The People Group

The humane treatment of humans

Kevin Kennemer — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:45:54 +0000

It’s not illegal to be a jerk, bully or bosshole in the United States. Unless the behavior is directly aimed at an EEOC protected class of employee, you are out of luck. The long arm of justice doesn’t reach that far. Abuse on the job at the hands of a jerk, bully or bosshole may be legal, but it certainly cannot be considered ethical.

You may treat your pet cat or dog better than the manufacturing plant or call center down the street.

If your company has a code of conduct policy, look to see if it covers the humane treatment of humans. Does the code consider the psychological abuse of employees as a violation of company policy?

Leaders: Review your code of conduct policy and make sure the humane treatment of employees is as important as following proper accounting procedures.

Graphic Credit: Photo by BlueRobot

Speaking at the Oklahoma State Human Resource Conference

Kevin Kennemer — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:45:53 +0000

Today it was my pleasure to speak to a standing room only crowd of Human Resource Professionals at the Oklahoma State Human Resource Conference, Renaissance Hotel & Conference Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was amazed at the number of nice people who attended my session.

Since creating positive company cultures across the United States is my passion and mission in life, I delivered a presentation entitled, “How Leaders Build Great Places to Work.” If you attended this presentation today, we would love to hear your comments, questions and overall feedback.

The People Group is here to help you start the journey of building your Great Workplace.

For a copy of the presentation, click the link below:

How Leaders Build Great Places to Work-OK State HR Conf-04262012

WANT TO REPRINT ALL OR PART OF THIS PRESENTATION FOR LEADERSHIP TRAINING, COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS, NEWSLETTER, BLOG, ETC? You can, as long as you provide the following text and hyperlink on the same page as the presentation material. www.ThePeopleGroup.com. By Kevin Kennemer, founder, The People Group, LLC. Subscribe to The People Group Newsletter at www.thepeoplegroup.com/blog. Follow The People Group on Twitter @ThePeopleGroup and Kevin @KevinKennemer.

Great places to work will be the norm by 2032

Kevin Kennemer — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:29:27 +0000

According to Robert Levering, co-founder of the Great Place to Work Institute, within 20 years “great workplaces will be the norm.” An April 2, 2012 press release following the annual Great Place to Work Conference which was held in Atlanta, Georgia, “Great Place to Work^® Co-founder Robert Levering predicted that by 2032, great workplaces will be the norm. ‘Most workplaces will be great in the next 20 years. The millennials are changing the face of the workplace,’ said Levering. ‘Not only do they realize they don’t have to put up with lousy workplaces, they have new means of communicating – they openly express their dissatisfaction with lousy places and tout the good places. They’re interested in finding companies that express and live by core values; that have a sense of social responsibility.’”

Also according to the press release, Levering predicts that with this generation, organizations that are not committed to creating a great company culture will find it increasingly difficult to attract and retain the best talent. Even Wall Street will begin to weigh in on value of workplace culture as it becomes commonplace that companies with great workplace cultures see returns 3 times better than the S&P 500.

To read the complete Great Place to Work Press Release, “Company Culture Supports Business Success,” click here.

Medical profession stuck in the 1900′s

Kevin Kennemer — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:00:09 +0000

Have you been to the doctor lately? For some reason in this digital world we live in, the medical profession never crossed over into the 21st Century.

Do you like paperwork? I absolutely hate it. That’s why when I go to the doctor’s office and they hand me a pile of paperwork, I almost have a myocardial infarction.

Who fills out paperwork in 2012? We are online folks. We have tablets, laptops, Wi-Fi, clouds and all kinds of useful technology. Yet, doctors are stuck in the world of paperwork.

If this topic interests you, check out this article, “How Paper is Ruining Your Plan” from Employee Benefit News digital edition.

Telecommuters don’t wear pants on video conferences

Kevin Kennemer — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:34:58 +0000

Get used to it. Increasing numbers of employees, free agents, independent consultants, and even corporate managers will be working from home offices in the very near future. Most homes built today include a home office with all the connectivity that allows workers to be as productive (actually, more productive) than if they were at a cubicle-infested corporate office.

The Telework Research Network (TRN) reports:

Forty-five percent of the U.S. workforce holds a job that is compatible with at least part-time telework.
Based on current trends, with no growth acceleration, regular telecommuters will total 4.9 million by 2016, a 69% increase from the current level but well below other forecasts.
The biggest barrier to telecommuting, by a wide margin, is management fear and mistrust.

We really need to work on that fear and mistrust issue. Based on The People Group’s research (wink, wink), below are some beliefs these distrusting managers have about telecommuting employees:

1. Pajamas are their primary work uniform.

2. Rather than pants, telecommuters only wear underwear with their dress shirt on video conferences.

3. The movie theater is their break room.

4. They workout and tan all day at Gold’s Gym.

5. Telecommuters talk to their dogs and cats to maintain their sanity. However, the survey group believed most telecommuters are cat people.

6. The hot tub is where they make phone calls.

7. Unpaid interns do all their work while the telecommuter plays golf.

8. The “4-Hour Work-Week” is their favorite book.

9. People work from home because they are under house arrest.

10. Managers agree telecommuters are more productive away from the office. However, managers who prefer face-time over results prefer telecommuters to work at the office.

Hope this list was fun for you. I think it points out some of the areas of fear and mistrust we need to eliminate in the workplace.

Stressed? Take time to rise above it

Kevin Kennemer — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:53:02 +0000

We live in a frantically paced world. The pace of life sucks you in and it is very hard to escape its grip. The tug of war between living calmly or frantically is harmful to your body and mind. One must choose the life you desire.

You may need to decide today not to follow the crowd of people running to corporate America and plugging-in to their highly caffeinated world of “get it done yesterday” attitude.

Life was meant to be a flowing experience; moving from one experience to the next. Our existence is meaningful, joyful, purposeful, and satisfying, peppered with a number of challenges. Faith, family, friends and work should provide meaningful integration, not agitated segregation.

You were not an accident. The sheer complexity of the universe and all its flowing parts, is a work of unimaginable art. You too are a work of art with talents and abilities. Rushing through life forces people to ignore their true talents, causing unfulfilled dreams and drudgery from 9 to 5.

Time is as big in the past as it is in the future. Infinite cannot be measured by man.

Your issue is to deal with your present, pressing, daily issues. First realize you are a vanishing mist, a flower that is born in the spring and withers as the cold winter approaches. You are a participant in a season of time.

Your issues today are not going to stop the sun from rising and falling. You are important, very important. Try to comprehend your frantic life in comparison to the sheer greatness of the world around you.

Stop and actively live life today. Be comfortable in the small part you play in an infinite universe. Regardless of your performance, the planets and stars will still perform their work of cosmic art.

Each day has been blessed. It’s up to you to listen to that God-given voice inside of you for guidance.

During the day, walk above the congested traffic, the ill-tempered driver, the impatient public, the demanding and hard-hearted manager.

Wisdom allows you to walk above your circumstances. You are above the confusion, emotion, stress and drama. Looking down on your circumstances is much better than looking from below.

Rise above your circumstances. The view is better up there.

It is better to find your mission in life, rather than a career.

How to drop dead at your desk

Kevin Kennemer — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:01:30 +0000

Rather than dying in the loving arms of your spouse or close family member, maybe you prefer to die at your desk while working. That seems to be the wishes of many Type A steam rollers I have encountered throughout my career.

Just in case this might be you, here are 10 ways to increase your chances of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or other pulse stopping event at the office.

1. Find and stay at a toxic workplace; surround yourself with jerk bosses and coworkers.

2. Never say no to any request.

3. Eat at your desk and get more work done.

4. Don’t make friends at work just in case they leave.

5. Work overtime most every week because the money is more important than family.

6. Don’t use your paid time off; it shows your dedication to your toxic workplace.

7. Put your career before family; they can see you after you retire.

8. Hold onto your anger when toxic workers assault you.

9. Do not pursue your career passion; work at a job you hate.

10. Avoid the doctor’s office; you really shouldn’t use your sick time.

Of course, I’m not serious. However, if you work like this you may be shortening your life span and making the people you love miserable. Do your part in making the workplace people-friendly.

Podcast: Good people in organizations can prevail, says workplace expert Dr. Gary Namie

Kevin Kennemer — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:52:08 +0000

When personal power, domination and abuse become the focus of managing a business, rather than creating a winning team, this is a colossal sign the company is headed for disaster. Dr. Gary Namie, co-founder of the Workplace Bullying Institute, released a thought-provoking podcast that expertly covers this topic. Take five short minutes to listen to his message on making civilized workplaces.

Click on the microphone…

WBI Podcast: Good People in Organizations Can Prevail

Thanks to Dr. Gary Namie and the Workplace Bullying Institute Team!

7 secrets to a successful business

Kevin Kennemer — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:15:07 +0000

Are you waiting for the secret recipe to creating a successful business? The recipe is not really that secret. You will not be disappointed if you follow these principles.

Be honest and kind.
Treat all people with respect.
Honorably gain people’s trust by living your values 24/7.
Treat your employees better than your customers; then your employees will treat customers like royalty.
Only hire or retain people willing to live and work by The Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated.
Openly admit your mistakes and don’t be afraid to apologize.
Strive for excellence in all things; leaders and employees are to learn the business inside and out.

The obscure we eventually see. The completely obvious takes longer. — Edward R. Murrow

Leading in tough times

Kevin Kennemer — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:47:05 +0000

Recently a very large cruise ship ran aground off the Tuscan coast of Italy. The ship’s captain navigated the vessel too close to shore and a huge span of boulders ripped open the left side of the hull. An event that seems almost unimaginable with all of today’s sophisticated navigation technology.

Captain Abandons Ship, Passengers and Crew

Although the ship’s captain had the presence of mind to navigate the ship closer to shore, something unbelievable happened moments later. While evacuations were underway, amidst mass confusion, the ship’s captain abandoned ship and took comfort in a rescue vessel. While he sat inside his rescue craft, safe from harm, passengers were trying desperately to escape while others were dying.

When the ship’s passengers and crew most needed their leader to help them, thinking of himself first, the captain abandoned his position and exited the ship. He failed to lead during a disaster and abandoned thousands of tourists and employees who had entrusted their lives to his hands.

Leading in Tough Times

In the business world, leading an organization during good economic times is likely to be less stressful and more enjoyable. Navigating leaders and employees through disastrous economic conditions, however, is when the best leaders rise to the occasion and assume control and responsibility of the operations.

In Corporate America, our CEO’s are the duly sworn captains of the company. Their leadership is not tested when economic times are good. The strength of a leader’s character is tested when tragedy occurs and the well-being of the team must be placed above their own. Yet, how many times have we seen companies get into trouble and the first thing the CEO does is make sure his benefits, retirement and financial arrangements are secure before abandoning their ship.

There are some lessons to be learned from a ship captain who abandons the ship before evacuation procedures are completed.