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The results of Monster.ca’s “If I were CEO” survey reveal that 28% of Canadian’s feel that U.S. President Barack Obama would be a great CEO, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper low on the list.  Seventy five percent of survey respondents indicated they would improve two-way communication between managers and staff if they were CEO!  So then, let’s look at the Belbin preferred roles for Obama and Harper as perceived by the public. Is there a connection?

A survey by the Globe & Mail, using BELBIN Team Roles criteria, showed that people thought about Obama and Harper very differently. 

(P) People-Oriented;  (A) Action-Oriented;  (T) Thinking-Oriented

Obama’s key role preferences were perceived as: a Plant or an ideas person, a Coordinator promoting decision making and involving others, and a Resource Investigator developing connections and exploring opportunities. Attributes that link closely with two-way communication and team involvement. You might say Obama gets things done by involving people. On the other hand Harper’s key preferences were perceived as: a Shaper driving the team, a Specialist with single minded focus and knowledge, and an Implementer who is systematic and loves structure. You could say that people perceive that Harper gets things done through action, perhaps whether people are on board or involved or not!

Who is the better communicator and teambuilder? Is there a connection between the perceived Belbin Team roles strengths and weaknesses and why Canadians chose Obama over Harper as CEO? Which CEO would you prefer, Obama or Harper?

If you are curious about your own, or your teams’, Belbin Team role preferences give us a call? 

Joanne Royce, Royce & Associates, Human Resources & Training Solutions, Creating Happy, Healthy, & Productive Workplaces (and Teams!)

More blogs on Belbin Team Roles
Discover Belbin’s Secret To Team Success 1/4
What LOST can teach us about Belbin Team Roles
Chilean Miners – What a team!

There is something special about organizations that encourage the happiness quotient at work. In one of my blogs which was also published in the HRPA-Halton November 2010 Newsletter, I wrote about Happy Holsteins – Lessons for the Workplace. One of my HR colleagues wanted to change the word “happy” to “engaged.”

What’s wrong with the word: H-A-P-P-Y? Don’t we deserve it in the workplace?

Ten Reasons for HAPPY in the Workplace

1. Happy workplaces attract and retain positive people!
2. Happy workplaces have lower absenteeism!
3. Happy workplaces have smiling employees and therefore happy customers!
4. Happy workplaces thrive on respect that builds relationships & inclusiveness!
5. Happy workplaces have meetings that buzz with creativity and collaboration!
6. Happy workplaces encourage fun in the workplace to relieve stress!
7. Happy workplaces add energy to get things done, even during the difficult times!
8. Happy workplaces are contagious!
9. Happy workplaces are filled with people who can’t wait to get to work!
10. Happy workplaces are more productive and profitable!

So, how many of the above statements ring true for your workplace?

H-A-P-P-Y is not a bad word!

So why do so many in business leave that word out of their vocabulary? Why isn’t it highlighted in annual reports? Why isn’t it celebrated as a sign of success? We all know intuitively that the happiness quotient is a good thing. Let’s have the courage to give it the coverage it deserves at work!

Joanne Royce, Royce & Associates creates Happy, Healthy, & Productive Workplaces through Communication and Teambuilding workshops and HR best practices.  Call to find out more.

This week I facilitated a round table discussion at the HRPA – Halton region event. It was a great evening with lively discussions and the weather held out until the end. The topic was “Social Media in the Workplace – Is it good or is it bad?” I introduced the topic with reference to Don Tapscott and his view of social media. Don feels that unproductive use of social media in the workplace is a “management” issue and the solution isn’t to block social media from the workplace. In fact social media, used properly is a great tool to increase communication, quality and productivity.

Many people think that social media means Facebook, and Twitter, but it is much  more than that. Wikipedia defines social media as follows:

• Social media are media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.
• Social media uses web-based technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogues and to create user generated content.
• A common thread running through all definitions of social media is a blending of technology and social interaction for the co-creation of value.
• Examples of social media include Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress, Google Docs, DropBox, Wikipedia, Meetup.com, Plaxo, Google Reader, Picasa, You Tube, Skype, MySpace Music, Slide Share, EHow, The Sims Online.

Social media allows for easy collaboration on projects and documents. In the past, an individual would work on a document until it was perfect and then and only then release it. Now documents are often distributed far from perfect. This might be seen as poor performance by some, but is it? 

A recent graduate new to the workforce distributed a less than perfect document and when his manager asked him why, he said because once everyone collaborated on the document, it would be better than he could produce on his own! 

When I told this story, everyone laughed. Perhaps it sounded familiar, but there is a ring of truth to it. Just because work is completed differently than in the past, doesn’t mean there isn’t value in it. Collaboration results in better outcomes. The way work is completed continues to change and we better get used to it! 

It’s important that organizations set clear parameters and guidelines on the appropriate use of social media, not just in the workplace but outside the workplace. A recent court ruling in British Columbia resulted in the courts upholding the termination of two employees who posted negative (slanderous) comments about their employer on their personal Facebook pages outside of the workplace and work hours.

One thing is clear, social media is here to stay. Organization that don’t learn about the tool, manage it, and educate people on how to use it appropriately will find themselves out of the loop.

Don Tapscott states:  “If a salesman was using the phone to place mostly personal calls instead of calls to build business, a company wouldn’t take away his phone.” The same goes for social media.

If your organization needs help creating social media policies and procedures OR if your association is interested in scheduling a round table discussion on social media for your group members, contact us NOW! 

BTW, follow us on Twitter!

Joanne Royce, Royce & Associates, Human Resource & Training Solutions
Creating Happy, Healthy, & Productive Workplaces

A number of years ago I read an article about performance appraisals and one person called the process in his organization the “A-P-O-P,” which translated to “Annual Piece Of Paper!” I laughed when I read it and it stuck in my mind as that acronym reflects cynicism that is often attached to the performance review process. An “Annual Piece of Paper” doesn’t sound like anything worthwhile, does it? Unfortunately, many organizations implement a system with little thought. When this happens it becomes an A-P-O-P that is looked upon with dread,  indifference, or cynicism.

A well planned performance appraisal system isn’t just an A-P-O-P. It is not just a form that needs to be completed. It’s not just a once a year thing. It’s an ongoing process by which organizations evaluate employee performance that results in organization success. It gives employees a sense of direction and accomplishment.

Ten Tips for Creating Performance Appraisals that POP!

1. Purpose: Understand and define the purpose and uses of the performance appraisal system. Will it be used for performance improvement, compensation adjustments, promotions or transfer decisions, training and development, career and succession planning, and gaps in staffing?
2. Link to Company Goals: Link the performance appraisal system to company mission, values, and annual goals. Make sure you have organizational goals so you can measure success at all levels.
3. Employee Participation: Ensure you obtain employee input when designing the performance appraisal system so there is buy-in and acceptance. For example, use a focus group to set performance standards and measures that are acceptable and understood by employees.
4. Adapt to Competencies: Use multiple competencies and criteria. Evaluation isn’t a one form fit all design. For example, managers should be evaluated on management capabilities, and sales people on sales capabilities. This is where technology comes in handy (see #10).
5. Two-way Communication: Ensure the process encourages two-way communication and 360 degree feedback from multiple sources. This results in a balanced evaluation with good examples.
6. Past and Future Directed: Focus the performance appraisal on past and on future performance. Reflect on past year performance and set goals for the future.
7. Ongoing: Make sure the performance appraisal system isn’t a “snap shot” once a year. The system should allow for ongoing encouragement, feedback and adjustments as priorities or new challenges and opportunities occur over the full year.
8. Train and Educate: Train managers, supervisors and employees on the performance appraisal process. Teach them how to set achievable but challenging goals, and to give feedback using clear examples.
9. Evaluate: Ask for feedback to evaluate the performance appraisal process itself. Make relevant changes when necessary.
10. Technology: Use technology to help keep everyone on track, link department and individual goals to organizational objectives, and provide a dashboard on how the company is performing. Technology reduces paper, increases efficiency, and helps “quarterback” the review process throughout the year by sending out reminders! It allows the performance appraisal process to become more collaborative and therefore more significant!

A great performance appraisal system will reduce cynicism, apathy, and stress. It will help everyone move in the same direction. There is nothing worse than working on what you think is important to the organization only to find out too late that it wasn’t! Good performance appraisals ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them, how they will be measured, and how they will be rewarded when performance standards and goals are met or exceeded. This results in engaged and energized employees who know their performance and actions are valued.

If you would like help in setting up a performance appraisal process that will POP and will start the New Year off in a positive manner, then give us a call. We’ll help you align employee performance to company objectives and we’ll train your people to reduce anxiety and stress about the process.