Guest Article: Defining Your Brand by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Work is hard. Successful work is even harder. For those that have moved up the ranks, or aspire to one day, there is a new requirement that must be addressed.

That "requirement" is staring back at you in the mirror every morning as you contemplate your jam packed day ahead. (The same day that you say is so busy you don't have time to work on the requirement....but that's none of my business.)

You Have A Story
My story really kicked into gear when I googled myself a number of years ago. Sure, I found a "Jay Kuhns"...unfortunately the only one I could find had been a physician in Hawaii in the 1940s.

That's right. Despite being a Vice President of Human Resources at a well respected hospital, I was invisible.

Hello, reality check.

Reinventing Myself
The stark reality of having a strong career but nothing to show for it outside my organization was downright depressing. I was beginning to realize the power of personal brands (I prefer the term Leader Brand); and how a person's brand could be used to differentiate themselves and their organizations in the market.

To make things worse, I often said I was a "brand ambassador" for my hospital, yet I was not posting, retweeting, or sharing any of my own organization's content. 

Massive failure on my part.

By the way...the SAFEST content to share is from your own company. It has already been fully vetted and approved...so why isn't every leader automatically sharing it?

Here we go...

Step 1. Eat a massive helping of humble pie. I do it regularly to keep myself grounded.

Step 2. Start building your social profiles on the big three.
- twitter
- Linkedin
- facebook

Step 3. Post content every day. Once you get comfortable with it you'll need less than 10 minutes. I know you have 10 minutes, so don't use the "time" excuse.

Step 4. Be amazed as you "suddenly" become someone that is viewed as a contemporary thought leader who understands and uses modern tools for business. 

Oh, and every person you'll ever hire again is using these tools, so imagine what they'll think when they are researching whether or not they want you to be their boss?

How About You
There is so much more to discuss about building your brand, but in order to go deeper you must first get started. Start today. No more excuses...no more jokes about social media being a waste.

It is not a waste. It is an incredibly powerful tool for business that you must start using now. I will help you. (I get kind of fired up about this stuff.)

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Defining Your Brand»

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

Guest Article: Why Silence at Work is a Good Thing—For Introverts and Extroverts Alike by Jennifer Miller

I am the offspring of two very different personality types: a gregarious extrovert and a studious introvert. My youth was shaped by my mother’s extroverted style. She had a positive, upbeat energy and effortless charm in social situations. From her, I learned how to thrive outside the safety of my home. But in my heart of hearts, I was a solitary girl who preferred long silent walks in the woods of southwest Michigan. Many a Saturday afternoon was whiled away, reading in my bedroom. The quiet suited me. And I was always very comfortable in the protracted silence that marked time spent with my introverted father.  We were both quite fond of sitting together, with nothing more than “just being” as our objective.

Fast-forward to 2012 when Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking published. By this time, I was already well-versed in the differences between introverts and extroverts. Not only had I grown up with the stark personality contrast of my two parents, I also had educational training in personality types. Cain’s work lit a fire among the more quiet folks in our communities, helping them give voice to what they often see as dismissal of their reticence and love for quiet. One of the central themes of Cain’s book is that introverts need quiet to recharge. I find this is very true for me. After a long day of networking at a business conference, the last thing I want to do is mosey on down to the bar and have drinks with colleagues. If business dictates that I do so, then I have to (at a minimum) find a quiet space for a few minutes to gather my thoughts and give myself a “silence boost” before I can re-engage.

I’ve noticed that since Cain’s work brought the concepts of introversion into the mainstream media, some people have written about this personality type as if you are an introvert or you are an extrovert.  It’s not an either/or proposition. Introversion and extroversion are at the opposite ends of a continuum. Some people identify as “very introverted,” others as “somewhat introverted.” Many people value their down time, including the very extroverted person who occasionally needs to get away from it all.

Recent studies point to silence as one of many ways to improve the way we work. So regardless of your external display of energy, take note of these four potential benefits you’ll gain by incorporating a bit of silence into your work routine.

Enhanced decision-making. According to a Harvard Business Review article on how to have more “Aha!” moments, silence (in the form of meditating) is especially powerful for creating a break-through moment.

Less stress.  Research shows that as little as five minutes of silence can relieve stress, so here are four ways to get some quiet into your workday.

Improved self-awareness. The ability to understand your strengths and weaknesses is an important aspect of improving your “EQ” or emotional intelligence. According to this Nautilus post on brain research and silence, one of the benefits of staying quiet is to allow your brain to more easily process what’s going on in the “background” of your mental  processing. Daniel A. Gross writes that, “Freedom from noise and goal-directed tasks . . . unites the quiet without and within, allowing our conscious workspace to do its thing, to weave ourselves into the world, to discover where we fit in.”

Better focus.  Rasmus Hougaard is the Managing Director for The Potential Project, a company that specializes in teaching mindfulness techniques to business people. Mindfulness, which often involves sitting quietly for a few minutes, has been shown to help people reduce distractions from their busy daily lives. “Our research has shown as much as a 30% increases in focus,” for clients that routinely practice mindfulness, Hougaard notes.

Silence—it’s not just for the introverts among us. When you build a few moments of quiet into your day, you can relieve stress, improve your focus and make better decisions. Who would have thought the absence of sound could be so good for us?

 

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links,which mean I may be compensated if you click the link and make a purchase.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Why Silence at Work is a Good Thing—For Introverts and Extroverts Alike»

Guest Article: A recruitment agency for beautiful people: focused or flawed? by Ross Clennett

If you are a regular social media user you may have noticed that London-based recruitment agency Matching Models, has come under fire for advertising for a personal assistant with "a classic look, brown long hair with b-c cup".   Discussing the controversial ad, Matching Group owner, Nathalie Jansen said: "The client who wants the specific cup size is an older
Article source:Ross Clennett - A recruitment agency for beautiful people: focused or flawed?»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: I Don't Care Anymore by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

When I started my career I used to worry about a lot of things. Sometimes the level of worry stopped me from getting my work done. At other times I moved so slowly that when I finally did make a decision it was so agonizingly late that it didn't impact the situation at all.

Worry is not only over rated...it is completely useless.

Completely. Useless.

I Used to Worry About

1) Looking bad in front of my colleagues

But I don't care anymore because now I focus on doing the right thing regardless of what they think.

2) Confronting my colleagues because they may not "like me"

But I don't care anymore, because it actually hurts them and my organization when accountability becomes optional.

3) Adopting "best practices"

But I don't care anymore, because someone else's best practice has little or nothing to do with my corporate culture, team, technology, or values.

4) Taking risks

But I don't care anymore, because I learned that taking risks is the only way to achieve breakthrough performance. 

How About You
Do you play it safe and benchmark your work to justify every move you make? How's that working out for you?

Maybe it's time you stopped caring too? You may just make the biggest impact of your career.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - I Don't Care Anymore»

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

Guest Article: Elements of High CEO Approval Ratings: An Interview with Glassdoor’s Chief Economist by Ben

If you check out a company’s profile on Glassdoor, one of the first things you see is the CEO approval rating. As an HR leader, this is a number that I was always concerned with as a signal for overall employee satisfaction. It’s common to hear stories about CEO approval in the news, and all of us have an opinion about our current and past leaders at the top of the organizational hierarchy.

But what goes into that measurement and how do company decisions affect the ratings?

Until now, most of the information in this area has been ad hoc or anecdotal. We’ve all seen the dozens of business books that tell us the secrets to success at a wide variety of companies. But Glassdoor has been able to gather enough data to show true, causal links between CEO approval and areas like culture, benefits, and work/life balance.

In this episode of We’re Only Human, I interview Dr. Andrew Chamberlain, Chief Economist at Glassdoor. Andrew and I discuss the links between CEO approval and executive compensation, what it means to be a founder versus an externally hired CEO, and what really matters to employees when it comes to rating the performance of their leaders. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Click here to listen to the latest episode of the We’re Only Human podcast.

If you like audio content focused on HR, talent, and the workplace, be sure to subscribe to the HR Happy Hour podcast network on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting app to catch new episodes of my show and all of the other exciting shows on the HR Happy Hour channel.

Article source:Ben - Elements of High CEO Approval Ratings: An Interview with Glassdoor’s Chief Economist»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: 10 Simple Phrases that Cast Sunlight by Jennifer Miller

Last week I wrote about how we are naturally drawn towards positive people because they inspire us. In nature, that’s called the “heliotropic effect,” which describes how plants grow or move towards sunlight. This week, I penned a similar piece, but this time from a leadership angle.

I bet you can easily think of managers to whom you were instantly drawn because they had a “magnetic” personality. Sadly, I bet you’ve got a list of “repellent” bosses as well. Being a “sunny” leader doesn’t necessarily mean you have to act in a bright, shiny way. If you are a naturally low-key leader you can still create a heliotropic effect with your team. Read my article on SmartBrief to learn ten simple phrases that draw people into positive emotional territory.

And feel free to add your favorite phrases (in the comments section below) that create positive workplace feelings. Offer up what you say, or something said to you.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - 10 Simple Phrases that Cast Sunlight»

Guest Article: The 'Club' Is A Pathetic Excuse by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Mission Statements.
Values.
Codes of Ethics.
Guiding Principles.

...lots of important words...

But,

The words don't matter in a good ol' boy corporate culture.

You Can't Hide From Your Decisions
I've been working for a long time. During the last twenty years I've been fortunate to serve in leadership roles...and have seen all sorts of "leadership" behavior.

The employees see those behaviors too. Sometimes I wonder if "those leaders" actually believe the action they take in the workplace is invisible to the masses? 

In the world of #HealthcareHR the employee population is particularly bright. Physicians, nurses, therapists, legions of support staff that are oriented and trained to work in an incredibly intense environment, and a long list of other professionals with advanced degrees all fill these organizations.

Yet for some unknown reason, the same "club" continues to dominate. How is this possible in 2016?

Stop Shaming Yourself and Your Organization
There are so many challenges facing companies today. An unpredictable economy, tremendous government regulatory interference, huge numbers of retiring employees (who leave with valuable skills and experience), and of course the ongoing struggle to integrate contemporary business strategies into our work.

There simply is no time for arrogance, sexism, racism, and for God's sake there is absolutely no time for men to cling to some neanderthal-type hold on power. One might suggest if we had a different looking executive profile the business world could produce better results.

How About You
Who do you follow? Are they passionate about all races, backgrounds, and see gender as a non-issue? Or, do their true colors come out behind closed doors or when their insecure egos are threatened?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - The 'Club' Is A Pathetic Excuse»

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