Can Free Beer Motivate an Employee?

Another update from the Jungle…
Justin owns a company that has been stagnating during the past year. They make enough money to stay in business but haven’t been able to expand into new markets. At first, the lack of growth was fine with his staff because they were working through a back log of orders.

Now the back log is gone and employees are bored and disenchanted. They want pay raises, better opportunities for promotions, and a new ping pong table in the break room. They also want free lunches every day and free beer at the weekly office meeting on Fridays. Justin’s not convinced that free food and beer will motivate his staff to be more creative in a way that’s good for the company’s bottom line.

A few months back, Justin divided his employees into teams to work on different projects but the teams seem to be in a rut. Last week, one team was busy shooting spit wads at the conference room’s whiteboard (to see if they’d stick to a slick surface) instead of brainstorming ideas for new services. Justin got the team back on track (he confiscated all the paper in the conference room) but he was furious about the wasted time.

Justin worries that some of his best people will leave for higher pay and better benefits packages at larger competitors. He’s already lost two key people who were lured to greener pastures. Now Justin’s sitting at home sipping some single malt scotch and wondering what he can do to motivate his employees.

What are Justin’s options?

He can buy more toys for the break room and a keg of beer for the Friday meetings. But that’s rewarding a lack of productivity by his employees.
He can offer incentive programs, such as a bonus, to any employee who dreams up a new service offering that can increase revenue. This may not offer gratification to employees quickly enough since they could not receive the bonus until the new service proved marketable.
He can reorganize the teams and the projects they work on, hopefully rejuvenating the employees and their creative processes.

In the actual incident, the employer decided to reorganize the teams to provide new challenges for the employees. As added benefits his employees were cross-trained so that it was easy to replace employees who left and this created a promotion track for the retained employees.

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How Did I Get Into This Mess?

Another update from the Jungle…
Veronica has been feeling a bit down lately as she drives to work. As the HR manager for her company, she’s in charge of the plans for the company’s annual employee picnic. She’s tried delegating this responsibility but gave up when the employees she asked threatened to quit rather than get stuck with the job.

Veronica understands why they refused to help. The company picnic is not fun. Younger employees think pie eating contests are disgusting and they don’t care about activities for kids because they don’t have children. Alcohol was banned two years ago (for reasons that can’t be discussed because the lawyers are still sorting out liability for the “proximate cause” of certain alleged injuries). Older workers are simply disenchanted and the ones with marketable skills are bailing out as fast as they can update their resumes.

Veronica understands that, too. She tried for years to bridge the gap between the employees and the company owners. The owners refer to their employees as “talent” when talking to investors and other outsiders but they treat their workers like talentless twits. They micromanage all aspects of the workplace and have a well-developed snitch system for obtaining reports on “disloyalty”. The owners disguise their apparent contempt for their employees by insisting on annual gruesome rituals like the company picnic.

Unfortunately, this year a possible riot is brewing. Employees recently learned that the company gets a cut of the money collected from the vending machines in the break room. The owners have been using that money to cover the costs of the company picnic, meaning the employees are paying for their own company picnic.

What are her options?

She can meet with the company owners to explain the mood of employees and ask them to cancel the picnic or to approve a budget to do something special this year.
She can do the minimum necessary to stage the picnic and expect that even fewer employees will show up than did last year.
She can polish up her resume and discreetly market her services to other companies with better employment practices.

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Not Quite Good Enough

Another update from the Jungle…
Shelly owns a small company that is growing rapidly now that the economy as a whole has perked up. She’s hired several new employees and is pleased with how well they are doing. She just promoted one of the new hires, Zach, to a management position that makes him her second in command. She hopes to take a real vacation this year now that she has someone dependable to cover for her.

Shelly would love to celebrate her good fortune but there’s a fly in the ointment. Claudia was the first employee Shelly hired. Claudia is detail-oriented and in many ways, she is responsible for Shelly’s success because she did all the tedious, time-consuming work in the office. That freed up Shelly’s time to market the company and increase sales.

Unfortunately, what worked for a small, new business isn’t working so well now. Claudia wants to use old record-keeping methods that are no longer efficient for the company. It takes her forever to complete specific tasks and co-workers are complaining about Claudia’s slow pace is slowing them down.

Claudia feels threatened by the others, particularly Zach, who is now making decisions that she and Shelly used to make together. Claudia feels like her contributions are ignored and it’s obvious she’s afraid she’ll be replaced. Shelly sympathizes because she knows what she owes to Claudia but she also sees Claudia’s limitations. The fact is that Claudia isn’t quite good enough; her skills don’t match what the company needs.

Shelly’s been struggling for months to figure out what to do about Claudia. Shelly no longer has time to spend hours helping Claudia agonize over every decision or listening to her complain about Zach. Shelly never realized how whiny Claudia can be and her patience is wearing thin.

What are her options?

She can fire Claudia and give her a huge severance package as a going away present. A couple of glasses of wine will ease Shelly’s qualms about doing what needs to be done for the good of the business.
She can hire an HR manager and delegate responsibility to listen to whiny employees, like Claudia. After all, why else would a boss hire an HR manager?
She can create a job specific to Claudia in recognition for Claudia’s contribution to the success of the company, but that shunts her aside so that she doesn’t slow down co-workers.

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He’s Great at Sales, Lousy With People

Another update from the Jungle…
Helen handles HR issues for her company. She has an open door policy to encourage employees to talk to her because it’s a great way to take the pulse of the workforce. If bad (or she can only hope, good) things are happening, she’ll hear about it before it first.

For several months now, she’s been hearing disturbing news through the grapevine about Sam. He’s the leading salesman for the company and he won last year’s salesman of the year award. The company owners and his immediate supervisor love him because he’s boosted company sales noticeably. But his co-workers hate Sam.

Sam talks loud, usually over the conversation of others, because he always wants to be the center of attention. He is rude to lower level co-workers unless he wants their help; although he never acknowledges their help when praise is handed out. His comments to female co-workers are often outrageous but can’t really be labeled sexist since his comments to male co-workers are often outrageous, too. There’s a rumor going round that some of the women are pricing deadly weapons and bidding on the chance to administer the attitude adjustment to Sam.

In short, Sam is great at his job but the collateral damage he causes to office morale makes Helen wonder if he’s really worth the hoopla. Yesterday, Sam yelled at the sales department’s administrative assistant who then hid in the bathroom to cry. This morning, before Helen finished her first cup of coffee, the admin assistant’s in her office complaining about Sam.

What are Helen’s options?

She can meet with Sam to explain (again) that the company has a no-bullying policy and won’t tolerate his behavior. Since that hasn’t worked before, she’s mentally reserving the right to join the women’s bidding pool on the attitude adjustment.
She can ask Sam’s supervisor to join her and Sam for the meeting to discuss the progressive disciplinary action that needs to be taken.
She can research the cost of hiring an executive coach who can help Sam learn to play well with others and then submit the proposal to the owners and Sam’s supervisor for approval.

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Non-Conformists Get Results.

Another update from the Jungle…

Have you ever worked for someone who was more interested in following the rules than in getting results? In these organizations initiative is not rewarded and non-conformists are quickly shown the door.

In World War II, one of our more interesting generals found his career side-lined by superiors who disliked his rule-breaking attitude. General Terry Allen was an Army brat and apparently never considered another career path for himself. His non-conformist attitude made him an oddity in a giant bureaucracy like the Army. He was a mediocre student at West Point and flunked out of the program. He later earned a college degree and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1912.

His Army career would have been completely forgettable without war. In World War I, Terry Allen proved he was personally brave and able to inspire his troops. He got results. That earned him a place in the downsized Army between the two world wars even though he offended many with his breaches of military etiquette. For example, he was careless about his appearance and allowed everyone, including subordinates, to call him by his first name.

In WWII, General Allen commanded the U.S. 1^st Infantry Division (the “Big Red One”) in the invasions of North Africa and Sicily. His troops fought well but some spit and polish officers claimed he had ruined the Big Red One by failing to enforce discipline. These officers eventually engineered his removal from the Big Red One by blaming General Allen for the bad results in a battle he did not plan. Their criticism apparently stung because General Allen became a stickler for discipline after he was transferred from command of the 1^st Division. His career was never as brilliant after he became a conformist.

General Allen knew that smooth operations require following rules but that the rules should never be blindly followed if that stands in the way of the results. The same principle is important in private companies when they design their human resources policies. Every company needs HR rules so that employees know what is expected of them. However, the rules should be the minimum necessary to ensure the company runs smoothly and should never become a burden on management or employees.

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Plan First, Improvise Later.

Another update from the Jungle…

No plan survives first contact with the enemy. This military maxim is credited to many famous military leaders, including Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Rommel was famous for improvising on the battlefield. But he always started with a plan.

In World War II, Rommel led the Africa Corps in what is now eastern Libya as it attacked British forces in Egypt. In every battle, Rommel’s forces were outnumbered by the British troops they were attacking. That meant that Rommel needed to make real-time changes to his plan of attack as the battle developed in order to exploit weaknesses in the enemy line. He was remarkably successful at it.

Rommel’s true improvisational skills were demonstrated at the battle of El Alamein. Rommel designed a plan to attack the British forces in Egypt. The ultimate goal of the plan was to defeat the British and advance to the oil fields in Iraq. Before Rommel’s plan could begin, the British forces attacked with overwhelming numbers and equipment. (The British had broken German military codes using Enigma and knew of Rommel’s plan.)

The Africa Corps was overwhelmed and fell back toward Libya. Rommel continuously fashioned makeshift defensive lines to save his troops from destruction. Ultimately, he was successful but it was the beginning of the end for the Axis powers in North Africa.

So what does all this mean for your company? Every company faces crises and no matter how well your company plans, an actual crisis will always present new problems that were not covered in the crisis plan. The key is to have a plan and then to improvise real-time solutions from that plan as the crisis develops.

Think back to the Great Flood of 2010. Thousands of businesses were literally under water and they lacked a plan (a disaster plan and a business continuity plan) to handle the crisis. Meanwhile, businesses with a disaster plan and a business continuity plan could improvise a solution in real-time as the crisis developed. Companies with a plan were back in business while their unprepared competitors were still floundering.

If your company is struggling with HR issues, Corporate Compliance Risk Advisor can help you create HR policies that are appropriate for your company’s size and then serve as a resource to your staff as the policies are implemented. To learn more about Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in his own words look at The Rommel Papers, edited by Sir Basil Liddell-Hart (WWII exploits) and Infantry Attacks (WWI exploits). Among his many biographies is Knight’s Cross, by David Fraser (1993).

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Another Angle on Employee Performance.

Another update from the Jungle…

Annual performance reviews often cause a spike in anxiety and disgruntlement. No one likes completing the forms and few enjoy the results. Worse is that annual reviews provide only a once-a-year snapshot of an employee’s performance. Instead of the annual forms, grading employees on a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 10, consider switching to a process of constant feedback.

Constant feedback is not a new idea. One of my favorite practitioners of this method was General Robert T. Frederick. In World War II he commanded a joint U.S.-Canadian unit called the First Special Service Force (the Force) which fought in North Africa and Italy.

General Frederick set high standards of performance because the Force was an experiment in unconventional warfare. To ensure that his standards were met, he provided constant feedback to his officers and men. In 1944 while fighting in Italy he developed a unique method for assessing their performance.

Before a battle, General Frederick would meet with his officers to review the plan of attack. After the meeting, General Frederick would leave the Allied line and infiltrate the ground to be attacked. From this vantage point, he would observe his troops as they attacked the enemy.

After the battle ended, General Frederick would rejoin his men for a debriefing. That’s when his subordinates received their performance reviews. Any officer not leading from the front could expect an unfavorable review. Any officer or enlisted man who showed initiative during the attack could expect to earn a commendation and often a recommendation for a bravery medal.

Of course, no one needs to go to war to emulate the feedback method practiced by General Frederick. Consider switching from the annual performance review to providing constant feedback that is tied to particular projects or activities at your company. Better informed employees will be more effective in meeting the company’s goals.

If your company is struggling with HR issues, Corporate Compliance Risk Advisor can help you create HR policies that are appropriate for your company’s size and then serve as a resource to your staff as the policies are implemented. For more information on the management style of General Frederick (and the escapades of the Force), look at The Devil’s Brigade, by Robert H. Adleman and George Walton (1969) or The Black Devil Brigade, by Joseph A. Springer (2001).

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Improving Morale While Lowering Costs.

Another update from the Jungle…
Doug is the plant manager of a factory that makes car parts. His boss transferred him from a nearby facility with instructions to improve operations and lower costs at the factory. It didn’t take Doug long to figure out that the high costs were due to low employee morale and a high incidence of on-the-job injuries.

Some of the worker compensation claims defy common sense. One worker wrenched his ankle after ignoring warning signs and walking across newly laid floor tiles before the glue had set. Another employee lost a finger in a machine because he ignored the safety protocols for using the machine.

Doug hopes to simultaneously increase safety, reduce worker comp claims and improve employee morale. First, he wants to create a new safety training program. Then he wants to implement a drug-free workplace program. This program will have the added benefit of lowering premiums on the worker comp policy through the mandatory discount offered to companies with drug-free workplace programs.

Doug knows that safety training and a zero tolerance for drugs are only the beginning. He believes morale will improve when employees realize they can get bonuses and wage rises by improving safety. But he must also revise the factory’s HR policies to reflect a more enlightened approach of rewarding good behavior rather than punishing bad behavior. All the changes will contribute to a rise in productivity. Doug knows he needs help to accomplish all these ambitious goals.

What should Doug do next?

He should ask his insurance agent what steps he needs to take to implement the new drug-free workplace program. One of those steps must include identifying a company certified to administer the drug-testing.
He should hire an OSHA-certified trainer to teach the new safety classes.
He should outsource the task of revising the HR policies since he lacks the on-site HR staff to handle this responsibility.

The above scenario is based on actual worker comp claims. If your company is struggling with similar issues consider the following resources. USA Mobile Drug Testing of Nashville can help administer a drug-free workplace program. Corporate Compliance Risk Advisor can help create HR policies and procedures appropriate for your company’s size.

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Flying Solo.

Another update from the Jungle…
Doris is the HR director for her company. She’s studied diligently to obtain several certifications from SHRM and she goes to plenty of training seminars, and not just because she needs the HRCI credits. She genuinely wants to learn so that she can help her company avoid employee problems.

But sometimes Doris wishes she had a colleague at her company to help with HR questions, especially when she can’t find answers to her questions. She misses her co-workers from her old job, even the obnoxious self-absorbed ones, because at least there was someone with whom she could share the responsibility for ensuring the company “stayed legal”.

Now when she has HR questions, she has to do all the research herself. She starts with the resources available on the SHRM website. If she can’t find answers to her HR questions in those resources, she uses the on-line HR library provided free by the insurance broker that sold her company a group health plan. Most insurance brokers offer on-line HR resources such as Zywave/MyWave or HR360.

The on-line HR materials provide general information but not always the details to answer her questions. These are the days when Doris wishes that she had a colleague to help her puzzle her way to an answer.

What are Doris’ options?

She can continue going it alone, occasionally asking a question on SHRM’s on-line forum for HR professionals.
She can ask the insurance broker’s staff for assistance, but they look at the same on-line resources as her. Or they may ask the insurer’s compliance staff for help if her question relates to the group health plan.
She can consult an employment law attorney but she’s usually asking questions involving established law; not asking a question that requires legal advice.

The above scenario represents dozens of situations faced by my company. As an HR consultant to an insurance broker, I helped their employer-clients understand established legal issues related to their employees. This often meant helping their HR people dig into the details of employment law regulations. If a question could not be answered based on established law, I referred the client to an employment law attorney. If you’re the solo HR representative for your company, Corporate Compliance Risk Advisor can help.

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Once Upon A Time…

Another update from the Jungle….
Once upon a time there was a diligent manager named Vera who decided she needed an assistant. After an arduous interviewing process, she hired Sandy who showed poise during the interview, enthusiasm for the opportunity, and who had years of experience. They agreed that Sandy’s regularly scheduled hours would begin at 8 am.

Sandy began her new job by organizing Vera’s messy filing system. The paper clutter went away; the electronic files could be navigated easily. Vera was overjoyed. It was like a fairy tale ending to the quest for an assistant. But Vera forgot that bad things happen in fairy tales before the happy ending.

Sandy couldn’t seem to get to work on time. After a week of running at least one hour late, Sandy admitted that she could not get to work by 8 am. She wasn’t a morning person and she was helping her widowed mother who had many health issues. Sandy said she could get to work by 9 am, so Vera agreed to change Sandy’s schedule.

Sandy never made it to work a single day by 9 am. She’d show up at 9:30 or 10 am. Vera scheduled another meeting to discuss attendance and told Sandy to pick a time between 8 am and 9 am as a start time. Sandy said she wanted to start at 9:30 am. Vera refused because company policy required employees to begin their work day at any time between 7 am and 9 am. During the entire conversation, Sandy rolled her eyes, heaved indignant sighs, and checked her smart phone. Sandy finally agreed to 9 am. The next day, Sandy was a no-show at 9 am.

What are Vera’s options?

She can put a fairy tale witch’s hex on Sandy so that the woman never works again.
She can instruct the HR department to terminate Sandy’s employment immediately based on insubordination and chronic tardiness. She can still personally do the hex thing.
She can ask the HR department to confirm the progressive discipline steps that must be followed before firing an employee.

In the actual incident, the employee quit before she could be fired for cause. (No hexes were invoked.) If your company is struggling with similar issues but lacks the HR staff to assist managers, Corporate Compliance Risk Advisor can help. Corporate Compliance Risk Advisor can create HR policies that are appropriate for your company’s size and then serve as a resource to your staff as the policies are implemented.

Join the HR Compliance Jungle today. Click here!

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	Mae on Halloween Horror
	Mae on Freedom from Rules
	Genie Herron on Where Is He?
	Norma Shirk on Whose Side Are You On?
	Pat Brewer Hairston on Whose Side Are You On?

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