The new Muppets Show premieres next week. Who’s a huge nerdtastic Muppets Show fan? Yours truly. I’m probably gonna host an FOT viewing party for the premiere. KD loves himself some Animal. I grew up watching the Muppets, and my kids have really enjoyed watching the older shows, so I have had the opportunity to rediscover them. They’re a great blend …
Don’t Hire the Next Dilbert – Interviewing Early Career Professionals
You’ve been there before—you’re interviewing a candidate with three or so years of experience, and you have no idea what you are hoping to find. None. They aren’t rookies, but they are still early in their career, have been living in a cube and grinding away at entry level work for a few years. It’s hard to tell if they’re …
A Compensation Plan Where Everyone Earns More Is… Stupid
When I finished my undergrad, I wanted to be a college professor. Summers off, four or five classes to teach, the opportunity to do research, no high school punks to deal with—it seemed perfect for me. So, I entered grad school and taught two classes on my own while taking my classes. I loved teaching, but hated being a teacher. …
Why High-Potential Employees Fail
I’ve been doing a bit more development and succession planning work lately, especially around internal leadership development candidates. If you have ever been involved in a succession planning process, you know this truth—that funnel gets a lot narrower as time goes on. Stan was a high potential four years ago, but he’s out of your funnel this year. As a …
Cheering Foul Balls—Sometimes Effort Shouldn’t Count
I spend a lot of time at youth baseball and softball games these days. I have dust in my hair and dirt in my shoes from mid-March to late July. Want to see the dark side of suburbia? Jam into a community ballpark with parents who have sat on hot aluminum bleachers all day, trying to define their own self-worth …
Do Weak Managers Prefer One-Time Bonuses?
It’s hard for me to talk about bonuses without thinking of Clark Griswold getting a membership to the Jelly of the Month Club in Christmas Vacation. As Eddie said, “Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving throughout the entire year.” Bonuses have gone through an evolution. Company-wide, “thanks for being here” Christmas bonuses were the standard when my parents …
The Only Metric You Need To Gauge Onboarding Success
No one has ever accused me of adding complexity to a situation. Small words work best with us Midwest folk. Unfortunately, we sometimes allow our desire to provide structure—especially metrics and processes—to actually complicate our simple goals. Take onboarding. At its most basic, onboarding is simple, right? Deliver on the promises you made during the recruiting process, Skippy. Early in …