You Live. You Learn.

About a year and a half ago, I was introduced to a fascinating young man named Michael, who I ended up hiring to do some very niche creative work for Global Learning. He would say he was fortunate that I was able to understand the value in his diverse experience; however, his innovative work for Global Learning would prove that good fortune was also mine.  

Michael is one of those people that, when you meet, you just know there is something different about them. He is the type of person that embraces the world from his own angle, all the while staying eager to understanding the views of others. A great sign of an involved team player and potential leader.

When he was younger, Michael’s uniqueness led him to pursue a career as an actor. He has elite training from prestigious, historic institutions, and a performance resume which boldly represents that education.  

When he wasn’t performing, he could be found taking on any number of other theater-related responsibilities: everything from directing, to teaching, to casting. He even spent some time working as part of the casting team for a list of Broadway productions and feature films.

He had worked in the professional entertainment industry from the time he was 11, until about the time he was 27, when unforeseeable circumstances caught his life off guard. His priorities had to change, and he now felt obligated to seek out what others would deem as “conventional work”.

Until we crossed paths, by his own retelling, he wasn’t having the easiest of time getting his foot in the door, even for interviews. He says that many employers he would speak with just didn’t quite understand him, and they would be dismissive because of his alternative experience. He felt they didn’t understand the responsibilities involved with the theatrical positions he was listing on his resume.      

When I first met Michael and took a look at his resume, I would say he only had one or two traditional working positions that, on paper, could correlate to the business world. But because of similar backgrounds he and I shared, and the fact that I took the time to really listen to his story, I was able to read the language his resume was speaking.

Ballet is where my passion led me for many years before joining the corporate ranks. I know firsthand the vigor, passion, willpower, stamina, loyalty, and dedication it takes to survive in the professional performing arts. Performance artists have a real understanding of knowing what their responsibility is, within the greater organizational picture. Another sign of an involved team player and potential leader.

I knew that Michael had the potential to be one of Global Learning’s superstar employees.

I asked him why he thought employers or recruiters may not see him for his true worth, and I found his response to be very interesting.

“For the generations before me, like my parents and grandparents, options were limited and obligations concrete. I think because of this sense of containment they were raised in, they sought to teach my generation that our options were boundless, and we had an obligation to follow our passion, whatever the cost.”

He explained how he has come across countless people from his generation who found a passion when they were younger, spent a large portion of time and dedication to developing their skills regarding that passion, and – due to life’s uncertainty – have found themselves with noteworthy achievements, yet limited traditional business experience.

Imaginative, innovative and passionate people with powerful unique skills are available to employers, and the pool is large. These potential employees are being abruptly ignored because, at first glance, those skill sets don’t readily align with traditional best business practices.  

Michael handled his Global Learning responsibilities so exceptionally; he was quickly being sought by other companies to do similar work. Instead of taking the best offer, he harnessed his skill that he had developed here at Global Learning, and then created his own company, devoted to his now-developed expertise. This gave him the opportunity to take on the offers he received from potential employers, and turned them into potential clients. Fortunately for me, Global Learning is one of his primary accounts. With the launch of his own endeavors, at the age of 31 he is now thriving, confidant, self-reliant, and trusting of his own acquired wisdom.

Leaders and employers must keep their eyes wide open and their ears perked for people like Michael. We have the skilled workers we have been looking for right in front of us and their skills are rather incredible. Perhaps they just need to be refined to your organization’s needs.

“Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything.”

- Henry David Thoreau

 

The HR Times, They Are a Changin'

I am all for policies being in place for handling sensitive workplace situations, but we mustn't forget sometimes those policies need reviewing.

Recently, I was approached for advice regarding a workplace situation of a departmental employee of a very large organization. This department is comprised of a director, several managers and roughly 130 employees.

When speaking with the employee, capping off a variety of what I actually believed to be sincere leadership concerns, the last straw came when the employee felt they had been verbally disrespected by their director.

The employee, with strong supporting evidence, also alleges that the director through various actions encourages resentment towards employees who may need to take time off due to their disabilities. This is despite the fact that employees have the contractual right to take personal time at their discretion, and that personal time is afforded to all employees, with or without disabilities.

The work ethic of the employee has been consistently noted as stellar in both supervisor and client reviews. Specifically noted were the employees effeciency skills. This employee clearly is not out to waste anyones time, so they opted to take the route the organization offers to handle such circumstances and filed a grievance against the director.

Allow me to give you a quick run-down of how this particular grievance process works:

1.   Employee files grievance with 1 of the managers.

2.   The manager then confers with the other managers and director to decide if they find the grievance valid. They have 2 weeks to come to this decision.

3.    If the grievance is found invalid, the employee can appeal, which precipitates a meeting with the manager, director, a union representative and an HR representative. The director and HR representative will decide if the grievance is still deemed invalid. The director has two weeks to schedule this meeting, and has the opportunity to ask for an extension.

4.    If found invalid again, the employee can appeal a final time where they must bring the issue before a designated impartial tribunal. It may take over a year for the tribunal to be assembled.

     

     

      This process, while more than a bit convoluted, very well may have been created with the best of intentions.

Despite the evidence which I found valid, the grievance was dismissed by the managers and director after the first and second stages in the process. Which, considering the director is the superior in question, wasn't much of a shock.  When the accused is making the final call, I can't say I am confident that decision is made without prejudice. However, the employee can file and has filed an appeal.

Based on the policies in place, the outcome of the first two stages will be determined by the offender.

When this was questioned, the employee was told that the only way to reach the tribunal stage was to go through the first stages of the policy process.

So, just to be clear, because the policy must be followed to the letter and there are no exceptions allowed, the abused must:

·         Directly accuse their abuser, twice.

·         Attempt to convince the abuser that they are indeed abusive in their leadership tactics, twice.

·         All so that they can finally approach the issue with a non-partial panel, which may take up to a year to put in place.

What stands out to me the most is the lack of concern for the employees mental health throughout this entire situation.

We have a sincere, exemplary employee who has to re-live an uncomfortable workplace situation several times, only to be told by the director involved each time that their feelings are unreasonable. And to add insult to injury, the employee must work for another year under a director they feel they can prove is discriminatory.

Let's even give the director the benefit of the doubt and assume for a second the employee’s feelings, while sincere may be misguided - although, I don't believe that to be the case:

It’s the fact that there is even the existence of an active policy that would prolong any amount of mental anguish for an employee that truly startles me.

Workplace discrimination claims are on the rise. It's a pristine indicator that workers are dutifully becoming aware of their right to a mentally and emotionally stable and safe work environment. Hopefully this is leading employers to the understanding that it is their responsibility to establish and ensure that workplace exists for everyone involved, without exception.

Most organizations have conflict/resolution policies in place, but with an increasing awareness of the effects of positive and negative mental health in the workplace, we must question the effectiveness of these policies.

I'll say it again: I am all for policies being in place for handling sensitive workplace situations, but we mustn't forget that those policies require review, revision and most importantly, at all times, enforcement.

`` Twice and thrice over, as they say, good is it to repeat and review what is good."
- Plato