I have heard a lot of talk about how grumpy people seem to be at work this holiday season.  I do not necessarily think that is an unusual observation.  Each year, the day after Thanksgiving begins an influx of stress as we enter the holiday season, regardless of what you celebrate.  Gifts to buy, lines to wait in, food to make, parties to attend and relatives to avoid…on top of all of the end of the year deadlines to meet at work.  Think Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

The complaints that I have heard most recently relate to regulations that are communicated within organizations around the holidays regarding “proper” conduct.  Most often the regulations include comments about holiday décor, inter-office parties, gift exchanges, etc.  Rightfully so, there is a big focus on diversity.  In my opinion I believe the grumpiness may be a reaction to how the official “regulations” are communicated within an organization rather than that they have been developed.

I believe most people understand the importance of respecting diversity during this time of year.  However, if the regulations on “proper” conduct are communicated in a negative manner or in response to someone being offended then there is a guarantee that they will ruffle some feathers. 

I recently talked with a colleague who works in the public sector about a specific regulation that was released just as holiday decorations were being hung throughout the office.  Depending on how much time an individual spends with the public (employees), the individual is held to different standards than all others.  The idea seems to stem from the fact that due to the high degree of public relations involved with a position the individual is responsible for ensuring that any holiday decorations within their personal office do not reference a specific religious holiday.  In some cases I have even heard of not referencing any specific holiday in general, non-religious Christmas for example.  In this case hanging up a wreath or snow flakes is acceptable.  A tree however, not so much.

I understand people have varying religious belief and that we should be respectful in these types of situations.  Nevertheless, it bugs me when organizations get extremely “nit picky” when it comes to the holidays.  I am not a religious person but I have been offended in years past by the way organizations have dealt with the holidays.  This is supposed to be a joyous time for all – not a reminder that we are just cogs in a machine.

What do you think?  How does your organization handle the holidays?  Are they flexible or do they follow strict protocol?

HR vs IT

Steve Boese led a very interesting topic of discussion at HRevolution.  His talk revolved around the processes of integrating technology into business, specifically human resources.  A resident expert on the subject, Steve is a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology where he spreads the gospel of all things holy technology.  He also writes a great blog:  Steve Boese’s HR Technology.

After Steve’s session we had a sidebar discussion relating to interactions among technical employees and human resource employees in addition to the paranoia of technology.  The most obvious issues identified dealt with the huge communication barrier between these two groups, especially when focused on a project.

Where do the problems lie?  In a lot of cases I believe the problems begin with the identification of candidates for a project team.  Just because an individual may be extremely proficient in the technical aspects of their job does not mean they will be able to communicate.  Same goes for the human resources side.  Not all human resource professionals are able to communicate effectively.  Without identifying key components of communication abilities in one’s personality you set yourself up for failure.  Once you have your team in place, if you do not recognize any inconsistencies in the understanding of the scope and intent of the project from any team members, fail again.

Where do you begin?  Do you train a “techy” on human resource concepts so they understand your view point and overall intent of a process or project?  Or, do you attempt to teach an HR professional how to program?

In my opinion, I believe the most beneficial scenario would be a little of both.  Identify an employee/team member who is technically adept and has a good foundation in human resources.  They do not need to know how to physically program but by understanding the language and procedures, they have a better chance to encourage effective communication.  They can be your liaison between the two groups.  The idea is to find individuals who are able to transcend the stereotypical behaviors of “techies” and human resource professionals.

What do you think?  What is the best way for human resource departments to acquire the technical skills to make us effective?  Train existing HR professionals on the technologies or bring in more technically skilled workers in to HR?

Honestly, I’m not sure if I remember what my life was like before my iPhone or if I even want to.  I have access to maps, internet search engines, social networks, and a variety of applications to fulfill almost every want, need, and desire.  A recent study by Ball State and the Institute for Mobile Media Research found that college students are the fastest growing smart phone market segment.  Not surprisingly students are using these powerful mini-computers for both their personal and academic needs.  While I’m far from being a college student, these smart phones like the iPhone have made connecting, managing work and family, and networking even easier.

The ability of smartphones to link users to popular social networking sites may be another major reason college students are buying the devices in large numbers.   The survey found that about 65 percent of respondents use their smartphones to access social networking sites.  Oddly enough, the fastest growing age segment on Facebook is not college students at all. InsideFaceBook.com reports that while Facebook is still the fastest growing social media platform in the United States, almost half (50%) of U.S. Facebook users are older than 35, and nearly one-fifth top 45.

So when and how are these experienced business professionals accessing these sites?  Well, it is certainly not from their work PC.  A recent survey commissioned by Robert Half found that over fifty percent of workplaces in the United States block these social networking websites while another 19% only permit their employees to visit social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Ning sites, and Myspace but only for business purposes.  And with more than 3 out of 4 people owning cell phones, chances are these experienced professionals are surfing their favorite social network and catching up but not from their work computer.  Your star professionals are accessing blocked websites from their smartphone computer without restriction or monitoring.

Lost Productivity. Decision makers develop a social media and internet policy and disallow workers from viewing risky content and non-business related social media platforms.  Employees work hard to stay informed on the dos and don’ts around the office and use smartphones as a way to work around.  Nucleus Research reports that banning Facebook costs businesses 1.5% of lost productivity in the workplace.  Don’t even get me started on the number of hours wasted by decision makers and HR professionals who sit in committee meetings discussing what sites to include, not to include, and verbiage of their internet and social media policy.

Proxies. These are sneaky little ways to get around blocked websites.  Google boasts almost 7 million websites that list the word proxy.  For as little as $9.95 a month (and sometimes even free), job seekers can purchase proxy access to access company restricted websites through a proxy website.  Don’t believe me, look at the Google search results for yourself.  Not sure if your IT guy is up to snuff?  Ask him his opinions about proxies.

A Relevant Business Need. If more than half of the U.S. users on Facebook are of the age 35 or older, chances are these professionals are using the site for legitimate business purposes.  I often use my Facebook network as a way to give me a quick answer to a question almost like my online Phone-a-Friend option for everything from sales leads, to phone numbers, to the latest basketball scores because my morale is directly tied to my productivity in the office.

Stay Current. With market trends, business news, and just information in general.  Several years ago I learned about a large layoff that was occurring via an email before the layoff was announced to the public.  This email was sent to my personal email account which I had access to on my smart phone.  My team and I were able to react quickly and before our competition.  Situations like these have happened more than once.  Do you want your team to miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity for your business?