Face-to-face…and yet so far away

Sitting in Starbucks near Wall Street on a short visit to New York this week I am struck by the number of customers using communication tools beginning with the letter i.  Surprisingly, one latte drinker has commandeered three spaces to create a virtual office.  He’s using a combo of iPad, iPhone, lap-top and two other unidentified gizmos and is working full-tilt.  Meanwhile at a neighbouring table two companions are perfectly motionless, save for their Blackberry twitching thumbs.  Almost every other customer has an iPhone at the ready.  It seems as though we have reached the stage where virtual friends and cyber responsibilities carry a much higher priority than real interactions with the real people who are right in front of us.

9/11 Reflections   

If a picture paints a thousand words then the 9/11 memorial speaks a million paragraphs without uttering a single syllable.  We join the orderly queue and weave our way to the sacred space of the memorial which features two enormous waterfalls and reflecting pools, each about an acre in size, set within the footprints of the original twin towers of the World Trade Centre.  In each reflecting pool the fallen water plunges further downwards into what appears to be an eternal void, generating a feeling of powerfulness and powerlessness all at once.  A reflecting pool that forces you to reflect on how something so hideous could have happened here.  And then you look up and you see and hear rebirth in the form of a suite of new skyscrapers being constructed.  Pheonix like symbols of man’s capacity to move forward while never completely forgetting.  A gracious security guard offers welcome information.  “That tallest building there – it’s 95% occupied: tallest building in New York at 1776 feet high.  Someone must have put a lot of thought into that dontcha think?”  Yes.

The Museum of Modern Art     

MoMA is currently featuring a retrospective exhibition of the life’s work of the prolific modern artist Willem De Kooning.  My knowledge of the art world is strictly limited but this exhibition is enlightening.  The first painting of over 200 is a still life, painted by the artist when he was 12 years of age: so now we know that he can really paint ‘properly’.  Almost all of the following exhibits are abstract.  I find myself wanting to see more life-like images and I admit to being fazed by the abstract ones.  I learn that De Kooning once said “Not even for a million dollars would I paint a tree.” and gradually I begin to understand why.  In the breadth of his 80 years of paintings you can recognise the artist’s progression from one phase to the next and the next.  Complex abstractions seem to gradually give way to simpler abstractions.  When we reach the final part of the exhibition – paintings completed when the artist knew that his life was drawing to a close – the contrast is striking.  These latter paintings appear to be stripped down to deliver the barest possible message with the simplest and fewest number of brush strokes. 

Occupy Wall Street    

On 16 November we move freely through the OWS protest.  NYPD officers are on hand to assist us to cross the street safely.  Protesters ranging in age from 20 to 80 are there and the mood is calm.  On 17 November, following two months of the protesters’ occupation of Zucotti Park near Wall Street, Mayor Bloomberg orders a 2.00 am raid in order to clean up the park.  Tents and sleeping bags are confiscated and from now on the protesters will be permitted to protest but not to lie down or sleep on the site.  Most New Yorkers seem sympathetic but many of them resent the disruption.  The protest site was described by the NY authorities as a ‘veritable petrie dish of infection’.  And somehow that seems to be a more appropriate description of the banking system that created the current economic pandemic.  Passing near the protest site that evening our taxi driver points to a line of 50 or more police cars.  “You see that – we are paying for it – all those cars, all that overtime – someone’s gotta to pay and it’s always us.”  

Commenting on the financial crisis the cabbies and waiters that we talk to seem mentally resigned.  Whether originally from Bangladesh, French Guiana or New York itself they tell us similar stories of lost investments, failed mini-business ventures and of working much longer hours for much less pay.  Their stories always end on a similar note: “I have my health and now I’m just taking life as it comes.”  As we say in Ireland WAWWA! (we are where we are).”

If you’ve ever bought a house plant in a garden centre you will have pulled out the care tag from the pot to find instructions like: “Place in strong sunlight, water every day and fertilize regularly”. While you might not always follow these instructions to the letter, you may occasionally water the plant: you know that it will die if you don’t!

Employees don’t come with a care tag but they’re usually more than willing to tell you about their individual work needs and preferences if you make the time to ask them. When you do, you’ll get a wide range of answers which will challenge you to create a working environment where each team member will blossom. In short, that’s the secret of motivating.

People are motivated by different things – depending on their values, their personalities, their individual needs, their life stages and on many other changing factors. Some are motivated by salary and status while others thrive on formal recognition and continuous feedback and praise. Some come to work for the friendships and variety while others crave authority and autonomy. It’s inevitable that over time some people will move on or outgrow your business but you’ll be surprised at just how many of your team’s needs you can readily satisfy when you use listening and questioning as your touchstone.

Employees need to understand how hard they are expected to work and the standards they are expected to achieve. If you have a formal performance management system you may already be setting goals and monitoring standards. If so, then ask your team members for their suggestions as to how your system can be improved. If you don’t yet have a performance management system in place, consult your team for their ideas on how you can introduce one that really works.

While employers anticipate that money, job security and promotions will top everyone’s list of motivators, it’s often the fundamentals like clear-cut Job Descriptions, genuine appreciation, help with personal problems and a sense of purpose and involvement that encourage employees to make a special effort to go the extra mile at work.

You can’t do it all – delegate!

Every minute that you spend doing something that someone else can do is one less minute that you have to do something that only you can do.

Delegating is the first step on the road to empowering team members. When you delegate you are directing work in a more hands-off way, enabling people to develop initiative and accept increased responsibility. And yet it’s often easier for us to find reasons for not delegating: “I haven’t got the time; it’s just too complicated to show someone else; they wouldn’t do it to my standards; if I delegate too much I could find I have nothing left to do…”

If you’re making these excuses it’s time to ask yourself if you’re really serving your business by trying to do everything. Here are five simple steps to help you to delegate more effectively:

1. Make a list of the tasks you could delegate.
2. For each task, identify a person who has the time and who would benefit (through self-development, recognition or increased responsibility) from taking on this task.
3. For each task, define the precise standards that you require.
4. Plan time for coaching each person in each delegated task.
5. Make it happen!

Believe in your team members and they will amaze you by finding faster and more effective ways to do the things that you thought you could never let go of.

Delegation is recognised as one of the most powerful methods of motivating your team. So start today! Make your team great…motivate and delegate.

Jean Cullinane

In this article we will show you how you can develop a winning formula for recruiting the right person every time, while abiding by the principles of employment legislation.

1. Know the Law

The Employment Equality Acts, 1998-2004 is a key piece of legislation governing recruitment and it applies to all employers and to recruitment agencies acting on behalf of employers. The Acts describe discrimination as the treatment of a person in a less favourable way than another person is, has been or would be treated, in a comparable situation. Discrimination (direct or indirect) is outlawed on nine distinct grounds: gender; marital status; family status; sexual orientation; religious belief; age; disability; race and membership of the traveller community.

This means that from the moment you advertise a vacancy (and at every stage of the recruitment process, up to and including employment) you must treat all candidates equally. The law exists to protect candidates against unscrupulous employers but from an employer’s perspective the practice of treating everyone equally is simply the best way of ensuring that you hire the right person.

Candidates who feel that they have been unfairly treated under the terms of the Acts may take a case to the Equality Tribunal, an independent statutory office which investigates or mediates complaints of unlawful discrimination. The penalties can be harsh and up to two years’ salary (or €12,697 in the case of a person who is not an employee) can be awarded against employers who are found to be in breach of the law.

2. Be clear about what you need

Compile a Job Description defining the duties and responsibilities that the job-holder will have and the performance standards you require. From this, compile a Person Specification outlining the knowledge, skills and behaviours that the ideal person should possess in order to do the job well. You can combine all of this information in one document and use it as a reference point when advertising, short-listing, interviewing, issuing the contract of employment and managing induction; so it’s well worth it to prepare this document at the very start of the process.

3. Be wise when you advertise

Newspaper advertising is an effective method of reaching a wide range of candidates but it’s not the only one. You can also advertise on your company website, recruitment websites, community notice boards and local radio. Your advertisement should include a job summary, a broad description of the ideal candidate and some information about the benefits of working for your organisation. In selecting advertising media or when wording your advertisement it is essential to avoid any form of discrimination – be it intentional or otherwise.

4. Be consistent and fair

If you use an application form, ensure that it is “equality proofed”. For example, questions about age, marital status or medical history should not be included. Ensure that you screen applications against consistent and fair criteria. When setting up interviews, provide reasonable and similar notice to all candidates. Ensure that candidates receive all of the essential information about the terms and conditions of the job in advance of the interview, or allow time at the end of the interview to cover these areas.

5. Ask the right questions

Using the Job Description and Person Specification as your compass, compile a set of interview questions. Depending on the level of the position, allow 30 minutes to an hour-and-a-half for interview. Build in time for studying each candidate’s application. When interviewing, use a mix of open, closed and probing questions. Gut feeling is no substitute for hard evidence! Look for specific examples that will demonstrate clearly whether or not the candidate actually does have the knowledge, skills and experience that you require and give the candidate space to provide the answers. Probe each area thoroughly until you get concrete answers on which you can reasonably base your assessment.

Ask only questions that are directly relevant to the job and do not stray into personal or sensitive areas. A word of caution: despite the fact that the Employment Equality legislation has been in force since 1998, many employers are still asking outlawed questions. Examples from the hall of horrors include:

• “How could you work a late shift if you have small children?”
• “You’re not local do you think you would fit in around here?”
• “You’re 55 years old – would you not be embarrassed to be taking instructions from a supervisor half of your age?”

If you ask questions like these you are advertising your biases in full Technicolor. At a minimum, you run the risk of offending the candidate and of creating a poor impression of your organisation; at worst, you may receive a fine and a considerable amount of unwelcome publicity. You have been warned!

6. Keep notes

It is imperative that you keep accurate interview notes. File your notes and all related documentation for a minimum period of 12 months. Employers must always be in a position to substantiate their selection decisions and in the event of a claim of unequal treatment by a candidate, the Equality Officer will examine the level of detail and the consistency of all records in order to establish which side is more credible. If your notes are hastily scribbled on the back of an envelope or in the margins of a candidate’s CV, you will be starting from a minus position. The burden of proof rests squarely with the employer.

7. Make the offer

If you require employees to undergo a pre-employment medical it’s important that you make it clear that appointment to the position is subject to satisfactory medical results. Ask for the candidate’s permission to contact at least two referees and telephone them in person to verify essential details regarding the candidate’s previous work performance, attendance and overall dependability.

When requesting referees, be aware that non-Irish national candidates may have difficulty in providing references and contact details for previous employers so do not place them at an unfair disadvantage. When you are satisfied that you are making the right selection, make the offer of employment and, on acceptance, notify the unsuccessful candidates. Issue a contract of employment and have it signed by the new employee.

8. Value your new employee

Congratulations! Now that you’ve found the right person, be sure to provide the necessary induction and support. Make time to explain what has to be done and the standards that you expect. Explore together how the new person can best contribute to the success of your company and discuss what you can do to create a challenging and motivating work environment.

Jean Cullinane©