Just Pay the Man…

Many people — mostly consultants, I know — make incentive-based compensation planning complex and overly difficult to create, implement, and manage. It simply does not need to be that way…

Understanding incentive compensation is simple, and is largely human nature. Just realize the following:

1. That which is rewarded is repeated,

2. You don’t get what you want, hope for, manage to, or request — you get what you pay for (as a tenet of compensation, not necessarily a life philosophy), and

3. Simplicity wins.  (more…)

Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign…

I frequently am asked about an employee’s refusal to sign some document: a written warning, a performance review, a job description, etc. 

What to do? What do you do when the employee looks you squarely in the eye and says “no,” when asked/directed to sign?

Many will advise to simply have another manager ‘witness’ the event or document, and sign as a witness. Others will say that signing is just not that big of a deal in the first place.

Well, it is and it isn’t.

(more…)

Customers DO Matter…!

So, last night, I took my wife and daughter to Gratzi’s italian restaurant in Spring, Texas.

Now, some of you may know… I decided late last year to finally get my physical fitness under control. What that means to me (30lbs. since November 15, thanks), is just be realistic. I exercise, reduce my portion size, don’t do anything colossally stupid, and I never withhold something I really crave.

Well, this night, I wasn’t particularly ‘craving’ anything, and didn’t want to do anything ‘colossally stupid,’ but I just couldn’t find a good way to do that. I mentioned that to our server, who promptly brought out the chef to discuss.

(more…)

HR & Ethics — Marriage or Mismatch?

Someone asked me recently if (a) the ethics in human resources are becoming suspect, and (b) if ethics can really be taught to anyone.

My first reaction, of course, was to nearly scoff at the “ethics” question, thinking that frequently, our profession may even OVER-think the ethics component in an otherwise common-sense situation.

Then, I gave it some more thought… (more…)

Let’s Benchmark!

I have a better idea… Let’s not.

Personally, I think “benchmarking,” much like its sister phrase, “best practices,” means “waste of time.” Time better spent analyzing and improving your internal processes.

Benchmarking is supposed to mean looking inside other organizations, and comparing their results, methodology and metrics of a practice or process with your own. Supposedly, this has some meaning to us, and we can use that to adjust and improve our own processes and practices.

(more…)

At C-Level Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive our newsletter jam-packed with info, leadership tips, and fun musings.

You have successfully subscribed!