I have always been fascinated by the concept of time as currency. I calculate that without any surprises (hitting the lottery or by a bolt of lightning, etc.), I have between 1,600 to 2,000 days left of meaningful time to work. That sounds like a lot until I figured out that I have spent nearly 9,000 days already. So, my …
Alright, you may ask what does being placed at table 19 mean. Well, it is a metaphor taken from the Movie “Table 19”. The table is a place for folks invited to a wedding or any type of celebration, and the hosts don’t know where to place them. Some might even say the folks placed at this table are unwanted …
My favorite movie line of all time and something every HR practitioner needs to do, “Sometimes you need to just say ‘what the ****’ and take some risks.” The quote comes from the movie Risky Business. Joel, the character played by Tom Cruise, is much like a teenage version of an HR pansy. Coasting through life on smarts, good looks …
I have always been fascinated with the idea of trading places in business. The 1983 movie Trading Places, starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, is a comedy classic. The concept of trading places in business is compelling. A few years ago, I traded places with a university colleague at Adelphi, where I teach HR as an adjunct professor. Part of …
OK, maybe I deserved the last LinkedIn spam I got hit with this past week. Well to be transparent, I received a connection request with 40+ common connections and in my haste just clicked “Accept” on the screen. What a mistake. I have spent two days chastising this individual for his brazen actions. Here is a quick soundbite of this …
My painful summer of 2018 as a Met fan is highlighted by their shortstop dropping the ball after colliding with an outfielder in the 13th inning of a meaningless game against the San Francisco Giants. Or was it meaningless? Having spent 2 weeks this past month watching Little Leaguers on ESPN leading up to the Little League World Series, I …
One of my favorite songs on The Who’s magnificent rock opus Quadrophenia is The Real Me. It asks the question “Can you see the real me?” over and over as the central character, Jimmy, asks his doctor and others for clarity about his issues. Well, HR has some new issues to contend with too. Can HR bring their true selves to …
Last week The Wall Street Journal reported a 17-year high for folks leaving their roles to take new positions this year. This comes with reports of 30 percent plus increases for those in executive and management level roles. The average annual increase for employees this past year across all organizations in the USA is under 4 %, with promotions less …
For years SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) has held a reputation as being risk averse and sometimes even Pollyanna. As the largest HR organization globally, with over 250,000 members in the USA, it has significant reach within the HR community. Its TV commercials the past few years have only added to its brand and visibility. They are also …
You may have seen me post this picture before. It is my nephew Paul, a Naval Officer, with his son Mason standing on his feet. Paul has served our country for the past two decades, been wounded and recovered during the second Gulf War conflict, and has had many dangerous tours of duty during that time. He does this to …
