Bleeding Orange

Why do some people stay with their organizations for years, and others seem to bounce from place to place? Do some companies have a secret that magically plays out inside their walls? Or, do they simply market their culture so effectively that despite their normal challenges they continue to attract top talent?

Bleed
I've worked in organizations that were good places, and I've worked in organizations that I left because they were obsessed with earnings and didn't care about patient, physician or employee engagement.

I felt like I was bleeding all over the place...yet my passion and enthusiasm for my work didn't mean a thing. It was a sad place to be, and ultimately it required a resignation and fresh start.

In those companies...bleeding was bad.

Orange
I now find myself at a point in my career where I am again bleeding all over the place. My energy, passion and commitment are very different this time though. So, what has changed?

Are the people better? 
- No, but something feels different when we work together.

Is the work dramatically different? 
- No, but something feels different when we do our work.

Is the culture really that different from other companies?

HELL, YES!

We aren't obsessed with organizational charts. We don't wonder who is talking to who about who after every meeting. We search for ways to recognize each other. 

We ask each other to offer suggestions. We take risks and try new things. We bake our employment assessment tool into every day life. Yes we do. Every. Day. Life.

Are we perfect? Thankfully, no.

We think differently. We act differently. We "get it" here...when most other companies just don't.

How About You
This is a week to be thankful for many things. I've never felt this much support in my life. I've never felt this much energy with a team as I do now. It's flat out awesome.

What color do you bleed?

We bleed orange.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Kinetix

Squads and Loyalty

Many of us have jobs. Some of those jobs are pretty good...some are brand new because we're new to the world of work...others are at an in-between-stop along the journey...

...and a select few have something completely different.

Your Squad
Success is often achieved through hustle, grinding, and hard work. This is true! There are no shortcuts. However, success is never achieved in a vacuum. The people you trust and allow to be part of your inner circle will define your future.

Think about that for a second...the people you trust will dictate whether you are successful or not.

Your squad means everything. I may be the luckiest person working today, because the team at work combined with my squad has opened up my world in ways I could never have imagined.

Loyalty
The result of recognizing the support you have behind you is the ultimate prize every employee engagement guru strives for...

Loyalty.

"How many of you are actually loyal to the organization your work for? What does that look like? How do you talk about, defend and promote your company?"

How About You
One of the often overlooked benefits of loyalty is the confidence you feel to do your job. When we know our organization has our back, and the team around us is helping us do good work we break through to a new level of performance.

So...who's on your squad, and what does that mean to you?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Play to Win

S: "Jay, do you ever not win?"

Me: "No."

Maybe it's just me, but the world of work seems to be more competitive than ever. Whether people are jockeying for a new opportunity; or like me, are working hard to grow the company they work for to its fullest potential.

That includes finding the best talent.

Don't Just Play
As the crushing force of political correctness invades the world of work, and in particular Human Resources, it seems increasingly distasteful to be ultra-competitive.

Why?

Am I a bad person if I push myself hard to be successful?
Am I perceived as uncaring if I don't take care of my competitors as well as I take care of my company?

What is going on? Have we all become so soft that the options are either you end up labeled as a cold-hearted capitalist, or an ineffective "leader" trying to win some sort of popularity contest...but never actually execute because that would require standing up to someone?

Play To Win
Despite all of the "correctness" that I'm supposed to conform to (...not happening, by the way...) I'm going to do everything in my power to represent the three brands that matter most:

- my own
- my organization's
- the clients my company works with

Period.

Nothing will stand in the way. There are too many amazing people working at my company, and candidly, they expect me to be more driven than any of our strongest competitors, regardless of their size.

How About You
Are you one of those people that believes there is enough for everyone, and if we all share everyone can win? 

I'm not.

There is simply too much riding on my success, and the success of the team of people I work with to risk doing anything less than my very best. 

Do you play to win? If the answer is no....why the hell not?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Funeral Hymn

"I've always wanted to do that."

- said everyone who ever lived

How many times have we heard this line? How many times have we said it? It's funny that we put so much effort into our careers, and yet as we learn and grow as professionals we feel we must embrace our titles or industries to define who "we are."

Forever.

Wait, what?

When you look back at who you were at 15, 25, 35, 45, 55....were you the same person at every age? Did your view of the world change? Did your life experiences shape how you made decisions and chose to behave?

Of course they did. But when it comes to our career path, we often fall into the trap that our title or profession "is" who we are, no matter what we learn or experience or become interested in.

Want To vs. Will Do

Obviously there is a big difference between "always wanting to sky dive" as a bucket list to do item, and "always wanting to work in a different industry or role." The bucket list is for fun...my focus is on the latter point.

It takes courage to admit that you could do more...be more...and make a move that is unsettling at best, and downright scary at worst. (or is the scary part the best? Hmmm)

When you consider the incredible number of hours, training, networking, reading, writing and learning you've done over the years it will be difficult to justify that you aren't prepared to make a bold move and follow what you enjoy doing, and that you're good at.

Bold moves are the best moves.

If you're already doing what you absolutely love, then be the best. Push yourself to contribute in a way that you never thought about in the past. There are no limits, so think big.

"Too Late" Is For Wimps

Have you convinced yourself that it is too late to make the move you can't stop thinking about? I just made a bold move after twenty years in the same industry. I changed everything because I learned new things and realized I wanted to follow a different path.

I put together a plan, and worked that plan. You can too. Get out your iPad and start listing what you really want to do. Identify what you're good at, and confirm your list with friends and colleagues.

There is absolutely nothing holding you back.

How About You

It is not time for the funeral hymn on your career to play. Now is your time take your career and your personal satisfaction to a whole new level. Stop waiting...start planning...so next year at this time you'll be DOING!

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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I'm Hiring Two Talent Acquisition Leaders to Join My Team!

Have you ever wanted to work at a company that has one of those trendy super cool cultures that you read about? You know the ones...they have lots of stories about the great team environment and the energy that you can feel when you walk through the front door.

Do you think those organizations actually exist; or, are they simply a fantasy that Silicon Valley tries to promote but rarely turns out to be true?

Well, I joined one of those companies and I didn't have to move to California to do it. 

Kinetix Rocks

If you're wondering what Kinetix is all about let me summarize for you...we offer a triple-threat of human resources services to our clients:
- Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

- Staffing and Recruiting

- Human Resources Consulting

Here's the Kinetix difference: we do it better, faster, and have a hell of a lot more fun than anyone else in the industry. There, I said it.

Kinetix Needs Progressive Leaders

Good things are happening here (think growing-faster-than-you-can-imagine) and that's why I need to add two leaders who will report directly to me. 

You need to be an experienced talent acquisition professional who can effectively lead a team of high performers. Your team will consist of 8 - 10 of our rock star recruiting pros. 

You need to understand that social, digital, and all things 2015 are how we operate. So please do not fax me your resume because I don't even know where our fax machines are here.

Are You Ready?

If you think you have the leadership chops, a contemporary view of how the talent game is played, and you want to live in the amazing city of  Atlanta, then you should reach out to Colleen Fitzgerald via email; through twitter, or if you have to you can call her direct at 770-390-8380. If you'd like the 411 on this cool gig check out the posting here.

Oh, and you probably won't need a chair. You'll be so busy leading your team as a real hands-on leader that you won't have much desk time.