Category Archives: General

No More Mister Nice Guy

Recently I ran across an article that led with an interesting premise: if you want to be better than the competition, you need to be asking better interview questions. That made me stop and think. In the HR blogging space we are very friendly with each other and often provide advice that is informative and uplifting; however, that title takes the conversation in another direction.

  • If your competitors are better, they will win.
  • If the competitor has better HR people, they will have a significant advantage.

So what does that mean for you? It’s time to step up your game. Look at what some of your current processes are, and see how you can fix them to be more competitive. A few examples:

  • Look at your new hire orientation setup. Are you making the best use of time for you, the employee, and the manager? Does the process make the new employee feel welcomed? Where can you trim a little fat from the process without impacting the new hire experience negatively?
  • How about your employee relations practices? Are you assisting managers to ensure they take care of their employees, or do they try to push that off on you? Find ways to start moving the accountability back to the managers. Soon enough, you’ll have more time on your hands to focus on the bigger fish (like this list of 50 human resources challenges).
  • Is diversity and inclusion on your list of things to look into? Why or why not? It’s a real issue, and it shouldn’t be ignored.

We would love to think that it’s all lollipops and kittens, but truthfully it’s a tough world out there. If we’re going to beat the competition, we’re going to need to manage our (ahem!) human resources better. Who’s with me?

Corporate Legends-Your Culture Weapon

Using Corporate Legends to Communicate Culture

We often hear that communicating organizational culture is an important task. However, most people fail to provide examples on how to do that very thing! I’ve been testing different methods for sharing culture (collecting touchstones, for one), but one of my favorite ways to share our corporate beliefs and values are through the “legends” within our organization.

What is a legend?

In this sense of the word, a legend is defined as a person who took extraordinary action to achieve a goal. The guy who drove 400 miles to support a customer’s urgent request. The team that brought 40 employees on board with 48 hours’ notice. The woman who, despite all odds, successfully navigated a corporate audit with a successful conclusion. Basically, it’s the people and actions that embody the high standards that your organization stands for.

What’s the purpose?

Sure, I can tell you what our corporate values are. I can even give you some generic idea of what they mean. However, human communication has a long historical basis in storytelling and traditions. Telling you about how one of our employees really embodies the spirit of our corporate values makes it stick in your brain that much better. If a similar situation arises, you won’t be wondering how to proceed. You’ll be able to recall the legend and what someone else did to achieve success.

How to get started

Start talking with the people who have been at your company for a while. Ask questions that are designed to dig into previous accomplishments. For example:

  • Can you tell me about a time someone went above and beyond the call of duty?
  • What was the biggest success this department has ever had?
  • Has there ever been a big innovation or breakthrough at the corporate or team level? What was it?

If you’re stuck with few examples, you need to get started capturing and communicating the legends that you have. Start reaching out to managers and ask them to share with you when one of their people has a successful project or does something that demonstrates excellence. It’s your job to take those stories and use them to encourage others to embody the same characteristics.

While there might be better ways to communicate organizational culture, using internal legends is fairly straightforward, it’s easy to get started, and it has an immediate impact on the people who hear them. Have a legend of your own? I’d love to hear it! Feel free to share in the comments below.

HRevolution-Is it for the “little guy?”

A few months back I read a great post by Keith McIlvane about wanting HR conferences to offer more content toward small companies. My first answer for HR conference problems is almost always going to be an event like HRevolution, because it allows participants to drive the conversations and topics that they find interesting, not what some organizer slapped on the agenda.

Keith’s post goes on to discuss this specific content request:

Don\’t get me wrong, the big-brand case studies are extremely strategic in how they launch each initiative and often in a very impressive manner. But most companies have a more limited budget. I would love to hear how they took their huge wish-list and walked through the strategy and reasoning about going in the direction they chose.

I think I have a solid strategy in place, but know it is by far from perfect. Wouldn\’t it be great to hear what similar obstacles are happening in your industry or other industries that might be similar pain-points to what you are encountering.

Can HRevolution really do that?

I say we give it a shot. We’ve had solutions created on the spot for actual participant case studies, activities like the hack labs where participants walk away with a list of ideas to try in their own organization, and other highly participatory content. Why not this one?

What else are you looking for that isn’t being provided by the “traditional” conferences?

Interested in attending HRev? Click here to get your ticket.

How to Become a Best Place to Work

best places to work award

Yes, I know this logo is from 2011. New badges not out yet. :-)

If you’re looking for ideas on how to become a best place to work, maybe I can help. On Tuesday I had the opportunity to attend the Huntsville Best Places to Work Awards ceremony, and Pinnacle received an award in the “micro” size business category. Over 200 companies were nominated to kick off the process, and there was definitely some stiff competition. This is the first year we were eligible to compete since we were too small in previous years.

Want to know how to become a “Best Place to Work?” It’s fairly simple.

  1. Build a company from the ground up with an emphasis on core values
  2. Hire and promote based on those core values
  3. Repeat

Hey, wait a minute. Shouldn’t there be something in there about rewards or transparency or something? Surely there’s more to it.

Certainly, but those are covered in #1. Our values include things like creating a fun work environment and enforcing an atmosphere of open and honest communication. Creating a fun work environment means different things to different people. With regard to the HR team, for example, it is an opportunity to provide a solid slate of benefits that help our people focus on their work, not scrounge around for insurance.

If you choose core values that can be broadly interpreted, yet hard-hitting enough for people to follow them on a daily basis, then you are on the right track. Over time that leads to a great workplace that employees love.

Tomorrow I’ll go back to work. We’ll keep doing the same things we’ve been doing for the past few years, because that’s what our people love about Pinnacle. And that, my friends, is how you become what some people like to call a “best place to work.”

Company Success Stories-A Lesson from Clif Bar

Have you ever thought about company success stories? Most of us are captivated by the startup company “started in a garage and became a millionaire” type stories. I wasn’t looking for an object lesson, but I found one in an interesting place.

I snagged a Clif Bar to munch on before the Run for Kids 50k this past weekend, and as I read the package (I know, I’m a nerd) I was instantly transformed from a casual snacker to a believer in the Clif Bar mission (a little dramatic, but you get the general idea). Below is a slightly modified version of what is on the packaging of ever Clif Bar and package they sell.

You read it and tell me that you don’t feel some sort of connection on a deeper, personal level with the company and what they believe in:

In 1990, I lived in a garage with my dog, skis, climbing gear, bicycle and two trumpets. The inspiration to create an energy bar occurred during a day-long, 175-mile ride with my buddy Jay. We’d been gnawing on some “other” energy bars. Suddenly despite my hunger, I couldn’t take another bite. That’s the moment I now call “the epiphany”. Two years later, after countless hours in Mom’s kitchen, Clif Bar became a reality. And the mission to create a better-tasting energy bar was accomplished. Thanks, Mom!

Clif Bar has grown since 1990, and still the spirit of adventure that began on that ride continues to thrive each day. As the company evolves, we face many choices, yet we always do our best to take care of our people, our community and our environment. Gary – Owner of Clif Bar Inc.

Now, I don’t know about you, but we don’t sell snacks. We don’t have packaging (if you ever figure out how to package a Blackhawk instructor pilot’s services, please let me know!). So how do we share our own company success story with our employees and customers?

It all depends on your preferences. You can start using a new hire welcome letter. You can hold town hall meetings. Whatever you decide to do, don’t forget the importance of tying emotion into the story. Memories that are tied to emotions are more strongly embedded in the receiver’s brain. When you read the Clif Bar story above, you’re filled with a sense of pride and excitement at the struggles they faced and overcame.

Think about your own company’s story. Can you tell it in a way that makes people excited to hear and share it with others? 

I Heart Cake Time

Like many companies, we have a once a month birthday recognition and sit down together to share one of my favorite food groups–cake. I am a fast eater, so I usually finish very quickly and then just sit and talk or listen to others tell about some personal events in their lives. And as much as I love cake, I really love the time that we all share together.

When I think about working where I do, I don’t immediately think about the building, the work, or the benefits. I think of the people. We like to work with people like us. That’s how fun things like our accidental wellness program got started. Now that’s not to say we don’t have diversity in our group. The personality differences just in our local office could fill a psychology textbook, but that’s just part of the fun!

I read a great post a while back by Jason Lauritsen that got me thinking about the people we work with. The tribes, if you will. It’s difficult when I’m recruiting someone to explain just what the “people” aspect of working here is like. I can recite the litany of benefits and perks, but I always lack the words to describe that.

Maybe I can just start saying, “We have cake time. It’s a chance for us to get together and share some fun stories and fight over corner pieces with extra frosting.” Eh, I still think it needs work, but the bottom line is when you are thinking about your workplace, do you think about the people? It’s much more fun to go to work when you have friends there.

Want to make friends? Offer them some cake. I’d take some.

The image above is one of my favorite web comics ever. Check it out here.

Human Resource Management Planning-The Micro Level

hr management planShortly into my lunch meeting, I realized it was a human resource management planning exercise in disguise. And it was so much fun.

I talk often about what it’s like working for Pinnacle. A sizable portion of what makes it a great working environment is having a manager who truly spends their time looking for ways to make your life and career a priority.

I highly encourage you to have a similar meeting if you’re managing someone. They want that attention and expertise that only you can give, even if you feel like you don’t have anything to offer.

Topics to cover

Not sure where to start? Try to touch on these areas and pick at least one to hone in on:

  • The employee’s career goals (no limits!)
  • Have an honest discussion of where you have enhanced their career (and in some cases, where you might have limited its growth)
  • How the employee fits into the organizational plan in the 1-5 years to come

Yes, it’s a short list, because what follows is dependent on the responses. For instance, if the employee wants to eventually become a benefits specialist, but your company doesn’t have any openings for that area, you can help them start preparing by giving them more responsibility in that area. If your employee wants to manage people, start shaping them to be the best manager they can be.

If, in the scope of the discussion, you find out that some of your actions have been interpreted as limiting career growth for the employee, then work with them to come to a resolution.

Finally, in the “big picture,” talk about what the company’s future looks like (as best you can describe it, anyway). Discuss what that means for your department and the person’s position in particular. Be honest. You’d want someone to be honest with you!

A few more details

If you’d like your miniature human resource management planning session to be successful, here are a few more tips:

  • Get away from the office for 1-2 hours (a long lunch works well for this)
  • Spend some time talking non-work stuff, because that’s what matters to the employee most (and could uncover some idea of future hopes/ideas)
  • Be sure to get their input on what they see going on with regard to the team/department level; they’re usually closer to the action than you are

Make it so

While HR management planning is a large-scale activity in most cases, for our purposes today we’re looking at how it affects a team, one person at a time. I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen organizations be damaged by the actions of one reckless, irresponsible person.

What about the other side? How much positive change and influence could one open, honest person create? Anyone at Pinnacle could tell you that my manager does it on a daily basis, one small action at a time. I only hope I can be that inspirational and supportive when I have my own employees reporting to me. Let’s just say I’m taking good notes!

Do you ever have meetings like this with your staff? What do you discuss?Â