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Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit (2017)

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Re: Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit (2017)

#21

Post by rhodysurf »

ryanbrunner wrote: post #5

A lot of articles recommend against formal performance reviews, and in some sense I agree, but it is important to be thoughtful about how you're going to give feedback and work with your employees to help them perform more effectively. Oftentimes formal performance reviews are replaced with some sort of continual feedback system (whether through an actual formal system or just an informal process), but in my experien…

I agree. I have a very good relationship with my boss, we speak about performance and stuff casually all the time. But we also have a formal review once a year, and it’s really helpful for me. I learn some weaknesses that I have that I might not always have time to talk about in every meet ups.

It’s hard to explain but the context change definitely helps to see exactly where you stand as an employee.

Re: Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit (2017)

#22

Post by bartread »

EliRivers wrote: post #7
Mtntk wrote: post #4

I would add dress code to this list. "We have smart casual dress code in this software department. So you can't wear shorts event if its 40 degrees celsius. Oh and shirt is mandatory"

We had a chap who wore leather, except sometimes a T-Shirt expressing quite harshly an opinion about a globally recognised major religious figure from antiquity. I was glad to see a dress code come in.

I think it's possible to deal with offensive (or otherwise inappropriate) clothing on a case by case basis without the need to bring in a smart dress code. Sometimes people implement policies as a way of avoiding awkward conversations but, to me at any rate, part of being a good manager and leader is measured by your ability and willingness to treat your staff like human beings and have those awkward conversations when it's necessary.

Re: Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit (2017)

#23

Post by gsich »

EliRivers wrote: post #7
Mtntk wrote: post #4

I would add dress code to this list. "We have smart casual dress code in this software department. So you can't wear shorts event if its 40 degrees celsius. Oh and shirt is mandatory"

We had a chap who wore leather, except sometimes a T-Shirt expressing quite harshly an opinion about a globally recognised major religious figure from antiquity. I was glad to see a dress code come in.

A religion user should be able to handle that.

Re: Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit (2017)

#24

Post by bartread »

sornaensis wrote: post #10
EliRivers wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We had a chap who wore leather, except sometimes a T-Shirt expressing quite harshly an opinion about a globally recognised major religious figure from antiquity. I was glad to see a dress code come in.

Crass T-shirts are certainly one thing, but what is wrong with leather..?

I was wondering that as well. Exactly what sort of leather garments are we talking about here?

Re: Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit (2017)

#25

Post by [deleted] »

pjc50 wrote: post #13
sureaboutthis wrote: post #11

> Faced with a rule-driven culture, the best employees ... are usually the first to go, because they’re in high demand and have more opportunity than most. What’s left is a pool of people who are mediocre at what they do ... And that is when I stop reading any article. EDIT: She's stating rules in the workplace make good employees leave and only mediocre employees remain. The term BS automatically applies here.

Why?

[deleted]

Re: Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit (2017)

#26

Post by sonnyblarney »

ryanbrunner wrote: post #5

A lot of articles recommend against formal performance reviews, and in some sense I agree, but it is important to be thoughtful about how you're going to give feedback and work with your employees to help them perform more effectively. Oftentimes formal performance reviews are replaced with some sort of continual feedback system (whether through an actual formal system or just an informal process), but in my experien…

For most people I think this makes sense.

Personally, blunt candor can work as well. I do not let anything slip, if I think someone needs some direction or coaching it basically happens in realtime. There's really no need for a formal review if feedback is constant. Sometimes the feedback can be more general, I feel someone needs some hints I just give it to them.

I don't make it personal and don't expect people to take it personally, it's jarring at first but quickly it just feels really quite normal.

Technically, there are still room for performance reviews ... but if as a manager you're telling someone in a review something they're hearing for the first time then you've failed. They should know right away.

Re: Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit (2017)

#27

Post by sonnyblarney »

Mtntk wrote: post #4

I would add dress code to this list. "We have smart casual dress code in this software department. So you can't wear shorts event if its 40 degrees celsius. Oh and shirt is mandatory"

"Oh and shirt is mandatory"

So wait, coding without a shirt on is how a thing?

My god man.

If there is air conditioning, slacks shouldn't be a problem though shorts aren't extraordinarily unsuitable.

You can wear a shirt man.

Re: Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit (2017)

#28

Post by ryanbrunner »

sonnyblarney wrote: post #26
ryanbrunner wrote: post #5

A lot of articles recommend against formal performance reviews, and in some sense I agree, but it is important to be thoughtful about how you're going to give feedback and work with your employees to help them perform more effectively. Oftentimes formal performance reviews are replaced with some sort of continual feedback system (whether through an actual formal system or just an informal process), but in my experien…

For most people I think this makes sense. Personally, blunt candor can work as well. I do not let anything slip, if I think someone needs some direction or coaching it basically happens in realtime. There's really no need for a formal review if feedback is constant. Sometimes the feedback can be more general, I feel someone needs some hints I just give it to them. I don't make it personal and don't expect people to t…

I think that's fair, even better than performance reviews, so long as it's happening. In my experience that's generally a rarity, and "replacing performance reviews with continual feedback" turns into "we'll post a happy emoji once in a while on something you said in Slack and that should be enough."

Re: Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit (2017)

#29

Post by nurettin »

dagw wrote: post #6

Trust them to produce, and if they are not producing, let them go This is incredibly wasteful and an easy to way to lose good people. Take a few minutes to conduct a 'performance review' and see why they aren't producing. Sometimes it's an easy fix. I've seen companies fire people who where world class at Y simply because they weren't performing at X, despite the fact that the company also had a different department…

Your world class Y people should have valued communication. They should raise red flags every time they need management to remove an obstacle in order to increase their productivity and realize their full potential.

Re: Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit (2017)

#30

Post by dagw »

krainboltgreene wrote: post #16
dagw wrote: post #6

Trust them to produce, and if they are not producing, let them go This is incredibly wasteful and an easy to way to lose good people. Take a few minutes to conduct a 'performance review' and see why they aren't producing. Sometimes it's an easy fix. I've seen companies fire people who where world class at Y simply because they weren't performing at X, despite the fact that the company also had a different department…

> Take a few minutes to conduct a 'performance review' I have never seen a company implement a performance review: - That mattered - That would have detected anything - That would be more than the obvious

I feel that most performance reviews I've had have been at least pretty decent. Basically just going through what I've done the past 6 month, talking about what I'd like to be working on over the next 6 month and if there's anything that I should work on or might need to help me manage to do those things better. Often there is some sort of checklist that has be worked through, but I always get a few minutes to just talk in general about my work.
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