Here’s some feedback from yesterday’s vlog about end-of-year compensation issues and the performance review process at most companies.
- The video was too long and you rambled.
- That xmas sweater isn’t ugly enough to sell on eBay.
- That sweater is totes ugly and it looks too big on you.
- You told me that the 4thQ sucks for HR professionals but you didn’t tell me how to fix it. Thanks for nuthin.
- If we train & educate our managers and they still don’t complete their year-end duties, what can I do? Isn’t this a management issue?
- Don’t you know that EVERYONE EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS AT MY COMPANY?
- Come on. HR educates until it’s blue in teh face. Not much else we can do.
My favorite piece of feedback just came from Ryan, my cat sitter, who said, “I watched your video on YouTube to see what it was all about. I liked the cats but didn’t understand the rest.”
Everyone is a critic!
Ryan, by the way, is an English major.
*
Let me say this:
- Shut up, punk rockers. I hate feedback.
- Human Resources professionals can’t fix the broken connection between compensation, performance management, benefits, total rewards, and communication during the 4th quarter. You can barely find time to take a crap during the 4th quarter.
- An executive coach once told me that people rarely take advice from their parents, colleagues, or spouses. We change our behaviors when we receive new information from unbiased sources — such as consultants and therapists. This is why a company like iFractal is so successful, yo. They present a very thoughtful link between culture, communication and compensation. They teach leaders how to speak to their employees in a meaningful and respectful way.
If you, as a mid-level HR professional, want to change your overall compensation and communication strategy, start by modeling good behaviors. Work to ensure that your perspectives are heard by those in power, and communicate a consistent message to employees and leaders. If worse comes to worse — and you’re forced as a Human Resources professional to behave in a punitive manner — hold managers accountable for managing. If you work with someone who can’t meet a deadline to allocate merit increases, or if you have a client who doesn’t provide year-end feedback to his team, cancel his merit increase and his bonus.
Draw a line in the sand and stop rewarding mediocrity and failure. That’s my best advice for 2009.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Beautiful. Especially loved the stop rewarding mediocrity.
Thanks to the introduction to iFractal. Love their message as well.
@nelking I love iFractal. They are great. I’m glad I could make that connection.
I enjoyed listening to your words and seeing your expressions. VLogging adds the final dimensions of tone, style and nonverbals that are absent from text based communications. And we have all experienced the resultant flames of misunderstanding.
So far as the content goes, I can relate without direct experience. I’m not in a mid-level HR position where this is a problem. Our reviews are done during anniversary months.
My end of year, 4Q concerns are archiving the files and 401k testing. Open enrollment for benefits is offset as well.
Good advice.
*BLUSHES* Laurie, you got it going on with the video…just keep doing it. That video is you through and through. You’re the real deal. Here’s one of the best pieces of advice I ever got (I used to do stand up training for thousands of people each year and would obsess about neg comments): Don’t look at the negative comments, and don’t let the over-the-top compliments go to your head. The truth is in the middle with the quiet ones.”
So…this is a compliment. You know how to make video. You’re interesting. What else is there?
“Draw a line in the sand and stop rewarding mediocrity and failure.”
Words of wisdom for corporate America AND life in general.
well, the whole danged country has been going bananas for creating fences inbetween citizens and what they want to do with their lives….and for a long time.
The tobbaco industry will tell you that. The greater movement being to clean county by county all signs and use of cigarettes and cigars. California is a torn state, legalizing marijuana while the federal government still attacks citizens and their choice of entertainment. In their absolute belief that seatbelts save lives, the use has become LAW in all fifty states, and of course it would, eh? After being threatened with losing their highway funding if they deferred the laws. (I don’t know why it sustained, however, after the feds started cutting highway funding)
But, in any case, I feel it’s a political thing that has a huge snowball’s chance, rolling down a stiff cliff, of becoming law itself, soon enough. Perhaps the next Republican take-over?
Chips and soda pop from the stores, lard and the like from the fast food joints (no way am I calling them restaraunts) And, as this is beginning to sound like a rant (yes…it is) I shall wander away.
You’re right.
They have no right.
They will do as they please, however.