Front Burners

I've been busy lately. I know, you have too...we all are busy. But for me, I've been busy, as in "I can't keep up with everything I want to do in life" busy. I don't like it. I particularly don't like it when it impacts my life here in the blogosphere. (Does anyone still use that word?...I have been away too long.) 

Priorities

One of the main reasons I'm all cranked up about my recent situation is actually good. My job is more demanding than ever; the assignments I'm working on are more challenging than ever, and the possibilities to do good work are everwhere. That's a pretty good reason to take a short hiatus from the blog...at least this blog.

There's No Place Like A Blog

Although it's been quiet here lately, that doesn't mean I've been able to stay quiet overall. I mean, seriously people! Me? Quiet? No way!

I've been blessed recently with the opportunity to participate on several terrific blogging sites including ceVoke, Jobsite, Performance I Create and HR Tact. (You might even see a rare guest post soon right here.) These are fanatastic projects, and it looks like one more is on the way. Maybe it's all too much? Or, maybe I'm not organized enough to embrace every single opportunity life brings my way. So what, I'm going for it anyway.

Work Is Like A Stove

My organization is going through a period of rapid and exciting change.  The result as I mentioned has been a little time away from the blog...but that time has passed.

I like to think about my organizational priorities this way...

"Imagine a huge stove with only front burners. That is how I need to prioritize all of my work right now. Everything is a front burner issue."

That approach may not be the healthiest. Nor is it what the so called experts claim is the best way to organize and rank the work you need to accomplish. Really, 3 to 5 items on my task list each day? Get real!

Guess what? Sometimes everything is a priority and you need to find a way to get it done!

How About You

What does the stove look like where you work? Is it an apartment sized hot plate? Or, do you look far to the left and far to the right and only see that one row of front burners too?

I'ts good to be back.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Enemy Within

“Did I do the right thing?”

“Is the company going to get sued?”

“Did we violate one of the many new regulations that seem to keep coming?”

“Is my job now on the line?”

Human Resources professionals face more challenges today than ever before. Any reasonable person would believe the laws that have been passed to protect all employees would certainly suffice.

Yet, external parties, government agencies, and old school thinking from many organizational leaders continue to give the impression that the life of an HR practitioner is doomed to processing forms and trying to hide from anything confrontational or impactful.

Read the rest of my post over at HR Mouth of the South!

HR Mouth of the South is the official blog for HRFlorida. Check it out!

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Everyone Is A Coach

I'm a big sports fan. Hockey is my favorite. It's fast, and violent, and graceful, and full of finesse, and power, and endless hours of work away from the ice to get better. As in most sports, players, friends, families and fans are very engaged in every aspect of the game.

They all think at one point or another that they are the coach. Not literally of course, but we've all seen or heard someone offer their perspective on how things should be done. If only their keen insight would be listened to so the entire game/practice/tryout would be better!

Give me a break. Everyone is not a coach. At least, not a good one.

Work and Sports

Some of us also get fired up about our work. No, we don't swear at the television set when something goes wrong in our training videos like we...ahem...might...during a big game. But the reality is that there is a whole lot of "coaching" going on in the workplace from people who have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

There, I said it. 

Apparently there is in fact something to be said for taking a global view of an organization. In sports a comprehensive game plan is critical to success. At work, the big picture is so important, that I now challenge myself to consider the unintended consequences of the decisions that are made in my organization that have nothing to do with human resources issues.

There, I said that too.

"Sometimes HR isn't the center of the universe."

Good Coaches Set An Example

Whether you are leading a group of players or are in a leadership position in your company, you are setting an example every day. Sometimes it is a good one that people come to rely on as part of their world. Other times, "coaches" get so caught up in their own ego, that they completely miss the point of what it means to offer their insight and perspective on the issues occurring at work.

It's a shame really, because typically these folks have knowledge that could be very useful. But alas, they typically worship at the church of "themselves" and earn a reputation for saying a lot but contributing very little.

How About You

Do you know any "coaches?" I do too. In fact, sometimes I slip into bad habits of being one of those people too. But having the courage to actually step back and evaluate my own behavior has given me the opportunity to leave most of my lame coaching days behind me. How about you?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Power Base

Once you accept a leadership position you immediately have power. You may feel the same as you did ten minutes prior to saying yes to that job offer, but in reality your world, and the world of the employees around you just changed. Power often has a negative connotation and that is unfortunate. Having the power to change things that are going poorly, or the power to make a difference in some one's life are usually afterthoughts. That's a shame because power is good.

Power is good.

Power Train

Power can also be very seductive. Those who have it often find themselves suddenly becoming very popular. It's as if the one who holds power is the engine, and now a long train is forming behind them as others hitch themselves on to that locomotive powerhouse.

I wonder if their intentions are sincere?

Do the "hitchers" believe they will be protected from harm (read here --> have job security) if they are closely aligned with the one who holds so much power in the organization?

Perhaps...but nothing lasts forever. The reality is that often times their thinking is flawed, as I've seen many leaders suddenly lose their power base when the 'senior leader' they were so focused on was suddenly no longer with the organization.

Good bye power base...hello having to answer for your behavior.

"When leaders focus too heavily on one member of the team vs. building relationships with every member of the team, they risk losing not only their reputation, but their position too."

Missing the Point About Power

Where does power emanate from? Is it really about a fancy title or a new level of signature authority? Are we really so limited as human beings that the mere chance to have a slightly increased level of control over others make us salivate and jettison all common sense from our daily life? In a perfect workplace there would probably be a balance between giving power to those who are doing the work, while ensuring that key decisions actually get made to keep the organization moving forward. Is that so difficult?

How About You
Do you approach power with wide eyes and visions of being fed grapes on a velvet couch? Or, do you see it as a huge responsibility that has to be properly shared in order to achieve world class results?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Love The Product, Hate(d) The Service

I am a big fan of Spotify. Wait, I may have understated that...I freakin' love it. I use it every day in my office; I plug my iPhone into my car and listen on my commute, and I pop the headphones in when I'm going on a run. I'm a die-hard, premium subscriber, Spotify-guy. I have to be their biggest fan.

Except for the time I was really pissed at Spotify.

Short Story - Short
For a period of time I was being double-billed, or so I thought, for their premium service. I reached out via twitter for help, and the good folks at Spotify responded quickly. I was hopeful to get a speedy resolution, but alas that was not to be. After being forced to jump through MANY hoops it was discovered that a second account had been set up which I was not aware of...ouch! My bad.

Except I was still pissed that I didn't get a straight answer in the beginning.

Despite my stumbling, and a bit of disappointment, I'm still a huge Spotify fan, and spread the word whenever I can about their amazing product.

I love the product.

HR Story - Long
Human Resources delivers a range of products too. Every person in the organization depends on us, and it is essential that we do our jobs well. So, do our (trapped) customers love our product and hate our service?

Do they like that benefit plans are there when they need them, but get frustrated trying to figure out what the fine prints says and which forms to fill out? Do they want to transfer and take advantage of an internal promotional opportunity but feel like they never hear back from anyone? Do new team members simply want some guidance as they come on board, but end up figuring out most things for themselves? Do our leaders feel this way too?

Reality-Check
I like to believe....um...convince myself that I actually deliver a product that not only has value, but is also considered to be high quality and done in a customer-friendly way (despite the fact that my customers are built-in.)

Has HR somehow become a bit lazy over the years? "If only those managers knew what we have to go through here in HR!" Oh wait, you've probably never said that before...ahem...I haven't either. #LyingThroughMyTeeth

The reality is that we need to critically evaluate our own performance, the products we deliver, and how we deliver them to ensure we keep ourselves at the top of our game.

Just imagine what those managers are saying about us right now. Do they love your product?

How About You
Is it time for you to get some feedback about you and your team's performance? Maybe you need to do something radical, something that would be considered a never-been-done-before-in-your-company approach...

Ask someone.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Fixing Healthcare Hiring and Human Resources: Is It Possible?

Today’s Healthcare Industry is Filled with Challenges

Some of these challenges get a lot of “play” in the media like the nursing shortage,  what strategies today’s jobseeker should use, or the costs to provide care to the millions of uninsured Americans. Other issues however don’t get the same attention that they should.

Skills Gaps?

Topics like the skills necessary to work in today’s complex health care environment and the tools employers should use to find talent often lag behind the discussion compared to other industries.

Each month, I’ll be discussing the challenges, and I believe, significant opportunities for jobseekers to both understand the somewhat daunting world of health care, and how to effectively manage their way to a successful career.

Check out the rest of this post over at Jobsite.com!



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Do Less With Less

Deadlines. Pressure. Stress. Tight budgets. Unrealistic expectations. Quarterly goals. Limited resources.I guess the tired adage that we have to do more with less is true.

Or maybe it's not.

Less is Reality
I appreciate the reality that we're living in a time when the global economy is weak. In my business we would say it's on life support. That situation has forced most of us to radically change the way we work, staff our organizations, invest in capital, and make (or not make) bold moves in the market. Only the very strongest of organizations has navigated the last five years with little damage.

An interesting opportunity has also picked up steam over the last five years. The pressure to become more efficient and to leverage every available free tool (I'm referring to social media for you HR folks that still love transactional work) has literally changed work for the better.

Yes, the world of work, at least Human Resources work, is in my opinion much better today than it was five years ago.

Less is Good
Many HR professionals used the ancient ratio approach to staff their departments. If the organization had 500 employees then 5 HR staff people were necessary. One HR person for every 100 employees made sense. I guess.

But what happens when you force the team to become more efficient? What happens when you don't replace positions and empower the group to do a deep dive into the work and let them simply engineer a common sense way to get the work done quickly and efficiently? What happens when you take advantage of free tools like facebook, twitter and Linkedin and incorporate them into your HR practice?

What about your HR formula now?

Less is Less

Imagine a world of HR that leverages lean processes free tools, and the perspective and input of front line staff to get the work flow designed properly. 

Could we really dream about less transactional work, less wasted time, and less expense? Oh wait, that's happening today. It could happen in your organization too, if you have the courage to get started.

I like "less."

How About You
Are you still waiting to catch up to the rest of the world of work? The justification... er...excuses we used five years ago don't cut it anymore. It's time to embrace less...and learn how much more you can actually accomplish.

I'd love to hear from you.

NoExcuses.



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