Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Employee Relations”
Grace is a word not often used in a business context. It should probably be used more. And even less so, grace is not something we typically associate with firing someone, taking away someone’s source of financial security, involuntarily. But we should. Because when it comes to firing someone, grace on the part of the employer is what’s needed most. …
I’m a sucker for anything that tries to answer a question that I almost never hear anyone ask, much less answer: How can you be a good boss? Notice that I say anything that “tries” to answer because I usually find that most advice on how to better manage people usually goes one of two ways — it’s either very …
As I think back on my career and recall the times I had the best work experiences—where I was connected and engaged the most—it almost always involved a crisis or a pressure-filled project. I can vividly remember working on a big Chrysler account or a huge GM Parts incentive program. We worked 24/7 for weeks. In one case, we slept …
I’m not going to do my usual screed on why employee engagement is a Sisyphean effort, and almost every intervention is at best a short-term fix to a long-term problem. I believe 90% of the interventions we talk about are like handing out sandwiches to starving people and thinking you’ve fixed their food-acquisition problem. Employee engagement has never been a …
One of my favorite songs on The Who’s magnificent rock opus Quadrophenia is The Real Me. It asks the question “Can you see the real me?” over and over as the central character, Jimmy, asks his doctor and others for clarity about his issues. Well, HR has some new issues to contend with too. Can HR bring their true selves to …
We’ve all dealt with a colleague or boss who treated us poorly. It hasn’t been the norm in my world, but in past occasions when it has happened, I would channel the five stages of grief over a 48-hour period: Denial: Did that just happen Anger: Eff that guy! Bargaining: Was it me? Man I stink, do I need to …
Although it pains me to say it, I’m somewhat of an expert on passive-aggressive behavior. The good people at Wikipedia describe passive-aggressive behavior as follows: The indirect expression of hostility, such as through procrastination, stubbornness, sullen behavior, or deliberate or repeated failure to accomplish requested tasks for which one is (often explicitly) responsible. That’s a good definition, but Urban Dictionary gets …
I’m not a great Catholic; decent I’d say. Decent enough to go to Ash Wednesday service after several months’ absence. Better late than never. I was inspired by the sermon, which gave the congregation some perspective on Lent, including how to personally reflect over this time. The sermon also touched on themes of forgiveness and selflessness. The sermon got …
Ahhh. The Olympics. The beauty. The drama. The similarities to our work world. The 2018 Winter Olympics are just beginning, but the anticipation of great competition and hyper-sports analogies are in full blast. And all the Tonya and Nancy memories. Seems like just yesterday. Therefore, it’s only fitting to highlight the talent trends between our HR lives and the Olympic …
I couldn’t sleep the other night, probably because of the 14 Diet Dews I had throughout the day, but I had an Epiphany while staring at the ceiling in the dark. I figured out a way for HR pros to find the smartest employee in their company! It isn’t a complex algorithm or a set of cognitive assessment tests—it’s a …
