Let's take your shoes, for example. In order to walk comfortably (and in a straight line) it's important to wear your shoes on the correct feet. However, it's pretty obvious when you've goofed and it's an easy fix. Right shoe goes on right foot, left shoe on left foot and away you go.
But what about other things? Like say, diapers. Many, many years ago, a diaper was a diaper, it didn’t matter which way it was put on. You put the cloth diaper on the baby, fastened it up and boom, you’re ready. However, diaper science (I don’t really know if there are diaper scientists, but there must be) has changed, and there is a definite way to put them on a baby. Failure to recognize the diaper top from the bottom, can result in a mess that you just don’t want to have.
Well, it’s the same for managing employees. For example, in the past, whether you had flexible work hours, work from home availability and part time options, didn’t seem to impact companies in a noticeable way. However, as the job market has tightened and a different generation has entered the workplace, failure to have these options can result in the inability to attract and retain the best people, and that can be an HR mess!
PS: I’ve heard that cloth diapers have made a comeback, and they now have definite tops and bottoms as well.
Until next month!
-Eileen
