Work communications are always a barrel of laughs. Usually, when I have gotten in trouble either at work or with a pal, it involved me snapping off in an email. I don’t do it often, but when I do, I spend the next days downing an entire, full-fat version of humble pie, second-guessing my instincts, and generally feeling pretty s**ty. …
The 3 “Fs” of Universal Hiring
I’ve worked for global Fortune 500 organizations. I’ve worked for a private holding company. I’ve also “done” three startups. I bring some street cred to this blog as I’ve experienced birthing and burying a startup—and everything in-between. I do admit I’m drawn to startups like a moth to a flame. This is particularly odd to me as nowhere in my …
5 Things To Do At The Office On Black Friday
A few years back I wrote a post over at The Project called the 5 Things To Do at Work the Day after Thanksgiving. It’s solid, a bit boring for my taste. Probably when I wrote it, like writing this post, I believed it wouldn’t be read by anyone, so let’s not put too much time into it! But, it’s …
No Vacations for You!
I received a job offer a while ago, and it was a good one. Part of the package included an awesome paid time off program. Unlimited. That’s right folks, Unlimited PTO. I can take as much time as I need, whenever I need it, vacations galore. If my wife and I decide to start a family, I can have unlimited …
The Benefit of Employee Benefits
It’s that time of year again when there is a certain nip in the air, foretelling if it will be a good or bad winter. This is a time of hot apple cider, roaring fireplaces, football and the mother of all HR events, Open Enrollment! OK, Maybe it doesn’t exactly trump the Super Bowl; but employee benefits can be a …
Why does Talent Acquisition Continue to Fail at Total Employment?
Think about what Talent Acquisition is truly responsible for in most organizations: Full-time employee hiring Part-time employee hiring Now, think about every kind of worker who might be in your organization at any one time: Full-time FTEs Part-time FTEs Temporary employees (admin, hourly worker types) Contract employees (IT, Accounting, Engineering, etc.– high-level, white collar project work) Consultants (1099s, state of work …
Walk This Way: What the #GoogleWalkout Means for HR Leaders
The irony of the Aerosmith reference in my title is not lost on me in the wake of the #GoogleWalkout over sexual harassment, gender and pay equality, and transparency in reporting. Check the lyrics if you were born in the ’90’s. What struck me as I was reading about this protest wasn’t necessarily the fact that Google paid executives to …
What Makes a Great Leader? The Very Same Things That Make a Great Person.
Here’s one of the many things I’ve learned from leading and managing people: Great leadership wisdom is really hard to find. For all of the many leadership books that have been written — and there are more than 60,000 listed on Amazon — the really great V-8 moments, the “Blinding Flashes of the Obvious” where a truly great leadership or …
Thanksgiving is Coming!
A few short weeks from now many of us will be sitting down with friends, the family we like (and may even love), engaging with new and old acquaintances, laughing, chatting, reveling, playing games and connecting on a truly human level. The rest of us will have Thanksgiving dinner at our own, or a relative’s house, arguing about politics, misremembering …
Give Me What I Want or I’ll Ruin Your Career (Assertiveness)
When was the last time you blew up at someone at work? When was the last time somebody got all over you to hold you accountable or get what they wanted? In either situation, the person doing the damage (you or the other person) might have a reputation for this type of thing. That type of reputation comes with a …