Tis The Season: Behaving at Holiday Office Parties
Holiday office parties can be fun, exciting, and sometimes fueled with liquid courage. But it’s important to remember they are office events and make sure you stay on Santa's nice list 🎅 and not earning yourself a trip to HR 😵 the following morning.
Below are 5 tips that are good reminders for all of us:
1. The Company holiday party is still a work-related event. Be professional.
2. Show up and engage. While the company holiday party is often voluntary, it also serves as a good opportunity to build work relationships.
3. Drink responsibility. Don't cross boundaries (I can assure you that HR does not want a sexual harassment investigation in December!). Don't drink & drive.
4. Use the FORD method for small talk - Family (kids, sports, hosting during holidays), Occupation (interesting projects, work travel), Recreation (hobbies, vacation, pickleball tips), Dreams (bucket list items, retirement).
5. Use discretion when posting on social media (don't post photos of your drunk colleagues!).
Have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy your company holiday events. But be mindful of that fine line between Santa and HR!
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Preparing for Performance Review Season
As we're nearing the end of the year, now is a good time to prepare for your team's annual performance reviews. Being prepared is the difference between "Oh no, it's that time of the year again" to "This is an opportunity to share our performance in 2025 and level set for 2026."
To help you prepare, use the "TEA" approach - Tasks, Expectations, Accomplishments.
📂 Tasks. Which tasks are you measuring? Does the job description still fit, or does it need updated? Look closely at how much of the employee's job has changed or augmented, especially if you have downsized and the employee has taken on more work. Gather your data and know how to measure the tasks performed. Additionally, is the employee appropriately compensated for the work performed?
📈 Expectations. Know the difference between Meeting Expectations vs. Exceptional Performance. If pay is tied to performance, the distinction matters even more. And remember, "meeting expectations" is the goal and not a bad thing. Too often, we are attached to grades, and we think meeting expectations is the equivalent of a "C" grade. We like to believe we are all exceeding expectations. Be realistic.
📢 Accomplishments. How has the employee contributed to the team during 2025? How did he or she add value? Was there something specific the employee accomplished outside of his or her normal scope of work? It's a good practice to ask for employee input prior to the review, including asking your team members what they are most proud of, which skills did they use to help move the company forward, and is there specific growth/development that would help them in the coming year.
Being prepared makes the difference. It shows your team you care and notice their contribution and commitment. It also offers you a check-in to receive feedback and to set goals (including learning goals) for 2026.
Good luck.
#performance #performancereview #difficultconversations
When to Use an External Investigator
A challenging decision employers will need to make when presented with an employee complaint is deciding whether the complaint should be investigated internally by a manager or HR or externally by an experienced, knowledgeable and neutral investigator.
As you're making this important decision, below are criteria to consider:
1️⃣ Do you have the time and attention to immediately begin an investigation? Most investigations should commence within 1-2 days of receiving the complaint and should conclude within two weeks of receiving the complaint, absent extenuating circumstances.
2️⃣ Do you have the expertise and strong understanding of workplace laws and policies? When it comes to harassment, discrimination, bullying, retaliation, wage and hour disputes, and misconduct, an investigator should have a full understanding of the employment laws that come into play.
3️⃣ Do you have a neutral and objective mindset with no pre-existing relationships or biases to the individuals involved in the complaint? The role of the investigator is not as an advocate for the parties to the complaint, but to be a neutral, unbiased fact finder with the goal of being fair and impartial.
4️⃣ Are you open to identifying the root causes that gave rise to the complaint? An external investigator gathers facts, weighs credibility, and works to find the root cause of the complaint and then makes a recommendation.
We are always happy to have a more personalized conversation about the benefits of using an external investigator.
Three Frustrating Workplace Behaviors
At some point, as a manager or leader, you have encountered one or more of these three frustrating behaviors. How you handle these issues will make the difference in future performance. Additionally, your team is watching you - doing nothing is not an option.
Unexcused absences.
Does the absence fall under a protected leave, such as FMLA?
What does your policy state regarding absences? Make sure you follow the policy.
How often are the absences occurring? Is there a pattern?
Hold a meeting to discuss the data and get back on track regarding the importance of being at work as scheduled.
Failure to complete work assignments.
Identify the root cause or reason for not completing assigned work. Is the employee lacking the knowledge, skills or abilities to complete the work on time? Is there a lack of clarity? Or is the employee overwhelmed, distracted or disengaged?
Set clear expectations regarding work assignments moving forward and be clear on the consequeinces.
Provide support or feedback as improvement is noticed.
Not being prepared in a meeting.
Is this repeatedly evidenced or just one time?
Hold a separate meeting to discuss the lack of preparation. Explain it is unprofessional and disrespectful to his/her team.
If not being prepared has become a habit, then be prepared to take stronger measures regarding performance deficiencies.
As always, document all conversations and don’t forget to follow up. Good luck!
Addressing an Employee with Attendance Issues
Having a conversation with an employee about attendance or absenteeism is a challenging conversation for most managers.
Research shows that 20% of workers are late to work at least once per week and nearly 1 in 10 workers are off work for an unscheduled absence at any given time. On a good day, it’s not easy to make sure you’re staffed properly.
So what do you do as a manager?
If you notice an employee is struggling with his/her attendance, follow these 5 steps to get them back on track:
Gather data. When were they late or absent? How much notice did they provide? Has a pattern of absenteeism developed?
Hold a meeting with the employee. Make sure you hold this meeting in a private location, being mindful that this conversation may be sensitive or confidential.
Listen to what the employee is telling you. Is this a short-term issue, such as child care scheduling or car problems or possibly a series of medical appointments or is the employee defensive and making excuses.
Explain the impact on the department or company. Absenteeism causes a decrease in productivity, loss of revenue, increase in customer complaints, decrease in morale, increase in overtime costs, and can cause employee fatigue for coworkers who are having to work harder due to the unscheduled absences.
Set expectations. Be clear when setting expectations. Will continued absenteeism result in discipline. Is immediate improvement expected or the individual will be let go? If an accommodation is being provided, has it been outlined clearly in writing and properly provided?
Absenteeism is challenging for managers because you often hope it will get better on its own. But it requires your direct attention and also requires regular check-ins to ensure improvement has been made.
And of course, don’t forget to document all actions or conversations.
Insubordination vs. Inappropriate Behavior
Your employee yelled at you, told you this project is BS, and doesn’t seem to be doing his job. As the manager, you’re upset and you think they’re not doing what you told them to do and you’re ready to write them up for insubordination.
But is it insubordination? Or could it be something else, like a performance issue or disrespectful or unprofessional behavior?
Insubordination is a willful refusal to follow a direct order. Let that sink it. It is a willful refusal, not to be confused with simply disagreeing or being slow to perform or being upset by the assignment.
Let’s break this down.
Insubordination has three key elements:
You are their manager and have the right to give an order to perform.
You have given a clear, reasonable and legally acceptable order to engage in a task.
The employee has refused to engage in the requested action or order. You explain in a calm, measured tone to the employee that he/she has refused to engage in a direct and reasonable order and ask that they understand that failure to do so will result in insubordination.
Bonus points if you state again to the employee to make sure they fully understand that they have failed to engage in the direct and reasonable order and they will be disciplined, up to and including termination, for insubordination.
Lastly, if you are faced with this scenario, be calm (as much as you can). Do not argue. Do not engage in any retaliation. And always document immediately after this has occurred.