Tag Archives: Standards

Stop tolerating dead weight

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Is there an employee in your organization who is dragging everyone down? There may be several. These are the employees who appear to be busy but don’t consistently produce good results. (Forget about great.) They have ready-made excuses for why they fall short, and they thrive in environments where expectations are vague.

When even one employee is glaringly unproductive, others notice. Even if they try not to care, they will begin to wonder why the expectations are so different. Over time, morale drops.

How do you clear out the dead wood in your organization?

Define expectations and give feedback. If you don’t have clear goals, roles and best practices, there can be no easy way to define a lack of productivity. Regular, formal and informal feedback to employees on what’s working and what is not will help them to maintain motivation and make adjustments as needed.

Figure out if the wood is really dead. There can be many reasons for under-performing. Some people look like failures because of a single, fixable flaw. With a strong desire to learn and change, these employees can mitigate the effects of their weakness and succeed in their jobs. Other employees may have had insufficient training. Consider fit and whether the person would be a good performer in another role. Seek the truth before you cull the dead wood.

Pinpoint who has the problem. Sometimes the problem is a lack of appropriate hiring, supervision, coaching or delegation. The results will be poor, but not because the performer isn’t giving it her all.

Act deliberately. Don’t adopt a wait-and-see approach. This may seem easier in the short term, but your organization’s culture will be negatively impacted. If you worry about losing an employee, remember that you will be more successful with fewer people aligned to the right standards than having more people orienting to mediocre or poor benchmarks.

Holding people accountable to high standards works for organizations and their employees. People thrive in environments where they are recognized and rewarded for hard work and results. In organizations with high standards and accountability, the choice for a dead-weight employee is clear. Change or leave.

 


Peace on earth (or at least your little corner of it)

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Peace on earth may seem like a tall order, given the state of the world. However, there are ways you can foster a more peaceful climate in your organization. In this context, peace means a calm, nonviolent and civil (at the bare minimum) workplace. Why bother? As leaders, it is incumbent upon us to do what we can to encourage productivity. Peace of mind eliminates distractions, creates focus and clarity and allows people to bring urgency to the important work at hand.

To create more peace in your corner of the world, try these strategies:

Start with you. Manage your own emotions before you expect it of others. As Daniel Goleman, emotional intelligence guru, says, you need to be intelligent about emotions rather than acting from them. Don’t bottle up feelings, and seek wise counsel if you feel that your emotions control your behavior.

Confront unacceptable behavior. Set and enforce standards for civility and care, regardless of the degree of frustration or emotional intensity.

Uncover pockets of disharmony. Your people will disagree and argue, and that can be extremely fruitful. However, when disagreements turn personal or ugly, or when it’s a daily ritual without resolution, you need to get involved. If necessary, bring in a neutral party who can help the warriors resolve their issues and set new guidelines for disagreeing well.

Keep peacefulness on the front burner. Use a visual cue to remind you of how important it is to maintain inner peace and outer harmony.

Creating peace in your organization doesn’t mean that you hold group meditation sessions or create bizarre rituals. It may mean taking two minutes at the start of each day to center yourself and think of what really matters. Encourage others to do likewise. You have the ability to contribute to a workplace culture that enhances a person’s life, rather than decreasing its quality. “If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another” (Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama).



How to respond to offensive remarks

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How many times have you heard a comment that struck you as disrespectful or offensive, and you didn’t respond? Maybe you didn’t know the other person, and felt too awkward to comment. Maybe you just weren’t sure you wanted to wade into the issue. Many of us (myself included) have opted not to comment, because we are afraid of the consequences or are unsure of what to say.

You don’t have to confront every piece of communication with which you don’t agree. When should you engage, having heard what you feel is a demeaning remark?

When it offends you. This may be obvious, but sometimes we think, “maybe I’m being too sensitive.” That’s usually just a way of avoiding the issue. If you find the remark offensive, that’s grounds enough to comment on it. You don’t need a panel of experts backing you up.

When the comment is made within your conversation. Overhearing a rude outburst from afar might give you a free pass. However, if someone makes an offensive remark in the context of your discussion, you can and should respond. Even if the words weren’t directed at you, it is still important to weigh in.

When you know the person. Strangers behaving badly may benefit from some type of intervention. Friends and colleagues definitely would. The difference here is your ability to influence their thinking and behavior. You owe it to the other person to bring the matter to their attention.

When you have the power. Let’s face it. There are some people who are in a much better position to confront distasteful speech. Leaders must role model the standards of the organization and confront those who disregard those standards. The implicit message when you say nothing is to approve.

When you know you should weigh in, how can you do so in a way that is maximally constructive?

Be brief. There is no need to launch into a protracted speech on the distasteful statement. Get to the point. “I found the term “fairy” to be offensive,” for example.

Stay focused on observable behavior. Resist the urge to extrapolate and comment on the person’s attitude or beliefs. “You used the word “girl” to refer to a grown woman.” Leave out your personal opinion that the person is a sexist.

Be willing to educate. Often people are operating out of ignorance and do not intend to be disrespectful. Assume that this is the case, until proven otherwise. A comment like, “that term has negative connotation you may not be aware of,” may pave the way to increased awareness.

State your feelings. After you’ve named the behavior, it is more than appropriate to state how you felt about it. “I felt offended [hurt] [angry].” This will help the other individual understand your true perspective and the impact of his behavior.

Be respectful and loving. It might seem strange to respond with care to a person who has said something you found repugnant. However, don’t give in to your urge to demean the speaker. Doing so would only inflame the situation, and may cause the other person to shut down and stop listening. Remember that your goal is to promote and model respectful communication; you won’t do that if you respond angrily.

Remain firm in your feedback. “Hey, lighten up,” can be a common response to being confronted. Simply stated, offensive speech is not trivial. At work, it can be illegal or at least highly disruptive. Your feedback is valid, regardless of the other person’s receptivity (or lack thereof).

Report abuse or discrimination. Persons who are verbally abusive or practice discrimination have no place in your organization. Take action, either yourself or by reporting such behavior to the person’s boss.

Part of our responsibility as human beings is to preserve the dignity of others. Caring enough to speak the truth is not always easy. It is, however, one of the most important things we can do. It may not feel that way at the time, but refuting objectionable comments is a courtesy we extend to the speaker. Giving difficult feedback means, “I care about you too much to let this go.”

 

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Sure, we want you to have work/life balance!

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There is nothing wrong with devoting yourself to work, reveling in the satisfaction that achievement brings. A disturbing trend, however, seems to be organizations saying they value work/life balance and then reinforcing just the opposite behavior. The company line may be one thing, but the culture demands something else. For example, are your people expected to be attentive to their smartphones 24/7, responding to emails that are not urgent? If someone is out of contact for a day, is that considered a lack of commitment to the job?

Organizations needs people performing at their peak, or as close to it as humanly possible. What are the best practices around balancing work and other aspects of life that help both organizations and their people?

If you say it’s important, model it. It doesn’t take long to see through a “do as I say, not as I do” approach to balance. Don’t expect your employees to find harmony between work and other life aspects if you’re a workaholic. You  may choose to work long hours. Just make it clear that you’re also prioritizing yourself and people who matter most to you. Then expect others to do the same.

Focus on results and impact, not hours. It’s not about how much time you spend doing it. What counts is what you’re able to accomplish. Don’t make work a “I work more than you” contest.

Understand that it’s not a day-to-day balance. Martin B. Coppenhaver of the United Church of Christ wrote about his dislike for the term balance, because it implied hopping from one thing to another. He prefers “rhythm,” which he said was more about moving in step with life. Whether you call it balance, rhythm or something else, understand that there are times when work may be all-consuming. Ideally, you will take advantage of an ebb in demands to nourish your body and mind. Overall, the goal is a life that has meaning and purpose and makes a difference in the world.

There’s no magic formula. Each person must find her own equilibrium. Some find it easier to get home for dinner with the family, then respond to emails after the kids are in bed. Others rise early to get a jump on the day. The tradeoff may be less sleep, but for them, family connections make it worthwhile. Some people work like crazy during the week in order to protect their weekends. Find what works for you, and don’t feel that you have to conform to someone else’s definition of balance.

Use athletes as an example. Competitive athletes know that sleep and rest are just as important as rigorous training to their ultimate success. Why would excellent leaders do any different? Bringing your best physical, emotional and intellectual self to work requires that you take care of yourself. Start with getting enough sleep, then make sure you’re eating right and spending periods of time engaged in something meaningful other than work. You’ll get back to work refreshed and energized, allowing you to be more productive.

Part of a leader’s role is helping people craft a well-rounded and satisfying life in the midst of intense work pressure. Start today by thinking about what is important to you. Then take a step toward a life in harmony with your highest priorities. Then you will be well-positioned to help others do the same.

 


Want to talk to a Humanergist about your “rhythm” or anything else? Contact us 24/7. (We’ll get back to you as soon as we can, AND we won’t skip our workout to do it!)

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Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades

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Leadership requires more than just a good effort. Intensity of effort and high standards for self and others are essential qualities. As a leader, it is your job to model the energy, adaptability and intelligence required to “take the hill.” When others might give up or settle for average, you and your team will not.

These lessons can be learned early. One of my mom’s favorite phrases when I was tempted to do a less-than-stellar job was, “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” (Like many moms, mine is wise and eloquent.) That meant the dirty clothes were to be in the laundry hamper, not near it, and dishes were actually supposed to be clean before dried and put away (in the right spot, thank you very much).

What does this have to do with leaders? It means that ordinary isn’t good enough, and that great is expected. In fact, it seems that a strong-but-flawed leader is better than the bland version, as long as the leader’s defects are manageable. The danger of being only an adequate leader is that you will fail to set the bar high when it matters most. Some of these areas are:

Integrity. Once it’s breached, integrity is very hard, if not impossible, to get back. Personal and organizational integrity are the linchpins of success. There can be no good in these areas, only great, for you, your team and your organization.

Safety. You may think that your industry isn’t particularly dangerous. And yet it only takes one incident involving an employee, customer or community member to ruin your reputation, maybe forever. Even if you’re not governed by safety regulations, you must set the bar high and establish a culture where safety is a top priority and is continually improving.

Customer value proposition. Customers are only loyal as long as you’re providing value that can’t be found elsewhere. To keep customers, you must provide continual improvement over time, never assuming that your past WOWs will keep customers coming back. Leaders must ensure that employees don’t back off, especially after they’ve provided very high value. The temptation to lower standards and take a break must be overcome if you are to keep that customer happy.

Organizational culture. First, never settle for “okay” when you’re hiring. Failure to do so is the equivalent of peeing in your own soup, as a recent BNET blog post noted. Look for people who share your vision and are committed to your ideals. Once you’ve brought that amazing person on board, hold her accountable for the right things – the organization’s mission, vision and values, and give free reign to ingenuity and creativity. Before you know it, your people will be creating value you had not yet imagined.

While setting high standards for behavior doesn’t mean you’ll always be successful, that does not mean that those benchmarks are negotiable. Failure to achieve high standards requires a disciplined and honest look at why it happened and what safeguards must be put in place to ensure it does not recur.

Establishing high benchmarks is really a gift to yourself and others. Remember the words of Hamilton Wright Mabie, “The mother loves her child most divinely, not when she surrounds him with comfort and anticipates his wants, but when she resolutely holds him to the highest standards and is content with nothing less than his best.”

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!