Page 257 - An Indispensible Resource for Being a Credible Activist

Reinforcement of these important and fun learning tools through coaching and account-
ability for the entire organization using a learning organizational approach can and will
transform the ugliest and costliest of workplace cultures in as few as 6 to 12 months—as
long as quality training is involved with leadership’s full support.
Remember, emotions and behavior are contagious. If we do nothing to influence corpo-
rate culture, we will almost inevitably wind up with the ugly and costly remnants of uncon-
scious fear, disgust, and anger from individual and group primal-brain instincts, urges, and
reactions. However, if we choose training, reinforcement, leadership support, and account-
ability, corporate culture can and will bloom into a cost-savings mechanism which will be
evident once there is sufficient learning, practice, and cultural transformation. Visitors to
your company will notice the many good outcomes resulting from using EI, NVC, and sound
conflict resolution training programs to produce a culture that uses the best of what our
brains have to offer.

SMART PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Eliminate rater-bias and attribution error by using 360-feedback mechanisms, providing nec-
essary management and conflict resolution training programs, clearly identifying what is
wanted, and demanding accountability. Understand employees’ strengths, give them work
they can succeed in completing well, and adjust positions, if necessary, to maximize staff
productivity. All employees should know that core communication, collaboration, and
behavioral skills are just as important as technical skills. Goals are made clear, coaching and
mentoring are regularly available, improvement is supported, and mistakes are learning
opportunities. Promotions are based on performance. Titles are based on job descriptions,
and there is consistency in application of titles, salaries, and privileges.
What would happen if someone, let’s call him person A, did a great job but his super-
visor did not like him for whatever reason? What would happen if someone in the same
department, person B, did a terrible job, but she had been friends with the supervisor for
years? What would happen if one day this supervisor promoted person B but did not pro-
mote person A? What would happen if person B was given a large salary increase, but per-
son A was given a much smaller salary increase? How might this impact the company if
person B’s errors weren’t noted but person A’s errors were? How might this impact the com-
pany if person B’s very serious or frequent errors weren’t acknowledged, noted, docu-
mented, or addressed, but person A’s much smaller and/or infrequent or less serious errors
were acknowledged, documented, and addressed in performance evaluations as serious
matters?
How might this impact the job performance of person A? How might person A’s anger
impact the operation of the business? Whom might person A discuss this with? How might
this impact the entire workforce once employees notice this and discuss it? How might this
eventually cause large problems for this company?
Do you have a situation like this anywhere in your company? How would you know if
you did? Consider what your liability risk in this situation might be after what you have
already read.

240 The H R Toolkit