Talk HR to Me: Recognition, Boundaries, and Skill Development
Welcome to Talk HR to Me, a People Managing People advice column with Alana Fallis, VP, Head of People at Quantum Metric.
Every two weeks, Talk HR to Me digs into your pressing HR questions and provides advice that helps you navigate the stickiest of situations.
This week, she tackles maintaining healthy boundaries when helping an employee through personal issues, disability accommodations, controlling burnout for high-performing teams, and how to give recognition when the company has no formal mechanism in place to do that.
If you have questions you'd like to submit anonymously, submit them via our anonymous question form.
So, without further ado...
Question 1
An employee has requested accommodations for a disability that seems vague. What is my responsibility in this situation, and how do I ensure I'm complying with legal requirements?
An employee does not need to provide a doctor's note in order to request an accommodation, but the business can and should ask for one.
I suggest that you request that the team member provides a medical certification - (SHRM has a form you can provide) that prompts the provider to fill out specifics on the employee's limitations, and what accommodations are needed in order for the employee to perform the job.
Remember that key point: being able to perform the job is the goal. Sometimes it can feel awkward asking for such documentation - but remember that having the specifics of the request in writing is both in the best interest of the employee (they can get the support they need) and the employer (they have concrete recommendations made by a medical provider).
The responsibility of the business in this case is to engage in an interactive discussion with the employee about their needs, and accommodate any reasonable adjustments so long as they do not cause undue hardship to the company. Be flexible and supportive as you can, but go by the book when it comes to the ADA.
Question 2
One of my employees has come to me with a personal issue that is affecting their work. How can I support them while also maintaining professional boundaries?
To start, I encourage you to be flattered that your employee sees you as a safe harbor to share their vulnerable moments. This is psychological safety, which is the makings of a great culture.
That said... too much personal information can be unconstructive to say the least, especially if it starts to coincide with underperformance. Ask how you can support them during this time: would a little flexibility help? Is there a team member who can step in on any component of this person's work to help the team meet deadlines?
Be proactive in getting ahead of any gaps so there are no surprises. If the individual is looking for a level of personal support you aren't able to provide, my first pass would be gently steering the conversation to work related topics.
For example, let them say what they need to and then quickly reach for the segue: "I'm so sorry to hear that. I really do hope things start to look up soon. Is it okay to transition us to a work related topic? I wanted to check in with you on the project due at the end of the week..."
Question 3
My company doesn't have a formal recognition program, but I'd like to acknowledge a colleague's great work. What are some appropriate ways to do this?
That's what I like to hear! If you are their manager, make sure you are elevating your team member's work wherever you can, be it with your leader, cross-functionally with other teams or saying their name in a variety of rooms. Be creative in recognizing others' work.
If you are their peer, is there an appropriate place in any of your systems to give a public work shoutout? Many companies have slack channels dedicated to such a thing, or it's a feature in an existing piece of tech stack (if not, it's a good time to request a formal recognition outlet!).
Write a few sentences about how this person brightened your day and share in an appropriate forum, and you'll be sure to brighten theirs. If public shoutouts are not the norm at your company, another thing you can do is message that person's manager directly and tell them about their team member's excellent work.
As a leader, when someone takes time out of their day to tell me about how a member of my team did a great job, it's super impactful. Most importantly, make sure to thank them directly for their work.
Question 4
What are some signs that I might be underperforming, and what steps should I take if I recognize these signs?
Friend, I wonder if you wouldn't have written this question if you didn't at least suspect you might be underperforming. The signs can look like a number of things:
- Is your work being returned to you with a high number of errors and corrections?
- Are you finding that your team members are not involving you into projects directly within your scope?
- Is your manager seeming somewhat distant?
Being proactive is the best thing you can do in this case. In your next 1:1 with your manager, ask them for some direct feedback.
Make sure you're asking specific questions- instead of "am I doing a good job?" ask them, "now that we have completed work on customer X project, I want to use it as a learning opportunity. Do you have any feedback you're willing to share on what you feel went well, and areas of opportunity?"
And if you find that you are slipping into underperformance, ask for resources and seek support internally and externally on your gaps. It's never too late to turn things around!
Question 5
I'm interested in developing my leadership skills, but my current role doesn't offer many chances. What can I do to gain experience and demonstrate my potential?
This is a common challenge I find, to have an individual hungry for growth and development, but not have any opportunities for leadership and management in their current role. The good news is, you can use this time to prepare for your next big thing.
Find opportunities for mentorship on your team - both as a mentor yourself for more junior team members (can you take on some kind of expanded role in onboarding and training new hires?) and as a mentee (is there anyone in your current organization whose work you really admire)?
Don't forget to look outside of your organization for mentorship too - join a Slack community or networking group for those in your industry, and meet new people. Take a course on LinkedIn or Coursera to upskill and add something new to your toolbelt.
There are also ways to demonstrate leadership at work without being in a leadership position. For example, taking ownership and leading a big cross-functional project or pitching an idea for a new initiative based on your experience and observations.
Think about the qualities of the kind of leader you want to be. That could be:
- A thoughtful communicator
- Data-driven decision maker
- Adaptable to new challenges
- Creative problem solver
Focus on honing these qualities.
Question 6
I have a high-performing team, but I'm worried about burnout. How can I ensure they stay motivated and engaged without overworking them?
My first piece of advice is to align your team on what priorities actually are. What is the most important thing to get done, and what can we stop doing? Help them in understanding what's most important to the business so you can support them in balancing their workload to be sustainable.
This may require delegating and distributing, and in some cases, the letting go of tasks that are not important. Work on fostering a culture of open communication, make sure they know they can raise their hand for help and that you are interested in their wellbeing.
Additionally, intentionally carve out some time to connect with them on their own career and development goals, so that you are able to connect their work to the story of their career and it doesn't just feel like a grind. Last but not least, make sure everyone has a little PTO on the calendar!
Submit your questions for the next edition of Talk HR to Me using our anonymous question form.
