Author: Sheri Mazurek

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Ten Ways to Help Your Employees Make a Little Magic

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In the early days of my retail career, I knew I had reached the ultimate level of success, when I could leave on vacation and return to no other messages than, “welcome back.” See before I reached this point, I would come back to work (most of the time a day or two early just so I could what was really going on in my absence) and there would be a long list of things that I needed to handle; there would be all kinds of things ranging from angry customers, to incomplete projects, to a dirty store. Somewhere after years of getting frustrating by this, I figured out how to engage and develop a team of employees to give whatever was needed to get the job done. Up to that point, I had always been really good at setting expectations and keeping people focused at work while I was there, but what happened when I left?

The answer to that question depended on who was there, but I wanted that to not matter anymore. I wanted it to always be good. I wanted every customer, every day to have the same experience. So I went on a mission to figure out how to make that happen. And the only thing I had to change was me. I was already good at setting expectations and holding people accountable to meet them. I was also pretty good at training people to do their jobs. But most of all, I was good at demolishing discretionary effort. That extra effort required of people when no one is looking. Being good at this was easy; realizing it needed to change was a bit more difficult. But when it I did change, magic happened.

Make your own magic and stop doing the things that kill discretionary effort.

  • Stop giving the answers all the time
  • Teach the reasons why so that people can make educated decisions when you aren’t there
  • If they make a decision and it is wrong, COACH them to see why another decision would be better
  • If they make a decision and it is right, give them credit
  • Thank them for just doing their jobs
  • Let them do their jobs
  • Refrain from stepping in and taking over for them- COACH later if needed
  • Admit when you are wrong
  • Be a good model every day
  • Ask about their goals, help them get there
  • Be flexible and open

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.

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Partnerships that Work

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Ten years ago today, I married my perfect match. And I don’t mean match in sense that we are exactly alike in every way. In fact in some ways, we are quite different. I like a nice top 40 radio station and good romantic comedy, while he prefers classic rock, Pink Floyd and science fiction thriller. I could care less is the house or my desk is a little messy, while he spends an enormous amount of time organizing and planning and putting things away. I am a last minute planner and he plans everything well in advance and wants to quiz me on the details over and over. And the laundry, well that’s best left without much detail.

You might assume we drive each other crazy; however, our union works for a couple of reasons. First, we both are considerate of the quirkiness of the other. When he works late, I make sure to put the dishes away so he doesn’t have to worry about when he gets home (and he would even if he was exhausted). He leaves me notes in the morning to remind me when it is library day at the kids’ school so I don’t forget to get the books in the backpacks. We work well together and we complement each other in the small ways.

The small ways are important, but the reason we work so well is really the bigger things. Our priorities are very aligned in every aspect of our lives and our foundational beliefs on what is important in life are the same. We both are committed to doing well in our professional lives, but we are even more committed to making sure we are good parents and good spouses. We see eye to eye on how we want to raise our children and where we want to spend our free time. We are working together to accomplish life goals. The important goals.

In this journey we are taking our differences aren’t negatives. They have made us a better team. Understanding that differences make a stronger unit or team is an often missed concept in many organizations. People like to be around the like-minded individuals and people often hire those who are more like them. However, failing to work in a group with members who compliment your areas of opportunity means your team is weaker than it could be. Don’t get me wrong, the foundational stuff has to be the same. If it is, then it will override the little stuff and comprise and compliment will result in a perfect match.

Happy Anniversary Ron.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Get Out of Your Office

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Change is constantly around us. In our daily lives, we experience change in almost every aspect. In order to adapt to the changes around us we learn. Adults are constantly learning and adapting. In HR, we must adapt to changes in business needs and priorities and to changes in resources and functions. We must also be prepared to learn new technologies and new business tools that will enable us to meet the changing demands of our organizations and the people they employ. So how do we keep in front of changes and stay alert to where our profession is headed?

We learn. How do you keep up to date? My suggestion is simple: Get out of Your Office.

Get connected to other HR pros. I just attend my first ever HRevolution. If you haven’t heard of it, do some self-directed learning and find out about it. The cool thing about it is that I was able to mingle with HR Pros that want to challenge themselves and others to do better constantly. I was challenged and in one day, I picked up enough ideas to go back and make changes that don’t cost a thing to my organization. (I will be hacking a little this week).

Read. Read. Read. Set the Google reader. Connect to cool folks on twitter, LinkedIn, Face book, Google Plus. Read what the bloggers write in HR and other business related topics. Don’t limit yourself to HR. HR is business. Learn about the rest of it and how you can apply it to what you do.

Volunteer in areas of HR that you aren’t able to do in your current role. You can’t learn by doing the same thing over and over. Stretch yourself.

Teach. The greatest way to learn is to teach others.

Mentor. Again, the greatest way to learn is to teach others.

Network. Network. Network. Find smart people who think differently than you. Build relationships with them and get challenged.

Volunteer for a project team in your organization outside of HR. What a great way to learn the business needs of your customer (internal and external).

Build Relationships with others. You are in HR. Do you remember what HR is about? Get out of your office.

Get out of your office and talk to others inside your organization. Don’t just talk about HR. Talk about the business. Enough Said.

Adults learn through experience. Adults learn through critical reflection. Adults need control in their learning.

Take control of your learning and get out of your office.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.

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Succession Planning and Reflection- Who has the time?

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They weren’t multi-tasking; they had time to reflect. It’s a luxury leaders don’t have today, and that’s a real loss. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin*

During the past twenty years, the landscape of communication has changed. It seems that everyone has a cell phone and a portable internet-enabled device. These devices have been great business tools that have allowed us to get answers quicker and keep informed of important events and news. They have also facilitated the globalization of business and helped us keep track of kids. There are many positive things that have resulted in development of these products.

However, It also seems that it is difficult for many people to go one minute disconnected from their network of friends and colleagues. I witness this in every place from the board room to the church pew. And in this world where we can be reached anywhere via phone, or text, or email we can actually work longer hours and spend more time attending to the needs of our business. But in doing so, are we actually doing what is best for the business?

Before cell phones and mobile devices, decisions sometimes had to be made at a moment’s notice by someone other than the boss, or the leader, or the person in charge. As a result, I think we spent more time developing the people who might have to make those decisions. And people were learning from having to make those decisions. And succession planning was occurring very naturally. And leaders had time to think and to reflect.

In order to grow and develop, adults need experience and time to reflect. Add it to your calendar and put it on your to-do list. Take the time for reflection and give other experience. In that way, we can all grow.

*As quoted from “Leadership Lessons from Abraham Lincoln: A Conversation with Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin” by Diane Coutu.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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It’s Not My Job

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In an previous post, I discussed the many different views of HR’s number one priority. Despite the view from which you see HR, most would agree that HR has a responsibility for talent. From talent acquisition to development and retention, HR has responsibilities. However, this very concept that HR owns talent can be a source of frustration for many. For the HR professional charged with the responsibility of talent, it can be frustrating when managers fail with their talent. For the managers who believe HR owns talent, it can be frustrating when HR can’t fix their problems. And what about the employee? What about the talent caught in the middle feeling like their manager isn’t leading them to success and HR doesn’t care?

 

Unfortunately, this seems to be a common reality for many in organizations. So who’s problem is it anyway? In a recent article published in Compensation and Benefits Review, Howard Rishner discusses who owns performance management. According to Rishner, management owns it.

 

The reality is that performance management is not an HR problem; it is a management problem. Performance management is or should be a day-to-day responsibility of managers and supervisors. HR can provide the forms, send reminders and provide training and advice, but the HR community should not assume responsibility for what should be an important aspect of each manager’s job.

I agree management does own the day to day execution and the impact of a positive leader is clearly evident in performance when compared to one that negatively impacts the team. But that doesn’t mean that HR doesn’t have to own talent as well. HR can’t get a pass and keep placing blame on the managers. This is where HR can have a strong business impact. If you are already saying that no one will listen, then find a way to communicate your position in a way the C Suite will understand. Try a comparison analysis of top managers against poor performing managers. My guess, is that you will find that the top performers are good coaches and the poor performers aren’t. Next step, build your case based on facts and get busy supporting those good coaches.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.

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Is your SHRM membership on your resume?

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In the past eighteen years, I have reviewed thousands of resumes. Many of them look very similar with an occasional one here or there that attempts to stand out by changing a font style or color. If you are walking around in front of my office on any given day, you may actually hear me talking to the resume as if its owner can hear me. Aside from the font issues, (by the way, the fancy font makes a resume difficult to read and impossible to scan) what I find that evokes comments even more is what is listed on the resume.

Hopefully by now, you have heard or read enough advice to know that giving me your job description doesn’t tell me what I want to know. I need to know what did, how you did it, and what were you able to accomplish. I need verbs, actions, and results. Simple as that. Sure if you want to list on your resume that you were “employee of the month” that is great, but what I really care about is what you did to earn that recognition and why it was important in your role. If you can give me that in a concise way on your resume, even better. If not, I am going to ask you if you make it to the interview, so be prepared to give the details.

The same thing applies to the memberships you list. If you list your SHRM membership on your resume, what are trying to tell me? If you simply paid you membership dues (or had your company pay the dues) and that is the extent of your involvement, then I wouldn’t even add it. If you don’t use your membership, then it doesn’t matter. I need verbs, actions, and results. Even if you are a national only member who uses the website for its vast amount of research and resources, then it’s good to list. However, I wouldn’t just list it as an affiliation. Tell me concisely in one line what you do with your membership.

Verbs, Actions, and Results. Easy to Read and Scan.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.

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How to Fail When Taking Over a New Team

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Learning requires action and sometimes failing. There are a number of failures that I have learned from throughout my career. One of the most painful for me was in my early days of multi-unit management. I had just been transferred for the first time out of my hometown to a new city with an entirely new group of stores, employees and customers. Coming into this new environment, I was a little cocky. I had been a rock star store manager and after my promotion, I led a rock star district of stores. My team was good and my stores were very profitable. So of course, I assumed if my new team wasn’t comprised of rock stars, I could have that turned around in no time. Unfortunately, the time frame it took for that happen was quite a bit longer than I expected. The main reason, I thought it was about me and my talents. It wasn’t. I took over a team of rock stars who just didn’t know it yet. And everything I did when I got there communicated that they weren’t.

The mistakes I made were classic fails in taking over a team. Here are a few:

  • I frequently referenced my old team
  • I talked about how I was successful when I was doing their job
  • I gave them the “Mazurek Rules” instead of helping them develop a set that worked for the team
  • I didn’t ask them enough questions
  • I spoke a lot about my expectations and didn’t ask them about theirs
  • I failed to understand that this transition was a change that they would need to work through

Taking over a team the right way can greatly impact the influence and trust you have with your team. Without those two things, you are certain to fail in your endeavor to move your team in a positive direction. Alan Collins over at Success in HR offers a great post on this topic. He even provides a free download of how to do it the right way. Check it out.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.

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Long Live HR

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Is HR Dead?

I read. I read a lot. I read a lot of books, blogs, magazines, whitepapers, and articles on a variety of topics related to HR, talent management, training and development, metrics, leadership, and management (I am sure there a few more I missed). I have read a million buzz words in the past several years and hundreds of works that discuss why HR will never have a seat at the table. In fact, I have written a few of these works myself. Recently, I keep reading and hearing a phase (you know all those free webinars which are really just audio white papers that allow for a few minutes of questions at the end) over and over.

HR is Dead.

I have heard this in whitepapers, webinars and even in comments to blog posts and answers to questions located on forums (thanks to Google reader, I get all things HR). It appears that there are some college students that think the field is a poor choice for a degree. Go with the MBA, I read. Others are using the phrase to spark interest in reading their whitepaper which explains that HR is not really dead. Instead, HR as an administrative function focused on compliance, policing and controlling expenses in all the wrong ways is dead. And, recently I also keep hearing how HR is not a profit center. It’s a cost center and HR programs get cut when costs need to get cut.

Is HR Dead?

I don’t think HR is dead at all. I do however, think that HR needs a marketing campaign and those on the inside (all the HR pros out there complaining about not having a seat and being hated because we are not a profit center) need to step it up. HR is exciting and it is a great profession and a great degree choice. There are so many opportunities for HR to make strong financial impacts in organizations. There are so many ways to build programs that move the organization in a positive financial direction. Here’s a few steps you can take to get you there.

  • Lose the victim mindset
  • Embrace your role as a financial contributor to the organization
  • Become a student of your business and your industry
  • Learn financials (You can start with a class or seminar, but I would go straight to the finance guys in your organization.)
  • Tie behaviors to results
  • Measure the right things
  • Tie the metrics to the company’s revenue (How do the results of your engagement survey tie to business results?)
  • Study successes and failures in your organization. What common themes can you find within each?
  • Find a network of HR folks that get it.
  • Present information in the language used by operations, marketing, and/or finance

Whatever you do, get started. Long live HR

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.

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Who Says Talent Isn’t First?

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Are interested in working in Netflix? Do you think that talent is your number one priority in HR? Then you shouldn’t apply at Netflix. In a current job posting on their website, Netflix clearly spells out what they are and are not looking for in a Director-HR. The message is short and doesn’t mention anything about company benefits or essential functions. But, it is effective. It is to the point and my guess is that it will weed out a number of candidates that don’t fit.

What about talent?

In a previous post, I discussed the many different answers one would get if asked, “What is HR’s number one responsibility?” Everyone in an organization seems to have their own opinion of what the answer should be. And I would also guess that most organizations lack the communication to define it across all the individuals in the organization. So we end up with 1000 different answers all in the same organization. Even with the differences, I would guess that the majority of those in HR roles would answer that talent (in one form or another) is their number one priority.

The folks at Netflix clearly state the priority of the Director is business first, customer second and talent third. Then further go to define that the incumbent will be working with the talent to meet the objectives of the business and the customer.

Isn’t this exactly what HR should be all about. Isn’t it about getting business results through the talent. Sometimes I think HR folks get so wrapped up in the feel good, or the compliance, or the policing that they forget our primary objective is helping the organization meet its business objectives. And yes the studies and research have shown that we do that by taking care of the talent. But when we lose the focus of business and customers first, we are likely going to lose our seat at the table, because we just don’t get it. And organizational leaders expect us to get it.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.

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No Need to Have A Conversation-Just Create a Policy

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Over at the HRCapitalist blog, Kris Dunn asked the question, “Why Don’t We Coach Employees More Than We Do?” This is a great question and to quote Dunn, “confrontation sucks.”
Another great question in the HR blog roll today, “What are you holding on to??” This one offered by Steve Brown in his blog, Everyday People. Browne shares a story about a company’s eight page dress code policy filled with all the things that employees can’t wear. Instead of providing guidance, employees are given pages of hard to follow rules.
So what would be your response to a few employees coming to work dressed inappropriately? Or how to you handle other policy or performance concerns? In most cases, drafting and posting an eight page policy isn’t easier than having a conversation with the employees in question. So, why does it still seem to be a common HR and management response?

Dunn is right; confrontation sucks. In my opinion, coaching should never be about confrontation. And when it is, it doesn’t happen. Instead you get an eight page policy about dress codes. The eight page policy makes you feel good about addressing the problem.

But did you change the behavior? Have you complained recently about no one reading policies anyway? If so, why would throw out another policy as the solution?

Address the issue. Be the change the you want to see. Start to remodel your culture where feedback isn’t confrontation.

Because confrontation does suck.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.