Comments on: An Open Letter to HR on Policies, Regulating, and Training

By: Sheila Marr

Sheila Marr — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:51:33 +0000

Ben, this is a good reminder as I begin a new handbook for a small company that has no formal employee handbook. Just like speechs and messages the “KISS” policy applies.

By: 4 reasons you don’t need a social media policy | upstartHR

4 reasons you don’t need a social media policy | upstartHR — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:01:44 +0000

[...] once in a while I hear someone talking about needing a “social media policy” at work. Ugh. If you know me at all you’ll instantly guess that I’m against such [...]

By: The HR Carnival – Summertime Edition

The HR Carnival – Summertime Edition — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 05:46:58 +0000

[...] Ben Eubanks patrols the beach and offers An open letter to HR on policies, regulating and training. [...]

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:44:50 +0000

@Wally Great comments, Wally. Suggestions for making that kind of training a priority are always welcome.
@Justin That comment is amazing. I think I might write a post based purely on that!
@Krista Hmmm… Well, we force people to read it, or maybe we can just keep plugging away at those people who are the decision makers.

By: justin locke

justin locke — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:04:09 +0000

well krista if i may be so bold, and bear in mind this is not knowledge so much as encouragement:

i believe that anyone at any level can make changes happen by engagement. if you have a rule-maker making lives miserable, before condemning out of hand, take a look and see what this is about. maybe this person is afraid of risk or consequences. maybe they have been told they will be fired if xyz happens, so draconian measures were required. maybe they lack training. (david m scott talks a LOT about on the job SM access, just one example to use– it’s a common issue).

understanding someone else’s vulnerability is work but it’s the easiest way to start truly effective negotiating. no matter how powerful someone is, they have vulnerability that most underlings don’t understand.

i used to call various bosses “stupid” until I realized *I* was the “stupid” one for not seeing their point of view. wish i had been taught that sooner. by connecting one can perhaps lessen the fear that drives this behavior, — also by making them more aware of YOU as people . . . and so one can be proactive here and there. would be nice if it didn’t have to be done, but , well . . . sadly, it does, just about everywhere. – jl

By: Krista Francis

Krista Francis — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:20:55 +0000

Thanks for the post. But as I was reading it, I was thinking that the people who already agree with you are probably mostly the ones reading the post. The ones who probably most need to read it……..aren’t.

What do we do about that?
.-= Krista Francis´s last blog ..Getting Ready for Vacation =-.

By: justin locke

justin locke — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:31:36 +0000

well one of my “principles of applied stupidity” is “the minimum is the maximum.” I found when playing in the boston symphony there were no minimum standards. in fact there weren’t ANY standards. if there are no minimums, the only one left is how good can you do it today. only 2nd rate conductors believed in success via elimination of error. pushing to the max is erratic, it’s something we understand in sports, but the fear of failure and mistakes strangles top performers. rock on brother. –jl