When to Bypass an Inefficient Boss

Chain of command exists in most organizations to ensure accurate communication, proper allocation of time, and orderly business operations. The entire business can crumble when the chain of command is broken.

Ideally, everyone from the top down will adhere to the designated chain of command. However, there are instances when individuals will bypass the chain of command and initiate communications with people above or below them.

In recent years, the chain of command has been challenged by Tesla CEO Elon Musk who sent an e-mail to his workers. His email is as follows:

“There are two schools of thought about how information should flow. By far the most common way is chain of command, which means that you always flow communication through your manager. The problem with this approach is that, while it enhances the power of the manager, it fails to serve the company.

…Anyone at Tesla can and should email/talk to anyone else according to what they think is the fastest way to solve a problem for the benefit of the whole company. You can talk to your manager’s manager without his permission, you can talk directly to a VP in another dept, you can talk to me, you can talk to anyone without anyone else’s permission. Moreover, you should consider yourself obligated to do so until the right thing happens.”

This email challenges traditional organizations that rely on the chain of command to process information efficiently. Furthermore, it allows flexibility and creativity to flow, which intends to arrive at the best solution to the problem.

When there is a need to bypass your (inefficient) boss, here are some steps you may take:

#1: TALK TO YOUR BOSS

Give your immediate supervisor the opportunity to address your workplace concerns or issues before talking to the upper management. Your supervisor will appreciate the professional courtesy, which can help build a cohesive team. Ensure that all communication will be in the form of email or memo so that you can both be acknowledged and protected.

#2: DISCUSS POSSIBLE WORKPLACE ISSUES DURING ONBOARDING

During the onboarding process and periodically thereafter, you can discuss the workplace issues and concerns to the Human Resources Department and your immediate supervisor. This will help address the situation/s at hand.

#3: BROADEN YOUR NETWORK

Broaden your strategic alliances by seeking out the help of the organization’s “movers and shakers”. Shared collaborations can exist between you and them.

#4: BE MORE VISIBLE

Make an effort to get noticed in your organization. For instance, you may sign up for your office’s speaking engagements. Doing this will help create a raised profile for yourself, which can influence your credibility once there is a need to communicate a serious matter.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

If your boss is holding you back at work and is dominating your every move, you would want to speak up. Some bosses are ego-driven and like nothing better than to see their employees take the back seat to relish the rewards of other people’s achievements. However, taking the issue to the upper management can be considered as bypassing your boss.

Breaking the chain of command can create confusion, conflict, and chaos. Remember to handle everything respectfully and professionally to ensure that you are doing what is best for you and the company.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

Read More...

Sad to Return to Work? Toxic Positivity Says You Need to Feel Blessed!

The longer our time off work is, the more common it is to feel upset about returning. As we return to work after the long Yuletide season, our routine will start to change. Humans experience the most comfort with what is known and a routine of being at home or being away from work becomes our normal. Feeling nervous or discontent about returning to work after a break of one week or more is not necessarily concerning! It is more likely human nature.

As you enter the halls of your office, a co-worker may tell you to “bring good vibes only” or “feel blessed that you have work”. It is upsetting to hear that “be positive” remark when you know that you are having a difficult day. You are in the presence of toxic positivity at work. Toxic positivity comes when you are actively minimizing or invalidating negative emotions.

A study showed that more than 75% of respondents in a survey by Science of People said they “sometimes, often, or very often ignore their emotions in favor of being happy.” An example of toxic positivity in the workplace is being told that you need to “look at the brighter side” or to “just stay positive” despite not getting the promotion that you worked hard for. Have you experienced these? Does your workplace value positivity to the extent that it turns toxic?

Toxic positivity at its worst can negatively impact engagement and productivity, diminish trust, and damage company culture.

#1: INCREASED BURNOUT

Toxic positive increases burnout, which is exacerbated by emotional labor. Emotional labor occurs when you are feeling obligated to express an emotion that you are not actually feeling.

#2: LOSS OF TRUST

Invalidating the emotions of the employees or minimizing their prowess can cause loss of trust and create an avoidant work culture.

#3: BLOCKED MINDFULNESS

When you cannot even name what is happening to you, you cannot start the process of analyzation. You will not be able to process your emotions. It not only affects your mental health, but also your overall well-being. Toxic positivity blocks mindfulness, because you cannot accept what is happening in the present.

#4: UNSAFE SPACE

If you do not feel comfortable telling each other your feelings when something is not functioning properly, you may not feel that the space is safe. Is it time to turn the culture upside down to create a new level of emotional openness?

#5: UNQUESTIONABLE TOXIC POSITIVITY

Organizations should ask themselves the following queries to identify if toxic positivity is present:
a. Are employees allowed to change or challenge the culture?

b. Are employees allowed to express concerns or reservations during meetings?

c. Is this team allowed to play the role of devil’s advocate?

d. Are your employees expected to say yes or to agree all the time?

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Optimism is healthy. However, you need to ensure you are not being positive at the expense of the truth. Leaders should encourage openness and honesty at work. Employees will follow soon. Practice emotion-sharing exercises at meetings to foster more understanding and ignite cohesion between co-workers!

Sources: 1 & 2

Read More...

Top Career Tips I Learned from Emily in Paris

After landing her dream job in Paris, American marketing executive Emily Cooper embraces her unpredictable new life while juggling work and romance. Its third season premiered last December 22, 2022, with Lily Collins as its Netflix Series lead.

Emily goes through many workplace challenges and is confronted with cultural differences as she navigates in the French work environment. Although some of her choices are questionable, here are some of the top career lessons I learned from Emily in
Paris.

#1: SPEAK UP

If you need to share your ideas, speak up! Do not wait for the opportunity to knock. When Emily did not agree with the sexist De L’Heure campaign, she took the initiative to share her thoughts to Mr. Antoine Lambert. People appreciate employees who are proactive and professional. Proactive employees think ahead and get ahead!

#2: THINK DIFFERENTLY

Being a person who thinks outside of the box is important in any line of work. For Emily, she impresses the head of a leading cosmetic brand with her unique Instagram posts. Applying creativity in your projects allows you to grow and to lead with futuristic lenses.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

#3: NEVER GIVE UP

Emily’s perseverance and tenacity is an inspiration. She faces many situations and keeps pushing for what she wants. Her positive attitude wins her clients in the end. Although you cannot be positive in every situation, it helps to reframe your perspective to win over your clients. Connect with your potential clients and have them sign on board by not quitting the game.

Image Credits: facebook.com/Emilyinparistv

#4: ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

Emily once booked for the wrong date and immediately thought of a solution to fix the situation. She said: “the good news and the better news – we are booked in with an up-and-coming chef tonight and we are all coming back here for the Zimmer launch together next year!” She handled the situation well.

Attitude can affect the way you overcome the toughest situations. In a world where things seem impossible, Emily makes it possible!

#5: TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

Emily constantly reminds her boss Sylvie that they need to work well together to succeed. In one episode, Sylvie even corrects Emily and tells her that the French word for team is équipe, which does not have an “I” in it. However, Emily proves to Sylvie just how important it is to work as a team. Use the strengths of your co-workers as leverage to succeed together.

Image Credits: facebook.com/Emilyinparistv

#6: HAVE A GROWTH MINDSET

Emily embraces every opportunity thrown at her. She jumped on a chance to work in Paris, for starters! She actively seeks out increased responsibility and continues to say yes to challenging opportunities. You can incorporate the growth mindset into your own careers too. Let me end with a quote that champions the growth mindset.

“Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset (those who believe their talents are innate gifts).”

– Mindset Author Carol Dweck

Sources: 1 & 2

 

Read More...

5 Ways to Cut Down the Hiring Process Costs

With 2022 coming to a close, many employees will be making the most of the opportunity to reflect upon their careers. January presents a fresh start, with endless career opportunities and renewed optimism. It is the perfect time to hire fresh staff for your team, isn’t it?

Before you begin hiring new employees, you need to fully audit your own recruitment process. Identifying potential savings is a fantastic way to keep your recruitment fit for purpose. On that note, here are five ways to save money and time when it comes to the hiring process.

#1: PLAN AHEAD

You need to have a different game plan than your competitors. Companies that hire in January need to be competitive with their job offers and move fast to get a shot at securing their preferred candidates. It all starts with Human Resource planning.

What are you looking for? The company must then compare their needs to the expected number of qualified candidates in the labor market.

#2: HIGHLIGHT YOUR HIRING PROCESS COSTS

Costs have indirect and direct links. It is important for you to identify both. The direct costs of the hiring process include referral fees, external assessments, background checks, agency fees, LinkedIn Premium or Recruiter accounts, onboarding, training, and creation of contracts.

For indirect costs, it includes candidate dropouts, poor hires, poor team morale, and time away from work. Slow assessment periods or delayed offers can generate hidden costs too!

#3: KNOW YOUR BEST ACQUISITION CHANNELS

In specialist markets, it is likely that you will have to invest in paid job advertisements. Many employers invest in LinkedIn, Jobstreet, Indeed, and Facebook to promote jobs. It is hard to resist the temptation to make sure every single potential candidate sees your opportunity.

Look closely at your advertising channels and create a comprehensive list of all these. Make sure to sort and manage your channels by estimated total cost per year, current usage, and payment models. You will be able to predict your top performing acquisition channels upon assessment of this list. Junk the unnecessary!

#4: AUTOMATE MANUAL TASKS

If you can save time and money by automating manual tasks, do so. Time lost at any stage of the hiring process quickly dominoes resulting in the lengthy time-to-hires and lost candidates.

Here are the manual tasks that can be automated or templated:

a. Application alerts
b. Responses to candidate applications
c. Disqualification emails
d. Getting candidate contact details from CV
e. Creating recruitment related tasks in your project management tool
f. Adding candidates to mailing lists
g. Sending assessments to candidates
h. Sharing candidate history and CV with hiring managers
i. Booking time in hiring managers’ schedules
j. Booking interview times with candidates

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Automating tasks will keep your hiring process more efficient.

#5: EMBRACE COLLABORATIVE HIRING

As organizations grow, the communication lines between recruiters and hiring managers often become more distant and weaker. Combat this by using collaborative hiring. Collaborative hiring happens when you engage more employees in the hiring process.

More employees beyond the recruiter or hiring manager give the candidate a more cohesive vision of what it would be like to work in your organization. Additionally, you will get more feedback on the candidate. Included other employees in the interview, introduction, and assessment phases.

Source: 1

Read More...

How to Handle Dishonest Employees

It is challenging to maintain a perfect record of accomplishment of hiring the right people. Occasionally, a bad apple slips into the basket. You can end up with an unpleasant employee in your team. Whether this employee is difficult to work with or is dishonest, having this type of an employee is any employer’s worst nightmare.

The simple answer to how to handle dishonest employees is to get rid of him or her. However, you have to resolve matters following the established rules and principles.

#1: GET UNQUESTIONABLE PROOF OF THE DISHONEST BEHAVIOR

If you are someone mediating a case of dishonesty, your first step is being absolutely certain that the act took place. You should look for evidence while using legal methods and fully respecting privacy laws. Another employee’s words are not strong enough evidence to conclude that you are dealing with a case of dishonesty. You need to cover all the bases.

#2: BE DATA-DRIVEN

It is easier to detect dishonest and corrupt behavior when everything is measured and tracked. Expenses need to be closely tracked. Accountability can also be put in writing such as having an Equipment Accountability Form. Apart from receipts and expense sheets, you can perform a background check on the employee in question.

You need to find out if the employee in question has a history of dishonest behavior or if this instance is an isolated case. You can contact any of his or her former employers to get a wider perspective.

#3: ASSESS THE IMPACT IT HAS ON YOUR ORGANIZATION

After examining the facts and realizing that you are dealing with dishonest behavior from an employee, the next step is to evaluate what the consequences are for the company. Realistically, evaluating the potential impact of this situation can help you make a plan on how to handle it appropriately.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

#4: DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH THE EMPLOYEE

Once you are certain that dishonest behavior took place and you have investigated the impact it can have on the organization, you need to openly discuss the matter with the employee in question. Such a discussion can reveal the motives behind the employee’s behavior and even resolve the entire issue in situations when the damage was minimal.

#5: SET CLEAR CONSEQUENCES FOR THE DISHONEST BEHAVIOR

Set clear consequences for the dishonest actions, starting from a probation period up to termination. Knowing there are clear and well-defined consequences can help you take action and move ahead. I am not saying that it is easy to do, but it is a crucial step to making things right.

#6: ENCOURAGE OPEN FEEDBACK AND TRANSPARENCY

Build a culture that encourages transparency and openness. Workplace transparency is open communication between leaders and employees. Leaders shall commit to openly sharing expectations, mistakes, setbacks, feedback, revenue, and other metrics.

If a team member thinks something seems out of the ordinary or something seems off, he or she should bring it up and comfortably escalate the matter to the manager.  Leaders can lead by example through giving constant feedback or constructive criticisms. 

Sources: 1 & 2

Read More...