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employees

Stop TOUCHING Me!

by Jen Kuhn on November 15, 2010

NOTE from The Experience Factor: If video continues to be blocked by The Tribune: video can be seen on YouTube by searching “TSA Molests 3 year old”.  We are making no accusations; that is simply how to find the video.

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Children bring to the world a sense of hope, innocence, wonder and often times common sense that is unparalleled by their adult counterparts.  The decline of any society begins with the intentional loss of protection of children and the elderly.  As I watched this video I was mortified.

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What is going on in our society that would allow such a travesty to occur?  This is not just the act of one incredibly insensitive, ignorant and reprehensible TSA employee.  What about the other participants.  Yes, others.  How many people were standing there while this took place and did nothing?  They are participants.  I’m a frequent air traveler.  I can say with confidence that I would have intervened.  I can also jump to the conclusion that I would have been detained.  Doing nothing is doing something.  I imagine most on-lookers were shocked.  But the experience lasted long enough for intervention of some sort.

Are we more concerned as a country with “security” than common sense?  Does this require sensitivity training, as TSA official James Marchand (TSA Regional Security Director) points out?  I scream a resounding, “NO!”  If you think the answer is to train an employee to stop touching a child that is screaming, “Stop touching me!”, then you need a solid reality check. The TSA website states: “Your safety is our priority.”  I ask, “At whose expense?”

This is an open invitation to all TSA officials: our company will educate your employees for FREE in regard to common sense behaviors and creating a safe experience for consumers. In exchange, we would ask for a public service announcement that this TSA employees’ behavior was an abuse of power.

Please, stand up, speak up, shout out your thoughts!  Do you believe TSA has gone too far?  Remember, there were many other TSA agents standing by, allowing this to happen.  Let your voice be heard.  Silence is a statement.

“It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.” ~Albert Camus

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A Lesson for Tired Teams

by Jen Kuhn on May 4, 2010

The “team approach” to work has become a tired slogan, a managerial fad, a forced concept. Many leaders and employees forget that they are working for something bigger than their own personal needs. They lose their passion and drive; they wear blinders that prevent them from seeing the big picture. Lost is the energy that initially helped drive their productivity.  Basically, a dog after a long walk…it starts out as a great idea, but it ends up exhausting all involved.

What are the elements of productive teams?  How do you create an atmosphere that fosters a team approach?  My initial thought was to create an analogy between athletic teams and organizations.  However, being a die hard Detroit Lions fan, I think I’ll choose another approach.

I recently attended a true team event at St. Francis DeSales High School.  The school sponsored a Relay for Life event which gives communities a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.


During this event, I witnessed the elements of a team that every organization should strive to implement.  These DeSales high school students (and some awesome adult volunteers and cancer survivors) lived and breathed the ideal of a high functioning team.  With the additional presence of representatives (Sheizka Komala and Ann Dee Hamilton) from Aflac, from students, parents and grandparents from Whetstone High School, plus additional vendors, the St. Francis DeSales community modeled an effective team.

The elements of an effective team that I witnessed:

1. Common Purpose: The students were educated and aware of the purpose of their participation.  They either had a personal experience with cancer, or wanted to support others.  The purpose was effectively communicated by the event coordinator, Kellie O’Riordan who lost her mother (Barbara) to cancer.  Kellie ensured that the students understood the solemnity and hope the relay represented.  Every student I spoke with was able to verbalize the purpose of the event.  If I visited your organization, would every employee be able to verbalize your purpose?

2. Motivation: What an amazing sight to witness: teenagers motivated to create a better future for others!  And to take this a step further, they did not confuse motivation with results.  They already had their sponsors and raised their money…yet they were highly motivated to follow through on their personal commitment in order to achieve results.  That’s true motivation.  You can tell me how enthusiastic you are about something, but are you doing the behaviors that demonstrate your enthusiasm?

3. Individual Responsibility in a Group Setting: Every student stepped up to the plate. Prior to the event, individuals of each team raised money, designed t-shirts and coordinated group efforts. During the event, they made sure they had someone representing their team (walking/jogging) for 24 hours.  After the event, individuals helped with post event details that required a great deal of attention.  How well do the individuals on your team contribute to the success of the group?

4. Flexibility: Due to weather, the relay was held indoors (demonstration that a team needs leadership to support decisions that will help them be most effective).  This required students to walk the halls of the school rather than the track they had prepared for; they had to set up their “tents” in the gym rather than the outdoor field. I didn’t hear a single complaint.  What I did hear were students asking about how to get water to others, whether or not there were fans available and how to use cross-ventilation effectively!  What would happen to your teams’ effectiveness if they encountered an obstacle that changed all of their initial expectations?

5. Identity: Each team developed a name and created a t-shirt. It was easy to spot members of individual teams.  They also had a greater identity: their common purpose noted in the first point.  This created camaraderie at two levels: the smaller team composed of individuals who had bonded together while preparing for the event; and the larger team: all the participants, whether they be a team, volunteer or survivor.  What is your organization doing to create identity?

Teams are important to any organizations’ overall success.  Please let us know what you think makes an effective team!

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Wednesday: Whining Employees

by Jen Kuhn on March 17, 2010

I’ve never worked with, at or for a company that does not have one or two chronic whiners.  No matter what you introduce, they find fault.  These are the people that complain about a free meal (“Pizza for lunch? We had that last time. Why can’t we ever get anything else?”).  Ah, how pleasant.

Several years ago, I was working with a company to help enhance their coaching skills.  All of the people I met were in positions of leadership.  On one of the breaks, a gentleman approaches me and begins a conversation about their holiday party. He stated that it was the worst one yet. They were finally allowed to invite a spouse/significant other. Upon arrival, he said there was barely any food left. To paraphrase, “My wife got a first hand experience of how cheap this company really is…running out of food! Can you believe that?  Then they send people out for chips and order some pizza.  How tacky.”  I responded by saying something like, “Sounds like you were disappointed.” Way to add fuel to that fire. He ranted for 5 more minutes.

On the next break, I avoided eye contact with him. I was speaking with a newer employee, and she asked me, “Did you hear about our holiday party?!”  I wanted to run. She continued, “It was the BEST! My fiance and I got there after it started and there was no food left. Our CEO is calling pizza places and asking ME what I liked on my pizza! He doesn’t even know me and I just started working here! Then, he hands my fiance money and asks if he would mind going with some others to pick up chips and dip. How cool is that?”  She went on and on about how excited she was to finally be working for a company where they cared about their employees and where the CEO connected with everyone.

Same event, different interpretations. As a coach, how do you deal with chronic complainers if stun guns are not an option?

Here are some common employee complaints coaches have shared with me.  I’ve added some possible responses to consider.

Employee: Why do we have to do it this way? We’ve never done it this way before?

Coach: You’re right. We are using a new approach. What concerns you most about using a new approach?

Employee: Do they have any idea how busy we are? They keep calling us with the same questions!

Coach: You’re right. We work in a fast paced department. What ideas do you have to help other departments find this information on their own?

Employee: Why do I have to attend that training?  It doesn’t even apply to me.  What a waste of my time!

Coach: There may be some parts of the training that do not directly impact what you do.  I want you to listen for things that do apply to you and tell me about them after the training.  I’d also encourage you to attend the training with an open mind; my expectation is that you challenge yourself to discover something new and connect with at least one person from another department.

I could go on and on with complaints that coaches have brought to my attention.  Yet you’ll notice a pattern in the responses I’ve provided.  The coach validates what is true within the complaint, then challenges the employee in a non-threatening manner to work toward a solution.  If every complaint is addressed this way, eventually the complainers will learn that you will hold them accountable for solutions, and that despite their complaining you are not going to change your course of action.  This should lessen the number of complaints you hear (as long as you are consistent with your responses).  Whiners want an audience.  Don’t give them one.  Give them a coach.

If you have other ideas about dealing with whiners and complainers, please share them.  You’ll be helping a coach who is currently hiding under their desk in an attempt to avoid the chronic complainer!

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