausting...and I'm not even talking about doing the actual work.

Professional Persona

After so many years in traditional conservative corporate environments I fully appreciate the series of questions above. My colleagues and I literally worried about this stuff day after day after day.

While it's important to be prepared and present well, I've discovered as I look back that the snap judgments that abound in those settings are ridiculous.

Why in the world would we judge someone based on one presentation? Why is it that an obsession with playing office politics is more important than pushing boundaries, challenging old-school thinking, and constantly taking risks to help the organization break through to a whole new level.

By the way...organizations often herald their cultures, but rarely back up that rhetoric by rewarding risk takers. The risk-takers are the first ones ostracized and targeted for retaliation because "they are no longer a good fit."

People are not shoes. We can be more flexible on "fit" with human beings.

Life Balance

I've (finally) recognized that I can not honestly separate who I am professionally from the person I am outside of work. Work/Life balance is a fallacy. For me it is simply about life balance.

I've integrated my work, music, fitness, social media, blogging, representing my amazing company and time with family and friends all into one wild ride.

The days of a dual existence are over for me. It is only about living my life to the absolute fullest every minute of every day. It's about pushing myself...trying new things...failing occasionally...and finding new ways to hustle.

How About You

Are you still leading two lives? How does that feel? For me, it was an exhausting struggle that ultimately no longer made sense. Professionalism will always be required...just don't sell out and become something you're not. 

The personal side of you is awesome...make sure you let that side show too.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Dual Existence»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Salary Negotiation: It’s Not a Zero Sum Game by Ben

In every company, there comes a time when someone makes an offer to a candidate to come and work for them. What is interesting is the wide variety of advice in the marketplace that advises candidates on how to handle that critical negotiation.

Years ago I got my start in blogging by sharing career advice with job seekers looking for an edge in the hiring process. My peers constantly told people that for the strongest negotiating position, they should hold out as long as possible. In other words, it followed the old adage “the first one to speak in the negotiation loses.”

But that’s not necessarily true.

When I was recruiting, I wanted to find out from the candidate early on, whether through a job application question or through an informal conversation, what sort of salary range they were looking for. If it wasn’t offered, I would share the range of the opening early in the process. Was I showing my cards? Yes. But I was also attempting to conserve a valuable resource: time.

More than once in my recruiting career I would talk with a candidate multiple times, move them through the hiring funnel, and ultimately find out that they wanted $10k more than the top of our range. Ouch. That time is gone and unrecoverable.

So I didn’t hide things. If it was allowed based on customer rules or by the contract, I’d even post it on the actual job to give people an idea prior to application. We don’t hesitate to share our benefits, paid time off, or other policies, so why freak out with the pay?

Waiting until the very last minute is a sure-fire way to lose some of your best candidates simply because you can’t afford them. If we are to treat candidates like customers, as the current mantra goes in the recruiting world, how would that look here? Would we keep customers in the dark about prices? Would we try to make them offer us money first and then decide how much we would charge them? It seems silly to look at it that way, and believe me, it’s just as silly looking at the hiring process from afar with all its strange twists and turns.

Make sure you know what to pay someone, how it fits your compensation structure internally, etc. and then make it happen.

The Manager’s Role

I’ve had a variety of experiences with managers, owners, and bosses of my own that have led me to a few conclusions.

• There are some managers that truly want what’s best for you and will compensate you accordingly.
• There are some that will pay you the least they can get away with and still keep you.

This was refreshed in my mind last week when I spoke with a friend who is facing some challenges in his role. The manager is underpaying him according to all data: performance metrics (consistently high performer), local wage surveys, and input from others within the company. The manager knows this and doesn’t seem to care. At the end of the day, the employee is just going to have to put his head down and stop caring or find another job, because this isn’t going to change.

On the other hand, I can recall a conversation with a manager of mine I trusted completely to do what was right. I knew I was being underpaid by a fairly significant amount after I took over my old boss’ workload when she left. After a few months I respectfully requested a review based on my performance level and the data from our local salary survey. The response was immediate–the company (and my boss) made it right. No hemming and hawing. No stalling. Just a quick, decisive action to remedy the issue. How do you think that made me feel as an employee?

It’s up to you to do some compensation coaching with your managers. It’s not hard, and it can improve both manager and employee satisfaction with the processes.

The Counter Offer

It’s hard to talk compensation without touching on counter offers. This is the offer that companies throw out there when someone puts in their resignation. As an HR pro, I’m not a fan of counter offers when people are considering leaving a job.The situation has multiple elements that are not flattering. The first is that you have a manager that is underpaying people. Unless you specifically have a compensation strategy that is lagging the market, that should not be the case. The second is that you are now willing to pay the person more, potentially upsetting others in the same position with the lower pay rate. The third is the fact that the person took the very big step to apply, interview, and get selected by another company.

And that doesn’t even touch on the widely known fact that people who accept counteroffers typically leave the company anyway within a relatively short period of time. That’s because the pay is just one factor, and fixing it doesn’t fix everything else.

That’s a painful prospect.

Zero Sum Game

Back to the title of this post–I don’t believe that pay is a zero sum game from the manager/employee perspective. Someone doesn’t have to “lose” every time there is a compensation discussion. Here’s what I mean:

• Employee requests additional compensation. They get it. They continue working and producing at the same level. Win: retention
• Employee requests additional compensation. They get it. They begin working and producing at a higher level. Win: retention+results (I know that this is uncommon due to money being a short term motivator, but it still happens occasionally)

In each of these cases, both the company and the employee statuses improve. There is something to be said for the kind of culture that supports these activities. I know I’m making a major assumption here: the employee has earned the compensation and is worth the increase. If the person has not, then this whole conversation takes a different turn. It is time to talk with the person and give them some indication of what it will take to reach that level in terms of performance, results, etc.

Never, ever turn down a request like this without some open-ended discussion on the back end. And “come back in six months” is not what I’m talking about. Maybe the employee needs training in an area or more experience in a specific skill. Whatever the case, you can coach and guide them toward a higher level of performance (and commensurate compensation), even if that requires some level of incentive-based pay.

Without that kind of interaction, here are the two typical scenarios that I have seen:

• Employee requests additional compensation. They don’t get it. They begin looking for another job. Loss: turnover.
• Employee requests additional compensation. They don’t get it. They stay in the job but become disengaged, doing the minimum to stay afloat but not seeking opportunities to grow the business or help it succeed. Loss: disengagement, missed opportunities, morale.

Honestly, out of the last two options on the list, I am not sure which is worse. I have personally been in both situations in the past. It doesn’t make you a bad person, even though some managers and peers at the company might make it seem that way. Again, in this discussion we are assuming that the person has earned the money and is performing at or near the top level of the team. Feedback and compliments are nice, but they don’t put food on the table, do they?

What are your thoughts on this sticky area of compensation management? Do you have a strategy that works for you or your company? 

Article source:Ben - Salary Negotiation: It’s Not a Zero Sum Game»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Understanding Motivation at Work

Motivation in a work context is defined as the internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested and committed to their job, tasks and to the organisations vision and mission.

It is beneficial to become aware of the conditions which enable you to demonstrate your full potential and perform at your very best. Understanding yourself and the key driving forces behind what makes you tick will help clarify what positions you would be most suited for and what kind of work may lead to greater job satisfaction and engagement. 

Motivation and your career

Knowing what motivates you is important to being employable:

• You are more likely to be motivated in an environment which matches your personal values.
• You are more likely to be motivated by what you prefer doing, feel energised by or are good at.
• It gives employers clues to your attitude, character and how to get the best from you.
• Employers want to know your ‘why’ because motivation is one of the ingredients essential to performance

Internal Motivation

Motivation is internal, it is an energy that comes from within and it sets out why you do the things you do and what you choose to do. If you are preparing for an interview or perhaps making a career change, ask yourself these questions to narrow down what motivates you.

• When am I at my best? How do I behave when I am at my best? What mindset do I have?
• What is my natural disposition? Am I more optimistic or pessimistic? How does it help me?
• When have my personal values helped drive me to successfully achieve something?
• When have I gone beyond what is expected of me? What would I do for free?
• What have I done of my own volition to improve myself?
• What demotivates me? How do I feel? How do I behave? How do I cope?

External Motivation

Motivation is also external and it also influences your behaviour. You find things motivating when that energy and commitment is released by the conditions or environment you’re in. From the examples below, identify which factors motivate you the most. Add to the list as necessary and this will help give you the blueprint when deciding on a new job or career pathway.

• Enough income (to pay the bills, pursue outside work interests)
• Stability and security
• Belonging, acceptance, being part of a group, team spirit
• Recognition from others, reputation, prestige, appreciation
• Belief in your potential, investment in your growth, personal support
• Development and advancement opportunities
• Having responsibility, authority, power
• Able to participate, voice your views, be heard
• A culture of learning, discovery, creativity, possibility, empowerment, trust

 

Did you know?!

In a study focusing on employee motivation, over 600 managers identified money, safety, security and pressure as the driving force behind why employees work. Guess what? 95% of them were incorrect!

The most important motivator for employees at work is referred to as ‘the power of small wins’ and what this mean is that employees are highly productive and driven to perform at their best when they feel as if they’re making progress every day toward a meaningful goal.

Get to know what matters to you - your interests, values, desires, work objectives and career aspirations. Then be sure to balance this with what matters to others - very few objectives are achieved without taking others into account. That is usually a good way to make sure that you are not only valuable but also invaluable.