Guest Article: This is a Test Post by Melissa Fairman

This is a test post.  I’m watching Westworld while I do this and love this quote: William: “Where did you learn to do that?” Dolores: “I imagined a world where I wasn’t the damsel”
Article source:Melissa Fairman - This is a Test Post»

Check out more of Melissa Fairman's work at HR Remix

Guest Article: What Really Matters by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

There are two things in life that clearly demonstrate our priorities, values, and commitments; despite our endless talk, arm flailing, and sometimes bombastic speeches about accountability and strategy in fancy conference rooms.

Calendar

Regardless of what we say, wish, or believe that we are doing, our calendars are one of the most powerful sources of truth about our lives. They show what we've decided was important.

Maybe it's extra hours at work (that sometimes includes a long commute); extra time at home to complete work tasks; time with family; hobbies; time to exercise; or simply time to read, relax and decompress from a high impact world.

Whatever it is that you do...your calendar is the one place you can reflect on and learn about what you do...not necessarily what you say you will do.

Checkbook

The other great equalizer in our lives is the record of how we spend our money. That history reflects what is important to us. Sure, we all have bills to pay; however, our money trail often tells a much more insightful story.

Usually, not every penny is only spent on bills. So where do the other few dollars slip away too? Hmmm...a telling story awaits if one is only to do a little digging.

How About You

What priorities do you have for your time and resources? Will they be well spent? Perhaps documenting what you think really matters and then comparing that list to your reality is a good place to start?

Or, are you simply too busy to worry about such things?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - What Really Matters»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Violator by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Who is the negative disruptive force in your organization? You know the one...they violate every value you have posted on the wall and espouse in new employee orientation. 

Can you picture them?

You're Too Slow
How long did it take for you to see their face in your mind? Three seconds? Maybe, one second?

Why are they still there? How could someone that negative, that you identified so quickly, possibly still be employed with your company?

That makes no sense to me.

You realize your employees know you haven't taken any action...so you're losing credibility while you're reading this post instead of doing your job, right?

Now
Stop reading. Earn your leadership pay. You do more than attend meetings and approve payroll. You have to get into the difficult work of confronting...yes, confronting... behaviors that do not jive with your corporate culture. 

It's not easy. In fact, it can be downright stressful. So what? Your employees, your organization, and candidly, for your own sense of self-respect, you need to get on with it.

Remove them from your organization today.

How About You
Make the decision to step up and build the team you want to have, not that you "inherited." That lame excuse works for six months, then guess what? They are your team.

What are you waiting for?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Violator»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: A Dose of Medicine for Executives with BSO Syndrome by Jennifer Miller

As a member of a company (big or small) you’ve probably felt a case of organizational whiplash from time to time. You know what I’m talking about? It’s that sensation you get when so many different “Big Ideas” get introduced (and then eliminated) by upper management, it’s as if your head has snapped back and forth one too many times, trying to keep up with the changes in direction.

As a group, executives are often guilty of “Bright Shiny Object Syndrome” (“BSO”); it’s a malady that costs companies untold amounts of wasted time, money and energy with its needless switching of focus. (And not to mention the sore necks from the whiplash.)

But there is an antidote to this form of executive ADHD. It’s a way to help those in senior management slow down and give important projects time to take root. Seasoned manufacturing leader Bob Richards* talked with me about what he jokingly refers to as a form of “executive Ritalin” – a three-step process he’s used to prevent senior leadership from yanking important projects before they’ve had time to demonstrate progress. You can read more about it over at Smartbrief, where I wrote an article called, Executive Ritalin: 3 steps to prevent leadership from killing your project.

*Longtime readers may recognize the name Bob Richards. From time to time, I’ve featured his leadership practices on The People Equation. Read more about his excellent leadership ideas on how to create positive workplace morale and see how Bob has grown a team of talented leaders.

Image Copyright: alhovik / 123RF Stock Photo

Article source:Jennifer Miller - A Dose of Medicine for Executives with BSO Syndrome»

Guest Article: "You Don't Do Anything Halfway" by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Maybe it's the end of the year. Maybe it's that I'm over-processing a bit too much. Or, maybe I'm just being reflective about all sorts of things...

Regardless...one thing about me is clear. As a friend recently told me..."you don't do anything halfway."

Full Power
So is this post about my character flaws? Ha! Perhaps. Sometimes being in "go-mode" all the time has it's drawbacks. Although candidly, other than occasional bouts of being tired as heck, I have no idea what they might be.

But does "full power" play out in a positive or negative way in the workplace?

Speed Kills...The Competition
One business advantage that I believe to my very core is this: those that are willing to take risks and move quickly will dominate the market place. They won't just be competitive...or "in the game." They will BE the game. In effect, the new standard that others will be forced to follow.

Speed wins. Risk wins. Extroverts win.

Whether that means fighting for talent, positioning their employer brand in the modern (digital) world, or simply making a decision that must be made to move forward.

Halfway...does not achieve anything.

Getting to Full Power
The downside of this personality strength (or flaw?) is the risk of being perceived as the proverbial bull in a china shop. For me, the results far outweigh the risks. The non-stop chatter about getting outside our comfort zones is repeated so frequently because it is true.

Playing it safe...trying to be popular at work..and never moving too quickly so as to avoid making any mistakes actually has the reverse effect. Decisions are not made, action is not taken, the competition outmaneuvers you...and not surprisingly you become quite unpopular.

How About You
Are you still going halfway in your work? Why? Does your company's strategic plan call for a halfway executed approach? Is filling your vacancies halfway sending a good message to your team? If so...you're probably only halfway effective...and halfway popular too.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - "You Don't Do Anything Halfway"»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Lift Me Up by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"It is very easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements in comparison to what we owe others."
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I've been quite reflective the last week or so, thinking about my role models, close friends and colleagues, as well as the long journey I've been on to get...here.

Regardless of deep thoughts, passionate ideas in the moment, or a more disciplined thought process, my mind always comes back to Dietrich. A role model who has influenced my life in so many ways.

How About You
As you bring 2016 to a close in the next couple of weeks, what...or should I ask...who, is on your mind? Who made an impact that guided you over the course of such a turbulent, exciting, and wild year?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Lift Me Up»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Vale Danni Cookesley: Fundraising champion and wonderful human being by Ross Clennett

The final InSight for 2016 I would like to thank all of you who continue to read my articles and blog posts; nine years on from when I first started blogging. Your comments, tips and feedback are all important in helping me shape my thoughts and improve my writing. They also let me know that people are still reading; an important element in the motivation of any writer, no
Article source:Ross Clennett - Vale Danni Cookesley: Fundraising champion and wonderful human being»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: 3 Things to Get Your HR Friends for the Holidays by Ben

I haven’t always been a last minute shopper, but some years it sneaks up on me. If you’re looking for that gift for the special HR someone in your life, or if you are looking for an idea for yourself, here are three ideas that will delight the HR pro you’re buying a gift for. :-)

Fun HR Ninja Gear

Most of you probably don’t know, but for more than five years I have been selling HR ninja gear on Cafepress. I actually forget about it sometimes, because I just threw it up there years ago and haven’t really put any effort into it since then.

I have virtually no markup on any of the products, because I love the idea of them being used far and wide, so grab what you like, such as this shirt that highlights HR as the offspring of a lawyer and a psychologist. I just had someone purchase 25 HR ninja mugs for their local SHRM chapter giveaways, so there are lots of ways to use this to give your HR friends a smile! Have fun with it.

HR Certification

Yes, it’s work-related, but you can give the timeless gift of certification to anyone, or yourself. This week I have a 10% discount on both the PHR and the SPHR self study courses. No discount code required, and the discount expires on December 26th, so get it while it’s hot! You can even buy now and use the course any time in the future. I have had several students taking the course this fall after purchasing during last summer’s sale.

For the Out of the Closet Nerds

If you are an admitted nerd, then one of the things you’re hoping for this year is a stack of books. If you know someone who is a reader, here are some great suggestions for books I’ve enjoyed that could not just entertain, but improve someone’s life/career.

• The Front Line Leader: How to act like a CEO, what leadership looks like, and how to run a large, successful healthcare organization.
• Innovation Judo: how to innovate despite structural and “people” roadblocks, including great stories of successful innovation.
• All In: building a culture of belief, research-based stories of success, and the coolest profile of Bruce Lee I’ve ever read.
• The Pursuit of Something Better: the first book I ever read and reviewed on upstartHR. Still one of my favorites, it explores the turnaround of U.S. Cellular and the readoption of basic tenets like culture, leadership, and service.
• What about my book, What Running Taught Me about HR? :-) It’s a collection of stories and insights from my years in HR and also includes several profiles of other running HR pros and what makes them tick.

As always, you can find a ton of other book reviews here.

Whatever you end up picking up, I hope you have an incredibly merry Christmas!

Article source:Ben - 3 Things to Get Your HR Friends for the Holidays»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Interview with 2016 SARA Recruiter of the Year: Clare McCartin of Davidson by Ross Clennett

When I moved from Sydney to Melbourne in 2001, I joined SACS Consulting under the leadership of Andrew Marty. Early the following year Andrew hired three fresh-faced graduates to join the team. One of those graduates quickly stood out as being smarter, quicker to learn and more suited to the challenges of recruitment than the other two. Andrew quickly gave this graduate a lot of
Article source:Ross Clennett - Interview with 2016 SARA Recruiter of the Year: Clare McCartin of Davidson»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: Author Q & A with Bill Treasurer by Jennifer Miller

Next month, one of my favorite leadership authors, Bill Treasurer, releases a new book, A Leadership Kick in the Ass: How to Learn from Rough Landings, Blunders, and Missteps .  Read my book review here. As part of the book launch, I was lucky enough conduct an email interview with Bill. Here are excerpts from that interview, along with my commentary based on reading an advance copy of the book

1. Fun fact: You used to be captain of a high-diving team. How does that factor in to this book?
   

My interest in writing this book began twenty- five years ago, when I learned that I “sucked” at leading. I was a traveling gypsy, hurling myself off one- hundred- foot towers into small pools at amusement parks throughout North America. I had just become the captain of the U.S. high-diving team and one day, after what I thought was a lousy performance, I lit into the team. I thought, that’ll teach ’em. A swift kick in the keister will do this team some good.

But then of my divers, Steve Willard, said to me, “Let me tell you something, Treasurer: if you keep talking down to us, I’ll walk. I don’t need this job so badly that I’m willing to let you treat me and everyone else like crap.” I became defensive. Who was he to talk to me like that? But Steve shook his head like I was missing something. “Listen, dude. If you keep making people afraid of you, nobody is going to want to work for you. You suck at leading.”

Steve’s harsh comments stung because, down deep, I knew they were true. His words were the jolt I needed and deserved. I was utterly humiliated. After licking my wounds of embarrassment, I set out to become a better leader. I started reading books on leadership. I entered graduate school. I wrote my thesis on leadership. It was Steve’s kick to my ego that ultimately gave me my career.

2. Is it possible to be a great leader without a career butt kick?

Read the biography of any leader you admire and you’re bound to see a moment in their story when he or she was humiliated by an action they took or the way they behaved. So my take is that it isn’t possible to a great leader without suffering through some hardships. The foreword of the book is written by Clint Hurdle, the coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He sums it up well in the book’s foreword, “There are two kinds of leaders; those who have been humbled, and those who are about to be.” (Note from Jen: the foreword is amazing.)

3. How can humiliation be a good thing?
   

Humiliation is a harsh word, I know. But humility is derived from the word humiliation, and humility is crucial to effective leadership.

I call it “transformative humiliation”, which I define as positive behavioral changes that result from experiences that are embarrassing, leveling, and painful. Properly navigated, such experiences can cause you to become more grounded, real, and humble, resulting in a leadership style and approach that are more uniquely your own. Transformative humiliation is often the entry point for genuine humility and positive leadership change.

4. Can leaders in all stages of their careers experience a butt kick?
   

Yes. No leader gets to permanently avoid a butt-kicking. Throughout someone’s leadership career, and especially when the leadership gets off track, their ego will get leveled. These experiences are a sort of reset button, causing you to reconsider the leader you are and the actions you need to take to become the leader you’d like to be. My book covers the common butt-kicks new, middle, and seasoned leaders face and provides practical tips for strengthening leadership effectiveness regardless of whichever stage the leader is in now. (Note from Jen: this is one of my favorite sections of the book because it acknowledges that we have differing leadership needs based on the stage of life we’re in.)

5. There are thousands of leadership books out there. What makes yours unique?

This book is unique because in it I share stories and insights that come directly from my daily work with leaders. There aren’t any research statistics or academic theories. Instead, the lessons will draw from the most ancient form of research: personal experience.

 

Disclosure from Jennifer: I received a free copy of this book for the purposes of writing a review. All opinions are my own.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Author Q & A with Bill Treasurer»

Guest Article: Try by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I was afraid to try new things for a long time. I was worried I would look foolish in front of my colleagues. 

I was afraid to try new things for a long time. I was afraid my friends would laugh at me.

I was afraid to try new things for a long time. I was afraid no one would like me.

I was afraid to try new things for a long time. I was worried that I wouldn't fit in with the crowd.

...but then...

I tried new things.

And I didn't look foolish.

And no one laughed at me.

And I was able to show my true personality.

...and, I ended up having the privilege to lead the crowd.

How About You
It's more important to try than you might think. It's where we live, and grow, and succeed.

So start trying...for real.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.


Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Try»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: The Side Gig: How to Monetize Your HR Passions by Ben

I originally wrote this for a friend over at Horizon Point Consulting. I think it’s going to be interesting for you guys as we head into the end of the year and start thinking about our careers, accomplishments, and the path ahead. Enjoy!

I couldn’t sleep. It was 4:17am and I had stared at the clock for half an hour. Might as well get up and get started. I rolled out of bed with a big smile. It was my first day as the new owner of Lighthouse Research, and I felt like it was what I had always been preparing for all throughout my career.

This scene played out a few months ago when I took over an HR technology research and advisory services firm, but I’ve been an entrepreneur for quite some time now. I started the journey back in 2009, and I have continued my “side hustle” over the years. Looking back, it has been an incredible joy. I’ve taught myself many new skills, had the opportunity to work with and meet some very interesting people, and grown by leaps and bounds professionally.

I completed some research in October 2016, and the number one thing that my audience was curious about was how to get into contracting/freelancing either as a part time or a full time opportunity, so I know this is top of mind for many people. Maybe you’re one of those people as well? If so, I’ll give you some helpful advice and insights that I have picked up along the way.

Handling a Second Job/Gig/Activity

As I mentioned, I’ve been doing something outside my “day job” ever since 2009. For most of that time, it has been this blog/business. However, I’ve also done speaking, training, HR certification study instruction for one test prep company, freelance writing, HR consulting, etc. Up until a few weeks ago I was working part time as an HR consultant to help stay plugged into the HR community, because I left my practitioner position back in 2014 to become a technology analyst/researcher.

Handling that second position is not always easy, but it’s doable. I have four kids. I go to church. I volunteer. I have other responsibilities, and I make sure they all get taken care of. Here are a few things to consider if you want to start your own side hustle:

• Does your day job take up more than 60 hours of your week? If so, you probably can’t fit in additional work. It’s time to back that down, find another job, or put your side hustle dream on hold. Be willing to talk with your boss or explore other opportunities if it means you get to pursue the dream you’ve been holding back on.
• Do you enjoy working on projects, connecting with new people, and wearing the “business” hat? I know that accounting, billing, etc. is one of the least favorite activities for many independent workers, but it is a part of life. Today there are many tools to help make this easier, from apps for tracking business mileage to online banking for keeping your business expenses/revenues separate from your personal funds.
• Are you self-motivated? This is touched on below in the “passions” discussion, but it’s important that you can make something happen when it’s time to get to work. Some people don’t have the discipline to focus when nobody is standing behind them, and if that’s you, then you will have trouble making the transition to self-employment.

How to Monetize Your Passions

The first part is obviously to know your passions, right? Yet I see so many people that start off with the thought, “How can I make some money? What’s hot right now?” That’s a torturous path, because you can only work so hard at something that you don’t truly care about.

In my case, I started with something that was top of mind for me, but it also tied to an activity I love. Back in 2009 I earned my HR certification. During my preparation, I started writing my thoughts and study schedule online as a way to hold myself accountable. One week, I got off schedule due to a personal issue, and I received several emails from people asking where that week’s blog was! It was then that I realized that this was bigger than a project to keep myself on track—others were interested as well.

After I received my certification, I took my study notes, added some lessons learned, and started selling it from my website as a $19 eBook. I’ve sold hundreds of those since 2009, and I actually took it down a few years ago when I started selling a higher priced course that expanded upon the eBook content. I’m passionate about teaching and helping others, and I’ve received dozens of great testimonials and comments from students over the years that found value in the work I created.

That’s just one example, but hopefully you start to understand how this kind of business works. Questions? Feel free to hit me up at ben@upstarthr.com and I would be happy to help however I can.

Want More Information?

Do you want more information about a specific area of interest for you personally? Maybe you’re interested in learning more about the opportunities ahead? Do any of the following sound familiar?

• I’m an entry level professional trying to find out how to make your mark on the world
• I’m a mid level professional ready to advance to a leadership role
• I’m a senior level professional wanting to do some speaking and consulting

Whatever your current position, I want to help give you actionable ideas and insights for how to move to the next step in your career journey from a series of experts who have already demonstrated success in your area of interest. Just enter your email below and I’ll be in touch soon.

 

Article source:Ben - The Side Gig: How to Monetize Your HR Passions»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Leaders Who Get a Swift Kick in the Butt Are Better for It by Jennifer Miller

Leadership, as a topic, can be perplexing. As a leader, you are expected to be bold and calculated, passionate and reasonable, rational and emotional, driven and patient  . . .and yes, confident and humble. Faced with all of these often conflicting factors it’s enough to make you scratch your head and wonder, Where on earth do I start?

 

This quote, offered near the end of Bill Treasurer’s forthcoming new book, A Leadership Kick in the Ass: How to Learn from Rough Landings, Blunders, and Missteps, succinctly summarizes how difficult it is to lead in today’s world. Whether you are a business leader, school administrator, parent or volunteer chairperson, leadership is a tough gig. Treasurer’s latest book aims to help leaders grow through that most humbling of human experiences: humiliation.

The book’s main premise is that when leaders experience a humiliating event, a sort of “psychological spanking” occurs (hence, the title* of the book.) What follows is either a wake-up call for transformational change, or maintaining the status quo, with a dogged persistence that “others” are wrong. Through real-life case studies based on Treasurer’s executive coaching practice, we learn about leaders in various industries and career stages. Some of the leaders profiled make the transformative leap; others do not.

As with his previous book, Leaders Open Doors, Treasurer sticks to stripped-down prose and real-life examples to make his point. He gives a nod to the importance of scholarly leadership research saying, “I have great respect for leadership authors who study leadership at major universities and I often apply what I’ve learned from them in my work.” Although Treasurer has a Master’s degree in Organizational Development, he considers himself a “plumber” rather than a scholar. “I show up to work every day, roll up my sleeves and work directly with leaders to remove whatever hairballs might be mucking up their pipes. The work ain’t always pretty,” he writes.

Following the “dirty jobs” metaphor, this book offers a less-than-rosy picture of leadership. Treasurer reports on fired leaders who didn’t see it coming, scorching 360 degree feedback comments, and midlife career burnout. Getting a swift kick in the pants is never fun, but it can be instructive if you let it, offers Treasurer. The book is structured with the case studies as the set-up for tips on how to survive your own butt-kicking.

I very much enjoy Bill Treasurer’s style as a writer. (See my video book review of his 2013 book Leaders Open Doors here.) He is down-to-earth and funny, offering just enough wry commentary to let the reader know he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

 

*A note on the title of the book. Frankly, it was a bit off-putting to me and not really true to what I perceive to be his brand, so I asked Bill about it. Here’s what he said (via email):

My publisher and I considered easier, softer words. In the end, though, we settled on a three-letter swear word. Why? Because of the truth of the word. Sometimes situations are just so perplexing, embarrassing, and leveling that they kick your ass. Consider, too, that the phrase has a strong positive connotation. When you talk about wanting to give someone a good kick in the fanny, it’s to inspire change, help someone perform up to his or her potential, and inspire accountability.

It’s a way of kick-starting positive action and forward movement. Also, it may help to know that my eighty-year-old mother approved of the word, saying, “Let’s be honest, Bill, ‘ass’ isn’t really much of a swear word.” Finally, I’d rather speak like my readers and clients than the leadership textbooks I used to read. I have to add that, for the last dozen years, the clients I’ve done the most work with are unionized Chicago-based construction companies. Believe me, “ass” is the tamest word they use!

So there you go! Please consider picking up this book regardless of your leadership title or stage in your career. Treasurer addresses this topic in all three phases of a leader’s career – early days, midlife, and senior executive. It’s a quick read and one you’ll be glad to put in your leadership library.

 

Disclosures: As part of the book review process, I received a free copy of the book. The opinions expressed are my own, and I only review books that I think will benefit readers of The People Equation. Please use your best judgement to determine if this book would in fact be useful to your own unique circumstance. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Leaders Who Get a Swift Kick in the Butt Are Better for It»

Guest Article: Happy birthday, Mary by Ross Clennett

I am attempting to write this blog on Thursday 8 December. It's a tough day to try and think of something to write about because I keep thinking of my sister, Mary; my deceased sister, Mary. Mary would have turned 49 today. Instead she died from breast cancer one month after
Article source:Ross Clennett - Happy birthday, Mary»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: My Eyes Have Seen You by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"It is our duty as men and women to proceed as though the limits of our abilities do not exist."
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Political Vision
Have you noticed the term "vision" gets thrown around a lot in corporate life? Personally, I love it. It can rally teams of people together; clarify where an organizaiton aspires to be; and differentiate a company from the competition in a big way.

As long as others do not attempt to sabotage your efforts...

...and that is where "vision" usually runs into trouble.

We are actually made to believe we have limits. Who made that decision? Was it someone threatened by our energy, risk taking, and success? Someone who clings to power by manipulating others to "know their place" and to understand "how things are done around here?"

I'm calling BS on that.

Wish List Vision
Instead of talking about the vision you have for yourself, your team, and your organization, do this instead:
- write everything down
- pull your Personal Board of Directors together and talk with them
- put your thoughts, ideas, and plans into action

Your vision does not have to be a fleeting wish list of a life you long for, but have accepted will never become a reality before you even put forth any effort. It can happen in your professional life, and your personal life too.

See your future. Make it happen. Today.

How About You
Keep your eyes focused on your vision of what you can become. Do not allow the risk-averse cowards in your organization to bully you into staying as lame as they are...you are so much more.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - My Eyes Have Seen You»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Talent Mobility Case Studies and Research [Podcast] by Ben

In the latest episode of We’re Only Human, I explore talent mobility and its applications in the workplace. Talent mobility is the practice of using internal talent to fill temporary or permanent roles.

Unlike succession, which is typically a top-down approach, talent mobility takes into account the interests and aspirations of employees.  As a talent practice, the idea of talent mobility isn’t necessarily new. However, there is renewed interest in the topic due to some interesting trends covered in the podcast, including changes in career longevity, employee ownership over career paths and work tasks, the gig economy, and challenges with sourcing high performers.

In addition, I examine some case studies and examples of companies that are doing interesting work with talent mobility, including World Bank Group, Chipotle, and Hootsuite.

Listen to the show on the show page HERE or using the widget player below, (Email and RSS subscribers click through)

For more information about Talent Mobility you can check out my presentation on Slideshare: http://ift.tt/2fgsfXx

As a reminder, you can subscribe to We’re Only Human and all the HR Happy Hour Podcast shows on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and all the major podcast player apps – just search for ‘HR Happy Hour’ to subscribe and never miss a show!

Article source:Ben - Talent Mobility Case Studies and Research [Podcast]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Getting Started Using Social Media in Your Career by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Even though the echo chamber is louder than ever in the social media space, there continue to be many...many...professionals who have yet to adopt these tools into their professional lives.

Honestly, getting started, particularly for my #HealthcareHR colleagues can feel like they are literally putting their jobs at risk. However, it does not have to be that way at all!

Start Slow
A key step in the process...from my experience...is to take your time. There is no hurry, you're not behind anyone else, and you certainly should never rush adopting new ways of doing your work.

However, it is time to get started. That means, today!

Step by Step
This is the easiest part of your transition to becoming a contemporary leader. You've probably already done part of this already. Do you have a Linkedin profile? Good! 

Next, open a twitter account. Keep in mind...you haven't posted anything yet, so you are not taking any risks!

Last step...start to identify content that you might like to share.

Pro Tip!
- your company probably produces content regularly....start there! 

Other ideas include professional journals (within your industry, Harvard Business Review, Inc., etc..) Start sharing this content once a day. It's safe, will make you look like you're aware that it is almost 2017, and you will begin to differentiate yourself and your company from the competition.

How About You
That wasn't so scary after all, right? Other helpful strategies as you get started should include following people in your industry and replicate what they do. Slow and steady actually does win the race.

Have questions? I'd love to help...reach out anytime.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.


Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Getting Started Using Social Media in Your Career»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: How to Disappoint Your Employees in One Easy Step by Ben

Thanks to my wonderful wife for the idea for this one. 

One of our traditions every year is to watch Christmas Vacation (no, not with the kids!) While it’s not my favorite (that spot is held by It’s a Wonderful Life), it always gives me a laugh and reminds me to focus on the important things during the Christmas season.

One of the memorable scenes in the movie is when Clark opens up what he expects to be a holiday bonus only to find a “jelly of the month” membership card. After all kinds of crazy experiences, that bonus was his last opportunity to bring some sense of closure to the season by giving an amazing gift to his family (a pool). When he finds out that it’s basically a certificate for twelve free jars of jelly, he snaps, ranting and raving about his boss, the company, and more.

I’ve been a key part of many compensation and bonus reviews over the years, and there are some excellent lessons we can all learn from this story.

Expectations Matter

During the movie, Clark talks with a friend about his big plan to put in a pool. He even carries around a brochure to look at and share when necessary, demonstrating how excited he is about the coming bonus. The reason he ultimately flips out at the end of the movie is because his expectations did not match reality.

The parallel is obvious. If we are going to provide some sort of bonus, whether holiday-related or not, we should ensure that expectations match reality. You can do some prep work, laying the foundation and expectations beforehand to ensure nobody is disappointed (or at least a minumum of disappointment occurs, because it’s hard to please everyone).

At a previous employer, my colleagues and I worked on an annual conference that required dozens of hours of preparation and delivery work. The first year we each got a very small gift card as a reward, and the second year we got nothing at all, despite the event making hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit. How long do you think a company like that will have an engaged, productive workforce? Hmmm…

Value Should Mirror Contributions

In Christmas Vacation, Clark is particularly excited because his work performance was recently recognized as above average. He created a valuable product for his employer, and he expected his bonus to mirror that level of contributions.

When it comes to offering rewards, recognition, and bonuses for performance and results, be sure the result is related to the level of the employee’s contribution. Someone saved the company $2 million by reducing waste? Don’t give them a $25 gift card and call it a day. An employee creates a new process that reduces customer churn by 10%? They expect more than a pat on the back and a template “thank you” note.

This isn’t an invitation to be overly extravagant, but think about it this way: do you want those people to continue innovating and creating new value for the company? If so, reward them well, and create a virtuous cycle of value for everyone involved.

Discriminate. Heavily.

We’ve been drilled that discrimination is a bad thing. In reality, discrimination is wonderful–it’s illegal discrimination that needs to be eliminated. Some of your employees are going to do their jobs and go home, never adding more value or creating unique opportunities for growth. While those people need some sort of recognition for getting the job done, the ones that create more value need to be treated differently. As I mentioned in my post about how to hire and manage creative people:

Whatever label we stick on them, we need to treat them differently from the rest of the employees. Yes, this scares the pants off most HR pros, because we’ve been taught to treat everyone the same. But it’s madness when you think about it. Equal treatment for unequal performance/productivity/contributions is a surefire path to mediocrity.

When I managed compensation reviews, it always drove me crazy to see our highest performers getting a 4-5% raise and our lowest performers getting a 2-3% raise. That ~2% split wasn’t enough to truly reward our great people and create an incentive for continued stellar performance. My only consolation was the bonus pool that I was able to help work with managers to direct more toward those individuals that offered more than their “fair share” of value to the company.

Public or Private Praise?

The examples we’ve been discussing don’t have to include a moment of public praise, but they certainly could. Here’s a story I’ve told before about two very different methods for showing appreciation for the contributions of an employee or team.

Presenting work awards is one part of the employee recognition process. If you are going through the trouble to nominate someone, process the paperwork, and get them an award, wouldn’t you like people to know about it? Apparently not everyone believes that. Here’s an example of the wrong way to value the contributions of your people:

I was talking to a friend recently and heard this sad story. A handful of employees received awards for superior performance. It was the first time the work group had received awards, so it was a special occasion for the staff members who earned the kudos. However, the manager quickly stepped in and made it known that the awards were not to be communicated internally. Nobody could know that the employees had been rewarded for their efforts.

My take on that situation is multifaceted. First, the manager is missing out on a great opportunity to share about their people. Point out how well they did and encourage others to do the same (or better). And the people who received the awards? You could have given them half as much money and public praise would have made up the difference. It really is valuable when people don’t receive it often.

Ouch. So, what’s a better way to wrap in public praise without making it awkward? Here is how I liked to do it when I managed a corporate HR function.

One year we had a major corporate office relocation, and it was quite an ordeal. After the dust had settled, the team who made the move possible all received financial awards as a “thank you” for all the hard work, but we wanted to make sure it was more meaningful. Check out the email below that went out as the public praise for the team.

—–

We’ve talked about it before, but recently the corporate office moved to a new location. On the outside, it was a fairly simple affair; however, from the inside there was an astounding amount of work that had to be completed. Not to be dissuaded, a few people really stepped in to make that transition as easy as possible. They picked up extra duties, worked long hours, and fought the good fight with vendors and builders to make sure this space was everything we needed it to be.

For their efforts, each of the employees mentioned below received an award as a token of appreciation; we wanted to offer this bit of public praise as well. To those of you who made it all possible, we all appreciate you very much.

(Employee names removed for this post)

Thank you for your support! You truly embody our core value of Unequivocal Excellence in your work.

—–

At the end of the day, it’s critical to believe that your employees want to do great work. And in your role as an HR/talent leader, it’s crucial for you to coach managers, offer tools and guidance, and help create opportunities for people to be recognized for what they do. I can guarantee that they won’t be disappointed like our dear friend Clark.

How do you make sure your people feel appreciated and rewarded for their work? Do you have a unique way of making it personal and appealing for the recipient? 

Article source:Ben - How to Disappoint Your Employees in One Easy Step»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: 4 Ways to Make Better Leadership Decisions by Jennifer Miller

Kendra* is a newly promoted vice president of IT at a rapidly growing mid-sized firm. She’s been working overtime to staff up her department to meet the demands of her company’s growth. With each job candidate Kendra interviews, she feels the pressure to make job offers quickly. Her team is swamped, but she knows that poor hiring decisions will set them back even further.

Kevin* is an executive for a large corporation that has seen sales drop off steadily over the last three fiscal quarters. He’s under the gun to bring expenses in line. And, he’s leading the charge to bring a new product line to market to help shore up his company’s top line. Kevin is juggling multiple priorities for how to best revitalize his company’s flagging profits; opportunities for important decisions are plentiful.

Kendra and Kevin are two executives with different leadership realities. Yet both have this in common: Many of their choices are high-stakes. A vital part of any leadership role is the ability to make decisions, both large and small. Even if your days are less pressure-filled than Kevin or Kendra’s, you still need to make smart, well-reasoned decisions for your team and organization. Here are four tips to help you succeed in that effort.

Put your nerves to good use

Sound decision-making starts with a calm mind. When you take a deep breath you activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is instrumental in lowering blood pressure and slowing your heart rate. Jacqueline Carter is the North American director for Potential Project, a global firm that works with organizations to help train their workforce on mindfulness techniques for stress reduction and productivity improvement.

Carter has worked with Wall Street traders, a profession known for its pressure-cooker environment. She says that something as simple as intentionally pausing to take a deep breath before taking action can lead to more optimal decisions.

“It enables the mind to get out of reactivity mode into responsivity mode where we can use our higher order brain functions to make better and more ethical decisions,” she explains.

Set a realistic time horizon

When your decision has a deadline associated with it, stay vigilant with your time estimates. Projects always take longer than you think. In 1979, psychologist Daniel Kahneman and his now-deceased partner Amos Tversky proposed the “Planning Fallacy,” which hypothesized that people consistently underestimate how long something will take to complete. In this video with Inc. Magazine’s Eric Schurenberg, Kahneman (who has since won a Nobel Prize for his research on judgment and decision-making) explains how people get “anchored” in their best-case story even when previous experience indicates their decision will turn out differently.

Avoid the yes/no trap

Leaders sometimes frame up their options too narrowly with a yes/no question such as, “Should we staff up this holiday season even though revenue is down?” This leads to poor decision-making.

As this Harvard Business Review article explains, when we limit our thinking about what’s possible, we also limit the creativity of our solutions. Making decisions in a high-pressure situation tends to intensify caution. “We devote mental energy to figuring out how to avoid a loss rather than developing new possibilities to explore,” the authors write.

Give your “thinking” brain a rest

Most decision-making advice centers on the cognitive elements of deciding — your “thinking” self. You are also wired for feelings, and that part of your brain doesn’t always get the necessary attention when it comes to making business-based choices.

When the stakes are high, let the “feeling side” of your brain help inform your thinking side by focusing on a “mindless” task such as taking a walk or shooting hoops. This allows your feelings (or if you prefer, your “gut instinct”) the space to come to the surface and inform the analytical part of your brain.

“Giving our brain a little break from thinking naturally relaxes the body,” says Carter. She points out that over-thinking things creates undue stress because of “[humans’] negativity bias and natural orientation to ruminate.”

When the stakes are high, the consequences of a poor choice seem even bigger. Like Kendra and Kevin, you’ll face time constraints and important decisions throughout your leadership career. Take these four suggestions into account to help you navigate the uncertainty and pressure of leadership decision-making.

* Kendra and Kevin are composites of executives with whom I’ve worked. Their stories help illustrate the challenges faced by leaders in high-stakes situations.

 

This post originally appeared on Smartbrief and is used with permission.

Copyright: dizanna / 123RF Stock Photo

Article source:Jennifer Miller - 4 Ways to Make Better Leadership Decisions»

Guest Article: Decent research shows talent is very far from a company's #1 priority by Ross Clennett

In a recent blog, I tackled the ludicrous claim made by LinkedIn in their fancifully named 'Australia Recruiting Trends 2017: What you need to know about the state of talent acquisition' that Australian and talent leaders say that Talent is #1 priority at their company (79%). I suggested that you would be hard pressed to find one agency recruiter who would agree with that statement and that
Article source:Ross Clennett - Decent research shows talent is very far from a company's #1 priority»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog