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Not too long ago I gave out my business card and the person said, “That’s the first time I’ve seen the word happy on a business card.” I said “That’s a shame. Perhaps it will start a trend.” Of course he was referring to my tag line “Creating Happy, Healthy, and Productive Workplaces.” Some people have suggested I change my tag line to “one that is more business oriented.” But I haven’t changed it because my tag line is my mission statement and that is what I’m trying to do - one organization at a time.

I’ve blogged about the happiness quotient, building a habitat for happiness, and even what happy cows can teach us in the workplace.

Why is happiness at work important?

Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, in a recent Harvard Business Review Blog states that leaders say “our people are our greatest asset” but they don’t “walk the talk.” He mentions that employees are the unhappiest they’ve been in 22 years (Conference Board Survey) and that 84% of American’s are unhappy with their current job (CNN Money). Yikes! What is going on at work?

It’s okay to create a workplace that is happy. His research shows that happiness at work increases sales by 37%, productivity by 31%, and accuracy on tasks by 19%, and improves health and quality of life. Happy at work means people are healthy and productive.

The good news is that Shawn says that training managers on positive psychology can increase happiness at work. It starts with:

1. Realizing that happiness is an advantage at work.
2. Training your mind for higher levels of happiness at work.

How do you train your mind? In my stress management workshops, I suggest:

• Looking for your J-Spot at work – your Joy Spot.
• Writing down what brings you happiness and joy in your Joy Journal.
• Each morning at the start of your day say out loud - “I’m grateful for this day.”
• Then write down three things you are grateful for.
• Take a walk at lunch time.
• Be conscious of your negative thoughts and reframe them to positive thoughts.

It seems that Shawn has similar suggestions. These actions all help bring happiness at work (and life) to the forefront.

There IS a business case for organizations to transform their organizations with the happiness advantage – a real competitive advantage. So what are you waiting for? It’s okay to be happy at work! And if your worklpace isn’t happy, healthy and productive, you can train your managers and people to transform your organization with the happiness advantage.

Gratefully yours, Joanne

In Grade 4 my son had a newbie first year teacher. She had a split Grade 4/Grade 5 class which wasn’t easy even for an experienced teacher. This new teacher waited until her children were finished high school before going back to school to become a teacher. I was fortunate to be able to volunteer occasionally in the classroom where I saw something special happen.

One day after recess my son and his classmates came back into the classroom and they noticed a sign over the door. The sign read, “Simply the Best.” There was whispering and finger pointing and then the room fell silent with all eyes curiously looking at the teacher standing at the front of the classroom. She asked them, “Do you know why I put that sign over the door?”   After a moment of feet shuffling, and looking at one another, someone tentatively answered, “Because we are – simply the best?” To which the teacher said, “Absolutely. You are ALL Simply the Best.” She then encouraged a discussion about the meaning of “simply the best” and what it looked and sounded like in the classroom, at recess, in the hallways, during assembly, on field trips, working in groups, and so on. The children shared their thoughts enthusiastically and soon they had a list of specific examples.

The phrase “simply the best” was repeated over and over throughout the year by the students and the teacher. If there was an assembly, they behaved because they were “simply the best.” If a project was challenging, they could work through it because they were “simply the best.” If there was conflict on the playground they became mediators because they were “simply the best.” That class gained a reputation throughout the school for being well behaved, team spirited, cooperative, caring, and achievement oriented. And her students had tremendous growth both academically and socially.

That first year teacher knew what she was doing. She put a thought in the minds of the children and she raised the bar. She then helped them understand with specific examples. And the children rose to that level and achieved. They believed they could do it, because a special teacher believed in them and showed them the way. They were “simply the best.”

Do you believe your employees are “simply the best?” Do they know the actions and behaviours necessary for success in your organization? Do they know what is expected of them? Are they “simply the best?”

Best regards, Joanne Royce

P.S. If you answered “no” to any of the above questions, give us a call. We’ll help you develop a program to ensure your people ARE “simply the best.”

Sometimes managers and especially small business or start up owners recruit on the fly. They don’t have a firm idea of what the person will be doing within the organization. They often make decisions based on their gut. They sometimes ask inappropriate questions that can get them into trouble. And they have a tendency to take everything they see on a resume at face value without checking references. This can cause trouble and cost them dearly.

1. They don’t think carefully about the roles needed within the company, and they change requirements based on what candidates have to offer.  During an interview, the owner kept asking questions that had no relevance to the job ad.  The candidate tried to steer the discussion back to the original role, but with no luck. Finally, when asked, the owner said, “We’ve created a new ”box” for you.” The candidate pictured pictured a little box created just for her filled with her knowledge, skills and experience. While flattering, it does show a problem. How can a company start hiring for a specific position and then quickly decide to hire for a totally different position based on what the candidate brings to the table?
2. They hire on the spot without due diligence or fully assessing the skills and knowledge of the candidate. A candidate was referred to a company for a position in a new industry. She didn’t have experience in an essential aspect of the job, but she was confident. She was hired on the spot. Perhaps the quick hiring decision will be turn out fine, but the owner could have applied a simple “in-basket” assessment to determine if she had the skills and knowledge required, especially since it was an essential skill.
3. They hire based on incorrect job criteria or criteria that can be discriminatory. One company had an unusually high number of extremely attractive customer service representatives. The manager said being ”young and attractive” were requirements of the job, yet the customer service representatives answered calls and didn’t deal with the public! Even if they did deal with the public, this would be considered discriminatory. It is not a bona fide requirement of the job.
4. They ask questions they shouldn’t. “Where are you from with a last name like that?” “How old are you anyway?” “What’s your wife do for a living?” These types of questions can be costly. Pre-planned questions are helpful, especially if someone is new to the interviewing scene, as this prevents potentially harmful and illegal questions from being asked.
5. They don’t conduct reference checks. A small business owner had trouble with his last receptionist. She was a “walk-in” who cheerfully dropped off her resume and asked to speak to the owner. He spent some time talking to her and decided to hire her. Her resume was impressive and she answered all his questions well. She provided references, but he didn’t check them. Soon after the probation period  was over she started to arrive late. He fixed this problem by allowing her to arrive 1/2 hour later. This didn’t help. Finally the owner decided to check her references. He found out that she had actually been fired from her last job because of punctuality and absenteeism problems. If he had checked the references before he offered her the job, he would have saved himself and his staff a huge headache. 

These five mistakes can be costly.  As a small business owner or manager, you have so many other things on your plate, learning how to hire the best isn’t a first priority. If this is the case, it might be best to outsource to an expert who can help you learn about the process or provide the service for you. If you have never been trained on how to recruit and select the best candidates it hard to know what to do. If you are a small business owner or manager who needs help with developing a recruiting strategy and framework or training for your managers, please call us.

Best regards, Joanne

P.S. Have you ever been asked inappropriate questions during an interview? What’s the most shocking question you’ve been asked? Please share your comments.

Do you use the “free wheeling” style of interview? How’s that working for you?

What type of interview format or style ensures you have a best fit candidate? 

Often I find business owners and managers using the “free wheeling” interview format. They don’t review the resume in great detail and they don’t prepare questions. Some haven’t even created a job description. They don’t have the time to prepare because they are busy with business. In certain cases, it might be because they enjoy the freedom of asking questions on the fly. But this can get them into trouble. I encourage a structured interview format with predetermined questions customized to the JOB. However, I also believe that questions should be customized to the candidate’s resume, experience and on-line presence. I also advocate the flexibility to ask questions on the fly.  Why?  Because a combination of all interview formats is the most effective to determine the best candidate so you don’t rely on gut feeling alone to make your hiring decision.

Structured Interview Format – Questions Designed for the JOB

A structured interview involves creating questions aligned to the job and asking all candidates the same questions. This eliminates the risk of discrimination and allows you to assess candidates on the same criteria. It’s pretty difficult to assess if you ask candidates different questions. To do this you need to understand the job, so a clearly written and defined job description is important. If you are looking for someone with creativity, for example, you will incorporate some out-of-the-box questions that require creative thinking. If you are looking for someone with problem solving abilities you might describe a scenario and ask them to problem solve on the spot. If you are looking for someone to fill a structured position, with set hours and operational procedures, you will ask questions related to that. 

Candidate Focused Interview Format – Questions Based on the Candidate’s Resume

In addition to the structured interview format used for all candidates, questions should be designed that are related to individual candidate’s resume, experience, and on-line presence. After all, no two candidates are the same. Each brings a unique set of experiences, skills, knowledge and attributes. Candidate focused questions will be targeted to areas that need clarification or need to be expanded upon. There is nothing worse than a candidate coming to an interview and realizing that the interviewer hasn’t looked at his/her resume.  

Unstructured Interview Format – Questions that are not PrePlanned

Unstructured interview questions should be incorporated  What does this mean? It means having the freedom and flexibility to ask questions that might pop up based upon the discussions with the candidates (which are encouraged by the structured interview questions). This type of question helps clarify and probe for more information.

There is a place for all interview formats during the interviewing process! So a mixed approach is the best to ensure you have the right candidate for the position. If you need help developing an interview framework, or need effective interviewing training, please contact us.

Best regards,  Joanne

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

A simple ethical decision making framework to do what’s right

~ Ethics is knowing the difference between
what you (think you) have a right to do and what is right to do. ~
Adapted from a quote by Potter Stewart

Last week I discussed Tips on Creating an Ethical Workplace and I mentioned teaching employees how to make ethical decisions using an ethical decision making framework. 

I have what I call an ethical litmus test within myself. I ask myself, ”What would Grandma think about my actions, behaviour, or decision?” Grandma lived her life with ethical integrity and she lived happily with contentment and kindness. She was a wonderful role model in my life. She was and still is my “Grandma” litmus test for ethical behaviour.

We might also use the “Newspaper” litmus test for ethical behaviour. We’ve seen the headlines splashed across the newspapers and online for all to see. Most recently Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the French diplomat charged in New York City, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former Califorina Governor, have both found out about the “Newspaper” litmus test. The should have used the “Wife” litmus test before engaging in the activities of which they’ve been accused. 

If only people stopped and asked, “How would I feel if my actions are tomorrow’s breaking news?” While complex ethical questions require a more robust decision making framework, here is a process that can start people thinking about ethical decision making.

Ethical Decision Making Model

Answer the following questions about the contemplated activity:

1. Is it legal?
2. Is it consistent with organizational (and personal) values?
3. Is it consistent with the company’s code of conduct?
4. Is it consistent with company policies?
5. Would you be comfortable if this decision was published on-line or in the newspaper (or known to your “grandma”)?
6. Does it feel right? (Is it the right thing to do?)

If you answered “NO” to any one of the questions (1, 3, and 5), do not engage in the contemplated activity and seek additional guidance.

If you answered “YES” to all of the questions (2, 4, and 6), then you may proceed with the contemplated activity. However, if you have any lingering doubts, do not hesitate to seek additional guidance.

What do you use as your own personal litmus test for ethical decision making?  Does your organization have a framework for making ethical decisions?  Please share your thoughts. And if you need training or help with developing an ethical decision making framework, give us a call.

Best regards, Joanne

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