Blog
The Warning Light
POSTED: May 15, 2013
When I left the office for lunch on Monday, I noticed a light on my car warning me that the tire was low. It was a warm day and I thought it was simply caused by the temperature change. Have you ever missed the warning signs? When I left at the end of the day, I noticed the light again and thought I ought to stop and add some air. As I drove my mind went to other things until I felt the car start to pull. By the time I decided to check it out, it was flat. “Maybe... Read More >
Backpacking Your Way to the Top!
POSTED: May 10, 2013
I used to do a lot of backpacking when I was younger and I’ve noticed that there are a lot of similarities between climbing a mountain and climbing the career “mountain.” Our career, like climbing a mountain, is a journey for which we must prepare. We must pack our backpacks with the right tools for the trip if we want to get to the top. We must put the right things in the right pockets and ditch the things that just weigh us down. It’s about gathering and sorting the tools that are important in helping us along... Read More >
Are You an ACTIVE Listener?
POSTED: May 02, 2013
A key part of my role as a career and change strategist is listening. Yes, I speak too and some may argue I do so too much! But hey, I have so much wisdom to impart, right? Seriously, a key requirement to success in my role is to listen - carefully, actively, and encouragingly. The key word here is actively. This means I am not thinking about my next client, my meal tonight, or how the basketball finals are playing out. I’m not even thinking about my own response to what is being said. Instead, I am actively engaged... Read More >
There’s More to Life than Being Happy
POSTED: April 24, 2013
The title of this blog is also the title of a great article by Emily Esfahani Smith, published in The Atlantic in January 2013. It has provoked great conversations between people with very differing views. The article spotlights the writings of Viktor Frankl, the Jewish psychiatrist and neurologist who spent 3 years in a Nazi prison camp. Frankl’s belief and the premise of the article is this: what matters most in life is having meaning and purpose, and the mere pursuit of happiness is self-defeating. As Frankl so succinctly puts it, “it is the very pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness.” ... Read More >
Using Assessments to Improve Selection and Development
POSTED: April 17, 2013
At some point, most organizations realize that there is no shortage of applicants for the positions they need to fill; but rather a shortage of the specific skills and capabilities they need to grow their business. Good talent is still hard to find and even harder to place in the right roles for growth in the organization. The problem of finding, selecting, and developing good talent has only been exacerbated over these past few years as unemployment rates have hovered at historically high levels. The result has been an overwhelming number of candidates in the job market—those who are... Read More >
Assessments – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
POSTED: April 10, 2013
The GOOD news is that there is no shortage of assessments for the workplace – we have cultural, 360°, personality, competency, leadership, and team assessments, to name a few. The list goes on and on. Assessments can be a cost-effective way to improve your selection processes, enhance leadership development, and help create dynamic and positive discussions about commonalities and differences between people at work. If turnover really costs 15x the annual salary, well administered selection assessments are well worth the investment. They can be easily administered either through web-based applications or face-to-face data collection methods. Unfortunately, the BAD news is that assessments... Read More >
The Job Search - A Family Affair
POSTED: April 03, 2013
The range of emotions that come following an unexpected career change are not just felt by the person experiencing the loss. The change and job search are most definitely a family affair. Such a transition impacts everyone that the job seeker holds dear to them. This includes their spouse/significant other/partner, children, parents, and close friends. Sometimes this major change hits the loved ones harder than the person who experienced the unplanned career transition. The job seeker’s family often feels anger, lack of control, frustration, fear of the unknown, and loss of identity. It can be tough for... Read More >
“Breaking Up is Hard to Do”
POSTED: March 28, 2013
Breaking up is hard to do, especially when you are facing having to lay off employees. Providing a soft landing for departing employees is not only the right thing to do, but is also a strategic business investment with big payoffs. What are the benefits of investing in outplacement services? Safeguarding your company’s brand and reputation Helping former employees re-employ quicker Attracting future talent and retaining high performers Nurturing and maintaining positive morale among remaining employees WHAT DOES A HEALTHY OUTPLACEMENT PROGRAM LOOK LIKE? The best outplacement services offer personal, strategic help. Most employees don’t make a career... Read More >
What Women Do You Celebrate?
POSTED: March 22, 2013
March is Women’s History Month. According to the National Women’s History Project website (http://www.nwhp.org/blog/), this year’s theme is “Women Inspiring Innovation through Imagination, honoring women throughout history who have used their intelligence, imagination, sense of wonder, and tenacity to make extraordinary contributions to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.” Last week, I heard Gloria Feldt, who is 71, speak. Ms. Feldt is the author of No Excuses – 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power and a prominent women’s activist. Another inspiration is Sheryl Sandberg, the 43 year old COO of Facebook, who recently... Read More >
Business Ethics: Does HR Have a Role?
POSTED: February 27, 2013
It seems as though we can’t open a newspaper or click on a news web site these days without reading about yet another business scandal - insider trading at prominent hedge funds, Ponzi schemes, falsified data at biotech companies, and breaches in accounting and reporting practices. It seems that fraud and wrongdoing have become commonplace in business. Kenneth Lay of Enron, Dennis Kozlowski of Tyco, and Bernie Madoff, king of the Ponzi scheme, are just some of the most prominent poster boys for corporate scandal. Ethical gaffes are becoming so prevalent that it is no longer a matter of... Read More >