Category: Performance Management

We provide full service talent management and talent development consulting services. Read our blogs in this category for stories and best practices from real clients and real research on Performance Management.

  • 4 Ways Leaders Can Keep Remote Work Pros from Becoming Cons

    4 Ways Leaders Can Keep Remote Work Pros from Becoming Cons

    I may be the only person in America that actually considered getting office space instead of ditching it in 2020.  Having run a business for almost ten years totally remote, I was beginning to question whether that was the best option for me and the business.

    As a company, three of our core values- people first, passion, and productivity- are guided by this statement: “To help drive passion and productivity, we don’t care how or where work gets done, just that it gets done in a way that meets client needs. This coincides with our desire to put people first by allowing them the autonomy to make decisions based on their personal preferences. We believe this stimulates passion and productivity.” 

    I believe this guiding principle has led to my productivity and the productivity and retention of our team and echoes what has been found in research from Harvard Business Review, among others, that workers (specifically knowledge-based workers in the HBR article) are more productive remotely. 

    So what gives?  This chart found at ventureharbor.com might provide some insights: 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Like many others, I’ve been working largely from home with kids also going to school in our home on and off for the last year.  Unplugging after work has also been a challenge when the to-do list is long and the interruptions are large (“Mom, my teacher can’t hear me, something is wrong with the sound on my computer!”  “Mom, how do you spell contagious?” Mom, I’m hungry!….” It never ends…. Especially when there is also an 18-month-old that isn’t in school but is very BUSY all the time underfoot too.) 

    In addition, people seem to be working longer, or at least working on very different schedules.  From a LinkedIn report on what WFH means: “Workers in Austria, Canada, the UK, and the US are logging 2.5 hours more each day on average, according to Bloomberg, with a longer workday becoming the new normal globally. But while many have more meetings and emails to catch up on, having a longer workday doesn’t necessarily mean more hours working, per The Washington Post. Some people have adopted new work schedules in which they work later but have longer breaks throughout the day.” 

    So even though remote work can and has brought about significant positive outcomes, including potential productivity gains, reduced office space costs, and employees having more autonomy, there are always two sides to every coin. What side of the coin someone is landing on is largely an issue of their current and specific personal circumstances and the realization that too much of a good thing is, well, bad. 

    Leaders need to be mindful that everyone’s situation is different and be aware that the advantages of remote work also lead to challenges. Once this is done, leaders can support their people at the individual level and provide resources to help support productive work.   

    Much of Microsoft’s research on what makes a great manager, which was published pre-pandemic, still holds true in a remote working world.  This guides some ideas for practicing strong remote work leadership: 

    1. Set guardrails around communication, productivity, and working hour expectations.  Many of our clients have talked extensively about the need for manager training around the new way of working, particularly respecting boundaries around work time and response expectations.  One client told me, “I don’t want to go back into the office full-time, but I feel like I’m expected to be checking email before 7 am and I am often called routinely after 6 or 7 pm about unimportant work things by my boss.  Most types of calls would not have been urgent when we worked in the office and could have waited until the next day, but now for some reason, these non-urgent issues seem to need to be resolved before the end of the day. The new expectation is, you’re right there by your computer all the time, so let’s just handle this now. There has got to be a healthy balance.”  As a leader, make sure you are guarding people’s line between work and home when the home is now the office.

    2. Realize these guardrails may be unique to each person.  One person may need to be sending emails before 7 am because they are also a schoolteacher from 8 am to Noon when virtual school is taking place for their kids.  They need to be productive first thing in the morning, take a break, then return to the “office” for an extended time than when the standard workday takes place.  Talk to each of your employees (see number three, hold regular one-on-ones) and see what they need and how you can effectively communicate their needs and working arrangements to all team members that rely on and collaborate with them. 

    For example, I may need to work on the weekends (as I’m doing now writing this post) because this past week my kids were home all week due to the winter weather.  But that doesn’t mean I’m expecting my entire team to be working on the weekends too.  One of our team members has a lot of commitments with her family over the weekends, but her kids are older than mine, so she isn’t interrupted by their needs as much during the week even if they are home. Her regular schedule is working intensely Monday-Thursday so she can have time on Fridays to get personal things done and/or travel with her family for kids sporting activities.  I don’t try to schedule anything for her or with her on Fridays.  We have yet another team member that is a night owl.  The girl can crank out some good work well after I go to bed and it is in my inbox the next morning.  Yet another person has volunteer commitments that are meaningful to her and our work, so I try to be mindful of her commitments there when considering her workload and times for the meeting. 

    3. Hold regular one-on-ones but avoid virtual meeting overload.  In a virtual setting, request that your people turn their cameras on while you are meeting one-on-one.  This provides the needed context for what can be learned by what is not being said through people’s expressions and body language.  You can do this while assuring them that you are not at all bothered by a kid/spouse/pet coming into the picture at times and that if they need to pause the meeting to handle something, that is fine.  In addition, one guardrail to manage is to make sure that just because it is convenient and easy to convene a virtual meeting, doesn’t necessarily mean you need one.  Make sure a meeting is the best way to facilitate communication. Don’t meet when an email will work just as well. 

    4. Provide specific resources based on each person’s needs.  This may be office space for someone to utilize, not all the time, but at certain times when distractions at home seem to be the highest.  As seen in the chart, loneliness is one of the biggest struggles with remote work. What can you do to support human interaction needs in a remote world?  One simple thing may be encouraging people to turn on their camera while in virtual meetings so people can be seen, not only heard.  Likewise, another may need to keep their camera off because their office is also the classroom and their six-year-old is working beside them. The chart also describes a problem, you may need to simply tell someone on your team to take a vacation.  If you’re holding regular one-on-ones and understand people’s unique situations, you should know when someone is approaching burnout. 

    All in all, I’m still on the fence about whether office space is necessary for me and my team.  But if it ever does become something we invest in, I know I’ll make sure that my team knows that the office is available for them, not a requirement of them.  When clear expectations and a mindset of service excellence are set, I still firmly believe that people get their best work done when they get to decide how, when, and where to do it. 

    How are you managing the pros and cons of remote work? 

  • Is It Time For A Workcation?

    Is It Time For A Workcation?

    Research and personal experience tell us that American employees often underutilize or “save up” PTO, sometimes leading to disengagement and burnout. Could the workcation trend be an option for employees who don’t need time off but need a little inspiration and a change of scenery? 

    “Workcation” is the combination of work and vacation, where an employee works remotely from a destination other than home or an office for a short period of time. With the significant expansion of the remote/flexible workforce, are more people taking workcations? How do workcations impact organizations? These questions inspired a research project by Daniela Hodges, which you can read about on The Fit Blog. Here’s an excerpt: 

    I saw mixed reviews from the 135 respondents. Let’s take a look at one respondent’s reason they would not take a workcation: PTO. This respondent was concerned about frivolously using PTO and admitted that they safeguard it for emergencies and then it usually expires before it gets used. This struck me because the point of a workcation is not to use any PTO.

    You can read the full post here. This research has sparked an ongoing conversation about workcations amongst our team. We all work remotely, and we’ve each taken workcations over the years without having a name for what we were doing. In the last six months, I’ve worked from the beach twice. Two big facts about my workcation experiences: 

    1. I am equally – if not more – productive when I’m on a workcation. The change of scenery helps my brain and body feel newly energized. 
    2. I feel a special appreciation for my job, my team, and our organizational purpose when I take a workcation. 

    Workcations are not just for full-time, remote employees. Any employee that is remote-capable, whether or not they typically work in an office, can take a workcation. Even working from the local community park or your favorite coffee shop can provide some new perspective and re-energize employees. So, where are you going for your next workcation? 

     

  • How Can Assessments Benefit You & Your Team?

    How Can Assessments Benefit You & Your Team?

    I spoke with a young man recently who was in limbo regarding his career path. He had completed his bachelor’s degree and wasn’t sure where to go from there. He was in need of a little affirmation and direction. After our initial conversation, we started with an interest inventory. It confirmed the initial career path he had always considered. He had gotten a little side-tracked and just needed some assurance of his path and next steps. After we discussed the assessment results, I provided the next steps and contacts to set up appointments for his continuing education to pursue his dream job.

    Assessments are a great tool for providing insight and direction for individuals of all ages who are unsure of career direction. Interest inventories, skills assessments, values-based assessments & even personality assessments can be valuable in assisting students and adults with career development and career decisions. There are so many options out there. Here are a few free options I use often:

    1. Interest: My Next Move 
    2. Personality: 16 Personalities 
    3. Values: Work Values Matcher 

    Check out these articles for more insight into assessments & their value:

    Your Guide to Understanding Career Assessments (via Indeed)

    Reasons to Learn More About Your Personality Type (via Very Well Mind)

    Clarifying Your Work Values Leads to Job Satisfaction (via The Balance Careers)

    Assessments can be used in many other ways – hiring, team building, discovering leadership potential, and the list goes on! Did you know we offer assessments at Horizon Point? We can help you with career direction, hiring for fit, building your team as well as identifying and coaching your high potential employees. Let us know if we can help!

  • 3 Things Business Leaders Can (and Should) Do to Help Marginalized People

    3 Things Business Leaders Can (and Should) Do to Help Marginalized People

    This year, I have the opportunity to take part in Leadership Greater Hunstville. This program focuses on educating and equipping business leaders to also be community leaders through intense exposure to all facets of the community.

     “Human Services Day” took place this week.  It focuses on understanding the needs of the community and the not-for-profits that help meet these needs, many of which focus on helping marginalized people. The day began with a poverty simulation (CAPS), and we spent most of the afternoon hearing from a variety of not-for-profit entities in the community.  One of the not-for-profit leaders participating said that there are estimated to be between 1600-2000 not-for-profit organizations serving the community in just Madison County which currently has a population of around 375,000 people. 

    I was shocked by this number. I was also shocked at how little was said about business leaders/employers doing what employers should do best- employing people- to combat the systematic issues in the community that many of the not-for-profits we heard from sought to address.  It seemed like that focus was on the business community giving the nonprofits money and possibly volunteer hours.  What about providing meaningful employment and living wages? 

    I think business leaders can make one of the biggest impacts on marginalized individuals by focusing on employment and employability.  This should create a sustainable and far-reaching impact.  

    Here are three things to consider in doing so as seen through quotes of leaders that have spoken to us throughout the Leadership Huntsville experience: 

    1. “Get in the arena.” First, hire people on the margins. Whether it be someone with a physical or mental disability, someone with a criminal record, the single mom that has been living in generational poverty, or the veteran, etc. make an active effort to connect with these individuals and meet them where they are to offer employment. 
    2. “Breaking down barriers is the role of a leader”.  There are multiple barriers that prohibit marginalized people from getting employment and sustaining it.  The poverty simulation we participated in placed a large emphasis on the barriers of transportation and childcare.  My role in the poverty simulation was that of a 20-year-old mother of a one-year-old trying to go to college and work part-time.  Due to the fact that childcare for a week cost more than I could make part-time in a week, I was “forced” to leave my one-year-old with my nine-year-old brother in order to go to work and not have to pay for childcare.  In a world where I actually have a one-year-old son and nine-year-old son, I would never leave my nine-year-old to have to keep my one-year-old while I worked, but I don’t have to worry about earning enough money to feed them both.  What would you do? As business leaders, we need to think long and hard about how we can address these barriers and examine what role providing living wages plays in this. 
    3. “Think to ask. You need to know the story to lead.” Breaking down these barriers requires a knowledge of the barriers and understanding that, yes, sometimes poor choices have created those barriers, but also many barriers go well beyond issues of choice and behavior.  Provide compassion and empathy to those you employ and seek to employ by asking what challenges they face and why. Then help connect and provide resources to address the issues.   Sometimes the help to address the issues is simply an understanding of the issue.  I’d encourage all business leaders to find a way to connect with someone who is a part of the marginalized population and spend regular (weekly) time with them one-on-one.  You’ll learn a lot and grow a lot as a leader. 

    As the founder of Manna House told us to kick off the day, “God didn’t ask me to quit this to do that,” speaking of her experience to continue to work full-time as a government contractor and open Manna House to help address food vulnerability in the community.   Her story was impactful.  My hope is business leaders realize they don’t have to quit their day job to impact the most pressing issues in our community.  In fact, their day job is probably the best way to address them through an effort to hire and retain people on the margins, providing meaningful work and living wages.   I would dare to say we’d need a lot fewer non-profits and a lot less government programs if we all did this. 

     

    How are you making an impact through your business leadership? 

  • Are Your Employees SAD? How to Help Employees Who Struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder

    Are Your Employees SAD? How to Help Employees Who Struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder

    It’s that time of year. The weather is changing, the leaves are falling, and you’re SAD. But you’re not alone. Nearly 10 million Americans suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. While SAD is most prevalent in those ages 18 to 30, it can affect anyone, and the effects are different for everyone. 

    Symptoms of SAD include: 

    • Fatigue
    • Loss of concentration 
    • Insomnia/Inability to wake up
    • Mild to severe depression
    • Weight loss/gain

    Employers may see these symptoms in the form of attendance issues, decreased productivity, mistakes in work completed, or a lack of concentration in meetings. Your initial reaction may be to consider disciplinary action, but before you do, consider the behaviors you’re seeing. Are these recent changes to an otherwise well-performing employee? If so, did these changes occur around the change of the season? While SAD affects most people in the cold weather seasons, some individuals do suffer SAD in the warmer season as well. 

    So how can you help an employee who may be suffering from SAD? 

    • Utilize your EAP. If your organization provides employees with an Employee Assistance Plan, now might be a good time to remind employees of this benefit. Send out a communication to all staff reminding them of the EAP benefit and the services it can provide to them. 
    • Up the lighting. Take a look around your facility at the lighting. Are all areas well lit or does your office exude that dim ambiance? While dim lights might be preferred in the summer months, you might want to turn up the lights in the cooler months. 
    • Encourage employees to get outside. If your office is in a great location for walks, encourage your employees to take advantage of that and get moving outdoors. Consider forming a walking team that meets daily to get outside and walk for 15-20 minutes. Think about setting up a basketball hoop, volleyball net, cornhole, or other outdoor activity to encourage employees to get outside during their breaks or lunch. 
    • Talk more. Check-in with your employees more often, just stop by to say hi and see how they’re doing. And be an active listener. If you listen, you may read between the lines that they aren’t as okay as they say they are. 
    • Offer flexibility. If possible, consider a more flexible work schedule. That may include shifting your hours and letting employees arrive a little later or it may mean allowing affected employees to work from home on their bad days. 
    • Offer up FMLA and/or ADA. Understand that while most people who suffer from SAD are able to struggle through, some aren’t. In some cases, SAD can be debilitating and lead to severe depression. In these cases, employees may need and qualify for FMLA and/or ADA accommodations.