human resources

I’ve had the privilege to work a few different jobs in both managerial positions and entry-level positions. I’m sure that you can relate to me in feeling that some managers were great at what they do, while others weren’t as great. The old adage of “People don’t leave bad jobs; they leave bad managers” continues to hold true. According to research by The Ken Blanchard Companies, the average organization is 50% as effective thanks to less than optimal leadership.  

                To understand the cause of these terrible managers, you need to understand what the key problem here is. The way that managers are trained and appointed simply is not enough and sets them up for failure. 

Take a standard software firm for example, and a specific account executive named Jake. Jake is particularly good at closing deals, with very little haggling required, and on top of that, is responsible for a majority of the company sales. So, upper-level management chooses to give him a reward somehow. If Jake is capable of doing all of this, imagine what he could teach his coworkers to do right? So the administration chooses to promote Jake to a sales manager, responsible for managing other account executives and training new associates. 

                Unfortunately, Jake has no experience in developing people and the patience it requires. He just knows how to sell software. However, since he knows his methodology works wonders, he decides to teach everyone how to use his method, and boost sales. But his jokes just don’t sound the same out of other people’s mouths, and the charm he uses just feels off. And since he has no time to sell software himself, the company is making fewer sales. Ultimately, many of the sales associates choose to leave because they don’t like the command and control style of leadership Jake has deployed and those that stay aren’t meeting quotas because nobody is as good at selling using the “Jake method” as good as Jake is.

                The key takeaway here is that high performance individually does not necessarily translate into high performance as a manager. Unfortunately, promotion is often used as a reward for high performance, with increased pay used as an additional incentive. Therefore, the individuals who may actually have manager potential (based on their ability to develop people) get overlooked because they aren’t rockstar individual contributors. 

                Finding a good candidate for management can be tricky. However, training new managers can be successful. Performance evaluation software such as AIM insights can help your new managers get coached and develop the skills they need to effectively lead their team based on the data their direct reports are sharing in the tool. Using tools such as this can help you identify who is particularly good at working with a team, or who works well with many different types of orientations of workers. 

Regardless of how skilled a manager may be, if they aren’t properly set up for success, they may still not be well prepared for their new role, at the company’s expense. A manager is not born into the world with perfect skills. They may naturally be able to work with other people, but they still need to be trained. The best way to think about a manager is as a person, but also as an investment. Would you choose to buy a house that has a lot of space, but no bathrooms? It’s a very similar concept. A manager candidate has a lot of potential, but not necessarily the exact skills needed for the role. Fortunately, these can be easily trained. 

Training a manager involves a few different subjects. These subjects include some of the following:

·         How to have effective 1:1’s and soft skills

·         Training new employees

·         How to give a performance review

All of these subjects are critical to ensure the best possible manager. Can you imagine how bad an incompetent manager could be? Fortunately, you don’t have to imagine as such. According to the Society of Human Resource Management, 84% of U.S workers say that poorly trained managers create much more unnecessary work and stress for them. Interact even researched poor managers and found that 69% of managers are uncomfortable communicating with employees and would prefer to not give any direct feedback unless absolutely necessary. These managers have been failed. With adequate training, they could have been truly amazing. However, because they failed to go through a proper vetting process, and then a training process, they quite simply are not capable enough to assume such an important role. 

The way we train our managers is nowhere near where it should be at this point in time. It is just too important of a role to not give due diligence to. Understanding how to choose a good manager, and then how to train them will be the best course of action for the future. Only through this can we hope to create a better work culture for the future. 

             If you recently received a new position at your company and were handed a portfolio of various reports and charts regarding overall past performance analysis, and told to analyze them and start your position, what would you do? 

            Of course, you can analyze the charts, and look at the trends of performance over time within the company. But what does that tell you about your position, or how you should perform to receive the best results from your new direct reports? 

            There’s simply no training for a new position in analyzing charts. 

            What do the charts mean? Sometimes trends are low, and sometimes they are high. But that doesn’t tell you what the employees were thinking or experiencing when they filed these performance reviews. 

            Charts and reports are not training. 

            In my last article, How to get your new managers to be more effective faster, I discussed the flaws within the current way that we equip new managers. 

 

Joining the leadership team is a great accomplishment, but it could also lead to the demise of a person’s career if not managed properly. 

It’s important to be able to recognize the right employee to transition into a first-time manager, but it’s crucial to help them become the skilled leader that the organization needs. But more than likely, these new managers won’t have all of the skills they need right away.

Even if someone is excellent at their job, being a new manager comes with an entirely new skill set. They are not just responsible for themselves anymore; they have an entire team to manage.

The biggest flaw when equipping new managers is the outdated protocol for transitioning positions within the company. 

When anyone is given a new position, they must go through the transition process of paperwork and assessments to assure that they are fully aware of what the job entails and what their new duties are within the company. 

Are charts and reports the proper training protocol? Or does this only confuse and lengthen the process of transitioning into a great new manager? 

 

            In order for performance reviews to be effective and accurately represent a product that is meaningful to the viewer, there needs to be more training for employees and new managers regarding the importance of performance reviews. 

            If new managers are properly trained on the importance of performance reviews, they will be able to conduct more effective evaluations and produce responses that they can work with, and build off of. 

            If employees are properly trained on the importance of performance reviews, they will continue to stay engaged and give honest feedback, knowing that it will be used for the betterment of their time at the company. 

            With proper training for both new managers and employees, new managers will be able to look at the performance reviews and analyze what needs to be changed and continue to benefit their direct reports and the company, overall. 

            

Challenges include… 

 

All in all, the key to new managers effectively leading their teams starts with proper training. The duties of a manager include much more than just understanding how to direct their employees in a certain direction of goals that the company aims to accomplish. 

In order for a manager to fully have an impact on their new employees and the overall change of the company, they need training in more than just the protocol transition charts.

Understanding how to effectively make an impact as a manager, make close connections with their new direct reports and emulate a positive workplace are all things that must be implemented into the new manager transition period. 

After the proper training to understand what the position entails and how the new manager can get creative with their new implementation to the job and the company, it’s important for the new manager to understand the performance review process. 

The performance review process should accurately portray evidence from employees of likes/dislikes/struggles/strengths within the company so that the manager can identify strengths, weaknesses, and goals for their team. 

So how can a company get the most out of its performance management? 

 

Performance reviews must deliver meaningful results 

            After you’ve properly trained your new managers, it’s your company’s job to provide your new managers with meaningful performance reviews to analyze. Meaningful reviews include honest feedback from employees; a product that your new manager can use to effectively lead their new team. 

            Traditional performance reviews lack meaning. Charts measure trends, but trends don’t tell a new manager how to make a difference, and how to best lead their new team. 

            Minimize the learning curve of new managers becoming effective leaders and use AIM Insights to conduct performance reviews. 

 

AIM Insights Performance Review SOLUTIONS include… 

 

 
 

As a manager, it is particularly important to understand the value of DEI, also known as Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.  This is especially highlighted in June, which is known as LGBTQIA+ Pride month. 

During this time, it is extremely common and almost expected that companies do something to acknowledge gay diversity, often combined with public statements, image management, as well as events. However, during the other 11 months out of the year, it is often that these very same companies fail to be as inclusive as they claim to be. Some even refer to this as “Performative Activism.” While LGBTQIA+ pride often falls victim to this act, performative activism can also include racial diversity, as well as gender diversity. 

The key question to ask is, how can managers foster diversity, while at the same time avoiding committing performative activism?

                Bias doesn’t always manifest itself in terms of outright action. According to the Open Society Foundation, “Implicit bias occurs when someone consciously rejects stereotypes and supports anti-discrimination efforts but also holds negative associations in his/her mind unconsciously.” In other words, this bias is not described by outright action, but rather by microaggressions. More than 85% of all Americans consider themselves to be unprejudiced, but in actuality, the majority of United States Citizens hold some degree of implicit bias (Open Society Foundation). 

                Implicit bias is hard to spot easily, but it is often shown through microaggressions or actions that are driven by subtle or unintentional discrimination. 

Some examples of this are how judges have been found to grant longer sentences for darker-skinned defendants than fairer-skinned defendants. 

Lesser managers have been shown to not invite certain demographics in for job interviews or to not give the best performance reviews. 

Implicit Bias can often even be seen in the medical field. A growing issue within recent culture is that women have had to advocate for themselves when in severe pain. Doctors have been more likely to brush off female pain and chalk it up to menstrual pains. 

                With all of this in mind, avoiding implicit bias is trickier than you think. A great way to start is to take the Project Implicit Quiz. This is a test designed by Harvard, Yale, Washington, and Virginia researchers. This survey can help show implicit attitudes that you may not have been aware of at first either. 

An example of this would be how you may believe that men and women should both be prominent in the scientific world, but at the same time, commonly associate men with science over women. 

After taking this assessment, it is a great idea to review your actions and figure out the source of them. Did your second-in-command receive his promotion because of his merit, or because he looked like you? When making a decision on who to terminate out of two direct reports, what was the deciding factor? 

                Understanding how to make the office the safest place for all of your workers can make a difference in their lives, as well as help them feel safe and understood. Once again, in the effort to avoid performative activism, it is important to truly believe in what you are doing and make an effort to stand by what you preach. While this could start by posting signage expressing support for certain groups, there are other ways to show support.  

Speaking of bias once again, try to figure out what biases may be in your company. The most common areas that biases tend to be within a company are hiring, promotions, giving raises, and delegating tasks. Self-analyzing this bias can help you see where you can improve as a company.  

                Additional structure improvements can also add a lot to your company’s success. A standardized interview process, with the same questions, asked to applicants regardless of gender, status, race, or any other colors, can help find you the best candidates for the job. Blind application processes can also be successful. If you’ve ever seen the Voice, a hit TV music reality show, you’ll notice that the judges start a performance with their back to the auditionees. This allows them to disregard gender, race, and anything else about the applicants. 

In the same way, if you can remove information about the applicant that is extraneous to their qualifications, you can minimize unconscious bias in the hiring process.

Business management software such as AIM Insights can be very handy in your decision-making as a manager. By removing any sentiment from this process, and solely relying on data, you can make the best decisions on who to promote. If you notice your management is staffed by a certain type of person, unconscious biases may be in play. Using the data, and that alone can help you determine who is the best person for a job. 

                Holding your employees accountable is one other way that you can show your allyship. Actions speak much louder than words. If you notice that the best performance reviews are all going towards a certain demographic, it may be time to review the process, as well as to have a one-on-one with each of the reviewers. Being attentive to what is being said in the workplace is important too! While it is important to let Human Resources do what they do best, you as a manager can set the tone for how your employees interact with each other. Lead by example! Avoid using targeted language, and do your best to make others welcome. 

In an elevated position, you are at the forefront of what your employees deem appropriate and inappropriate.  

                Eliminating bias and opening your company up to diversity can be challenging at first. But keeping an open mind, being self-reflective, and leading can set you up for success. The harder you look at yourself, the better the results will eventually be. The best things are never easily acquired, so be prepared for difficulty. Best of luck!

Brian is the Vice President of engineering for a high-growth startup with 800 employees. His company pays way above the market average but they hold an “earn your seat” mentality when it comes to the work. 

The challenge that he is facing is that his team will follow instructions and do everything they are asked to do, but won’t move the ball forward. They are always waiting for him to tell them what to do, rather than aspiring to set goals to impact the company on their own.

He would like for his team to better understand the company’s vision, both because it develops them and because most of his direct reports are interested in the compensation that comes with transitioning from a senior engineer to a staff engineer (the highest level software engineer at this company with almost a $200,000 increase per year).

Some of his direct reports want parity promotions, meaning that because they have been at the company for longer than others (which for everyone is less than a year), they deserve to get promoted.

The promotion process at his company is also really convoluted. Essentially, to get promoted, a manager has to sponsor the direct report with a 10-page overview as to why the direct report deserves the promotion.

It has gotten to the point where Brian will actually recommend his direct reports leave the company for the role they want (at a different company) for 6 months and then come back and interview for the role they wanted in the first place because it’s very difficult and time-consuming to move up in the workplace. This contributes to the job-oriented mentality that incentivizes employees to only do the bare minimum to get their paycheck.

As Brian is sharing his company’s processes with the Ambition In Motion mastermind group, he is realizing that the company may not be setting its employees up for success.

The well-above-market pay paired with the “earn your seat” mantra incentivizes people to sabotage each other, do the minimum work that doesn’t get them fired, and leave the company if they want to get to the next level.

The group suggested that Brian chat with his leadership team to discuss his thoughts because if things don’t change, they could have a bunch of people that are only there for the money and aren’t focused on the vision of the organization.

 

Employee motivation is the fuel that propels the organization forward. When motivation levels are high, there is growth; when it’s down, the momentum stalls. 

So, what motivates your employees? 

There are various reasons and needs that motivate employees. And your company culture has to address these reasons and needs to foster employee motivation and engagement.

Before we get into this any further, let’s start with the basics. Why do people work?

 

●     Purpose – They want to contribute to the company’s success.

●     Potential – They want to benefit in the long run in terms of promotions, salary hikes, or greater responsibilities.

●     Play – They enjoy their daily work as it ignites passion and curiosity in them.

●     Economic Pressure – The financial factors motivate them, such as a desire to earn more or fear of losing their source of income.

●     Inertia – They work because they have to; they have no goals or reasons to work.

 

If you notice, the first 3 reasons are positive, and the rest are negative. Employees with positive reasons to work tend to be productive and engaged at work. 

Companies with growth-oriented cultures encourage these positive reasons and build a culture around it.

 

Although Brian is part of a fast-growing startup, 8x growth in employee headcount within their first year, his desire for employees to care more is actually a quite common question that we hear from leaders of all company sizes; how do you make people care? 

It’s a more common problem than we’d all like to believe. It happens in every industry and workplace. This problem affects all of us. 

Unfortunately, you can’t make people care. But, you can provide all of the right elements that inspire them to choose to care about your business, your team, and their job. Here are four strategies for successful leaders that can skyrocket the results of your employees.

 

1. Share your care with your employees. 

As simple as it sounds, many leaders, even when they do care about their people, aren’t always very good at sharing that appreciation. Your employees won’t care about your company or your goals unless you care about them and their goals first. 

Learn, practice, and get good at recognizing your employees because appreciation is the number one thing that managers can do to inspire their teams to produce great work.

 

As we travel and speak to organizations, we often find that many managers are confused by the difference between appreciation and incentives. Incentives can be seen as a transaction; if you accomplish “a-b-c”, then you receive “x-y-z.” 

Oftentimes incentives are presented before a project or assignment. 

Appreciation, on the other hand, isn’t solely focused on the outcome. Instead, it’s an acknowledgment of a person’s intention, hard work, and their results. When efforts and results are recognized, employees report:

a) increased confidence in their skills,

b) an understanding that they are on track and in good standing with their manager, and 

c) it creates an improved relationship with their leader.

 

Telling your employees that you expect the best from them doesn’t actually mean much to them because they don’t understand what that means to you. Employees want to know exactly what they value and appreciate.

 

Most people don’t apply for jobs and assume they’ll be mediocre at best. They apply for jobs at companies where they believe their skills and experiences will make an impact; where their thinking and effort will make a profound difference. 

Still, we’ve spoken with many struggling managers who can’t understand why a certain employee isn’t satisfied by simply becoming the mirrored version of a job description.

When employees are not shown that they have the capability to utilize their skills to make a difference, they may get in the habit of doing the same thing every day, without the incentive to do more. 

Encourage your employees right off the bat and throughout their time at your company to do the most that they can do, to benefit themselves and the company. AIM Insights can help you with suggested encouragement and questions you can ask your team to help convey this message. 

 

While it may seem frustrating that you can’t force your employees to care about your company, your goals, your customers, your teams, or even their own jobs, you have the ability to give them reasons to care. 

And, in our experience, when your employees care about more than just their salary, they’ll achieve at a level that surpasses anything you could have ever imagined.

You can’t ignore employee resignations, although I would prefer to call them employee realignments. In the beginning, it looked like employees were leaving the workforce to retire early or join the gig economy (think Uber drivers, virtual assistants, etc.) and be their own boss. 

Today we know that unemployment is down, and employees aren’t leaving their jobs to altogether quit working. They are just leaving their current jobs for better jobs. 

This is employee realignment of the workforce, not true resignation from the workforce, and there are many reasons some companies can’t seem to hold onto their best people.

Oftentimes, there is a lack of self-awareness amongst managers and leaders that creates unhealthy patterns in the workplace and leads top employees to quit. 

To provide your employees with just and equal opportunities in your business, you must understand the potential for unethical workplace behaviors and the importance of avoiding them as a leader. 

 

What’s happening on the inside of an organization is felt on the outside by customers. That means you start your customer service and CX efforts internally. 

Employees should be treated, cared for, managed, and responded to in a way that is consistent with what the company wants to see mirrored in their customers.

In other words, treat employees as if they are customers. Anything less is inconsistent and will erode your efforts to provide a good customer experience. 

And just as customers want to trust the companies they do business with, employees want to trust the companies (and people) they work for. When employees trust their leadership, are treated fairly, and are recognized for their good work, they will be working for the company, not just the paycheck.

 

Management and leadership are not the same. Managers have to make people follow, but leaders make people want to follow.

Ultimately, leadership creates the culture of the company. 

Managers ensure compliance with company policies, processes, and other operational aspects to ensure continued business as usual. 

Once leaders understand the difference between management and leadership, they stand a better chance of getting employees to put forth their best effort, especially when it comes to taking care of customers.

 

Instances of nepotism create an unhealthy work environment wherein employees feel undervalued.

If nepotism occurs in the workplace, this could affect your employees’ job satisfaction and opinions about the company. If one person begins exhibiting low morale, other employees can also take on this approach. 

The result is a lack of loyalty and dedication to the job at hand.

If a company allows nepotism to occur, talented employees might look for employment opportunities elsewhere. Specifically, with companies that value skill and dedication over family relationships. 

This can be problematic for your company as it limits the ability to retain good, hardworking employees to help your business succeed. 

 

Everyone has experienced or witnessed instances in which credit was assigned in an unfair manner: managers unabashedly took credit for the work of their invisible hard-working staff; quiet performers were inadequately recognized for their contributions; credit was assigned to the wrong individuals and for the wrong things.

Just as much as constructive feedback should be given in many forms, so should employee appreciation. Some employees may live for public praise at the end of a meeting or a company all-hands, while others may prefer the intimacy of a quick chat in the hallway or an individual email thanking them for a job well done. 

As a leader, giving out credit is essential in showing your employees that you see them, and motivating your employees to continue creating their best work. 

Employee recognition may take the form of an employee of the month award, a sales all-star of the quarter, or even a full employee appreciation day.

While every company may not have the size or resources to devote an entire day to employee appreciation, recognizing employees in big and small ways can make a huge difference to morale and culture.

Feedback is crucial. It improves performance, develops talent, aligns expectations, solves problems, guides promotion and pay, and boosts the bottom line.

Workplace coaching, employee coaching, or business coaching is the continuous two-way feedback between the employee and the coach with the intention to work on areas for improvement and reinforce strengths to sustain the progress of the employee’s performance. 

In other words, coaching in the workplace means empowering employees to be the best performers that they can be.

Workplace coaching (NOT criticism) is important to set employees up for success in the workplace by providing the tools that workers can use to increase their knowledge and improve their skills.

Multiple studies have proven that employees want more than money. Employees value flexibility over money, meaning that paying people more money to tolerate a toxic environment may have worked for previous generations, but it no longer appeases employees, especially the Millennial generation. 

They want to be valued for what they do. That means they want recognition for their work, opportunities to learn and grow, and fulfillment in their day-to-day responsibilities.

            Leaders need to be more empathetic and understanding of their employees. Doing so will bring out the best in their people, hence multiplying their capabilities.

 

Nothing burns good employees out quite like overworking them. It’s so tempting to work your best people hard that managers frequently fall into this trap. 

Overworking good employees is perplexing; it makes them feel as if they’re being punished for great performance. Overworking employees is also counterproductive. 

If you must increase how much work your talented employees are doing, you’d better increase their status as well. Talented employees will take on a bigger workload, but they won’t stay if their job suffocates them in the process. 

Raises, promotions, and title changes are all acceptable ways to increase workload. If you simply increase workload because people are talented, without changing a thing, they will seek another job that gives them what they deserve.

 

Human Resources Managers are some of the most integral parts of a business and employee life cycle. Their duties include recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and training employees, addressing interpersonal concerns, terminating employees, and administering employee benefits. These jobs require high amounts of administrative duties, along with reading and aggregating of data. 

As a result, most companies, if not all companies, are large enough to warrant having Human Resource professionals or departments utilize software platforms known as Human Resource Information Systems or HRIS for short. HRIS systems are designed to help organize most of the data required to accomplish HR tasks. However, most of these systems to not have a way to validate the data, or to edit it to be in the most convenient format for the readers. This is where Ambition in Motion can come into play. 

            Ambition in Motion offers a service known as AIM Insights. This service is most frequently used by Operations Managers to increase worker engagement,  worker productivity, and goal-setting skills. However, this product can be applicable to any form of manager, whether it be a construction manager or a proprietor of a start-up. 

AIM Insights is able to integrate with most frequently used HRIS systems and can also be of use for Human Resource Managers. Here are some of the ways that Human Resource Managers can use AIM Insights.

1)     Onboarding Assistance for New Direct Reports- When a new worker joins a company, while they might know who they directly report to, they might not necessarily know how they fit into the company, along with their corporate hierarchy. On top of that, using the organizational chart found through Microsoft Teams or Slack can be very time-intensive and tedious. AIM Insights can provide easy-to-understand organizational charts through the platform itself, which can easily be distributed.  

2)     Performance Tracking for Performance Improvement- When an operation manager chooses to put an employee on a performance improvement plan, most HR leaders will mandate that HR is consulted to make sure that the company is best protected in terms of legal matters. When HR has access to the productivity rates and task completion rates of the direct reports, it assists them in finding legal precedence and benchmarks to help ensure that the plan is warranted and legal in order to avoid wrongful termination suits or similar problems.

3)     Getting Employee Feedback and Engagement Rates-  Human Resources Departments often rely on employee testimonials as an attraction option for hiring decisions and also for determining the quality of management. AIM Insights has been stated to have produced more genuine and honest feedback from direct reports. Burt Tellier, the Vice-President of North West Rubber, who are customers of AIM Insights, has stated the following: “(They) were looking at the tool and were taken back at the feedback (They) were receiving. People were willing to reveal more in (AIM Insights) than they were when chatting with them face-to-face.” 

4)     Provided Communication Templates­- AIM Insights provides communication templates and can create a standardized format of official communication within an office. For a Human Resources manager, this should be worth its weight in gold. A clear and concise delivery of a message that will be formatted the same across departments means that an HR worker doesn’t have to scrutinize memos as closely, since there would be a predetermined format.

5)     Removal of Recency Bias-  Managers frequently have to write performance reports about their direct reports. These reports are often read by Human Resources when making choices on laying off workers. However, these reports often fall victim to a phenomenon known as recency bias or the “what have you done for me lately” bias.  Recency bias is defined as a cognitive bias that favors recent events over historic ones. An example of this would be how a lawyer’s final closing argument in court is said to be one of the most important moments in law due to it being the last, and therefore favored, event that the jury hears prior to being dismissed to deliberate. Since AIM Insights requires that managers file feedback on each individual task and goal as they are sent in, it allows objective feedback free from recency bias.

6)     Discrete Outside Experts- Ambition in Motion provides third-party experts to assist with business decisions and to receive feedback. Employees are much more likely to be honest with their opinions with individuals who aren’t necessarily interacting with them on a daily basis. In addition to this, AIM Insights can create executive coaching relationships with their highly qualified experts. AIM Insight executive coaches include Management PhD holders, Cognitive Psychologists, and many other high level fields. This mentorship relationship can provide an invaluable opportunity for your Human resource managers.

7)     Saves HR Work- AIM Insights is focused on improving employee engagement and retention. Employee Engagement rates have been observed to plummet before an employee leaves. With AIM Insights, a focus is placed on engaging with employees, and thereby mitigating the risk of employees leaving. While a manager is often responsible for driving the culture of a workplace, HR can often help motivate employees as well.

Human Resources Managers often have to make several difficult decisions, while also making sure that their company is well protected at the same time. Using tools such as AIM Insights can allow them to automate certain tasks, gather more objective data, and make educated decisions based off of all of this. 

Managers don’t just freely hand out promotions. They’re actively observing employees and looking for specific signs that an employee is ready for a promotion. They weigh multiple factors and don’t make those decisions lightly. They’re constantly evaluating performance and monitoring progress.

 

One of the first ways a manager identifies a promising employee is by looking at how little or how much direction they require from their supervisors. The first people in line for promotion are excellent self-starters. They’re the ones who take initiative without being prompted.

 

Secondly, they look at the numbers of their top candidates for a promotion. Numbers and statistics are by no means the only factor that managers look at, but they carry a lot of weight. Managers look for employees whose performance and impact at work is quantifiable by some means. That can be by looking at sales figures, year-over-year performance, customer service scores, or dozens of other metrics. It’s important that you identify what metrics are important to the future job, as those are what you’ll be measured on.

 

Other metrics used to measure an employee’s performance include: 

 

However, even after conducting all this forecasting on how an individual may be successful in a promotion, sometimes the promotion doesn’t work out, or isn’t the right fit. 

 

 

As you progress in your career, it's natural to want to climb the ranks at whatever company you're working at. So, when you finally manage to land a promotion, it's a career milestone you'll be sure to celebrate.

 

But what happens if you get a promotion only to have it snatched away after the fact? It's been known to happen. In some cases, your company might offer you that title change, and then renege before you've even had a chance to work in the capacity of your new role. In others, you might spend weeks, or even months, doing that new job only to have it taken back because your employers realize that it may not be the right fit for you.

 

Promotions in the workplace should be positive. They create new and exciting opportunities for employees and the businesses that they work for. They are, however, like all aspects of people management, subject to complications. Are you aware of the risks involved when promoting an employee?

 

Too often employers promote someone because they are good in their current role, but it then turns out without the necessary skill set for the new role.

 

However, from a manager and employer perspective, taking back a job promotion is never an easy process in the workplace. How can we best give promotions, knowing fully that they will work out, and avoid the possibility of having to renegotiate the terms of the promotion? 

 

SOLUTION: Temporary Addition of Responsibilities 

 

What is a temporary addition of responsibilities? 

 

A temporary addition of responsibility is the assignment of an employee to additional tasks, with two possibilities of outcome: 

 

As opposed to giving someone a new position and having the reputation of the role, a temporary addition of responsibilities allows an employer to give additional duties to an outstanding employee on a trial basis and then assess how the employee is in the new role. 

 

This sets the expectation of “if it works, then we’ll make it permanent, otherwise you can be moved back to your original position according to the trial basis,” allowing the concept of a temporary addition of responsibilities to do wonders in mitigating the risks of promoting the wrong person to a new position. 

 

How do temporary promotions reduce risks surrounding promotions and demotions? 

 

There are many risks associated with demoting an individual after a promotion. Demoting an employee may be one of the most awkward and difficult conversations you’ll have with someone on your team. Unless an employee approaches you to voluntarily request that they step back from their current responsibilities, it’s never easy to tell someone that they’re moving down the organizational hierarchy. After all, this can involve:

 

●       Fewer responsibilities

●       A less prestigious title

●       A loss of managerial status

●       A reduction in pay

 

It can be demoralizing to the employee.

 

Therefore a temporary addition of responsibilities is a policy that every company should adopt in order to mitigate the risks that come with promotions and demotions in the workplace. 

Although sometimes intimidating, it is crucial that individuals are able to advocate for themselves in the workplace. Facing the undue challenge of sexism in the workplace is a delicate and daunting subject. 

Making sure each member's voice is heard and valued should be at the forefront of each manager's priorities. However, many individuals are subject to unconscious or subconscious bias against others, meaning that they do not realize the inappropriate nature of their behavior, tone, actions, or attitude so, bringing it to their attention is a sensitive subject. The subconscious or unconscious intent of sexist behavior does not make it permissible but, it does create a learning opportunity.  How can individuals address these concerns with their superiors without jeopardizing their relationship and impression or creating a workplace adversary? 

Consider Tom, who is the Chief Marketing Officer of a small consulting firm. Tom is in his early 40s and has three young children at home. Tom's colleague, Jennifer is the Chief Technology Officer of this firm, also in her early 40’s with young children. In a recent meeting, executive leaders of the firm were discussing how to streamline some processes within the office using new technology. Jennifer suggests implementing Microsoft Teams within the office rather than strictly using email. Tom responds by sharing that most people would rather “stick to what they know” and use email. The conversation continues, and several other executive members agree with Tom. Eventually, Christopher, the company's Chief Information Officer chimes in sharing that Teams is a good idea because “it will make communication faster.” Other members begin to agree with Christopher and the meeting concludes with all members in favor of implementing Microsoft Teams, crediting Christopher for the great idea. Jennifer is left feeling unvalued by the team for her contributions because when she suggested implementing Teams, her idea was shot down, despite her industry knowledge, years of experience, and background data. 

Jennifer is now tasked with approaching board leaders to express the discrimination she has been facing and find a remedy. However, Jennifer is concerned that approaching Tom or other executives may affect her reputation and relationships around the office. Jennifer needs to find a method of advocating for herself without negatively impacting her office status or alienating herself from her colleagues. Jennifer has a couple of approaches she could consider:

Jennifer could stop the meeting at the point of inappropriate behavior and call out the group as a whole. In this situation, Jennifer does not assign blame to any one individual but to the group as a whole for undesirable practices. This is a good strategy because Jennifer does not single out one person but points out poor group norms for the whole team. 

Alternatively, Jennifer could first call out Tom for his poor behavior, accusing him of shooting down her idea without proper consideration. This strategy is a risky approach because Jennifer would be singling out Tom in front of others, likely making him upset and defensive. This strategy could be detrimental to Jennifers' reputation and professionalism in the office. 

Jennifer could speak directly to the instigator of this conversation, Tom, and point out his inappropriate behavior. In this meeting, Jennifer has to be direct and confront Tom in order to advocate for herself. Jennifer must carefully prepare for Tom’s reaction and be ready to continue a conversation if Tom is dismissive, defensive, or rude. 

Jennifer could avoid confrontation with any specific individual and instead bring the topic to the company's Human Resources department. A representative from HR will be a great listener and could help guide Jennifer moving forward to navigate these challenges. HR may be able to speak to the other executives on Jennifers' behalf but, there is little follow-up or enforcement when a reprimanding comes from an “anonymous” source. 

While these are some options for Jennifer, there is not always a “right answer” to approaching situations like this. Role dynamics, personality types, and workplace norms heavily impact the best route for dealing with discriminatory or offensive colleagues. In any situation relating to these concerns, it is crucial to remember these 4 tips:

In entering a “crucial conversation,” it is important to be prepared to be clear and collected during a meeting. When discussing a threatening or upsetting scenario, many individuals may be taken aback by emotions or feelings clouding their communication methods. If individuals prepare in advance with written points, feelings, and experiences, they are better able to stay on track and remember the points they were considering when the scenario took place. Additionally, in planning ahead individuals should prepare for the different outcomes possible in a confrontation. For example, individuals may become defensive or disagreeable and derail the important conversation. 

2. Choose the Right Time and Place

In protecting an individual's own professional impressions and relationships, it is crucial to select the correct time and place. In private, many individuals will be more calm and willing to discuss because their reputation is not at risk in front of others. Individuals are more willing to apologize and accept their faults without public embarrassment or accusations. 

3. Be Specific

Clearly explain the comment, attitude, or actions and why they were inappropriate. Individuals suffering from subconscious or unconscious bias are generally unaware that their actions may be negatively impacting others. Explaining why behaviors are offensive clears miscommunication and misunderstanding on the topic and provides individuals with a learning experience of why what they said or did was wrong. 

4. Know Available Resources

In working for self-advocacy, it is most crucial for individuals to know all available resources. These resources are great tools for planning and learning to navigate while balancing different factors in a new situation. 

Overall, it is important for individuals to practice self-advocacy in calculated measures. Weighing impacts of group impressions, professionalism and relationship building heavily impacts the approach individuals should take. Although a delicate subject, there are no improvements in individuals' behavior if they are not corrected. Self-advocacy is a crucial tool to promote self-independence, growth, empowerment, and fair-treatment.