We Will Get Through This

When Covid-19 hit us last March, I sure didn’t imagine that we’d still be fighting an extremely complicated pandemic at the end of the year. But here we are, and despite all the good news of multiple vaccines, we now know there is still a long road back to what might be called “normal”. And most likely some of the changes we’ve made this year will now become the “new normal.”

Hard as it is, we have to admit that we can’t manage the way we used to. Alternatively, maybe it’s time to stop trying so hard to make things fit the old definition of what it meant to manage others.  A recent post on FastCompany.com had some good advice. If you didn’t see it, here are some nuggets that should make any manager’s job a little easier.

Gather information from your staff.  Ask what would work for them. Leaders used to make the decisions then tell people when the decision was final. But now we are all operating in the dark, so ask for input. Think about various situations. An employee whose kids are self-sufficient teens can work from home during what used to be called “work hours”. Conversely, a single parent with young children who has to monitor on-line school would be grateful if they could alter their hours to work later in the evening when the kids are in bed. Flexibility is a concept we all need to embrace. The phrase one size does not fit all has never been more appropriate, and FastCompany.com reports that employees who feel heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered and successful. There are positive outcomes of being flexible.

Share what you know with your teams. Be as open as you can be with your staff members. With so much uncertainty, any bit of solid news can make a big difference. One important example, if you are still working remotely, keep people informed about your plans to return to the office. Some organizations have said they will be fully remote until the end of first quarter 2021. If you have yet to make a decision, be sure there are no surprises such as announcing on Friday that effective Monday, everyone is expected in the office.  A good practice is to let people know that they will receive at least six weeks’ notice before asking them to return to the workplace. There are a lot of moving parts to something that sounds as simple as no longer working remotely. Remember the chaos when everyone was suddenly sent home.

Recently we posted a blog on building trust. We reminded our readers that showing vulnerability is a great way to build trust. So, let your employees see that you are human and be there for them to the best of your ability. 

A final note on 2020, we are grateful for you and wish you a happy 2021. And remember, we will get through this.

Barbara & Cornelia 

Celebrate Managers – Boss’s Day 2020

 

If ever there were a year where we needed an excuse to celebrate, it’s 2020. Our world has been turned upside down. We’ve all been thrown by the pandemic into work and life situations we weren’t prepared for by the pandemic.  

Last month we wrote a blog about Management by Walking Around – the concept introduced in the 1980s by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman in their book, In Search of Excellence. “How’s that working for you?” as Dr. Phil would ask. When we wrote the award-winning book, The Manager’s Answer Book, one piece of advice we offered for managing remote workers was to use technology. Let’s take a pause on that for a moment.  We’re all weary and stressed from screen time and Zoom meetings these days. If we can’t walk around (managers and employees alike), and if we’re stressed from technology overuse, maybe it’s time to return to some other old-school methods of engaging. 

I remember the year I joined the corporate HR team in a Fortune 500 company. That holiday season I was stunned to receive a holiday card from our vice president. We lived and worked on different coasts and didn’t have much daily interaction. It wasn’t the card itself that touched me; rather, it was the personal note he took the time to write. Every year thereafter I received a card with a note, as did every member of the staff.  The note was either something about a work project or a personal event that he was aware of.  All these years later, I can still remember what some of those notes said. Talk about a motivator and a real leadership quality.

A personal, hand-written note to staff members is a powerful way to keep them engaged. With texts and emails and social media, we’ve lost the art of letter writing. Time to pick it back up. Another old-school method is to simply pick up the telephone and have a one-on-one conversation. It doesn’t have to be long. Just take the time to check in, ask how someone is doing, and mention something positive about their work. 

Of course, this works both ways. Team members should recognize that their bosses are stressed these days as well. If there were ever a year bosses needed to hear how appreciated  they are, it’s 2020. Being a manager is hard work, and being a great boss is even harder. Normally, we’d advise doing something festive for Boss’s Day, which is this Friday, October 16; but remote work and social distancing take away the options of decorating offices and having team lunches. What if everyone sent cards to the boss’s home, or ordered a pizza lunch for the boss and their family? If you want to send them a gift, consider a copy of The Manager’s Answer Book for their library.  We’d be honored if you did so.

Imagination & Creativity - A Tip From The Manager’s Answer Book

Did you ever think about what gives you a different perspective?  Is it a new setting, or situation, or circumstance? Did you ever hear people say that they’re most creative when they are not at work? There’s something about stepping out of your usual routine and environment that allows new ideas to flood our brains.  When you expand your perspective, you expand your horizons as well. 

In 2020, we’ve found ourselves in new and different situations and circumstances. These days people are not at their usual place of work, but are still working, and working amidst distractions and interruptions. Enough to stifle anyone’s creativity, but it’s certainly bringing a new perspective to the way we do things. To paraphrase the title of a Tony Schwartz book, the way we used to work isn’t working anymore. 

Manager’s Tip:  During these difficult times, don’t lose your perspective. Opportunities can grow out of chaos and crisis. Potential can be unlocked creating positive and lasting change for your organization. It’s the time for new ideas and energy, for taking action, and for putting people first. You just have to expand your perspective. One silver lining I see from this pandemic, it will retire, forever, that tired phrase we’ve always done it that way!

As leaders in your organization, you recognize that creativity and innovation are critical – whether it’s developing new products or services or just finding improved ways of doing things.  You want nurture that innovative self inside each and every employee. You

need to start by letting your employees know that you are open to new ideas and suggestions and that you value their creativity. However, recognize that in these times, idea generation is going to take more time and effort. Be patient. Let the process be organic. 

You can read more about imagination and creativity on page 98 of The Manager’s Answer Book a proud 2020 Winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Award. The Manager’s Answer Book is available from Amazon -- https://tinyurl.com/y8umaqpz - Barnes & Noble or your local independent bookstore.

And remember “What you imagine you create.”

A Tip From The Manager’s Answer Book: Your Management Brand

 

As a manager, all eyes are on you.  You bring knowledge, skill and experience to the job. Managing in our current environment is and will continue to be different. As work gradually moves back into offices, managers will have to manage differently and trust their employees. Now more than ever before, the quality of output and results must be the focus of performance measurement, rather than the number of activities or amount of time spent at work stations, in order to sustain productivity, avoid burnout and produce results. 

Successful managers have to show they are not only competent in their area of expertise, but they have to show they are credible, agile, and empathic.  So how do you do that, and why is it important.  

Manager’s Tip:  You do it by creating your personal brand. Your brand is how you present yourself – how you communicate, act and interact with others. As a manager, you are representing the organization – whether interacting inside or outside – so you always want to be mindful of how your actions uphold the organization’s positive culture.  There are critical traits that illustrate a positive personal brand. Clearly at the top of the list are ethics and integrity – being true to your values and principles. You demonstrate this by making decisions that don’t contradict your values, seeking out people with common values and respecting the people around you. Trustworthiness is a close second to integrity.  You show other people that they can trust you by maintaining confidences, exercising discretion and avoiding rumors and gossip.  Listen to your staff and be as transparent as you possibly can. Be fair and consistent with your staff and admit when you are wrong.  And finally courage – having the confidence and integrity when you see something is wrong or not moving in the right direction to say something. Confront wrongdoing no matter where it’s occurring. Step up and do the right thing. Finally, courageous leaders not only speak out and take an opposing point of view, they also advocate for ideas and positions that may not appear to be popular.

You can read more in The Manager’s Answer Book a proud 2020 Winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Award.  Section Four is devoted to creating your personal brand.  Ethics and integrity is discussed on page 111, courage on page 113 and trustworthiness on page 120. The Manager’s Answer Book, is available from Amazon -- https://tinyurl.com/y8umaqpz - Barnes & Noble or your local independent bookstore.

Clued-In Leaders

Doug Claffey wrote an article that appeared in The Albuquerque Journal on May 11, 2020 about the importance of strong communication during a crisis. He is the Founder of Energage, an organization that specializes in employee engagement and workplace improvement research.

He used a term in the article that caught my attention: Clued-In Leaders. Clued-in leadership is about upward feedback and employees feeling heard. It caught my attention because a related article that same day about top workplaces in New Mexico contained a quote from an employee at the top-ranked company, T-Mobile, in the large workplace category.  The employee said, “There is something to be said about a company that always has your back and listens to feedback from the front line all the way to the top.”

Claffey went on to explain what happens when organizations struggle with clued-in leadership. “When employees believe senior leaders are out of the loop, it’s harder for them to connect with the organization. And when leaders really aren’t clued in to what’s happening, they’re missing valuable insight from those closest to the customer: their employees.” He offered three ideas for keeping the lines of communication open:

• Communicating through the hierarchy. Ask employees to talk to their managers, and managers to talk to their managers, and finally talk to the senior leadership. This sounds like an open-door policy, but to be effective, it has to practiced, not simply something you put in an employee handbook. 

• Conducting town-hall or all-hands meetings. Whether in-person meetings (which will likely be on hold for a while) or virtual meetings, they are an effective way to communicate key messages and give your employees a voice. I once worked at a company that met with representatives of each department before all-hands meetings to gain insights into what was on employees minds so their concerns could be addressed at the larger meeting.

• Asking your employees for feedback. Claffey suggested pulse surveys as an efficient way to give your employees a voice, capture real-time data and deliver it to the leadership team quickly and directly. Of course if you do conduct any employee survey, you’ve got to commit to act on it and provide feedback to the employees about the survey’s results. Otherwise it becomes a paperwork exercise and can erode trust.

Leader’s communication skills are critical to the success of any organization, but more so during this time of crisis. Workplaces have been disrupted because of COVID-19 as more employees are working from home and dependent on technology—as are other family members. Communication is key during these times. Even if employees are beginning to return to the workplace, communication continues to be important. It’s better for managers to over-communicate with everyone on the team than to under-communicate.

Building Resilience

Life happens. Even in non-pandemic times, we face difficulties, and change of any kind can throw even the most adaptable of us. But this is different. Added to our usual life events, the changes required by the global pandemic have added a WOW factor that has shaken us all. I'm not sure about you, but I've discovered I need to be a bit more resilient.

The American Psychological Association defines resilience as "the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, tragedy, or significant sources of stress." Easier said than done, right? Here are some easy things we all can do:

• Have a strong support network of positive people who you can turn to for help -- even if it's just to listen to you on a Zoom call.

• Set life goals, then reward yourself when you reach them. Personal goal achievement builds self-confidence, which in turn builds resilience.

• Take care of yourself. When we're feeling stressed, many of us don't eat right or exercise. Do your best to keep your body strong, and don't overlook your mental health. Consider meditation, yoga, mindfulness, or prayer to keep centered.

• Do something for someone else. Not only will you be helping someone in need, you should get satisfaction from the experience, which will boost your overall well-being. 

• Look for ways to inject humor into your routine. Laughing is so good for us. It enhances oxygen intake, stimulating your heart, lungs and muscles, increases endorphins, cools down your stress response, and aids muscle relaxation. So remind yourself that enjoying a good chuckle can brighten your mood and help you deal with your challenges just a little better.

• Keep things in perspective and focus on the future as much as you can. Remember times when you faced a difficult situation and came through it.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who faced a lot of adversity and exhibited tremendous resiliency, said, "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, I lived through this horror, I can take the next thing that comes along."

And so can you.

What Do Top Workplaces Look Like?

Best workplace contests and surveys extend beyond Great Place to Work’s “World’s Best Workplaces.” Local surveys of workplaces likely take place in cities and states around the country, and New Mexico is no exception. The Albuquerque Journal partners with Energage of Philadelphia, PA to conduct an annual survey of top workplaces in the state. This year’s survey, which closed just before the first case of COVID-19 was reported in New Mexico, offers a unique insight from employee’s perspective. What makes an organization stand out in the eyes of its employees? No surprise to our readers – it’s being appreciated, challenged, coached, and invested in by their employer. These are qualities in an organization’s culture that management has to build authentically and deliberately. They are qualities that differentiate an organization. 

Doug Claffey, Founder of Energage, reported in a May 11, 2020 article in the Albuquerque Journal that “Energage has surveyed more than 20 million employees across 60,000 organizations over the past 14 years. We’ve learned that one of the things that matters most to employees — what truly motivates them — is feeling appreciated.” In the New Mexico survey, appreciation ranked only second to confidence in the direction that the organization was headed. 

Don’t be surprised to learn that appreciation far outranks pay, especially if you’re a manager. Claffey said pay is low on the list – and this has been trending for years. He suggests showing appreciation in the same way we do – offering a simple Thank You. “The simplest and sometimes the most effective form of appreciation is giving positive feedback or praise. “Thank you for your effort” or “You’re doing a really good job” goes a long way, whether delivered in person, electronically, or in a handwritten note.” As we say in The Manager’s Answer Book on page 91, a simple thank you may be all the recognition your employees need, and it’s cost effective as well.

There’s another point that Claffey makes that echoes our advice. “Managers are most familiar with their employees’ roles. Employees like to know their manager understands and values their contributions.” In The Manager’s Answer Book we talk about the importance of motivating employees. On page 89, we say, “Today’s workforce needs to know their work matters, so spend time with each staffer to educate them on the value their work brings to the organization.”

Recruitment and retention have important issues in organizations, and they are going to continue to be important. Employees and applicants will continue to look at the organization’s values and whether or not it demonstrates open-mindedness and innovation, their own ability to do meaningful work and make a contribution, and their own ability to develop and grow. Being a top workplace is more than how you rank in a survey. It’s how your organization’s culture and its climate impact your employees and your broader community.

The Real or Perceived Problem?

Shortly after The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook was published, Barbara and I were part of a panel discussion.  One of the panelists asked the audience if they thought it was the real problem or the perceived problem that was important. Her opinion: it was the perceived problem that mattered most. It was all we could do to not interrupt and were relieved when an audience member challenged her.

I thought of this recently when I was helping a company with an employee complaint. One of the senior leaders had insightful thoughts about the situation. He explained that the organization was undergoing many changes—changes to process and systems. This was leaving the door open for what he termed a plethora of perception. As hard as they tried to present information about the changes to the workforce—to present the reality—the leadership team was constantly checking in on what everyone’s perception of the situation was. But in the end, he said, you can’t undo perception. 

That’s so true, and perception often intersects with conflict. It doesn’t mean, however, that perception overrules real facts. We use an example in The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook about a restaurant owner responding to a customer’s complaint and drawing a conclusion about which staff member was at fault. He didn’t bother to get all the facts, and his conclusion was wrong. During this period of dealing with COVID-19, we are all likely hearing comments and opinions about other people’s actions. Here’s an example I read in the paper, a comment made about an observation in the grocery store. Is the woman buying face cream buying something that is really essential? My response: Maybe it is. You don’t have all the information. So don’t be quick to judge or form conclusions, especially in the workplace, and especially if you’re judging or drawing conclusions about co-workers. Remember, too, if you take action based on a conclusion that is not accurate, you are accountable for those actions you take.

Getting all the facts helps us to understand the problem we’re trying to solve or the conflict we are trying to resolve. Perceived facts are often rooted in assumptions and perceptions. Absent having all (or any of) the facts, assumptions are made and erroneous conclusions result. That’s why it’s critical to question, probe, and clarify—to get to the real problem.

Cornelia Gamlem

No April Fools Here

“Did you ask them, Jason, if they know why they have two ears and one mouth? It’s because they’re supposed to spend more time listening than talking,” said Ellen Cooper.

Jason Edison was delighting the networking group with a tale about intervening with a client who had two teams that couldn’t communicate with each other.  So they decided to form a committee of four people, two from each team, to try to solve the problem. Things went downhill from there. When Jason joined the committee’s first meeting, everyone was talking over each other and him. 

“First I had to whistle to get their attention. Then explain I’m a coach, not a referee,” he said. “Once I got control, I laid down some ground rules. No interruptions, especially when someone’s talking. Respect all viewpoints. Listen with an open mind.”

That’s the thing about conflict.  Often the people involved get embroiled in their emotions.  They don’t see issues clearly.  That’s where a third-party facilitator can move the conversation forward.  And Jason is a terrific facilitator, so I asked him what happened next. 

“I had each team appoint a spokesperson, then gave the first one a chance to state her team’s concern. Then I asked the other team’s spokesperson, ‘What did you hear her say?’ This allowed the receiver to summarize what was said from his viewpoint and gave the initial speaker the opportunity to confirm or clarify what she said.  Then, I reversed the process and the second spokesperson stated his team’s concern followed by summary and clarification. Before long we had a list of issues written down.”

“Now what?” said Ellen. “How are you going to resolve their concerns, Jason?”

“That’s the thing, I’m not. It’s their problem to solve. Someone said he liked the ground rules I set and asked if they’d work if both teams were brought together.”

“Sounds like they want to brainstorm, Jason,” I said.

“Exactly,” he said, explaining that the committee members will take the list of issues back to their respective teams. Once the teams review them, the committee will convene a meeting of both teams, communicating ground rules in advance and asking for agreement. 

• No interruptions.  
• Everyone should contribute an option to resolve the conflict, and all options are encouraged.
• Listen with an open mind. No criticizing.
• All options are written down. Nothing is discounted or ignored.
• Options will be evaluated at a separate meeting.

“The committee members asked me to facilitate the brainstorming session, which I agreed to do, provided everyone agreed to the ground rules. If all goes well, I’ll also facilitate the second meeting when they evaluate options. I’ll let you know what happens next month.” 

This discussion reminded the group of essential elements of managing conflict.  The parties involved 1) have to own it and have to solve the problem; 2) should create multiple options for resolution is important; and 3) separate the process of creating options and evaluating them. It was really timely, too, since April is Workplace Conflict Awareness Month.

Maryanne Robertson 

P. S. Who is Maryanne Robertson and why is she writing this post? If you missed our January newsletter, you can find out more about Maryanne at

http://makingpeoplematter.blogspot.com/2020/01/meet-maryanne-robertson.html.

March Madness

“Maryanne, got a minute? Another problem averted,” said a grinning Kyle, my employee relations manager. I motioned him to come in. 

“We’re approaching time for March Madness, the NCAA basketball tournament. Remember last year how we struggled to keep the staff focused on their work, since parts of the tournament take place during working hours, and productivity takes a hit.”

“If you’ve got a plan, I want to hear it,” I said. “I just read that during the weeks of the tournament, lost productivity from March Madness is estimated to cost businesses close to two billion dollars.”  

“Before I tell you my brilliant idea,” said Kyle, “I want to talk about office betting, sticky issue, I know. Even though we’ve a policy prohibiting gambling, you know, I’m sure, many departments here at Kings do have office pools, and have had them for years, and, well, we’ve kind of looked the other way.”

“You’re right, Kyle. And we’re not alone when it comes to office betting.  My friend Jason shared a story that adds fuel to the fire.  A company’s employees organized a significant pool that selected winners for each game and predicted the national championship. There was even a tie breaker to predict the final score. I think it cost $10 a bracket to join, and a lot of people did, so the pot was significant.”

“I don’t think anyone participates for the money—they do it for the fun and for the bragging rights if you win,” said Kyle. 

“Well, someone in the group must have seen it differently. The person who set up the pool and collected the money couldn’t produce the winnings.  The employees who lost money complained to HR. The thing is, this company had a strict no-gambling policy, and they did enforce it. HR reminded the complainers that everyone who participated violated the policy, and asked what they thought the company should do. That apparently was the end of it, at least as far as the company was concerned.”  

“Unbelievable,” said Kyle before explaining his idea—organize an office-wide pool with no cost to enter, and give winners in certain categories prizes—maybe gift cards or Kings-themed merchandise. This would get around the ethical or legal issues surrounding gambling on company property, but also create some buzz in the building.

He continued, “We can let people know that the monitors in the break rooms will be tuned to the games, but ask that they not live-stream games on their own devices.  And we can encourage people to wear team colors, and host tailgating parties in the cafeteria to add to the festive spirit. These ideas may not keep our productivity as high as usual, but should go a long way toward building morale.” 

“All great ideas, Kyle. Let’s advance them among our HR team, marketing, IT, and the Leadership Team. I want you to take the lead on this. You know, work is serious stuff, but there’s nothing wrong with lightening things up from time to time.”

Maryanne Robertson

Toys in the Workplace

In the 1980s, when I returned to college to complete my undergraduate degree, there was a professor from the business department who was often spotted walking across campus with a container of either wooden building blocks or Tinker Toys. He’d be headed to class where the subject that day was team building.  What an innovative—almost radical—idea we’d remark.  Think about it. Children learn through play, why not adults?

Workplaces in the 1980s probably weren’t ready for toys, but welcome to the 21st Century. With the introduction of gamification in corporate training—the process of applying gaming designs and concepts to learning sessions to make them more engaging and entertaining for employees—is opening up new markets for companies like Playmobil and Legos. 

A methodology called Lego Serious Play has emerged and found its way into corporate training, where a certified Lego Serious Play facilitator, brings a pile of Legos into a conference room and guides a team of employees through building exercises meant to spur new ideas and unlock imagination and innovation. The concept is based on research showing that our hands are connected to 70 to 80 percent of our brain cells. Let’s hear it for tactile learners. 

I read about this in a December 23, 2019 article by Jason Wilson in the Washington Post Magazine, entitled Playmobil’s Plan to Infiltrate your Workspace. Playmobil is getting ready to launch a product called Playmobil Pro—an innovative modelling system for professionals. The idea is to bring Playmobil figures into the workplace so employees can creatively role play, find new solutions, or bring theoretical discussions to life. The same toys you loved as a child help aid in prototyping, project management, creative workshops and more. 

According to Guy Stephens, a facilitator based near London who uses Lego Serious Play, using toys in corporate settings can have significant benefits. “It takes people to a deeper, more emotional level,” he explains. “There’s a level of empathy. It’s a much safer space to ideate.” 

Who said work can’t be fun and games? Bring some levity into your workplaces.  It will reduce stress and increase productivity and creativity.  

Loneliness at Work

Recently there’s been a lot of media focus on loneliness and work. In our fast-paced world, the attention on loneliness may not last, so let’s understand why this is extremely important at this time and beyond.

Cigna recently shared their research in the 2020 Report on America’s Loneliness Epidemic. It found that 61% of those surveyed were lonely at work. Surprisingly, 80% of Gen Z and 70% of Millennials said they are lonely.

Why should business leaders be concerned about a lot of lonely people out there? Because there are costs associated with it. The study found that lonely employees are five times more likely to take a day off work due to stress and are twice as likely to take sick days or consider quitting. 

Take a look at the Gallup 12 research that says that it is important for people to have a best friend at work. When people have a friend at work – someone with common interests to have lunch with and to connect with – they are less likely to be lonely and more likely to be productive. 

You can break the loneliness cycle in your workplace by fostering a more collaborative work environment. Consider ways to bring people together to problem solve or serve on cross-functional work teams giving them a chance to connect with people from other departments or functions. Encourage face-to-face communication by getting people moving – less texting, more walking over to talk to a coworker. Have no-texting Tuesdays.

Consider some ways to bring your employees together just to socialize:

• Monthly potluck lunches where everyone contributes a dish from a country that represents their heritage.  Food is a great way to bring people together.
• Speaking of food, assess common eating areas. Are they places where people can/want to go—places where they can sit with others, eat, and have a conversation? Encourage this and discourage grabbing something to eat and taking it to your desk to eat alone.
• Start a book club that meets during a monthly lunch break. It need not have a theme – whatever the group is interested in or organized around your industry. Either way, it’s a great way to socialize.
• Survey your team for ideas. For example, one organization found they had a lot of people who were training for a marathon, so they started a running club that spilled over to the weekends. When the employees ran the marathon, lots of their non-running coworkers went out to cheer them on and celebrated after it was over. 
• Start a mentoring program that encourages people to come together. Mentoring is a natural way to bring people together and has proven to be effective to help ward off loneliness at work.
• Consider doing some team building activities at each of your staff or all hands meetings. The more people know about each other as human beings, the easier it will be for them to connect.

Loneliness is something to be concerned about at work and in general. Connecting with remote employees is another challenge for a future blog.  For now, what can you do today to ensure that there are fewer lonely employees working for you?

Look Who’s on the Global Stage!

My Asian adventure continues. In December 2006, I was part of a delegation of HR professionals that travelled to China through the People to People program.  The trip took us to Beijing and Shanghai where we visited businesses, including Lenovo and Texas Instrument, universities, and the Ministry of Personnel of The People’s Republic of China.  

Entering the Ministry and taking part in the presentations and discussion was surreal.  It’s primary function is human capital development in the public sector—Chinese civil servants and employees at institutions providing social and service delivery functions, such as schools, research facilities, and medical centers.  We learned about its role in the transition of China from a planned to a market economy.  

At Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management in Beijing, we exchanged ideas about HR and management issues.  The faculty discussed their research on evolving business and management strategies and the emerging role for HR in China. Most of us in the delegation were surprised when a young and very assertive female Assistant Professor commented, "We encourage our old people to retire.” It was in response to a question regarding concern over losing institutional knowledge and experience. What we learned was that as China emerges from decades of a planned economy, they are suffering from a loss of talent, especially middle management.  What young managers and professionals lack most are experienced mentors.  Our take away from that discussion was their need for management training with an emphasis on middle management. Many of us in the delegation saw a big opportunity in that area.

Fast forward to February 2020.  Last week Barbara and I were each absolutely surprised and delighted to receive a very unexpected package in the mail.  Our publisher sent us presentation copies of the translation of The Manager’s Answer Book into Chinese and The Big Book of HR into Vietnamese. We knew that they sold the foreign rights to our books, and we knew The Big Book of HR had sold in countries such as Brazil, Germany, Spain, U.K., France, Australia, India, Mexico, Japan, Canada and Italy.  But to see it translated into two Asian languages—that was beyond our wildest expectations.

Looking back on that December 2006 afternoon at Tsinghua University, I’m delighted to be able to fill a part of that need for middle management training in China with The Manager’s Answer Book.

Cornelia Gamlem

When Love is in the Air at Work

“Oh, Maryanne. It was so awkward. I was so afraid they were going to see me.”

“Calm down, Allison,” I said to my friend, a young professional I’ve been mentoring. She was telling me that while she was on a date last weekend—a nice romantic dinner—she spotted two people from work, and there was nothing casual about the dinner they were having. 

“I spotted them across the room on our way in, and fortunately, the maître d’ escorted us into a smaller, more private room. Dave is so romantic,” she sighed, changing the subject for a moment.  “Anyway, they were holding hands and only had eyes for each other, which I guess was good for me.”

“I hope it didn’t spoil your date,” I said smiling. 

“It didn’t, but I know I’ve got to tell my boss tomorrow when he gets back from his trip. It’s tricky because the woman reports to the man she was with, and he heads up a significant line of business, and she manages one of the important projects. Is it an ethics violation if they’re married to other people and dating? Could we fire them for that?”

I knew this was a challenge for Allison. Her family was a close-knit one. Her grandparents just celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary. I had to frame this as a business problem for her.

“Allison, look at your policies and the situation. You’ve told me your company has no restriction on dating. And whether or not anyone agrees with their behavior or morality on a personal level, it’s not necessarily a violation of business ethics. It doesn’t sound like there’s been a work-related issue until now. If there’s the perception that she’s receiving preferential treatment from him because of their reporting relationship and personal involvement, that could have a big impact.”

“What if anyone else has seen them?”

“Good point, Allison.  And let me say, they’ve not exercised good judgment by appearing in public while trying to keep this relationship secret. Why don’t you suggest to your boss that they be made a part of the solution?  I’m sure they are aware that their personal relationship was bound to have an effect at work. There may be a solution that you’re not aware of. I’m sure there are a number of options that can be explored.”  That seemed to relieve a little of Allison’s anxiety.

As I ended the call and took off my headset, I took a deep breath to clear my head. It's never black and white when you're dealing with people. There are always shades of grey, and managing in that grey zone is the biggest challenge.

Maryanne Robertson

P. S. Who is Maryanne Robertson and why is she writing this post? If you missed our January newsletter, you can find out more about Maryanne at

http://makingpeoplematter.blogspot.com/2020/01/meet-maryanne-robertson.html.

I Just Can’t Stop

It was a plea for help. A letter seeking workplace advice after the writer was placed on a performance improvement plan, and he knew the cause of his problem.  This employee often stays up very late at night watching sports, then has difficulty getting to work at 7:00 am the next morning for the start of an early shift. He exacerbates this habit by listening to sports radio all day. The advice that was offered—find a new job or a new hobby or habit.  What? While interesting, the advice doesn’t address the problem.

I’m not a therapist, so I can’t diagnose the problem, even if I suspected some sort of addiction may be involved. It was clear, however, the employee was not in denial.  He acknowledged he couldn’t stop his behavior.  If the problem had been presented to me, I would have asked, “Does your organization have an Employee assistance program?” 

Employee assistance programs, or EAPs, are a tremendous resource for organizations.  An EAP professional can help employees with problems affecting their lives and work and can help managers by assessing a situation and preparing them to address the problem with the employee so the outcome is positive for everyone. 

Of course, in the situation described above, the employee was aware that he had a problem.  That makes it easier to steer him in the right direction. Let him know that the EAP is a resource and explain how to contact them. 

However, that’s not always the case.  An employee may be in denial. Then what’s a manager to do?

Describe the behavior, to both the EAP professional and the employee, in detailed terms. Be specific about the behavior that is causing concern. Provide the employee explicit, quantifiable facts that are hard to refute. For example, “On Monday, you yelled at your co-worker in a tone of voice that was threatening. Several co-workers witnessed and reported it.” This helps to break through the employee's denial that a problem exists, and lets the employee know that you have noticed something. At this point you can offer the EAP as a resource.

When you’re speaking with the employee, keep in mind that you are not a therapist or healthcare provider. Avoid diagnosing the root of the problem. Leave this to the professionals. Your job is to focus on maintaining proficiency and productivity of your department.