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Don’t Forget to Say “Thank You”
There are some basics to being an effective leader. As this interview reminds us, recognizing success is one of them. While financial rewards work well for some people and for some tasks, letting people know they are appreciated is an across-the-board motivator. But...
The Fish Stinks From the Head
Whether or not you are a soccer fan, you’ve likely heard about the scandal at FIFA (the world body that oversees the sport). The long and short of it is that executives in the organization, leaders in some country soccer committees, and sports marketing companies are...
Back to Class
The blogs and postings have been on hiatus for a couple of reasons. One is that I like to take occasional breaks so I don’t repeat myself too much. Second, some change in LinkedIn has stopped me from receiving notifications of when people read what I’ve written....
An Eye Towards the Future of Employee Engagement
I just read a report on global human capital trends. While I wish it would have had more data than anecdotes, it contains several thought provoking chapters. One of the sections I found most interesting was on employee engagement. Creating an environment where people...
Do CEO Personality Traits Matter?
One could argue that the person who has the most impact on a company’s profitability is the CEO. Given the crazy compensation that some of them get, boards of directors certainly think this is the case. A lot goes into selecting CEOs and you can’t exactly conduct a...
Big Data Hat, But No Digital Cattle
Right after I write about how there is way more ideas about Big Data in HR than actual results, NPR publishes this story. In it, they talk with several people about new ways of gathering pre-employment test data. However, the most important phrases are: “The science...
The “War” for Being Taken Seriously
When I go to HR related conferences there are some themes that seem to pop up on a regular basis: Big Data The “War” for Talent (along with the occasionally seen term “War for Engagement”) How to Get a “Seat at the Table” (with top executives) What they have in common...
Thank You, May I Have Another?
For those of you on an annual cycle, it is performance review time. To us consultants, it’s also known as the largest black hole period of the year (we can’t do that now, it will interfere with reviews!). Annual performance reviews have their detractors and those who...
Expediency vs. Effectiveness
I’ve blogged several times (here, here and here) about the City of LA’s firefighter selection process. More specifically, how factors besides the validity of the test, interviews, etc. are being used to cull applicants. Since my last post on the subject, RAND has...
Creating Smarter Teams
The science behind selecting people who are good at their jobs is well established. We know, based on large research studies, that there are certain tests and assessments that predict different abilities. Those who possess abilities that are required for a specific...
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