Hi Friends,
Share your ideas on what best we (company HR or outside HR consultants) can do in an organisation when we see there is a lot of
1. Bad behaviour amongst employees
2. Back bitching
3. Spreading negativity
4. Loading all negative inputs to the new commers.
5. Gossiping.
In such a senario how and what and HR or an outside consultant shout do????
From India, Lucknow
Share your ideas on what best we (company HR or outside HR consultants) can do in an organisation when we see there is a lot of
1. Bad behaviour amongst employees
2. Back bitching
3. Spreading negativity
4. Loading all negative inputs to the new commers.
5. Gossiping.
In such a senario how and what and HR or an outside consultant shout do????
From India, Lucknow
Dear Vision United,
The five points that you have provided show that there is complete deterioration of the organisation's culture. Obviously, for this deterioration, company's leadership is responsible. While I appreciate your concern on the degeneration of the culture, why you bother if the leadership is indifferent to it?
Problems of this kind arise when leadership does not take interest to give specific shape to the company's culture. They are too obsessed with their vision or revenue target and giving specific shape to the company's culture is on their agenda at all.
No HR or outside consultant can bring a change organisation's culture unless there is commitment from the top management. Therefore, if you are really interested then let outside consultant may talk to top leadership for conducting organisational survey. However, I doubt whether top leadership will accept to do it. Even if the survey is done, what is the point if no action is taken?
By the way, some smart soft skills and other trainers may recommend you organising the Outbound Training (OBT) or some other training. Nevertheless, employee training is for building specific skills it would be too naive to believe that the training on teamwork changes the culture. Your organisation is suffering from dysfunctions which are equivalent to disease of a human body which certainly cannot be eradicated because of the employee training alone.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
The five points that you have provided show that there is complete deterioration of the organisation's culture. Obviously, for this deterioration, company's leadership is responsible. While I appreciate your concern on the degeneration of the culture, why you bother if the leadership is indifferent to it?
Problems of this kind arise when leadership does not take interest to give specific shape to the company's culture. They are too obsessed with their vision or revenue target and giving specific shape to the company's culture is on their agenda at all.
No HR or outside consultant can bring a change organisation's culture unless there is commitment from the top management. Therefore, if you are really interested then let outside consultant may talk to top leadership for conducting organisational survey. However, I doubt whether top leadership will accept to do it. Even if the survey is done, what is the point if no action is taken?
By the way, some smart soft skills and other trainers may recommend you organising the Outbound Training (OBT) or some other training. Nevertheless, employee training is for building specific skills it would be too naive to believe that the training on teamwork changes the culture. Your organisation is suffering from dysfunctions which are equivalent to disease of a human body which certainly cannot be eradicated because of the employee training alone.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Dear Vision United
Your post describe some of the most common issues of organizational politics. Although this issue is common in many organizations but it is seen more in typical family oriented businesses where the revenue system is set and growth efforts and competitiveness are not a primary concern.
Leadership of such organization also internally may not like this culture but at times they find it difficult to handle because of various emotional attachment with the people and somehow do not want to get involve in micro management or employees personal / professional issues till the time it is directly visible as issue affecting the productivity of the job.
A consultant can really add value in this situation if the leadership wants to improve the scenario in general and willing to pay the cost of it.
From HR perspective your role becomes to work in close coordination with management and start documenting processes / policies wherever possible.
Also try to develop forms and formats for various processes where decisions on employees are taken like PMS, Induction, Orientation etc as it will help you to make people accountable in certain areas.
Rest in situation like this improvement can only come from commitment of executive leadership.
Warm Regards
Sujeet S Rajawat
From Nigeria, Lagos
Your post describe some of the most common issues of organizational politics. Although this issue is common in many organizations but it is seen more in typical family oriented businesses where the revenue system is set and growth efforts and competitiveness are not a primary concern.
Leadership of such organization also internally may not like this culture but at times they find it difficult to handle because of various emotional attachment with the people and somehow do not want to get involve in micro management or employees personal / professional issues till the time it is directly visible as issue affecting the productivity of the job.
A consultant can really add value in this situation if the leadership wants to improve the scenario in general and willing to pay the cost of it.
From HR perspective your role becomes to work in close coordination with management and start documenting processes / policies wherever possible.
Also try to develop forms and formats for various processes where decisions on employees are taken like PMS, Induction, Orientation etc as it will help you to make people accountable in certain areas.
Rest in situation like this improvement can only come from commitment of executive leadership.
Warm Regards
Sujeet S Rajawat
From Nigeria, Lagos
Dear colleague,
In the current poisonous employee behaviour scenario, outside capable HR consultant would be a better bait, as he , by being impartial, can create conditions for change and initiate actions conducive to change provided that the top management genuinely desire a change.
My experience tells me that the truant behaviour displayed must be only by a few handful , disgruntled employees who are causing this disruptive ruptures. Outside HR consultant , by genuinely offering to help them , can strike rapport and get them to talk on their specific issues, analyse them and put up roadmap for short-term and long term action plan for resolving legitimate concerns of both.
My views given above certainly rest on some assumptions about the problems as narrated and the actual line of action will differ based on ground realities.
Regards
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR-Consultant
From India, Mumbai
In the current poisonous employee behaviour scenario, outside capable HR consultant would be a better bait, as he , by being impartial, can create conditions for change and initiate actions conducive to change provided that the top management genuinely desire a change.
My experience tells me that the truant behaviour displayed must be only by a few handful , disgruntled employees who are causing this disruptive ruptures. Outside HR consultant , by genuinely offering to help them , can strike rapport and get them to talk on their specific issues, analyse them and put up roadmap for short-term and long term action plan for resolving legitimate concerns of both.
My views given above certainly rest on some assumptions about the problems as narrated and the actual line of action will differ based on ground realities.
Regards
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR-Consultant
From India, Mumbai
Hi
Mentioned problems can be solved by top leader by conducting weekly meeting with all employees. Question is how.
Below is my experience with which i motivated my college i.e I implemented the concept of mentoring.
After i listened to all the problems with Hr I made a matrix of mentoring where in one senior employee can assist junior employee who was new commer with area of development and target time.
I suggested junior employees not to make any complaint about your senior as they are helping them.
Like this small steps can be taken to eliminate the word 'complaint" on each other because both have to perform to full fill need of organisation. We can achieve "going together". Teaching to catch fish insted of giving fish.
Hope it my help to other.
From India, Bengaluru
Mentioned problems can be solved by top leader by conducting weekly meeting with all employees. Question is how.
Below is my experience with which i motivated my college i.e I implemented the concept of mentoring.
After i listened to all the problems with Hr I made a matrix of mentoring where in one senior employee can assist junior employee who was new commer with area of development and target time.
I suggested junior employees not to make any complaint about your senior as they are helping them.
Like this small steps can be taken to eliminate the word 'complaint" on each other because both have to perform to full fill need of organisation. We can achieve "going together". Teaching to catch fish insted of giving fish.
Hope it my help to other.
From India, Bengaluru
This is certainly a case of leadership failure. It seems there is no transparency in the organization and no management control or moral authority to manage workforce. In such a scenario HR has an opportunity to rise above all the politics and make an attempt to bring about change on behalf of the top management. Surely, top management too must be wanting to have a better culture in place rather than such a rotten one. HR should first discuss the matter with the top man and arrange for a meeting with leadership layers at different levels with HR acting as a facilitator and contributor.
All points of concern should be brought to the table and discussed thread-ware.
Take suggestions from those present.
Take a commitment from all reporting managers present to increase the engagement level of their teams. Implementation of high maturity people practices.
Share/discuss org values and vision and remind them of the need to adhere by the same.
Hold skip level meetings with the project teams.
Make clear guidelines to deal with cases of indiscipline and professional misconduct. There must be a reprimand commensurate with the offence committed.
Check/review internal processes and procedure within the org.
Hold review meeting periodically to see implementation of changes suggested.
Work on continuous process improvement.
Organisations must raise their working standards all across. No single approach will yield results.
Good luck.
Prem Goswami
VP - HR
R Systems International Ltd
A PCMM Level 5 Company
Noida (UP) NCR
From India, Delhi
All points of concern should be brought to the table and discussed thread-ware.
Take suggestions from those present.
Take a commitment from all reporting managers present to increase the engagement level of their teams. Implementation of high maturity people practices.
Share/discuss org values and vision and remind them of the need to adhere by the same.
Hold skip level meetings with the project teams.
Make clear guidelines to deal with cases of indiscipline and professional misconduct. There must be a reprimand commensurate with the offence committed.
Check/review internal processes and procedure within the org.
Hold review meeting periodically to see implementation of changes suggested.
Work on continuous process improvement.
Organisations must raise their working standards all across. No single approach will yield results.
Good luck.
Prem Goswami
VP - HR
R Systems International Ltd
A PCMM Level 5 Company
Noida (UP) NCR
From India, Delhi
Dear Visionsunited,
Please clarify whether the behaviour issue is limited to some staff only or it relates to all the employees.
. Prem has made valuable and workable action plan perhaps on the basis that the issue embraces all the staff.
If it is resorted by only handful who are taking the entire organization for a ride, HR must engage with them to understand underlying causes, resolve legitimate concerns, persuade, motivate or deal firmly with the hardened employees even if it means weeding them out as a last resort.
I repeat my guess is that it is miniscule group of employees who are at the centre of this issue and the rest of the staff are acting as passive spectators and carrying on with " I have nothing to do with it" attitude or following with sheepish mentality.
In the absence of this clarification, we will be beating around the bush.
Regards
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR-Consultant
From India, Mumbai
Please clarify whether the behaviour issue is limited to some staff only or it relates to all the employees.
. Prem has made valuable and workable action plan perhaps on the basis that the issue embraces all the staff.
If it is resorted by only handful who are taking the entire organization for a ride, HR must engage with them to understand underlying causes, resolve legitimate concerns, persuade, motivate or deal firmly with the hardened employees even if it means weeding them out as a last resort.
I repeat my guess is that it is miniscule group of employees who are at the centre of this issue and the rest of the staff are acting as passive spectators and carrying on with " I have nothing to do with it" attitude or following with sheepish mentality.
In the absence of this clarification, we will be beating around the bush.
Regards
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR-Consultant
From India, Mumbai
Dear Visionsunited,
I am sorry for not answering the questions raised, unlike other expert contributors. Like my wont let me raise a question. Is this a general question or pertaining to a specific organisation? If it is the latter please give more information about the scenario like the size of the organisation, nature of work done, whether it is a start up, who owns it, and whether the behaviours are confined to a particular department, etc.
From United Kingdom
I am sorry for not answering the questions raised, unlike other expert contributors. Like my wont let me raise a question. Is this a general question or pertaining to a specific organisation? If it is the latter please give more information about the scenario like the size of the organisation, nature of work done, whether it is a start up, who owns it, and whether the behaviours are confined to a particular department, etc.
From United Kingdom
Dear Friend,
Although the situation you have narrated above points towards absolute leadership failure and demented mind set of the leaders of the organization.
The employee behaviour narrated above indicates that such behaviour is encouraged and liked by the leadership as they are using one employee against the other to extricate information against the employees as such leadership shows lack of faith in the team they are leading.
Mr Prem has given a nice suggestion on way forward above but I agree with Mr Simhan as more inputs are required.
For correction of situation a consultant will be required to study in detail and chart out the way forward, but, more than this it will require strong resolve of the management to change their own outlook and behaviour.
They should be ready to punish back biters irrespective of the information whether good, bad or ugly.
They should be ready to make some short term sacrifices to get long term gains.
I have seen corruption thriving in such type of companies but cant say anything about your company.
Warm Regards
Bharat Gera
HR Consultant
9322404765
From India, Thane
Although the situation you have narrated above points towards absolute leadership failure and demented mind set of the leaders of the organization.
The employee behaviour narrated above indicates that such behaviour is encouraged and liked by the leadership as they are using one employee against the other to extricate information against the employees as such leadership shows lack of faith in the team they are leading.
Mr Prem has given a nice suggestion on way forward above but I agree with Mr Simhan as more inputs are required.
For correction of situation a consultant will be required to study in detail and chart out the way forward, but, more than this it will require strong resolve of the management to change their own outlook and behaviour.
They should be ready to punish back biters irrespective of the information whether good, bad or ugly.
They should be ready to make some short term sacrifices to get long term gains.
I have seen corruption thriving in such type of companies but cant say anything about your company.
Warm Regards
Bharat Gera
HR Consultant
9322404765
From India, Thane
Dear Friend,
Well you have requested to share your ideas (our ideas),
the best thing your practical asking of the question,
1) Establish training centre, where employee well trained, know about the organisation, vision, mission, their future growth, goal of the organisation, diversification.... let the training be not too time consuming or not too short ( one, two or a week like that)
2) A clear road map where the employee at the ladder of inclination, the revenue/progressive scale of elevation, welfare measures...
3) Always express the concern of the organisation to the employee his/her health,wealth and the growth along with the organisation
4) The actual growth and there is no by pass of getting promotion, elevation, attach to the one who is the boss/back key holders will help in progress (the toughest task yet need be putforth as vision)
5) In case the employee want to depart (getting an greater opportunity) he/she can have a cordial handshake and not rough weather depart...ensure this in your statement of welfare
6) Accept the ideas and best recommendations with merit in progress of the organisation and share the ideas with others for implementation, it needs a good will approach
7) Recruitment at all levels should carry transparent procedure try to evolve it
It goes a many things, I stop here and hope of this will give more clarity in your approach...
"Transparency is the word always difficult to have it"
Have good day ....
From India, Arcot
Well you have requested to share your ideas (our ideas),
the best thing your practical asking of the question,
1) Establish training centre, where employee well trained, know about the organisation, vision, mission, their future growth, goal of the organisation, diversification.... let the training be not too time consuming or not too short ( one, two or a week like that)
2) A clear road map where the employee at the ladder of inclination, the revenue/progressive scale of elevation, welfare measures...
3) Always express the concern of the organisation to the employee his/her health,wealth and the growth along with the organisation
4) The actual growth and there is no by pass of getting promotion, elevation, attach to the one who is the boss/back key holders will help in progress (the toughest task yet need be putforth as vision)
5) In case the employee want to depart (getting an greater opportunity) he/she can have a cordial handshake and not rough weather depart...ensure this in your statement of welfare
6) Accept the ideas and best recommendations with merit in progress of the organisation and share the ideas with others for implementation, it needs a good will approach
7) Recruitment at all levels should carry transparent procedure try to evolve it
It goes a many things, I stop here and hope of this will give more clarity in your approach...
"Transparency is the word always difficult to have it"
Have good day ....
From India, Arcot
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