Organizational policies don’t have to make sense or be fair.

“Suthers, who said this was a democracy?” Bill Cooper, President of Asamera Minerals, made this comment when I thought a particular decision was not fair.

His words made sense to me and I had to admit that he was right and I told him so. The typical organization is not a democracy and the people in that organization have a job to do, even if they disagree with the decisions being made. At times that job is going to be hard on personal feelings and beliefs. But that’s the way it is.  Read the full article...

Records

Records are a necessity in every organization. We all need them to do our job. Remember when something you said or did came back to haunt you later? Well, the records you generate in your organization can come back to haunt you too.

One department manager in a Washington state organization proposed a plan for a number of other department managers to leave the company and start their own business. He was secretive about it because the business venture he was proposing would be in direct competition with their present company. The planning went well for awhile. It came apart when he saved his plan on a disk and then accidentally used the same disk to send another file to corporate headquarters.  Read the full article...

I think you will get a kick out of the following Office Guides. These rules were given to all new office employees at the Albert Lea, Minnesota Queen Products Division of the King Seeley Corporation in the early 1960’s. Although it is fading, I still have the original mimeograph.

The following guides to office practices are outlined to familiarize employees with our office routine. Careful attention to them will aid in avoiding possible embarrassment or misunderstandings.

1. Smoking is permitted throughout the office at all times. Please do not leave lighted cigarettes on desk tops or throw cigarette butts onto floors or into waste baskets. See the Office Manager if you need ash trays.  Read the full article...

Networking.

Networking can help you find answers to almost any problem you have. Talk with other HR people. How do they solve problems? Remember that you will not change your organization overnight. It takes time and effort. Part of that time needs to be spent learning how HR people in other organizations solve problems.

One of the most powerful tools you can use in this process is your business card. When properly used, that is. And “properly used” means using them to build a network of names. Got a meeting coming up where you will see peers in your field? Going to a seminar? Take your cards!  Read the full article...