When I meet with clients or present at a conference I like to get people thinking about the ways in which the working experience will change radically in the next five years. I also like to demonstrate how HR is entering a critical period of decision-making around selecting the platforms and tools that will enable their employees to keep their businesses competitive. It’s important to remember that there are significant mega trends in technology that are pushing new HR technology options to emerge at logarithmic rates. Any forward-thinking HR strategy discussion should keep this point top-of-mind. Read the rest of this article »

As the debt-crisis in Europe continues to unravel new leaders are taking over economies in desperate position and citizen populations wracked with worry. These leaders are saddled with the unenviable task of enacting fiscally responsible policies that can reduce spending while tempering the outrage of millions of unhappy people, many of which are unemployed and experiencing serious economic hardship. Read the rest of this article »

I am just back from Barcelona after a week in Portugal and Spain. Portugal is the 53rd country I've been fortunate to visit. There are 54 cards in a deck...if you count the jokers. To round out the deck, I took a one day trip to tiny Andorra. Andorra, however, was no joke. In fact, here are 10 reasons to love this country (one that you may not remember from 8th grade geography) high in the Pyrenees Mountains. Read the rest of this article »

In a famous bit by Jerry Seinfeld the comedian claimed, “According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” Seinfeld was just fishing for laughs, but there’s a remarkable truth there that goes too often ignored in the business world. Read the rest of this article »

The legendary musician Levon Helm passed away on Thursday last week. Levon was a founding member and drummer for The Band and was an important figure in the roots rock music evolution of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Before founding The Band, Levon played drums for The Hawks, who would become the backing band for Bob Dylan when he “went electric” in 1965. The Band recorded several masterpiece records between 1967 and 1977, which included the hits “The Weight”, “Ophelia”, and “Up on Cripple Creek”. Their final concert was chronicled in Martin Scorsese’s 1978 classic film “The Last Waltz”. Read the rest of this article »

I am writing this post on my way to Amsterdam. In the middle of the night on what had been an uneventful flight to that point, I was returning from the bathroom to my seat. A man who was walking toward me in the aisle stumbled, fell against an open seat, and collapsed in a heap in the aisle face down just 20 feet in front of me. I rushed to help him.

What happened next was incredible. Read the rest of this article »

In recent years, more and more organizations have begun to explore the advantages of providing a flexible work environment. My colleague, Don MacPherson, wrote a blog series on the phenomenon back in early 2011, for a deeper look at what’s causing the trend and what organizations can do I would highly recommend reading it. But just this past week, the idea of tailoring a job and a workplace to the preferences of a specific employee has made headlines all over the world. Free agency began this past Tuesday in the National Football League. This is the time of the year when professional players with expiring contracts are first allowed to sign with new teams. What’s interesting is that this year there’s one player capable of completely transcending what talent recruitment looks like. Read the rest of this article »

I was in a dentist’s chair yesterday, on the stretch run of a two-hour-plus appointment when my dentist turned to her assistant and said, “I always hate this part.” She was talking about free-handing the permanent build-up/filling I had put in place in preparation for an eventual crown. Now, I get that it’s a difficult assignment. The little ring they put around my tooth to shape the filling wouldn’t quite hold still and so she had to artfully shape it herself. But I don’t want to hear, “I always hate this part.” I want to hear, “Luckily, I’m like a goddamn Michelangelo at this!” Read the rest of this article »

What makes a great leader? Some say confidence. Others say people skills. Some organizations hail innovators and creatives, others move the practical, calculated, high-IQ folks up the ladder. Whatever it is you value most in leaders, it’s important that you can articulate it. Only then can you measure it, develop it, and create an environment that grows high potentials into high performers. But don’t get so caught up in your definition that you lose the forest for the trees. Defining key competencies for your leaders is a good thing, but it’s important to realize these key competencies are not the only thing that matter. Read the rest of this article »

I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago that irritated some of my colleagues at other organizations. I stated that the organization (and not an employee’s manager) is the most important element in retaining and motivating employees. That post was hotly debated and many people in the human resources community vehemently disagreed with my position. They had conventional wisdom backing them. I have data backing me. Read the rest of this article »