We have a business-casual dress code in our organization, with casual day on Friday. However, a colleague dresses a little too casually on a daily basis. We’ve asked her to turn it up a notch, but she still wears shorts on Friday instead of jeans like most folks, short skirts or low-cut blouses that reveal too much. How can we encourage her to dress appropriately, especially since our first attempt to convince her failed? Or should we leave it alone and hope karma does its job?

— Team Lead

Doing more with less is the norm. In my opinion, employees should be thankful they have a job with decent pay. Yet, my staff continues to insist on raises even though we can’t afford them. Should I cave in and give the raises, putting my business at risk? Or should I hold firm, and let them find a better job if they want more money?

— Manager

One of my employees, let’s say Brad, has bad breath. Unfortunately, it’s not a temporary issue. I’ve tried all the subtle ways to adapt and change, but nothing works, and the idea of talking to Brad about his breath makes me uncomfortable.

Yet, I have to do something since I’m his manager. Should I give him a never-ending supply of chewing gum, or is there a more tactful way to handle this?

— Manager

— Christine

When was the last time your boss gave you an “atta girl” or “atta boy?” Bet some of you remember exactly when because many businesses today fail to recognize employees for their good work. So who wants to share credit at a time like this?

If the coworker took some of the credit without lifting a finger for the project, it’s a sad state that a person has to resort to dishonesty. If you face a credit thief, readers and experts recommend:

• Let it go.
• Plan for next time.
• Tell the boss.

Of course, if you have other advice, please share it in the comments, or if you face a different challenge, please tell us about it so we can post it and ask for advice.

Let it go

Whether you believe in it or not, people think karma will restore balance. If not, a reader gives another good reason for taking the high road. “Be gracious and let it go. Perhaps, he’ll owe you one.”

Need more convincing to take this approach? Thomas McClintock, chief operations officer of NSI Partners, says, “Actions speak louder than words in these situations, and people know a lot more than they let on. Spending your time ‘thwarting’ ties you up on the inside and on the outside. Moving on to the next project is better for your organization, your career and your peace of mind. If you want to invest energy in this, be direct with Ed, privately. If you do that selflessly, you’ll both benefit, and so will other legitimate thunder-makers in the future.”

Plan for next time

It may make the situation worse if you try to do something about it instead of just moving on. Aricia E. LaFrance says, “At this point, if you say anything, you’ll probably sound like a tattletale so it’s time to take a step back and plan for next time. In the future, keep all communications to email or text and include a cc to a colleague or manager on anything pertinent as to who does what. This can help keep people honest.”

Donna Lubrano, corporate sales with Improv Asylum, lists six questions to ask before taking action. They will help you think through the situation and be prepared for next time:

1. What purpose will getting sole credit serve? Make yourself look good? Get a raise? Advance your career? Make the other person look bad? Be careful what you wish for — it might come true!
2. This person barely wanted to help you this time. What happens if you call him on the credit theft and then need his help again? It will not be pretty.
3. What does this say about you to the powers that be? Does a great job but can’t share the spotlight with others? Today, companies emphasize collaboration, so think how you want others to perceive you.
4. Will being a little more generous get you more of what you want? Perhaps, you’ll get more help next time?
5. Did no one help because staff knew you would take all the credit for yourself and not acknowledge their contributions?
6. Is this your leadership style? Companies want leaders who can share the spotlight and inspire others to do great work.

“Acknowledge the other’s contribution and move on — and hope it inspires others to work with you so you won’t have to do it alone — that’s what impresses everyone,” Lubrano says.

Tattling doesn’t belong in the workplace. The least you can do is learn from this experience to avoid a “next time.”

Tell the boss

For some, silence might lead to more frustration. Barry Maher suggests telling the boss using an upbeat tone, “‘You know I really enjoyed doing that last project. And to be fair, Ed contributed to it as well. He [detail exactly what Ed did]. So he certainly deserves credit for that.’ No matter what the Polyannas might tell you, truth, goodness and light don’t always win in the end. Sometimes they need a bit of help,” Maher says.

Have you dealt with credit-hogging coworkers? How did you handle it? Please join the discussion in the comments because your voice matters.

Got a challenge of your own you need help solving? Submit your question. You can remain anonymous, if you prefer.

Meryl K. Evans is senior editor at InternetVIZ and the content maven behind the Connected Digest, B2B Social Media Digest, IT Solutions Journal and Professional Services Journal. Follow her on Twitter @merylkevans.

Recently, I worked hard on a project alone. The only help I received was from my coworker, Ed — but it was with resentment and, believe me, very minimal. The manager asked Ed who worked on the project. Ed said that I did it with his help. How can I get sole credit? Should I leave this situation alone or do something about it?

— Christine

Yet as social media has grown and become a business necessity, more employees have started to hang out on these sites — and not always for work. Am I going overboard in wanting to control the amount of time employees spend online for personal surfing? How can I trust them to get the work done without curtailing this personal web browsing? Or does it really save productivity since they get the mental break they need?

— Nathan

Managers constantly battle for their employees’ attention. The opponent isn’t short attention spans or even co-workers. The enemy is technology. Employees have phones with games and Internet connections. If that isn’t bad enough, they have a direct connection to the Internet from their work computers.

As social media and online resources become an important part of doing business, managing Internet use grows difficult. But you may want to rethink your company’s policy after reading what readers and experts have to say about the issue.

1. Trust employees.
2. Focus on performance.
3. Let employees get involved with social media.
4. Use tools to monitor Internet use.

Of course, if you have other advice, please share it in the comments, or if you’re facing a different challenge, please tell us about it so we can post it and ask for advice.

Trust employees

Sometimes managers need to step back and trust their employees to do the right thing. It doesn’t mean the manager should do nothing.

Kimberly McCabe, marketing consultant, Oshyn, Inc., says, “Employees feel more empowered when their managers trust them to make the right decisions. If you feel they are unclear about how to spend their time on social media sites during working hours, send out a short and sweet email giving ideas on how to make their time effective. Or engage them and ask them to send you their ‘best practices’ for managing their time in social media to share with the whole group.”

Focus on performance

A good manager can determine whether an employee performs below expectations. Lowell Bike, president and co-founder of MyAutoTips.com, lets employees surf the web because the alternative can do more harm. Bike says, “If they do not get their work done, or the quality of the work is subpar, I will know it. When a company spends money in the form of software and on IT personnel who monitor the activities of employees, the company is telling employees that it does not trust them and feels they will not do their jobs unless forced to focus on them.”

Consider that even if a company blocks specific websites, employees can still get to such websites using their phones. So why not build a better relationship with employees by showing them you trust them and let their performance do the talking? “It doesn’t matter whether the person is web surfing, talking at the water cooler or making personal phone calls. What does matter is that she or he gets the job done. If the employee has clear goals and expectations, is engaged at work and is held accountable, the rest falls into place. In short, focus on performance expectations,” says Linda M. Duffy, president, Leadership Habitude.

“If employees fulfill their tasks in a successful way and still have time to vent/recoup/socialize or maybe even discover new useful tools for the business on the Internet, it creates a healthy and productive environment where the employee and (and the boss) is happy,” says Zachary Weiner, CEO of Luxuryreach. Giving employees a little freedom can lead to happiness and job satisfaction. That may be worth the sacrifice of surfing time.

Michelle Gamble-Risley, president of M Communications/3L Publishing, can’t see her employees because her business is virtual. “I don’t care what they spend their days doing as long as they do not miss my deadlines. When I hire people, I am upfront about this requirement,” Gamble-Risley says.

Let employees get involved with social media

Maybe the manager needs to look at social media in a different way. Instead of considering it a time waster, think of it as a way to extend the company’s brand. “Your employees can be your best brand ambassadors, promoting your products and services across their social networks with potential prospects, partners, investors and recruits,” says Rick Clancy, senior director, public relations with Covario.

Clancy explains that involved employees may provide insight from the community that the company would not otherwise know about. “In these times of tight marketing budgets, I would encourage you to empower and trust your employees on the social media front rather than curtail them. As a result, I’m sure you’ll see the benefits greatly outweigh the risks,” Clancy says.

Gamble-Risley, sees social media interactions as positive. “In fact, if they’re on social media and making great business connections, that’s even better for my business.”

Use tools to monitor Internet use

Employees may spend time on websites that have nothing to do with social media. Maybe they’re shopping, taking an online class or catching up with an old friend. These activities are best left for lunch breaks, but some may get carried away as the Internet is quite the temptress.

Obie Fernandez, CEO and founder, Hashrocket, recommends RescueTime. The application can monitor Internet use and report activity by teams and individuals. Fernandez points to a downside of controlling Internet use. “I’ve found that severely curtailing Internet usage at work usually prevents you from hiring and retaining the best and brightest employees out there. It’s better to keep an eye on the situation and deal with problem people individually instead of punishing everyone,” Fernandez says.

Siva Sanmuga, owner, Callture.com, uses a free and open-source solution called Untangle to manage which sites the company allows or doesn’t allow. Sanmuga says, “The most important thing is that the same rule should apply to you as well. Communicate it openly to employees.”

If you take the monitoring route, James C. Roberts advises consulting with a human resources lawyer regarding the implications of using the software because there may be privacy issues.

Managers are not babysitters. They’re leaders who trust employees and empower them to do their best and succeed. Let their work do the talking rather than micromanaging them to the point where it could affect morale. Encouraging them to get involved in social media may do wonders for your organization.

But if employees are not performing, and non-work related activities like surfing the Internet are the cause, you have the option to monitor Internet use. A word of caution: Take care in using such tools because they may lead to negative results.

Have you dealt with Internet policies? How did you handle it? Please join the discussion in the comments because we want to hear from you. Got a challenge of your own you’d like to help solving? Submit your question. You don’t have to share your name if you prefer to remain anonymous.

Meryl K. Evans is senior editor at InternetVIZ and the content maven behind the Connected Digest, B2B Social Media Digest, IT Solutions Journal and Professional Services Journal. Follow her on Twitter @merylkevans.

— Ed, Manager

I Need More Time

If the world could magically add more hours in the day, we’d probably still run into this lack of time problem. Having too much to do is one of those vicious cycles that won’t stop turning until we fix how we manage our work.

“Being up against a no-win situation is depressing and demoralizing. You’ve got to take your power back and restructure your work day so you can accomplish something of value to you and your firm,” says Elene Cafasso, founder and president, Enerpace, Inc.

Ready to shuck depression and take the reins back? While this list works as a step-by-step guide to better managing your work, you can skip some or modify it to your liking:

1. Make a list
2. Dump non-essentials.
3. Prioritize the keepers.
4. Delegate where possible.
5. Prepare ahead.
6. Resist distractions.
7. Use tools.

Make a list

Stop drowning at the thought of all the things you need to do and make a list of exactly what you must do so you can prioritize tasks. Add everything without judgment.

Meet List Junky Marisha Morris, owner/chief exec designer at Done Beautifully, Inc. “I send myself text messages and use sticky notes, chalk boards and the dry erase board to make my lists.” It doesn’t matter what tool you use, or if you use one or more. Capture those tasks in writing first.

Dump non-essentials

Building habits helps you stick with the program. Yet habits can hold you back as the tasks you do on a regular basis lose importance, such as regularly scheduled meetings and reports.

Brandie Kajino, chief solutionist, SOHO Solutionist, looks deep into the task. Kajino says, “I ask questions, and clarify with people making requests — Is it critical, can it wait or be eliminated? Once in a while, when things get completely out of hand, I sit down and figure out what isn’t helping in the overall picture. Then, I eliminate it.”

“Qualify your sales and think about your bottom line,” says Teri Hurley, owner/operator of Endless Love Travel. “Don’t take on anything that won’t keep you in business, or you soon won’t be. Stick to your area of expertise as you have a better success rate of selling in these areas.”

When someone asks you to do something, and it’s not essential, just say no. Avoid falling into the trap of landing a task you don’t need.

Prioritize the keepers

How do you know where to begin if you don’t know what’s more urgent or has a deadline? Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture, shares a simple four-quadrant system from his famous lecture based on Stephen R. Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

Go through your task list and put 1, 2, 3 or 4 next to each one. Then do the most important things first and plan for when you’ll do the least important tasks.

Delegate where possible

Consider delegating tasks, even if you’re not a manager with direct reports. You may be afraid to assign a task to someone else because you know exactly what you want and need. Do you need to attend all the meetings you have? How about sending someone in your place?

Loretta Love Huff, president, Emerald Harvest Consulting, explains how to transfer a task to someone else. “Figure out who would be the best person to take the task. Document the process you use to complete those tasks. Meet with the person and explain what you want him or her to take over and how it will benefit that person (and you) to start doing the task(s). Ask what questions or concerns staff has about taking on the task, then address the questions/concerns,” says Huff.

Prepare ahead

Now that you have a prioritized task list and have dropped unimportant tasks, let someone else take care of others and stay in control by preparing ahead like Hugh M. Ryan, president of Ryan Wellnitz, does. “Every morning, I write down the three things I must accomplish that day, following General Norman Schwarzkopf’s advice. He says he did this every day throughout his career, and required his direct reports to do likewise. I pick out the task I enjoy least and want most to postpone, and do it first (allowing for client-service necessities, of course),” Ryan says.

Huff adds a way to go home happy so you can relax and not worry about anything until the next day. “Before you leave at night, do two things:

1. Straighten your desk up.
2. Make a list of your most important items to accomplish the following day.

“When you get in the morning, start working on the list. Don’t open your email. Work on the top two things on your most important list for at least an hour, if not two. If people drop by during those first two hours, unless it’s an emergency (or your boss), ask if you can get back to that person later in the day.”

People have times of the day when they work best and when they don’t work so well. Think about your own energy levels and when you’re most effective with specific types of tasks.

“Arrange activities to take advantage of these rhythms. For example, you might want to return calls first thing in the morning, and catch up on industry news when you have less energy. Creative or analytic work is best done when you’re refreshed and unlikely to be distracted,” says Joellyn Sargent, president, BrandSprout.

Resist distractions

“You’ve got mail.” Ding. New message indicator. Turn off the sounds, visuals, anything and everything that lets you know you have new messages, whether voice mail or email. This works for Daniel K. O’Leary, vice president at LincWare, LLC. “I’ve implemented a system where I only check my email five times a day. I know, it sounds crazy, but it works. I do it at the beginning and end of the day, in the midmorning, after lunch, typically once before going to bed.”

Think about your last few phone calls. During how many of those did you get right to business and hang up as soon as you finished talking business? Of course, you want to be friendly and avoid rudeness. Come up with a few phrases that you can use and make them a habit. “I need to go because I have a meeting to prepare for.” You probably have a meeting to prepare for within the next few months. “Oh, it looks like a coworker needs me. Nice talking to you.”

What about people dropping by your office? Think of phrases you can use for unwanted drop-ins to help you shake the interruption and get back to your task.

Use tools

You may prefer old-fashioned pen and paper, or use an app that synchronizes with your mobile device. Support tools aren’t limited to the list-making kind.

Adding a second monitor can make a difference as it does for your editor. Many do this, including Brandon Laughridge, chief operation officer, RothIRA.com. “Not having to change windows to reference emails or instant messages is a huge time saver. I’m also not afraid to shut off those very nuisances I put on that monitor, things like instant messenger, email, twitter, etc.,” says Laughridge.

You may know about Stephen R. Covey’s book and maybe even David Allen’s Getting Things Done. Writer and Creative Director Kevin Fenton believes that time management issues are procrastination issues in disguise and recommends Neil A. Fiore’s The Now Habit to overcome this.

Chris Curtis, executive director, Web Business Ownership, LLC, automates tasks and uses apps to send stuff to her phone. “Now information is delivered electronically, instead of me having to get it myself,” Curtis says.

Two tools help Akira Hirai, managing director, Cayenne Consulting, LLC, stay organized. Hirai uses Fujitsu ScanSnap, a scanner to convert paper into searchable PDF files, and OneNote, an information organizer.

Do you answer the same questions repeatedly? That sounds like a job for frequently asked questions. Teri Hurley uses the company website to help clients help themselves. The website includes FAQs, testimonials and other resources.

Another way to look at the whole busy, busy picture is to think of it as a mindset. “‘Time’ and ‘being busy’ are mindsets. We are born into these constructs. We’ve made up the notion of time to structure our lives. But since we are defined by two time notations (our date of birth and the date of our passing), we live as if it is real. The key is to establish a more positive relationship with time so you have more of it,” says author Christine Louise Hohlbaum. In other words, “Time rocks!” Now go reward yourself for taking control and go relax a little before you get busy.

Meryl K. Evans is senior editor at InternetVIZ and the content maven behind the Connected Digest, B2B Social Media Digest and Professional Services Journal. Follow her on Twitter @merylkevans.

Am I too strict with our Internet policy?

At our company, most employees have Internet access at their workstations. Ordinarily, I don’t mind a few minutes of web browsing here and there for a break or even a little personal business. It’s the same as a quick water cooler conversation.

Yet as social media has grown and become a business necessity, more employees have started to hang out on these sites — and not always for work. Am I going overboard in wanting to control the amount of time employees spend online for personal surfing? How can I trust them to get the work done without curtailing this personal web browsing? Or does it really save productivity since they get the mental break they need?

— Nathan

I Need More Time

Since it’s impossible to add another hour to the 24-hour day, I need an alternative. How can I find time to do all the things I need to complete at work? No doubt, many managers/supervisors deal with this challenge. How have you overcome the “I can’t get everything done” syndrome?

— Ed, Manager

Burning on the Inside

After over five years of service, I recently “retired” from a company to manage my own business full-time. I gave the standard two-week notice and started preparing to help with the transition. The company cut my two weeks short, and my manager was disrespectful to me during the process.

Since then, I’ve been furious with the manager and the situation. I did the best I could to serve the company and was loyal and honest. Having never received closure, I’ve been careful because I don’t believe in burning bridges.

The company did nothing illegal, so this doesn’t call for a lawsuit. And I might need a good recommendation from my manager someday. I think some action will help me get over this, but what? Should I talk to the director or someone else? I’m still burning inside despite trying to forget about the company. Nothing works. How do you work past these nasty feelings?

— Gone, but not forgotten

With that in mind, readers and experts provide four ways to deal with the resentment:

• Look at the situation from a different perspective.
• Pour your energy into the new job.
• Write a letter.
• Let time do the trick. 

Of course, if you have other advice, please share it in the comments, or if you’re facing a different challenge, please tell us about it so we can post it and ask for advice.

Look at the situation from a different perspective

Even if you’re the kind of person who tries to consider all views, it’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing only one side. The situation could be the result of company policy, as Monique Ramsey, director of patient services, shares a lesson learned from hiring and firing class. “They told us to NEVER accept the two-week notice from an employee. The reasons were that so many things can go wrong during that two weeks — they could take your client list or sabotage your business in another way, or get paid to do nothing because they have mentally ‘checked out,’ or (insert problematic issue here) so hopefully this will help you feel better and not take it personally. They were just going by the book,” Ramsey says.

Not all readers believe that giving the standard notice is always the right thing to do. The length of the notice varies from country to country. Jillian Zavitz, TalktoCanada.com programs manager, believes employees should give the required notice. Sometimes she takes them on it, and other times she lets them go early. Why let them go early?

“They don’t want to be there and won’t put their all into the job. It’s important for me to have employees on board who will put 110 percent into their job no matter what. To get over these feelings, just think about the good times you had at the company and understand that sometimes it’s better (if they have the personnel) to take you out immediately,” says Zavitz.

Stephanie Jeffery Carlino, co-founder of the Long Island Breakfast Club, agrees that the company did the employee a favor. She had to give an eight-week notice when she resigned from a job. “It was the longest eight weeks of my life; they froze me out from major decisions. Be grateful they let you out early, to have done that for me would have been a godsend,” Carlino says.

Wendie A. Howland of Howland Health Consulting, Inc. flips the situation upside down. “You were dissed by your old manager and furious over this. Did you stop to think that perhaps s/he thought you had dissed the company that treated you well for five years and was furious about that?” says Howland.

Pour your energy into the new job

What could be better revenge than becoming successful in your new job? Since you own the business, you probably have more freedom. “No doubt your manager was pissed off at your escape to freedom. Feel sorry for them and go have a latte at your leisure and go see an occasional movie at lunchtime. The world is your oyster while they are sitting in their cubbies,” writes Leslie Singer, co-founder and chief creative officer, HS Dominion.

A reader suggests to smile and take responsibility for your own success. “Their behavior is a reflection of themselves and not you. Maybe they already realize how much they’ll miss your work? In any event, be sure to send your old team PR from your new business, and irregular reminders of how well you are doing,” the reader says. 

Dan Michalko provides a tip for planning on your success. “Buy three thank-you cards: one for your manager, and one for the managers two levels above your manager. Then write the cards out envisioning your success in six months. The note should state something like ‘I’d like to circle back and say thanks for cutting me loose prematurely after providing you the courtesy of a two-week notice. While the disrespect demonstrated by my manager, xxx, during my notice period after investing five years with the company was unfortunate, it provided me the impetus to focus on building my business.

“‘As a result, I am now in a position to enable others to succeed. It is my sincere hope that your company has developed an exit interview process to capture lessons learned from anyone leaving your business.’ And for the levels above your manager include: ‘Please feel free to call me should you have questions, or if I can assist your company with any of your needs in the areas of xxx, or xxxx,’” says Michalko.

Write a letter 

You’ve probably heard advice along the lines of write a letter and then burn it. Readers like Russ Seel, founder and CEO of RH Positive, offer another take on this approach. “Write the offenders a letter thanking them for the good experiences you did have and wish them well in the future. You’ll be surprised/amazed at the change in your attitude and likely theirs as well. The good repercussions are eternal,” says Seel.

Linda Konstan, Sensible Human Resources Consulting LLC, believes an exit letter is something any resigning employee may want to do. “I would write a strong ‘exit’ letter (even after the fact) and ask that they place it in your personnel file. That letter will thank everyone for the opportunities they gave you and list all your accomplishments,” Konstan says.

Harley Rivet of Rivet Consulting has been through the situation before and has avoided saying bad things about the former employer. Rivet applies the getting down your feelings while not sharing them with anyone approach. “They treated me wrong so don’t I have a right to be mad? They were the perpetrators, and I was the victim. I feel violated. I have found writing about the experience a bit therapeutic since it helps get the feelings out without publicly sharing the writings. I will always have a scar to remind me but think of it as something that gives me character and more life experience,” says Rivet.

Let time do the trick

Time heals all wounds. Maybe this situation requires more time than usual. John Barnes quotes the 12-Step Program, “‘Time takes time.’ Just because you know how you want to feel, and that you will feel that way eventually, doesn’t mean you’re ready to feel it now. Cut yourself some slack. Be bitter if you have to be until it’s time to be over it,” says Barnes.

How about a good laugh? Deepak Gupta recommends eBossWatch, a site devoted to the worst bosses. Granted, it’s a serious website where you can search for bad bosses, but hang out long enough, and you’ll start laughing.

“The closure you are looking for is inside of you. You are the one who needs to close that chapter. Remember all the good that occurred over so many years, not the end,” says Kathi Elster of K Square Enterprises.

Have you been through a situation where you left a company on bad terms? How did you handle it? What’s your advice for people in this situation? Please join the discussion in the comments because we want to hear from you. 

Meryl K. Evans is senior editor at InternetVIZ and the content maven behind the Connected Digest, B2B Social Media Digest and Professional Services Journal. Follow her on Twitter @merylkevans.

Burning on the Inside

After over five years of service, I recently “retired” from a company to manage my own business full-time. I gave the standard two-week notice and started preparing to help with the transition. The company cut my two weeks short, and my manager was disrespectful to me during the process.

Since then, I’ve been furious with the manager and the situation. I did the best I could to serve the company and was loyal and honest. Having never received closure, I’ve been careful because I don’t believe in burning bridges.

The company did nothing illegal, so this doesn’t call for a lawsuit. And I might need a good recommendation from my manager someday. I think some action will help me get over this, but what? Should I talk to the director or someone else? I’m still burning inside despite trying to forget about the company. Nothing works. How do you work past these nasty feelings?

— Gone, but not forgotten

Performance Review

In my 20 years in the workforce, it’s surprising that performance reviews haven’t made a difference for my staff. I’m trying to turn this around, so I’ve read up on how to make the most of performance reviews. Yet, I struggle with finding an effective process that benefits the employee, employer and manager.

Do you use the performance review tool, or do you do your own thing? What’s the best way to do a constructive performance review that benefits both employees and management?

— Perplexed about performance

It may happen in June in one company. For another, it’s September. No matter the month, almost every company has a dreaded month where employees and managers fear the annual performance review.

Even when things go well for hard-working employees and managers, the performance review becomes a tradition of wasting everyone’s time while satisfying the company’s need to have it done. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Most employees want to grow and feel challenged. Effective performance reviews help them take the next step in their jobs rather than simply receive a business report card. Good performance reviews and consistent follow-up can motivate employees throughout the year. Readers and experts provide excellent advice to address this difficult yet important challenge.

They recommend that you stop wasting time with performance reviews and turn them into useful tools with these four steps:

• Get the company on the same page.
• Develop your own review process.
• Check in more often.
• Change the focus of the review.

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As always, if you have more advice, share it in the comments, or if you’re facing a different challenge, please share your dilemma so we can ask your peers for their advice.

Get the company on the same page

The problem with performance reviews is that the entire company may not buy into them. Or maybe the review process varies by department or manager. If the process lacks consistency across the company, it does no one good. When few support the performance process, it becomes a useless tool.

If possible, have the company investigate performance review processes to find what works best and get buy-in on the best process, from executives on down to recent college graduates.

Develop your own review process

You may not be in a position to change the company’s performance review process. Why not create your own? “Either start from scratch or customize a standardized form. To be effective, a performance review needs to cover specific aspects of a specific position,” says Barbara Farfan, management and operations consultant, Authentic Communications. No one says you can’t develop one and then fill in the blanks on the company’s official form.

For those not wanting to start from scratch, Michelle Braden, president and CEO of MSBCoach, LLC, suggests investing in a behavior tool like EQ, DISC, Emergenetics or StrengthsFinder.

Carol Stewart, adjunct professor of management at Southern CT State University, uses Manage By Objectives (MBO). “I create a spreadsheet with my goals in one column, and action items and due dates (for each goal) in the next two columns. The last column shows any dependencies or obstacles. This process takes the ‘subjectivity’ out of performance reviews,” says Stewart.

You can work with the current system using Slaughter Development, LLC’s Robby Slaughter’s approach. “Instead of performance reviews, employees and managers ought to mutually define forward-looking performance objectives that include fixed targets tied to future compensation — and honor them.”

Check in more often

A typical performance review process consists of two meetings: the goal-setting and the review. Some companies combine both in a single meeting, and follow the review with setting next year’s goals.

Having more check-ins helps reinforce the goals and progress. “To help the review ‘stick,’ it is necessary to maintain a consistent message between evaluations. Additionally, people can only change if they know how. An evaluation reveals the issues, not how to solve them. Provide educational or situational opportunities directed at resolving the shortcomings identified in the evaluation,” says Greg Stacy, senior account manager with Single Source Systems Inc.

Too often, employees don’t know where they stand when the performance review time arrives. That should not be the case. Instead, the performance review should summarize what the employee and manager already know and contain no surprises. The summary captures all the conversations and documentation the employee and managers have had throughout the year.

Linda Konstan, Sensible Human Resources Consulting, does weekly check-ins. “Instead of basing everything on the ‘annual performance evaluation,’ I prefer to use a critical incident log at least once weekly. This tool documents the good, bad and ugly and forces conversations with staff,” says Konstan.

You could also check in every four to six weeks like Lunell Haught does. “Performance reviews are a waste of time without follow-up. I ask, ‘What can I do to help you succeed?’ and then do it or tell why I can’t. I see appraisals as a conversation, not a judgment!” Haught says.

Change the focus of the review

Meeting more often to discuss an employee’s progress is a great start. A manager can motivate an employee to change by focusing on the positives and involving the employee in the process. One reader suggests having employees list their responsibilities and the best way to meet those responsibilities. The manager can respond with a positive by focusing on what the employees do well and follow that with areas of improvement or drastic changes necessary.

Obviously, you need to point out performance weaknesses. “Reinforce what you want people to keep doing! Negative feedback, to be useful, must focus on things people can change,” says Stephen Balzac, president of 7 Steps Ahead, LLC. “You’re not a team player” offers no useful information. Be specific such as “In the last three meetings, I observed you turning every discussion into a win/lose fight, and then shouting everyone down. I am concerned that this will destroy our effectiveness as a team,” Balzac says.

The employee and manager need to discuss, agree and document steps to help the team, department and company meet their goals. The employee needs to know what the manager expects, but it’s up to the employee to figure out the how. End the conversation with a positive.

Instead of focusing on the infamous SMART goals, aka specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timeframe, Phyllis Harber-Murphy of More Than 9 2 5 Virtual Assistance suggests thinking HARD.

• Heartfelt: My goals will enrich the lives of others, whether colleagues and peers or the general public.
• Animated: I can vividly imagine how great I will feel once I accomplish these goals.
• Required: My goals are aligned with and will have a direct impact on my company’s main objectives.
• Difficult: I will have to stretch myself (take courses, learn new techniques, etc.) to accomplish my goals.

While changing the process may not be possible, you can make the best of it with what you have by meeting more often and focusing on the good while identifying areas for growth and improvement. With a little practice, maybe the whole team will change its outlook on performance reviews, knowing they result in more communication and growth.

What do you think? Any gaps? Disagree? Join the discussion in the comments. 

Meryl K. Evans is senior editor at InternetVIZ and the content maven behind the Connected Digest, B2B Social Media Digest and Professional Services Journal. Follow her on Twitter @merylkevans.

Scaring Off Sales

My company hired me as its first marketing executive. I have a designer and a copywriter who have been here for years. We work together well.

My sales counterpart and I also got along GREAT at first, until I suggested interviewing the sales team to better understand how their customers might react to a social media initiative. Since then, she has found excuse after excuse for me not to speak with them, and our relationship is a bit strained. Is there a way to fix this relationship, or should I try another approach to reach sales? 

— Flailing in sales

It opens doors and closes deals

by Meryl K. Evans, Editor, B2B Social Media Digest 

Social media, aside from blogs, is still new for many people, especially those in business-to-business (B2B) companies. Some people firmly believe that social media isn’t a sales function. True or not, it should not stop a company from investigating social media as an option to build broader and deeper relationships. Because social media can open doors and close deals, most readers think that even if sales staff don’t lead your social media efforts, convincing them of its merits is essential. 

Readers recommend that you:

• Discuss people’s concerns.
• Reassure sales that objectives will remain intact.
• Use success-story examples.
• Show how this builds client/customer relationships.

Discuss people’s concerns 

Like any management challenge, when a colleague or manager puts up a wall, you tear down the wall slowly by opening conversation. Ask questions. Find out her concerns. Maybe together you can find solutions and answers to those concerns. 

One reader suggests going to lunch and directly asking why she’s opposed to the approach. Use this as an opportunity to dig deep into her issues. “Explaining your reasoning may help alleviate her concerns,” says the reader. 

Reassure sales that objectives will remain intact 

When something new comes along, some people struggle with change. Connecting something new with your business objectives is a way to open the door. Since employees should already be familiar and comfortable with objectives, making the link between the old and the familiar can provide reassurance. 

Clive Burton says that with many sales jobs going away, people in sales may fear for their jobs and shut down when hearing about social media initiatives “unless you can convince them that such initiatives will, in fact, contribute to the reps’ success.” 

Use success-story examples 

Stories and examples of B2B companies succeeding with social media pop up regularly. It takes little searching to find examples of companies comparable to yours. Better yet, use competitors as examples. Also look for clients using social media. This shows they find social media valuable enough to use it; then your sales team can, too. 

“My most successful point was that old saying — people do business with people, not companies. These days, it goes one step further. People do business with people THEY KNOW. The best way for your sales reps to get to know their potential customers is through social media,” says Nancy Hamel. 

Show how this builds client/customer relationships 

Not all businesses look at the numbers or return on investment when it comes to the effectiveness of social media. Using social media connects company employees with clients and prospects. It’s a return on relationships. 

“While involving newer ‘social media’ techniques, the issue seems to be the same old challenge of keeping sales and marketing in lock step. What I have found is that it  helps to  illustrate the potential value to the sale force as a way for it to extend conversations, credibility and number of unique touches into accounts,” Joel Capperella says. 

Sales focuses heavily on building relationships, and social media does a good job of facilitating that.

Scaring off Sales

My company hired me as its first marketing executive. I have a designer and a copywriter that have been there for years. We work together well.

My sales counterpart and I also got along GREAT at first, until I suggested interviewing the sales team to better understand how their customers might react to a social media initiative. Since then, she has found excuse after excuse for me not to speak with them, and our relationship is a bit strained. Is there a way to fix this relationship or should I try another approach to reach sales?

– Flailing in sales

Where do we start?

I’m pushing my sales team to add social media to its repertoire. We started with Twitter and tried to train the sales staff; however, they aren’t taking it seriously. They continue to use the hard-sell approach.

I don’t think they understand how to use Twitter and LinkedIn to build relationships.

Should we expect the sales team to use these tools, or should marketing maintain them and pass on leads to sales?  – Overwhelmed in Chicago