What Have You Done for Me Lately?

Managers grumble about the state of their employees from time to time (shocking, I know).  And while there might be lots to complain about, consider for a moment that the road you’re on is a two-way street.  The grumbling is traveling up and down both sides of the highway.  What are your employees saying about you? Some grumbling going on?

Well, of course, if that’s happening, then those employees are idiots.  Clearly.  I mean, you slave over work, you show up early, stay late, do jobs that no one notices…you’re a good man/woman.  Don’t these ungrateful leeches see that?

And therein, is the rub.  Maybe they don’t see it anymore, if ever.  Maybe it’s what you used to do, but you’ve become as complacent as you accuse your team of being.  It’s often subtle.  You don’t wake up one morning and decide to be less dedicated.  Rather, you might have allowed the tiredness of the path traveled to dictate your next moves.  And while it was only to be for a day, it’s now three months or three years later and the effects are being felt by your team.  They are now responding to what they’re experiencing.

My long time love, Molly Ringwald, in Pretty in Pink sits on her bed with Duckie (Jon Cryer).  She shares with him her hope that she’s not the only one who knows how incredible he is.  Duckie’s sad response is “Well, at this point in time, I’m afraid you are, honey.”   

It’s easy to blame you, right?  I mean, you’re the manager and everything stops with you.  Your boss barges into your office and demands results and explanations.  Your staff has been barging in demanding resources and complaining about you, the team, the work, etc.  You have it tough.  But you know what?  That comes with the territory.  You’re a manager.  Manage it.

Strong words, but necessary. 

Advancement is desired.  The mainstream talent management conversation is about succession planning and doing it quickly.  26-year old employees are looking to be CEO next year, if you believe every article written about it, and you can’t let that time get away from you to make it happen.  Removing the tongue from the cheek, an active, vibrant talent culture is one of collaboration, constant improvement and competency assessment and utilization.  Bringing less than our “A” game opens a door for staff to look outside of the department, at the very least, if not outside of the company. 

And while, this perspective is one for a three-day conference, a realistic first step is to sit down and ask yourself what you’ve done for your team lately.  Don’t allow rose-colored glasses of past sacrifices and engagements to color what you’re doing (or not doing) today.  I know you were the hero for the team in 2014, but it’s two years later.  That’s plenty of time to be forgotten, or at least, to be less impactful.

Every day is a day to crush it.  That’s not a pithy slogan.  That’s a business imperative.  The list is long and depressing of those companies that have closed or are a shell of what they used to be due to poor management and leadership.  And for almost all of them, what occurred was not a one-day issue.  The choices (or lack thereof) made did not align with the business mandate and were not delivered in a context for staff to understand.

Manage messaging as much as process and output.  Think about what you’re doing and act upon it.  While thinking is very important, it isn’t always a visible example to the team.  You sitting at your desk may not equate to an employee observing to self, “Oh, look at my awesome manager.  She is sitting at her desk looking at her computer.  I bet she’s considering staff morale and process improvement.  She’s so awesome.  I’m lucky to have her.”  Truth be told, it’s possible that’s what the manager might be doing at that moment, but it’s hard to know it as an observer.  Balance obnoxious bragging with informed considerate disclosure in conversation with your team.  Fill them in and deliver on what you’ve been contemplating.

The success of the past is just that.  It’s in the past.  Today, deliver something else.  The responsiveness from your staff will become what you desire it to be.  You’ll be setting a new tone or recovering a tone that once was.  The highway of complaining is replaced by one of vibrant complimenting.  Talent will know what can be done, who can do it and how it helps the whole.

Get up, hit the video below, shake your groove thing and think through a plan for yourself.  Today is that day.  As Janet says, “Soap opera says you’ve got one life to live.”

Bad Blood

Questions get asked of me often.  Various employees will call, email or walk in and ask, “Do you know that other companies give their employees as much vacation as they want?”  Or perhaps, “What’s our policy on filing a complaint against a manager? I’m just curious.”  Or a classic favorite of mine, “John, will you be a reference for me as I look for a new job? I love working with you, but I hate it here.”  We could share for days all of the various questions we’ve been asked, and trust me that there are some great ones to come still!

One question that’s a bit heart-breaking to be asked by an employee is, “How is it that the people who do the wrong thing (or nothing) get promoted?”  This is an unfortunate question for a few reasons.

First off, what if the person who is promoted is actually a great employee?  The perception of this person being less than stellar is shameful, but not necessarily the asking-employee’s fault.  Why weren’t the successes of the promoted employee heralded previously?  Why didn’t others know of his/her accomplishments or connection to the whole?  It’s a sad state of affairs to be good at your work, but not be seen as such.

Secondly, what if the person promoted hasn’t demonstrated his/her ability clearly?  It may not be a matter of poor PR, but rather a matter of hesitancy.  What if he/she is able but saw that the climate of the workplace is such that doing your job well would mean scrutiny by others?  I have been in workplaces where achievement was frowned upon as it upset the status quo.  It was very middle school in its mob mentality, but it was real nonetheless.  To show others up (which is how it was taken) was the kiss of death and a very clear hit was put out on you.  Other employees would snub you or somehow “forget” to include you in key decisions that affected your workload or process.  Sadly, this is more common than you might realize.

Thirdly, what if the person promoted really is terrible?  Is it a matter of sucking up that got this person the promotion?  How could this occur?  When I was younger in my career, a colleague once told me that “the flakes get promoted to the top.”  What a sad statement!  Such a phrase doesn’t come from one or two incidents.  Who are the people promoting these “flakes” and why do they do it?  It’s frustrating to have to deal with the repercussions of such decisions, and it’s usually HR that has to handle the fallout.

So, how do we handle this?  It’s happening right now and is likely to continue to happen in the companies we serve, so our thoughtfulness around an answer is better to consider now.  Is it okay to simply say, “I don’t know”?  Maybe, but more likely that if this is our answer, we won’t hear from the asking-employee any time in the near future.  Why would he/she be inspired to come to us again when we clearly don’t know what’s going on? 

And let’s not forget about tone.  Answering “I don’t know” with a sharp or sarcastic tone will minimize our leadership, the leadership of the company as well as the mission of the organization.  What kinds of people run this show?  Ones that make crappy decisions, who don’t consult HR, who don’t care about the promotee’s influence on work product or culture to date, and who seem to be living in an ivory tower without a connection to what’s really going on.  Yup, we can translate all of that in one sarcastic response or disgusted look.  We don’t need to add to any bad blood that’s already creeping into relationships.

It’s important to not be thrown by the question.  Someone made this decision.  An employee coming to you to ask is correct.  Where would you want them to go?  It should be you, HR.  You should have an idea as to why someone has gotten a promotion.  It’s not about justifying it to the asking employee, but more about you portraying confidence.  If you know, then you aren’t searching for how to feel about it while in front of this employee.  It’s not about agreeing with the decision but about knowing.  The time for agreement should have already occurred.  If it didn’t, then that isn’t a response that should be shared with the asking-employee.

I, too, have been in that office when I was asked about someone’s promotion and I had no idea what he/she was talking about.  Promoted? Who?!  But the trick is to step back and formulate how to approach this.  I could be dismissive about the manager who has been making these bad decisions.  I could cut down those involved.   I could, but I would be very dumb to do so.  Rather, I should look for ways to build a bridge.

Fix what’s wrong in the process.  Take initiative, be bold and introduce solutions.  Then, when the next question comes, you’ll know how to respond.  You can focus back onto the asking-employee and inspire that person in what’s needed to move forward.  Many times, the asking-employee just wants to know where he/she fits; it’s not so much about the promoted employee.  By knowing what it takes to contribute stronger to the whole and thereby be promoted, allows you to be a resource towards advancement.  The questions will continue so make sure the answers flow, too.

Closer to Fine

When Ross and Rachel “took a break,” the reality that the relationship might not last started to sink in.  For all of the ways in which Ross had shown his love for Rachel since she was in high school (and caused the world to love him back) and for the progress that Rachel made in understanding her feelings for him, a major setback was occurring.  Could the relationship really be the fairy tale again?

Uncertainty has its place in relational advancement.  Whether it’s a marriage, a career, a church or a team, doubt about your fit for the future is real.  This might be unnerving for some, but it’s true.  Haven’t you sat back and thought, “Is this the job for me?”  Asking the question is healthy. Consideration in areas of usefulness, connection and advancement make sense.  Is this company able to utilize me in the ways I would like to, or do I want to give more of myself (time, talents, and treasure) to this company’s mission?   The giftedness of the individual and the purpose of the organization should be reviewed for alignment regularly.

However, it does not mean that it’s a negative position.  We have gotten too used to this type of consideration ending in break-up.  As such, we’ve believed that even asking the question means it’s over.  Ross and Rachel aren’t real, but their relationship (at least as we know) ended in a commitment to each other.  Is it only on television that it’s possible?  I hope not. 

In our companies, there are daily issues that arise – conflict over management style, turnover, gossip, etc.  Professionals should sit back and consider what’s going on.  The issues that rise to the top after investigation are addressable.  True that one of the ways to address this situation might be termination, but it is not the only option.  Sometimes a person has a bad day.  Sometimes expectations were not clearly shared.  Sometimes there are outside elements to the formula for success that we cannot control.  A machete to the relationship is not usually the right answer.

It is awful to worry when walking into work that Ross or Rachel might ask you for a break.  No one seeks this.  And yet, it might just be the consideration of future relationship that helps aright a ship’s course.  Neither Rachel as a spoiled brat nor Ross as an awkward, self-centered goof was the exclusive reason for the consideration.  It added to it, but the deeper questions were ones of support and commitment.  These are the same questions employees and employers have for one another.

As an employee:

• Am I valued?
• How does the company really know what I do or who I am?
• Am I being taken advantage of? Is that the company’s fault or mine?

As an employer:

• Do my employees get why we have the mission we have?
• Is compensation the only way my employees receive affirmation? Have we allowed this to be true, if so?
• Am I holding back on resources because I fear my employees will leave?

Of course, there are more questions to ask on either side of the table, but these catch some of the initial consideration that should happen.  Relationships, whether between two people or between a person and his/her company, take thought.  Think through why you might not be connecting as you once had.  Termination, as divorce or resignation, is the swifter option, but may be the less than ideal long term response.  Step back and question.

The uncertainty ought to lead to clarity.  Results from the clarity might vary, but the confidence to follow through will be stronger.  Having been through the questioning process will give you peace knowing that you really thought through this, which is confidence-producing.  Uncertainty has a particular nuance of excitement to it as it offers the opportunity to relent to “not knowing” what to do.  If your response were to be perfect each time, where are the opportunities to learn?  By having the uncertainty, we get to step back and research our companies, our relationships, and ourselves.

Ross and Rachel didn’t corner the market on relational uncertainty.  It’s been appealing to us as viewers of movies and television, as readers of novels, as writers of stories.  Plot lines revolve around relationships and have for centuries.  Turn off the “Friends” reruns and pick up a Shakespeare play…any will do.  Wherefore art thou, Ross?

What You Need

It cracks me up when an employee approaches me to tell me what he/she needs.  I know it shouldn’t, but sometimes it’s just too funny.  I got to be a part of a company once when someone asked for a nap each day, paid.  Funny, right?  Funnier still?  He got it.  Contextually, you can see why I crack up.  I have been asked for more money, more time off, more time on, to move another employee out of a department, to fire an employee who annoys others, to tell the CEO he/she stinks, to tap phone lines, to read emails, to reduce payroll across the board and not tell employees about the check changes in advance, to… You get the idea.  Craziness. 

Most times, I laugh.  I get up from my seat while laughing.  Place my hand nicely on the shoulder of the requester and laugh as I slightly escort the person out of my area.  I don’t respond verbally.  Just laughter.  I do this because if I let myself say what I would want to say, I would be out of a job.

What I know will help to alleviate many of these situations, though not all, is the connection to basic needs.  People have needs.  In the workplace, what can we do about it?  Ideally, we can address them and set them up for success.  It takes a little work.  It might undo a culture completely.  It might cause everyone to see how unhealthy things have been.  So what?  Productivity improvements are connected to the people we employ.  Set up standards that allow for goals to be achieved while motivating staff and meeting their needs, and you would be a hero.

So, what do people really want?

• Collaboration – the ability to work with others. Relationship is a natural desire of humans.  Some love it more than others, but we’re all wired for it.  Creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness are enhanced through collaborative efforts
• Invested Leadership – seeing the leaders of the organization take an interest in the goings-on of a work group and/or an individual contributor.  A manager of a small group of employees portrays an understanding of the culture of leadership every day.  Leadership is to take a vested interest in the people it employs.  This gives employees an understanding of fit and of connection to the mission
• Viability in Advancement – is there really a chance to advance in the organization?  We often say that there is, but employees figure out rather quickly whether that’s going to be true or not.  The real trajectory within an organization should be evaluated.  Providing a path for real advancement in usage of skill sets, knowledge and relationship motivates an employee towards a sense of purpose
• Compensation – salary, commission, bonus, PTO, benefits, retirement, etc. are a reality of living.  Our staff have homes, apartments, significant others, families, a social life, vacations, holidays for which to pay and enjoy.  Compensation allows an employee to handle some of the bottom levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs so that the more analytical level is addressed
• Impact – simply, is what an employee doing impacting the purpose of the group?  When we challenge the status quo and (re-)introduce the concept of impact, we wake people up.  What each employee does allows a product to be delivered, a service to be given, or a resource to be offered while changing processes, enhancing knowledge and keeping the lights on!  The line worker who is placing four screws on the same piece on the assembly line is a superstar.  Those four screws hold something significant together.  No task or role is small

If you’re a leader, not matter how small your charge, sit with this list and evaluate what’s going on at your company.  Now evaluate what you are doing to move towards meeting these needs.  Be practical.

And I would be remiss not to point out that there is a grand difference between need and want.  An employee might ask for what he/she wants and try to cloak it as a need.  Rip the sheet off of that want.  Expose it.  Time off is a need.  Six weeks of vacation a year is a want.  Just because someone asks for it, doesn’t make it a need.

There are days I need people to leave me alone.  And then I am reminded that is a want.  So, now what?  Oh, I know.  I will rephrase it.  “I want people to leave me alone some days.”  That’s better.  Now, what do I do about the HR career and people thing?  Crap.

Out of Touch

Positional devaluation is an epidemic.  Perhaps you don’t know what that is.  After all, it is not the lead story on the evening news nor the headline in your favorite newspaper.  For some, it might seem ridiculous and petty, but I assure you, it is not.

Look at the way roles within your company are viewed.  Aren’t some seen as more valuable than others?  I understand that the COO or CFO is an important role and might have a different level of value to the organization, but does that mean that other roles are not valuable?  Too often, we sell new candidates on the stepping stone view of the role they’ve applied for.  We apologize for the role, in essence.  We see the role as less than what someone should settle for.

What kind of message is that?  Do you expect someone to just take the job because you do a Jedi mind trick? (“This isn’t the job you’re looking for. The job offered will do fine.  Move along.”)  With such a poor setup, it’s unlikely that a candidate would accept, and if they do, be assured that it’s just to collect a paycheck while the new employee interviews for other jobs.  Sad and not encouraging, I know, but truthful.

Devaluing a position is a cultural nightmare.  Take, for example, employees who used to do a job such as what I've described.  They feel comfortable to give the “oh, you are the new guy doing this? Ha, good luck!” speech.  I understand the teasing and sometimes it just might showcase the familial spirit of the company.  However, what isn’t okay is to allow the mocking to be a staple of the workday.  Devaluing the job being done is to devalue the person doing the job.

Listen.  For those of who you really know me, you know that I have sensitive moments.  I offer sympathy; I empathize with others.  The devaluing of a job is NOT a sensitivity-thing.  My perspective is not about primarily caring for feelings (although, I am not against that either), but rather it’s about protecting the culture of the company and the “every job is important” attitude.  It cannot just be a cute phrase, but belief in action.

My first on-the-books job was with Friendly’s.  I was a dishwasher.  Not a glamorous job.  I was thrown all kinds of crap and no one said anything to me.  I lasted six weeks.  It wasn’t because I was too good for the job, but because I was alone and made to feel unimportant.  I looked at my job as being less than everyone else’s.  I didn’t like that feeling, but the message was clear.  But think about running that restaurant without clean pots, pans, dishes or glassware.  That job is vital regardless of glamor.  It would be out of touch with business necessity for a company to think otherwise.

So, simply, review those overlooked roles in your organization.  Speak into them.  Now look at those jobs that are devalued intentionally through commentary and jokes.  Fix it.  It’s messaging that must be addressed. 

There is nothing wrong with washing dishes for a living.  There is nothing wrong with packing and shipping boxes for a living.  There is nothing wrong with cutting lawns for a living.  There is nothing wrong with waiting tables for 30 years.  Nothing at all.