 | ASK ROXI
Please CLICK HERE to answer this one question survey so I know what's on your mind.
| Q:
I want to institute a policy that says people cannot cash their paychecks over lunch. I have a few people who are chronically late from lunch because of this activity. While they lose a few minutes pay, they don't seem to care, but I do. It disrupts the work flow and other members of the team. So can I do it?
A:
This is using a policy as a crutch instead of practicing good management and supervision. It isn't wise and in this case, is likely in violation of employee rights. Your job is to manage the performance challenges, not write new policies for every possible thing that could go wrong. You'd have a policy book 10 times as big as War and Peace if you do that!!
READ ON FOR MORE...
You already have work rules in place or non-exempt staff wouldn't be "losing a few minutes pay" in the first place.
That means you are not enforcing what IS already in your work schedule policy.
These employees are making choices that are disruptive to the work of others. They are late, and they are being allowed to do it repeatedly.
That's not a policy problem, that's a performance problem and requires at least a conversation and, if continued, documented discipline.
It's clear the vast majority of your staff are honoring the current policy. To create a "no paycheck cashing" policy will likely get everyone upset for no reason. I can not imagine any lawyer on the planet who would back you up when, not if, you get a grievance for telling people what they can and cannot do on their own time and dime.
My rule of thumb- the fewer policies the better. Use policies where legality, safety, essential work rules, and union or other contracts are involved, and then...mostly practice GREAT SUPERVISION.
Make sure you treat people fairly and with good judgment and you will not need many policies to manage performance.
********************************* LET ME KNOW YOUR QUESTION AND YOU MAY SEE IT HERE NEXT MONTH!! |
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 | | Happy Spring! |
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Greetings!
The GREAT feedback you've shared about this newsletter means we ARE connecting. Keep your comments and questions coming - I love them all. This is currently reaching over 2,000 people - I would like to make it 10X that by the end of this year. And why not - it's free, fun, and has only one objective - to help YOU! So go ahead and forward this anytime to anyone.
This month our focus is on CONNECTIONS. I chose this topic because of the feedback I received from you. Staying "connected" is a deeply imbedded need for most people. Our connections with each other, are, at the end of the day, the most important thing we have. Whether we are plugging in a television to "connect" the power so we can "connect" to the goings on in the world visually, or we are calling a customer to make sure they are pleased with our service, or we are gathering around a campfire with s'mores and friends, or hugging our kids and pets - we are "connecting" every day in many, many ways. Our business and home life results depend on how we choose to connect with everyone and everything important to us.
For thousands of years, the only way humans survived and thrived day to day, year to year, was to work together, collaborate, and stay tightly connected to the "tribe." To be "banished" from the tribe was the worst possible outcome; one's very survival depended on belonging, and no one could manage long on their own.
Some things in life never change, and this is one of them.
This month we will look at a few practical ways we can improve our interpersonal connections, increase our leadership presence, and boost business results.
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 Click here to see a fun, short video onthe importance of the "first follower"
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CONNECTIONS & SYNERGY
First, I'd like to ask you a question...when you think of the word "connection," what pictures come to mind, what feelings, what ideas?
TAKE A MOMENT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION FOR YOURSELF.
OK - now, why does connection matter to you? Whatever thoughts and feelings come to mind...are good clues about how much and what kind of importance and value you place on this topic.
I do believe we are all connected to and greatly impacted by other people and by our experiences with our world. I hear leaders talking about this every day, so I am clearly not alone in this belief. The question isn't so much are we connected, but how are we, and what could we do to make those connections more authentic, meaningful, effective, and even more profitable?
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Our lives are one continuous series of connections. In any relationship, group, organization...for us to believe we belong, we need to feel safe with the people there. When/If we've created the baseline conditions of safety and trust between and among people, companies, departments, countries, we've truly connected. It doesn't matter if it happens at work, on Facebook, a family reunion, or around a table at NATO.
Connections create synergy when we take it one step further and make those connections stick, thereby creating something one of us couldn't or wouldn't do alone, often resulting in a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
In our leadership workshops and courses, participants often tell us how much they value the connections they've made in the group learning process. Creating a sense of community is powerful for them. We continue to seek a sense of belonging, community, connections, extended "family." We all are looking for our "tribe."
Our global, cross-cultural use of technology to communicate, build community, and stay connected can easily be interpreted as one indication of the insatiable hunger we have for community. In every culture, across every demographic group, and every personality type, we text, FB, Skype, email, YouTube, Twitter, and Blog. We are building pathways amongst each other, networks within networks within networks. While these technologies are often useful for communication and even relationship building, they do not replace the need to connect in the flesh, up close and personal.There is nothing invented yet to replace it - augment, yes, but not replace.
I like to think of it this way...It's a bit like seeing a perfect projection of a glorious 3D chocolate cake. You may get the sensation of tasting it, particularly if the air is filled with the smell of chocolate; your brain and salivary glands may even be fooled into thinking you are tasting it. In the end though, it is only when you've taken a forkful of the real thing and savored it, that you have the full experience and a complete connection with that cake.
If you want to take a pause here and go get something yummy to nibble on, I'll understand!
So HOW can we taste that cake without killing ourselves? How can we connect and create synergies in the already booked-to-the-nines lives we have?
Here is a free website you might find useful as a tool
SIMPLEOLOGY.COM when you put into practice one or more of the connection strategies here READ MORE... |
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3 WAYS LEADERS CONNECT - Focus, really focus, on the person in front of you as if they were the only person in the room
- Inquire about his/her ideas, thoughts, feelings and then listen deeply without judgment
- Sponsor regular brown bag lunches with no business agenda - allowing time to "be together sharing a meal"
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3 WAYS LEADERS FAIL TO CONNECT - Text, email, get on the phone while in a meeting with others
- Always appear "too busy to be bothered"
- Only meet with people on your turf
These behaviors and choices are again closely related to your leadership Emotional Intelligence. Be honest with yourself. Where might you increase the connections you need to be an effective leader? Where might you be getting in your own way? |
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WE CAN ALL GET BETTER AT CONNECTING
LET'S PRACTICE!!
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This month, I'm providing you with an opportunity to practice challenging yourself to grow greater connection awareness and personal effectiveness. Some people are naturals at "reaching out," others believe they need "a reason," and still others feel "awkward" with the notion of "intruding" on others.
Here's the CHALLENGE: first determine where are you on that spectrum and then pick 2 things YOU CAN DO THIS MONTH to grow your relationships and connections. Pick 1 that is easy for you and 1 that is a bit of a stretch.
In the "READ MORE" section, there are several ideas to choose from, or the connect/disconnet lists above may resonate, or make up your own. Just DO IT and see what happens! Get these 2 things on your calendar so they are real for you, and then do them as often as you can for 30 days. This will increase both your awareness and comfort level with conscious connecting.
I would love to hear about your results!
SEE YOU IN APRIL!
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I encourage you to forward everything in this newsletter to anyone you think would enjoy and benefit from it. The response has been incredible; over 200 people have requested to be added to the list in just the last two weeks!
Synergistically Yours, |
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