The Other Side of Life 24/7: The Cynical Girl: Performance Management

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The Cynical Girl: Performance Management

Posted: 02 Apr 2013 03:45 AM PDT

HR ladies secretly love to write performance improvement plans.

Let’s face it — performance problems are exciting. No matter how it ends, HR looks like it is making an impact on the company. And you get to use your lawyer voice!

(Why the hell did I earn my SPHR if I can’t play lawyer?)

If you are going to get involved in the performance management process, you need to have a governing philosophy. My beliefs are very simple.

Embedded in every private employment relationship is the explicit requirement to show up and do your job. This is non-negotiable.
In the absence of a job description, employees are still expected to show up and do a good job. Who the hell told you that you need a job description to do your job? If you don’t know what you’re supposed to do for a living, ask. You are not allowed to sit on the computer and await further instruction.
No one is obligated to warn anybody about anything. Poor performance is poor performance. You are not paid to suck.

I know my philosophy is tough, but anyone who has worked with me (or for me) during the past 15 years knows that I go out of my way to recognize and reward exceptional work. And I am the first person to tell a manager to go to hell if she is abusing her power, mistreating an employee, or being racist, sexist, homophobic or stupid.

I really tried to be a thoughtful and deliberate HR lady. I have taken my performance management philosophy into the world of agencies and entrepreneurialism. And I just think you either work hard or you don’t. And if you don’t work hard and contribute to the general well-being of an organization, it is time for you to go.

No drama. No tears. And no HR ladies or lawyers, please. Let’s all be adults, okay?

Gay Marriage and Equality

Posted: 01 Apr 2013 06:45 AM PDT

While love is universal, marriage is not a human right. It is an entitlement, given to us by the state, that affords protection and privileges to designated groups of people.

And while I believe that two consenting adults should be able to love and marry one another, I don’t think the path to equality goes through marriage.

Marriage can be a great and amazing institution; however, the past 100 years of feminist history reminds us that it can be oppressive, unhealthy and unequal.

It’s been reported that 3 out of 4 people personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence.
Women still do a majority of the housework and child-rearing.
And it’s not like women are shattering the glass ceiling or breaking apart institutional sexism because they are married. Just ask Sheryl Sandberg who advised women to choose their partners wisely. And what about Ursula Burns who told women to marry older men?

I think it’s great that 2.7 million people changed their Facebook avatars to support heteronormative marriage in the gay community. But it’s not enough to log onto a social networking site and say Gay people! They’re just like us!

There is more work to be done.

If you support marriage equality, it’s time to turn off the computer and get serious about divorce equality, pay equity and worker protection. Fight for equality by recognizing that domestic violence happens in same-sex relationships. When you witness unequal treatment in your life, address it.

And advocate for change on behalf of all men and women who experience discrimination and bigotry in their lives.

Shoot, that’s hard work.

Where’s the Facebook avatar for that?