Let Us All Have PEACE This Season!

There are many ways to spell PEACE this season. I am not referring to the word itself but what PEACE means to you in your work life, personal life, and position you’re in. The key to finding your PEACE is to determine what it looks like to you in every area of life.

Here is one way to spell PEACE this season:

P-Personal Perseverance

Make each interaction an opportunity to learn more about the person. How do they approach things? Are they scattered, do they need tools, assistance, or more time to make the situation their own? Help them and yourself by allowing them to move forward by determination and good old-fashioned hard work. Make the moment personal.

E-Experience

Everyone approaches life from a different experience. Value the differences and learn about each other. By getting to know each other and where someone comes from, you will see what they value may be very different.

A-Attitude of Gratitude

In all things, approach each day with an attitude of gratitude. If you are not grateful for the opportunity before you, it may be taken away. This goes for all areas in life and not just for hourly employees but also for those in authority. We should be grateful for the opportunity to earn a living that is made possible by someone else’s generosity and hard work. Not all businesses are made of money. Many business owners are up to their eyeballs in debt. Their homes and families do without so they can provide an opportunity for you to earn a living.

C-Consistency, Concise, and Controlled

Approach each challenge from your place of PEACE. Control your anger, move past it, and back up from the situation before making critical decisions or making rash statements. Your actions not only affect you but your organization and others along the way. Be consistent in your actions, discipline, and judgment. Be organized and thorough in your communications whenever possible. All these things together will make each interaction easier to navigate for those on the receiving end. To quote the Rolling Stones, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need.” When you don’t know what you need, tell someone what you are going through. We can’t share what we have until we know there is a need to be filled.

E-Express yourself

Express yourself in an appropriate, professional manner in the workplace. This is sometimes hard, especially when everyone is not led down the same path to begin with. Because of the varied environments from inner city to rural America, this duty and responsibility falls on managers, supervisors, and ownership to determine what this looks like. Emulate this behavior and teach people immediately what your company values and what behaviors look like. What does it not look like? Go over the company work ethic you value and what is acceptable conduct.

PEACE Today

Today, we hear that people tend to have no work ethic, but that is not always the case. What has changed? The last two years have changed the mindset of people. What they valued yesterday, they do not value today. Companies need to consider that and see if their practices are too rigid. Are your hiring practices too narrow? Do they truly fit the current positions you have open? Or are you using blanket statements and criteria to eliminate or discourage people who do not “live to work” from applying?

Work ethic is super important to everyone. However, if your new hire or current employee can’t determine what work ethics you value either by observation or education, how can they deliver what you want? Companies should specify what work ethics they value and ensure everyone is on the same page. Reinforce along the way by checking in frequently and letting them know you appreciate their efforts.

What You Can Do

Explain to your employees, managers, and supervisors that all communication is a form of coaching. It is an opportunity to build someone up and follow up to help them be the best they can be. Daily interactions are subtle and may not be viewed as anything more than ‘chit-chat’ by someone who does not understand. If this is how your Company does things, let them know. It should not be the ‘best-kept secret.’

Better job performance is not only to be sought from the lowest grunt workers. It begins at all levels, especially managers and supervisors. Documentation of employee issues seems to be an area that no one likes or wants to do, but it doesn’t have to have a cumbersome paper trail. These things can be captured by an electronic trail as well. However, it does require mindfulness, determination, and taking action.

C.Y.A. does not mean what it used to mean; it means ‘Cover Your Assets’ from risk and liability. If you do not DOCUMENT an action, it DID NOT HAPPEN! Period. Documenting it after the fact is fine as long as you don’t wait years to deal with the documentation. Our memories play crazy tricks on us, and what we remember from a conversation or interaction gets distorted and degrades with time. Even waiting a half hour can result in a degrading and distortion of the factual account of things. The best way to keep the information intact is to make notes immediately until you can collect your thoughts and organize them in chronological order.

How We Can Help

So how in the world is anyone expected to create PEACE from CHAOS? At My HR Professionals, we have many solutions for that. Properly developed Employee Handbooks can provide your employees, managers, and supervisors’ guidance to deliver what you want. Consulting Services targeting Employee Orientation will help you determine the pieces missing from management and supervisory training. Job Descriptions can be developed to capture the true job duties and responsibilities so that everyone executing the same job is on the same page. Consulting on employee issues can provide the information, overview, and 360-degree review of State and Federal laws that will assist you in making decisions about disciplinary actions and terminations with confidence. We can also provide options and guidance so you can navigate tricky situations with ease and provide more in-depth, customized support needed upon request.

It has been a pleasure being of service to you in 2021! We’re looking forward to a Happy and Prosperous New Year for all through PEACE.