No Bull Business Blog

Everyone must walk the talk

Excerpted from Executive Report: Dealing with Difficult Employees – Restoring Civility in the Workplace

Everyone must walk the talk. Even CEOs can't tell off-color jokes offensive to some people. Nobody is above the law or above company policies.

It is especially important for all people in the management ranks, from first-level supervisors to senior managers, to set the example. If any manager is allowed to get away with behavior that's supposed to be against company policies, like telling dirty jokes or engaging in other bawdy behavior, it will be impossible to credibly discipline employees for the same offenses.

The tone for the right behavior in any organization is set from the top. Executives determine the culture of a company both by what they do themselves and by demonstrating what will and won't be condoned.

A policy-on-paper-only, if not adhered to, actually does more harm than good. It gives plaintiffs' attorneys a chance to argue that the company knew better because it had a good policy on paper and deliberately chose to ignore it.

That kind of situation spurs juries to tack on multi-million-dollar punitive damage awards against employers.

Misbehavior by senior executives also allows plaintiff's' attorneys to introduce the dreaded "culture expert" at a trial who is then allowed to give expert testimony on how senior executives' misbehavior sets the tone for a fraternity-type old boys' network.

Such a culture expert was instrumental in obtaining a $250 million punitive damages award against the pharmaceutical giant Novartis in a class action suit known as Velez v. Novartis, which was brought by 5,500 female employees who were employed as drug reps. The company eventually had to consider itself lucky to be able to settle the case after an appeal for $152 million.

DIGGING DEEPER
Unacceptable behavior is growing in the workplace. And more and more, people are getting away with it. To help you nip it in the bud, read the Executive Report: Dealing with Difficult Employees – Restoring Civility in the Workplace

14 nasty habits you should never do in the office

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Business Etiquette - 95 Dos and Don'ts for Managers and Executives.

Everyone has at least one bad habit or tic - and they can be truly embarrassing. They can be tough to control because they're often unconscious and generally the outward signs of anxiety or nervousness.

The tic itself is an attempt at self-comfort. But they can be distracting and interruptive at best, offensive and offputting at worst.

So you need to find a way to control them. Often breathing exercises, where you concentrate on taking deep, abdominal breaths, holding and then releasing them can help curb involuntary gestures. You might try that if you do any of these:

• pick your nose, ears or any other body cavity
• twirl, twist, braid or fondle your hair
• scratch - anything
• clean your teeth (even with a toothpick) or nails
• "adjust" yourself
• interrupt others when they're talking
• crowd others (leave at least 18 inches of personal space between yourself and anyone to whom you may be speaking)
• snort, belch, fart or spit (if any of these things happen inadvertently, apologize profusely),
• point
• stare
• wiggle your leg incessantly

Also  avoid:

• consuming smelly food or drink
• playing music (wear headphones if you must), or
• wearing excessive perfume or cologne.

DIGGING DEEPER
It takes more than business savvy to get ahead these days. Following the proper business etiquette will help you stand out - or at least not derail your career. For help, read the Executive Report: Business Etiquette - 95 Dos and Don'ts for Managers and Executives.

Star employee leaving? Counter-offer is a huge mistake

Excerpted from the Executive Report – The Salary Talk: Eliminating the Angst of Discussing Pay with Employees

One of the most difficult decisions a manager or supervisor may have to face is whether to extend a counter-offer to an employee who has given notice of resignation because he or she has accepted a higher-paying position elsewhere.

Counter-offers rarely work long-term. Even if you save the employee temporarily by matching or even slightly exceeding the terms of the other offer, unless other dissatisfactions are addressed, it is very probable that within a couple of years, they’ll be looking for another job again.

That’s why most HR experts discourage counter-offers. If you can’t afford to have the employee leave for now, you may have to hold your nose and give him or her what’s needed in the way of money to keep the person in the fold, but you’d better start the succession planning right then and there – so you won’t be in the same position a couple of years hence.

And before you make it just a money conversation, you’d better find out a little more about everything that led to the person’s resignation in the first place. When people decide to leave a company, it’s rarely just about money – unless you know you’re paying your people significantly below market value, in which case you have to be prepared for a high turnover rate.

DIGGING DEEPER
Managers dread having to talk salary with employees. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it’s also where many managers make mistakes that lead to trouble later. Here’s help. Read the  Executive Report – The Salary Talk: Eliminating the Angst of Discussing Pay with Employees

Gossip takes up 65 hours a year

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Managing Gossip: What You Need to Know to Keep the Rumor Mill in Check.

The Human Resources Department at Randstad USA reports that out of a survey of 1,540 U.S. employees, 60% revealed their biggest pet peeve in the workplace was employees who gossiped.

Beyond this, the American Society for Training and Development report on business ethics found 21% of workers admitted to frequently participating in gossip, and 64% reported gossiping sometimes.

The business communications company Equisys researched office gossip in 2002 and found 65 hours a year per employee are wasted gossiping about the workplace.

Multiply 65 by the number of your employees and the grapevine can suddenly look like an enormous money pit for your organization.

DIGGING DEEPER
Office gossip is a fact of life, but you can keep it from getting out of control. Find out more in the Executive Report: Managing Gossip: What You Need to Know to Keep the Rumor Mill in Check.

Gossip: Treat it as a viral infection

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Managing Gossip: What You Need to Know to Keep the Rumor Mill in Check.

Gossip and rumors spread much like any sort of disease - from one person to another.

But just like a viral or bacterial infection, some people are more susceptible to the invading germs, and others are more active in spreading them. It's important for managers to identify these individuals so the spread of gossip and rumors can be contained.

An experienced manager will be able to spot a gossipmonger or rumor mill feeder more easily than  will a new boss. But any manager can learn to identify the telltale traits of these folks.

To prevent or stop office gossip, a manager must first understand the personality profile of an employee who spreads information about others.

Very often, the person who is a gossip monger is also a person with an unsatisfied ego. The need to feel important or the need for power, coupled with a weak value system, can add up to the kind of person who uses gossip as a way to ingratiate himself or herself with others. By offering up valuable information, this person feels needed, valuable and indispensible to others.

Most gossipers are flat-out attention seekers. They want to draw attention to themselves to feel connected and powerful within an organization.

If knowledge is power, displaying that knowledge will demonstrate the gossiper's powerful profile.

DIGGING DEEPER
You can't keep employees from gossiping, but you can keep it from getting out of control and even use it to benefit your organization. Find out more in the Executive Report: Managing Gossip: What You Need to Know to Keep the Rumor Mill in Check.