Employee Relations

A new favorite show of mine is Cash Cab.  If you haven’t seen this show yet, check it out on The Discovery Channel.  The premise of the show is that unassuming people get into the “Cash Cab” (yes, a real New York taxi cab) and can earn bucks on the way to their destination by answering general knowledge questions.

Now, Mr. Bartender and I consider ourselves to be relatively well-read, so we enjoy trying to answer the questions along with the contestants.  And we’re not a bad team - I’m not great at the biology questions but I do know my music trivia.

The interesting part of the show is when passengers arrive at their destination.  If they arrive having won some cash, they have the chance to go ‘double or nothing’ on a single bonus question.  The interesting part is how people make the decision to go for it or not.

1. Many people just take the money and run.
2. Some folks evaluate if they did a good job on the previous questions to determine if they should risk it all.
3. And, then there are the ones who say “I got in the cab thinking I would pay for the trip…so what have I got to lose.”

It kinda reminds me of work.  We have those people who are just in it for the paycheck.  Then there are the ones who will only exert extra effort when they know they’ll get something.  And lastly, we have the employees who just go for the gusto all day, every day.

Hmmm…if your employees were in the Cash Cab, which option would they choose?  Maybe a better question is … which one would you choose?

If you’re wondering whether or not the employee - employer relationship is affected by all of our country’s economic woes, the answer is yes.  OMG YES!

The answer is rooted in Maslow’s classic theory. You probably remember it - Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. He said that every person has needs and for us to achieve a higher need (for example, personal growth) we must first take care of a basic need (i.e. safety and security).  Now, translate this into our everyday jobs.  For me to focus on making sales and servicing customers, I need some of the basics handled like getting paid on time and having adequate benefits.

At this point, some people might be saying, “Shouldn’t my employees just be lucky they have a job?” “How is the company supposed to provide more than it already is?”  There are things companies can do to show their employees they care and are sensitive to the challenges of today’s economy…without it costing extra.

Do tell, you say?  Here are two things you can do:

1. Make sure your health care coverage addresses employee’s needs. I once worked for a company that only offered an indemnity plan.  Why?  Because the owners wanted an indemnity plan, of course.  They couldn’t fathom that any employee would want an HMO or a POS plan.  It was only when they were faced with a huge premium increase that HR was allowed to explore options.  The result:  they offered two plans.  90% of the employees switched to the HMO, saving the company and the employees over 15% in premiums.
2. Align recognition programs with corporate culture. (Another true story).  A company gave employees service pins and awards from Tiffany & Co.  They were really beautiful.  But, the average hourly pay of a company employee was $8.50.  So what did the employees do with their recognition?  They took it to the pawn shop for cash, of course.

When budgets are tight (and even when they aren’t), make sure your benefits and recognition are what your employees want/need.  Talk with your employees.  Share options.  Find out what they want.  Every dollar spent should get the desired bang for the buck.  Your employees will thank you for it.

Steve Roesler wrote a post recently about bad managers.  Specifically, that nothing happens to a bad manager who is ‘making the numbers’.  Even though we all know that something should because he/she is a bad manager.  And, that’s because business is all about the numbers.   Makes perfect sense, right?

Don’t forget that the only way this line of thinking holds water is if the employer actually told the manager they aren’t performing to standard.  And until someone raises their hand and says there’s a performance issue, it’s an accountability issue.

Let me explain…bad managers who are never told they’re bad managers don’t know any better.  And if you reward them for making the numbers…well, then you’re telling them that its peachy-neato fine to do whatever they want as long as they deliver the numbers.

It’s called tacit approval.  Let’s say a manager disrespects an employee and you don’t coach the manager…then you’re sending the message that the manager’s behavior is acceptable.  Here’s another example:  an employee walks past a ringing phone, doesn’t answer it, and never gets coached about the importance of picking up the phone…now not answering the phone becomes the new normal.

Take it to another level.  If you reward employees who don’t really work but you don’t want to discipline them for fear they might get upset…then you only have yourself to blame.  Employees don’t figure out by osmosis that they need to perform better.  You have to tell them.

Now, will every employee you coach have an epiphany and correct their poor performance?  No, probably not.  But, I’ve found that 90% of the problem is they are never told.  And, by the time they are told…they’ve been doing it for months/years and now can’t figure out why, all of a sudden, their performance is an issue.

So the next time you see something that’s not right, instead of hoping it will go away or someone else will deal with it…talk to the person.  Hold them, and yourself, accountable.

We all know it’s important to have good customer service.  Regardless of our country’s economic condition, people want to purchase products or services from companies that provide value.   Good customer service brings value.

And how often do we forget about good customer service with our employees?  Yes, employees are customers.  They choose to work for you and make a conscious decision every day to represent your company well or fling your reputation into the toilet.

A recent post by HR Minion on how HR needs to provide good customer service was spot on.  It mentioned a point that I want to emphasize…if you want your employees to leave their personal problems at the door and focus on doing their job, you need to give them the resources to do that.  Here are 4 things you can do to help your employees focus on your business.

1. Have a solid orientation program. Tell employees about the mission of your company and show them how what they do contributes to the success of the organization.  Employees will perform well when they have pride in what they do.  Pride comes from understanding how everyone’s role translates into company success.
2. Conduct department training. Teach employees how to do their jobs.  Whether it’s a formalized program or on-the-job training, have a process for letting your team know what is expected of them.  Oh and, make sure they can actually perform the job to company standard before you turn them loose.
3. Offer benefits and market them. Yes, market them!  Employee benefits give people an opportunity to focus on themselves - whether it’s their health, time off, education, or whatever.  It gives people resources they need outside of work so they can come back to the office and focus on their work.  And since everyone’s needs are different, be sure to promote all of your company benefits so your employees will utilize all the good things they have coming to them.
4. Communicate and follow-up with employees. When questions and concerns occur (and they will), listen to your employees and follow-up with answers.  I’m not saying that you have to always give people the answer they want to hear…but give them an answer.  After all, they deserve it.

As managers, if we follow the simple mantra of telling people what it takes to be successful, then showing them how to be successful, and removing any detractors…our employees will be well positioned to make good things happen for us.  And that’s what you want, isn’t it?

On a recent business trip to Pensacola, I read an article about Joe Quint’s book, “72 Things Younger than John McCain.”  It’s received a lot of publicity given McCain’s presidential candidacy and the possibility that he could be the oldest person ever to be inaugurated.

But, I’m not writing this today to talk politics.

The article made me think…I wonder what stuff I’m older than?!  So, I’ve compiled by own list.  Here goes:

1. The smiley face
2. The Big Mac
3. Valium
4. The computer mouse
5. The Easy Bake Oven
6. Plastic Milk Jugs
7. Lava Lamp

Some of this stuff made me feel really old…but I’m also happy to say that I’ve never owned an easy-bake oven (or a lava lamp.)  In the end, it made me realize that we will always be older than something.  And, we will always hold on to our good old days, whatever that looks like.

As business people, it’s about embracing the future and respecting the past.  Workplace traditions can be fabulous ways to build team spirit and remind people about the mission of the company.  But if embraced too tightly they can actually become a company joke and a constant sign that senior leadership is living in the past.

Look for those opportunities to do both - celebrate the past with a new modern spin.  Now, I gotta run…I’m celebrating Mexican Independence Day with some friends.  I’m still younger than nachos and margaritas (sorry John!)

There’s no “I” in “team”.

We’ve all heard the statement a thousand times.  Motivational companies have made millions printing it on coffee mugs.  If a person says “I did” or “I said”, they are labeled as being self-absorbed and not a team player.

Steve Roesler recently challenged us to think beyond teams in one of his posts.  He suggests that, as a team leader, we need to engage with team members individually.  We need to find out what makes them tick so they can be a productive member of the team.  Kudos to Steve for starting a dialogue that desperately needs to happen.

As managers, many make the mistake of thinking their role is to treat everyone the same.  It’s not -  it’s to treat everyone fairly.

For example, you and I work at the same company.  I’m motivated by money.  I want a bigger paycheck to buy clothes, shoes and designer handbags.  (Hope Mr. Bartender isn’t reading this!)  And, you’re motivated by time off - to take fishing vacations, volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, whatever.  If our boss gives us the exact same recognition…one of us will be unhappy.  It’s not our boss’ responsibility to give us both the same thing but to give us both the same amount of the things that are important to us.

Another example . . . we’re still working for the same company.  You like being recognized at staff meetings - think it’s cool when the boss says what a good job you did on XYZ project in front of the team.  I like being recognized behind the scenes maybe with a note card or an email.  If the boss sends you a card mentioning your great job, will you feel the same?  Nope, probably not.  And, if the boss stands me up in the next staff meeting, will I feel happy or embarrassed?

It’s important for managers to engage people on a personal level.  And it’s OK for us, as employees, to take individual pride and ownership.  It doesn’t always have to be a team effort - we should allow individuals to succeed on their own terms and we should recognize them in a way they appreciate.  There is an “I” in every team…in fact, we should view each team as a collection of “I’s”.