Most importantly, it is important to know that kindness doesn’t cost a thing.  It can be a sincere compliment on a job well done.  Share a smile and a greeting to start the day.  And without a doubt, unkindness, such as harsh words, dismissiveness, and a lack of appreciation in all its many forms, cannot be tolerated.  While this sounds easy, 67% of employees report that they have experienced unkind behavior at work, at least once a week. (Civility in America Report, 2022).  As leaders, we must lead by example and publicly praise others when we witness simple acts of kindness; we set the tone.

Studies show that it isn’t just the right thing to do, it is the practical thing to do.  Gallup has reported that workplaces with a strong culture of kindness can see a 23% higher employee engagement and a 25% lower turnover.  Kindness is reported to contribute to a 51% increase in mental clarity (APA study, 2020).  Finally, companies with higher levels of workplace kindness report a 16% increase in profitability due to better teamwork and fewer conflicts. (SHRM, 2020).   That’s a real ROI that you can feel good about while making others feel good!

#5. Too many policies.

Policies provide guidelines, but it can be easy to let policies run the company at the expense of creativity, people, and even common sense. They fall in the same category as warning labels and directions on products – they can be helpful but are often overdone. I remember a comedian talking about the warning label on Preparation H, and his line was, “You realize, this means that at some point, somebody turned to his friend and said, ‘I wonder how this would taste on a cracker!’” Managers are often the culprits of too many policies because it is much easier to say, “the policy says that you can’t have personal things on your desk,” than to talk specifically to George about the questionable memento of his Las Vegas trip on his shelf.

#4. Too few policies.

Most leaders relate to feeling ‘hamstrung’ by a particular rule in a prior organization and, as a result, many let the pendulum swing too far to the other side and give up policies all together. When that happens, employees can become confused about exactly how to operate on very basic things (like vacation, working from home, taking an outside job) and productivity is lost to guessing. Additionally, federal and state governments require businesses to address some issues, and businesses that fail to do so become non-compliant.

The answer?

The solution to both #5 and #4 is to work with the team (or a subset of the team) to create some general operating guidelines. Be sure to define and communicate the overarching principle or belief behind the policy, rather than simply stating the ‘rule.’ Then, when situations come up in the future that are unclear, the principle can help management make decisions about when to bend and when to hold fast.

#3. Improperly evaluating risk.

One of the primary jobs of HR is to manage risk, but not all risks are equal, and the real issue lies in the costs and complexities of mitigation. Big or little, if the risk is easy to mitigate, then, by all means, mitigate! But sometimes, mitigation of the risk comes at a cost to the culture of the organization or the business goals. For example, there is a risk to providing different levels of pay to people doing the same job; however, especially in a small organization, it may be critical to retain people who perform at varied levels in the job while being inadvisable to give them separate titles. In this case, it may make very good business sense to pay the same position differently.

The answer?

1. Be crystal clear on the potential for the risk to occur. People typically do not sue us because they were treated illegally – they sue because they perceive that they were treated unfairly. Are we treating people unfairly? Or fairly but differently?

2. Be certain there is a business reason to undertake the risk. It’s a good idea to bounce that business reason off of a confidential, objective third party. Do they see the situation in the same way?

3. Understand the consequences if the risk does occur. For example, many companies take risks in the area of exempt vs. non-exempt classification either because they do not understand the issue or they think none of their employees would ever “do” anything. My advice to these companies is uniformly that the potential of the risk to occur might be small, but the consequences are huge. Wage and hour issues can eliminate profits and even shut companies down. In this case, however small the likelihood, the consequence is simply too great to take the chance.

#2. Separating “HR” from the business.

Some business leaders I talk with view HR tasks almost as a stand-alone island and don’t consider how the HR practices support or hinder the business model. Even something as simple as a payroll cycle can be considered within the context of the business. For example, how will our chosen cycle impact our cash flow? What kinds of skills do we need for the business we do, and how do those people prefer to be paid? What is our likely turnover rate? If we have a high-burnout position, do we need specific pay practices to mitigate the administrative issues? As we move from payroll cycle questions into more strategic issues, it is critical to integrate HR questions into the mix. What kinds of bonus plans will help reward the behavior we seek? How will employees know they are succeeding…or not?

The answer?

When small to mid-sized businesses do not have an HR executive on the leadership team, the responsibilities typically fall to someone who already is wearing many hats. It is critical for that individual to take the HR component of his or her job seriously and seek out assistance to make sure he or she is asking the right questions and helping align the people initiatives with the business plan. Organizations like www.shrm.org can provide helpful insight.

#1. Refusing to treat employees as adults.

To paraphrase Col. Jessup in A Few Good Men, most of us can handle the truth, but we’re afraid to talk about it. We know when we’re not performing or when business is down but actually telling someone that he is not performing or that she is going to lose her position if we don’t see an increase in business is very painful. Often, we “ostrich” and attempt to ignore the problem in the hope that it will go away. Maybe business will pick up? Maybe George will improve his performance? Maybe aliens will kidnap us so we won’t have to have the conversation?

The answer?

Life is not for the faint of heart. There are tough messages to deliver and sometimes situations don’t work out the way we’d like, but ignoring or sugar coating the situation never works. Instead, share as many of the facts as you can and encourage employees to participate in the solution. Sure, some of them may dissolve into puddles like the Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West, but most of them won’t… and you may find they have answers to questions you didn’t even know to ask.

About the Greenville Chamber’s Small Business of the Month Program

The Greenville Chamber recognizes an extraordinary small business at each monthly board meeting. The Small Business of the Month is chosen by a selection committee from nominations provide by Greenville Chamber members. The Chamber’s annual small business of the year is selected from the year’s small businesses of the month. The Small Business of the Month presenting sponsor is Charter Business. Nominations can be made at http://www.greenvillechamber.org/small-business-of-the-month.php.

About the Greenville Chamber

The Greenville Chamber, now in its 125th year of operation, is the largest business organization in Upstate South Carolina. The Chamber’s vision is to build one of the premier business communities in the world by driving economic growth and prosperity, serving as an advocate for business interests, training future leaders and facilitating the workforce of tomorrow. For more information, visit www.greenvillechamber.org or call 864-242-1050.

Now, to this image of the surfer, add a stick in each hand and one on her nose upon each of which rests a spinning plate. Her job is to ride the wave while balancing the sticks and keeping the plates – family, career, children, education, health, financial management — spinning. Now you have a good metaphor for a woman in the housing market and, perhaps, a fear that as that woman, you are headed for a wipe out! How, then, does anyone make it work successfully? The truth is that there is no one right answer, but the seemingly –dissimilar acts of surfing and plate spinning have three principles in common that point us in the right direction, focus, balance and the ability to let go.

Focus. A successful surfer must block out everything except the feel of the board under her feet and the rhythm of the water. You can do anything but you cannot do everything, and you can do many things, but you cannot do them all at the same time. Last Thursday, when driving down a city street in Dallas, Texas, I happened to glance into the cars on either side at the stop light. On the left, was a man, with earbuds in his ears, doing – I am not making this up – a Sudoku puzzle book with a pen. On the right was a woman, earbuds in her ears, talking rapidly into the phone and putting on makeup. Oh, and both of these people were allegedly also driving! In a world where multitasking has risen to an art form, focus seems archaic – but it is the only way anything actually gets done.

1. 1. Make a list of the top three things that you must do professionally tomorrow. Now make a list of the top three things you must do personally.
2. 2. Schedule in those items for tomorrow tonight. Write or type them into your calendar with times for getting them done – and block off those times for other meetings or phone calls. Close out email and turn off text notifications. And consider doing the one you dislike the most first.

Balance. Plate spinning is an art. Ask any circus performer how she keeps all of the plates spinning simultaneously while perched precariously on tall slender sticks, and she’ll tell you, “It’s a delicate balance. Each plate must spin fast enough but not too fast, and you have to pay enough attention to all but not too much to any particular one.” What does this mean for you?

1. 1. Start slow. Successful plate spinners don’t start out with five or six plates. First they practice with one, and then add another, and another. In our lives, the plates we spin are things like jobs, clients, children, partners, bosses, health challenges… the list goes on.
2. 2. Shift intensity. While we cannot usually put one on hold to manage another, we can balance the intensity we have with each one. Work piling up? Schedule two long days in the next five and reward yourself by working reasonable hours the other three. Family dinner impossible? How about picking one meal a week and focus on creating a ritual (homemade pancakes, DIY sandwiches) for that one? Friends giving you guilt trips because you haven’t gotten together? Set up a quarterly lunch and try to send a quick text once a week.

Let Go. Try too hard at surfing and you’ll become rigid, overcorrect and fall. Gripping those sticks under the plates too firmly will upset the momentum and they’ll crash. Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply relax and let go.

1. 1. Traffic jams, planes get delayed, people get sick and clients cancel. The next time something changes your schedule, rather than scrambling to fix things, consider whether an opportunity has just opened up. Does the traffic jam give you time to plan out a marketing approach you hadn’t considered? Is there someone in the airport you should meet?
2. 2. You can only control two things – how you invest your time and how you choose to react. You cannot even control your own thoughts! (Don’t believe me? How many times today did a thought run through your mind without your permission?) Despite popular phrases, you cannot save, buy or make time. You can only spend it. How can you make the most of this minute at this time – regardless of where you are or what circumstances surround you?

Surfers love the waves, the water, the challenge and the feeling they get when it all comes together. Circus performers spin plates to entertain and fascinate and their reward is the amazement and applause the audience gives back when they do the “impossible.” What about you? Remember why you’re in “the game” in the first place then focus, balance, let go … and listen to the cheers from your fans!

Disclaimer – my company provides outsourced HR services. However, I’ll be the first to tell you that outsourcing is absolutely NOT the right answer for every company; and, even when it DOES make sense, considering carefully which outsourcing firm with whom to partner is essential.

Size matters. Companies between ten and fifty employees are perfect candidates for outsourcing the entire HR function while those over fifty employees may want to consider having a generalist in house and outsourcing additional support. Good services – whether in-house or external – come with a price; but the services (and billing) of an outsourcer are typically less expensive per employee per service and come with greater flexibility.

Want it your way? Remember the old Burger King commercials touting customized burgers? (I never understood why “holding the pickles” was so special!) The outsourcing model depends on economies of scale which implies lower levels of customization than might be available in house. For many businesses, this situation is perfect because there is little need for routine customization, but if this description doesn’t fit you, you will not be happy with most outsourced models. Of course, all HR outsourcers work to please their clients, and many firms offer levels of customized service, so if you think HR outsourcing might work for your company, be sure to interview several companies and ask specifically about how much individual attention you will receive.

Think local. Technology seduces us into thinking all businesses can be global, but your HR outsourcer needs to be nearby. My company handles global clients in its education and coaching practice areas, but our HR business is limited to companies with headquarters in South Carolina and, preferably, concentrated in the Upstate. Why? We established this limit through experience. We attempted to serve clients several states away and were reminded of something very important. People do business with, for and through the efforts of other people — who need communication. Not just an email, text or phone call, but face-to-face communication.

What are you solving for? If you are considering outsourcing your HR functions, clarify what you hope to gain? Do you want to reduce costs, improve efficiency, increase compliance, eliminate headaches or something else? Remember the old adage, “Faster, Better, Cheaper – Pick Any Two?” The same thing applies to HR outsourcing. There are trade-offs in any situation, so it is crucial that you and the potential outsourcer understand your hot buttons well before any agreements are signed.

Is HR Outsourcing in your future for 2015? One thing needs to be true – if you are going to DIY, be prepared for a lot of reading this year, starting with the next column!

Even if you think HR is exciting, job descriptions could never been described as sexy or exotic documents! However – especially in 2015 – well-written, accurate job descriptions that are actively used are key to navigating upcoming regulatory changes. Job descriptions are definitely the new black – something every organization really needs to have.

One key regulation with proposed new rules is the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA is the regulation that determines which positions are entitled to overtime and the minimum amount a salaried person must make to be exempt from overtime. In March of 2014, President Obama requested that this regulation be updated to consider current wage levels and types of white collar positions – heralding the most dramatic changes to the law in 40 years. Regardless of your industry, it is likely that the results of these regulation changes will affect you and your business.

Your best preparation? To ensure you are doing no more or no less than you need to, it is crucial to document both the essential functions and the key results expected of a particular job, along with the approximate percentage of time spent in these essential functions and the physical requirements necessary to perform them.

What steps should you take?

1. Make sure you have a job description for each position and that it accurately reflects what someone performing that job does all day (or night).

2. Clearly define what kinds of decisions the job incumbent expected to make and what key results he or she must produce.

3. Revisit the number of hours it takes to perform the job correctly – especially if you currently do not pay overtime for this position. While the proposed new rules are not published at time of this writing, it is likely that more positions will be eligible for overtime, not fewer. If you are expecting a position to work more than 40 hours per week on a routine basis, you may be looking at significant overtime pay if you do not restructure the position.

4. Include physical requirements of the job including attendance. In an age where telecommuting and virtual work are common, if your position requires attendance during specific hours or at a specific place, be certain that those requirements are clearly defined and supported expected results.

5. Don’t procrastinate. Much like cleaning closets, fundamental HR tasks do not get easier when you put them off. Schedule time to dust off those job descriptions and get them into shape this spring. When the new proposed rulings come out, you’ll be able to relax and know that your HR style is completely compliant!

Your social media policy, (you have one, right?) likely says something about confidentiality, not accessing social media during working hours, and not posting derogatory or embarrassing comments about you as an employer. Okay, but…. Do working hours include breaks or lunch hours? What about the employee who says she has a right to free speech? If my sales person is connected through Facebook or Linked In with our customers and quits, how do those connections impact the non-compete agreement? Even if I can answer all of these questions, how — with increasingly effective smartphone apps, telecommuting and 24-hours access – do I, as an employer, enforce these laws?

My answer may surprise you – as an HR professional, I recommend you embrace social media and enter into an open and evolving dialogue with your employees that focuses on the following issues.

Defining boundaries specific to your organization and even to positions within the organization. There is no “one-size-fits-all” policy for social media in the workplace. Do you have client privacy issues? Are you an executive with the firm or an entry-level employee? Is there already a fraternization policy in place or are there other ethical restrictions (e.g. teachers may not contact, students, families of students or former students whom they have taught in the last 5 years). Consider focus groups to involve employees in identifying concerns unique to your company and to solicit ideas on how to monitor and enforce policies.

Encouraging positive uses of social media. Can you create a closed Facebook group for your employees to post suggestions, comments or best practices on particular issues? Can employees link to or follow corporate social media pages for your company? Do you have a corporate blog to which staff can submit approved posts?

Being specific in your policies surrounding use. Is it okay to check social media during working time? If so, how often or for how long? If not, how is “working time” defined and does it include breaks? Are there “personal technology free” zones (e.g. meetings, client visits, etc.) where cell phones, laptops and tablets must be put away? Have you included social media posts in your harassment and discrimination policy?

Revising often. The first decision regarding social media and termination was released less than 3 years ago by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in September of 2012, and, due to a US Supreme Court ruling in 2014, many of the decisions made by the NLRB during that time frame may be under review.^2,3 The short answer is: There is no short answer. Be prepared to be flexible and act quickly as social media outlets change and laws are interpreted over the next several years.

Getting professional help. If no one on your staff is a social media subject matter expert, find one. Create a small team to attend trainings or speak with a knowledgeable attorney or other specialist. Talk about what you are trying to accomplish with your policy and procedures – whether it is productivity, confidentiality, legal protection or something else.

The bottom line: Be honest about your concerns, be open to ideas and get your staff involved in solutions. Managing social media, by definition, cannot be a one-person show. Oh, and feel free to ‘friend’ me on Facebook!

¹ Source: http://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/

² Source: http://www.natlawreview.com/article/nlrb-s-first-facebook-firing-decision-it-has-little-to-do-firings-facebook-posts-abo

³ Source: http://maximizesocialbusiness.com/us-supreme-court-case-impacts-social-media-employment-law-14559/

Some research organizations put employee disengagement at up to 70%!¹ While that number is often debated, three things are true. One, even if the correct number is only half the stated statistic, it means that about four out of every ten of your team members is not engaged in their job or your business. Two, the problem of a disengaged worker is at least 50% a leadership problem; and, three, disengagement is expensive.

At one extreme, workplace shootings are often perpetrated by people who have become not only disengaged but completely disenfranchised and are seeking meaning or release through violent or criminal means. Less obviously, recent studies have quantified the number for small businesses as over $2,000 per year per disengaged employee.²

Most people agree that employee engagement reduces turnover and absenteeism and increases creativity, problem-solving and discretionary effort. Did you know, however, that increased employee engagement can positively impact employee mental health… which can positively impact subsequent engagement… and so on?³

The first step to improving engagement is to take a look at company culture. Every company has a culture – but is it deliberate and is it the one you, as a leader, intend? Regardless of what your vision and mission statements say, consider these questions:

1. Where do you have the biggest problems with motivation and discipline? Does it require rules and write ups to get people to do the right thing?

2. When is the last time you did an anonymous survey to ask employees their opinions about the most important things in the company?

3. How often does your management team talk about what kind of culture is needed in your industry and organization to get the operational results you need? And how often do you take deliberate steps to shape your culture?

4. If someone was behaving in an unusual or negative way, how would the people in your company respond? Would anyone notice?

Once you have the answers (or at least a start) to these questions, it’s time to create an action plan to shape the culture you need. In my practice, we created the FEELTM (Five Essentials of Exceptional Leaders) approach to leadership concerns, and the first essential is to “create a vision” of the culture you want to have. What does it look like? How do people behave? Where does productive work happen? And, most importantly, how will I know that we have attained that culture?

Getting the answers to these questions early in 2016 – and then acting on them – just might get you to stop signing big checks for apathy and cashing ones for engagement instead.

The new year is a natural time to take stock of the current situation and create a plan to move things forward. I find the compensation budget goes a lot further in satisfying employees with a robust company culture on the side.

¹ Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2014/03/06/seventy-percent-of-workers-not-engaged-what-about-the-managers/

² Source: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/how-much-disengaged-employees-really-cost-you/

³ Source: http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/article-details/employee-engagement-closely-tied-to-health-and-wellbeing

You have been kidnapped! You stepped outside for air at a New Year’s Eve beach party and friendly pirates grabbed you and carted you off to their ship for a trip around the world. You’re going to be gone for a year – with no computer or cell phone! Egads! What will happen to your company? When you are, at last, released, what will you find the first Monday back?

Imagine that you could see your employees before they saw you. Would everyone be working steadily? Would they have built the clientele? Would your team be serving your customers in the way that you would have done? Would net profit have increased during the year? Been stable? Declined?

Multiple leadership factors would impact the scenario above, but the one we’ll dive into today is culture. One good definition of culture is the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company’s employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions.¹ A strong organizational culture is much more likely to sustain and to achieve stated goals than a weak culture — even if its values are questionable (think the Nazi regime). Paradoxically, while a strong culture can sustain even in the temporary absence of a leader, it takes dedicated leadership to build the culture in the first place.

In any organization, the only factor that cannot be copied by competitors is the unique mix of people in the organization at any given time. Many leaders focus on the product or service offered – attempting to out-innovate or out-perform the competition – and this focus is essential; however, it cannot come to the detriment of the focus on culture. Every leader should be able to answer the following questions:

1. What size shoe do we wear? Think of a company as having a shoe size, say size seven.² Size seven shoes come in a wide array of colors, heights, widths, styles and purposes – but they are, in the end, size seven. What shoe size does your company wear? Do you demand individuals of the highest intellect? Are you laid back and accepting of personality quirks? Do you expect extreme professionalism or intensity that includes long hours on a regular basis? None of these characteristics is good or bad, and each will attract certain people, but it is up to the leader to determine the shoe size of the organization.

2. Do our shoes match our briefcase (or backpack)? Imagine you established a casual, open environment where employees routinely displayed body art and jewelry, dressed in flip flops, and set their own hours. Now, let’s imagine that your company provided wealth management advice. Does your shoe size support your service? What if you design toys for young children but have a corporate office full of breakable displays and a benefit selection that does not include any parental leave? Will the best toy designers be likely to be comfortable there?

3. How (and how often) do we shine our shoes? The leader must be a culture champion and must enlist fellow champions in the cause. Instead, in a strong culture, every team member can, on demand, fill in these blanks:

a. Our organization exists because….

Profits are great – and even necessary – but they won’t build a lasting culture. We exist to make money rarely wins at the end of the day.

b. We benefit the world by….

Not only do most of us value a purpose, we value a purpose that adds value. (Say that five times!) I might like to design software anyway, but I feel even better if I realize that my software goes to businesses who help others have jobs.

c. My important job is to….

While we all do many things each day, we also have a few tasks that are critical to the organization’s purpose. Every team member needs to know these critical tasks and prioritize them first.

d. I know I belong to the team because….

Benefits are great, but it’s the traditions that matter. I have a client where the management gives out cheese at Christmas, and whether the employees like the cheese or not, being on the list to receive it matters. What is your cheese?

Leading is hard, and many leaders I know become overwhelmed, and eventually consumed by the job, but they do not have to stay there. Wise leaders know that one way to lighten their load is to share it – through a strong, self-perpetuating culture that supports their vision. What is your company’s shoe size? Does it match your product or service? Do you shine it up regularly and intentionally? And have you recently given out some cheese?

¹ Source: Investopedia.com. Retrieved: December 18, 2016 from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corporate-culture.asp

² Source: This analogy did not originate with me, but, unfortunately, I cannot remember where I first heard it. If it was from you, please let me know!

“Inconceivable!”says Vizzini (for the third or forth time).

Without pause, his companion observes, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Words are to leadership what a paintbrush is to an artist – they help create the picture you want your team transform into reality. Used well, they are one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox, so it is worth asking, “Do the words I say mean what I think they mean?” Consider these old favorites.

Integrity.

This word is one of my personal pet peeves, and its cousin, honesty, is not far behind. Who isn’t (at least publicly) for integrity or honesty? Yet, so many companies and leaders use these words in value statements while making decisions that seem to be less than honest that it has become one of the biggest corporate clichés. I wonder if they mean, “don’t do anything that will get us in trouble – or at least make sure we don’t get caught!” What do you mean by integrity? The definition I use for our company is to imagine every decision and practice publicized on the jumbotron in Times Square in foot-high letters for all to see. Will we shudder or smile?

Initiative.

In leadership workshops and coaching sessions, we are frequently asked, “how do I get people to take initiative?” Initiative means, “go ahead and act or at least take the first step without waiting for permission.”¹ Man, is it great when someone takes the initiative and gets it right; but what happens when someone takes initiative and gets it wrong? Yes, it’s important to hold each other accountable for commitments and essential to help identify weak spots in a product or process, but we rarely do these things in a spirit of helpfulness and collegiality. Rather, we say things like, “that won’t work,” “you’re overstepping,” “why would you do it that way?” or “you’ve completely missed the point here.” It only takes one excessive reprimand or sarcastic comment to shut down initiative in an entire culture. Do you really mean “initiative” when you use it? If so, be prepared to praise the attempt and go gentle on the criticism. One helpful hint — when someone brings point out the positives in a process, theory, project and ask the individual to be a devil’s advocate for his or her own approach. It’s amazing what people will find under their own initiative.

Feedback.

Suppose I come up to you in the break room and ask, “John, can I give you some feedback?” I’ll bet you set down your coffee cup in anticipation of the complimentary words I’m about to bestow! NOT! Since when did, “feedback,” become a synonym for, “criticism that I’m going to pretend is helpful and will make you feel inspired to change and improve?” Here’s a challenge for you – for one week make it a point to provide genuine but purely positive “feedback” to your team. In addition to surprising them (and potentially freaking them out a bit) you may find that performance improves as a result of your feedback. Can you say, “virtuous cycle?”

Integrity. Initiative. Feedback. Leadership improves in direct proportion to the ability to make these words mean, in your organization, what you think they should mean. I won’t lie to you – it takes work, patience and a little courage, but it’s just possible that it will be worth it.

Inconceivable?

¹ Source: Adapted from Encarta Dictionary (2017).