May 24, 2011 at 10:37 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Treat People Like People
May 25, 2011 at 1:30 am
what a very well thought out and written piece, I agree whole heartedly
May 25, 2011 at 7:03 am
I always hate it when supposedly intelligent people try to group others together by something as nebulous as a generation. They meticulously compile and analyze statistics to get to a generalization, which they then abuse by trying to apply it to all members of the class.
Treat people like people. Stop trying to guess what they'll be like based on their age and just ask.
May 25, 2011 at 7:18 am
I think that calling them Millennials dehumanizes them from the very beginning. Not everyone is exactly the same. Having said that, the idea that treating employees like people and not commodities is difficult when the only measurement business uses is the quarterly results. The new graduates may want soft benefits but if they have to give up pay to get them, they may sing a different tune. When they get into management, they will likely be changed by the corporate culture and treat their employees like commodities. They may be able to introduce some changes but it will be difficult.
May 25, 2011 at 7:44 am
I could never understand why companies went from "Personnel" to "Human Resources". I feel like being thought of as somebody else's resource is a tad demeaning too (although it's better than being unemployed!) Thanks for the post!
The three biggest mistakes in life...thinking that power = freedom, sex = love, and data = information.
May 25, 2011 at 7:56 am
IMHO (5/25/2011)
I could never understand why companies went from "Personnel" to "Human Resources". I feel like being thought of as somebody else's resource is a tad demeaning too (although it's better than being unemployed!) Thanks for the post!
+1
Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes
May 25, 2011 at 8:25 am
I see lots of companies starting to see that they can benefit from the fact that so many people are running around with smart phones. What I don't see is a willingness or even an acknowledgement that it might be a two way street. If you want me to use my personal device at work, don't be surprised when I use it to handle personal tasks at work. It's my phone and I'm paying for the voice and data plans, so don't expect me to just turn it over to you for half my waking hours or more. Also, somebody (not me!) better figure out a way to protect the company data that makes it to my phone without having to wipe my whole phone.
If my personal information can't remain safe from your actions and I can't conduct personal business on my own phone, then it's not really my own phone. At that point, somebody better cough up some cash. Or just give me a company phone and I'll leave mine turned off in my pocket or in my glove compartment or in my desk during work, just like I had to do before you 'allowed' me to use it for work.
I heard one fellow put it this way: "I'd give anybody who asks a company smartphone. That means I get an extra 20 hours a week out of them for $100/mo or less. Better yet, let them hook up their personal phones to the company systems and I get that 20 hours a week for free." Hell of an attitude there, and not someone I can respect.
May 25, 2011 at 8:51 am
sknox (5/25/2011)
I always hate it when supposedly intelligent people try to group others together by something as nebulous as a generation. They meticulously compile and analyze statistics to get to a generalization, which they then abuse by trying to apply it to all members of the class.Treat people like people. Stop trying to guess what they'll be like based on their age and just ask.
This is one I kind of struggle with. It's a fact that people in a given generation tend to have the same world view. By knowing what that tendency is can help you when starting to approach someone. However, it is just a tendency so not everyone in a generation is going to hold to those views and you need to actually pay attention to them as people so you can recognize when that's happening. Likewise, people in another generation (either older or newer) may have the world view that tends to belong to a different generation. By knowing the predominant ways of looking at things that people have can help with how to deal with people in general but it's important to know that it's a tendency, not a rule.
May 25, 2011 at 8:52 am
Nice editorial and I couldn't agree more that companies should not treat employees like resources or objects. Unfortunately the corporate world has too many companies that treat people like disposable objects.
Knowing this, the employee mindset should adjust accordingly. Move around from company to company as opportunities become available to advance quicker and continually grow your career. It's alot easier to think of a company as a resource or an object than a person.
May 25, 2011 at 9:15 am
A pet peeve of mine is not when companies or HR departments refer to people as resources, but when we in IT do so. I'll be in planning meetings with IT Managers, Directors and Project Managers, and someone will say 'I have one resource you can use for 2 months, but then I need an additional resource for the next 3 months'. I have to stop, collect myself and restate what they said back to them ' You mean you have Joe available to work on our team for 2 months, but you'll need Judy to join your team for the next 3 months'.
We know and work with these people every day, and I'm a firm believer that how we say things and talk about people is very important.
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May 25, 2011 at 9:18 am
Far too many companies view people in much the same was as the furniture, you can be replaced on a whim.. Bye Bye... And I have seen this often in large mid-size up to very large organizations. Less so at smaller organizations.
CEWII
May 25, 2011 at 9:27 am
Thanks for the notes, and glad you liked it.
I know that Millenials is a generalization, and certainly people feel differently with that group. It encompasses people of a variety of ages, so they will view the world differently. However they want to be treated differently, in different situations, and I think there are valid ways to treat people differently, but keep a common set of rules.
May 25, 2011 at 9:36 am
IMHO (5/25/2011)
I could never understand why companies went from "Personnel" to "Human Resources". I feel like being thought of as somebody else's resource is a tad demeaning too (although it's better than being unemployed!) Thanks for the post!
+1
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
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May 25, 2011 at 9:45 am
IMHO (5/25/2011)
I could never understand why companies went from "Personnel" to "Human Resources". I feel like being thought of as somebody else's resource is a tad demeaning too (although it's better than being unemployed!) Thanks for the post!
+1
May 25, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Steve:
I am one hundredth percent in agreement with you. Actually this is why I been with my current employer for a long time. In our IS a teams the human dynamic is as important as the technical knowledge and we are always treated with respect and consideration I think this is something that is more valuable than any monetary compensation. Also one of the main reason why I been a faithful and avid reader of your columns in SQL server central is because of your insightful articles not only in the technical aspect of our careers but the human aspect too, thanks for that and keep up the good job
Sincerely
Rafael Colón
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