Just when I thought the performance ratings and the dreaded bell curve were dead, the Washington Business Journal announced that a major government contractor in Washington, DC is doubling down on the bell curve. But wait a minute; this is not just your typical bell curve, but a new extreme level for assigning managers’ performance quotas. The new rating system …
I will be leading a crew of Scouts to Northern Tier in July for a week of paddling and portaging canoes over the lakes of the North Woods in Canada. We will be in the back country for six days and the only means of communication will be a satellite phone for emergencies. Due to the remoteness and lengthy evacuation …
I look forward to the NCAA Tournament and March Madness every year. Who doesn’t? The close games, upsets, excitement, Cinderella stories and just good basketball. Okay, with the exception of my wife, who by now has realized that two minutes left in the game really means 30. I diligently completed my bracket picks and anxiously waited for the opening rounds, …
Recently, a Maryland middle school hosted a party with pizza, soda, games and a DJ titled “Academic Achievement Celebration.” Based on the theme of the party, it should not have been a surprise that there was a performance level threshold to achieve to be invited to the party–which was straight A’s on the report card. Students who received lower marks …
A good friend of mine (let’s call him Joe) who is well respected in the Talent Management & Learning profession, considered a thought-leader in the industry and has helped transform numerous cultures, was recently in search of his next gig. Timing was in his favor—right as he was deciding to pursue a new opportunity, he was contacted through LinkedIn by …
“Experiential Learning” is the process of making meaning from direct experience, i.e., learning from experience. We’ve done this most of our lives—such as learning to ride a bicycle—yet many learning professionals ignore this approach when it comes to skill and competency development within an organization. The formal classroom experience is not going to cut it unless there is the opportunity …
Happy New Year! Hopefully, the fog from your New Year’s Eve festivities is wearing off and you are actually starting to think about 2014. I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions and setting unrealistic goals that will likely be abandoned before the end of January. So, I follow the Boy Scout approach with a Roses, Thorns and Buds exercise. …
Image this scenario: You are sitting at home enjoying some quiet time right before the holidays. Perhaps you are wrapping gifts, baking some cookies or taking a nap. Then the silence is shattered by the ring of the doorbell. You slowly open the door and crashing in comes your family, dogs, luggage, gifts, and lots of noise as they arrive …
It’s Friday night at the Carusi house, so that can only mean one thing – family movie night! My kids decided to pick the movie, The Croods. Clearly, I failed at my attempts to talk them into another inspirational movie. Our last movie, Invincible, the story of Vince Papale, was too much for them to handle – especially since I …
Once upon a time, in 1983, a track & field team was formed at a small division III school in Northeast, PA, named Moravian College. Like most new athletic programs, recruiting was difficult with the absence of a championship and lack of big-name athletes. The head coach, well aware he would not land the High School State Champion, decided to …
