Exchange

Linking Time is a valuable commodity most companies could use a little – or even a lot – more of. And, with fewer employees and heavier workloads, workdays get shorter and shorter with every passing second. With projects stacking up, employees are working longer hours. They come in early, take fewer breaks, leave late, and even take work home. Others lose concentration as they get overwhelmed and stressed. Both of these responses to a heavy work load can wreak havoc on employee morale, efficiency, and productivity. But, one way you can help beat the clock and expand your team’s workday while increasing company productivity is by holding more effective and time-efficient meetings.

Employees spend an average of nearly six hours a week in meetings, according to a survey conducted by Microsoft Office. And, 69 percent of respondents felt the meetings they attended were not productive. Ineffective meetings are among the top time wasters at work, according to experts. And, six hours a week adds up fast! Over a year, that’s almost 40 days spent in meetings! And, it’s not just time that adds up. Billions of dollars are lost in productivity each year. So, make sure you and your employees have successful meetings by following these simple rules before time runs out.

1. Don’t have meetings that aren’t necessary. It may seem obvious, but if a meeting isn’t absolutely necessary, don’t schedule it. Information that could be communicated more effectively through an e-mail or memo shouldn’t require a meeting. Most meetings should only be scheduled when collaboration is needed. So, evaluate your current meeting schedule to see what meetings can be eliminated, and make sure every future meeting you schedule is necessary.

2. Have an objective and an agenda. Establish a focused objective and agenda clearly outlined prior to a scheduled meeting and communicate it to attendees. An objective and agenda will maximize the meeting results by defining the purpose of the meeting, what attendees can expect to discuss, and how they can prepare beforehand. Allowing ample opportunity for attendees to prepare will facilitate successful participation and input from your team. Be sure to assign specific project information to the appropriate employees in advance.

3. Limit meeting attendance. Not every team member should be in attendance at every meeting. Carefully consider which employees should attend based on the meeting objective and the employee’s tasks, strengths, and expertise as they relate to the objective. If your meeting involves several departments, contact each department’s supervisor or manager to determine who should be in attendance.
If you have employees who have a tendency to feel left out, gently reassure them you respect and value their time and want it to be spent in the most effective way. Most employees will appreciate the time you’re saving them.

4. Assign Action Items. Every meeting should have action items assigned to employees before the meeting adjourns. Assign items for follow up to the appropriate employees. Before the meeting concludes, clearly communicate and restate each action item and the person responsible to ensure everyone’s on the same page and understands the next steps in the process and their role in it.

5. Be prompt. Try to begin and end meetings promptly at the scheduled times. If the meeting starts to get off track, tactfully steer it back to the objective, agenda, and purpose. If other subjects come up that can be addressed by e-mail or during a one-on-one conversation, communicate that you will get back with the necessary individuals at a different time.

You can’t turn back the clock for your team, but you can give back an average of two eight-hour days more a month for every employee by making sure meetings are managed effectively for success.

HR Issue

Text Messages and Sexual Harassment

Employees Cell phone text messaging has changed the way we communicate. It has changed the way we operate, and even the way we do business. It’s direct and instantaneous. And, with more than a third of the world texting, it is continually becoming a more prevalent and often preferred means of communication.

Every month, more than 75 billion text messages are sent in the U.S. alone, according to Vibes Media, a Chicago-based company that markets businesses through text messages. But, like most technological advances, text messaging can have some unintended consequences, like the dangers of texting while driving or the problem of teen “sexting.” For employers, “textual” harassment can be an issue, when text messages cross the line into sexual harassment – unwelcome sexual advances that affect an individual’s employment, work performance or environment.

Experts say the seemingly casual and ephemeral nature of text messages lulls users into a false sense of security. Generally savvy state senators and mayors have even been caught sending inappropriate messages to their aides and staff. Text messages were recently the “lipstick on the collar” in the alleged indiscretions of one of the world’s most talented golfers. Part of the problem is, few people take enough time to reflect on a message before they hit send. And, even seemingly innocent text messages can be the source of unwanted advances by a co-worker. Short hasty messages are easy to misconstrue. And, winking or smiling emoticons can make a message take on an inappropriate context.

Inappropriate or offensive text messages have become a massive treasure-trove of evidence for attorneys to support and collaborate claims of sexual misconduct and harassment. Laws and statues have been amended to include electronic communication like e-mail and text messages regarding sexual harassment. The American Bar Association now offers classes on how to use electronic evidence in a court of law. Employment lawyers say that in litigation, text messages have become even more potent than e-mail. And for employers, that means a growing source of liability, as text message use continues to grow in the workplace.

Have you ever received an inappropriate message at work? Take the poll.

The Society of Human Resource Management and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recommend that employers handle text-based harassment like any other harassment with “clear anti-harassment policies and swift action.” So, to protect your company from the growing liability of sexual harassment via text messaging, take the following measures:

Have a company policy in place that clearly addresses sexual harassment in the context of electronic means of communication such as e-mail and texting. An HR professional or employment attorney can aid or advise on matters of policies and procedures.
Update the policy when necessary as new tools and issues emerge.
Ensure all employees clearly understand the policies and procedures set, along with any actions you will take regarding any misconduct or disregard for those policies.
Regularly review sexual harassment policies with employees and notify them of any changes or updates.

Employers should also be aware that if an incident occurs, privacy issues must be considered before reviewing an employee’s text messages, especially when the text messages come from an employee’s personal cell phone. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case involving the personal text messages that were sent and received on a government-issued pager by a police department’s employee. The Supreme Court’s decision may impact how courts view employee-privacy workplace issues in the future. So, contact an employment attorney or HR professional before proceeding to ensure employee rights are not violated.

Text messages may be the new sexual harassment vehicle, but it will continue to be a growing issue for employers as younger, tech-savvy generations continue to enter the workforce. Teenagers with unlimited text plans sent and received an average of 2,272 text messages per month in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the Nielsen Company. As younger generations whose major form of communication has been text messaging grow up and enter the workforce, this and other related issues will grow. Text messaging and its unintended consequences aren’t going away any time soon. So, start protecting your company and your employees now by providing clear, updated policies.

Employee Training

Simple Training Tricks from the Kindergarten Classroom

SUTA Everything you need to know about guiding the growth and development of your employees you may have already learned in kindergarten. With a little modification, many of the lessons and activities that seemed like nothing more than fun and games as five-year olds can be applied to your workforce training.

Field Trips
You could explain to your team how your clients do business until you’re blue in the face, but actually taking them to visit an office or see a production facility can offer the kind of hands-on experience that creates true understanding. And, it will also help to strengthen your relationships with clients when they see you are taking a genuine interest in their company.

Show and Tell
Another time honored kindergarten tradition, show and tell can also be an effective tool for training your employees. For example, instead of simply handing out a manual describing new policies or procedures, make individual employees responsible for teaching the changes to the group. Or, invite an outside speaker to come to your office and lead a discussion about a particular issue facing your company.

Circle Time
Plan a time each week to meet with your team as a group to discuss current issues that may affect the company. Share magazine articles that pertain to your business, or suggest a book that may help create better understanding about a particular topic important to your staff. Encourage your employees to offer feedback about current projects or concerns related to their work, and lead a group discussion to help provide them with new insight.

Recess
And, who could forget recess? A time to get out of the classroom, have a little fun, and build friendships. Camaraderie in the workplace is crucial. Plan an outing for your team to help build stronger work relationships. The outing doesn’t necessarily need to be centered around the business. In fact, it’s probably better if it isn’t. Keep the atmosphere light, casual, and fun. Really focus on letting your team get to know each other in a different context. Examples of teambuilding activities can include everything from ropes courses to a classic game of kickball at the local park.

In kindergarten, we learn the basic tools and techniques that lay the groundwork for a lifetime of growth and learning. Applying these concepts to the business world is a simple, yet effective, way to approach employee training and teambuilding.

Exchange is a publication of Express Services, Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Copyright 2010.