English4HR

Is it a risk to be good looking?

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:05:00 +0000

Many countries require the attachment of a photo to a CV.

What is the employer looking for, attractiveness, charisma, enthusiasm. Does it give attractive candidates an unfair advantage? Not according to HR Zone, on the contrary, they suggest jealous employees may slide your application into the shredder.

On the other hand, if you do get the job, you could still be in bother!

Managing mavericks

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:58:00 +0000

Mavericks can add value or add chaos. They do things differently and frequently break all the rules. In so doing, they can move the business forward by breaking tried and tested ways.

On the other hand, they can be disruptive and sometimes, even unmanageable.

What can a manager do? Show trust, faith, love and encouragement as well as clear guidance in the hope that we can have the best of both worlds - retain the maverick talent while operating within acceptable boundaries.

That's what happened with Manchester City manager Mancini and his enfant terrible, Balotelli - sadly for both, it didn't work out.

Excellent analysis from BBC's football correspondent - and judge for yourself in the video.

Strategic HR

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:22:00 +0000

What is it? Just a buzzword? Well regarded HR expert and Professor, Andrew Mayo thinks so.

In an interview in HRZone, he made the following comment:

What’s your most hated buzzword?

‘Strategic HR!’ I much prefer ‘HR contributions that support stakeholders in the organisation’ - providing value that can be identified and measured.

Sorry, Andrew, that really sucks and is just the kind of long-winded twoddle that alienates HR from the rest of the workforce.

Strategic HR is HR that meets the strategic goals of the business - end of story.

OK - let's try Alan Taylor - not exactly dynamic but clear and easy to follow:

Presenteeism

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:29:00 +0000

You've heard of absenteeism but what about presenteeism?

Surely being present at work is a good idea - not if you are coughing and spreading germs around the office until it reaches epidemic proportions. Or maybe you just feel below par and coast for the day, clock-watching until the day is over.

Presenteeism- could be detrimental to a company's health!

Here are some hard working chaps:

Why buy a Business English book?

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:55:00 +0000

I recently gove an email interview about why students should buy Business English books and I thought I would share it with you.

Here goes, hope you find it useful:

Q
A course in Business English usually has a more narrow focus and costs considerably more than a General English course. I find that some Russian/Ukrainian business professionals who are fluent enough in English might think it's not worth taking such a course. What are the benefits of taking a course in Business English?

A
I would question that the difference in cost is so great but all choices about what book to buy should be based on need. For someone who wants to extend their English business vocabulary, a business book is essential. Furthermore, each aspect of business, e.g. accounting, marketing, finance, etc. has its own specific terms and models and as a native, I still find myself learning new things so there’s no doubt that it’s of benefit to a second language learner.

Q
In general, how is a Business English course different from a course for the HR personnel?

A
Simply in scope and depth; a business book usually covers issues such as company structures, leadership, communication and broad topics such as business ethics. An HR book focuses specifically on the HR function and its activities and goes into much more detail.

Q
There are many textbooks out there that one can use to teach a course in Business English, how is your Business English Phrasebook different?

A
As a teacher I have used books such as Market Leader and Intelligent Business and found them to be very boring to work with. Usually, topics are covered in a very general way which lacks connection and authenticity. It’s clear that many business books are written by teachers and academics who have had no real life business experience.

I have worked for 25 years as a self-employed business person and worked in many industry sectors and coached managers. All my material is based on things that actually happened and are indirectly auto-biographical. For example, in the discipline section of English for Human Resources, the audio starts with a phone call to HR from a manager saying, ‘I’m sending you someone to sack!’ It happened!

Regarding the business phrasebook, as with all materials I produce, I set out to make it entertaining and fun to work with as well as educational. There are dialogues that students can act out and plenty of useful phrases that people use in a natural business context. Answers are included so it works for self-study as well as teachers’ material. Because it is an ebook, it is easy to jump from question to answer and back again. There are also grammar explanations for common tense use in certain situations. In short, it’s realistic, interesting and easy to work with.

Q
Personally, I have never seen a textbook to train HR personnel until I came across your book. Is there a growing demand for this type of English language training or would you call yourself a pioneer? How does this book help an HR manager to excel in her job?

A
There is another book on the market published by Oxford Press a few ago and written by Pat Pledger. It would be inappropriate for me to criticise that book but mine is a much more modern text. It covers many current themes such as Talent Management, Psychometric Testing and HR and Employer Branding. I would like to think that I have a pioneering approach to writing English language materials because narrative is very important to me and I think story telling is the best learning medium.

Each of the ten chapters is set in an organisation covering various industry sectors in different countries. The scripts are highly authentic and do not have the artificial feel that many books have. Each chapter is structured to introduce key vocabulary as well as sample documents and typical HR processes. The book will help an HR person because not only does it provide relevant language but examples of best practice. As a former HR manager and consultant, I am able to provide this.

Q
I understand that you are working in Poland. Even though it is not exactly the "eastern bloc" there might be some similarities to the former Soviet Union countries considering the Slavic background. What are some lingustic and cultural challenges for people of Slavic decent working in HR departments at some prominent international companies?

A
Without a doubt Poland is affected by both its Slavic roots and recent socialist history. Linguistically, perhaps the hardest language area to master is the use of articles as these do not occur in the mother tongue and it is therefore something of an abstract concept and guesswork. The ‘rules’ relating to article use are many with many exceptions so they are not really possible to learn mechanically. In terms of a learning style, schools have traditionally instilled a learning by rote and grammar drill method. Thus, many students can do well in written grammar tests but are unable to apply their knowledge to free speech. Many find the flexibility and inconsistency of English frustrating compared to the more rigid and predictable German and Russian.

Culturally, many of the larger organisations are British, American, Swedish or German owned and use English as their Lingua Franca. In general, the Slavic mentality is more suspicious and negative so adopting ‘western’ ideas can still be difficult. There is a strong culture of formal contracting. I was once told by a school to cancel a lesson with the CEO of one of the country’s biggest banks because they were still waiting for the contract to be signed. I said I would do the lesson anyway, free if necessary, as I didn’t see the sense in risking upsetting the client and losing the contract. The school thought this was a very strange attitude - a difference in perspectives.

Therefore, the greatest challenge facing HR people here is how to reconcile the corporate demands to be more progressive with an essentially cautious workforce. The underpinning mindset is still essentially defensive believing win/lose is the likely outcome of a transaction.

And if you've never been to Warsaw, you might like to try it - it's much underrated.

Another FA Balls Up

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:49:00 +0000

The (FA) Football Association of England have managed once again to score an own goal and make a complete balls up of the Management Board's relationship with the National Team Coach.

For anyone who doesn’t know the story, here’s how it goes:

Captain John Terry has been accused of racially abusing another player and is currently undergoing an FA investigation and awaiting trial.

The FA have publicly stripped him of his captaincy.

The Coach, Fabio Capello, didn’t agree with this decision and was called to a meeting by the FA.

Neither would back down, Capello said he had been insulted and resigned - and all this, just four months before the Euro 2012 tournament which is second in importance, only to the World Cup.

Ironically, many people will see it as a blessing in disguise, bringing to an end an unhappy tenure of underachievement and leaves the door open for the people's choice, Harry Rednapp.

But that’s beside the point for the FA are an ongoing case study in mismanagement.

This is how it should have been handled:

The FA hold an informal meeting with Capello explaining that they respect his right to manage but also saying that keeping Terry as Captain could cause massive PR problems during press conferences and the run up to Euro 2012 - particularly as the majority of English football supporters now believe Terry should not be captain.

Capello sensitively but pragmatically, explains this to Terry.

Terry then voluntarily offers to stand down as captain for the good of the team and country, stating that his does not wish his personal issues to distract from or have a detrimental effect on the team’s preparation.

Capello reluctantly but graciously accepts.

Terry and Capello are not embarrassed and retain their dignity and credibility while the FA are not seen to be meddling in team selection affairs - simple; it’s called political skill; unfortunately, that’s something the Football Association know sweet FA about!

Glossary

To score an own goal - to do something that is self-damaging
To make a balls up of something - to make a mess of something
To strip somebody of something - remove
Captaincy - the noun for being Captain
To call someone to a meeting - to demand their attendance at a meeting
To back down - withdraw from a position, compromise
A blessing in disguise - something that looks bad but is in fact, good
Tenure - presence, time in position
Underachievement - to achieve less than expected, poor results
To leave the door open for something or somebody - creates an easy opportunity
To be beside the point - to be irrelevant
Mismanagement - the act of incompetent or bad management
To handle a situation - to deal with, to manage
To stand down - to resign from a position
Detrimental - harmful, negative
To meddle - to interfere
Sweet FA - absolutely nothing; abbreviation and euphemism for F**k all

Sacked for clocking in a colleague

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:11:00 +0000

In the old days, factory workers used punched clocking-in cards to register when they arrived at and left work. There were Draconian punishments for those found guilty of clocking in colleagues and a fair chance that the misdemeanour would be given their cards. (result in dismissal)

These days, the technology has advanced to electronic swipe cards but should the same sanction be applied to an employee discovered clocking-in a workmate?

It rather depends on whether or not you consider it gross misconduct which is usually an example of an extreme or persistent offence.

In a company in Warsaw, Poland, an employee was dismissed for clocking in a colleague who, he claimed was on his way, although camera evidence proved this was not the case. On the one hand you can argue that the employee lied and could not be trusted but for a first offence, dismissal seems a bit over the top.

We also have to question why, in this day and age, we don’t trust employees enough to assume they will do a fair day’s work. On balance, employees probably give more of their time to employers unpaid than the opposite. Maybe a bit of give and take, and common sense would be the best solution.

Is clocking in a joke?

Clarkson - bad joke or bad behaviour?

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:22:00 +0000

Top Gear TV presenter, Jeremy Clarkson recently said about striking public sector workers in the UK that they should be:

‘taken outside and executed in front of their families.’

This led to uproar from the public sector union, Unison.

Is this an over-reaction to a bad taste joke or is it genuinely offensive and out of order?

Should his employer, the BBC take disciplinary action?

Watch the video and judge for yourself.

Personally, I have seen Jeremy Clarkson’s career develop over the past twenty years and in my opinion, he has always been a smug conceited snob who is thoroughly obnoxious. It’s no surprise that as his success and fame have increased, he’s become more convinced of his belief that his reactionary views are representative of the British public.

If they are, God help us all

Shoot and make friends

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:53:00 +0000

Here in Poland, the idea of ‘integration’ is very popular. Generally, this is the local term for team-building. For many people, it’s just an excuse to drink large quantities of vodka but some organisations try to be a bit more imaginative.

Boisterous and physical activities such as abseiling, quad-biking and paint-balling are very popular but this week, I came across a new one.

A lady I work with informed of her department’s planned integration activity which in fact, involves three things:

1) A meal - OK, you’d expect that
2) Ten pin bowling - always a winner
3) Shooting - excuse me?

You know, shooting with guns. Let me tell you, the lady works for a bank. Is it preparation for a heist? No, it’s in a shooting gallery and just for sport. Ah, I see, with blanks. No; live ammunition.

Apparently, the Director’s very keen on shooting and believes nobody hates him enough to want to kill him. (I guess, he’ll find out)

Joking aside, do you think shooting is an appropriate activity for team-building?

(Maybe the next step is Russian roulette as a method of redundancy selection.)

BANG!! Perkins - you’re fired!

I have to be honest and say I find it quite worrying.

Skype v F2F

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:19:00 +0000

When I started Skyping three years ago it was still something of a minority interest. Not everybody had it, used it or believed in it as a viable teaching medium. So is it fair to say that there is no substitute for face to face coaching or teaching?

Probably there isn’t, but it’s like asking if books are better than films or if a hammer is a better tool than a saw; you have to take each for what it is.

Skype and other similar platforms offer greater time flexibility and greater time efficiency. For example, you can have a half hour session without any problems of travel. You can even have them the minute you get out of bed if you really want!

For trainers you can have lessons back to back moving effortlessly from Paris to Rome in seconds. Moreover, there is now a lot of conferencing, webcasting software enabling simultaneous, multiple use - or in other words, lots of people at the same time so companies can really make their training budgets stretch out by reducing unit costs.

You can also share PowerPoint presentations and look at web pages together or use it as part of a blended learning package.

On the other hand, it makes you realise how much we depend on body language clues and cues during conversation so a camera, whilst theoretically an optional extra, in reality is a must. That’s a F2F aspect worth keeping.

But here’s the bottom line - it’s not an instead of but an as well as kind of thing and to add it to your resource pack as a learner or a teacher is well worthwhile.

So, if you’re interested in Skype sessions with me for Human Resources or Business, you can contact me direct on george@english4hr.com

I look forward to seeing you!

http://www.english4hr.com/contact.html

George

Workplace heroes

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:47:00 +0000

Do you ever say to a colleague? ‘Thanks pal, you’ve saved my life!’

If you do, it might be for making a ‘life-saving’ morning coffee or perhaps covering for you when you need to leave early. Very rarely, if ever, does someone save your life in reality.

Hats off then to pilot Captain Wrona and his faultless plane landing this week in Warsaw. Normally, this would be a standard procedure but without wheels it’s a bit trickier.

Congratulations also to the ground staff at Warsaw Airport for preparing the runway for a crash landing.

A professional operation all round that really did save lives - sometimes, going to work is more than just a job!

Interview skills for non native English speakers

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:50:00 +0000

When applying for a new job in a multinational, it is almost certain that at least part of the interview will be in English. Furthermore, it is possible that you will have to participate in a tele-conference or give a presentation. Even if you have confidence in your language skills, some brushing up may be advisable; better still, invest in some professional English interview coaching.

It is important to remember that in most cases an interview will be held in English for one or a number of the following reasons:

The interviewer does not speak the local language.
Contact with customers and colleagues will be in English
The company is multi-national and uses English as its Lingua Franca.

The point of the English interview therefore, is not to catch you out on some finer point of grammar but to make sure that you can communicate effectively and without confusion or difficulty.

Here are some important do’s and don’ts

Do

Immerse yourself in English through CD’s and TV etc. if you are not in daily contact with the language.
Book extra language lessons and coaching, preferably with a native speaker.
Anticipate likely questions and plan your answers.
Think about the key points you want to communicate; say them in your own language and then ask yourself if you can express the same in English to your satisfaction.
During the interview, listen carefully to questions - it will go against you if you answer a different question.
Focus on speaking clearly and meaningfully.
Be concise but interesting and expressive.
Enhance your message with appropriate body-language.

Don’t

Say you are fluent if you are only intermediate - you will be found out.
Plan every answer word for word - it will sound like you are a robot.
Particularly don’t do this with presentations - it’s really boring.
Don’t over complicate speech just to incorporate a complex tense.
Don’t make your answers too long.
Don’t panic or freeze if you can’t find the exact word you want, keep going and use the best alternative.

Remember that you have got where you are through hard work, thorough preparation and determination; carry these traits into the interview and you are sure to give a good account of yourself. Good luck!

And if that doesn't work, you can always pick up some tips from this video.

E-cigarettes at work

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:29:00 +0000

As most countries now have workplace bans on smoking, nicotine addicts look for new ways to get a hit at work. Of course, you can join the regular smokers at the building entrance but as winter weather approaches, that can be a grim and depressing experience, not to mention fighting with the wind to light up.

E- cigarettes could provide the answer because they look like regular cigarettes, provide the required nicotine to the user but produce a clear vapour rather than smelly smoke. But how should employers respond; is it legal and if so, is it desirable?

The law on smoking may vary from country to country but typically describes smoking as smoking tobacco or any other substance that is lit. Now, the e-cig protagonists may argue that an e-cigarette contains nicotine, not tobacco and is heated and not lit - so stick that in your pipe and smoke it!

So, let’s say that the legal argument is somewhat hazy but that doesn’t stop employers giving their own rulings in the same way they might on dress code. There may be a perceptual problem in other workers and customers still considering this to be smoking in the workplace, particularly as the e-cig looks very similar to the real thing. Many people may not want to encourage smoking of any sort in an office or work environment. Therefore, by far the simplest solution is to ban it in the work place, end of argument; end of story.

BTW - I'm an ex-smoker and I figure quitting was one of the smartest things I ever did.

But that's just my view - here's a couple of people who seem pretty keen on it.

Abbreviations

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:12:00 +0000

Td's BLG P is @ ABS - IP, UAM ABS. Or to put it another way, today's blog post is about abbreviations, in particular, useless and meaningless abbreviations. Which sentence did you find the ETU? (Easiest to understand)

Obvious, isn't it. Why then do companies persist in filling their communications with such nonsense?

I was recently working with a company on their strategy document (you know, the one with the 25 priorities) and it was pretty H2F (hard to follow) due to the number of abs. We had Rps and TRG to name but a few. These are pretty stupid because they represent everyday words that are not long and complicated and require no further simplification - reports and training, to be exact. Furthermore, they are not any quicker or easier to say.

The document was so heavily peppered with abbreviations that I nearly sneezed! I said, jokingly to the CEO, 'you need a directory of abbreviations!'
'Oh, hang on a minute,' he replied, 'I've got one somewhere.' He looked through his papers but was disappointed to discover his directory was for another set of abbreviations!

Of course, HR (Human Resources) isn't exempt from using abbreviations - here are some of TMU (the most used)

AL - Accelerated learning
ASAP - As soon as possible
AV - audio visual
BBB - behaviour breeds behaviour
BL - blended learning
BPR - business process re-engineering (one of the all time greatest HR bull***t phrases!)
BTW - by the way
CBT - computer based training
EI - emotional inteligence
EP - evaluation process
ET - evaluation tool
ETA - estimated time of arrival
ETC - estimated time of completion
FYI - for your information
Gigo - garbage in, garbage out
HC - human capital
HRD - human resource development
HRM - human resource management
IMHO - in my humble opinion
IDP - individual development plan
KISS - keep it short and simple
KPI - key performance indicator
LO - learning objective
MS - milestone
NA - needs analysis
NLP - neuro-linguistic programming
OJT - on the job training
PA- performance assessment
PM - performance management
PR - performance review
QA - quality assurance
QC - quality control
QI - quality improvement
SKA - skills, knowledge and attitudes
SMART - specific,measurable, achievable, relevant, time framed
SPEC - specification
T&D - training and development
TA - transactional analysis
TBA - to be arranged/announced
TQM - total quality management
VAK - visual, auditory, kinaesthetic

Learn these until you have ZD - zero defects. GS saying BFN- bye for now!

25 priorities

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:49:00 +0000

I was recently working with a company CEO reviewing their strategic plan. As we worked through the document, it transpired that there were 25 priority areas. ‘

Can you have 25 priorities?’ I asked.
‘I guess not,’ he admitted, ‘maybe they’re rather, points.

A priority is a very simple notion; it’s something that’s more important than other things. You can’t have 25 of them; you have to choose. You have to prioritise!

Learning to prioritise is one of the most useful skills you can master in life. Here’s a lesson from a Master. Make it a priority to watch it!

Business English Phrasebook - writing story

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 08:14:00 +0000

A lot of work went into the writing and production of Business English Phrasebook and you might want to know what writing an e-book involves.

When writing English for Human Resources for Cambridge University I was frustrated by the slow pace of every stage of the procedure; many drafts with much editorial comment and emails bouncing endlessly between Warsaw and Cambridge. When the writing was finally done, a further 6 months for final editing, proof reading and design seemed excessive.
I was therefore excited by the quick turnaround offered by self-publishing an ebook.

However, I was aware that I am not perfect and that however good you think your material is, it’s useful to get a second opinion and a third, forth and fifth for that matter. Furthermore, like a band going on tour before going into the recording studio, I wanted to test drive and trial the material before bringing it to the market.

Having designed the framework and content areas of the book, I was lucky to find a host organisation in the form of LegeArtis BDM, a property valuation company run by their very progressive thinking owner, Szymon Mojzesowicz. Not only did they trial the material but also sponsored the project.

The trialling involved working with each of the units with two groups of students from the company who were required to complete weekly feedback sheets on which exercises worked well or not so well, what had been useful learning and any errors or points of confusion. This input proved invaluable and had a significant impact the quality of the final product.

After five months of working with the material, it was finally ready for conversion - a piece of cake, I’d imagined. I love the possibilities that new technology offers but it’s really not my forte and I decided to enlist the assistant of ‘Text Bender,’ Piotr Kołodziejczak. Not only is he tech savvy but a thoroughly kind and helpful person without whom I wouldn’t have survived in Poland, let alone on this project.

However, I think I made something of a mistake by transferring a lot of the design elements from the Cambridge book onto Business English Phrasebook and this caused more technical work than you would get on straight text. Mostly because mobi files don’t behave like word documents and dynamically adjust the text size to fit the reader. Anyway, these difficulties were overcome.

A word about Esmerelda; I believe that even for an e-book, a strong cover is required and I scoured the pages of stock photo libraries to find a suitable image. I even bought a licence so that it’s all legal and not just lifted off Google images. I wanted an image of a young business woman reading and concentrating and found just the thing with, as I call her, Esmerelda. I rather like her but my wife refers to her as cross-eyed Lil - most unkind!

So that’s it - the book is good to go and I hope you’ll find it an enjoyable and useful read. It works as a self-study book or teacher’s aid and has lots of dialogues (written, not audio - that would be another project) and useful tips. In fact that was some of the feedback that came from LegeArtis was that it was helpful from a work perspective as well as pure language. I hope you’ll find the same.

Thank you to everyone who made it possible.

The tyranny of extroversion

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 08:21:00 +0000

I have recently been coaching a lady in preparation for an important presentation she has to give in Brussels. She is an experienced lawyer with expert knowledge but is less confident about her English and very uncomfortable about presenting a full day training session.

Why doesn’t she just say, ‘thanks Boss, but that’s not my gig; choose someone else instead.’

Why? Because in modern corporate life it would not be an acceptable answer. There is an expectation that people will give presentations, go on team building courses and go to the Christmas party. Yet, for many more introverted employees all of these events can be stressful.

Solution? Training; presentation skills, public speaking, assertiveness and confidence building.

But why can’t we just allow people to be shy? Why? Because organisations have an unwritten and inbuilt favouring of extroversion; it’s seen as a more desirable, even necessary quality.
Furthermore, the bookshelves of management books and self-help books are awash with titles such as ‘Overcoming shyness,‘ implying that is a fault to be rectified. This is the tyranny of extroversion.

Rather than forcing people to be something they are not, we should be helping people to be closer to their true selves and feel comfortable within their own skin whether that be extrovert or introvert.

Phrases for communication

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 06:16:00 +0000

In many ways, life is all about communication so these extracts of the Business English Phrasebook might come in handy:

Seeking information

Could you tell me when …?
When do you think …. will …?
I wonder if you could tell me when …?
You couldn’t tell me where … is, could you?

And best of all!

I don’t suppose you’d happen to know where the nearest Post office is, would you? If it’s not too much trouble.

Seeking clarification

Could we just go over that again?
So are you saying …?
Am I right in thinking that …?

Refusing

No thank you.
I’d rather not.
If you don’t mind, I won’t.
Not today, thank you.

Expressing dissatisfaction

When you …, it makes me ….
I really must complain about …
I’m not at all happy about …
There’s something we need to discuss.

Rejecting unfair criticism

I don’t think that’s justified.
I think that’s very harsh.
I think your accusations are unreasonable and unfounded.

Surprisingly, or not, maybe, it took me ages to find a good video about communication - but this is pretty neat!

Love your job, hate your boss?

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:39:00 +0000

What if you love your job but hate your boss? Normally, it’s just tough luck and you either have to put up with it or look for employment elsewhere. Not if you work for Happy People, a company featured recently in a UK Personnel publication. They say, if one of their employees is unhappy with their manager, they can simply change them for another one. Perhaps they have a point. Work based conflict can be a cause of stress, absence and low productivity. It can be physically and emotionally draining and if the boss is the problem, the employee can feel helpless. Whilst disputes between a manager and an employee can be dealt with through the company’s grievance procedure, the reality is that in the majority of cases, the company will side with the manager, making the employee’s situation even worse. A happy workforce is a productive one, so why not allow employees to choose their own manager? Perhaps they could even participate in interviews and make the appointment decision?

Or maybe it’s not so simple. The first problem might be finding a supply of alternative managers, particularly in the same department. If there was no such choice, would it be realistic to have an accountant not reporting to the Senior Accountant but to the Marketing Manager instead?

How would it affect the power balance? Would managers be reluctant to delegate in case they were perceived as too demanding? Would they be forever treading on eggshells?

How would it affect the self-esteem and credibility of the ‘dropped’ manager?

What would be the impact on internal politics? Perhaps some managers would want to identify themselves as an exemplar of good management, collecting new employees like a politician collecting votes.

How would the company cascade authority and objectives if the chain of command became broken?

Maybe the ‘choose your own boss’ philosophy might work in a small consultancy practice; maybe it would work in Happyland or Utopia perhaps but in industry, construction, retail, business and in Poland? I don’t think so; what about you or do you hate your boss and would like to give it a go?

Glossary

Put up with - tolerate, accept
Absence - time off work, usually due to illness
Emotionally draining - psychologically exhausting
Grievance procedure - a formal process for employees to raise complaints about their manager
Side with - take the side of, support
Appointment decision - choosing who will get the job
Power balance - the unspoken dynamics of the power relationship
Treading on eggshells - an idiom meaning acting with extreme caution, usually not to upset or make someone angry
Self-esteem - how people feel about and value themselves
Credibility - how believable someone is, respect gained through competence
Internal politics - battles for influence and control within an organisation
Exemplar - someone who personifies best practice
Cascade - flow downwards; usually authority or information
Chain of command - the structure for passing power down through the organisation
Consultancy practice - usually a company specialising in law, accounting or business advice
To give something a go - informal phrasal verb meaning to try something

You think you've got a bad boss? It could be worse!

How to breathe

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:56:00 +0000

Feeling stressed; fatigued?

Practice breathing; it’s worth doing well.

Of course, it's not enough just to be told to do it, you have to know how - so here's how.

Happy breathing!

Phrases for meetings

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 12:25:00 +0000

Need some useful, standard phrases for meetings?

Try these examples from Business English Phrasebook - George Sandford:

http://www.english4hr.com/business-english-phrasebook-e-book.html

Useful phrases

For each aspect of a meeting, there are some useful phrases you can use.

Stating purpose

The aim of the meeting is….
What we need to agree/decide is ….
The purpose of today’s meeting is ….
Our objective today is ….

Processing the agenda

The first item on the agenda is ….
Next,
Moving on,
Right, now the next item is ….

Inviting contributions

Dave, what do you think?
Has anybody got any ideas/suggestions?
Who’d like to start?
What’s your opinion?
How do you see it?

Controlling disruptive behaviour

I’m sorry, that’s not what we’re here to discuss.
Can I stop you there?
I’d appreciate it if you’d keep to the point.
I’m afraid if you are going to be disruptive, I’ll have to ask you to leave.
Please speak through the Chair!

Agreeing

I totally agree.
That’s a good point.
That makes sense.
Good idea!

Disagreeing

I must beg to differ.
I’m afraid I can’t agree.
You’re way off beam.
I think you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Weighing up pros and cons

On the one hand …, but on the other…
The advantages are …, however, the disadvantages ….
Taking all things into account….
On balance…

Summarising and concluding

To summarise/sum up.
In conclusion….
OK, just to go over what we’ve agreed,
So, what we’ve decided is ….

And if that doesn't work - you could try this:

How to change your professional stereotype

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 07:05:00 +0000

Many professions carry stereotypes; accountants are sensible but boring, IT people are weird and geeky and HR people are obsessed with their own systems and disconnected from the business reality. Like racial stereotypes, they don’t have to be true to be believed but in the business world and beyond, reality is perception.

Whatever your job, how can you shake off your professional label? The answer is you can’t; it’s too big a project for one person but how to improve your standing and increase your personal capital within your company is another matter. Here, the answer lies in effective personal branding. You need to think of yourself as a micro business within a market place and develop a personal, strategic plan covering the following steps:

Carry out an internal political audit of allies, enemies and neutrals; do not spend time fighting or trying to convert enemies; keep your head down and work on increasing your support base by converting neutrals.

Identify the most influential people in your network; strengthen these ties
create a clear idea of the image and message you want to present.

Make a communication plan of what you will say, which communication channels you will use and how frequently you will transmit; take control of your output.

Increase your F2F visibility, particularly with influential people.

Get involved in cross-cutting projects that lift you out of your core-function.

Become an expert on your company’s business not just your profession.

Become a problem solver not a problem creator.

Raise your profile inside and outside the company through social media channels, professional body events and inter-company meetings.

Never complain that people misjudge you; if they do, it’s down to poor marketing.

Accept personal branding as a time consuming but essential part of your job.

Of course, doing all of these things is a project too but it’s one with a realistic chance of success, that is unless you’re too boring, geeky or lacking in business acumen to try it!

Need more ideas? Check this.

Office in the clouds

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:53:00 +0000

A recent article in the online portal HR Zone asked if cloud computing would lead to the end of the office as we know it. After all, if people are able to access their files remotely, then surely a movement to remote working is inevitable. This could produce immense savings in expensive office accommodation, less commuting, leading to environmental benefits and better work life balance as workers would save two or more hours a day in stressful travel.

They say, if something looks too good to be true, it probably is so of course, there is a downside.

Firstly, is it really going to happen? Being able to access your entire music collection while on holiday in Thailand might be one thing but to what extent are companies going to feel happy and secure about placing company sensitive information on a cloud?

Let’s say we find a way round that and can choose to work where we like. Even with regular contact via Skype or tele-conferencing, people can soon feel isolated and disconnected. It can be difficult to build a team that never meets in person. Furthermore, whilst accommodating people in offices may seem a rather inefficient strategy, it allows for the creativity of randomness; people can meet incidentally, without a plan or an agenda and happen upon ideas that would not have occurred in a structured conference call.

The building boom in the in the BRICS countries shows no let up and corporate companies the world over want some A Class city centre space to show their customers that they are dealing with an A league player.

It could be argued that we can have the best of both worlds with a mixture of remote working and workplace time. However, to maximise space utility companies are likely to use hot desking, which for all it’s apparent merits, is unpopular with workers. Personally, I found it made me feel marginalised and like an unwanted guest, gate crashing a party.
Perhaps one model that might develop is that of the independent traveller where workers become office backpackers periodically calling in at the work ‘hostel’ to share ideas and experiences.

Whatever happens, if you think that the cloud will obscure the office, you must be living in cloud cuckoo land!

Glossary

cloud computing – a process that enables accessing information from anywhere (for fuller explanation - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing
remote working - working at home or away from the office
commuting - travelling to and from work
company sensitive - confidential and with a potential impact on competition
in person - physically present
BRICS - acronym for fast developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
no let up - not stopping or reducing
A Class - most expensive, prestigious office space in prime location
the best of both worlds - idiom for getting the benefit of two different advantages
hot desking - not having a dedicated office or desk but temporary access to desk, phone and computer
marginalised - pushed to the margins; the edge, not included
gate crashing - entering a party uninvited
living in cloud cuckoo land - thinking in a totally unrealistic way

Well, for an office in the clouds, you'd need a head for heights. Don't look down! (And I thought floor 31 on Rondo 1 ONZ, Warsaw was high!)OMG!

Rehab

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:10:00 +0000

The tragic events of last weekend remind us of the fragility of human life and the sad waste of youth and talent. There is little that governments can do to predict and contain the actions of a lone wolf extremist and little friends and family could do to dissuade Amy Winehouse from a path of inevitable self-destruction. Spookily, she joins an illustrious band of other 27 year old victims including Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janice Joplin and Kurt Cobain. What, if anything, does this have to do with HR?

The answer lies in employee welfare and the potential hazards of depression, mental health issues and drug abuse. Without becoming paranoid or ultra- puritanical, employers need to raise awareness among staff and managers and encourage a degree of compassionate vigilance.

A good starting point is attendance and time-keeping as erratic patterns may conceal an underlying cause. Frequent and rapid mood changes may be indicative of drug use and or internal disturbance. Return to work interviews for all absences, however small, are a great way to keep on top of things. Counselling can be useful but is best left to trained professionals, possibly as part of an anonymous telephone help line. The organisation needs to reassure employees that they will not be punished, disciplined or sacked for problems but helped through them. That said, some organisations go as far as random drug testing which, for certain professions and activities, may be appropriate. In some cases maybe rehabilitation may be advised. For some, it could provide an answer.

R.I.P Amy

Non spaces

noreply@blogger.com (georgesandford) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 09:55:00 +0000

When is a space not a space? Answer; when it's a non space. That's according to French intellectual, Marc Auge. Non spaces are defined as spaces we travel through with no sense of belonging, ownership or attention. This may be bits of waste ground, an alley way or maybe something bigger, like an airport. They are populated but somehow abandoned.

It occurred to me that there must be many such places in larger organisations and that these non spaces may be physical and virtual - creating non-communication spaces.

Should we identify them and fill them or leave them as they are? After all, we all need a bit of space; maybe even a non space.