Yet another blog from the Ghost Writer leading HR from the outside while Marti's busy chasing the "people process" this week -- at least that was what she said the meeting was about in a frozen city elsewhere.
Right now I'm in a project revolutionizing a transactional process -- a very cool project on which I work with three dear colleagues. Last week on the project, the team found we have not 1, not 2, but 3, yes 3, degree-certified professionals detaching paper A from paper B and attaching paper B to paper C. Everyday. Multiple times per day. And why were they executing this brilliantly designed process? So Employee Group A didn't have to use a computer system (on which the group already works) to look up information.
I wish this blog had a screaming head icon... talk about things that drive me crazy.
In Marti's recent post, "What they aren't telling you," she highlighted some of sharing implications of what employees don't tell the boss. I'm telling you, "Bosses! Get in the detail of your employees work! NOW!" Not to micromanage them but to get ridiculous tasks like this out of their work day. This piece of paper was a known issue but "no one" could resolve it. Really? This small group of folks kept talking, asking, and found that it could go away... in less than 4 hours. Literally, 4 hours after the idea hit the table, the problem was gone.
The popular TV Show, "Undercover Boss", shows a boss learning appreciation for the details of his/her work teams by going undercover. Really, HR Leaders, it doesn't have to be that complex. Just get trained to do your employee's jobs. Not that you want the work, but there is extreme value in knowing what's going on in the trenches. Valuable improved morale. Valuable time to be recaptured. Valuable moment to engage them and show you care.
Go Not-So-Undercover Boss and figure out the junk they deal with everyday. They'll thank you for it, and based on the response since this incident, the team will start to ask, "Do I really have to do _____?" before continuing to do crazy stuff that doesn't seem to make sense.
Right now I'm in a project revolutionizing a transactional process -- a very cool project on which I work with three dear colleagues. Last week on the project, the team found we have not 1, not 2, but 3, yes 3, degree-certified professionals detaching paper A from paper B and attaching paper B to paper C. Everyday. Multiple times per day. And why were they executing this brilliantly designed process? So Employee Group A didn't have to use a computer system (on which the group already works) to look up information.
I wish this blog had a screaming head icon... talk about things that drive me crazy.
In Marti's recent post, "What they aren't telling you," she highlighted some of sharing implications of what employees don't tell the boss. I'm telling you, "Bosses! Get in the detail of your employees work! NOW!" Not to micromanage them but to get ridiculous tasks like this out of their work day. This piece of paper was a known issue but "no one" could resolve it. Really? This small group of folks kept talking, asking, and found that it could go away... in less than 4 hours. Literally, 4 hours after the idea hit the table, the problem was gone.
The popular TV Show, "Undercover Boss", shows a boss learning appreciation for the details of his/her work teams by going undercover. Really, HR Leaders, it doesn't have to be that complex. Just get trained to do your employee's jobs. Not that you want the work, but there is extreme value in knowing what's going on in the trenches. Valuable improved morale. Valuable time to be recaptured. Valuable moment to engage them and show you care.
Go Not-So-Undercover Boss and figure out the junk they deal with everyday. They'll thank you for it, and based on the response since this incident, the team will start to ask, "Do I really have to do _____?" before continuing to do crazy stuff that doesn't seem to make sense.
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