Let's Talk. Let's Talk About Discipline.

Let me start with a few questions.

How does your organization communicate it's position on discipline? Does your organization have a stance on discipline? If so, is this communicated or just a supposed "known" in the culture?

Is determining an appropriate level of discipline left solely to a supervisor's discretion? How are supervisors trained? How are they synchronized? Are they synchronized, calibrated, or whatever to ensure consistent organizational responses to similar situations? Should they be?

Where does supporting supervisors start and ensuring equitable, reasonable and respectful treatment of employees end, or vice versa? Are they mutually exclusive?

What role do you, as an HR professional, have in the disciplinary process beyond the technical processing of an action?  Do you advise? Do you offer your $0.25 and let the final decision fall with the supervisor or are you an integral part of the decision making process? If so, are you part of the process to the degree where if you don't agree with the action it does not proceed?

If you are unionized, what percentage of your disciplinary actions are grieved? What percentage of grievances are denied with the original discipline sustained? What percentage are granted with the discipline reduced or even vacated? What percentage are resolved at the lower steps and how many are pushed as high as they can go? How do you fair in arbitrations?

Is the disciplinary process achieving it's intended goal. What is the goal by the way? Does leadership as a whole agree? Did you ask them? What did they say? 

Do you tire of trying to make sense out of the non-sensical?

Let's talk. As leaders, we must.

Taking What You Give

How much longer can we keep up this unrelenting pace?

I was meeting with the director last Friday reviewing the current status of actions - discipline, hiring, union activity etc and talked about the volume. He commented that the issues we have are not that bad and I agree. It is not the complexity of issues, it is the non-stop, revolving door, no end in sight level of work. It is the day to day grind that leaves no time for reflective thought or future planning. It is this level and volume that takes everything out of you - out of me.

Or does it? Does it take everything or does it take everything I am willing to give? The volume is there and that's a given but no one is telling me to skip the gym. To not take more time off. To bring work home with me (although it very rarely leaves the car). To check the Blackberry periodically over the weekend. 

One thing you can take to the bank is if I give it,  the organization will take it. But to what end? And at what costs?

So, the lines are blurred for me right now. Where do the necessary demands of the job end and my willingness to give so much of my time start?