Well, my last post mentioned an organization's processes, and how they act as one part of the Triangle making up a performance management foundation.
The next part of that Triangle is Motivation.
Or, aptly subtitled, "Sure I can... but why should I?"
Motivation is just that... Why does an employee do something?
What causes one employee or manager to work so much harder, more efficiently, or just "better" than another?
All things equal, it's motivation. Motivation answers the "what's in it for me?" question. It gives employees and managers the reason they need to do more.
Motivation can include:
Recognition - formal and informal
Work challenges
Career opportunities
Incentive (variable) pay
The organization's performance
Just More... (ala Samuel Gompers, the union guy)
All of these can create an environment where a manager or employee will, given the proper circumstances, take their knowledge, skills and abilities and apply them in ways far beyond normal expectations.
An employee -- regardless of level -- will ask him or herself the following questions before doing something:
1. Can I do this?
2. Why should I want to?
Now, these dialogs are sometimes played out in a nanosecond. Other times, there's real thought. Either way, it's in the employee's court, not yours, to make this happen now. If the motivation is present, prepare to be impressed.
If not, well, sometimes you're the pigeon, sometimes you're the statue. Today would be a "statue" kind of day...
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
 |
 D. Kevin Berchelmann View my profile here |
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Mas Dinero...
Well, after much ado, gnashing, angst, and so forth...
President Bush signed the legislation increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour. This will occur in three phases or steps over the next two years or so.
Obviously, this will have some impact on all employers, and some more so than others.
Here's the time line: The federal minimum wage will increase from $5.15 per hour to:
$5.85 p/h on July 24, 2007,
$6.55 p/h on July 24, 2008, and
$7.25 p/h July 24, 2009
Some states have minimum wages set above the federal level already; I'm not going to try to tell you anything at all in that regard -- I know when I'm not an expert on something!
However, employers in 17 states have no separate state minimum wage, or have the state minimum wage locked to the federal level (I guess for those states that just feel the need to pass a law). These states are:
Alabama
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Louisiana
Mississippi
Nebraska (some conditions)
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah (some conditions)
Virginia
Wyoming (some conditions)
Pay attention, folks. Make sure you are prepared for this in advance enough to make the right things happen. Watch pay inequities in un/semi-skilled fields and industries, and keep a lookout for pay compression at lower salary levels.
In other words, just keep on managin'.
Cheers,
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
President Bush signed the legislation increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour. This will occur in three phases or steps over the next two years or so.
Obviously, this will have some impact on all employers, and some more so than others.
Here's the time line: The federal minimum wage will increase from $5.15 per hour to:
$5.85 p/h on July 24, 2007,
$6.55 p/h on July 24, 2008, and
$7.25 p/h July 24, 2009
Some states have minimum wages set above the federal level already; I'm not going to try to tell you anything at all in that regard -- I know when I'm not an expert on something!
However, employers in 17 states have no separate state minimum wage, or have the state minimum wage locked to the federal level (I guess for those states that just feel the need to pass a law). These states are:
Alabama
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Louisiana
Mississippi
Nebraska (some conditions)
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah (some conditions)
Virginia
Wyoming (some conditions)
Pay attention, folks. Make sure you are prepared for this in advance enough to make the right things happen. Watch pay inequities in un/semi-skilled fields and industries, and keep a lookout for pay compression at lower salary levels.
In other words, just keep on managin'.
Cheers,
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
Friday, May 25, 2007
Process makes perfect...
This is Part 1 of a 3-part post.
My firm's name is Triangle Performance, LLC. The Triangle comes from a model I developed about the foundations of employee (mostly managerial) performance. These foundations include Processes, Knowledge, and Motivation (3 foundations, 3 corners of a Triangle, you get the picture...).
Now, I know that most of you (outside of a few other consultants) could give a squat about models, methodologies, and so forth.
You simply want results. Rightfully so.
I don't need to know what specifically makes a jet fly to appreciate getting to Baltimore in 2.5 hours. I just need to get there. You expect experts -- people who DO know what makes a jet fly, to do their job successfully.
Enter... me. No, I'm not a jet expert, but I am an expert in what makes managers and leaders perform, and how to increase productivity and performance among employees. Like you, my expertise doesn't come solely from a book, but from years of on-the-ground efforts in multiple organizations.
Trial by fire, if you will.
Anyway, back to my model. The first "leg" of that model is about processes.
Processes are what - and how - things happen within your organization. They may include things that are formal, informal, in writing, unwritten, etc.
Some of the more obvious include:
** Organizational Structure: This starts with hierarchical "chain of command," but extends further into "who does what," not just "who gets paid for what." Where to go for certain questions and issues; who is really responsible for certain problems, etc.
** Policies and Procedures: These include both formal written policies, as well as cultural procedures driven by your organization's internal "way of doing things."
** Existing Culture, and maintenance of that culture: A little more difficult to grasp, these are the things that are accepted as proper and appropriate through both acquiescence and outward support over the years. These are ingrained into the organization, and likely cannot be changed easily, even with written instructions and/or guidelines.
** The Decision-making Process: Here we have both hierarchical processes as well as "established" methodology. Who's buy-in do I really need for this decision, regardless of who is the public decision-maker?
** The Process for employment decisions and performance management: These are those things that provide both for entering employees as well as the general employment and advancement of existing employees.
All of these - and likely more - make up your organization's Process, and are a fundamental lever in improving manager and employee performance and productivity.
Suffice to say, that managing these processes doesn't occur in a vacuum. Try to 'improve' on processes without addressing either motivation or knowledge is folly.
We'll discuss further in the next post, when we bring in Knowledge.
Until then...
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
My firm's name is Triangle Performance, LLC. The Triangle comes from a model I developed about the foundations of employee (mostly managerial) performance. These foundations include Processes, Knowledge, and Motivation (3 foundations, 3 corners of a Triangle, you get the picture...).
Now, I know that most of you (outside of a few other consultants) could give a squat about models, methodologies, and so forth.
You simply want results. Rightfully so.
I don't need to know what specifically makes a jet fly to appreciate getting to Baltimore in 2.5 hours. I just need to get there. You expect experts -- people who DO know what makes a jet fly, to do their job successfully.
Enter... me. No, I'm not a jet expert, but I am an expert in what makes managers and leaders perform, and how to increase productivity and performance among employees. Like you, my expertise doesn't come solely from a book, but from years of on-the-ground efforts in multiple organizations.
Trial by fire, if you will.
Anyway, back to my model. The first "leg" of that model is about processes.
Processes are what - and how - things happen within your organization. They may include things that are formal, informal, in writing, unwritten, etc.
Some of the more obvious include:
** Organizational Structure: This starts with hierarchical "chain of command," but extends further into "who does what," not just "who gets paid for what." Where to go for certain questions and issues; who is really responsible for certain problems, etc.
** Policies and Procedures: These include both formal written policies, as well as cultural procedures driven by your organization's internal "way of doing things."
** Existing Culture, and maintenance of that culture: A little more difficult to grasp, these are the things that are accepted as proper and appropriate through both acquiescence and outward support over the years. These are ingrained into the organization, and likely cannot be changed easily, even with written instructions and/or guidelines.
** The Decision-making Process: Here we have both hierarchical processes as well as "established" methodology. Who's buy-in do I really need for this decision, regardless of who is the public decision-maker?
** The Process for employment decisions and performance management: These are those things that provide both for entering employees as well as the general employment and advancement of existing employees.
All of these - and likely more - make up your organization's Process, and are a fundamental lever in improving manager and employee performance and productivity.
Suffice to say, that managing these processes doesn't occur in a vacuum. Try to 'improve' on processes without addressing either motivation or knowledge is folly.
We'll discuss further in the next post, when we bring in Knowledge.
Until then...
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Pay for departure??
I know we have to pay them when they come to work (many have tried to avoid this -- doesn't work out well), but why on earth would I actually pay someone to leave?? I'm not speaking of severance, which is quid pro quo (I give you money, you sign an agreement); I'm referring to simply paying one or more weeks to someone who voluntarily and quietly (reasonably) is leaving your employment.
Well, there could be an instance where you should do exactly that.
You walk into your office, and there's that dreaded envelope that someone slid under the door. Or there's a letter on your desk when you return from lunch. Or there's an email from a subordinate, subject titled, "resignation."
They all mean the same thing -- someone's leaving. Quitting. Bailing on you.
Hasta la vista, baby.
Never mind the reasons for now; never mind the efforts to keep them if necessary and prudent. They've given you notice of their departure, and that notice is reasonable and customary for the industry, your company, and their position.
But frankly, for one reason or another, you really don't want them around for that 1,2, or maybe even 3 week notice period. Perhaps they are not the most positive person on the planet; perhaps you're concerned about confidentiality in general; perhaps you know they are going to work for your competition (shame on you for not having a valid non-compete).
Whatever the reasons, you want them gone now, not weeks from now. Must you pay them for that notice??
In most, if not all, states, the answer is "no," you are not required to pay someone for notice. There may be a minor hiccup in Unemployment Compensation if any (small issue), but you don't ordinarily have to pay someone for their notice if you want them to instead leave immediately.
The bigger question... should you?
Hmmm, let's look at this. Now, I'm speaking here of non-sales positions; typically, we let sales professionals go immediately since we worry about their remaining (really a senseless worry, since -- assuming they had a mind to -- they already have everything they need). We're talking here of staff contributors and managers. Should we pay them if we want them to leave now, though they gave us reasonable notice of their separation?
Maybe.
Realize, as I've said elsewhere before, a basic tenet of motivation: That which is rewarded is repeated. And it's not just our reward; it could be our observation of someone else's reward. In other words, if your current employees see that, typically, when someone resigns, you send them packing immediately without payment for their notice, what do you think will happen?
People will continue to resign, so that's not it.
No, what will begin happening is resignations will no longer have a notice period. Friday afternoon, around 2:30-3:00, will become the bewitching hour where you find out who will be available to work the next week.
Can you really afford to have every position leave you, unannounced, with no notice of departure?
Paying for those 2 weeks mentioned above doesn't seem so onerous now, does it?
This isn't carte blanche payment for all resignations. Some will resign, knowing the end was near, or knowing that most really wanted them to leave. We can probably survive withholding payment to these. But regular, routine resignations, even if from average players... you may want to seriously consider paying them to leave early.
So others will continue to give you the choice in that matter.
Give it some thought...
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
Well, there could be an instance where you should do exactly that.
You walk into your office, and there's that dreaded envelope that someone slid under the door. Or there's a letter on your desk when you return from lunch. Or there's an email from a subordinate, subject titled, "resignation."
They all mean the same thing -- someone's leaving. Quitting. Bailing on you.
Hasta la vista, baby.
Never mind the reasons for now; never mind the efforts to keep them if necessary and prudent. They've given you notice of their departure, and that notice is reasonable and customary for the industry, your company, and their position.
But frankly, for one reason or another, you really don't want them around for that 1,2, or maybe even 3 week notice period. Perhaps they are not the most positive person on the planet; perhaps you're concerned about confidentiality in general; perhaps you know they are going to work for your competition (shame on you for not having a valid non-compete).
Whatever the reasons, you want them gone now, not weeks from now. Must you pay them for that notice??
In most, if not all, states, the answer is "no," you are not required to pay someone for notice. There may be a minor hiccup in Unemployment Compensation if any (small issue), but you don't ordinarily have to pay someone for their notice if you want them to instead leave immediately.
The bigger question... should you?
Hmmm, let's look at this. Now, I'm speaking here of non-sales positions; typically, we let sales professionals go immediately since we worry about their remaining (really a senseless worry, since -- assuming they had a mind to -- they already have everything they need). We're talking here of staff contributors and managers. Should we pay them if we want them to leave now, though they gave us reasonable notice of their separation?
Maybe.
Realize, as I've said elsewhere before, a basic tenet of motivation: That which is rewarded is repeated. And it's not just our reward; it could be our observation of someone else's reward. In other words, if your current employees see that, typically, when someone resigns, you send them packing immediately without payment for their notice, what do you think will happen?
People will continue to resign, so that's not it.
No, what will begin happening is resignations will no longer have a notice period. Friday afternoon, around 2:30-3:00, will become the bewitching hour where you find out who will be available to work the next week.
Can you really afford to have every position leave you, unannounced, with no notice of departure?
Paying for those 2 weeks mentioned above doesn't seem so onerous now, does it?
This isn't carte blanche payment for all resignations. Some will resign, knowing the end was near, or knowing that most really wanted them to leave. We can probably survive withholding payment to these. But regular, routine resignations, even if from average players... you may want to seriously consider paying them to leave early.
So others will continue to give you the choice in that matter.
Give it some thought...
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Advancing in HR -- it takes effort
I currently coach a couple of Human Resources professionals, both at the Director-level. Interestingly, they both asked me, in a span of two weeks and independent of each other, how to really grow and succeed in HR; how to become a real "player" in the business, to command respect, and to develop the credibility necessary to make real-life strategic contributions.
Of course, I had comments -- I never promise that what works for me will work for you; only that these DID work for someone... me.
1. Read voraciously. Understand the concepts and philosophy along with the application. Management and leadership theory are necessary foundations -- not so you can spout them and sound all mensa-like, but so you can use credible theory when developing your own method of application.
2. Take responsibilities others don't want, or aren't doing well. I'm not talking about bush-league stuff like parties and picnics, either. I'm talking about a broken purchasing effort, an underperforming quality or regulatory shop, or something similar. Relevance to HR isn't the key -- relevance to business is.
3. Regularly exceed authority. Forgiveness IS much easier than permission. Many CEOs may not want to see/hear this, but prudent, well thought pushing on your limits of authority allow that authority to grow. It also creates an added base of credibility, as you've survived the heat that comes from deciding "outside the box."
4. Decide, if true, that only the top job will work. Then don't accept the #2 role for anyone, regardless of size or paycheck. Takes a degree of personal fortitude, and untoward personal confidence, but it pays off. The #2 person is the tactician, not the visionary.
5. Put on boots and jeans, and spend real time "in the business;" learning how knobs are twisted, metal is melted, and trucks are driven. Literally work shifts for weeks sometimes to learn the intracacies of the biz. Get smart on how things work around here.
6. No templates at all. Ever. Develop everything custom for the company you are with. Read, get general ideas, but stop short of using someone else's compensation plan, bonus effort, human capital plan, or related document to craft yours. Be unique; that's what your organziation is paying for.
7. Underpromise, overdeliver. Always. Don't get caught up in saying "yes" so much that you look like one of those Tiger Woods bobble-head dolls in the back window. Say "no" when you need to, so existing commitments are not compromised. Do what you say you will.
And the most important piece -- be prepared at all times for plain old "luck." As in golf, so with a career: Take luck over skill; it's more frequent and usually more dependable. Particularly if you prepare for that luck in advance.
Cheers, and good luck.
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
Of course, I had comments -- I never promise that what works for me will work for you; only that these DID work for someone... me.
1. Read voraciously. Understand the concepts and philosophy along with the application. Management and leadership theory are necessary foundations -- not so you can spout them and sound all mensa-like, but so you can use credible theory when developing your own method of application.
2. Take responsibilities others don't want, or aren't doing well. I'm not talking about bush-league stuff like parties and picnics, either. I'm talking about a broken purchasing effort, an underperforming quality or regulatory shop, or something similar. Relevance to HR isn't the key -- relevance to business is.
3. Regularly exceed authority. Forgiveness IS much easier than permission. Many CEOs may not want to see/hear this, but prudent, well thought pushing on your limits of authority allow that authority to grow. It also creates an added base of credibility, as you've survived the heat that comes from deciding "outside the box."
4. Decide, if true, that only the top job will work. Then don't accept the #2 role for anyone, regardless of size or paycheck. Takes a degree of personal fortitude, and untoward personal confidence, but it pays off. The #2 person is the tactician, not the visionary.
5. Put on boots and jeans, and spend real time "in the business;" learning how knobs are twisted, metal is melted, and trucks are driven. Literally work shifts for weeks sometimes to learn the intracacies of the biz. Get smart on how things work around here.
6. No templates at all. Ever. Develop everything custom for the company you are with. Read, get general ideas, but stop short of using someone else's compensation plan, bonus effort, human capital plan, or related document to craft yours. Be unique; that's what your organziation is paying for.
7. Underpromise, overdeliver. Always. Don't get caught up in saying "yes" so much that you look like one of those Tiger Woods bobble-head dolls in the back window. Say "no" when you need to, so existing commitments are not compromised. Do what you say you will.
And the most important piece -- be prepared at all times for plain old "luck." As in golf, so with a career: Take luck over skill; it's more frequent and usually more dependable. Particularly if you prepare for that luck in advance.
Cheers, and good luck.
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Just Pay the Man...
Many people -- mostly consultants, I know -- make incentive-based compensation planning complex and overly difficult to create, implement, and manage. It simply does not need to be that way...
Understanding incentive compensation is simple, and is largely human nature. Just realize the following:
1. That which is rewarded is repeated,
2. You don't get what you want, hope for, manage to, or request -- you get what you pay for (as a tenet of compensation, not necessarily a life philosophy), and
3. Simplicity wins.
There are certainly exceptions to this, but they are just that... exceptions. Don't be misled by one or two instances of simplicity, for example, not working. In the long run, across the board, these tenets hold true.
Well crafted incentive schemes will generally work best when -- viewing from the employee's angle -- we can show that:
1. Working harder (bigger, better, stronger, faster) will improve my job performance,
2. My improved performance will create rewards, perhaps an increase in salary or valued benefits, and
3. I value these rewards.
(oft-paraphrased from Victor Vroom, though not sure his was original)
Keep it simple, keep the end in mind, and stay focused on what you are really trying to accomplish.
Cheers,
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
Understanding incentive compensation is simple, and is largely human nature. Just realize the following:
1. That which is rewarded is repeated,
2. You don't get what you want, hope for, manage to, or request -- you get what you pay for (as a tenet of compensation, not necessarily a life philosophy), and
3. Simplicity wins.
There are certainly exceptions to this, but they are just that... exceptions. Don't be misled by one or two instances of simplicity, for example, not working. In the long run, across the board, these tenets hold true.
Well crafted incentive schemes will generally work best when -- viewing from the employee's angle -- we can show that:
1. Working harder (bigger, better, stronger, faster) will improve my job performance,
2. My improved performance will create rewards, perhaps an increase in salary or valued benefits, and
3. I value these rewards.
(oft-paraphrased from Victor Vroom, though not sure his was original)
Keep it simple, keep the end in mind, and stay focused on what you are really trying to accomplish.
Cheers,
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign...
I frequently am asked about an employee's refusal to sign some document: a written warning, a performance review, a job description, etc.
What to do? What do you do when the employee looks you squarely in the eye and says "no," when asked/directed to sign?
Many will advise to simply have another manager 'witness' the event or document, and sign as a witness. Others will say that signing is just not that big of a deal in the first place.
Well, it is and it isn't.
Signing is seldom a process deal-breaker; in other words, if your process doesn't have a requirement for signing a lot of these things, their lack of signature likely won't bring about an early Armageddon.
Another view, however, should you have a requirement in place for a signature:
This simply isn't how good, dependable employees behave. Signing an acknowledgment is simply an adult action that can be required by the company. I'm referring here to notifications and receipt, not to agreement, per se.
Tell the employee to sign, or go home. Their lack of signature -- when not stating agreement to something against their will -- is clear and simple insubordinate conduct. And even more important, they are just being a pain-in-the-butt employee for no good reason.
I don't know about you, but I have enough trouble making it through the day without regularly interacting with someone who is intentionally trying to frustrate me.
This isn't a series of negotiations, it's a workplace, and it has conditions. The request is reasonable; reasonable employees will sign, and unreasonable employees need to be shown the door.
But that's just me...
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
What to do? What do you do when the employee looks you squarely in the eye and says "no," when asked/directed to sign?
Many will advise to simply have another manager 'witness' the event or document, and sign as a witness. Others will say that signing is just not that big of a deal in the first place.
Well, it is and it isn't.
Signing is seldom a process deal-breaker; in other words, if your process doesn't have a requirement for signing a lot of these things, their lack of signature likely won't bring about an early Armageddon.
Another view, however, should you have a requirement in place for a signature:
This simply isn't how good, dependable employees behave. Signing an acknowledgment is simply an adult action that can be required by the company. I'm referring here to notifications and receipt, not to agreement, per se.
Tell the employee to sign, or go home. Their lack of signature -- when not stating agreement to something against their will -- is clear and simple insubordinate conduct. And even more important, they are just being a pain-in-the-butt employee for no good reason.
I don't know about you, but I have enough trouble making it through the day without regularly interacting with someone who is intentionally trying to frustrate me.
This isn't a series of negotiations, it's a workplace, and it has conditions. The request is reasonable; reasonable employees will sign, and unreasonable employees need to be shown the door.
But that's just me...
KB
Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
