Having the right people around you makes it much easier to do your own job. If you don't have to worry about what other employees are doing, you won't be spending half your day running around putting out fires. Remember this the next time an opportunity comes along to promote somebody from within your organization. Before selecting the person to promote, make sure you're making the decision for the right reasons.

The Wrong Reasons to Promote an Employee

First, let's look at inappropriate reasons for promoting someone. Stated simply, any time you promote a person whom you feel not to be right for the job (e.g., because the person has sound technical skills but isn't a "people person"), your reasons are bound to be wrong. That would include promoting the employee because:

• You consider the employee valuable and want to keep him or her from leaving;
• The job needs filling right away and you feel that you don't have the time to conduct a thorough job search;
• You consider the employee a "friend" and feel like he or she is "owed" the promotion; or
• The employee is going through a tough personal problem, such as a divorce or dealing with a sick child, and needs a promotion to get through.

The Right Reason to Promote an Employee

The right reason to promote an employee is because you consider the person qualified for the position. Period. As the person making the promotion decision, your job is to determine if the person has the right qualifications.

How to Make a Sound Decision

Evaluating employees to determine if they're right for a promotion isn't as simple as it sounds. It's often hard to be objective about a person's qualifications, particularly if that person is a longstanding friend and colleague. Here are a few things you can do to make sure the person can be trusted with the promotion:

• Talk to other employees you trust and who have worked with the employee about the employee's suitability for promotion;
• Let the employee know that an opportunity for advancement has come up and spell out the qualities you're seeking. Don't mention that you're considering the employee for the position. See if the employee takes the bait and tells you why he thinks he has the desired qualities and would be right for the job;
• Carefully consider the employee's reliability and loyalty and make sure that you feel in your own mind that the person can do the job properly and consistently and can work with all kinds of personalities; and
• If you're still not sure that you have the right person, write a detailed list of attributes that the ideal candidate would have and see how your potential candidate stacks up

Conclusion

One of the nice things about being a manager is the power to promote. Who among us wouldn't love to be in a position to do something nice for our co-workers and colleagues and to reward them for loyal service? But remember what's at stake. You're not doing a people a favor when you promote them to positions for which they're not qualified. All you're doing is setting them up to fail. And you're also doing harm to your own position. Promoting the wrong people can serve only to compromise your own effectiveness and that of your safety program.

So base your decision on merit, not emotion. A manager can't and shouldn't try to be everyone's friend. All that anybody has a right to expect of you is that you make decisions that are fair, honest and informed.

LAUGHTER AT WORK

Joke of the Week

Sweat Shop Humor

We asked you to share jokes you use to break the ice in training sessions. Thanks to everyone who sent them in. Here’s another one to share with your workers:

It was a hot day as the two men worked together in the field.  One turned to the other and said, "Wow!  Somebody’s deodorant ain’t workin!"

The other worker  replied "It must be yours cause I ain't wearin none."

Submitted by
Tim Landosky
Safety and Environmental Manager
Money Mailer, LLC

If you’ve got a joke or riddle you’d like to share, send them to catherinej@bongarde.com. Let us know if we can use your name/company name.

DRUG-FREE WORK WEEK

October 16 - 22, 2006

By Catherine Jones

This week marks the first-ever Drug-Free Work Week. Promoted by the US Department of Labor, the weeklong campaign is designed to raise awareness of the relationship between being drug-free and improved workplace safety.

According to the DOL, while diagnosing an alcohol or drug problem is not a supervisor’s job, it is important for supervisors to watch for changes in employee’s performance. To help keep your workplace alcohol- and drug-free, a supervisor should:

• Understand the company’s drug-free workplace policy;
• Be able to identify performance problems that might be related to substance abuse;
• Be aware of resources available to help employees who do have alcohol- or drug-related problems.

The DOL lists these performance and behavior problems that might indicate that an employee is abusing alcohol or drugs:

Performance:

• Inconsistent work quality
• Poor concentration
• Lowered productivity
• Increased absenteeism
• Unexplained disappearances from the jobsite
• Carelessness, mistakes
• Errors in judgment
• Needless risk-taking
• Disregard for safety
• Extended lunch breaks and early departures

Behavior:

• Frequent financial problems
• Avoiding friends and colleagues
• Blaming others for problems
• Complaints about personal problems
• Deterioration in personal appearance
• Mentioning vaguely defined illnesses

But remember: these are NOT definitive signs that a person has a substance abuse problem. If you need to talk to a worker about performance problems that might be related to alcohol or drug use:

• Stick to the facts
• Prepare supporting documents and records
• Do not mention alcohol or drug use

For more information on how to create a drug-free workplace, including symptoms and intervention techniques, visit http://www.dol.gov/asp/programs/drugs/workingpartners/wpdrug-free.asp

Source: US Department of Labor

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