No podcast this week (again).
I hope to return to audiorecording when I get acquainted with my new handheld digital voice recorder, delivered this past week. I hope it will give me both ease of recording and simple editing control.
1) The redbuds were just glorious in St. Louis the last few weeks!
Photo by Tim Pulling (Creative Commons/Flickr)
2) Contingent Workforce.org: “Survey Finds Writing is Key to Workplace Success”
With the fast pace of today’s electronic communications, one might think that the value of fundamental writing skills has diminished in the workplace,” said Joseph M. Tucci, president and CEO of EMC Corporation. “Actually, the need to write clearly and quickly has never been more important than in today’s highly competitive, technology-driven global economy.
Want to develop that valued ability to “write clearly and quickly”? Write a blog. It’ll become a monster begging to be fed every day no matter how busy you are!
3) HR Blog:“Religious beliefs vs. company dress code”
Linking to Workforce Management: “Costco’s Appearance Crusade”
Discusses a case in which an employee challenged as religious discrimination a dress code barring her from wearing an eyebrow ring.
I thought the religious angle was total baloney.
But being your ever-curious blawger I still surfed to the website of “The Church of Body Modification” (caution: photo on linked page not for faint-hearted — appears to be live human qua meat on hook).
There’s a doctrinal statement that sort of makes some sense.
If one views viewing tatoos and piercings as the acts of teen/twenties rebellion they have been for so many, the following may strike a chord:
In many societies there have been rites of passages that brought our children to understand the culture of our growth, and bring our youth into adulthood. The mass population experience incidents that are usually dismissed as the change of life. . . . As a group we agreed that rites of passage still exist largely in present day, and that learning the look and feel of these ideals is what we as modified individuals require to be whole in our mind, body and soul.
Interesting. Better to dismiss “youthful indiscretions” as such — and try to forget them — or to accept and integrate them into a holistic self-identity, spiritual or otherwise? I vote the latter.
In any case, more conventional religious issues surrounding dress/appearance are increasingly likely to come up with a religiously diverse workforce. For example, Muslim, Sikh, and Jewish headcoverings; various religions’ prescribed beards (can I just say my “religion” forbids shaving as an unnatural act? ;-) ).
4) New blog added to blogroll: “iWorkWithFools: where you can read or anonymously share work related stories about the foolish coworkers and bosses we all deal with daily.”
a/k/a the place where disgruntled employees can become former employees after airing their grievances “anonymously.”
Perhaps not a bright idea to contribute to this blog, as the details of these posts seem so idiosyncratic that the complaining employees risk identification.
That said, you may be wondering: George, why would you link to this blog?
Because:
1) you may find it entertaining in a slightly sick way (as I do);2) it can make you feel better about your own employment; and
3) it may be a source for lessons in how not to manage.
Start with “Satan’s List of Rules” (see how people love to comment on this blog.)
Notice how this post illustrates the need to pick your battles. Some meaningful, justifiable “rules” are lost in this totally anal list.
Also, at least some of these rules would probably be fairly sensible and palatable to most employees coming from a manager who presented them differently, giving good reasons, and making polite requests, not establishing iron-clad rules.
For example, I prefer blue ink for original legal documents (to distinguish original signature from photocopy) and red for corrections (so corrections stand out), and don’t think we even buy black pens for our office. If I explain this nicely to a new attorney or secretary, I don’t think I come off as a “control freak.”
Here’s a good one from the list:
Always say please, thank you and I’m sorry. If you have been reprimanded, say ‘I’m sorry’ even if it’s not your fault. Even if you are innocent, your name has been involved in some sort of a problem thus, you should feel some regret.
If your parents didn’t teach you this, someone should.
I’m a strong believer in the apology. If you feel like blaming someone else, and they’re blaming you, quit the finger-pointing.
Apologize to them instead: “I’m sorry, maybe I misunderstood.” If they know it’s really their fault, but are lashing out at you, this will usually be very disarming.
Apologizing doesn’t mean rolling over, especially if you say you’re sorry about the situation, not about what you did. “I’m sorry this project got messed up. How can we fix it now?” “I’m sorry IF I did something wrong.”
Just a thought. This boss may have known more about some things than the griping employee. Ya think?
I may revisit this blog to see what I can learn from these unhappy employees. Think about it: could your employees be saying such things?
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