Guest Article: Pick Up the Full Armor by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Leadership in the digital age is a curious thing. On one hand we try to inspire, motivate, and encourage other leaders to be as impactful as possible. We share positive images from our lives, we call each other out, we push ourselves...all wrapped in an online presentation that seems...just right.

Sometimes Things Go Wrong
Despite all the effort we put into sharing our world online, sometimes that world turns upside down.

Who is to blame?
Why did it happen?
What will happen next?
What should happen next?

My world is no different than yours. Once in a while something happens that gets me all worked up. It's frustrating. It's usually unnecessary. It's always a pain in the neck to resolve.

But, it always gets resolved.
Always.

The Most Important Part
Getting things fixed is not always easy. But for most of us, we are not performing brain surgery. We are not responding to a domestic violence call that could turn deadly. We are not on the front-line of a war zone wondering if today will be our last.

We are blessed to have jobs that allow us to not not only be challenged with problems, but we can also resolve them for our organizations; and in so doing, make our organizations even better than they were previously.

It only happens if we are willing to put on the armor and go into our own "battles."

It can only be successful if we are willing to be fully engaged in understanding our role, and then making decisions to keep things moving forward.

It will only matter, if we elevate our leadership presence to one that is passionate and driven and unwavering on the quest to be world-class.

How About You
Do you need to pick up the full armor this week and make a difference? You are not alone. 

The need for bold leadership is everywhere, particularly when life isn't all unicorns and rainbows. Now, get after it!

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Pick Up the Full Armor»

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

Guest Article: The Neuroscience of Great Learning Content: Attention, Memory, and Exploration [Podcast] by Ben

Ask any business leader, and they’ll tell you they invest in the development of their workforce with the goal of improving performance. Yet the training and content delivery methods of the past aren’t keeping pace with the needs of the modern learner. No longer can you throw an hour of eLearning at a problem or slap a speaker in front of an audience and hope that knowledge will transfer and behaviors will change.

What gives? 

In today’s episode of We’re Only Human, I explore three critical components of great learning content based on neuroscience principles. In other words, I look at how people actually learn from experiences, interactions, and content and focus the discussion on those elements. In the discussion of how attention, memory, and self-exploration impact learning, I also provide helpful advice on how to create learning experiences that deliver impact and results.

Additionally, if you want to explore more deeply, you can check out my new eBook, the Neuroscience Principles of Great Learning Content, which can be found here: http://ift.tt/2A0dIKv

For more episodes of We’re Only Human or to learn more about the show, check out http://ift.tt/2jqDL7I

Check out the podcast embedded below:

 

 

Article source:Ben - The Neuroscience of Great Learning Content: Attention, Memory, and Exploration [Podcast]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: What Does it Mean to Work Human? Join Me in Austin, Texas to Find Out by Jennifer Miller

Would you like to bring a bit more humanity into your workplace? Who wouldn’t? Sometimes our work lives make us feel like numbers on a spreadsheet. As an antidote to the daily grind of the workplace, I attend the WorkHuman conference to hear the best and brightest talk about the science behind human motivation, happiness and performance—and how those things contribute to a company’s bottom line.

I’ve written about why the WorkHuman conference is on my A-list for attendance. Their keynoters are top-notch; Michael J. Fox’s wisdom was straight from the heart and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ down-to-earth relatability was palpable. This year, we’ll hear from New York Times bestselling authors Brene Brown and Adam Grant, with more keynoters to be announced. And the break out sessions, with topics such as, “Humanizing Your Employer Brand” and “Crowdsourcing and the Performance Revolution” provide real-life case studies from employers who are helping employees bring their best selves to work.

What’s it like to “work human?” How about if you join me for WorkHuman 2018 in Austin, Texas and see for yourself?

The WorkHuman Super Saver price of $895 ends Tuesday, October 31^st. After that, the price moves to the Early Bird price of $1,195, which is good until December 31, 2017. After that, the price increases.

And, to sweeten the deal, I’ve got a discount code for you. You’ll save $100 off your conference fee when you enter “WH18INF-JVM” during your online registration. (My discount code is good no matter when you sign up. It’s courtesy of conference sponsor Globoforce.)

Register here.

It would be wonderful to spend time together helping advance the WorkHuman movement, to help business professionals engage the whole human at work while achieving business results.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - What Does it Mean to Work Human? Join Me in Austin, Texas to Find Out»

Guest Article: Be Relentless by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"I don't care how good you think you are, or how great others think you are - you can improve, and you will. 

Being relentless means demanding more of yourself than anyone else could ever demand of you, knowing that every time you stop, you can still do more. 

You must do more. The minute your mind thinks, "Done," your instincts say "Next."
- Tim Grover

Career
How are you going to be relentless in your career? Is it playing it safe, avoiding risk like so many of your colleagues around the conference room table? Or, is there another door waiting for you to kick open?

Safe = Death

With so many changes, pressures, and expectations on leaders in today's world of work, taking the same old tired path of safety and excuses is unacceptable. 

There is only one option...so what are you waiting for?

Personal
Finding the proper balance between our professional and personal lives is a never ending challenge. The solution is not as complicated as you might think.

Commit to connecting with those you love on a very regular basis (daily, weekly.) Call, visit, text, facetime, tweet, or spend time with them....it doesn't matter how you do it...just make sure they hear from you no matter what. 

Fitness and Nutrition
This might be the most difficult because society has basically allowed us to default to an endless list of excuses so we can avoid being healthy, and eat piles of garbage on our couches night after night.

Stop it. Download MyFitnessPal, start tracking what you put in your body, and for God's sake get up and move each day.

When was the last time you took the stairs and didn't feel like dying after one flight? 

How About You
Life is an amazing adventure...and we can achieve so much more than we ever thought possible. However, corporate cultures, society, and the obsession with "busyness" has created the myth that a relentless attitude is somehow odd.

I'm calling BS on that. Being relentless is the only way to live.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Be Relentless»

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

Guest Article: Should I Get My Master’s Degree in HR? by Ben

For most of you, I’ll go ahead and said it: You should not get a master’s degree in HR. Really. While that doesn’t apply to everyone, it does apply to a large number of the people that email, comment, and interact with me online. That’s mainly because this question looks a lot like this template:

• I just completed my bachelor’s in xyz. I have decided/now want/think I should get into human resources. Should I get my master’s degree in HR?

OR

• I just completed my bachelor’s degree in HR, but I haven’t been able to find a job. Should I get my master’s degree in human resources?

No. No. And no.

In each of these cases, you lack something very important that most of you overlook when you’re asking the question: do you even like HR?

No, really. How do you know? What evidence do you have? What proof?

All too often I hear about someone finishing their bachelor’s on student loans and jumping right into the master’s degree in hopes it will make them more marketable, only to find out later that HR wasn’t a field they actually enjoyed working in. If only you could drop the loans because you didn’t like the profession, but it doesn’t work that way.

And even if you pay for it outright by choosing an affordable college (like this one, for instance) AMBERTON LINK, how do you know that HR is going to be a career field you even like?

For me, I didn’t even consider a master’s degree for the first few years of working after college. That’s because I wanted to make sure of what I wanted to do. Now I’m actually enrolled in an MBA program because I realize that while HR is the love of my life, I also need to be crystal clear about how HR intersects and interacts with the rest of the business. Hint: you need to be able to understand that as well.

Click here to watch the video where I explain the nuances of this decision.

But I have some HR experience

Now, if you have some HR experience under your belt and you’re wondering if you need to get an advanced degree, we can have a conversation about that. It is often interwoven with the certification conversation (Should I get the PHR OR SHRM certification?), because people wonder about the value of each and how they interrelate.

If you have experience and you want to pursue an advanced degree, you need to understand the purpose and intent very clearly. Are you hoping to move up the ladder? Is there another job you need it to be qualified for? Are you trying to make yourself more marketable? Do you need it to perform better in your own work?

In some of these cases, depending on how you answer the question, education might not be the right answer for you at all. On the other hand, it’s possible that additional education could help you to achieve a goal you’ve set for yourself.

I’ll be doing a series in the coming week addressing two other related questions. First, should I get an HR degree or an HR certification? I’ll also address another fundamental question around HR education, which is this: Should I get an MBA or a Master’s in Human Resources?

I’d love to get your take on this commentary. Am I spot on? Way off the mark? What’s your reasoning?

Article source:Ben - Should I Get My Master’s Degree in HR?»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Judgment Day by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that sometimes our assumptions and preconceived notions are wrong, and therefore, our interpretation of events is incorrect. This causes us to overreact, to take tings personally, or to judge people unfairly." 
- Elizabeth Thornton

Persistent "Problems"
I work with people approximately...100% of the time. Whether it's in meetings, on site with clients, at my company's home office, interacting on the phone , or using any of the many digital or social media tools I use to stay connected. I am constantly working with people.

And, well...sometimes that makes things complicated.

One of those complicated issues appears in the form of "ongoing problems:"
- the difficult leader
- the hiring manager who is never satisfied
- the blame game that seems to take on a life of its own
- and the endless litany of excuses that are nothing more than an attempt to deflect the "leader's" inability to address complex issues

Unfortunately those excuses often become the corporate world's alternate facts, and in turn drive a wedge between business partners that should otherwise simply sit down and talk through the various problems that need to be resolved.

Do It Yourself
Our assumptions, and faux reality of the dynamics are often complicated further as we try to be so sensitive to every one's feelings that we don't step in and take charge.

I'm not talking about bullying...I'm talking about understanding that the team around you has tried their best, but they simply are not far enough along in their development to actually understand what to do next.

That is when savvy HR leaders step up.
That is when savvy HR leaders take control.
That is when savvy HR leaders do not allow the noise to interfere with achieving results.

How About You
Do you have issues in your organization that don't seem to be going away? Have you heard the same tired excuses as to why "this person" or "that department" are so difficult? If you're worried that others "won't like you anymore" if you jump in, you have missed the point.

It's time to tell your team to step aside. 

Now.

You are the leader...remember?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Judgment Day»

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

Guest Article: Weinstein behaviour is all-too common: Men have to change, now by Ross Clennett

You could hardly miss the biggest news story of the past fortnight. It’s been everywhere: on mainstream media, blogs, TV current affairs shows and it’s filled thousands of column inches in print and online. Of course I am referring to the allegations made against movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein, with respect to his long-hidden ongoing sexual harassment
Article source:Ross Clennett - Weinstein behaviour is all-too common: Men have to change, now»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog