Welcome to the February 22, 2006 issue of The Total View

Published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

Visit our Human Resources Blog and Perfect Labor Storm Blog where we can post daily (and more often) human resource updates, news, and Perfect Labor Storm facts. 

What's Inside:

1.   De-coding employee conflict breeds better teamwork.

Not a day goes by that I'm not asked to comment on a manager's behavior. More often than not, the problems share common themes. What follows are a few examples about decisions many managers make and why selecting the right training or development solution is so important.

Employees with a bad attitude often create conflicts. The manager's solution often times is to send the disruptive or unmotivated employee for communication training. But ineffective communication isn't the problem. They are very effective at communicating a message - that is what's causing the problem in the first place.

Similarly, I am often called about team building. When I ask why team building, the callers respond "we'd like to improve communication and work together better." So they send the whole team to a 4 to 8 hour workshop, followed by weeks of waiting to see what changes will happen. I've learned to question further and the REAL reason for the team building request is exposed: one or two employees just don't seem to fit. Reasons for this range from "not pulling his weight" or "continually creates tension with her co-workers." But rather than single out these employees for improvement, managers want to circumvent addressing the problem head-on, hoping this few hours of training will enlighten the disenchanted so they see the light. I can recall only one time that I was called to faciliate a team building exercise when the purpose was truly proactive. Every other request is prompted by a conflict between one or more individuals and the team building no more than an attempt to "fix their attitudes". Masquerading conflict resolution as team building is ineffective, time-consuming, and costly.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear employee conflict is whether the conflict's origin is interpersonal, functional, or intrapersonal.

Interpersonal, or me-you, conflicts reprsent the stereotypical conflict - I don't like something about you and you don't like something about me. If the source of the conflict is just a problem in how one employee does his/her job vs. how another employee or manager expects the job to be done, these situations are often times easily resolved by using the CriteriaOne DISC assessments. Helping workers understand that each of us has a preferred way to approach problem solving, interacting with others, pacing ourselves, and following procedures and that these preferences are not good or bad, right or wrong is the best first step at minimizing conflict. I commonly hear after such an intervention that "I didn't realize how I was coming across." When one person accepts tha fact that another's style is not an attempt to get under their skin but merely an expression of the way he communicates, many problems disappear.

A second type of conflict is functional, or job related. This occurs when the way management expects the job to be done conflicts with the way an employee prefers to do it. For instance, management may expect supervisors to offer ongoing positive feedback and to engage employees by coaching and personal meetings. The introverted manager however may prefer to communicate by email or memos and doesn't see the point in thanking employees for a job well done - "that's what paychecks are for." Conflicts between an individual and the expectations of the job usually result in de-motivation and burnout. Unfortunately along the way, these individuals create a lot of collateral damage. Identifying the behavioral and personality requirements of the job and matching an individual's style and personality to the criteria minimizes the risk of functional conflicts.

The third type of conflict is intrapersonal, or me-me, results when an individual has internally conflicting behavioral styles, values and personality traits. For instance, let's say an employee prefers to complete what he/she starts before beginning something else (Steady behavioral style) but also has a short fuse and is energized by addressing problems quickly (Direct style). Just like two people with these styles forced to work together creates conflict, a single indiviudal can have conflicting styles, values and traits. The best solution is helping the individual understand his/her own style and personality and coaching them in ways to modify their work and interpersonal style. The result when handled properly is a less stressed, more productive employee.

The first step in resolving or preventing conflict is employee assessment. This immediately exposes the root cause of the tension and focuses a manager's energy and resources into improving performance instead of dancing around the problem.

For more information about team building or conflict resolution assessments,

2.  Perfect Labor Storm Alerts # 505 to 506

Don't miss day-to-day updates on Perfect Labor Storm. Save the Perfect Labor Storm blog to your favorites.

Fact #505:  One out of every ten persons is now 60 years or above; by 2050, one out of five will be 60 years or older; and by 2150, one out of three persons will be 60 years or older. (Source: The Aging of the World's Population, United Nations)

Fact #506:  The older population itself is ageing. The oldest old (80 years or older) is the fastest growing segment of the older population. They currently make up 11 percent of the 60+ age group and will grow to 19 percent by 2050. The number of centenarians (aged 100 years or older) is projected to increase 15-fold from approximately 145,000 in 1999 to 2.2 million by 2050. (Source: The Aging of the World's Population, United Nations)

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - Only $7.95.

3.  Survey: Who should HR report to?

The baby-boom generation contains the largest number of people ever voluntarily to give up work in such a short time. Because it is larger than the generation that follows it – and any that preceded it – it casts a long shadow over the companies it is set to leave behind.

Businesses are rapidly approaching the “demographic cliff" and yet Human Resources in many businesses is still not seated at the executive table. When it is, organizational charts vary with HR reporting to the CEO, COO, CFO or other senior executives.

We'd like to hear from you. Who should HR report to and why? Please take a minute or two to complete this two-question opinion survey .

Results will be published on or before March 15, 2006 in this newsletter and at www.super-solutions.com.

4.   Quotes from Hire Authorities

Like everyone else, I've got the same trucks. Like everyone else, I've got the same potatoes. Like everyone else, I've got the same machinery. The only thing I can have better is better people.

Herman Lay, entrepreneur

5.   Reference Checks and Employee Verification

Electronics retailer RadioShack Corp. announced Monday that its president and chief executive, David Edmondson, resigned in the midst of an investigation into credentials listed on his resume. Edmondson, who became RadioShack (Research)'s CEO last May after being groomed for the spot, admitted last week that he had "clearly" misstated his academic record on his resume and on the company's Web site.

Too busy to check employee references? Tired of getting only bits and pieces of useless information from previous emplohyers? At Success Performance Solutions we can help you check references and verify education. Why waste time getting the run-around and leaving phone messages that don’t get returned?

Contact Pat Crouse for more information about our reference checking and education verification service.

6.   Total Applicant Processing System

Total Applicant Processing System (Total-APS) provides an affordable and efficient online recruiting system for small and medium size businesses. Total APS is not just a resume processing system: it is a complete, total applicant processing system that includes job fit screening and selection tools. It enables managers to list job openings, administer screening tests, and direct candidates through an application that produces a ranking score, saving managers dozens of hours. Instead of sifting through piles of resumes and playing voice mail tag, managers can target their search to only the most qualified candidates. Simplify your hiring process today and employ the most powerful assessment tools to determine a candidate's job fit.

Learn more about Total Applicant Processing System.