Leadership and Management Archives - Page 4 of 77

HR Competencies: Turning Knowledge Into Action

February 9, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 3 Comments

There are lots of articles that tell human resources professionals, “This is what you need to know.” And that’s fine. We need to be committed to lifelong learning. Our profession is constantly changing because business is always changing. There’s no harm in being made aware of emerging trends in our profession.

But let me add, knowledge isn’t enough. We have to turn knowledge into action. It isn’t enough to know or recite a theory, we have to be able to apply it.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recently added an interactive book to their competency model website featuring stories from HR pros who are using the model to advance their organizations and careers. It’s titled, “Real World HR: Bringing the SHRM Competency Model to Life” and I’m honored to be included in the book and you’ll recognize some other contributors like Alex Alonso PhD, Tim Sackett, and Dr. Jeff Pon.

Obviously, the goal of the book isn’t for someone to recreate the stories. It is to challenge you to think about your career.

Your career is probably filled with the same stories. If you’ve ever had one of those days where you’ve said to yourself, “I’m not doing great HR!”, bookmark this link and spend a couple of minutes reading the stories. We’ve all been there. One of the things that makes HR special is the bond HR pros have with each other. We’ve been in each other’s shoes. We can empathize.

Follow the principles for success. Each story has a few takeaways that you can immediately use in your job. You could identify a few to focus on each month. These would also be great principles to share with your team or someone that you’re mentoring. And while the book is focused on HR, some of the principles are perfect for supervisors and managers who are trying to step up their HR game.

The SHRM Competency Model website is continuing to evolve into a robust site for HR professionals to manage their career. Don’t confuse it with SHRM Certification (which is valuable too but not the same thing.) You don’t have to become certified to take advantage of the resources that the competency model provides. The resources section includes articles, books, seminars, and studies for each of the behavioral competencies in the model.

Regardless of where you are in your career, having an understanding of professional competencies is important. We get hired based on competencies. Our performance is evaluated based on competencies. Competencies are a factor in promotions and special assignments. So, bookmark the SHRM HR Competency Model page and check it out every once in a while. Your career might just be better for it.

Competency model image used with permission from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

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Employee is Having an Affair With the Boss – Ask #HR Bartender

January 22, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 3 Comments

We’ve answered a lot of questions about the workplace, but never one like this.

Hi Sharlyn, I really enjoy your blog. I’m hoping you can provide me with some advice. One of my employees is having a sexual relationship with my boss, our department vice president. She told me about the affair a year ago, and I suspect it is still going on. I haven’t disclosed the relationship to human resources because I don’t want to betray her trust. I encouraged her to disclose the relationship to HR because the VP is in our direct line of reporting but this has not happened because they are both married. What are my legal obligations? Is my job at risk? Thanks for your advice.

To help us with this situation, I asked our friend Kate Bischoff to share her knowledge. Kate is an employment attorney and HR consultant at tHRive Law & Consulting LLC. She’s shared her experience with us before – one of my favorites is “Should I Quit or Wait to Get Fired”.

Please remember that Kate’s comments should not be construed as legal advice or as pertaining to any specific factual situations. If you have specific detailed questions, they should be addressed directly with your friendly neighborhood labor attorney.

Kate, the first thing that popped into my mind was whether the company has a policy about employees fraternizing with their boss. What are the pros (and cons) to having a fraternization policy in the employee handbook?

[Bischoff] Like any policy, a fraternization policy sets employee expectations. It warns employees not to engage in relationships at work or at the very least, report any relationships they have at work. Such a policy then supports any decision to let an employee go for failing to meet this specific expectation. (Lawyers hate trees, so this particular piece of paper could come in handy later.)

But because love has “fueled national scandals, bankrupted robber barons, and made mincemeat of kings,” I’m not sure that a fraternization policy really has any power to stop relationships in the workplace. In the situation above, the commitment both made through their marriages to others hasn’t stopped them, so a policy probably won’t either. Plus, employees read these policies. Having such a policy suggests that an employer doesn’t trust employees to make good decisions, which could hamper efforts to build a culture of trust.

Obviously, in this situation, the individuals involved in the sexual relationship have a employee / boss reporting relationship. Why is this risky for the employer?

[Bischoff] Under the law, managers are the company. When the boss engages in sexual harassing behavior, the law says the company has knowledge of the harassment and has not stopped it, making the company liable for whatever the manager did. When a reporting relationship exists and there’s a harassment, the employer can be strictly liable (meaning automatically on the hook) for a sexual harassment claim brought by the employee or others.

There are multiple ways in which an employer could be in trouble. Here’s an example, Amal is a manager, and Jimmy is her direct report. Amal and Jimmy have a passionate affair. Amal and Jimmy break up, and Jimmy starts to come to work late. Amal disciplines Jimmy for being tardy, and then Jimmy alleges he was never disciplined while he was sleeping with Amal. Jimmy brings a sexual harassment claim. Another possibility, during the affair, Amal gives Jimmy a great assignment and Steve gets jealous. Steve could allege Jimmy is getting preferential treatment because he is sleeping with Amal, and Steve brings a discrimination claim. Amal and Jimmy’s reporting relationship makes this super risky.

If HR knew about this situation, is there anything they can do? I’ve heard about “love contracts” but wonder if it would work with both the employee and their boss being married.

[Bischoff] I would change the reporting lines if possible and preferably move the vice president so the employee doesn’t lose anything. Sitting both of them down to talk about the risks could be a possibility.

There’s nothing HR can or should do about the folks being married – what would be way outside the lines for any employer and probably illegal in some states – but both would likely be highly scrutinized, their work evaluated more closely, and some trust destroyed with colleagues. Whether the scrutiny is warranted would be up to a jury later if a lawsuit was brought, but nonetheless, the manager’s conduct suggests poor decision-making.

As a human being, I understand the manager’s reasoning behind not telling HR, but as a HR professional, doesn’t this present an ethical dilemma? Aren’t there moments when we must tell employees we cannot keep their trust?

[Bischoff] YES! HR and managers are put in difficult positions because they have obligations to employees and to their company. In situations like this, neither cannot keep silent. Their obligations to the company – to protect more than just the one employee, but all employees – is more important than the confidence of an employee. When an employee reports potentially harassing behavior, but “just needed to get it off her chest” or just needed a “shoulder to cry on,” HR pros and managers have to take action. Keeping silent puts everyone at risk.

Then there’s the employee’s manager, who knows what is happening between the employee and their boss. Are they at risk? And is there anything they can do to mitigate their career risk.

[Bischoff] You bet they are at risk! Managing people to work to the benefit of the employer is the first job of any manager. When a manager knows that her people are doing something that could hurt the employer (like the potential for a sexual harassment lawsuit) and the manager keeps silent, that should hurt the manager’s career within the company. When a manager finds herself in a position like this, she should look at the company’s harassment policy, seek out HR, and let HR do what it needs to. No manager has to deal with the relationship on her own, that’s what HR and senior management is there to help with. Keeping silent is just not an option.

I want to extend a HUGE thanks to Kate for sharing her experience with us. If you want to read more of Kate’s insights, be sure to check out her blog. It’s a must read.

I understand this isn’t an easy situation. And sometimes as managers we want to be understanding and cool, so we try to turn our heads to what’s happening in the organization. But there are times when we simply cannot. I’ve said this before: Employees need to feel they can report concerns to the organization and their concerns will be properly investigated. Not only is there a liability to ignoring the situation, it’s just not the right thing to do.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby outside of The Custom House Museum in Key West, FL

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Quick Shots for #HR and #Business Pros – 2017 HR Law Edition

January 20, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

Regardless of who you voted for and your feelings about the election process, here in the United States, we have a new President and Congress. And I’m sure that, at some point, we will find ourselves dealing with changes to HR law.

I know from professional experience there’s nothing worse than sitting around trying to predict what government is going to do. The good news is we don’t have to do that. We can become educated, get involved, and influence policy.

Now, I’m not here to tell anyone how they should think. You guys are smart. I did want to share with you some resources that put much of the information you might want in a single place. I’ve read the Federal Register before. It’s not easy reading. So anytime I can quickly and easily get the information I need to form an opinion, I’m all for it.

If you haven’t already seen it, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has published a 2016 Post-Election Overview. This guide addresses the main themes facing human resources such as labor and employment, workplace flexibility, and health care reform. It outlines the status of current HR law as well as SHRM’s position on those issues.

You can also visit the SHRM Policy Action Center. I particularly like SHRM’s Public Policy Guide, which provides background info and outlook for major issues facing our profession. I have this page bookmarked so I can quickly read up on issues as they make the news headlines.

Looking ahead in 2017, it might be helpful to stay engaged and advocate on HR public policy issues by registering for the SHRM Employment Law & Legislative Conference, taking place on March 13-15, 2017 in Washington, D.C. One of the hallmark features of this event is a visit to Capitol Hill to meet with your newly-elected or returning members of Congress. I had the chance to do this during another SHRM event and I felt it was a valuable use of my time.

If going to the conference isn’t in the cards, you can still be very effective at influencing HR law by speaking or meeting with your congressional representatives. Lifehacker published a couple of posts recently, written by a former congressional staffer. They are focused on how to communicate with your government officials.

How to Effectively Lobby Your Congressperson

The Best Ways to Contact Your Congress People, From a Former Staffer

Keep in mind while we’re talking at the federal level, this information applies to state HR law as well. The SHRM Policy Action Center includes state information and the process for contacting your state representative is similar if not the same.

HR-related legislation is proposed on a regular basis. That legislation then gets passed, changed, amended, and/or repealed on a regular basis as well. Part of our role is to educate ourselves on the issues, form an opinion about them, and make sure our government knows that opinion. Our organizations and our employees rely on us to do that.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at SHRM Annual 2016 and shortly before the running of the interns in Washington, DC

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Middle Managers Are the Key to Reducing Bureaucracy

January 19, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

I ran across this post title the other day – “Forget Middle Managers. Here’s Why.” Of course, the article goes on to explain how bureaucratic organizations are filled with ineffective managers. Which can be very true. And, if your organization is trying to shed some of their bureaucratic ways, then the goal is to help middle managers get better in their roles. Makes total sense.

The question becomes, how? I believe this will be different for each organization. Yes, there are common competencies that every manager should possess like excellent communication skills. But when it comes to other skills, organizations need to take an inventory of the skills managers have and the ones they need. Then create a strategy to address the gap.

If you’re wondering how to start the conversation about leadership and management development in your organization, here are a few of the most popular posts on HR Bartender related to the subject.

The 10 Habits Great Managers Use to Engage Employees

Managers have a tough job. Great managers use these 10 habits to include every employee in the business. That builds employee engagement.

I’m a New Manager. Now What?

Every new manager has been faced with the question – now what? Give new managers the tools they need to be successful. Manager onboarding is the key.

Successful People Are Givers

Successful people are based on a variety of interactions with people. Some people are givers, others are takers. There is also a third type of person.

Work Life Balance Starts with Leadership

Leadership can be found at every organizational level. For work life balance, you need influence – an important part of leadership.

What Work Should Managers Delegate

Managers and supervisors need to learn how to delegate. But what work should managers delegate? Follow these tips to do it right.

Self-Management and No Management Are Two Different Things

The terms self-management and holacracy have become very popular. But what are they? Companies are reducing structure to become more agile and efficient.

Successful organizations give managers the tools they need to be effective.Click To Tweet

Getting rid of management doesn’t solve the issues with bureaucracy. Organizations need skilled managers to address the issue of bureaucracy. It’s just time to give middle managers the tools they need to be successful.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while working it near Miami, FL

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Performance Management Might Change But It’s Not Going Away

January 15, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 3 Comments

If there was one term that dominated the workplace conversation in 2016 it was the “performance appraisal.” That’s okay. I think it’s good to re-evaluate traditions. The performance review hasn’t changed for decades. It’s long overdue.

That being said, there are some pieces of the performance management process that still perform a valuable function. In fact, it possible that there’s nothing wrong with certain components of performance management…except that we’ve strayed away from using appraisals in the way they were intended. So, like many things, maybe we need a little refresher to get back on track.

We talked about performance management quite a bit on HR Bartender. Here are some of the most popular posts on the topic. The titles alone remind us there’s some good to be found in performance management.

Performance Reviews Are a Process – Not an Event

Is it possible that we aren’t looking at performance reviews the right way? Rather than viewing them as an event – they should be seen as a process.

Managers Must Be Able to Identify Employee Performance

To manage well, managers need to be knowledgeable about employee performance. They need to know what good work is. Effective performance feedback is key.

5 Ways to Keep Performance Reviews from Becoming Boring

Performance reviews have risen to the top of the hate list for most businesses. Could we do them better? Maybe – here are 5 ways that may help.

Transforming Performance Management for Increased Agility

Today we know the importance of agility. The message from SilkRoad is getting performance management right shows big results for increased agility.

Are Learning Goals Better Than Performance Goals

Workplace goals are important. But, are learning goals better than performance goals? We need to know the difference and why we are setting them.

Your Employees Want Quality Recognition

Managers can praise too much. When it comes to recognition, employees want quality over quantity. That was the results of our recent HR Bartender poll.

Performance management will continue to be a significant topic in 2017. Organizations need to align their performance management processes with company culture and business strategies. That’s critical for attracting and retaining talent and for overall business success. It doesn’t mean turn the process on its head, but it’s time for performance appraisals to meet the needs of today’s workplace.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby at the 34th Street Graffiti Wall in Gainesville, FL

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The Top 7 Things on HR’s To-do List for 2017

January 10, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 3 Comments

(Editor’s Note: Today’s post is brought to you by our friends at Capella University. Capella is an accredited online university dedicated to providing an exceptional, professionally-aligned education that puts you in the best position to succeed in your field. They offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees as well as certificate programs for human resources and business professionals. View full learning and career outcomes reports for these programs at CapellaResults.com. Enjoy the post!)

Top trend lists are a very popular in the new year, but what about action? Don’t get me wrong, trends are important. But they simply tell us the direction something is going. In order to be successful, we have to know more than the trend. We need to turn our knowledge into action.

I was recently chatting with our friends from Capella University and asked them the question, “What do you tell students who are looking to stay current?” Here’s a list of activities they recommend for HR professionals to put on their to-do list for 2017.

Assess your knowledge. It’s a good time to take inventory of the knowledge, skills, and competencies you feel confident with and the ones you would like to improve. Some organizations conduct performance appraisals this time of year for this reason. Regardless, HR pros should consider adopting a “career fitness” mentality in 2017.

And if there’s one knowledge topic to focus on this year, it would be human resource management analytics. Dr. Al Gorriaran, SPHR®, SHRM-SCP, core faculty in the Capella University School of Business and Technology, says the major challenge HR professionals face today is turning data into information and asking the right questions about the data. “Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate the information that you acquire through reading, listening, and seeing the world. Developing critical thinking is developing your ability to be reflective of how you make decisions, become open minded about the possibilities, and developing a process for systematic decision making. Once we develop our critical skills, we can maximize the benefit of the amounts of data and information available from the many HRM analytics tools in the organization today. Successful HR professionals develop sophisticated critical thinking skills, making them more capable consumers of data and information.”

Tap into your transferrable skills. The skills you’ve acquired in non-HR jobs and volunteer work are valuable. We have to remember that and make it a point to put them to good use. In fact, there are times when those transferrable skills can help us step inside the daily operation and contribute in a different way to the organization’s bottom-line.

Don’t forget leadership! Personally, I believe everyone is a leader and leadership isn’t attached to a particular job title. As such, leadership should always be on our to-do list. Leadership is complicated. It includes communication, self-awareness, and decision-making. Think of it like the game of golf. We never perfect our game; we just keep practicing to improve our skills and we need to constantly be adding new tactics.

Consider certification and education. It is becoming increasingly critical for HR professionals to obtain certification, which confirms that a person not only has the education but knows how to use it. Dr. Gorriaran explains why HR pros should consider both for their to-do list. “HR education focuses on the theories and methods of how human resource is practiced in the organization, and helps practicing professionals learn more about what’s driving HR practice, as well as providing a broader view of what many types of companies do to be successful. Certification is proof of professional expertise associated with the field.”

Stay well-informed. Almost every article I’ve ever read about the habits of successful people includes reading. Warren Buffett was once asked about the key to success, he pointed to a stack of nearby books and said, “Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.”

Now, I understand not everyone enjoys reading, but you get the point. It’s about staying well-informed, particularly when it comes to business acumen. Shelley R. Robbins, Ph.D., faculty chair in leadership and human resource management in the Capella University School of Business and Technology, shares some ideas for staying on top of what’s happening in business. “One great way to gain business acumen in your own industry is through seeking informational interviews with internal leaders. If your company is publicly traded, get a copy of the annual report, and read it. If you don’t have business background, you can take a course in Business Acumen for HR professionals, like the ones we offer in our masters and graduate certificate in human resource management programs at Capella. We cover strategy, operations, and ways in which HR can support various areas of a company to help them be successful.”

Set goals. We’ve covered several activities in this post. The best way to turn these recommendations into reality is by setting goals. Make a plan for your professional development then work your to-do list. It’s how things get done. Personally, I’m a big fan of using S.M.A.R.T for goal-setting and professional development plans. And if you’re looking for a goal to start with, consider learning a new technology – maybe a social media platform you’ve been wanting to try out.

Network. Network. Your knowledge and skills are important. We must constantly update our skills to stay relevant. But let’s face it, we’re doing this to advance our career. Whether it’s finding the job we want in HR or getting promoted, our goal is to get ahead. So, the other thing we need to do, is build relationships. We need to share our knowledge and skills with others, so they will share with us.

If you want to learn more about becoming a better networker, be sure to download Capella’s latest white paper, “7 Tactics for HR Career Networking Success.”

Here is HR's To-do List for 2017 #HR CareerClick To Tweet

One of the things I love about HR is that it’s always changing, whether that’s new laws and regulations or innovative technology solutions. For that reason, 2017 is sure to be a year of change for HR. I know that staying on top of what’s happening in human resources can be a challenge. Lists like these always remind me of something that I should be doing – like networking more, or taking a class. So, get your to-do list ready now.

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UNLIMITED VACATION: 6 Things to Consider

January 8, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 6 Comments

I continue to hear more conversation about unlimited vacation time. It makes me wonder if having a defined vacation benefit is an old-school concept.

Unlimited vacation (or unlimited PTO) isn’t a license to not get the work done. Whether the company has a formal vacation benefit or not, the work still must get done. The concept of unlimited vacation is focused on trust, transparency, and employee engagement. Today’s employees want flexibility and unlimited vacation gives them the opportunity to take advantage of new and exciting things, while at the same time, achieve their professional goals.

It’s also important to note that unlimited vacation isn’t a cost-cutting measure. Yes, moving to unlimited vacation means that those big vacation accruals are gone. But smart companies are shifting those funds toward other benefits like wellness programs, student loan repayment programs, and parental leave (just to name a few.) With the increased challenges to finding qualified candidates, unlimited vacation could create a win-win.

But before implementing an unlimited vacation policy, here are six things to consider:

Train managers on how to evaluate operational coverage. The key to successfully implementing an unlimited vacation program is managers being able to understand how much coverage they need to run their departments. Unlimited vacation doesn’t come without an approval process.

Determine what will happen with existing vacation accruals. Employees with an existing bank of vacation will want to know what’s going to happen to their existing vacation time. Be prepared to answer the question upfront.

Get the buy-in of employees with seniority. Some employees might view vacation as a rite of passage. You know, “the new hire shouldn’t get the same amount of time off…they need to earn it.” Organizations will want to be prepared with a response. Tell employees why the policy was implemented and how it benefits everyone.

Consider having focus groups after the policy is announced. This is just a good practice regardless. No matter how much companies try to make everyone happy and implement a change without mistakes, stuff happens. Employees will vent their frustration. Give them a forum to provide feedback. They might have some good ideas to share.

Train managers on how to hold employees accountable. Managers need to be comfortable telling employees they can’t take vacation and the reason. Unlimited PTO doesn’t mean every request is rubber stamped. Train managers on the best way to discuss time off requests with employees.

Monitor actual time-off requests. Unlimited vacation doesn’t mean organizations can abdicate from monitoring time off. Employees still need to take vacation. Managers need to make sure that employees refresh and recharge.

Finally, in case you’re wondering – unlimited vacation policies don’t automatically mean employees take more time off. They can be a real win for organizations and employees. Organizations can offer employees work flexibility. Employees can take advantage of opportunities. But they do take some planning, training, and communication.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while on (limited) vacation in Mexico

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