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Happywork TV Episode 40: Lay People Off Using Some Human Guidelines

Posted on June 30, 2015 // 1 Comment

 
In Episode 40 of Happywork TV, I talk about the next commitment in my book “Happywork.”

The commitment is a LONG one. Watch the video to see what you think.

Short version: treat people with dignity when you have to fire them or lay them off. Try to imagine it’s your own special little son or daughter getting the axe, and then act accordingly.

Why should this even matter? Hey, why shouldn’t it? Why can’t we expend a little extra effort to treat each other better. Besides, those people you’re terminating can (and should) be walking, talking ambassadors for you. Yes, even the one you’ve terminated can (sometimes) see the wisdom in your decision, or more likely, can vividly remember how you treated them on exit. And they can tell and retell that story to countless people. So give them a good story to tell! Try to provide a soft landing for them. Don’t fire them in front of a bunch of people. Don’t lay people off with an email, letter, or phone call.

Remember, how would you want your son or daughter to be treated? How would YOU like to be treated?

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Watch Episode 39 here!

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IMPORTANT STUFF!

Both the e-book and paperback versions of Happywork are now available! Order it up!

Test drive it first & see if you like it – Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

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Happywork TV Episode 39: Single-Tasking To Find a New Job

Posted on June 23, 2015 // 1 Comment

 
In Episode 39 of Happywork TV, I explain where the hell I’ve been for the past four months!

Sneak preview:

1. I prepared to launch a book
2. I was told I was losing my job
3. My book Happywork debuted to great reviews
4. I did quite a few fun speeches related to it
5. At the same time, time to find a new job! I looked far and wide
6. To look for a job, I roughly decided what I wanted my next job to look like, I networked, and I wrote a blog post announcing that I was available for hire. That’s one of the only blog posts I did for those four months, as I decided I needed to single-task in order to stay mentally fit and focus on the job search. I only worried about the job search, probably to the detriment of my book
7. I had 30+ interviews and meetings
8. I had job offers
9. I accepted one of those offers, a wonderful new job
10. It took me 8 weeks to find that job
11. I started working that job, and decided to continue single-tasking, this time on the new job. I want to keep this job (I really like it), so it made sense for me to stay hyper-focused on it
12. But, I do think my book and the subject of happiness and fulfillment in the workplace deserve some attention. So I’m committing to post one video a week
13. Ooooh, lucky 13 – wish me luck!

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Watch Episode 38 here!

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IMPORTANT STUFF!

Both the e-book and paperback versions of Happywork are now available! Order it up!

Test drive it first & see if you like it – Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Happywork TV Episode 36: Psychometric Testing is Stupid

Posted on February 6, 2015 // Leave a Comment

 
In Episode 36 of Happywork TV, I discuss one of the commitments in the work code of conduct I’ve created called “The Happywork Agreement.”

Here it is: “Personality tests – sometimes referred to as ‘psychometric tests’ – are stupid. They provoke anxiety and are rarely relevant to the position being offered. There may still be relevant uses for such testing, but I will not forget the alternative: sitting down and having a nice conversation with the employee or job applicant.”

I could be wrong about this – hey, maybe you love sitting down before, after, or during a job interview and answering questions about your greatest weaknesses, what makes you angry, sad, etc. Not me! And as I admit in the video, it could be possible that these tests lend a hand to gigantic organizations hiring thousands of people a year.

Nevertheless, I’ve never liked these tests. The questions are often repetitive, and it just seems like a lazy way to evaluate a human being. I’ve worked at quite a few high-functioning organizations, and the hiring process did not include psychometric testing.

Just one man’s opinion.

 
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Watch Episode 35 here!

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IMPORTANT STUFF!

The eBook version of Happywork is OUT! Download now!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

The paperback version of Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE! It hits the streets on 2/17/15 (and I’m finding that they’re shipping early. Order today!)

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

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Happywork TV Episode 31: Mr Employer, NO You Can’t Have My Social Media Passwords

Posted on January 13, 2015 // 3 Comments

 
In Episode 31 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in The Happywork Agreement, the work code of conduct I’ve written to help bring happiness to the sorriest workplaces.

And this one is a doozy. It goes like this: “I will not ask prospective or current employees for their social media passwords, nor will I force them to show me what they’ve posted on their private social media accounts. This is a level of privacy invasion that is completely unacceptable. (Yes, this has happened.)”

And can you believe it? Yes, this happens! In fact, as late as early 2013, Illinois became only the second state to ban these employer requests.

As someone who’s had a few jobs in his day, I understand exactly what is going on here. The hiring process is a crapshoot for both sides. Employers look at resumes and interview candidates, trying to find the most qualified person. However, people lie on resumes all the time. Job applicants are largely an unknown quantity to employers. On the other side, job seekers, when afforded the time and opportunity, try to pick the best place to work using the very limited information at their fingertips. You don’t really know what it’s going to be like to work at an organization until you work there.

Crapshoots involve risk, and smart people work hard to mitigate risk.

How can both sides learn more about each other? The Internet!

Companies would do well to have all sorts of pertinent information out on their website and social channels for job applicants to chew on. If there is competition for great candidates, you want to be “talking” to those candidates while they’re doing their job search due diligence. If you’re a company showing them you have nothing to hide, and the other company is tight-lipped, who do you think most conscientious people are going to go with?

Well, what do companies have to work with, short of hiring a private detective to tail you for a couple weeks? Your musings on social media! HR departments are veritable sleuths now, scoping out anything and everything they can on a candidate. They’re looking for anything that will tip the scales one way or the other.

When they can’t find anything, apparently they sometimes turn to some ballsy tactics. They ask job applicants for their social media passwords, so they can log in and take a close look at what’s being posted. Or, and this would seemingly be even worse (for some reason), they’ll have the candidate sit at a chair and make them log in to their accounts while company personnel stand over their shoulders.

If this ever happens to you, get out of there. You don’t want that job. Draw a line in the sand and say, “Stay out of my personal life.” True, we’re putting more personal shit on social media than ever before, and some of those postings could reveal a strong character with proper judgement, or just the opposite.

But if I have my social media accounts locked down, or you just can’t find them because your Googling skills suck, then you’re just going to have to interview me again. No, you cannot have private access to my social media accounts!

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Watch Episode 30 here!

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IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Happywork TV Episode 30: Give Veterans a Chance!

Posted on January 8, 2015 // 1 Comment

 
In Episode 30 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in The Happywork Agreement, the work code of conduct I’ve written to help bring happiness to the sorriest workplaces.

It’s a followup to Episode 29, in which I asked employers to never discriminate against others when hiring. I mentioned veterans in that commitment, but wanted to pull this issue out and give it its own commitment. It goes like this: “I have something extra to say about veterans. I will give veterans the same chance I give every job applicant. The fact that they ‘saw some crazy stuff’ when serving their country in battle has nothing to do with anything. In fact, their ability to manipulate multi-million dollar equipment under extreme circumstances would seemingly make them very worthy candidates.”

So it’s easy enough to tell your HR department, “Stop discriminating against minorities when you’re hiring for a position.” That alone may not work. This book and its Happywork Agreement might not work! But we have to try.

Racism and discrimination makes no sense to me. It’s not based on anything except taught prejudice, AND it’s inefficient to hate on others. Your company is losing money if you don’t hire the best people!

I decided to pull this veteran issue out and make it a separate commitment, because this REALLY doesn’t make sense to me. As I’m writing from the United States, I’ll speak about us. We send people of every sex, ethnicity, income level – we send EVERYBODY into battle. Every capable body, no matter which tribe you come from, goes to war for us. This melting pot of people comes home, and now they’re “Veterans.” I cannot think of a good reason why their unemployment rate should be so much higher than average. Can you?

This just doesn’t compute for me. I want to change the parts of the world that make no sense to me.

I’ve shared this previously, but this book of mine was borne out of my childhood. My mother didn’t like her job, but kept going to it to support my brother and me. Good reason, I suppose, but my adolescent brain couldn’t square the circle. WHY would she work a job she didn’t like? My passion for happiness in the workplace came out of that failed computation. And this veteran issue is another one that simply doesn’t add up.

They’re good people, with a unique set of skills. Their unemployment rate should not be statistically different than the national average.

Give veterans the same chance you’d give any applicant!

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Watch Episode 29 here!

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IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Happywork TV Episode 29: Don’t Discriminate in Hiring Decisions

Posted on January 8, 2015 // Leave a Comment

 
In Episode 29 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in The Happywork Agreement, the work code of conduct I’ve written to help bring happiness to the sorriest workplaces.

It goes like this: “I will not discriminate in our hiring decisions, except when it comes to talent. I need great people, no matter what they look like. I will not base my choices on race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. In fact, to do so would be foolish, as I would be severely cutting down the available pool of talent from which to choose.”

There are laws on the books against discrimination, so you might question the need to put such a commitment in The Happywork Agreement. First, one look around should tell you that the world is still full of hatred, racism, and discrimination. Our laws don’t seem to be preventing people, especially ones in power, from discriminating. And in states like Missouri, you can still legally be fired for being gay.

So this commitment to hire the very best no matter what is completely necessary.

Let’s admit this: sometimes it’s difficult to get along with those not like us. And it’s much easier to feel comfortable around people who in fact are like us. I enjoy getting to know people, especially ones who’ve lived a different kind of life than I have. But not everyone shares that zest for diversity.

OK, think of it this way. Boil it down to money: it is straight-up inefficient to discriminate when hiring. You could be missing out on the best people! I am NOT saying, “Make sure you hire some black people, and some Asians, and some gay people too!” NO. Hire the best, period. Hire great human beings! That’s it. Give everyone a fair shake. Every applicant that walks through your door deserves a transparent, fair vote, up or down. (Your existing employees also deserve to be treated fairly, but this commitment is about hiring practices).

This commitment may seem simplistic, or even idealistic, but we’re all made from the same stuff. We look different, and have varied life experiences, but we’re all human beings. It’s time to grow up and stop hating on each other, and the workplace is a fine place to start.

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Watch Episode 28 here!

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IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Happywork TV Episode 27: Try to Understand the Perspective of Your Employees

Posted on December 24, 2014 // Leave a Comment

BY THE WAY: Why did I call this “Episode 21?”
 
In Episode 27 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in my work code of conduct called “The Happywork Agreement.”

This one is made by employers/managers to their employees. It goes like this: “It may have been a long time since I was last a ‘blue collar’ worker, or perhaps I have never been anything but ‘well off.’ This may cause me and my employees to think we do not have much in common, and in certain instances, this may be so. The entire point of The Happywork Agreement is to foster understanding by at least imagining what it’s like to walk in each other’s shoes, so I will try to do so if you, the employee, will try.”

You can’t truly understand other people until you walk in their shoes. At work, ownership and the rank and file are most often really different kinds of people. Fine champagne and Busch beer mixed together, so to speak. They awkwardly join up at work and try to make a go of it, but they don’t understand each other. Employees really don’t know how hard it to run a company. “Cush jobs” at the top, they think. Far from it! And most of the time, ownership doesn’t really know what workers go through. They lack the perspective to understand their employees, what goes on in their personal lives, what it’s like to juggle tight finances … and that makes me think that they may not be well-suited to construct a workplace that takes the needs of employees into account.

And, when you don’t understand where others are coming from, you’ll often find yourself unnecessarily at odds with them. Not considering the point of view of others, and WHY they have that point of view, has led to some of our planet’s deadliest wars. You can be sure this causes problems at work, too!

Of course, you have the option to ignore the needs of your employees, but that’s just stupid.

Construct a happy workplace by looking at your organization from the point of view of your employees.

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Watch Episode 26 here!

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IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Happywork TV Episode 26: Companies Should Operate in a Family-First Manner

Posted on December 22, 2014 // 1 Comment

 
In Episode 26 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in my work code of conduct called “The Happywork Agreement.”

This one is made jointly by employers and employees. It goes like this: “Vunorri Inc. cannot always operate in a family-first manner, but we are going to try as hard as we can. The world is different now. Dads work in concert with moms to take care of their kids. Not everyone has a robust support network they can rely on. A sick child at home is a problem that a family needs to tend to. An employee’s family is going to be more important to them than the organization is, and I will work hard to remember that. We are not going to go out of business because an employee had to leave work to comfort a puking child. We should be stronger than that.”

The world is changing … slowly, but surely. Here in the United States, I feel like we are ever so slowly starting to realize that work-life balance is a job perk worth searching for (and defending, once you have it).

Here’s what I find hilarious. There are proud, driven, sometimes utterly insane company owners out there who actually take offense when you don’t show as much love for their company as you do your own family. I love entrepreneurs with a dream. I like hard work. I like drive – wish I had more of it sometimes. But if you think I’m going to like your business more than my family, you’re cuckoo.

No, I am not oversimplifying this. Break this down to its essential parts – it’s the moment when your child gets sick. Who can break away from work – you? Or your spouse? (and that’s if you have a spouse). If your spouse has a jerk boss, and you do too, who’s going to risk their job here to go get the puking kid from school? I am angering some of you with this sensational example, but sorry folks. Shit like this happens too often. A “reliable” employee is one that never misses a day and never leaves early? What bullshit.

It’s time to grow up. Let’s again realize that our jobs are important, but they are just one part of our lives. Our jobs need to fit into the positive user experience called our lives. It’s not the other way around.

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Watch Episode 25 here!

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IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Merci!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Happywork TV Episode 25: Leave Politics and Religion Out of the Workplace

Posted on December 20, 2014 // 1 Comment

 
In Episode 25 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in my work code of conduct called “The Happywork Agreement.”

This one is made jointly by employers and employees. It goes like this: “We commit to not get caught up in each other’s politics and religion. It has nothing to do with work (unless we work for a political campaign, a politician, or a religious organization). As individuals, we may have strong convictions, but work is not the place to be politically or religiously expressive. We are going to leave this stuff out of the office environment. And besides, people who cannot see past their own political and religious biases are like robots, and poorly programmed ones at that.”

Much of my work with the book Happywork and the work code of conduct I call The Happywork Agreement dealt with human conflict. Why don’t we like our jobs? One big reason is the people! But why don’t we like those people? One reason is they’re different than us, and they sometimes make it a point to ensure that we know that. Quite simply, a Muslim might not be welcome among Catholics.

The workplace is a funny thing – yes, we do choose our places of work. We’re not conscripted into our jobs. However, for the most part, we don’t get to choose WHO we work with. They’re already there, and we often have no idea who those people are. Besides an extra interview or two, or maybe a whirlwind stroll around the office, you’ve never met your coworkers until day one.

Where does that leave you? Basically, you’ve landed the job (maybe of your dreams), and you’ve thrust yourself into a group of strangers who are not like you. It’s a combustible mix of races, ages, talent and ambition levels, religions, and political beliefs. And I think history has shown that such differences often cause humans to come to blows.

I’ve heard that conflict is good, and necessary. I think the expert who said this meant healthy conflict surrounding the direction of the company. I don’t think she meant, for instance, Republican owners intimidating their employees to vote Republican (yes, this has happened). I don’t think it meant ostracizing the one employee who’s religion is different than yours because he was born far, far away. These seemingly small differences aren’t small at all – they tear nations apart.

All we’re trying to do at work is 1. Do our job, 2. Provide for our families, and 3. Achieve great things. The historically divisive topics of politics and religion have nothing to do with our work, and must be left out of the workplace.

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Watch Episode 24 here!

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IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Merci!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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