Initial jobless claims declined to 213,000 last week, down 6,000 from the prior week, according to the Labor Department. However, continuing claims increased to a three-year high of 1.91 million. Full Story: MarketWatch (tiered subscription model) (11/21),The Associated Press (11/21),Bloomberg (11/21)
Leah Mether, a communication specialist, emphasizes the importance of addressing behavior changes in the workplace early to prevent them from escalating into performance issues. Mether outlines a five-step approach for leaders: notice behavioral changes early, open discussions with curiosity, show empathy, set clear expectations and follow up regularly. Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (11/19)
How to make taking time off easier for your team As a leader, it's vital that you communicate the importance of your team taking their paid time off, making it "part of the holistic employee experience, just like your paycheck or health insurance," says Johnna Muscente, vice president of communications and PR at The Corcoran Group. By modeling PTO-positive behavior and setting boundaries against hustle culture, you can foster an environment where employees feel comfortable taking necessary time off. Full Story: Ragan (11/18)
A survey of business professionals indicates 54% trust AI more than HR for unbiased decision-making, while only 27% favor HR, writes Josh Bersin, who points out the survey highlights a shift in perception of AI as a reliable tool for performance evaluations and pay decisions, with 65% confident in AI's fairness. "Our ability to engender trust and support in the company will more and more depend on our selection and implementation of AI systems," Bersin writes. Full Story: Josh Bersin blog (11/20)
The HR Leader
CEO focuses on authenticity, humility in leadership Enabling employees to be their best selves is essential to BILL founder and CEO René Lacerte, who emphasizes authenticity, humility and passion as crucial leadership values. "I want people to bring their experiences into work so that we have different perspectives because I always try to avoid groupthink. Having people be able to share and feel comfortable is super important to me," Lacerte says. Full Story: LinkedIn (11/19)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
What shipwreck inspired Herman Melville to write of a similarly shipwrecked Pequod in his novel "Moby-Dick"?
One of the toughest things I had to learn when I began managing was addressing behavioral issues with my direct reports. I knew how to coach teenagers and discipline children, but this was new terrain. I wasn’t too worried because I got along well with my team and they all seemed to get along with each other. Nonetheless, I knew it could happen. And it did. A colleague got upset during one of our check-in calls and raised his voice at me, berating a comment I had just made. My head snapped up and I felt my blood go hot. Reflexively, I clenched my fists and heard my knuckles crack. Just then, my dad’s voice echoed in my head. “Easy kid. Don’t let this go there.” My temper vanished instantly. I cocked my head to the side and just looked at him quietly, one eyebrow raised slightly. To his credit, he apologized immediately. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he said, waving his hands. I knew he meant it. The next few seconds were a bit awkward as we found our way back to safe ground, but we got there. When the phone call ended a few minutes later, we were good. Small behavioral issues can avalanche into anger, dissension or nasty confrontations if they go unchecked, according to today’s Recruitment & Retention story. Wise managers don't let them happen. They address the issues head-on with a compassionate but firm response that helps establish healthy parameters for dialogue and resolution. How do you handle challenging behavior on your teams? How do you coach managers to navigate them? Let me know! Do you enjoy this brief? Share it with others. Want different stories? Something about it bug you? Tell me. In the words of Frasier Crane, “I’m listening.”
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