What did your bad boss teach you?
In my early 20’s, I worked as a manager in a retail store, and one of my co-workers was a middle aged woman with three children. After working there for some time, her husband was offered not only his dream job, but also the opportunity to move back to California near both of their families. It was a perfect fit for everyone, and my co-worker and her family were beyond ecstatic.
“Break” from tradition… in the break room
This past week I met with a client whose business is in a period of rapid growth. His business has grown so fast over the last 6 months that his brand new office space (occupied for only a year) is suddenly too small. At the same time, he came across an ideal employee that he just had to hire. While he had already renegotiated a deal with his landlord to add more square footage in the near future, he had a big problem for the present:
Where was the new employee going to work?
Every office was full. The main room had been reconfigured several times and there was no way to squeeze in another desk. Even the conference room had a contract employee using it.
When I asked the client where they ended up locating the new employee, he grinned.
“We put him at the table in the break room.”
Sound crazy? Actually, it may have been the best place possible to put a new employee.
Usually a new employee’s first day consists of filling out paperwork, reading an employee handbook filled with dos and don’ts, parking rules and termination policies, and then put at a desk with little or no agenda. Other employees are busy trying to complete their own work and they don’t normally have the time to approach a new person on their team. While the onboarding process is a necessary one, it is typically not a very friendly one for the new hire.
Locate that same new hire in the break room and the situation takes on an entirely different tone. While people are taking a break, they are generally more relaxed and more social. They have a moment to chat while the coffeemaker is brewing; more importantly, they don’t need to come up with a reason to seek out and approach the new employee – they’re right here!
In this case, the new employee was greeted with enthusiasm every time someone walked in to get a cup of coffee. He was included in “water cooler” talk several times a day, and he was incorporated into the company culture quickly and seamlessly.
“This is the best place I have ever worked!” the new employee exclaimed.
If you’re looking to break away from the traditional onboarding process while minimizing the time it takes to familiarize new hires with your company’s culture, perhaps the break room is the “break” you’re looking for!
Meet my new employee, Stephanie… I mean Jan
Wait… what?
Apparently when Stephanie first started her job, my client said to her, “What’s up, man?”
She asked, “Did you just call me Jan?”
And, the name stuck: EVERYONE in the office calls her Jan!
When my client told me this story – in front of Stephanie – everyone laughed and laughed (including Stephanie herself). I now call her Jan as well.
The camaraderie in that office means more to employees than we can really measure, because moments like these are what create company culture. When you have this type of easy rapport with your staff, the harder conversations like those around mistakes are actually easier to have. Business runs more smoothly and people are more willing to try new things. When people try new things, innovation happens, growth occurs and turnover is reduced.
That’s why hiring the right candidate – your IDEAL candidate – is so important. The ideal candidate is one who will not only fit into your company culture, but will themselves end up embracing and nurturing it!
Remember: A rose by any other name… would still be Jan. Or Stephanie.
Coby, The Fish Bowl and Employee Resignations
I have written several blogs about Harley, the goldfish that my daughter saved from the wretched science experiment; recently, I have introduced Coby, our new beloved blue betta.
Last week, Coby was placed in a small cup while Randy cleaned out the fish bowl. Randy walked away, then went back into the kitchen to finish the job. Coby had leapt out of the cup and was flopping around on the counter and gasping! Randy sprang into action and saved the fish from certain death! WHEW!
When an employee resigns from your organization, there is always a certain level of panic. Even in a situation where the resignation is the best thing for the company, employers worry about the ramifications: Will others leave too? Is this indicative of a larger problem here? What will my clients think? How will I get this work done? Should I re-negotiate with this employee in order to retain them? The urge to spring into action and restore the employee to their position is often a first instinct of an employer, as it was when Randy found Coby on the counter.
Despite first instinct, the two situations couldn’t be more different. My advice for an employer in this predicament is this: Help that person leave well. Tell them that you truly appreciate the time that they gave to your organization, and ask what they need from you. Figure out a way to let that person make their exit on good terms so that everyone feels better. You are the boss. You set the tone.
Give your former employee the freedom to be successful and continue on their own path. You will feel better that you did.
Zombies in the Workplace
Do you walk into your office and see Zombies disguised as employees? Those lifeless bodies that wander around thoughtlessly in packs? Have you ever thought about how they got that way?
New employees are so always excited to start their new job. I have heard many new hires talk about their first day on the job just like they talk about their first day of school… with excitement and a lot of awe. So how is it that years or even months into their employment with a company, they lose their passion for the job?
Because we suck the life out of them with too many constraints and not enough direction. We make it hard for them to do their jobs with petty rules. We don’t spend enough time training our new people, and we really don’t take the time to explain our expectations to them. All of the sudden, we have a lifeless body of the previously excited employee.
If you look around and see zombies on your staff, it is time to take stock in your interviewing process, your training program and your employee handbook. If you are dictating when someone can go to the bathroom, you are running a daycare, not a professional office. It is time for a re-do.
And if that doesn’t work, try chocolate.