The Thin Red Line. Fight Club. American Psyco. These are films that solidified Jared Leto‘s success as an Oscar-winning actor. Then, as his star was rising, he basically stopped making movies. “I think it was about focus. I knew that I needed to commit everything to music at that point in my life,” said Leto. Fast Company interviewed Jared Leto and …
A Simple Formula For Becoming An Enviable Place To Work
Eventually, all leadership teams come to a realization that if they “win” in attracting higher caliber people than their competitors to their company then they will also “win” in their marketplace. Having a better team of people in place than your competitors is a sure-fire way to create a sustainable competitive advantage. But doing so is tricky. Why? Look no …
Can You Measure Passion in Candidates In Interviews?
You want candidates who are passionate about what they do for a living, don’t you? Of course you do. But passion for a profession is tough to get a grip on. And like most subjective things, there’s a whole lot of bulls**t going on in the world related to determining whether someone has passion for what they do. But the …
All Of Your Rules Make You Suck At Recruiting!
I would never call myself a ‘road warrior’ but I fly frequently. Many people have a fear of flying but I never have, even after 9/11, but I can definitely see why people have this fear. Before the 1990’s, planes had a small habit of randomly just falling out of the sky! The FAA would do an investigation and find …
Hello 3-Day Weekends!
If you’ve been in the workforce for 20+ years, you probably grew up thinking working longer hours meant you were more productive, or helped you advance your career. I spent many years arriving at and leaving an office in darkness. Microsoft has put a bit of data behind the fact longer hours do not equate to higher productivity (or happiness). …
Developing Your Team: Three Types of People (And Why You’re The Problem)
Note – Was in Boston this week training a great group of managers in Coaching Skills from our Boss Leadership Series, and this topic came up. So I tracked down this past post and am republishing for those 21 managers. Enjoy team and good luck back at your location! You wish your team would accept greater responsibility. Why don’t they …
4 Critical Steps for Success as a New CHRO
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 …
Management Fads Come and Go, But Here’s an Oldie You Should Get on Board With
Management fads come and go, but one thing never changes — the fact that that most management fads don’t seem to last. That’s why I was surprised when I saw this recent Wall Street Journal article touting “agile management” as the hot, new management trend. My doubt was fueled by the third paragraph of the Journal story that openly admitted …
10 Things HR Should Have Given Up by Now
I attended an awards luncheon where the nominees were asked the question, “What would you have expected to have given up by now?” Answers involved a lot of childhood sweets, biting nails and imaginary dogs (that was not mine). Slap that question on the HR profession and I have a few ideas around the answers. Some are common sense and …
“Mr. Spicoli, What’s Your Reason for Your Truancy?”
“Fast Times at Ridgemont High“. One of the all-time greatest flicks with almost as many life-affirming lines as “The Big Lebowski“. Sean Penn played the iconic Jeff Spicoli, who more than once was late for class, causing Mr. Hand great frustration. Mr. Hand: Mr. Spicoli, what’s your reason for your truancy? Jeff Spicoli: I just couldn’t make it on time. …