Human Resource Therapy for Good Company Company Health

I’m going to get a little personal today, so bear with me as it has an impact on your business.

I recently hurt my shoulder; it is inflamed, and movement is very limited. The treatment plan prescribed by the doctor was ice and anti-inflammatory medication for a week then followed by physical therapy. Full healing would be several weeks away. I am not a patient person, so sitting with an icepack and waiting for this injury to heal is very frustrating to say the least.  And the progress is very SLOW.  However, I know that if I did it my way, I would push through the pain, ignore the doctor’s orders and not ice or take the medication. BUT where would I be in 3 weeks?   Probably in worse condition than at the start. These baby steps make a difference when they are followed day after day, no matter how tedious.   One week later and I am seeing improvement, but I still have a way to go.   Future reference, I will strengthen my shoulder muscles so that this isn’t likely to happen in the future.   Proactive vs. Reactive is always the best way to go.

Why am I sharing this?  While sitting with an ice pack on my shoulder, I realized that this situation is very similar to managing human resources in the company. There are baby steps in how you manage your employees, and how you take heed to compliance issues that will help keep your company in order (proactive) or help you be better prepared to treat an issue once a problem arises (reactive).   But if these steps are ignored, it’s probable that problems will occur with more frequently.

So, based on the doctor’s plan, here is my HR Therapy prescription for maintaining optimal Human Resource health and treatments when issues arise.

Maintaining Human Resource Health

• Employees these days desire to work for a company that they feel appreciated. Encourage the good, don’t focus on just the bad.
• Employees love flexibility, perks. Not all companies can accommodate this request, but occasional flexible hours, limited perks or a staff luncheon once a month, go a long way.
• Encourage open door policy. Employees need to understand and feel welcome to talk directly to management with issues. If they don’t, they WILL be talking to fellow employees.
• Update employees on company standards, policies, struggles and growth. Keeping them informed, keeps them engaged. Employees appreciate the big picture view.
• Build a team environment; this helps employees feel like part of the big picture, part of the team not just an individual.

Treatment Plan for Unhealthy Issues in the Workplace

• Sit with the employee(s) to discuss any issues and come up with a plan of action to correct or assist. Don’t procrastinate communicating about even tough issues.
• Document every conversation where a bigger issue may be in play
• Don’t be afraid to counsel more deliberately if prior conversation has not been effective.
• Inform your employee(s) of your plan to correct any issues
• Give the employee the opportunity to improve.
• Termination or suspension as a last resort if all other listed advice is not followed or doesn’t work.

These are just some quick tips for a healthy workplace environment and treatment when issues arise.  As with all treatments, they must be individualized to the patient or company, and Infinium is always here to help you tailor your healthy workplace and treatment plans.   Here’s to good health!