In a short piece titled The Cost of Neutral, writer Seth Godin posits that when a person is silent but had something important to say, his act is not … Read more
Beating the Beast: Working to Overcome the Bureaucratic Mindset
“Bureaucracy destroys initiative. There is little that bureaucrats hate more than innovation, especially innovation that produces better results than the … Read more
The Great Debate: Do We Have a Talent Shortage or a Talent Transformation?
There have been ongoing debates for a decade or more over whether or not there is a talent shortage. If there was a real talent shortage, we would have … Read more
The Role of HR: Have We Abdicated Our Responsibility for “People?”
I fell into Human Resources (it was “Personnel” back then) after taking aptitude tests in the military, and then continued in civilian HR once I left the … Read more
Why We Need Bereavement Policies That Make More Sense
Grab your company’s Employee Handbook and take a look at the Bereavement Leave policy. Go ahead, I’ll wait. It probably starts out by stating how the … Read more
Even Not-So-Great Bosses Can Teach You a Thing or Two
I’m the type of person who remembers just about everything you’ve ever said or done to me. But the flip side of my good memory is, lessons learned stick … Read more
If You Feel Like You’re Scared, You Are Probably Making Progress
Scared is OK Lately I have found myself telling a lot of people that it’s OK to be scared. This often comes up when someone is considering delivering … Read more
What Came First — Happiness or Employee Engagement?
Shawn Achor’s book The Happiness Advantage takes an in-depth look at the way happiness impacts people in the workplace. Much of his research and … Read more
Leadership Isn’t About Making Friends
I had my first real job when I was 20-years-old. I filled a vacancy in a Human Resources department. I wasn’t very good at it. My boss didn’t like me. … Read more
You’re the Boss Now: Here’s What Being a Manager is All About
By Aaron McDaniel Me: “I need you to keep on working.” Jim: “But boss, it’s 10:30 at night and I have been working here since 7 am. We are not going to get … Read more