Comments for

Comment on Life is a Mirror by Staying well therapist

Staying well therapist — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:36:54 +0000

We also need to remember that we can not reach into the future nor touch the past but only live in the present – its what we do today that makes the difference….

Comment on Keeping People In the Loop by Jamie Ross (Mining Man)

Jamie Ross (Mining Man) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:47:20 +0000

Totally agree! Between emails, Reply to alls, Communicator, blackberries, etc, I worry we may lose the art of face-to-face communications. Keeping in contact with your team / peers can prevent (or cure) so many problems. Great article.

Comment on Keeping People In the Loop by mauraf

mauraf — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:17:05 +0000

Agreed. At a time when the loyalty contract is quickly becoming a thing of the past, and when we know for sure that email communications are risky for the high miscommunication factor, face time with the very people that keep your customers and shareholders happy is not too much to ask of our leaders. And truly, the side benefit is that employees feel more connected to their workplace, which might increase motivation and morale.

Comment on E-Mail Resolution by Valerie

Valerie — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:38:36 +0000

Love it. I am going to print this out and start to implement it!
I also am trying to turn off my Outlook 2 hours a day and go back and check (2 hours later) on any important emails to be answered ASAP. It is so easy to suck up an hour or two with returning just a few emails. The Ones you can do in your dead time or at home.
Thank you!

Valerie

Comment on Unions “Complify” Business by amit

amit — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:28:50 +0000

I agree with ur opinion to a great extent particularly in case of government establishments where there is job security.Many times i have seen unions put unnecessary demands & bound the management to accept them by hampering production.But, at the same it depends on the management how it plans future actions to ensure that the organizations objectives should be achieved.

Comment on Unions “Complify” Business by Peter McGee

Peter McGee — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:51:00 +0000

I see unions as providing balance to a system that may become unhealthily one-sided in their absence. Maintaining balance helps the system and society avoid the severe negative impact of an abrupt correction. Unions provide a collective voice for a workforce balancing the negotiation position between labour and capital. Without unions there would be a greater likelihood that capital would force conditions of low pay, safety and amenity on its labour force at times when supply of labour is high, this situation would continue until the disenchantment of the labour force make a radical ‘adjustment’ to the status quo resulting in poor outcomes for the workers and the owners of resources. I see no reason to believe that children would not be working in mines if the decision was left purely to the business owner. Sure you and I may not be a party to that outcome, but I fear the world may not be overpopulated with scrupulous investors; one only has to look at the work the international childrens’ charities undertake to know that life is not all butterflies and rainbows for many children.

It is within this framework that I see responsible unionism facilitating the lubricant for the negotiation between management and employees. I acknowledge that unions will exploit their position when they can, just as management does. The capacity to exploit a position is often based on the context of the situation and this context changes from one side to the other over time; so I think that a longer-term view needs to be taken to assess the value of unions in the workplace. In many ways they may not be different to management; neither always good nor always bad. I feel that the overall situation is enhanced by the existence of unions.

Comment on Unions “Complify” Business by Tom Gill

Tom Gill — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:35:37 +0000

I had to study the history of unions in the US during college. That helps a person not to become reactionary in their thoughts. Your communication conveyed that type of thinking. Find out why unions were created in the first place and you can see why they were useful and necessary for the worker. However, when unions become corporate entities unto themselves they stop serving the reasons they were created. Corporations have the mission of being profitable. Unions become profiable from union dues, the more members the more dues, the more profit.

Comment on Joke or No Joke by Crystal Hartley

Crystal Hartley — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:04:53 +0000

I think these rules are great. We have most of these in place at our place of business as well.

Comment on Leaders Discourage Cliques by Carol

Carol — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:12:05 +0000

Hi Bob,
Great article. What advice do you have for the employee in an environment where management encourages cliques?

Comment on 9 Rules for Making Tough Calls by Jamie Ross

Jamie Ross — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:31:39 +0000

Good post Robert.
There’s a saying that goes something like, “most people are ok if a decision doesn’t go their way, so long as they’ve had the chance to have their input properly heard”.

I agree you should consider who the stakeholders are in the decision outcomes, get input from them (keeping timeliness in mined), and then map out how each are affected by your proposed decision.

The most important point for me is to never ever try to disown the decision, say that you wish you didn’t have to make it, or blame it on the company. It’s your role, your decision, stand by it. If you know in yourself that you are doing the right and fair thing then this shouldn’t be a problem.