Leadership and Human Resource

Management Manual

This is the on-line course manual for HSCC 320 and MHS 562, taught by Dr. Scott Higgins.

Most of the assigned readings for the HSCC 320 and MHS 562 class will be taken from this Manual.  In addition, articles referenced in the manual may be assigned.  These articles are located in the Hunter library on Electronic Reserve.  Students may link to the Electronic Reserve after reading the information below.

In order to use the Electronic Reserve, students must know their ID and PIN.  Both of these are required to log onto the system.  Students who are accessing this site from an off-campus location must use the specified version of the Adobe software listed on the Electronic Reserve.  If you do not have this software, you may download it from the web page.
 
 

1. Know thy boss.

2. You can observe a lot just by watching.

3. The only things that evolve by themselves are: disorder, friction, and poor performance.

4. If there is an absence of or a gap in administration, someone will fill it.

5. Strong people have strong weaknesses.

6. You can't hit the jackpot without putting a few nickels in.

7. There is something wrong if you are always right.

8. If you push something hard enough, it will fall over.

9. If you attempt the impossible, you will fail.

10. If you're in a hole, don't keep digging.

11. If what you want to do won't make a difference - don't do it.

12. If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

13. Resources are always scarce.

14. Get out on a limb - that is where the fruit is.

15. Never try to teach a pig to sing - it wastes your time and frustrates the pig.

16. People are still important.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Recently you were assigned as the unit manager of a clinical unit that has had some interpersonal problems among its staff and the unit manager over the past several years. You have served as a temporary unit manager for the past year and recently completed an awesome course in human resource management. During most of the course, you were overwhelmed by HRM content and strategies but you managed to learn a few things about how to become a successful leader.

Most of the staff have been working in the unit for three or more years and enjoy a good relationship with the doctors treating patients in the unit. There is very little staff turnover but the unit has had a problem keeping managers. Most of the managers have been recent MBA graduates with a lot of leadership potential, but little experience leading people.

The main reason you were selected was because of your "plan" to provide needed leadership for the unit in the first year of your tenure. The VP of Clinical Service Lines wants to hear more about your plan after you get your "feet on the ground." You are wary of this new assignment but know that if you are the least bit successful you could create a needed career move for yourself in the organization.

Your initial review of the unit documents indicate little "rhyme or reason" for the staffing plan, performance approval that appeared to be documents to be filed with no other purpose, and little information about the progress of each employee other that the telephone numbers of each staff member. The unit has an adult rehabilitation unit with a census of 45 patients in a 400 bed hospital.

The unit employs 6 RN's. Bob and Greta have been working on the unit for almost 15 years. Bob is a former Army nurse who appears satisfied with his job and well regarded by the other staff members but has little to do with them.  Greta is very gregarious and talks to everybody about everything except patient care. She appears to be the informal group leader for the unit. You have heard rumors that she is not happy that she was passed over for the unit manager job. She has been pleasant to you but has not offered her help in this transition period. Greta works the day shift with two other RN's. Both RN's have been reported to be passive-aggressive; they only speak up supporting Greta. Bob works on the evening shift as a charge nurse with a new RN who has just returned from a teaching position in the community college system. They have several staff members to help them. The sixth RN works the third shift with staff members to help her. She just wants to take care of "her" patients without hospital or doctor interference. Little is known about the "workings" of the third shift. Low morale appears to be a problem for all shifts. During your interview, Bob asked if you were going to reassign any personnel.

After your first staff meeting, the staff appeared to be cool but attentive. No questions were forthcoming from the group. You overheard one of the staff members say, "Let's just wait and see." You are still optimistic that you can resolve any difficulties that may arise.

1. What "plan" do you have in mind in providing the leadership for this unit? What do you say first, to whom, and when?

2. What role will Greta and Bob play in your planning? What will you say to Greta if she becomes an obstacle to your plan in revitalizing the unit?

3. How will you handle the two passive-aggressive RN's? The independent-minded third shift charge nurse?

4. What do you recall about being a "successful leader" that might help you in this situation? How will you acquire the support of your VP who wants to change now and the doctors who appear to want little change?
 
 

Recently you were appointed as the supervisor of a health care agency unit in which you were formerly one of the rank and file. When you were selected for the job, the big boss told you that the former supervisor was being transferred because he could not get work out of the staff.  He said also that the reason you were selected was because you appeared to be a natural leader, that you were close to the staff and that you knew the tricks they were practicing in order to keep from working. He told you that he believed you would like the problem and that he would stand behind you.

He was right about your knowing the tricks.   When you were one of the staff, not only did you try to hamper the supervisor, but you were the ring-leader in trying to make his life miserable.  None of you had anything against him personally, but all of you considered it a game to pit your wits against his.  There was a set of signals to inform the staff that the boss was coming so that everyone would appear to be working hard.  As soon as he left the immediate vicinity, everyone would take it easy.  Also the staff would act dumb to get the boss to go into lengthy explanations and demonstrations while they stood around.  They complained constantly and without justification about the materials and the equipment.

At lunch time the staff would ridicule the company, tell the latest fast one they pulled on the supervisor, and plan new ways to harass him.  All this seemed to be a great joke.  You and the rest of the staff had a lot of fun at the expense of the supervisor and the company.

Now that you have joined the ranks of management, it's not so funny.  You are determined to use your leadership position and your knowledge to win the group over to working for the company instead of against it.  You know that if this can be done you will have a topnotch unit.  The operators know their stuff, have a very good team spirit, and, if they would use their brains and efforts constructively, they could turn out much more work and get greater satisfaction out of their jobs.

Your former buddies are rather cool to you now, but this seems to be quite natural and you believe you can overcome it in a short time.  What has you worried is that Joe Jones is taking over your old post as ring-leader of the gang, and the staff is trying to give you the business just as they did to the former supervisor.

1.  Was management wise in selecting you for the job?  Justify your answer.
2.  What advantages do you have over an outsider?
3.  What disadvantages do you have?  How are you going to overcome them?
4.  How would you develop cooperation between yourself and the gang?
5.  How would you handle Joe Jones?
6.  Plan a program for changing their behavior toward the company.
7.  What is the BIG problem?
 

I. Peak (high) Organizational Experiences

Name some peak experiences you are presently having or have experienced at some time in the past since becoming a member of your institution. In other words, recall some events, experiences, programs, projects or things which really mattered to you—times when you were really proud of being a member of your institution.
 

II. Valley (low) Organizational Experiences

Using the explanation for peak experiences, identify from the present or recall from the past some of those valley (low) experiences that adversely influenced or affected you—times when you were really unhappy with or angry at the organization.

III. Things I Do Well

Organizational leadership skills, techniques, capabilities and so forth you are to some degree master of and do well in rendering service to the institution.

IV. Things I Do Poorly

Include those things that you do poorly which you do not want to do, but because of the nature of the position you now hold, you are required to do.

V. Things I Would Like To Stop Doing

What things are you presently doing in your organization that you would like to stop doing? These may be either tasks or responsibilities you don't like or don't do well or more personal behaviors that are causing you difficulty.
 

VI. Things I Would Like To Do Well

Include here aspects of interpersonal competence to which you aspire, skills that you would like to learn, kinds of experiences you would like to provide for yourself.

VII. Peak Organizational Experiences I Would Like To Have

Dream a little, perhaps of experiences, honors, credits, positions, contributions and so forth to which you aspire and hope someday to become reality.
 
 
 
 

C ostly when ineffective

O utcome

M odeling

M andatory to success

U nderstanding

N ever assume

I nterrupting is a no-no

C odependent on both parties

A wareness

T imeliness

I deas stem from it

O pen your ears and mind

N ot just talking
 
 

As a listener, how often do you find yourself engaging in these 10 bad listening habits? First, check the appropriate columns. Then tabulate your score using the key below.

These keys are a positive guideline to better listening. In fact, they're at the heart of developing better listening habits that could last a lifetime.

 10 Keys to Effective Listening
 

 1. Find areas of interest

2. Judge content, not delivery

 3. Hold your fire

 4. Listen for ideas

 5. Be flexible

 6. Work at listening

7. Resist distractions

 8. Exercise your mind

 9. Keep your mind open

 10. Capitalize on fact:  Thought is faster than speech

Tunes out dry subjects

Tunes out if delivery is poor

Tends to enter into argument

Listens for facts

Takes intensive notes using only one system

Shows no energy output. Attention is faked

Distracted easily

Resists difficult material; seeks light material

Reacts to emotional words

Tends to daydream with slow speakers

Opportunizes; asks "What's in it for me?"

Judges content, skips over delivery errors

Doesn't judge until comprehension complete

Listens for central themes

Takes fewer notes. Uses 4-5 different systems, depending on speaker

Works hard, exhibits active body state

Fights or avoids distractions, tolerates bad habits, knows how to concentrate

Uses heavier material as exercise for the mind

Interprets color words; does not get hung up on them

Challenges, anticipates, summarizes, weighs the evidence, listens between the lines to tone of voice

Most managers believe they should delegate and are convinced they do delegate.

Most managers think they know when to delegate

Why should you delegate?

            Delegation lends to increased efficiency...

                        in the long run
                        in crisis situations
                        (failure may lead to managerial failure and burnout)

            1.  Judged by what your unit does
            2.  Enables you to have time for thinking, planning, and communicating
            3.  Enables you to assume greater responsibility from administration
            4.  Professional growth
 
 

Answer each question "yes" or "no" based on your CURRENT behavior.

You can improve other people's effectiveness by giving them information about themselves.  This is risky, and usually results in the other person's becoming defensive.  That's why most of us don't do it too often.  But done properly, it can be very helpful to the other person.  Here are some guidelines that might help you.

Confrontation is a deliberate attempt to help another person examine inconsistencies in their self-presentation, or to examine the impact of their present behavior on you, along with suggested alternatives and consequences of aspects of that behavior. Unfortunately, confrontation is often seen by the public as an "attack" on another person for that person's "own good". As such it has acquired highly negative and punitive connotations. However, here we are viewing confrontation as initiated feedback "offered" to another. He or she can then voluntarily accept or reject it as they desire for further self-understanding or change. Because confrontation is given for the benefit of the receiver, it does not oblige him/her to change. Any changes desired in the behavior of another are asked for, not demanded.

The direct purpose of confrontation is not to "forcibly" change the behavior of the other, but to create a situation that "frees" the other to choose whether to engage in more constructive behaviors. Confrontation should bring the confrontee (client) into more direct contact with his/her experience. He/she is thereby encouraged to reduce the negative effects or incongruities in that experience and its communication. Your modeling confrontation and its encouragement will help the clients learn how to confront themselves and others.

The basic form of confrontation is to communicate to another some information concerning your perception or experiences of his/her statements or behaviors. Some confrontations add to this basic form the communication of suggested alternatives to, or anticipated consequences of, the confronted behavior. Confrontation is neither right nor wrong - it only expresses your experience of the other at the time it is given.

There are two types of confrontation referred to as discrepancy confrontation and discomfort confrontation. A basic difference in these types of confrontation is the object of confrontation: either client discrepancies in their statements and/or behaviors, or client behaviors and their related impact on your relationship. Discrepancy confrontation has more of a "you" focus and is triggered by inconsistencies in the client's self presentation. Discomfort confrontation has more of a "we" (your behavior, my feelings, and request) focus and is triggered by discomfort in the relationship felt by the confronter. A third type of confrontation, interpretation confrontation, adds to the other types an interpretation of what the other's behavior means to you, but will not be presented at this time.

Discrepancy confrontation enhances the client's self-awareness and clarification in his/her communication. It generally confronts a discrepancy related to his/her statements. Discrepancy confrontation is the responsible unmasking of inconsistencies, distortions, games, and evasions the client uses to hide, both from self understanding and constructive behavioral change. It also involves challenging the underdeveloped and misused potentialities, skills, and resources of the client with a view to examining and understanding these resources and putting them to use through action. Various types of discrepancies in another's communication include: between what they think or feel and what they say; what they say and what they do; their view of themselves and other's view of them; what they are and what they wish to be; and their verbal and nonverbal expressions of themselves. You can help the client become more aware of self-discrepancies through challenging games, exploring multiple perspectives of issues and helping a client become more concrete in his/her generalizations and inferences.

Discomfort confrontation emphasizes your emotional reaction to a client's behavior and your request for the client to change or clarify that behavior. It generally confronts a behavior directly, affecting your present interaction and relationship with that person. A basic goal in discomfort confrontation is to enhance the personal (closeness) and working (efficiency) relationship of you and client. Discomfort confrontation is often more difficult because of the added vulnerability of disclosing feelings and making a request that can be rejected or ignored.

The confrontation process to be practiced consists of one to five steps. A discrepancy-clarification confrontation generally consists of only the first one or two steps. Even for the discomfort-change confrontation, the first two steps are often enough to start the confrontation. All five steps, spoken before the confrontee (client) responds, can be confusing and overwhelming for both parties involved. These five steps are Descriptions, Feelings, Intentions, Changes, and Consequences. There is no set order in the steps, although Descriptions or Intentions generally come first and stated Consequences often ends the confrontation.

The first step (Descriptions) is associated with giving basic behavioral feedback to another, and both confrontation and feedback share common goals and guidelines. Confrontation and feedback are valuable to the extent that the receiver can "hear" (accept and understand) rather than "block out" your comments,  realize (change or reinforce in the future) them, and verify (acknowledge as observable facts rather than  assumptions) them. This is best accomplished when your comments are descriptive, specific, and relevant.

Examples of Discrepancy Confrontation:

One-step Descriptions:  An "I'm confused", before or after the description, would add the second step of Feelings

Say vs. Do:  "You said last week that it was very important to you to set aside time to talk to your wife on a daily basis, yet you haven't done that any day since then."

Say vs. Feel: "You say your relationship with Bob is good, but you generally feel tense and distant in his presence."

"You say you're nonassertive but you just initiated the contact with Bob, told him what you wanted, and were able to say "no" to his requests."

Verbal vs. Nonverbal: "You say that you're very upset now as you smile and speak in a soft tone."

Self vs. Other Perceptions: "You say you've been very happy at home this week while the rest of your family says you've been very depressed most of the time."

Wish vs. Present Reality: "You want to get close to her, but you now feel distant and you're afraid you don't know how to get intimate".

Five step process: the (1) Descriptive and (2) Feelings are followed by (3) Intentions, (4) Changes and 5) Consequences.

1. (1) "You've just interrupted me again and (2) I'm frustrated and angry. (3) I want to discuss our views further and hear what you have to say, but it's important that I feel heard, too. (4) When you don't interrupt, I feel that you're listening to me and valuing what I have to say, (5) and I'm more willing to hear what you have to say, rather than concern myself with "fighting" for speaking
time.

 2. (2) "I resent (1) your telling me that I can't do this job because of my lack of experience. (3) I want to feel good about my work and our relationship. (4) If you give me the opportunity to prove my competence, rather than pre-judging my capabilities, (5) I'm sure I'll enjoy working with you more, and  we'll get a lot more accomplished together".

3. (3 and 4) " I want us to clarify your intentions and our relationship so (5) I can feel more comfortable with you as (2) I presently get anxious when (1) you continue to joke about my feminist statements.

If you see or sense that confronting another might help, the question is generally not whether to confront, but how to confront, so that the person being confronted takes the feedback seriously and helpful rather than reacts with defensiveness and refuses to accept or use the feedback. The following relationship aspects help answer this questions:

Involvement - do not confront another unless you are ready and want to become more involved with him/her in order to "stay" with him/her and "work" on the reaction to your confrontation and subsequent changes.

Motivation - you should want to help the other, not want a release of emotions, or to get back at the other, or put him/her in his/her place.

Quality of relationship - the stronger the relationship, the more powerful the confrontation can be.

Psychological State of the Client - his/her ability to change, desire to change, and possible side effects.

Some common aids that can enhance the delivery and reception of your confrontation include:

Tentativeness - use qualifications (e.g., it appears, perhaps, right now, I'm wondering if) to help the client accept the confrontation without feeling accused, and to feel free to add to the confrontation.

Personal Statements - using the pronouns of "I", "me", and "my" encourages ownership and clarity of the confrontation (e.g., I feel, when you avoid me).

Relationship Statements - how you think or feel about the confrontee can enhance the clarity and security in the interaction (e.g., I like you very much. You're a special friend to me).

It's common to have confrontees (clients) respond to confrontations with defensiveness or self sabotaging phrases. Typical responses are "I was too busy", "I forgot", "I did it in other ways," "I'm too tired", "I don't have the time" ,"This isn't the real me", "This won't work" or "This doesn't apply to me." Practice constructively confronting these counter statements to confrontations.

The form of confrontation directly reflects one's experiential base for confrontation and influences the other's emotional response and direction of explorations. Basic styles are empathic, insightful, challenging, questioning, and processing.

For example, a client is talking about superficial things because he "has no problems" now to talk about.

Empathic: "You want to change, but it must be very difficult to get started when you're not feeling pressing problems."

Insightful: "When the focus is on you, you close up or get the attention off yourself, like you're afraid that I won't respect or like your 'real' self."

"You're more comfortable when you have the attention on you or you're in a leadership role, and find it scary being in the observer role."

Challenging: "You continually talk about needing to change, but when given the opportunity to work on yourself, you say you have no problems."

Questioning: "What do you suppose is making it so difficult to get started now that we have the opportunity to explore it together?"

1. Defining your purpose.

2. Writing objectives.

3. Assessing your audience.

4. Developing an agenda.

5. Selecting a location.

6. Conducting the meeting.

7. Preparing minutes.

8. Assessing barriers to effective group process.

9. Assigning work.

10. Closing the meeting.

11. Evaluating the meeting.

Visual aids

Involve the group

Handout the agenda

Start on time! (Reward punctual people)

Assign someone to take minutes if no secretary is present
-Minutes are a permanent record
-Minutes communicate with absent members, management
-Minutes remind members of action to take and deadlines to meet

Minutes should be:
-clear, concise
-include only information covered in the meeting ("agreed upon" or "action taken" statements)
 
 

Meetings generally involve decision-making and developing action plans.

An action list mailed out with the minutes can be helpful, especially if you have many action items or members who tend to "forget".

At the close of the meeting, the participant should:

To end on a positive note

MEETING EVALUATION

You may evaluate the meeting by

A Job Description Communicates:

1. Responsibilities
2. Specific Duties
3. Organizational Relationships
4. Authority Delegation
5. Qualifications for Each Job

It is used to:

1. Select
2. Train
3. Evaluate
4. Promote
5. Fire
6. Job Rating and Classification
7. Wage and Salary Program
8. Compliance with Legal, Contractual, Accrediting Requirements

For the Employee:

Job Rating for Job Classification
Functions Compared to
1. Error Impact
2 Contact with Patients/Other Groups
3. Degree of Supervision Received
4 Nature of Duties (Unskilled Ed to Professional)
5. Mental and Physical Demands
6. Working Conditions

PREPARATION FOR INTERVIEW

SEVEN FACTORS TO VERIFY  FROM APPLICATION

1. Achievement Record
2. Growth Responsibilities
3. Sudden Career Shifts
4. Transient Record
5. Current Job
6. Educational Background
7. Job Change Reason

HIRING CRITERIA
 

Interviewing and Hiring

Objectives:

Resume/Application Form

Components:

The following contains a skeleton interview for a mid-level management position. It can be modified to fit other positions. Following are examples of different questions that are legal or illegal, respectively.

Regarding age

 Legal: Are you 18 years or older? If not, how old are you?

Illegal: How old are you? In what year were you born? What is your birthday,
including year of birth? What are the ages of your children? When did you attend high school? What year did you graduate from high school?

Regarding Disability

Legal: The primary functions of the positions are.... If hired, can you perform them with or without reasonable accommodations?

Illegal:  Do you have a disability?  What is your height and weight?  Have you ever been treated for any of the following diseases....? Have you received worker's compensations?  Have you ever had a drug or alcohol problem?  Have you ever been tested for AIDS?  How would you describe your general health?  When was your last physical exam?

Regarding Gender

 Legal: None.

 Illegal: Any questions regarding gender.
 (Exception: Questions regarding gender may be asked if gender is a BFOQ.
 However, the employer has the burden of establishing that the job requires
 either a man or woman and cannot be performed by the other sex.)

 Legal: None.

Illegal: Are you married? Are you planning to get married in the near future? Are you single? Married? Divorced? When were you married? Divorced? Do you wish to be addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms.? What does your spouse do? Will your spouse object to you working overtime, traveling, and so forth? If your spouse is transferred to a different city, would you also move? If you go to work, who will take care of your children? With whom do you reside? Do you live with your parents? What is your spouse's name? Do you own you own home or rent? List the number and ages of your children. If you have children, please describe the provisions you have made regarding child care.

Regarding Criminal Record

Legal: Have you ever been convicted of a felony?

Illegal: Have you ever been arrested?

Regarding Birth Control

Legal: None.

Illegal: Are you planning to start a family? How do you feel about abortion? Are you capable of having children?

Regarding National Origin

Legal:  None

Illegal: What is your nationality?  What is the native country of your ancestors?  What is the nationality of your spouse?  Where are your parents from?  How did you learn to speak a foreign language?

Regarding Race

Legal: None.

Illegal: What is your race or color?   What color are your skin, eyes, and hair?

Regarding Religion

 Legal: None.

Illegal:  Who is your pastor, clergy? What religious holidays do you observe? Do you attend church? Does your religion prevent you from working weekends or holidays?

Regarding Citizenship and Residence

Legal:  Are you a U.S. citizen? If not a citizen of the United States, do you intend to become a citizen of the United States? If not a U.S. citizen, do you intend to remain in the United States? If not a U.S. citizen, can you legally be employed in the United States? If hired, can you provide proof of citizenship? What is your place of residence? How long have you been a resident of this state? City?

Illegal:  What country are you a citizen of? If a U.S. citizen, are you native-born or naturalized? Are your parents U.S. citizens? Is your spouse a U.S. Citizen?

Regarding Language Ability

Legal:  What foreign languages can you speak and write?

Illegal:  What is your native language? What is the primary language spoken in your home? How did you learn to speak or write a foreign language? What is your mother tongue? What language do you commonly speak?

Regarding Military Service

 Legal: Have you served in the Armed Forces of the United States?
 If so, in what Branch did you serve? What were your duties?
 Did you receive a dishonorable discharge?

 Illegal: Did you receive a discharge or release under other than honorable
 conditions? Have you served in the military forces of any country other than the United States?

Regarding the Applicant's Name

Legal: Have you ever worked for this company under a different name? In checking your references and work record, are there any other names or nicknames that we should check under?

Illegal:  What is the name listed on your birth certificate? What is your maiden name? Have you ever worked under another name?

Regarding Organizations that the Applicant may belong to

 Legal: What professional organizations that are relevant to your job do you belong
 to?   What job-related organizations, clubs, or other associations do you belong
 to? Please omit those that indicate your race, religion, color, national
 origin, ancestry, sex, political beliefs, or age.
 Do you enjoy being active in community affairs?

Illegal: What clubs do you belong to?
What social or fraternal organizations do you belong to?
Name all clubs, societies, organizations, and do forth, that you have
belonged to.
What are your feelings regarding labor unions?

Regarding Relatives of Applicant

Legal: Do you have any relatives employed by this company? If so, what are their names?

Illegal: Any questions regarding relatives not employed by the company.

Regarding to Prior Employment

Legal: Would you tell us about your last job? What were your major duties and responsibilities? Describe a typical day in your last job. What were some of the problems involved in your last job? Which problems frustrated you the most? How did you overcome the problems encountered? How did your previous job prepare you for this position? What were your goals at your last job? Did you reach them? What position did your supervisor hold?

Illegal:  What did your family think about your last job? Did your family interfere with your performance on the last job? What did your family think about you being required to travel on your last Job?

Regarding Financial History

Legal:  If hired, will you have any problems obtaining a bond (only if a bond is required)?

Illegal: Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? Has your pay ever been garnished? Describe your credit rating. Have you ever been refused bonding? Have you ever had a bond canceled? Do you own a car?

Regarding Education

Legal:  In what subjects did you make good grades in school? What was your major? Why? Are you interested in continuing your education? Did you work while attending school? Did you participate in extracurricular activities at school? How did your education prepare you for this job?

Illegal:  Did you use financial aid while attending school? Who paid for your schooling? Do you still owe on student loans? Did you live at home while attending school?

Regarding Employment with Your Company

Legal:  Why do you want this position? What can you contribute to this company? What qualifications do you have for this position? Do you know of any reasons or problems that would prevent you from working normal hours? Overtime? Do you know of any reasons that would prevent you from traveling (only if traveling is a part of the job)? What kind of work do you like the best? What do you consider your strong points? What do you consider your weak points? What is your strongest personal quality and your weakest? What do you want to do in your next job that you cannot do in your present one? Do you have any special skills or knowledge? Are your skills recent? When did you last use a . . . (machine or skill) What is your career objective? What do you intend to do to reach your career objective? If hired, could you pass a medical examination designed to test your ability to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations?

After Employment

After an applicant has been hired, he or she may be asked information regarding age, marital status, and who should be notified in case of an accident or emergency. In addition, after employment the individual may be required to provide the company with a recent photograph.

Can an individual be denied employment for giving false information during the interview process?

Consider the following case:

Richard Doe was a union carpenter and was referred to several jobs from the union hiring halls. During a slack period, he applied for a job as a carpenter with a non-unionized company. He was asked during the employment interview if he was a member of the carpenter's union. He answered no. A background check revealed that he was a member of the union. The company, admitting that he was well qualified, justified not hiring him on the basis that he provided false information during the interview process. He contended that he was not hired because he was a union member. The court held that since the question regarding union membership was improper and should not have been asked, his false answer could not be considered. He recovered back pay from the company.

Certain red flags can occur during the interview process. The interviewer should be on guard for them. They probably indicate a need for further investigation. Each interviewer should develop his or her list of red flags. Listed on the following pages are some of the most common ones:
 

When red flags occur, it may be appropriate to use follow up questions regarding the current subject being discussed.

End notes

1. Auren, Uric, Mistakes lnterviewers Make (New York: American Management Association, 1988), p. xi.

2. See S.W. Constantin, "An Investigation of Information Favorability in the Employment Interview, "Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 61 (1976) pp. 743-748.

3. Gary Dessler, Personnel Management, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1988, pp. 204-210.

4. Uric, p. 5

5. Dessler, pp. 220- 222.
 

Objective:  Facilitate new employees fitting into their jobs, work groups, the organization, and even the community.
Primary responsibility:  Supervisor
New employee needs:  security, acceptance, minimal problems
Considerations:

New Paradigms in Performance Measurement and Management

Listed below are the questions to ask when you identify a performance problem in order to come up with an appropriate solution:
 
 

Select five items from the list below which you believe inspire you to do your best work on the job.  First, check the five highest priority items in the blanks at the left.  Then rank them in order of importance at the right.
 

Remember, the factors which motive you are the same elements that motivate your employees in their jobs.

Leadership and Employee motivation are directly related to each other. Observed behavior of supervisor by employee is the key to understanding employee motivation. (Feedback, awareness, well-informed, conscientious, caring, decisive, consistent, requests input, gives and takes responsibility, etc.)

Handout with Maslow & Herzberg theory model

56 percent respond to traditional incentives:

44 percent require "other" incentives:

*After five years on the job, only 32% of your employees view their institution as more than just a place to work.
 
 
 

1. RESPECT FROM COWORKERS

2. INTERESTING WORK

3. RECOGNITION

4. OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP SKILLS

5. COLLEAGUES WILLING TO LISTEN TO IDEAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

6. OPPORTUNITY FOR INDEPENDENT THINKING

7. SEEING THE RESULTS OF ONE'S WORK

8. WORKING FOR EFFICIENT MANAGERS

9. CHALLENGING WORK

10. BEING WELL INFORMED ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

1. TELL SOMEONE EXACTLY HOW TO DO A JOB

2. MANIPULATE PEOPLE

3. CARE ONLY FOR YOURSELF

4. DON’T LISTEN

5. DWELL ON WEAKNESSES

6. EXPECT SECOND BEST OR PERFECTION

7. WITHHOLD POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

8. DO NOT HELP EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN
DEPARTMENTAL OBJECTIVES

9. DO NOT GIVE REWARDS

10. DISPLAY AN "I'M OK, YOU'RE OK" PRESENCE WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES
 

1. Labeling, stereotyping an employee by you and others.

2. Is that your observation or the opinion of others?

3. Are you reacting to a "symptom" or a "problem"?

4. What expectations were explained to the employee?

5.  Is there a "pattern" of poor performance?

6. Analyze your motives (malice).

7.  Is the individual constructively occupied?

8. Problem Crossover (on job and off job)?

9. Remember, you are interested in RESULTS, first.

1. Helpless, "poor me" victims

2. Habitual complainers

3. Look at me, "know-it-alls"

4. Passive-aggressives

5. Blamers

6. Rescuers

7. Others

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Non-Directive approach to counseling
Proper Techniques of interviewing:

You are the manager of building services at James Memorial Hospital. One of the people reporting to you is Bill Douglas, the maintenance supervisor. Douglas has come to you with a complaint concerning Ed Wayne, one of his six employees. Says Douglas:
"I need your help in figuring out how to handle Ed Wayne. I guess his work is okay -- he isn't my best producer, but he certainly isn't the worst -- but he's got such a know-it-all attitude that he drives the rest of the guys crazy. Ed's assigned to general mechanical maintenance, but he's always trying to bust out of that and do all sorts of other things. There hasn't been a job come up in months that Ed hasn't claimed he knew how to do, and he's always trying to get his hands on everything new and different that comes along. The other guys feel that Ed is continually trying to crowd into their territory, and to make matters worse he's constantly criticizing the others and finding fault with what they do. And he's always quick with an arrogant "I-told-you-so" when someone else does something that goes wrong. The other guys on the crew have been referring to Wayne as "the expert," but they no longer say it kiddingly. One of the fellows has even asked me to count him out when it comes to teaming him up with Wayne on jobs that take two men. I tell you, I've got to do something about this guy before his behavior destroys the whole crew's morale."

You are unit manager of the clinical laboratory. You have 22 employees reporting to you. You feel that you have a comfortable working relationship with all of your employees except one. The single employee in question, a licensed laboratory technologist, continually gives you a hard time regarding assignments. Whenever you give this person a task that is not part of her regular routine or does not appear explicitly in her job description, her response is, "Why should I? That's not part of my job."
In one recent exchange you found yourself responding angrily, "Because I said so, that's why!" You immediately discovered that this response not only failed to get results, but it also generated considerable hostility.

Question:  How are you going to deal with this employee?
 

You are administrative supervisor in the laboratory of a 400 bed hospital. Your assistant has come to you with a complaint concerning a young man named Michaels, one of the lab's messengers. Your assistant says:

I've just about reached the end of my rope with Michaels, and I need your advice. I can't pin him down on anything. No matter what happens or how nearly certain I am that he was involved, when it comes down to taking responsibility he swears he was never there, he knows nothing about it, he didn't do it, or someone else is trying to make him look bad. No matter what the situation is, he's got an excuse -- sometimes a really plausible one -- and I can't get him to own up to anything. Even when one of the stops on his rounds gets missed, he's got a long, involved story to account for it, a story I hear only if I learn about what happened and try to find out more. To hear Michaels tell it, he's never made a mistake in his life. But if I could believe him for even one minute, then I'd have to believe that the whole world around him fouls up day after day and tries to lay the blame at his feet. Tell me -what can I do about him?

Question:  What advice are you going to give your assistant for dealing with the ever-blameless Michaels?
 

Directions:  Briefly respond to the six components in analyzing your most common conflict situation.

 1. INFORMATIONAL (PARTIES HAVE DIFFERENT INFORMATION -- OR NO INFORMATION)

2. PERCEPTUAL (PARTIES HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION, BUT
LOOK AT THE ISSUES DIFFERENTLY)

3. COMMUNICATION BARRIER, INCLUDING TIME, SPACE, AND POSITION

4. ROLE (THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONAL ROLES OF THE PARTIES CAUSE THEM TO TAKE DIFFERENT POSITIONS ON THE ISSUES)

5. GOALS (THE PARTIES HAVE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONAL OR
PERSONAL GOALS RELATING TO A SPECIFIC SITUATION)

6. VALUES (THE DIFFERENT VALUES OF THE PARTIES LEAD THEM
TO CHOOSE DIFFERING SOLUTIONS TO A SITUATION)

7. PERSONAL REJECTION
 
 

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE. YOU CHOOSE YOUR BEHAVIORS AND HAVE TO ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES.

VICTIM MENTALITY: "AIN'T IT AWFUL"  ;  "THEY MADE ME DO IT"

1. Ask: Why are you coming to me --why aren't you talking to that person? What are your motives?

2. Ask: What are you doing about it--what are you planning to do about it?   i.e.,  Mommy, fix it for me.  I’m not your mother. Don't complain to me until you have exhausted all of your professional resources. You are a responsible person--you are a responsible adult.

3. Ask: "Can I quote you?" If I can't quote you then I can't deal with it on a responsible administrative level...no more unsigned poison pen letters!--the risk you run on asking if you can quote the person is that if they won't let you quote them you may lose the information...

The "+" (plus) of all this is group cohesion, role model, no reinforcement of victim mentality...

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Sample Progressive Discipline Policy and Procedure

Model Policy and Procedure: Progressive Discipline

   The Hospital is committed to providing the best possible working conditions for all employees.  Rules of conduct have been established to assist the Hospital and its employees in achieving the goals of the organization as well as providing a safe and productive work environment.  Each employee is expected to observe all rules of conduct and to follows the instructions provided by his or her immediate supervisor.  Supervisors and managers are responsible for applying the rules to all employees fairly and consistently.

    When an employee appears to have violated a Hospital rule, the immediate supervisor should address the specific problem through the progressive discipline process.

A.  Steps in Progressive Discipline

1.  Counseling

     Before informal or formal disciplinary action it is the supervisor's responsibility to counsel the employee to correct the undesirable behavior.  Utilize the Counseling Form, which is then retained in departmental files unless the employee is eventually terminated, at which time the form is forwarded to Human Resources.

2.  Oral Warning

     a. An informal disciplinary conference may be scheduled when an employee repeatedly displays undesirable behavior and does not respond to counseling.  The conference should be recorded on the Record of Oral Warning (Attachment A), which is retained in the department manager's files.

     b. If further disciplinary action is necessary for the same offense, the Record of Oral Warning should be forwarded to Human Resources for inclusion in the employee's personnel file.

3.  Written Warning

     a. If counseling and oral warnings fail to correct the employee's behavior, a Written Warning should be generated.  The employee will be informed that the Record of Oral Warning and the Written Warning (Attachment B) will be included in the personnel file, he or she will be ineligible for transfer for six (6) months, and repetition of the offense will lead to serious disciplinary action such as suspension without pay or termination of employment.

     b. An employee whose inappropriate behavior has not been corrected by counseling, oral warning, or written warning will be referred to Employee Relations for further counseling or to Employee Health or Employee Assistance for evaluation and referrals if appropriate.

4.  Suspension Without Pay

     a. A temporary termination of work at the will of the employer may be initiated if the employee fails to respond to the foregoing steps.  Time off may be waived at the discretion of the manager if staffing needs require the employee's presence, but waiver of time off does not lessen the severity of the disciplinary action.

     b. At the discretion of the manager, indefinite suspension pending investigation may be utilized to provide time and opportunity to thoroughly investigate an alleged violation that has the potential to result in termination.

5.  Discharge

     Termination of employment for violation of Hospital rules may apply after repeated counseling, warnings, referrals, and suspensions or after initial commission of specific severe violations.

6.  General

     The Hospital reserves the right to amend its rules as necessary.  Each manager has the right to initiate the progressive disciplinary process at any step, depending on the seriousness of the offense.  It is required that all violations leading to potential suspension without pay or discharge be reviewed with Human Resources.

B.  Violations and Severity

1.  Carelessness: Careless acts that could result in personal injury to patients, employees or visitors, or damage to property.

     a. First violation: Written warning.

     b. Second violation: Up to 5-day suspension without pay.

     c. Third violation: Discharge.

2.  Insubordination: An employee's refusal to comply with a reasonable and safe work instruction as required by the immediate supervisor.

     a. First violation: Up to 5-day suspension without pay, and Employee Relations referral.

     b. Second violation: Discharge.

3.  Absenteeism: Excessive absenteeism is the frequent use of sick time which in the judgment of the department manager adversely affects the operation of the department, regularly occurs before or after scheduled days off, weekends, holidays, or scheduled vacations, or results in sick time being used as it accrues.  Unexcused absenteeism is absence without timely notice to the manager of designee prior to the start of the scheduled shift, per departmental policy.

     a. First violation: Oral warning.

     b. Second violation: Written warning and referral to Employee Health for counseling.

     c. Third violation: Up to three-day suspension without pay.

     d. Fourth violation: Discharge.

     Note: Failure to appear at work or call in per policy for three consecutive work days will result in discharge for job abandonment.

4.  Tardiness: Consistent tardiness is the patterned failure to report for work at the designated starting time.

     a. First violation: Oral warning.

     b. Second violation: Written warning and referral to Employee Relations for counseling.

     c. Third violation: Up to three-day suspension without pay.

     d. Fourth violation: Discharge.

5.  Misconduct: Actions detrimental to the interests of the Hospital or which cause harm or disruption to any person or Hospital activity.  Some examples are: threatening or discourteous behavior toward patients or visitors; sexual harassment; misuse of confidential possession of explosives, firearms, or other weapons on Hospital property, violation of safe practices in the performance of work.

     a. First violation: Written warning and up to five-day suspension without pay, plus referral to Employee Relations for Counseling.

     b. Second violation: Discharge.

6.   Sleeping: Sleeping on the job is prohibited unless it is recognized as a legitimate part of an employee's extended shift.

     a. First violation: Written warning and up to five-day suspension without pay, plus referral to Employee Relations or Employee Health for Counseling.

     b. Second violation: Discharge.

7.  Solicitations: Employees may not engage in unauthorized solicitation, distribution, or posting of materials on Hospital premises.

     a. First violation: Written warning.

     b. Second violation: Written warning and up to three-day suspension without pay.

     c. Third violation: Discharge.

8.  Falsification of Information: Falsification of information on employment applications or in other work situations is prohibited.  This prohibition includes the making of false entries on time records or punching another employee's time card.

     a. First violation: Indefinite suspension pending investigation prior to possible discharge.

9.  Alcohol and Illegal Drugs: Possession or use of being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs on Hospital premises is prohibited.  Employees using prescription medications while at work are requested to report such use to the appropriate manager.

     Because of the considerable responsibility that all employees have for the Hospital's patients, the manager who has probable cause to believe an employee to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs may ask the employee to voluntarily submit to an appropriate test arranged by either Employee Health or the Emergency Department.  Refusal to submit to such reasonable request may result in disciplinary action.

     a. First violation: Indefinite suspension pending test results and, if necessary, the employee's willingness to enter an approved rehabilitation program as determined by the employee's personal physician and Employee Health.

     b. Second violation: Discharge.

10. Unauthorized Possession of Property: The unauthorized use, possession, or removal of Hospital property or the property of patients, visitors, employees, or others.

     a. First violation: Indefinite suspension pending investigation prior to possible discharge.

Attachment A   Record of Oral Warning

Employee Name: _____________________________________  ID No. __________________

Department: _________________________________________ Hire Date ________________

Job Title/Grade: ______________________________________  Job Date ________________

Specific problem or incident, and rule or policy reviewed and discussed.

Dates of previous discussions or counseling relating to the foregoing:

Action required of employee:

Employee Signature: ___________________________________ Date: ____________________

Manager Signature: ____________________________________ Date: ____________________

This record will be maintained in departmental files.  If further action is required for the same offense, it will be forwarded to Human Resources for inclusion in the personnel file.

Attachment B   Written Warning

Employee Name: ______________________________________ ID No. ____________________

Department: __________________________________________ Hire Date _________________

Job Title/Grade: _______________________________________ Job Date __________________

Specific problem or incident, and rule or policy reviewed and discussed.

Dates of previous discussions, counseling, or warnings relating to the foregoing:

Action required of employee:

Employee Signature: ___________________________________ Date: _____________________

Manager Signature: ____________________________________ Date: _____________________

This record puts the employee on notice that additional violations will result in more serious disciplinary action such as suspension without pay or discharge.

Attachment C   Suspension Without Pay

Employee Name: ______________________________________ ID No. _____________________

Department: _________________________________________ Hire Date: __________________

Job Title/Grade: ______________________________________ Job Date: ___________________

Specific problem or incident, and rule or policy reviewed and discussed.

Previous actions taken:

Date                                                                Action Taken

Suspended for _____ days from above date; report back on _________________________________________

_______ Time off waived by manager for the following reason (waiver does not lessen the severity of the action).

Employee Signature: ___________________________________ Date: _______________________

Manager Signature: ____________________________________ Date: _______________________

This is a final warning.  Failure to respond appropriately may result in discharge.

Attachment D   Notice of Discharge or Dismissal

Employee Name: ______________________________________ ID No. _____________________

Department: _________________________________________ Hire Date: __________________

Job Title/Grade: ______________________________________ Job Date: ___________________

You are being terminated from employment with the Hospital for the following reasons:

Previous actions taken:

Date                                                                Action Taken

_______ Check here to indicate whether the employee desires an exit interview to discuss benefit status.  If the employee declines this opportunity, continuation of benefits information will be mailed to the employee's home address.

Employee Signature: ___________________________________ Date: _______________________

Manager Signature: ____________________________________ Date: _______________________

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