No Bull Business Blog

Use the word 'behavior' instead of 'attitude'

Excerpted from the the Executive Report: Dealing With and Eliminating Unacceptable Behavior.

You may think a person has a good attitude or bad attitude, but unless you're crawling around inside his or her head you really don't know.

Managers should steer clear of using the word "attitude" in the work setting.

Instead, use "behavior."

You can actually see and document behavior.

You can tell a worker: "It's unacceptable for you to suck your teeth and walk away while I am giving you instructions."

That's more clear and specific than "I don't like your attitude."

DIGGING DEEPER:
For the most part, employees do the right thing at work. But there are always those moments of "unacceptable behavior." Get a handle on it with the Executive Report: Dealing With and Eliminating Unacceptable Behavior.

Recipe for conflict: Comparing one employee to another

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Dealing With and Eliminating Unacceptable Behavior

A rule of thumb when dealing with unacceptable performance is to avoid comparing the employee to co-workers. That just creates more problems.

Instead, focus just on the person in front of you, giving a straightforward assessment.

For instance, it should never be "You only do six of these a day, and Beth does 10."

Instead, it should be "You do six of these a day, and there is room to do more. I'd like to find a way to build you up to eight, or even 10. What do you think of that? What do you think we need to do to help you get to that number?"

DIGGING DEEPER

One of the biggest headaches that managers have is dealing with inappropriate behavior in the workplace. For additional help, see the Executive Report: Dealing With and Eliminating Unacceptable Behavior.

Top 10 Communication Gaffes in Business

You'd think everyone you work with would know better than commit these business communication sins. But I suspect you can put at least one colleague's name to every one of the following:

1. Using your cell's speakerphone when you're in public. Not only is it annoying, but hearing both sides of the conversation generally confirms for everyone that you're not as bright as you think you are.

2. Not turning off the ringer on your cell phone while in the office. Once is forgiven in my office, twice may get you killed.

3. Forwarding a list of jokes (especially tasteless ones) to others in the office. Don't you have anything original to say?

4. Sending any e-mail or snail-mail message that begins "Dear Sir or Madame". Even spammers don't do this anymore.

5. Hitting "Send" before reading what you wrote. Unless you do, you're dramatically increasing your chances of getting fired (or at least embarrassed).

6. Using smiley faces or emoticons in business correspondence. They aren't cute or funny. And they say you're not serious about doing business.

7. Forgetting that all e-mail sent from your business e-mail address is "business." There are plenty of lawsuits out there that will back this up.

8. Using "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" as your ringtone. Not everyone shares your taste in music.

9. Answering your phone during a business meeting. No, it doesn't mean you're more important than the rest of us.

10. Hitting "Reply All" - particularly when you're making a snarky comment. Need we say more?

DIGGING DEEPER

We all have to deal with difficult people. For help, check out the Executive Report: Stopping Difficult People From Sucking the Life Out of Your Organization.

10 most outrageous lies on resumes

Only 8% of employees admit to stretching the truth on their resumes, but 49% of hiring managers say they’ve caught job applicants lying on their resumes, says a CareerBuilder.com survey.

The most common lies included:

• Embellished responsibilities – 38%
• Skill set -18%
• Dates of employment -12%
• Academic degree -105
• Companies worked for – 7%
• Job title 15%

But some folks make incredible claims: Here are some of the most outrageous:

1. Claimed to be a member of the Kennedy family
2. Invented a school that did not exist
3. Submitted a resume with someone else's photo inserted into the document
4. Claimed to be a member of Mensa
5. Claimed to have worked for the hiring manager before, but never had
6. Claimed to be the CEO of a company when the candidate was an hourly employee
7. Listed military experience dating back to before he was born
8. Included samples of work, which the interviewer actually did
9. Claimed to be Hispanic when he was 100 percent Caucasian
10. Claimed to have been a professional baseball player

DIGGING DEEPER
Spotting bad hires before they're on the payroll saves you a lot of angst and money. Get help with this Executive Report: Interviewing: Weed Out Slackers, Stupid People and Bad Fits.

10 dumbest excuses for being late

One in four workers admits to making up excuses for arriving late.

More than 32% blame traffic and another 17% blame it on falling back asleep, says a CareerBuilder survey.

Most of us would probably buy those answers, but the 10 below are a bit beyond belief:

1. While rowing across the river to work, I got lost in the fog.
2. Someone stole all my daffodils.
3. I had to go audition for American Idol.
4. My ex-husband stole my car so I couldn't drive to work.
5. My route to work was shut down by a Presidential motorcade.
6. I wasn't thinking and accidentally went to my old job.
7. I was indicted for securities fraud this morning.
8. The line was too long at Starbucks.
9. I was trying to get my gun back from the police.
10. I didn't have money for gas because all of the pawn shops were closed.

DIGGING DEEPER
Spotting bad hires before they're on the payroll saves you a lot of angst and money. Get help with this Executive Report: Why Stupid People Get Hired - And What You Can Do To Avoid This.

7 questions to ask before firing an employee for being late

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Is Your Employee Handbook Legal? 139 Questions You Need to Ask.

You have every right to expect employees to be on the job, on time, every day. But it needs to be spelled out to employees.

There should be an attendance policy in every company's HR handbook that emphasizes the importance of good attendance and explains what can happen to those who are frequently late or absent.

Employees who have been terminated for poor attendance have won in court when they are able to show that the policy was unclear and not enforced consistently.

So ask yourself the following:

1. Does your attendance policy explain how absences are to be reported and the penalties for excessive absenteeism? Your policy should distinguish between excused and unexcused absences.
2. Do you follow state and federal law concerning absences for jury duty? It is a violation of federal law and state law to discipline employees who are absent for jury duty.
3. Does your absence policy take into account the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? It is a violation of FMLA to charge a covered employee with unexcused absences while on a leave.
4. Does your absence policy follow the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act to accommodate reservists' requests for time off?
5. Does your policy consider religious accommodation requirements before charging employees with unexcused absences? 
6. Does your policy consider the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act concerning absences for drug, alcohol or medical treatments?
7. Does your policy explain that unexcused absenteeism has a negative affect on their performance appraisals, promotions and continued employment?

DIGGING DEEPER
Employee handbooks are meant to set the rules straight - once and for all. But they don't always. In fact, many wrongful discharge cases are based on published policies in the handbook that are ignored when a discharge decision is made. To make sure your company's employee handbook is in good order, you're invited to check out the Executive Report: Is Your Employee Handbook Legal? 139 Questions You Need to Ask.

Can you top these excuses for missing work?

Almost a third of employees admit to calling out sick from work when they weren't ill. And most bosses believe them, says a CareerBuilder survey.

Think you've heard all the best excuses for missing work? Think again. Here are some gems offered by employees calling out:

• "My dog wasn't feeling well. So I took a bite of his food to see if that's what got him sick and now I'm sick."
• "A groundhog bit my car tire and it went flat. Now I’m stuck on the side of the road."
• "I'm not feeling well and I want to rest up for the company holiday party tonight."
• "I'm too upset to come into work today because my favorite American Idol contestant was voted off."

Can you top these? Bet you can. Share your stories by leaving a comment.

DIGGING DEEPER
Hiring is the most important thing a company does. So how come we make so many hiring mistakes? To make sure you're hiring the right people, you're invited to check out the Executive Report: Why Stupid People Get Hired.