Document Author: Rick Lynch, VMSystems
Snap Judgment Selection of Employees:
Supervisors often goof at the beginning. Poor worker selection may mean years of worker unhappiness and conflict with fellow workers and supervisors. If the supervisor does a poor job of sizing up the applicant, then a misfit is as likely as not to occur.
Letting the Job Grow Out of Control
Careless supervisors plus particularly ambitious or lazy workers can shape jobs carelessly. New duties are assigned to the worker who has the capability or the time to squeeze the work in. Lazy workers tend to shrug off unpleasant, demanding or boring duties. Ambitious workers sometimes gobble up all the duties in sight - without regard to whether they are wasting their high-level skills carrying a gold-brick. Good supervision requires good job design.
Failure to Make Assignments Clear
Vague instructions are bad. Supervisors should make specific, detailed assignments and then give subordinates the authority needed to accomplish them. A worker can't do a job without adequate authority. Divided responsibility results in misunderstanding conflict and low productivity
Being a Boss Rather than a Leader
"When I give an order around here, I want it obeyed!" Everybody knows the type. The easy way for a supervisor is to know it all and brook no interference. It's much easier to handle problems if one doesn't have to consider alternative solutions and possible disadvantages.
Indifference toward Discipline and Recognition
Nothing makes subordinates more indifferent toward discipline and achievement than the supervisor who couldn't care less. High morale and high productivity are engendered by the supervisor who demands good quality work and recognizes and regards achievement. The important thing is that recognition is given and more significant achievements are openly acknowledged.
Too Busy to Train
The supervisor who is too busy getting out production to take the time to train subordinates adequately isn't doing a good job. This kind of supervisor is the fellow who can never be away from their own job. More often than not, proper employee training would make it easier to reach production goals.
Playing Everything Close to the Chest
Perhaps worst of all is the supervisor who keeps to all to themselves. They neglect to pass the work. Nobody knows where they stand. Instructions from this person are curt and incomplete. Questions are frowned on or rejected. This kind of supervisor typically keeps their own bosses in the dark, too. Turnover, overloads, slowdowns, and other problems occur unexpectedly.
How do you fix these problems or prevent them from happening in the first place?
Train, Train, Train!! http://www.pwhrm.com/
Showing posts with label supervisor training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label supervisor training. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
What 8 things do employees want?
Hint, money is not on the list...
This article was origianally printed in BLR's weekly newsletter.
Is money the key to retention and productivity? It helps, says the Christian Science Monitor's Marilyn Gardner, but it's not enough. Beyond pay and benefits lie eight key factors that influence "happiness" at work-factors that motivate workers and keep them at your organization. Here's our distillation of Gardner's eight factors, as found on the website, communityinvestmentnetwork.org.
1. Appreciation
Praise heads the list for many workers, and it doesn't cost the employer anything to provide it, says Gardner. A sincere thank you or a short note can mean a great deal.
2. Respect
Again there is no cost and a big payback. Respect plays out in letting people know that their work is appreciated, in treating them like adults, and in being fair in your dealings with them.
3. Trust
Trust is the action side of respect. People need guidance, but they need to know that their boss trusts them to be able to get a job done on their own.
4. Individual Growth
Today's workers-especially the Gen Y group-want training, want to take on new challenges, and want to advance based on their new abilities. Giving a raise without increasing responsibilities could actually backfire, notes Gardner. As one expert says, if you give more money to an unhappy employee, you end up with a wealthier unhappy employee.
5. Good Boss
It's the old saw: People don't leave companies, they leave bosses. In a recent Robert Half survey, Gardner notes that 1,000 Gen Y workers ranked "working with a manager I can respect and learn from" as the most important aspect of their work environment.
6. Compatible Co-workers
Working with people you enjoy is also very important, says Gardner. Spending the day-every day-with people you don't like does not make for a productive workplace.
7. Compatible Culture
Employees want a work environment that fits their needs. That could mean hard-driving, high paying, or it could mean high flexibility and significant attention to work/life balance.
8. A Sense of Purpose
People want to know that they are contributing to something worthwhile. They need to know what the organization's core purpose is and what it is trying to achieve. And then they need to know how their particular job fits into the whole.
One of the interesting things that Gardner discovered about employee "happiness" is that there is a disconnect between what managers think and what employees think about happiness at work.
Managers tend to think that salary and benefits are the main motivators, while workers consistently respond that factors such as those mentioned above are what's important. Successful organizations will find a good balance to retain their best people.
Employee Training, Employee Assessments, and Team Building Activities are all great tools to use to improve employee engagement.
This article was origianally printed in BLR's weekly newsletter.
Is money the key to retention and productivity? It helps, says the Christian Science Monitor's Marilyn Gardner, but it's not enough. Beyond pay and benefits lie eight key factors that influence "happiness" at work-factors that motivate workers and keep them at your organization. Here's our distillation of Gardner's eight factors, as found on the website, communityinvestmentnetwork.org.
1. Appreciation
Praise heads the list for many workers, and it doesn't cost the employer anything to provide it, says Gardner. A sincere thank you or a short note can mean a great deal.
2. Respect
Again there is no cost and a big payback. Respect plays out in letting people know that their work is appreciated, in treating them like adults, and in being fair in your dealings with them.
3. Trust
Trust is the action side of respect. People need guidance, but they need to know that their boss trusts them to be able to get a job done on their own.
4. Individual Growth
Today's workers-especially the Gen Y group-want training, want to take on new challenges, and want to advance based on their new abilities. Giving a raise without increasing responsibilities could actually backfire, notes Gardner. As one expert says, if you give more money to an unhappy employee, you end up with a wealthier unhappy employee.
5. Good Boss
It's the old saw: People don't leave companies, they leave bosses. In a recent Robert Half survey, Gardner notes that 1,000 Gen Y workers ranked "working with a manager I can respect and learn from" as the most important aspect of their work environment.
6. Compatible Co-workers
Working with people you enjoy is also very important, says Gardner. Spending the day-every day-with people you don't like does not make for a productive workplace.
7. Compatible Culture
Employees want a work environment that fits their needs. That could mean hard-driving, high paying, or it could mean high flexibility and significant attention to work/life balance.
8. A Sense of Purpose
People want to know that they are contributing to something worthwhile. They need to know what the organization's core purpose is and what it is trying to achieve. And then they need to know how their particular job fits into the whole.
One of the interesting things that Gardner discovered about employee "happiness" is that there is a disconnect between what managers think and what employees think about happiness at work.
Managers tend to think that salary and benefits are the main motivators, while workers consistently respond that factors such as those mentioned above are what's important. Successful organizations will find a good balance to retain their best people.
Employee Training, Employee Assessments, and Team Building Activities are all great tools to use to improve employee engagement.
Monday, June 9, 2008
6 Common Mistakes That Weaken Documentation
Documentation is the key to defending your Organization against legal suits brought on by former or current employees. However, poor documetation will not only not help your defense but can actually be used against you. Attorney Jonathan Segal, a partner with Wolf Block Schorr and Solis-Cohen in Philadelphia delivered the following remarks on improving documentation at a recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Conference.
The hardest part of writing a discipline memo is writing the first sentence, so give your supervisors a list of 20 or 30 general openings.
As an example of a first sentence, he suggests, "We expect our employees to report for work without being under the influence of alcohol or drugs." Or "We expect employees to safeguard the employer's property." These starter sentences will get your supervisors rolling and help them to focus on what's job-related.
In his talk, Segal also identified these common mistakes that weaken documentation.
1. Generalities Instead of Specifics: Often, supervisors and managers document general conclusions as opposed to describing specific behaviors. For example, firing for "bad attitude." How might this verbiage play out in a legal setting?
Your employee Susan has filed charges against you, and you arrive at the hearing with hatred in your eyes. But Susan is bright and cheery: "How's everyone doing? Great to see you," she declares loudly. The investigator sees your anger, and the employee's sunny disposition. And you're going to say she was fired for a bad attitude? Good luck with that!
How do you prove a bad attitude? Focus on what specifically happened to show attitude, says Segal. The sequence might go like this:
--"Susan has a bad attitude in that she is disrespectful to other employees."(Drill down.) "She talks down to employees."(Drill down.) "She said to her employee, 'This is so easy that even you, with your limitations, can understand it.'"
2. Using Legal Labels: Train managers not to use legal labels in their documentation. For example, if an employee shows off a Playboy or Playgirl, don't call it "sexual harassment," call it "offensive material of a sexual nature." If discussing a racial slur, it's not "racial harassment" it's a "hateful term of a racial nature."
3. Using 'Proxy Adjectives': Managers often use "proxy adjectives" that suggest bias, Segal says. Charges like "too emotional" or "failing to change" are examples. Better to say, "she didn't prioritize, she wasn't multitasking, and she was yelling."
Another example: An accounting firm managing partner fired his secretary because she was "resistant to change." That sounded like age bias, says Segal, when what she did was simply refuse to use e-mail. That's simple insubordination.
4. Focusing on Intent, Not Outcome: Suppose you have two employees-Matt and Martha-says Segal. Matt loves your organization, but he cares so much that he obsesses over everything, and accomplishes little. Martha couldn't care less, and hates the place, but hits 170 percent of her goal. So you say to Matt, "We lose money on every breath you take, but we like your attitude, so here's your bonus." And you say to Martha, "You don't care, your attitude is bad, no bonus for you." This is focusing on intent as opposed to outcome. And that can lead to a bad outcome for you.
5. Using Absolutes: "Never say never or always," says Segal, as in, for example, "You always miss deadlines." The employee can rely, "Not true, I met a deadline in 2004." Absolutes almost always end up with an untrue statement, your employee's lawyer will argue.
6. Using Too Many Hedges: Segal often sees phrases in warnings such as, "it appears" or "it would seem." These are heard as "you don't know" by the jury, he says. Here's an example: "It would appear that David doesn't know how to use the new computer system." What's the fix? Drill down, says Segal. State that "David made 11 mistakes, and took 2 hours more than anyone else."
Now you can train your supervisors on the art of Progressive Discipline quickly, easily, and affordably with our new on-line trainings for supervisors. No minimum purchases or set-up fees. Visit http://www.pwhrm.com/ today for a free demo!
The hardest part of writing a discipline memo is writing the first sentence, so give your supervisors a list of 20 or 30 general openings.
As an example of a first sentence, he suggests, "We expect our employees to report for work without being under the influence of alcohol or drugs." Or "We expect employees to safeguard the employer's property." These starter sentences will get your supervisors rolling and help them to focus on what's job-related.
In his talk, Segal also identified these common mistakes that weaken documentation.
1. Generalities Instead of Specifics: Often, supervisors and managers document general conclusions as opposed to describing specific behaviors. For example, firing for "bad attitude." How might this verbiage play out in a legal setting?
Your employee Susan has filed charges against you, and you arrive at the hearing with hatred in your eyes. But Susan is bright and cheery: "How's everyone doing? Great to see you," she declares loudly. The investigator sees your anger, and the employee's sunny disposition. And you're going to say she was fired for a bad attitude? Good luck with that!
How do you prove a bad attitude? Focus on what specifically happened to show attitude, says Segal. The sequence might go like this:
--"Susan has a bad attitude in that she is disrespectful to other employees."(Drill down.) "She talks down to employees."(Drill down.) "She said to her employee, 'This is so easy that even you, with your limitations, can understand it.'"
2. Using Legal Labels: Train managers not to use legal labels in their documentation. For example, if an employee shows off a Playboy or Playgirl, don't call it "sexual harassment," call it "offensive material of a sexual nature." If discussing a racial slur, it's not "racial harassment" it's a "hateful term of a racial nature."
3. Using 'Proxy Adjectives': Managers often use "proxy adjectives" that suggest bias, Segal says. Charges like "too emotional" or "failing to change" are examples. Better to say, "she didn't prioritize, she wasn't multitasking, and she was yelling."
Another example: An accounting firm managing partner fired his secretary because she was "resistant to change." That sounded like age bias, says Segal, when what she did was simply refuse to use e-mail. That's simple insubordination.
4. Focusing on Intent, Not Outcome: Suppose you have two employees-Matt and Martha-says Segal. Matt loves your organization, but he cares so much that he obsesses over everything, and accomplishes little. Martha couldn't care less, and hates the place, but hits 170 percent of her goal. So you say to Matt, "We lose money on every breath you take, but we like your attitude, so here's your bonus." And you say to Martha, "You don't care, your attitude is bad, no bonus for you." This is focusing on intent as opposed to outcome. And that can lead to a bad outcome for you.
5. Using Absolutes: "Never say never or always," says Segal, as in, for example, "You always miss deadlines." The employee can rely, "Not true, I met a deadline in 2004." Absolutes almost always end up with an untrue statement, your employee's lawyer will argue.
6. Using Too Many Hedges: Segal often sees phrases in warnings such as, "it appears" or "it would seem." These are heard as "you don't know" by the jury, he says. Here's an example: "It would appear that David doesn't know how to use the new computer system." What's the fix? Drill down, says Segal. State that "David made 11 mistakes, and took 2 hours more than anyone else."
Now you can train your supervisors on the art of Progressive Discipline quickly, easily, and affordably with our new on-line trainings for supervisors. No minimum purchases or set-up fees. Visit http://www.pwhrm.com/ today for a free demo!
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