Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Human Resources

We know HR. Read our Human Resources blog archives for stories and best practices from our work with real clients and personal experiences in the world of HR.

  • 4 Ways to Apply Quality Time at Work

    4 Ways to Apply Quality Time at Work

    “Would you rather me 1) give you a high five or 2) work on a puzzle with you?” I asked my five and nine-year-old over the holiday break.  

    It was one set of about twenty force choice questions from the Five Love Languages for Kids quiz I was giving them in order to explore how my husband and I can continue to be mindful of how we can best customize our parenting to each child. 

    Both easily answered, “Work on a puzzle with you.” 

    The Love Languages quiz started in romantic relationships and describes five primary love languages: 

    1. Physical Touch
    2. Receiving Gifts
    3. Words of Affirmation
    4. Quality Time
    5. Acts of Service

    It helps us to build self-awareness of how we like to give and receive love.  

    We continued through the questions and discovered that both our children’s primary love language is quality time. 

    My husband stumbled into the quiz with the kids, so he and I also both took the couple’s quiz. Turns out, both of our primary love languages is also quality time. 

    So being mindful of this, we have started family night on Friday evenings which consists of making homemade pizza or some other simple meal together, eating, and either playing a game or watching a movie together.  We are trying to be mindful of how to give and receive love in a way that is meaningful, and we are fortunate that we all have the same primary love language. 

    Turns out love languages are also applicable in the workplace.  The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace and the corresponding Motivating by Appreciation (MBA) Inventory assessment help colleagues better understand how to customize appreciation towards others in order to build successful and empowering relationships at work. 

    Quality time may be your language of appreciation, but at work, it doesn’t have to be expressed through pizza and game night, and that isn’t actually how most people at work want or need it to be expressed.  

    From the book, “Our research indicates…. The employee simply wants to feel that what they are doing is significant and that their supervisor values their contribution.  Taking a few minutes to check-in and hear how things are going communicates genuine expression of interest in what they are doing and makes them feel valued.” 

    So if you are a supervisor or colleague is someone who values quality time, how do you express this at work?  Here are four ways to express quality time, grounded in realizing that by giving away time, you are giving away your most precious resource.  And your time is not about proximity to someone but about personal attention. 

    1. Focused attention:  On our first family game night, I started cleaning up the kitchen about ten minutes into the game while my husband was resisting the urge to look at his phone.  This new “tradition” wasn’t going to be successful if we didn’t focus all of our attention on it, and our kids quickly reminded us of this. “Mom, it’s your turn. Why are you cleaning up now?” they asked.   

    If we want to be good at giving quality time, we have to focus our attention on specifically that.  Stop multitasking, give undivided attention, and listen to give away true quality time.

    2. Quality conversation: The book states that this is “dialogue in which two individuals are sharing their thoughts, feelings and desires in a friendly, uninterrupted context.”  This is why and where regular one-on-ones with those you manage are so important.  And this means your one-on-ones have to comply with number one above- focused attention.   Your phone, email, etc. should be put up during quality conversations.  

    Quality conversation requires empathetic listening by maintaining eye contact, resisting the urge to interrupt, listening for feelings and thoughts, observing body language and affirming feelings even if you disagree with their conclusions. 

    It also requires asking good questions.  Even though we don’t have a game or movie night every day of the week with our kids, we do try to sit down as a family for dinner most nights of the week.  Quality conversation is started by everyone having to answer three questions: 1) What was your high of the day? 2) What was your low of the day? and 3) What is your hope for tomorrow?  This has led to meaningful dialogue and a better understanding of each other. 

    3. Shared Experiences: Connecting inside and outside of work through shared experiences is an important way to express quality time.  Research by the authors of the book indicates that “men whose primary appreciation language is quality time often prefer to share experiences as opposed to sit-down conversations.”  A round of golf anyone? 

    We have quarterly planning meetings as a team at Horizon Point, which usually involves a full day of sitting around a table focusing attention and engaging in quality conversation to plan for the next three months.  I decided to begin 2020 by adding the element of the shared experience to this. We took the first part of our meeting where we shared our 2019 accomplishments and brainstormed on goals for a walk on the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge. The Sandhill Cranes are out in full force this time of year, and it was great to get outside with everyone and experience something together.   

     

    4. Working collegially with coworkers on a task and small group dialogue.  “Research shows that millennials and even Gen-Xers highly value working collaboratively with others,” states the book.   Working in groups is a way to engage learning and small group dialogue along with it helps to generate ideas and suggestions in a way that may help people feel less intimidated than by sharing one-on-one thoughts with their supervisor. 

    The key to applying love languages of appreciation at work is to make it personal.  By tuning in to what people need and giving them that- as opposed to what we need or what is easiest to give or what we can give in one blanketed way to everyone all at once- is the best way to show appreciation and motivate towards positive results. 

     

    How do you want to be appreciated at work? 

  • Don’t Hoard Your Organization’s Wealth

    Don’t Hoard Your Organization’s Wealth

    “Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.” – Robert Boyce

    Organizations contain a wealth of knowledge. Some organizations spread that wealth, and some hoard it. Those that share the wealth of knowledge maximize their potential success. 

    I’m currently reading The Starbucks Experience by Joseph Michelli and even though my brother and sister-in-law are both former partners (that’s what Starbucks calls their employees), I had no idea just how strong of an emphasis Starbucks places on knowledge at all levels of the organization. From formal training and incentives for completion, requiring partners to sample all core products twice per year, providing every partner with one bag of coffee each week so that they stay familiar with products, and encouraging partners to share their knowledge with customers to help educate them on products, Starbucks understands the value knowledge adds to their business, the partner experience, and the customer experience. 

    Starbucks has over 11,000 locations worldwide, and a level of financial resources for training that most organizations don’t have. So how can smaller organizations help employees share the wealth of knowledge? 

    • Encourage a learning and teaching environment. Studies show that up to 90% of what we learn is through informal training. But most organizations focus their attention on formal training such as classes or certifications, with limited funds to support these efforts. When I chose a career in HR I knew very little about it. I was fortunate to work for a company that encouraged a learning and teaching environment. While I was encouraged to get certified, most of what I learned about HR I learned through those that I worked with. When client issues arose that I didn’t know how to handle, I was encouraged to seek the help of senior team members. As I advanced in the organization, I became that senior team member that others sought out for help. Ask yourself “what is one thing I taught someone this week?” and “what is one thing I learned from someone this week?” 
    • Cross-train and up-train staff. Giving employees insight into other areas of the business has many benefits. One way to do this is through cross-training, giving employees the opportunity to walk in other’s shoes so to speak. It helps create an understanding of the various departments and positions within the organization, encourages communication and collaboration, and increases employee engagement. In addition to cross-training, organizations need to plan for their future and up-training is a great way to prepare employees for advancement. As the saying goes, a leader’s job is to help develop their staff to one day take their place. Too often organizations create a succession plan but fail to prepare employees for advancement. 
    • Utilize internal resources. Training doesn’t have to be costly. A great way to reduce training costs is to use the resources you have within your organization. By providing internal training, an organization ensures that the training is relevant to the organization’s business and employees are better able to relate to the training. A great way to provide internal training is to have employees lead lunch and learn sessions. Employees are given the opportunity to share a glimpse of what they really do and share their expertise with their peers. It’s also a great way to help employees understand how the work of an individual or a department contributes to the overall goals of the organization. 

    While the return on investment may not be measurable using metrics, the sharing of knowledge has many benefits for employees, organizations, and their customers. The sharing of knowledge creates a culture of collaboration, improves employee morale, increases productivity, and contributes to organizational growth. Organizations see an improvement in problem-solving, decision-making abilities, customer delivery, and reduction in the loss of know-how due to turnover. 

    Does your organization share its wealth of knowledge or hoard it? 

  • The Confusion Over Cannabis

    The Confusion Over Cannabis

    Written by: Lorrie Coffey, Horizon Point Consulting

    Ten states plus DC have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Thirty-four states have legalized it for medical use. And CBD oil is readily available in most states. 

    But marijuana is still classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency as a Schedule 1 drug, which means it is still illegal to grow, buy or sell, possess, or use under federal law. 

    Oh, and while CBD shops popped up on every street corner as soon as the Farm Bill was signed back in late 2018, the Farm Bill did not legalize the general production, sale, or use of CBD oil. It only legalized it under certain circumstances outlined in detail in the Farm Bill. It is still classified as a Schedule 1 substance and thus is in general illegal under federal law. (The possession or use of CBD oil is reportable against federal security clearances.) 

    According to a 2017 study conducted by Statistical Brain, 56% of U.S. employers surveyed conducted pre-employment drug screens. 

    What does all of this mean for those employers that drug test? How can marijuana be both legal and illegal at the same time? Should employers continue to maintain a drug-free workplace policy? And what’s the legal liability if they do? 

    Unfortunately, the answer isn’t necessarily clear cut. While many states have legalized marijuana use in some form or another, very few states have offered any guidance to employers on how those laws impact drug-free workplace policies. So how do employers navigate through what I’ve come to refer to as the cannabis conundrum? 

    1. Do your research. Understand the laws in your state regarding marijuana use. Don’t believe everything you hear. For example, medicinal marijuana is NOT generally legal in Alabama. Yet. A bill was signed in June by Gov. Ivey to create a commission to study legalizing medical marijuana. Their findings are due in December. Look up case law to see if your state has set any precedents through court decisions regarding employers and employees. Find out if there is a state-supported drug-free workplace program (available here). 
    2. Get in line with your state. If your state does have a drug-free workplace program, make sure that your program is in line with state guidelines. Most states that have a program provide very detailed information on how to get your organization’s program approved or certified. Most states that do have a program offer a discount (usually 5%) on your Worker’s Compensation insurance if you are a certified drug-free workplace employer. And once you get certified, make sure you stick to the program. If you do, you’ll ensure that you are within the state law with regards to drug testing and how you handle positive tests. 
    3. Multi-state employers beware. If you have locations in multiple states, be sure to research each state. What’s acceptable in one may not be in another. You’ll also need to take into consideration if the employee works and lives in two separate states, if they travel extensively for work, or if they telecommute. 
    4. Evaluate why your organization drug tests. Here’s my unpopular opinion. If an employee enjoys marijuana on their own time in most cases it isn’t impacting the organization. Now, if an employee enjoys marijuana on their own time on their way to work and shows up to work under the influence, that can impact the organization. It may impact productivity, brand image, and most importantly could pose a safety risk to the employee or others. Understand why your organization drug tests when they test and ask yourself if the reasons are bona fide. If the answer is no, it may be time to rethink your policy. 

    While many states have legalized marijuana, they have not restricted the rights of employers to maintain drug-free work environments. However, that doesn’t mean that you as an employer don’t still need to be cautious before acting. And don’t be afraid to seek outside assistance if you’re still not sure how to maintain your drug-free policy or how to handle an employee situation. That’s what the experts are there for. 

     

  • A Final Thought on Leading for Skill and Will: It’s a Long Term Game, Not a Short One

    A Final Thought on Leading for Skill and Will: It’s a Long Term Game, Not a Short One

    I’m on a plane with my third-grade son, traveling to Washington D.C. He is taking a math test beside me.  We are headed up to our nation’s capital for a work conference I have, and he and my dad are along for the ride. 

    He’s coming to actually see some of the things he’s been learning in school about government and democracy.  With the trip being counted as a “field trip” for him instead of an absence, the schoolwork, including tests he’s missing, come with us. He is to complete them and return them for grading the Monday after we arrive home.

    He finishes and says, “Don’t check it, mom, that is Mrs. Armstrong’s (his teacher) job.”

    It’s like he knows I have the temptation to “check it” and justify “helping” him, which he knows is straight-up cheating.  I resist the urge to check it and put it away. Later I do check it, though.  He’s missed one.  And I again resist the urge to give it back to him and tell him, not the answer, but “Hey, why don’t you look at this one again?”  Still straight up cheating, but I’d be dishonest if I acted like the temptation to fix his mistakes and or help him make a perfect score isn’t there.

    And this temptation is also present in any leadership situation.

    The one he missed is an easy one, one that he just didn’t take his time on.  And knowing his biggest struggle in math is not getting the right answer, but taking his time to get the right answer, I silently think about ways to help him take his time without fixing his test so that he gets a 100 next time instead of a 98.

    But, I “allow” him to miss one and in the long run, he will be better for it. The perfect score isn’t nearly as important as him learning through doing things on his own and learning the consequences of not taking his time. And of course, most importantly, the hard lessons won in doing things with honesty and integrity learned through a leader modeling that behavior for him. Or wait, he actually modeled this for me first. 

    As we wrap up our posts on leading through skill and will, I think it warrants a pause in considering leading in the moment for short term gain versus leading for long term outcomes and results. Leading is a marathon, not a sprint.

    We practice leading through skill not to satisfy our own short-term needs, nor the short-term needs and desires of those we lead. We practice it because it is a process that fosters learning.  Learning that isn’t fleeting, but learning that is lasting and transferable across domains and that builds character.

    So the next time you have to diagnose someone’s skill and will and then use that knowledge to lead them, see yourself as their coach and teacher, not their boss (or parent).  

    Hopefully, the learning will come in the form of not just better skill acquisition and motivation but also with growth that lasts, growth that fosters transferable skills and integrity.

     

    How do you foster long-term learning and growth with those you lead? 

  • The Number One Thing that Leads to Team Success

    The Number One Thing that Leads to Team Success

    The last three books about workplace effectiveness I’ve read have all discussed it.  Two of our clients are having lots of trouble with it. It is what research shows us leads to team success more than any other factor.  It is the concept of psychological safety. 

    According to Amy Edmondson, a lead researcher on the topic, “Psychological safety is a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.” 

    And according to research conducted by Google: 

    Following the success of Google’s Project Oxygen research where the People Analytics team studied what makes a great manager, Google researchers applied a similar method to discover the secrets of effective teams at Google. Code-named Project Aristotle – a tribute to Aristotle’s quote, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” (as the Google researchers believed employees can do more working together than alone) – the goal was to answer the question: “What makes a team effective at Google?”

    Psychological safety was far and away the most important of the five dynamics we found — it’s the underpinning of the other four.

     

    The New York Times Article describing the Google study stated the following: 

    No matter how researchers arranged the data, though, it was almost impossible to find patterns — or any evidence that the composition of a team made any difference. ‘We looked at 180 teams from all over the company,’ Dubey said. ‘We had lots of data, but there was nothing showing that a mix of specific personality types or skills or backgrounds made any difference. The ‘who’ part of the equation didn’t seem to matter.’

    What interested the researchers most, however, was that teams that did well on one assignment usually did well on all the others. Conversely, teams that failed at one thing seemed to fail at everything. The researchers eventually concluded that what distinguished the ‘good’ teams from the dysfunctional groups was how teammates treated one another. The right norms, in other words, could raise a group’s collective intelligence, whereas the wrong norms could hobble a team, even if, individually, all the members were exceptionally bright.

     

    What happens when psychological safety isn’t present in a team?  At the very least, the best ideas aren’t generated, and the best results aren’t achieved.  The whole is not greater than the parts. 

    At its worst, and we are seeing this firsthand right now, psychological safety can cause a culture of undermining and distrust so pervasive that people literally lie, steal, and engage in self-destructive behaviors at work. 

    Does your team and workplace have psychological safety? 

    To measure a team’s level of psychological safety, ask yourself and your team if you/they agree or disagree with these statements:

    1. If you make a mistake on this team, it is often held against you.
    2. Members of this team are able to bring up problems and tough issues.
    3. People on this team sometimes reject others for being different.
    4. It is safe to take a risk on this team.
    5. It is difficult to ask other members of this team for help.
    6. No one on this team would deliberately act in a way that undermines my efforts.
    7. Working with members of this team, my unique skills and talents are valued and utilized.

    After the findings at Google, they developed tools to help teams cultivate psychological safety.  Check out these great resources here to help your team(s) cultivate the one characteristic that can breed the most success:

    Psychological Safety Tools

     

    How are you cultivating psychological safety at work? 

     

    Need more resources on this topic?: 

    Scholarly article by Edmondson on the concept 

    Edmondson’s TedTalk on the concept

     

    Books I mentioned that talk about the importance of psychological safety: 

    The Trillion Dollar Coach

    Brave New Work

    No Hard Feelings