Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER October 17, 2016 12 EXECUTIVE SERIES HR Manager's Guide to Employment Files and Information Management: Legislation and Best Practices uniquely addresses the management of all types of employee information throughout the employment lifecycle, from recruitment to termination. Employment information and documentation management carries legal requirements that protect an organization from litigation, and are essential to the creation of sound policies for efficient, effective, and ethical business practices. Easy to read and understand, this new guide provides Human Resources professionals and others who deal with employee files, either electronically or in paper format, with: • Key legislation and emerging case law • Best practices in the areas of privacy, records retention, human resources information systems (HRIS), and information security • Practical guidance, tools and templates, such as sample policies • Information on all Canadian jurisdictions Know your legal obligations in managing employee files Available risk-free for 30 days Order online: www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800 Order # 986618-65203 $70 Softcover approx. 100 pages April 2015 978-0-7798-6618-2 Shipping and handling are extra. Price(s) subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. New Publication HR Manager's Guide to Employment Files and Information Howard A. Levitt, B.A., LL.B., and Tanya Neitzert, B.A., CHRP Brought to you by: © 2016 Thomson Reuters Canada Limited 00228VC-A49657-E98872 Trish Maguire Leadership In Action Communication, connections about much more than body language Have you ever wondered how you could be more effective in gaining the upper hand in a conversation, engaging and winning people's attention, having your ideas heard and understood, even perhaps standing out from the crowd — all without saying a word? At a recent SCN event, we had the op- portunity to experience for ourselves Mark Bowden's zeal and unique ap- proach for helping us do just that. Mark brings an energizing per- spective to how people can and do relate to each other on the physi- cal level. His journey in becoming a not- ed body language, behaviour and communication expert started with a university degree in per- formance in the United Kingdom, with continued studies in the ges- ture control methods of Jacques Lecoq's Laboratory of Movement in Paris. With these skills, he worked with some of the world's most groundbreaking theatre compa- nies, appeared in multi-award- winning stage and screen pro- ductions globally, and trained internationally recognized actors and directors. No surprises in discovering that Mark is not only an expert in his field, he's also a highly entertain- ing and engaging speaker. He's eager to show practical tools and simple strategies that can help us better manage ourselves and oth- ers in achieving whatever we want to achieve or not. Learning how easily, inadver- tently and unconsciously we can send the wrong message to others with our body language is a first step. Although Mark shared a va- riety of easy-to-do strategies to help people project greater con- fidence and enthusiasm, and gain greater rapport and influence, the challenge is that some of the tech- niques verged on the superficial and potentially manipulative. I agree it's interesting to be aware of the negative impact a person risks by remaining behind the podium and reading straight from written notes. I can also see the benefits of knowing that sitting at a table resting your head or chin in your hands, or concealing your mouth, can create negative perceptions or feelings for others. Nevertheless, I'm really unclear as to how the tools address and change some of our core human behavioural traits and learned habits. Unquestionably, Mark proves the power of body language and references the role the brain plays in managing our physical actions. However, body language alone does not necessarily help people to fully connect and communi- cate with people more meaning- fully or authentically. By contrast, if we look at the sci- ence behind neuromanagement practices, we have the opportu- nity to learn how to become more effective with complexity, ambi- guity, creativity and innovation. If so inclined, we can also learn why we do things and find out what we need to start doing differently. All things considered, if we are truly interested in being more ef- fective at tapping people's inher- ent motivation, releasing their full potential, improving relations and increasing engagement, relying on how we manage our physical actions is not enough. If we want to gain a more mean- ingful, purposeful understanding of what's driving people's behav- iour in our workplaces, it's go- ing to take more than pure body language. Trish Maguire is a commentator for SCNetwork on leadership in action and founding principal of Synergyx Solutions in Nobleton, Ont., focused on high-potential leadership develop- ment coaching. She has held senior leadership roles in human resources and organizational development in education, manufacturing and entre- preneurial firms. She can be reached at synergyx@sympatico.ca. Body language alone does not necessarily help us to fully connect and communicate more meaningfully or authentically. Time required POWER < pg. 11 help leaders, by aligning the non- verbal signals with the spoken word. And (back to an earlier rant) it's wasted in an organization where leaders have full plates them- selves, laden with projects, dead- lines and tasks that prevent them from connecting with others in a meaningful (meaning non-trans- actional) way. Leadership and human con- nection happen in the slack space, and it is exactly that space that has been engineered out of most organizations. Ian: If time is our greatest en- emy, then we must figure out how best to utilize it. If ticking off the job list is more important to an ex- ecutive team than effectively com- municating the message with sin- cerity, we know how that affects engagement. Too often, results trump cul- ture and there's another long ar- gument. However, Mark raised our awareness to a real issue that is very much overlooked in organizations and, frankly, by leadership. Hopefully we've learned some- thing and, more importantly, we can apply it.

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