Why We Have So Many Problem People At Work
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Writen by Rick Weaver
Each day when I walked through the front door, I immediately looked to see where Yvonne was. As soon as I made eye contact I would shout out, "Good morning, Yvonne!" Then I would quickly run in the opposite direction.
Yvonne was the type of employee that co-workers would ask, "what time are you going to lunch?" just so they could request a different lunch hour. Nobody from her department wanted to be around her. Even employees from other departments would clear the way when Yvonne was in the area.
Yvonne's reputation was kept a secret from me when I first took over as the new manager of the discount store outside of Cleveland. The secret did not take long to reveal itself. With every project our department took, Yvonne would offer a countering opinion as to how it should be done or as to why whatever was suggested would end in failure. She constantly criticized others, expressed disgust, and would do what she wanted regardless of company vision or team needs.
Her bitterness and anger grew during the first few months I was at the store, eventually leading to the point she began calling our regional office to let them know how poorly the store was being managed. The Regional Human Resources Manager would listen to her at first, but by the fourth or fifth call he could take no more. One day, after talking with Yvonne, he immediately called Greg, the District Manager, with the message that he was never to hear from Yvonne again. He added that Greg could not fire her or seek retribution in any way.
The new Yvonne
When Greg arrived at my store, he had a brief fact-finding discussion with me before calling Yvonne into the office. I am not sure what happened in their discussion, but the two people that entered the office were not the same two people that emerged from the office an hour later. Greg appeared with the demeanor of one who had discovered a hidden talent. The old Yvonne never came out of the office.
Yes, you read it correctly the old Yvonne never came out of the office! Instead, a new employee had taken over Yvonne's body. This new employee would reveal herself over the next weeks and months to be the person that could be counted on to encourage others. People started asking Yvonne which lunch hour she was taking, then they would ask for the same lunch period so they could join her.
Each morning when I walked through the front door, I immediately looked to see where Yvonne was. As soon as I made eye contact I would shout out, "Good morning, Yvonne!" Then I would quickly run to her and ask how her day was going.
Lessons from Yvonne
Yvonne had transformed from the person everybody ran FROM to the person that everybody would run TO! The immediacy of the transition was amazing. How did it happen that an employee had undergone a 180o change overnight?
Greg discovered that several years prior, Yvonne had been told she could someday become the department manager if she worked hard enough and proved herself. She fulfilled her part by becoming a very hard worker, but the current manager had no plans to retire or transfer. Yvonne set her sites on new stores opening in the area, but she was never approached to manage one. Her demeanor slowly began to change. She needed a new strategy. She decided to prove herself by showing she knew better than anyone else how to do things. This led to her bitterness and rage. It was not until the "transformation" interview with Greg that she was told management requirements had changed. She was no longer eligible for a manager's position because she did not meet the new requirements.
Why do we have so many problem employees?
Problem people can only survive in a culture where manipulators, liars, oddballs, and others are permitted to exist. In virtually all these corporate cultures the problem people are not only tolerated, they are actually rewarded for their difficult behaviors. With Yvonne, we had created her problem performance by giving her a promise only to silently renege. We had created a "Dissenter", someone who dissents in every decision because they want to prove they have better ideas or protect themselves should an idea not work. Even if the idea they dissented works, they can claim it only worked because their dissention surfaced shortcomings in the idea.
In retrospect, we realized we had actually been fueling Yvonne's behavior by rewarding her for it. When there was an unpopular task that had to be done, we would bypass Yvonne because we did not want the confrontation. If she reported late or took a long break, we said nothing because we did not want the confrontation. If she decided she wanted a vacation when we were already shorthanded or busy, she got it because it was not worth fighting about. Yet when it was time for raises, she got the same raise as the people that were working smarter, harder, and faster. I have witnessed this same type of treatment of problem employees at company after company.
Why terminating problem employees does not work
Some think the most effective way to deal with a problem employee is to follow the process required to terminate them. However, this method has a high failure rate and is very costly. Here are just some of the reasons:
Root causes are not eliminated. When we take the approach of eliminating the employee we are only addressing cultural symptoms or compensating for poor leadership skills. The culture that allowed the employee to be a problem must also be examined and corrected. Failure to do so will breed more problem employees.
The expense is staggering. Turnover of any employee is very costly. The Missouri Employment Development Center estimates that at minimum wage, it costs $3,750 to replace an existing employee. When working with higher paid employees, the costs go up dramatically. Bliss and Associates estimates the actual cost of replacing a worker is 150% to 200% of their annual salary.
Morale deflates. During the period required to document the problem behavior, the difficult employee has the power to enlist sympathetic coworkers to their cause. This results in immeasurable lost productivity.
Inadequate new employee selection. Many times an organization thinks that by replacing an underperforming employee that will solve their human resources shortcomings. The company will bring in two or three candidates and use a multi-step interview process to select the best one. Unfortunately, the interviewers will overlook the candidate's inferiorities, concentrating on the deficiencies of the terminated employee. For example: let's say we terminated an employee for excessive absenteeism. When the new candidates are interviewed, screeners will subconsciously place too much emphasis on the candidate's past attendance records, missing other aspects such as integrity, work ethic, and reliability. Those character traits cannot be determined conversationally, they can only be identified using scientifically developed and validated assessments.
Five Basic Rules for "Fixing" Problem Employees
The good news is that problem employees can be "fixed". Here are five simple rules for "fixing" problem employees.
Employees will not change, but they will grasp a new vision. Although Yvonne's transformation was extremely dramatic, it is unusual. Yet it proves that true change is possible once we realize it isn't about changing an employee it is about understanding an employee. Yvonne was not "fixed" until Greg helped her capture a vision of a better working relationship.
Everybody wants to do a great job. People want to look in the mirror at night and be able to say, "I was a success today!" They want their friends and relatives to be proud of them and their success. The problem is many people have been disillusioned by life's experiences. The successful manager needs to identify the employee's motivators in order to return them to the attitude of daily success.
Everybody is loved by somebody. No matter how difficult it is to deal with problem employees, it still needs to be done. The secret lies in realizing that everybody has a lovable quality. Identify this quality, or cultivate a desire to seek it, and you will do well in helping the problem employee.
Well-defined boundaries prevent wars. Just as well-defined national borders prevent wars, well-defined workplace boundaries slow the development of problem employees. Non-negotiable boundaries need to be clearly set and fairly enforced, problem employees can be contained.
The Lone Ranger never rode alone. Tonto was the Lone Ranger's faithful companion, ready to help the other in time of need. The effective manager needs to recognize that sometimes they need to have a "Tonto" at their side. Virtually all great leaders have sought out a coach or mentor.
Lesson learned
A couple of years after I left the store, it was discovered that Yvonne had cancer. Unlike the cancer of problem behavior, this cancer could not be addressed through conversation and understanding. Her health caused her to retire and leave the wealth of friends she had made. Her retirement party was a special event as customers, co-workers in her department, and others from other departments came together to wish her well.
Memories of the "old" Yvonne had long since vanished, buried by her positive attitude, willingness to help others, and genuine concern for helping others. Yvonne, once a problem employee, had become the department's biggest asset.
In my career I have met many people like Yvonne. Each one could be "fixed". It is only a matter of wanting to "fix" them more than wanting to replace them. It requires the ability to see beyond the present behavior into the heart of a human being.
Rick Weaver is President of Max Impact, a national leadership and organization development company based in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Rick is an accomplished business executive with experience in retail, market analysis, supply chain and project management, team building, and process improvement. He has worked with hundreds of companies to improve sales, processes, and bottom-line results. MaxImpact offers leadership and organizational development services along with employee assessments and background checks. Contact Rick at 248-802-6138 or via email, rick@getmaximpact.com. MaxImpact is on the web at http://www.getmaximpact.com. |
posted by Alexis WATERS @ 10:00 PM,
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Medical Billing Gu0 Record Fields 31 Through 37
Monday, March 2, 2009
Writen by Michael Russell
In our previous installment of medical billing, focusing on electronic transmission of claims and the GU0 record, we began our journey into the fields of the GU0 record that need a road map, a degree in advanced mapping and a lot of patience just to understand. In this installment, we pick up our review of the GU0 record with field number 31.
GU0 field 31, position 117, is Reply ALN L01 N06. This is the response to the sixth question on any DMERC certification requiring a one position response. The forms supported are 01, 02, 04 and 07 for responses Y, N or D. For form 10, the valid response is either Y or N. Forms 03 and 09 are reserved for future use. The valid responses for form 06 are 1, 2 or 3. These forms also cover generic CMNs, motorized wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs and osteogenesis stimulators.
GU0 field 32, position 118, is Reply ALN L01 N07. This is the response to the seventh question on any DMERC certification requiring a one position response. The forms supported are 01, 02, 06 and 07 for responses Y, N or D. Forms 03 and 10 are reserved for future use. These forms cover all generic CMNs.
GU0 field 33, position 119, is Reply ALN L01 N08. This is the response to the eighth question on any DMERC certification requiring a one position response. The forms supported are 07 for responses Y, N or D, 06 for responses 2 and 4, 10 for responses 1, 2 or 3 and 01 and 03 are reserved for future use. These forms cover all generic CMNs.
GU0 field 34, position 120, is Reply ALN L01 N09. This is the response to the ninth question on any DMERC certification requiring a one position response. The forms supported are 10 for responses Y, N or D, with 01, 03 and 07 all reserved for future use. This field is only for form 10.02 question 14.
GU0 field 35, position 121, is Reply ALN L01 N10. This is the response to the tenth question on any DMERC certification requiring a one position response. All of the DMERC forms for this field are reserved for future use, meaning at this present time, this field is not used.
GU0 field 36, position 122, is Reply ALN L01 N11. This is the response to the eleventh question on any DMERC certification requiring a one position response. The form supported is 01 for responses Y, N or D. Forms 03 and 07 are reserved for future use. This field covers all generic CMNs.
GU0 field 37, position 123, is Reply ALN L01 N12. This is the response to the twelfth question on any DMERC certification requiring a one position response. The forms supported are 01, 03 and 07 for responses Y, N or D. This field covers all generic CMNs.
In our next installment of medical billing and the electronic transmission of claims using NSF 3.01 specifications, we'll be continuing with our review of the GU0 record, picking up with field number 38.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Medical Billing |
posted by Alexis WATERS @ 10:00 PM,
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How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Writen by Jennifer Stewart
A few years back, there was a musical and then a movie called, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." It was, of course, fiction, because to succeed in business, or anything else for that matter, you do have to try.
You have to try, you have to plan and you have to work. But when you're doing it for yourself, it's more like fun than work. Ask anyone who has built a successful business and you'll hear the same response, "I do it because I love it!" The money, the prestige, the material trappings are bonuses.
All the experts agree that to succeed on the Web there are three key areas you have to address:
A PRODUCT
You need a product that people want, that people need and that exceeds their expectations.
A SITE
You need a site that tells customers what they want to hear, not what you want them to know.
TARGETED TRAFFIC
You need to attract those visitors who want your product.
Let's take a quick look to see how you can develop (or acquire) a product that meets the needs of a significant market; build a site that helps visitors decide they must have your product and then attract hordes of potential customers who are begging you to take their money!
WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT?
Surveys of online behaviour have consistently shown that the ten most popular activities on the Web are (in order):
* searching for information on the search engines
* reading news and sport
* finding work
* learning something new
* downloading software
* finding out about travel
* chatting
* investing and making money
* playing games
* shopping
These same surveys have also revealed that the most bought products are hardware and software, books and magazines, travel, music, and investment choices (i.e. advice and information).
When asked why they shopped online, customers cited the following:
* convenience
* no pressure from sales representatives
* quick
* ease of access to information
* availability of reviews of products and recommendations.
HOW DOES THIS HELP?
Armed with this knowledge, you can now look for a product that you know people want ... and what do they want more than anything else?
Information!
People want to find out how to build a website, a boat, a doll's house; they want to know how to make candles from beeswax, how to fix their lawn mower, how to buy a diamond. They're interested in knowing how to tell a fake piece of art from the real thing, what to look for when buying a used car and how far it is to the moon.
In other words, no matter what you know, you can guarantee that someone, somewhere would love to learn from you.
Information sells on the Web and there are some excellent books and programs that will help you unlock your knowledge and make it accessible to others.
WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE?
Look back at the five reasons why people buy online, then make sure your site offers each.
Convenience: that means your site must be easy to navigate -- most good programs have something similar to the Shared Borders feature in FrontPage to allow you to have the same nav bars on every page. Don't change the order of links, this just confuses your visitors and makes them angry.
If your visitors have arrived at your page from a link that promises them a free report on What to See in Kakadu National Park, make sure the report is there. Don't make them click on three more links to find it and don't make them search up and down your page to find the link -- use a bookmark to send them directly to the spot.
No Pressure: we all know how annoying it is to be pestered by an over-eager sales rep when we're still "just looking;" his/her counterpart on the Web is the pop-up window that demands we subscribe to a newsletter, download a trial program, visit another site etc etc.
Forms that require in-depth information about our income, address, occupation and so on also fall into this category. If you're offering a free report, newsletter subscription etc, all you need is an email address and possibly the person's name. Once you have these, you can build up a rapport over time and then request more details if absolutely necessary.
Quick: the great thing about shopping online is that you don't have to waste time travelling to the shops, finding a parking spot and standing in lines. It's a time saver.
So make sure your page loads quickly -- there are numerous articles which outline the do's and don'ts of web page design.
Ease of access to information: the Internet allows you to put up unlimited information about your product, so make sure you have enough to cater for all interest levels. Some would-be buyers just want to know how big and how much; others will want to know all the specifications; have this information available.
Put the basic details on the main page with links to the extra information (include photos, diagrams etc) whatever is appropriate for your particular product.
Include a Frequently Asked Questions page, where you can give answers to all those typical questions people ask and satisfy your customer's concerns immediately.
Reviews and recommendations: everyone feels more comfortable about buying something that's been recommended, so include a page of testimonials from real past customers (include full names, company names, location etc). You can include links to that past customer's website if you wish but don't include email addresses.
If your product has been reviewed by an independent person, include the comments because this adds a great deal of credibility to your product.
Have short extracts to each of these on your main page, with links to the full review or testimonial.
Building a site like this will help your business succeed; the third area involves attracting targeted buyers to your site once you've built it and one of the best ways to do this is through listing with the search engines.
Jennifer Stewart is a professional writer who offers copy writing, proof reading and editing services for businesses and individuals. She has undertaken a variety of assignments - writing articles for ezines and the print media; preparing award submissions for business clients; copy writing and proof reading works of non-fiction; editing web pages and ebooks, and much more. Get help with your writing here: http://www.write101.com and subscribe to FREE, weekly Writing Tips to improve your writing: mailto:WritingTips-subscribe@yahoogroups.com |
posted by Alexis WATERS @ 10:00 PM,
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