Transcript No Slide Title

Creating Great Places
to Work
Presented by:
Allison M. Vaillancourt, Ph.D., SPHR
Associate Vice President, Human Resources
The University of Arizona
Building a Kick-Ass Organization
Purge poor performers
Engage excellent employees
I’d Pay to Work There…
Think about a terrific employment experience
What made it so great?
Consider:
People
Pay
Work
Environment
Possibilities
Supervision
Take This Job and…
Think about a terrible employment experience
What made it so bad?
Consider:
People
Pay
Work
Environment
Possibilities
Supervision
Why Do People Quit?
___ of managers who believe
employees leave for more
money
___ of employees who report
leaving for more money
Why Do People Quit?
89% of managers who believe
employees leave for more
money
12% of employees who report
leaving for more money
If It’s Not Money, What Is It?
1. The job or workplace was not as expected.
2. Mismatch between job and person
3. Too little coaching and feedback
4. Too few growth and advancement opportunities
5. Feeling devalued and unrecognized
6. Stress from overwork and work-life imbalance
7. Loss of trust and confidence in senior leaders
Source: The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave. Leigh Branham with cooperation
of Saratoga Institute New York: AMACOM 2005
Meet:
The Guilt Tripper
Your best research scientist is in your office and
he’s not happy. “My salary has remained the
same for two years now,” Carlos complains. “I
know the University is in trouble financially, but
how long can I afford to work at these wages? I
have a new baby on the way and my wife wants
me to go on the market.”
What Do People Want?
MEN
WOMEN
Benefits
Compensation/Pay
Job Security
Work/Life Balance
Feeling Safe
Benefits
Compensation/Pay
Job Security
Work/Life Balance
Feeling Safe
What Do People Want?
MEN
WOMEN
Benefits
Compensation/Pay
Job Security
Work/Life Balance
Feeling Safe
Feeling Safe
Benefits
Compensation/Pay
Job Security
Work/Life Balance
Employee Value Proposition
Affiliation
Salaries
Pay process
Salary incentives
Financial
Organizational mission
Organizational identity
Explicit organizational values
A compelling vision
Titles
Work
Content
Employee
Value
Proposition
Flexible schedules
Dual career assistance
Eldercare resources
Sick child program
Health insurance
Retirement programs
Recognition programs
Benefits
Career
Work with purpose
Interesting work
The ability to get things
done
Supportive leadership
Collaborative colleagues
Feedback
Autonomy
Challenge
Mentoring programs
Professional development
Research support
Career ladders
Collaboration opportunities
Employment security
Design Source: “Rewards of Work: How They Drive Performance, Retention and Satisfaction.” P. Mulvey, G. Ledford, and P. LeBlanc. WorldatWork Journal, Vol 9, No.3, 2000.
It’s 2:00 a.m. What are you doing?
This is you.
It’s 2:00 a.m.
What are your poor performers doing?
They are sleeping. Soundly.
They look so peaceful…
Performance Levels
Can do. Will do.
Can do. Doesn’t do.
Can’t do. Will do.
Can do. Won’t do.
Can’t do. Won’t do.
Value to your organization
Performance Levels
Can do. Will do.
Recognize
Can do. Doesn’t do.
Encourage
Can’t do. Will do.
Train
Can do. Won’t do.
Purge eventually
Can’t do. Won’t do.
Purge immediately
Meet: The Jargon King
Dear Friends:
Never has Cyto-Technologies been able to leverage such synergistic
relationships. Being solution-oriented, we recently convened a brain
trust to propose win-win strategies that will seamlessly integrate our
product paradigm via turnkey strategies. … This will enable our us
to streamline efficiencies and collaborate to focus on mission-critical
programs and services. Our future looks bright!
Ever truly yours,
Marcus
Meet: The Backstabber
Three of your trusted research technicians have
reported that Tess is, well, trashing you. She’s
apparently using phrases like, “He’s comfortable
using 1970’s approaches;” “He seems to lack
energy;” and “Things will be better when he
retires.”
You are all of 47 and have no intention of retiring.
What, if anything, should you say to Tess?
What Scares Us About Straight Talk?
What Scares Us About Straight Talk?
 Fear of anger, harm or sabotage
 Fear of damaging a relationship
 Fear of rejection
 Fear of sounding stupid
 Fear of saying the wrong thing
 Fear of failing
 Fear of demands for evidence
 Fear of our own emotions
 Fear of getting what we want
Meet:
The Religious Zealot
“His email signature is:
In Christ’s name,
James Monroe+
Meet:
The Entitlement Queen
You have before you Andrea’s latest missive and
surprise, surprise, she wants a raise. If she were a
star performer, you might be less annoyed, but
Andrea makes it a point to do as little work as
possible. In her latest plea, she points out that she is
making the same salary as her co-worker, Edward.
She claims this is illegal because she has been
employed for seven years and Edward came on
board six months ago.
Meet: The Option Master
Athena is smart. Really smart. But you swear she
is trying to destroy you with data. Every time a
decision needs to be made, you can count on her
to present an artful matrix that outlines every
possible option. When you ask her what SHE
thinks your organization should do, she responds,
“You’re the boss; I’ll do whatever you think is
best.”
Meet: Mr. MIA
Anytime you need your systems analyst,
he’s missing in action. His online
calendar is filled with meetings with others
in the company, but more than once, one
of those very people has called you during
an alleged meeting. The last time this
happened, you asked Eric to explain it. “I
sense you don’t trust me,” he responded.
“Do you have any idea how that feels?”
Part of you wonders if you are imagining
things, but projects are not being
completed and that, in itself, is cause for
concern.
Curious vs. Furious
Words that Work
 It appears to me…
 I want to support your success, so…
 I feel…
 Because I know you want to advance here…
 From my perspective…
 It has been reported to me…
 I’m worried about …
 I’m hoping you can help me understand…
 Could you explain..
Straight talk is for everyone. For a while…
MVPs
Ability
Hotdogs
Second Stringers
Attitude
Cutting Your Losses
MVPs
Ability
Hotdogs
Cut from
the Team
Second Stringers
Attitude
Meet:
Mixed Metaphor Michael
Michael is desperate to move from a clerical to a lab
coordinator role. And you wish you could offer that because he
is clever and enthusiastic. He’d be perfect if he could only use
the English language properly. Just yesterday you received a
memo from him stating that a certain department member
“can’t pass the mustard” and advising you that budget
projections should be taken with a “grain assault and we
should cross that bridge when it collapses.” Michael thinks he’s
being denied a promotion because he doesn’t have a college
degree. Should you give him a clue? How?
Strategies for Dealing with Conflict
Sophistication of strategy
Honor the other person
Problem solve with the other person
Compromise
Bully the other person
Be passive-aggressive
Avoid it
Likelihood of getting what you want
Adapted from Ursiny,T. The Coward’s Guide to Conflict.
Naperville: SourceBooks, Inc., .2003.
The Goal: Actionable Feedback
 Behaviorally anchored – the situation/action, not
the person
 Specificity – on point
 Illustrative – examples, observations
 Defined range of application – almost all the time
in all situations or only under certain conditions
 Clear impact and implications for action – what is
happening and why it is important and what
should be done to fix it
Adapted from Cannon, M. & Witherspoon, R. 2005.
“Actionable Feedback: Unlocking the Power of Learning
and Performance Improvement.” The Academy of
Management Executive, Volume 19: 123-124.
When It’s Time for Straight Talk
1.
Don’t “over share.” No one but the intended receiver
needs to know that a tough conversation is planned.
2.
Consider neutral ground.
3.
State the purpose of the meeting.
4.
Explain your concerns and aspirations.
5.
Gather data from the other person.
6.
Give them space to share their thoughts, feelings and
perspective.
7.
Be open to the possibility that YOU have contributed to
the situation.
8.
Invite them to problem solve.
Adapted from Perlow, L. When You Say Yes But Mean No. New York, Crown Business, 2003.
Meet: Eeyore
Photo not available
“That won’t work.” “We tried that once.” “We can’t
risk that.” On and on and on and on. You are
exasperated. Every time you propose a new
initiative with dollars attached, this guy behaves
as those you are trying to raid his personal bank
account.
Start Early; Act Quickly
A culture of openness
and accountability
Clear expectations
Small conversations
Role models
High expectations
Comfort with conflict
Better work
“Evidence” for later
More “digestible”
Less resistance from employee
Gives employee more options
Less anxiety for you
What Makes Them Crazy?
Sometimes we just don’t “click” with the people to
whom we report. On occasion we may observe our
supervisors getting frustrated with someone else.
What seems to get on your boss’s nerves?
What’s Important to Your Boss?
People/Feelings
Bottom Line
Ideas/Innovation
Rules/Order/Precedence
Analyzing Your Boss
Makes decisions:
After lots of analysis
After consulting with many
Hoping they will be popular
Quickly
Alone
Without regard to others
In terms of information, wants:
Lots of details
Wants to read it
Likes to write it
Summary of facts
Wants to hear it
Likes to say it
What Makes Them Connect?
Sometimes we observe others who are very effective in
getting what they want from the people to whom we
report. How would you describe these people? What
makes them so successful?
Help Others Hear You
Is the message designed with your boss’s
needs in mind?
What is your boss supposed to do?
Will she/he understand what you want done?
What are the pros and cons of the choice as
your boss sees it?
What are the obstacles to communicating the
message?
You cannot shake hands
with a clenched fist.
Indira Gandhi
Core Concerns
Appreciation
Make others feel understood
Affiliation
Establish connections
Autonomy
Provide options
Status
Acknowledge their expertise
Role
Acknowledge their contributions
From: Beyond Reason, Roger Fisher and Daniel Shapiro, 1995.
How Do You Increase Credibility?
Quit asking.
Get to the point.
Lead with a solution.
Less is more.
Meet:
The Problem Relationship Guy
“He showed
up to work
with cigarette
burns on his
neck and
hands.”
Meet: James the Jinxed
James is a nice guy and is usually productive, but his life is exhausting.
His wife of 20 years is battling colon cancer. His father, who lives with
them, is showing early signs of dementia. His teenage son recently
announced that his girlfriend is pregnant. which so upset his daughter
that her psychiatrist recommended she be sent to a long-term
residential treatment center. James is in your office almost daily with
another tale of woe. Yesterday he reported that he’s having serious
headaches and that his neurologist said his left eye looks “cloudy.” An
MRI is scheduled for next week.
James has managed to meet most of his deadlines, but who knows
how long he can keep this up? And how much longer can you tolerate
these depressing stories?
Meet:
The Salary.com Viewer
“But the technicians
at Ventana and in
Phoenix make
$12,000 more a
year.”
Meet:
The Benefits Parity Problem
“She says she’s
going to Johns
Hopkins if we
don’t pay for her
partner’s health
insurance.”
Meet:
The “Strategic” Investor
They’re telling me I
can’t pay my research
scientist $17,000.
She’s from Russia for
god’s sake; she’ll take
anything!
Meet:
The Totally Committed Staffer
Donna is a non-exempt technician who
never goes home. Her home life is
distressing and she finds peace at work.
You’ve told her several times that she
needs to clock out at 5:00, but she
regularly works until 9:00. Concerned
about overtime exposure, you order her to
leave after eight hours of work. Her
response? “Don’t think you need to pay
me more. I can’t go home and doing work
here keeps my mind off my troubles.”
Meet:
The Super Star
Lizette is smart and funny and energetic and
politically savvy and…well, you could go on an on.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that all of
your colleagues agree with your assessment and
are constantly trying to woo her away. You know
she wants to stay close to her extended family, but
you have no promotional opportunities to offer to
keep her in town. Must you accept that she will
eventually leave you?
Employee Value Proposition
Affiliation
Salaries
Pay process
Salary incentives
Financial
Organizational mission
Organizational identity
Explicit organizational values
A compelling vision
Titles
Work
Content
Employee
Value
Proposition
Flexible schedules
Dual career assistance
Eldercare resources
Sick child program
Health insurance
Retirement programs
Recognition programs
Benefits
Career
Work with purpose
Interesting work
The ability to get things
done
Supportive leadership
Collaborative colleagues
Feedback
Autonomy
Challenge
Mentoring programs
Professional development
Research support
Career ladders
Collaboration opportunities
Employment security
Design Source: “Rewards of Work: How They Drive Performance, Retention and Satisfaction.” P. Mulvey, G. Ledford, and P. LeBlanc. WorldatWork Journal, Vol 9, No.3, 2000.
Lessons from the Gallup Organization
1.
Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2.
Do I have the materials and equipment I
need to do my work right?
3.
At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I
do best every day?
4.
In the last seven days, have I received
recognition or praise for doing good work?
First Break All the Rules. M. Buckingham and C. Coffman, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1999.
Lessons Continued
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem
to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my
development?
7. At work, do my opinions seems to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company
make me feel my job is important?
Lessons Continued
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality
work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the last six months, has someone at work
talked to me about my progress?
12.This last year, have I had opportunities to learn
and grow?