A Crash Course- Hostile Work Environments by Pat Gonzalez

Nothing can make an HR professional cringe more than hearing that an employee has come forward and is accusing a member of the management team of creating a hostile work environment.  What exactly is a hostile work environment?  A hostile work environment is one where unwelcome and discriminatory conduct is present and its at a level that alters an employee's work conditions.  The conditions are so altered that an abusive work environment is created and the employee may experience tremendous amounts of stress and even fear or anxiety from being at work.  Some causes can be physical and they can also be people related.

There are forms of hostile work environments to be aware of:

Hostile Work Environment (Basis: Discrimination and you are a protected class)
In all 50 states, federal law makes it illegal for employers with 15+ employees to discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, citizenship status, and genetic information.  If you're in the wonderful state of California, state law makes it illegal for employers with 5+ employees to discriminate also on marital status, sexual orientation & identity, AIDS/HIV, medical condition, and even political activities or affiliations. Speak to your HR person as soon as possible if you are a victim of discrimination. Discrimination noted above violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), and the Americans with the Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).

Hostile Work Environment (Basis: Emotionally Toxic)

While there is nothing illegal if a company wishes to employ ignorant or weak/rude leaders, the results can be illegal in terms of work environments supporting bully behavior.  If the office bully creates a hostile work environment with subtle threats and psychological or verbal abuse then the environment becomes illegal. Unfortunately these types of leaders find comfort in knowing that employees are afraid to complain given the current job market and the fear of being unemployed is very real.

Hostile Work Environment (Basis:The Ends Outweigh the Means)

This type of environment exists when the leaders of the company are only interested in results or contributions of the employees.  I am a fan of the the "results only-work environment", since the main premise is accountability based on contribution and not presence. The work is managed and people are allowed to work autonomously.  Done right this management concept is awesome for those juggling families, careers, and all the other demands of life.  Done wrong and administrated by inexperienced weak managers and the result is an illegal environment filled with harassment due to unrealistic productivity expectations and company goals.

I would hope that for the most part most of us are in good working environments. Good-but not great working environments.  These are the companies that provide a safe and clean work environment.  They are concerned with safety and ergonomics, and possibly offer an efficient and somewhat structured work environment.  Obviously no workplace is perfect, but the great company would be a work site that inspired loyalty and beyond-the-call-of-duty commitment from top to bottom of the organization.

Without a doubt hostile work environments will continue to operate, but please be aware that you can change your work environment and make it the right working environment for you. It won't happen overnight and an HR department can help you. Ask yourself, "What can I do to be a part of changing my bad environment to good-or even my good environment to a great environment?"  You can make it your job to discover the work environment that best supports you in your work and then model the behavior that supports that environment.  Most importantly you don't focus on the things you are powerless to change.  By focusing your thoughts, attitudes and behavior on what is good and true and worthwhile, you will find that you are consciously creating a positive, healthy work environment for yourself and everyone around you.

It goes without saying that it's much easier to prevent a hostile work environment than it is to turn one around.  Your perfect job should be a good fit for how you would like to work.  So if you are currently job hunting-please keep reading.  Once you have survived a hostile work environment you can train yourself to recognize and note the red flags as you interview for a new role.  When you interview for a role you have as much right as the potential employer to demand a perfect/good/great job fit as they do.  Don't neglect your skills, strengths, and career goals.  Consider how all of these tie in to the opportunity at hand and understand that there will be repercussions if you neglect to match your skills and temperament to your new job. 

What if you're deciding if it's it's okay to quit? If you're feeling very oppressed or very unhappy at work I'm sure it would be so satisfying and possibly even very dramatic to announce, "I quit!"  Unless your health/sanity was being severely compromised I would recommend you use the quitting scenario as a last resort.  I would first look at what you can do about your hostile work environment. 

Is there anything that could make your job and you get along better? This is only something you can answer, even if you have HR helping you out. If you have done everything in your power to fix it then don't be a glutton for punishment. Leave as soon as you can, but do it graciously.  Every once in a while you come across a good company with horrible leadership.  To make things worse, the horrible leadership is supported by upper management simply because these horrible leaders can show great results and the HR department is powerless to make the culture shifts necessary for you to continue working there. Continue as long as you can benefit from the learning experience, and then leave once you are unable to manage the experience to remain productive and happy.

Thank you for reading my blog. Please e-mail me if you would like to see a topic discussed in my future blogs. Your comments and feedback are always welcomed.  Having a formatting issue on this longer than usual blog.  Feel free to e-mail suggestions on that as well! 

Killing You Softly With Bad Management-By Pat Gonzalez

As you recall employees that are empowered and are truly committed to a company's goals are usually satisfied with their work and actually enjoy their jobs. We can all agree that leaders play an important role in creating a work environment that supports employee engagement and that it leads to a positive impact to an organization's bottom-line.

I applaud companies that promote from within, but I cringe when some of those companies ignore the fact that their newly promoted leader is lacking skills in leadership and coaching.  They figure that an incredible doer will naturally be an incredible leader.  Nothing is further from the truth.  Yes, sometimes leaders are born, but more often great leaders are groomed and guided with the help of incredible leadership training and coaching experiences.

I'm sure that bad management is not a malicious premeditated goal of the person that happens to be killing you softly at the office right now.  It's a result of not having experience or the opportunity of training to develop their management style and possibly they are experiencing some stress when they are not meeting department goals.  They generally have communication issues, and don't know how to lead.  Intimidation, fear, "the stick and not the carrot" may be tactics they are trying to experiment with, since short term results may lead them to believe that these methods will carry them in the long run.

This is what I have learned from my experience of working with bad bosses:  (I added a bit of satirical humor into it, but it's done to highlight the effects of a negative environment.)

1.  Perfection becomes your mantra.  There is no room for error---ever!! You train yourself to check everything 4 or 5 times and then have someone else check it as well.  The "stick and not the carrot" management style is evident if you make a mistake.  The feedback you get from your manager after an error makes you want to opt for being beat by a stick, than to have to listen to more of their "feedback."

2. You become "MacGyver."  The bottom line is you don't have enough time or information to do your job.  You can't ask your boss, so you learn to "make-do." You become innovative and learn CSI investigative skills to obtain 70% of the information you need and you begin to learn that 70% is enough.

3.  You learn how to fly under the radar.  If you are in a meeting and you are asked for feedback about your last project, you smile and agree all went well.  You have learned from previous exchanges that your feedback (even though you and your co-workers have great ideas to actually improve things) is not being genuinely sought out.  It's sort of like when the manager asks, "How are you?", and then walks away.  It's their habit to ask, but resist the urge to respond.  If you do get ready to get more of that "stick and no carrot" behavior.

4.  You learn to adjust your behavior in a matter of seconds. This is because you can now read or anticipate the mood your boss will be in.  You can anticipate how often your boss will "check-in" with you and by correctly reading their moods you can actually avoid the temper tantrums and land mines on the horizon.

5.  You develop close relationships with your co-workers.  It's like the USMC.  You enter the battlefield together and take care of each other.  You uplift the recently "injured", and commiserate with one another.  Your experience develops long lasting friendships that can follow you through your career.  You can see that the experience is like being a Marine!  (I think my warrior (Marine) son might appreciate my analogy!)

6.  You learn when enough is enough.  I don't recommend seeking out an anti-employee environment  to learn the above items.  I do however ask that if you happen to find yourself in a situation where the leaders in your organization "are killing you softly", that you understand that it is a personal decision as to whether you stay or go.  Think of the stories circulating about employees sharing their abusive exchanges with Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg.  They stuck around because the learning opportunities were very beneficial to them, and the (alleged) abusive behavior was something they learned to manage and navigate.  Know what your threshold for abuse is and learn how to manage this type of environment if you feel you can benefit from it.

My next blogs will be about how HR can help turn around a negative working environment from an employee and manager's vantage point.  Please e-mail me if you have a topic you would like to see covered in my blog.  Your comments and ideas are always welcomed.

How To Encourage Employee Engagement-by Pat Gonzalez

Employee engagement is key to an organization, but it is also a challenge to cultivate and to sustain.  Many organizations have been able to create work environments that encourage employee engagement because they understand its value and the importance of implementing strategies to foster it. Organizations depend on effective managers to be committed in creating a work environment that supports employee engagement.

With this is mind it's no surprise that employee engagement will exist if managers are committed to:

• Having conversations with employees that convey how an employee's performance will be measured as well as how employees will be held accountable.

• Coaching employees and placing employees on career paths to insure success.

• Making a commitment to employees to keep them informed and engaged over the long haul and not just for short term projects.  The strategy of employee engagement is a long term strategy.

• Providing the necessary communication to align each employee's role and duties with the organization's overall mission statement and goals. 

In addition to the items above there needs to be an effective recognition and reward system in place that supports and promotes your employee engagement strategy.  The carrot and stick show is not applicable here and effective recognition includes verbal or written acknowledgment from the employee's manager in addition to any reward (bonus, gift certificate, paid time off, etc.)  If you are a manager and you feel uncomfortable with any of the above items please see your HR representative or request a workshop with your local HR consultant.

It's also important to note that demonstrating trust, respect, and communicating the necessary shared values of the organization will reinforce your employee engagement strategy.  Positive relationships with co-workers should be encouraged, since engaged employees need to work, not just with nice people, but with co-workers who are equally engaged.  Integrity, team work, and a passion for quality work will be the benchmark for your policies and strategies.  People who are passionate about what they do at work make ideal co-workers and ideal leaders in your organization.

My next blog will discuss how managers create an environment that does not support employee engagement.  Your feedback and questions are always welcomed.  If you would like to see a specific topic discussed please e-mail me your request.