Questions & Answers

Communication is the bedrock of an organization, just as it is in personal relationships. Communication takes place. We communicate all the time, whether we intend to or not. Choosing to say nothing and retreating to your office with the door closed and a sign that says “Do not disturb” delivers a message to those around…

Terminating the employment of individuals from time to time is a fundamental Human Resource responsibility. The consequences for people who are terminated may range from disruptive to catastrophic. Therefore, you want to be as compassionate and supportive as possible. On the other hand, employees may feel threatened and react angrily or even aggressively. In addition,…

Above all, be trustworthy. Building trust with your employees and business associates, like establishing trust with family and friends, is a matter of being reliable and dependable all the time. It is hard to repair broken trust. Hemingway said, “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” Leadership…

“If they don’t like it here, let them leave. Good riddance!” (What do you think the costs are of that practice?) The Toll of Turnover. The failure to take steps to retain good employees is expensive.  Estimates range from one half to two times the salary of the employee being replaced.  Costs associated with turnover…

HR compliance begins with an assessment of all HR policies, practices and procedures to determine areas which may be out of compliance.  The assessment may be done in house or with external assistance.  A complete HR  assessment requires working knowledge of employment law, both state and federal. Some of the most important employment laws relate…

Wherever there are people in a relationship, personal or professional, there will be conflict. It is a characteristic of the human condition, People will disagree. You, as a manager, cannot eliminate conflict in the workplace. On the other hand, if constructively managed, differing ideas lead to innovation and invention. It is one of the reasons…

Failure to document performance related issues, or taking an employee action without documentation. Not having a formal compensation plan resulting in: No stated pay philosophy, lack of a standard in establishing pay.  Pay philosophy is most associated with competitive position within the labor market and budget limitations. Different pay philosophies can be established for different…