The most dichotomous month of all the great months is December. The Yin vs. Yang of the human experience comes out in great force. The Yin December is the month of insanity: including cramming 8 weeks of year-end work in one month and making sure all your friends get a swell photo card of your kids posing with a Christmas …
Leaders: If You Are Not A Great Listener, You Are A Great Pretender
Being an active listener is hard. I work as an HR consultant/trainer for some incredible firms (including KinetixHR, Recruiting Toolbox, and naturally, Dawn Burke HR). Whether conducting training for corporate leaders, HR pros, recruiters, hiring managers, or coaches, there is one significant obstacle all face and struggle to conquer – active listening. My eight year-old-niece would say, “a-doy.” My husband …
Onboarding…Who Cares?
Really, who cares? I suppose many do not. I know many companies do not onboard effectively and seem to keep their doors open. I know many companies that say they onboard, but do an abysmal job at it. They too seem to be still schlepping soap products or selling mattresses or building software regularly. However, if you have a workforce …
How To Manage Your CEO If They Think “They Are A Terrible Person”
CEO’s are only human. They have a tough job with high stress. Naturally, there are going to be times where their judgment will lapse, even to the point where they may do “terrible” things. But how do you, HR pro, manage that? A few days ago I read a fascinating article in Vanity Fair called “I’m a Terrible Person”: Behind …
Great Leaders Embrace Traits of An Adventurer
I’m in Iceland as I am writing this, so naturally, adventure is on my mind. Anyone who has visited Iceland will tell you it’s unlike any trip they’ve ever taken. One day you are in the middle of a lush, green field leading to a massive waterfall, the next day traveling between snow-capped mountains, while the next day you’re making …
Punish an Employee For a CEO’s Bad Behavior? Yes.
Or no? I waited for Uber for so long. Despite being the largest city in Alabama, it took a while to get to Birmingham. However, as a frequent traveler, I’d gotten used to the convenience of Uber in a big, big way. So, when Uber finally arrived in Birmingham early 2016 I did a triple-lindy. Then 2017 happened. Despite what …
To Squash Fears of Failure, Discipline Yourself to Keep Moving.
“Action cures fear” – Mike Kim. I am someone who needs structure. And you do to. For the last 18 months, I’ve been on my own workwise. Before you roll your eyes, this isn’t a missive on entrepreneurialism. However, going from larger corporate environments to working for an organization of one (me) has forced me to analyze every nuance of …
Are You a Mentor or Mommie Dearest?
Hey manager Mommie Dearest–could your mentoring do more harm than good? I am a fan of mentorships. I like to mentor people. And, if I am trying to develop my employees, I always recommend they pick a mentor besides me, since in theory, I mentor them every day. Mentoring can be an easy way to develop a variety of skills …
Should You Call Your Co-Workers Family? Depends on the Family.
Mike: We’re all family here. Archie: Don’t remind me! —All In The Family I saw an excellent Twitter chat that discussed if people should use the term “family” at work. For instance, do you work for an organization that claims “we are all one big family”? Or if the company is really high on itself, they may say, “We are …
Key Component To Talent Strategy: A Proper Goodbye
The HR space talks about talent acquisition a lot. How to attract candidates, how to source candidates, how to make the candidate experience exceptional. Just venturing a guess, but perhaps 70%, maybe 80%, of HR technology focuses on these very things. As an HR practitioner, I believe there is something that corporate leaders, managers, HR pros, and recruiters neglect: A …