Starting anything new is a bit daunting. A new exercise program. A new school. Sporting a new hairstyle. The internal questions of “Am I ready for this? Will I make friends? Is the “Rachel” really back?” will bubble in the pit of your stomach. Starting a new gig, especially a leadership role, builds even more intense emotions. Starting a new …
Have You Retired From Trying to be Young?
I clearly remember a time in my career when I tried to act like I had way more experience than I really had. “Oh yeah, I’ve been doing HR for ten years!” Assuming you count four years of experience I had working part-time service jobs in college as “HR” experience. Then one day you wake up and someone is reading …
Treating Employees Like Your Kids
Because I’m reaching the “vintage” where the most junior employees I work with are now the ages of my own kids, I’m now recognizing this management phenomenon in the workplace more than ever before. Do you treat your employees like your own kids? On the surface it sounds preposterous. But then again, I treat my own kids pretty well. I …
Get KD’s New Book: THE 9 FACES OF HR
It’s true. I just launched a book and it is doing well. It’s called THE 9 FACES OF HR. If you like reading The HR Capitalist or Fistful of Talent, you’re going to like the book and you should check it out. Here’s the summary from Amazon for your consideration: “Popular blogger and CHRO Kris Dunn presents a hard, but compelling reality: every HR professional on …
Rethinking Retirement
How much have you thought about retirement? If you’re a generation Y or Z-er then your answer is probably “not much”. But if you’re an X-er, an old X-er like me, then it’s probably been on the regular playlist in your mind for a while. After all, some of the most fortunate in our generation are retiring. So playing …
Can This Job Be Saved? Bringing Joy Back to Work
It’s summer time….and the living is easy…sort of. I love everything summer – from week long vacations, weekend days outside getting drenched in vitamin D, evenings on the deck, lots of family time – it’s all good. My favorite season, hands down. As we rolled into and out of our family vacation this year, I was catching up on my …
What Does It Mean When You Send Me Emails Over a Long Holiday Weekend?
It’s Friday, July 5th, so that can mean only one thing–a large percentage of people in America are taking the day off, or are at work enjoying the silence that comes with an American Holiday falling on Tuesday or Thursday. American holidays on Tuesdays and Thursdays correlate to opportunities to create 4 day weekends by taking Monday or Friday off …
HR at Home–A Guide to Advising Friends & Family
When I chose to march down the HR career path, I didn’t anticipate I’d become the “go-to” for all HR and career-related questions from family and friends. Don’t get me wrong, it’s as a privilege to be someone that family and friends can lean on in this area. But while it’s a privilege, it can be exhausting and quite tricky …
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 …
The Plane Isn’t Free Falling, But You Still Need to Put Your Oxygen Mask on First.
The person who gave me my start in HR also gifted me with a book, “Managing Transitions” by William Bridges. At the time I was going through a professional change and my organization was in flux–the book was much appreciated. Fast forward almost 28 years (yes, I started my career at 12) and I still revisit that book whenever I …