, -1,lincolnhr.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/october2009.pdf · morale, motivation, and...
TRANSCRIPT
About our Program The goal of this presentation is to enhancemorale, motivation, and performance througha fun, high-energy, motivational presentationwhich explores the lessons learned from studiesofsuccessfulcompanies,teamsandindividuals.Itwill review specific steps to leverage the lessonsandofferstipsforimplementingthem. WorkisSocial–itisdonebypeoplewithpeopleforpeople.Individualswhoattempttobesuccessfulatworkwithoutunderstandingit issocial, is liketrying to have a new car last over 100,000 mileswithoutanoilchange. Thiskeynotespeakerwilloverview the following: Why is success social?What do we need to do to use social principalssuccessfully?Fouractionsthatwecantaketodaytohelpusrealizepersonalandprofessionalsuccess?
About the Presenter Dale has spent the past four years providingprograms to over 240 client companies andthousandsofpeopleasatrainer/consultantforBestCareEAP.HehasalsotraveledallovertheUnitedStatesasaManagementandLeadershiptrainingexpertforSkillPathSeminars. BeforejoiningBestCareEAPinAugust2005,DalespentsixyearsasanofficerintheUSAirForcewheretheSOARtoExcellenceProgramhedevelopedandfacilitatedwasnominatedasaUSAirForceBestPractice.Hispassionatecommitmenttoemployee/managementdevelopmenthasbeenshapedbyhisexperiencesasahighschoolteacherandcoach,alicensedmentalhealthprofessionalandafatheroffourboys.DaleisanexperiencedandengagingPerformanceCoach,facilitatorfortheMyers-BriggsTypeIndicatorandtheInsightPersonalitySpectrum.HeisalsoactivelyinvolvedinToastmastersInternational,wherehehasearnednumerousawardsasoneoftheregion’stopspeakers.
Afternoon Workshop H1N1andHumanResourceDepartments-Thispresentationwillgiveinformationonhowemployerscandealwiththespreadofthediseaseandkeeptheirbusinessesoperatingwhilenotconflictingwithemploymentlaws(OSHAct,ADA,FMLA,FLSA,andNLRA).
About the Presenters MarkA.FahlesonisapartnerwithRemboltLudtkeLLPinLincoln,Nebraska.Hispracticecentersonemploymentandlaborlaw.Mr.FahlesonservedasjudicialclerktoJudgeD.NickCaporaleoftheNebraskaSupremeCourt.Hepracticedmanagement-sideemploymentandlaborlawinOmahabeforebecomingLegislativeDirectortoamemberoftheU.S.HouseofRepresentativesinNovember1994.InMay1995,Mr.FahlesonwaspromotedtoChiefofStaff,advisingthecongressmanonall legislative initiativeswithdirectedresponsibility forall tax,healthand labor issues.Mr.FahlesonisagraduateoftheUniversityofNebraska-LincolnandgraduatedwithhighdistinctionfromtheUniversityofNebraskaCollegeofLaw,whereheservedasEditor-in-ChiefoftheNebraska Law Review. HecurrentlyservesastheChairoftheExecutiveCommitteeoftheLaborRelationsandEmploymentLawSectionoftheNebraskaStateBarAssociationandisanactivememberofthesteeringcommitteeoftheEmploymentLawSectionoftheDefenseResearchInstitute.Mr.FahlesonservesasanAdjunctProfessorattheUniversityofNebraskaCollegeofLawteachingemploymentlaw,andwasrecognizedforhisemploymentlawexpertisein2007inThe Best Lawyers in America®,Great Plains Super LawyersandChambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Presentertobeannounced,DivisionofPublicHealth,DepartmentofHealth&HumanServices,StateofNebraska
LHRMA / P.O. Box 81066 / Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 / www.lincolnhr.org
October 2009
October 2009 ProgramDUAD Meeting with AStD
LUncheon ProgrAM toPic: work iS SociAL
Afternoon workShoP: h1n1 AnD hr DePArtMentS
Presenters: Dale Sunderman-MSW
When: Tuesday,October13,2009Where: CountryInnandSuites 5353North27thStreet
Registration: 11:00a.m.–11:30a.m.Meal&Program: 11:10a.m.–1:00p.m.
Cost: $16.00LuncheonMeeting $35.00Workshop(refreshmentsserved)
Meal: MamaMiaItalianBuffet (Vegetablelasagna,whitechickenAlfredo,Caesarsalad, pastasalad,freshgreenbeans,garlicsticks,coffee,teaand soda,ANDdoublechocolatecake)
2 Newsletter of the Lincoln Human Resource Management Association
President’s MessageCathyMaddox,President
I’m going to Oprah!! By the timethat you get this newsletter I willhave been there already, but I can’ttell you how excited I am! I’m goingwithmybestgirlfriends,andmyoldestdaughterwho lives inDallas isflyingin.We’vebeenbusytryingtofigureoutwherewewanttoeat,whatwewanttosee,andofcourseleavingenoughtimeforshopping! Don’t you sometimes wonder howit is that one person can amass sucha fortune? You will see some smallinventionandthink–nowwhydidn’tIcomeupwiththat?Howdoessomeonewho had a number of odds againsthergettothepointwheresheisrightnow?? She was doing what all of usHR people are constantly preaching–takeadvantageofyouropportunities,continue to manage your strengths,keep persevering in what you believein. It seems at times that in HR wearefrequentlydefendingourpositionswithinacompany.AllofusknowhowimportantHRisforthesuccessofanycompany, but it can be frustratingsometimes to have to feel as thoughyouarealwaysfightingforaseatatthetable.GuesswewilljusthavetobelikeOprah and continue to push for whatwebelievein!Hmmmmm,anOprah’sHR favorites show?? Dare I suggestit? IfyouwereabletoattendtheStateConferenceIhopethatyouenjoyedit,andcameawayfromtherefeelingthatitwasbeneficialandeducational.Havingbeen on the conference committee Iknow that the committee striveseach
year to continue to bring high qualityspeakersandbreakoutsessions.Ifyouhavesuggestionsonwaystoimproveit,pleaselistthemwhenyoureceiveyourconferencesurvey. OurOctobermeetingwillbeajointmeeting with ASTD. In the past wehave recognized our Past-Presidentsin October but we will now do this atthe November meeting. Then at theDecembersocialwewillberecognizingallourvolunteers–watchformoreinfoonthat–it’sgoingtobefun! OK, 2 down, 10 more to go. I amgoingtotheMissourigameinColumbia,so if I come to themeeting inOctoberwithbumpsandbruises,youwillknowwhy!Haveawonderfulfall!! -Cathy Maddox
AttenDAnce DrAwing winnerS
Who Says There’s No Such Thingas a Free Lunch? Congratulationsto Kendra Knauss with GeneralExcavating . Kendra will receivefreelunchregistrationattheOctober2009meeting!
reAch oUt to the StUDentS
LHRMAmemberscanusetheLHR-MA website toadvertise Stu-dent Intershipsor summer jobs.The three Stu-dents Chapterswill be told thatthey can look ontheLHRMAweb-site, throughout the school year, tofind job openings as well as intern-ships. Please use this as anotherFREE advertising tool to get quali-fiedinterestedcandidatestohelpfillyouropenpositions. Send jobpost-ingstoKathyHarperat:[email protected].
JobS, JobS & More JobS!
Doyouhaveonetoadvertiseorareyoulookingforone?
CHECKOUTOURWEBSITE:www.lincolnhr.org
IfyouareanemployerwhohasaLHRMAmemberemployee,then
youcanpostyourHumanRe-sourcejobopeningonourwebsite
bycontactingKathyHarperatlhrma0048@
yahoo.comorat402.483.4581x339.IfyouarelookingforaHuman
Resourcejob,thenyoucancheckoutourwebsiteat:
w w w. l i n c o l n h r. o r g
fUtUre MeetingS•November:-BradBlack,PresidentHUMANeXTheIsles•December:HolidaySocialVolunteerRecognitionTBA•January:Topic-TBAFirefightersHallCateredbyTastefullyYours
LHRMA / P.O. Box 81066 / Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 / www.lincolnhr.org 3
LEGAL UPDATEMandated Posters in the Workplaceby Jack L. Shultz • Harding & Shultz, P.C., L.L.O. • Lincoln, NE
INTRODUCTION Have you checked recently yourpostersintheworkplace?FederalandNebraskastatelawsrequirethatcertainpostersbedisplayed in theworkplace.The following isachecklist tobeusedaspartofaquickcompliancecheck-uporinpreparationforastateorfederalaudit. Plaintiff ’s counsel will oftenask their clients to check to see if thefollowingpostersareinyourworkplacetodetermineevidenceofdiscriminationorstatutoryviolations.REQUIREDFEDERALPOSTERS 1.EEOC/OFCCP.“EqualEmploymentOpportunityisTHELAW”(PublicationOFCCP1420-Rev.August2008). 2.FederalMinimumWage-OvertimePay - Child Labor. “EMPLOYEERIGHTS UNDER THE FAIR LABORSTANDARDSACT”(WHDPublication1088-Rev.July2009). 3.Family & Medical/Military LeaveAct. “EMPLOYEE RIGHTS ANDRESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THEFAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE ACT”(WHDPublication1420-Rev.January2009). 4.Veteran’sRights.“YOURRIGHTSUNDERUSERRA”(U.S.DOL-October2008).REQUIREDSTATEPOSTERS 1.Workplace Safety. “JOB SAFETYAND HEALTH” (Nebraska WorkforceDevelopmentDepartmentofLabor).2.NEOC. “DISCRIMINATION INEMPLOYMENT” (Nebraska EqualOpportunityCommission-June2007). 3.UnemploymentInsurance. “UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCEADVISEMENTOFBENEFITRIGHTS”(Nebraska Workforce Development
DepartmentofLabor).“FREE” POSTERS AREAVAILABLE The Nebraska WorkforceDevelopment Department of Labor(www.dol.state.ne.us) provideselectronic copies of these requiredfederalandstatepostersandsomeofthepostersareavailableinlanguagesotherthanEnglish.Thestatewebsitealso provides the name, address, andtelephone number of the governmentagencytocontacttoorderaposter.Thestate posters should be at least 11” x17” in size. Printing the poster anddisplaying it in any smaller size doesnotmeetlegalrequirements.Thereisa “3-in-1” Nebraska labor law posteravailableonthestatewebsite.Thereisalsoa“6-in-1”federallaborlawposteronthestatewebsite.POSTINGREQUIREMENT The mandated posters shouldbe placed in conspicuous placesavailable to employees, applicants foremployment,andunionrepresentativeswherethereisalaborcontract.Failuretohavethesepostersintheworkplacemay subject the employer to possiblecitation and penalty. For example,under the Family and Medical LeaveAct,anemployerthatwillfullyviolatesthe posting requirement may beassessedacivilmoneypenaltyby theWageandHourDivisionnottoexceed$110foreachseparateoffense.CONCLUSION The notices employers need togive their employees are periodicallyrevised by the government agenciesandsignificantlychangedbynewlawsandregulations.Checkingyourposters
with the posters described will help toensureyouareincompliancewithstateand federal laws and help to defeatthat potential discrimination claim orstatutoryworkplacelawviolation.Editor’s Note: This article is not intended to provide legal advice to our readers. Rather, this article is intended to alert our readers to new and developing issues and to provide some common sense answers to complex legal questions. Readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel or the author of this article if the reader wishes to obtain a specific legal opinion regarding how these legal standards may apply to their particular circumstances. The author of this article, Jack L. Shultz, can be contacted at 402/434-3000, or at Harding & Shultz, P.C., L.L.O., P.O. Box 82028, Lincoln, NE 68501-2028, or [email protected] or [email protected].
4 Newsletter of the Lincoln Human Resource Management Association
ShrM StUDent chAPter hAPPeningS
SHRMStudentChapterUpdates The NWU chapter of SHRM held anorganizational meeting on Tuesday, August25th.Theofficersforthe2009-2010academicyear were selected. The President positionwill be held by Mishayla Richardson,KatelynDelaneywillbetheVicePresidentofProgramming,andHollieThomaswilloccupythe Secretary/Treasurer position. Also, plans for membership recruitment andthesemesterwerediscussed.Specifically,“3GoodReisenstoJoinNWUSHRM”wasselectedastheInvolvementFaircampaign.BagswereassembledwiththreeReisensandinformation.OurfirstmeetingofthesemesterwasheldSeptember1stat7PM.WehadfourspeakersexplainHR,SHRM,andLHRMA.Thesemesterisofftoagreatstart!
heLP AchieVe the SUPerior Merit
AwArDYoucanhelpachievetheLHRMAChap-ter Superior Merit Award by notifyingTara Jennings, Workforce ReadinessChair, with any dates that you provideservice to local schools or adults in re-gards to: career days, mock interviews,speakingon theHRprofession,provideinternships to stu-dents to gain HRknowledge, etc..The following in-formation would beneeded: name, dateof event, location/school name, hoursspent or durationof program. Email your information [email protected].
boArD Meeting recAP
•Have a separate Board meeting on9/8toreviewPolicyandProcedures
•Taxes have been completed by thenewCPAfirm
•Student chapters are active gettingnewmembers
•Staying ahead of cost per meetingexpenses – workshops are helping tooffsetthecost
•27 participating in the Fall StudyGroupforPHR/SPHR/GPHR
Membership Renewal Statements
Watch themail formembershiprenewalinformationinOctober.Thecost will remain the same $50.00per member, payments are due byDecember31.
2009
2009 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION TECHNICAL
SESSION
Tuesday, October 27, 2009First National Tower1620 Dodge StreetOmaha, Nebraska
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Registration Fee - $100 (includes parking,
breakfast and lunch)Registration Deadline
– October 15
To register please contact: Amy Lund,
Midlands ILG Chair(402) 602-3827
LHRMA / P.O. Box 81066 / Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 / www.lincolnhr.org 5
Anger ManagementBy Tricia Branchaud • Directions EAP, LLC • Lincoln, NE
As Human Resources people wefrequently get asked by our supervisorsforhelpwithanangryemployeeandhowtodealwithit.Herearesomefactsaboutangerandsomesuggestionstohelp.Whatisanger? Angerisastrongfeelingofdispleasureorhostility.Althoughangerisabasichumanemotion,feelingangrycanbeaproblemformanypeople.Thisisbecausemanypeoplebelieve: -nicepeopleshouldn’tbeangry -becomingangrymeanslosingcontrol -ifothersareangryatus,wemusthavehurt them in somewayandare thereforeresponsible Some people have trouble controllingtheirbehaviorwhentheyareangryandmaydo things that are hurtful or destructive.Others feel so guilty about their angerthattheykeep it inside,andmayevenbeunaware of feeling angry. Pain, fatigue,poor sleep, emotional stress, and alcoholordruguse,canloweraperson’sthresholdforangry feelingsandbehavior. Whethera person yells and hits, or fumes silently,long-term anger is linked to both healthproblemsandunhealthyrelationships.What physical changes occur whensomeonegetsangry? During an angry episode, the bloodpressure and heart rate rise. After the“fightorflight”hormonesreleasedbyangerareactivated,somepeopledonotreturntonormal right away, but stay in a state ofalerthostilityforawhile.What kinds of difficulties do peoplewithangerproblemsface? Peoplewhoexpresstoomuchangeroften
end up feeling alone and distantfrom others because their sullen,hostile, or sarcastic behavior canmakepeopleturnawayfromthem.Aviciouscircleisthensetup:Theyfeelangrybecauseofthewayothersarereactingtotheiranger.Peoplewhofeelitiswrongtoeverbeangryoftencanbeoutoftouchwithotherfeelingsandmaybeunableto feeljoy or love. They may fear theywould not be loved if others knewhowmuchangerwas inside them,sotheycontinuetoconcealit.Then,becauseangercanalmostneverbecompletelyhidden,theymayactitoutbydoingthingslikebeinglateornotkeepingpromises.How can I tell if someone hasproblemswithanger?-Do they easily lose patience withpeople?-Do they feel that life is unfair tothem?-Do they say threatening or nastythings?-Do they get mad enough to hit,throw, kick things, or raise theirvoice?-Whentheyreallylosetheirtemper,are they capable of slapping orhittingsomeone?HowcanIhelpsomeonewhoisangry? Talking with a sympatheticfriend, spouse, doctor, or therapistaboutlifestressescanhelptodefuseanger. So can learning relaxationtechniques. Self-statements can
alsobehelpful. These statements canreplace old ways of thinking. Somehelpfulself-statementsare: -Iamdisappointed,butIcanhandlethiswithoutblowingup. -Thiswillpass,andIcantakeafewdeepbreathswhileitdoes. -I can relax my body, and not beupset. -I amgettingbetterathandlingmyangerasIgetmorepractice. -Idon’tneedtoprovemyselfhere. -Maybe this person is having a badday. -Idonothavetoletthisbotherme. -Time-outscanalsobeuseful.Time-outsworkbestwhentheangryperson: Designates a specific amount oftime(15minutesto1hour)tocooloff. Leavesthesituation(forinstance,walkintoanotherroom). Calmsthemselvesmentallywithdeepbreathingandself-statements. Does some non-aggressivephysical exercise such as walking,jogging,orbicycling.Howdoesangermanagementhelp? Helping the employee to learn anduse anger management tools canbe highly beneficial in a number ofways. Situations thathadbeenoutofcontrolcannowbehandledconfidently.Assertivenesscanreplaceaggressivenessor passive silence when dealing withothers. BesureandconsultwithyourEAPprofessionalforhelpwithissuesofangerintheworkplace.DirectionsEAPisonlyaphonecallawayat(402)434-2900.
6 Newsletter of the Lincoln Human Resource Management Association
LHRMA / P.O. Box 81066 / Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 / www.lincolnhr.org 7
LhrMA MeMber chAngeS
Check and verify your nameand address on this month’sLHResource for accuracy.Please contact Kathy Harperour LHRMA AdministrativeAssistant,foranyofyourpersonaljobandaddresschanges.Pleaseeither email your changes [email protected].
DeborahWikeHRDirectorDimensions Educational [email protected]
RebaSchaferHumanResourcesTelesis,[email protected]
TabithaBotzClinicalTrainingSupervisorMDSPharmaServicesTabitha.botz@mdsinc.com
new MeMberS
weLcoMe new MeMberS!
HR Employee of the Year This year’s HR Professional of the Year is Scott Messersmith,PHR,DirectorofHumanResourcesatColumbusCommunityHospitalinColumbus,Nebraska.Scott’sworkoverthepastyearhasallowedhimtoadvancetheprofessionathiscurrentemployerandalsoinhisregion. Over the course of the last year he has laid the foundation ofemployee success by bringing structure, consistency and directionvia new and improved HR policies, updated compensation andbenefitsplans, tailoredtraininganddevelopmentprograms, increasedrecruitment and customer service efforts, and through his guidancewith management and staff alike. He has a strong belief in processimprovementandisalwaysencouragingchangestoachievethosegoals.Hedutifullybalancesthewantsandneedsofthe500+employeesattheHospitalwiththegoalsanddirectivesestablishedbyhisseniormanagementteam. ScottisanactivememberofSHRM,havingservedinvariouscommitteeandofficerrolesatthelocalandstatelevels.HeiscurrentlythePresidentoftheColumbusAreaHumanResourceAssociation(HAHRA)andhasbeeninstrumentalinthechapter’sSHRMaffiliationefforts.HeisamemberoftheNebraskaStateCouncilandhasservedinnumerousBoardandVolunteerrolesofhischurch,theChamber,theRedCross,Optimists,Jaycees,andothers. ScottisthedirectsupervisorofsixindividualsintheHR/EducationdepartmentatColumbusCommunityHospitalwhoappreciatethecontinuoustrustheplacesinthem,aswellastheprofessionalandpersonalsupportheprovidesonaregularbasis.HeisaconstantHRknowledgeseekerandeducatorwhoencouragesemployeedevelopmentatalllevels.Scottisalsoafirmbeliever inhiscompetentandcomplimentaryHR/EducationteamatColumbusCommunityHospitalandwantstoacknowledgeandthankthemfortheeffortstheyhavemadetomakethisawardpossible.
In photo: Columbus Community Hospital HR Staff Back row (L-R) Kathy Kruse, Jennifer Uhlig, Michelle Meyer,
Reye Snitily Front row (L-R) Joan Jahn, Scott Messersmith, Peggy Wojcik
8 Newsletter of the Lincoln Human Resource Management Association
Coach’s CornerListening - The Skill to Buildby Jane Weddle, M.A. • Weddle Performance Group
“Listening ranks among the most important and challenging of all human activities.”
~Dr.KenBlanchard,Best-sellingauthor(The One Minute Manager)
Studiesrevealthatwespendover90%ofourworkinglifeinoneofthefourmodesofcommunication:reading,writing,talkingand listening. Of these four modes over50%ofourtimeisspentlistening.Yet,itisestimated that the average leader ignores,forgets, or misunderstands at least 75% ofwhat he or she hears. Amazingly, on theaverage, people are only 25% effective aslisteners. Listeningisourprimarycommunicationactivity; however can you recall a timeeither in grade school, high school or evencollege taking a course just on Listening?Numerous studies identify listeningas themost critical leadership success skill, andemployersconsistentlyrateitasoneofthetopfiveskillstheyexpectofemployees.There are 3 levels of listening: Level1: Listeningwithout judgmentwith understanding to the intent andfeelings, paying attention to the speaker’stotal communication, processing what isbeingsaid.Showingbothverballyandnon-verballyyouarelistening.Oftenreferredtoasempatheticlistening. Level2:Hearingwords,butnotreallyhearing the speaker’s intent, appearing tolisten intently when in fact only slightlyconcentrating.Moreconcernedwithcontentofthespeakervs.incorporatingthefeelingsofthespeaker. Level 3: Listening in spurts, morehearing going on than listening; being
passive, judgmental. Tuning inandout,beingsomewhatawareofothers,butmainlypayingattentiontooneself. Coaching Challenge: Think for a moment about your day. How often did you listen at level 1? When? With Whom? Is there a level you seem to spending to much of your listening at? Growth begins with awareness—become aware of what level of listening you are doing in your interactions with others. Your highest % of time should be spent at Level 1. Factoid: Effective listeningcanhelpthespeakerreducetheiremotional level so theycan thinkthroughaproblem.Tips To Build Your ListeningSkills: 1. Our perceptions abouta person, situation, or a subjectcaninfluenceourreceptionofthemessage and how much we payattention. Become self aware ofthose perceptions that may blockyou from listening and challengeyourself to practice listening atLevel1. 2.Resistexternaldistractions.They can range from loudnoises,room temperature, views ofoutside activity or scenery, clockwatching, interruptions, timepressures,thepersontalkingmaybetoloud,softorhavethingstheyaredoingthatcreateadistraction.Whentheseoccur—concentrateonconcentrating. 3.Holdyourrebuttal;watch
for hot buttons. What words throwyou? Begin to recognize certainwordsorphrasesthatimpactyoutothepointwhere you stop listening and startformingyourrebuttal.Jotdownmajorrebuttal points as questions; do thisbrieflyandthenreturntolisteningwithanopenmind. 4. Beawareofwhatisbeingsaidnon-verbally.7%ofaperson’smessageisreallyinthewords,38%isinthetoneofvoiceand55%isinfacialexpressions,posture,gestures,andeyecontact.Askyourself: What isbeingcommunicatedthatisn’tbeingverbalized? 5. Use clarifying questions orsummarize the message in your ownwords. Assuming that words containthe same meaning and visual imagesforthetalkerastheydoforthelistenercanhaveanimpactoncommunication.Some listening check phrases: “As Iunderstandit,you….”.“Itsoundslike..”,“I am curious does that mean..”, “MyassumptionbasedonwhatIheardis….isthatcorrect?” 6. Allow for silence. Get in thehabit of waiting a minimum of 3 to 4secondsbeforeresponding. Thispausewill make the person feel heard andcomfortable to talk more. The silencecreatestheopportunityforthepersontoshareadditionalinformationandforustomakesuretheyhavecompletedtheirthought.Jane Weddle is the Sr. Performance Consultant and Certified B-Coach for Weddle Performance Group. To find out more about the services and products ranging from hiring to development that WPG offers or for more information on other organizational needs, go to www.partnerinperformance.com or call 402-429-5224.
LHRMA / P.O. Box 81066 / Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 / www.lincolnhr.org 9
Diversity Hub The “Insider-Outsider” Dynamic
By Mark Butler • Consultant and Manager of Diversity • Marathon Petroleum Company
Weallprobablyrememberatimeinourliveswhenwefeltlikewejustdidnotfitin.Perhapsitwasasituationwhereyoudidnotfeelrespectedorvaluedbyothers,ormaybeyoujustfeltlikeyouwere“hangingoutthereonthefringes”andnotsurewhy.Ofcourse,thenyouwondered,wastheproblemsomethingaboutme?Orwasitsomethingabouttheothergroup?Theenvironment?Both? Thesamedynamiccanexistintheworkplace.Atsomepointinyourcareer,youmayhaveworkedinadepartmentorworkgroupwhereitseemedlikethatparticular department was not as valued as highly as others. The feeling ofbeingundervaluedcantakemanyforms.Maybeitwashowyourdepartmentwasreferredto,orattentiontheydidnotseemtoreceive,lesserbudgets,orseeminglydifferentrulesandregulations.Ormaybeyoujustcouldnotputyourfingeronit;butnevertheless, somethingwasdifferentandyour co-workers could feel it too.Possibly,notfeelingvaluedevenimpactedhowpeoplefeltaboutthemselves,takingprideintheirwork,ortheirabilitytocontribute. Aninsider-outsiderdynamiccanoccur ineverydiversityrelationship. Andin some cases, depending on the company, the industry, geographic location,or other factors, the dynamic may be particularly profound and impactful. Forexample,generallyspeaking,inU.S.societyaswellasinU.S.companies,menhavetraditionallybeentheinsidersandwomentheoutsiders. Otherinsider-outsiderexamplesmayincludeable-bodiedpeopleandpersonswithdisabilities,whiteandnon-white,corporateandfield,engineerandnon-engineer,linestaffandsupportstaff,straightandgay,managementandunion,companyemployeeandcontractor.Thelistcangoon. As companies continue togainmorediversityawarenessandmove towardcreating an “inclusive culture” where everyone can contribute to their fullestpotential, they are exploring their own potential insider-outsider relationships.Thegoalistoidentifyandremoveanybarrierssothereareonlyinsidersandnooutsiders. Companiesanddepartmentswithin companies that can successfullyachievethiswilldistinguishthemselvesfromtheircompetitioninmanyways,frombeinganemployerof choice, improving their image, increasingrecruitmentandretentionrates,andperformingatahigheroveralllevel. So,howexactlydowegoaboutsuccessfullyidentifyingandremovingbarriersfor outsiders? First, it is important to understand a few characteristics of bothinsidersandoutsiders.Insidersarethegroupwithpower,control,andinformation.Theirmostsignificantcharacteristic,especiallywhenaninsiderischargedwithidentifyingandremovingoutsiderbarriers,isthatinsiders are often unaware they are insiders. Many times, insidersmayalsounintentionally operate offstereotypesthattendtopushthemupandkeeptheoutsidergroupsdown.Ifyouare an insider, it is especially important to keep an open mind and stay awareof thedynamicsaroundyou.Assessingwhotheoutsidersare inyourparticular
department or organization andlistening to outsider’s experiences isessentialtobreakingdownwalls. Outsiders,on theotherhand,arehaving a different experience. Theytend to have less power, control, andinformation,andaresometimesseenasscapegoats.Theyareveryawareoftheirdifferences, and, unlike the insiders,they know they are the outsidersbecausetheyliveiteveryday.Ifyoufeellikeanoutsider,taketheopportunitytocommunicate with your managementand begin to open a dialogue aboutwhatmightbehinderingyourabilitytocontribute. Attheendoftheday,bothinsidersand outsiders have a responsibilityto create an inclusive culture and tohelp eliminate the insider-outsiderdynamic. This is why employees areasked to attend various diversity andinclusion workshops and why moreand more managers and leaders areconducting “inclusion assessments” intheir departments. These managersand companies believe that if we cancreate an inclusive culture together,whereall employees can contribute totheir full potential, then the companywill outperform its competition.That is nothing less than a win-winpropositionforboththeemployeesandtheorganization.
Lincoln Human ResourceManagement AssociationP.O. Box 81066Lincoln, NE 68501
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE
PAIDLINCOLN, NEPERMIT 40
PresidentCathy Maddox, sPhr
Past-PresidentCarMen wiles, sPhr
President eleCt-govt. relationsMark Pankoke, sPhr
PrograM ChairJudy ganoung
seCretary - PubliCityelly hardekoPf, Phr
treas. & regist. ChairCindy Mefford, Phr
MeMbershiP Chairlin blodgett, xMba
diversity Chairbarb benes, Phr
workforCe readiness Chairtara Jennings, CsP
College relations ChairJennifer Monroe
shrM foundation reP.russ roberts, sPhr
CertifiCation direCtorMelissa PriCe, Phr