Astronauts, Dinosaurs and Zombies: Halloween or your Workplace?

Ghouls, goblins and things that go bump in the night! Enjoy - it’s the season.

Halloween has grown into a major holiday. The American Federation of Retailers estimates that 7 out of 10 Americans will get into the haunting celebration – spending about $80 on festivities including food, costumes and decorations. Many offices now offer celebrations in addition to the parties and trick-or-treating events that go on after hours.

The idea of the alter egos individuals assume during the celebration started me thinking about how we classify employees when the costumes are packed away for next year. How would you rate your employees when it comes to these categories: 

Astronauts

Dinosaurs

Zombies

Understanding these work style preferences can aid in the design of appropriate engagement strategies.

Astronauts – creative, energized and self-motivated individuals who are invigorated by the challenges of change, technology, and new opportunities.

Dinosaurs – individuals who are significantly connected to the past. They usually can be spotted by the phrases, "We already tried that and it didn’t work" or, "We never did it that way before." They’re seriously reluctant to accept change and often create drama when change is presented.

Zombies – totally disengaged employees. They report to work physically, but aren’t engaged emotionally or mentally. Definitely your "walking dead."

The best time to begin engaging employees is through the hiring process. Integrate information about the organization’s mission, vision, values and goals into sourcing and recruiting documents and processes. Ensure that your HR staff and managers participating in the hiring process also understand the importance of incorporating this type of information into their interviewing and selection practices.

 

The on-boarding process is then an extension of the type of culture, performance expectations and engagement the organization is expecting from its employees. On-boarding, or what we used to call orientation, is a planned, progressive indoctrination of the organization’s expectations for employee involvement and practices for empowering and starting each employee on the right foot. The process is usually planned to cover information that should be understood and integrated into day-to-day performance by the employee after 30, 60 and 90 days.

Partnering a mentoring process with on-boarding can also be extremely successful, as the employee now has another avenue to for getting information and checking in on assumptions, perceptions, etc.

If you’re not familiar with a good frame work for on-boarding, check out Michael Watkins' book, The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels.

The following tips can also help to motivate and excite new employees, as well as those established in the organization:

• Share the enthusiasm and energy of the owner, leader, management team, etc. Communication about passion for the work the organization is doing can be very contagious. Celebrate and visibly acknowledge the events, outcomes, deliverables, and results the organization is proud of.
• Invite employees to be involved in what’s going on in the organization. Employees are more likely to be engaged if they believe the organization values their insights, opinions and ideas. Organizations get into trouble with "Zombies" when employees feel neglected and unappreciated.
• One solid way to keep employees motivated is to make sure they know how much customers and stakeholders appreciate them. Make sure that messages regarding customer appreciation are shared with the employees who deserve it, as well as their counterparts. Celebrate the compliments and help to remind employees of the impact of their work.
• Link work expectations with performance management. Employees need to see how their work aligns and supports the overall mission of the organization in order to become personally invested. Employees that recognize their value are more likely to be enthusiastic, creative and willing to go the extra mile without being asked.

So What’s Next?

Implementing a successful employee engagement process can greatly reduce turnover and improve performance results. Research indicates turnover costs can be estimated up to 200% of an employee’s salary. Once you find the right talent, and you’ve invested in the training of that employee, the wisest next step is to engage and retain them. However, not all employees are going to be Astronauts.

The performance management system also needs to support the training and development of Dinosaurs who are afraid to step into the 21st century and engage change, technology and flexible work styles. No organization today can afford the drag of employees who are not motivated and engaged about the future. Yes, we need to honor the past and the success that old practices brought to the organization, but at the same time, we need to have a mentality of forward thinking that provides the competitive edge to compete in the global economy.

Taking care of the Zombies. Organizations that spot Zombies in meetings, cubicles, or strolling down the hall on any day other than Halloween need to take action. Addressing Zombie attitudes and behaviors needs to be a priority and can easily be integrated with a good performance management system.

Organizations need to be clear when it comes to performance expectations, including behavioral characteristics. Employees who do not exhibit the expected behaviors and/or performance levels need to be counseled, and/or provided with assistance if it’s determined they need some additional training in order to be successful. They also need to be put on notice after an appropriate time goes by without expected results, that unless performance improves the organization may have to take action, as it appears the requirements of the position are not a fit with what the employee has to offer.

That’s tough medicine, and a diagnosis managers often shy away from. But every employee needs to make contributions for the success of the organization. No organization today can afford to have a "part-time" effort being put forth from a "full-time" position. If there’s a mismatch of requirements and talent, deal with it and move on, the sooner the better.

Halloween is a one day occasion. I hope you were able to enjoy the festivities - without allowing Zombies to invade your organization.

Daniel Pink

This article was written by Deborah A. King, SPHR, CEO and Sr. Organizational Effectiveness Consultant with Evolution Management, Inc. Debbie and her team are energized about transforming human performance through the evolution of workplace culture. Contact EMI for more information about how we can assist your organization: www.evolutionmgt.com; 770.587.9032