Page 214 - An Indispensible Resource for Being a Credible Activist

life lessons he taught her? Will this person ask to talk about one thing but wind up talking
about many more things? Let people know, “I want to give you my full attention, but I can
only give you 20 minutes today unless it’s a serious complaint or a safety issue or an emer-
gency.” Knowing what kind of time you can give is an important part of managing your time
and letting others know what to expect.
Knowing the difference between wanting to talk to someone and needing to talk to
someone is also very important. If it is not imperative, consider the time of day, what is hap-
pening in the company meeting or event-wise, and consider that person’s schedule if you
know anything about it. Be prepared to send an e-mail instead of having a discussion if the
person is not available. Be prepared to have to wait a day or two before having the discus-
sion. We should be able to relax to an extent when we are talking with colleagues, and we
shouldn’t have to treat every discussion as an executive presentation; however, if you get
into the habit of having awareness of others’ time, schedule, and environment, you will be
appreciated for this.
Learn to read people. Learn to notice the signs of someone fidgeting or looking at his
or her computer or tuning you out. It may be that the person has a time constraint but does-
n’t know how to tell you. Be considerate and always ask if people have time to meet or talk
if your meeting with them is unscheduled.

❱❱ DO I KNOW THIS PERSON WELL ENOUGH TO TELL
HIM OR HER THIS?
Some workplaces have the kind of culture where everyone tells everyone everything. Some
do not. Some are in between. You can determine your own personal boundaries around this
issue for yourself, regardless of what the rest of the workplace culture is. Be aware also that
as an HR professional, you are setting an example for others, as are other leadership posi-
tions. Know that your behavior will be modeled, whatever you decide.

❱❱ APPROPRIATE PEOPLE TO TALK TO ABOUT PERSONAL

PROBLEMS AT WORK
Although HR professionals occasionally need the assistance of an HR professional just as
any employee would, this is a very sensitive area depending on how your HR practice is
being received. Someone may be trustworthy one month but not the next. Do be careful
whom you share personal issues with at work, and whenever, try to talk to people outside
of your workplace about personal issues.

READ YOUR EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK AND UNDERSTAND IT

Make sure you are included in employee handbook revisions and make sure that your hand-
book explicitly states that the handbook is not an employment contract and that employ-
ment is at-will. Handbooks that do not explicitly state this can be argued as evidence that
an employment contract existed when it actually was not meant to have existed. If you

CHAPTER 12 • Make Sure You Are Not Par t of the Problem 197