Whew. It has been quite a week. By the time most of you read this I will be a few miles into a 50 mile, 3 day stage race on some gnarly trails in Birmingham, AL. Yes, I have a running problem; however, it beats a drinking problem, and in HR, that’s almost a job requirement. :-) I’m hoping that I get a lot of brilliant ideas and clarity out of the most difficult physical challenge of my entire life, but I’ll probably just end up with some really sore legs and hobble around like an arthritic 90-year old for a few days. I’ll try to post something semi-coherent on Monday (we’ll see). Now for some very cool updates that I’m hoping everyone is excited about (because I know I am!). Continue reading
Category Archives: General
Team Building Session? Try This Exercise
How to rock your next team building session
Recently I learned of a unique team building session idea that I have been itching to try out. I was able to wrangle a friend into testing it out at her office, and it had very positive results. Today we’ll be looking at what I’ve come to call the Twenty Minute Challenge. (I heard someone at HRevolution mention this a few weeks back, but I can’t remember who! If someone knows, please tell me so the person can get the credit for this.)
The purpose of the Twenty Minute Challenge
More so now than ever, we need people on our teams who can think quickly, respond coherently during high pressure situations, and present complex information effectively. This team building session is focused on helping your people do all three of those things well. Continue reading
Internal Talent Management
How internal talent management keeps you competitive
We need the right people sitting in the right seats.
If you’re familiar with the phrase, then you know it’s all about finding the right talent fit for your organization. This discussion shifts from the external focus to the internal talent management process. The reality is that we don’t always have the right people sitting in the right seats when we decide to get serious about the process.
So… What now?
Well, you have a few options. Continue reading
SHRM Chapters-Life as a Board Member
SHRM Chapters are local SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) affiliates that live out SHRM’s mission on a local scale. I’ve been serving on the board of NASHRM, my local chapter, since the middle of 2009, and at the end of this year I am stepping down from my position on the board to focus on some other priorities in my life (family, work, etc.).
For those looking to have an impact on their profession on a local level, SHRM chapters provide a great way to jump in, get some volunteer credits, and develop a strong local network for career and professional development opportunities. (If you’re already volunteering with a SHRM chapter, be sure to check out the free SHRM Chapter Leadership guide.)
What to expect Continue reading
The Next Generation of HR
Tomorrow evening I have the pleasure of speaking to a group of local HR students. The problem is I have time to talk on one topic, but I have several in mind! In a perfect world I’d have the chance to come back a few times and expose them to the full realm of knowledge I’ve picked up over the past few years since my own college days, but this might be the only shot I get. So what’s more important?
Topics of choice
- Using social media as an HR/recruiting professional (professional development, recruiting, networking, etc.) Continue reading
How to Take Action and Get Results
How to Take Action and Develop an Action Oriented Culture
We recently had a new employee start on our executive team, and her fresh take on things is incredibly valuable for us in our quest for continuous improvement. One piece of our action-oriented culture that I have taken for granted was especially interesting for her.
Recently at our executive off-site retreat, we had a lot of discussions on strategy and the direction of the company. Throughout the day we touched on many topics, and there were several times when an attendee was asked a pointed question about their process area (HR, finance, contracts, etc.).
Before anyone was allowed to leave, we took the time to assign action items to each person who had a request sometime during the day. There were several dozen actions assigned among the various participants, and nobody (including our CEO) walked out without an action item, a due date, and a scheduled follow up plan.
For us, it was a standard meeting, just with topics of broader scope.
For her, it was a peek into a world of accountability and an action-oriented leadership team that she hadn’t previously known.
Normal Isn’t Good Enough Continue reading
#HRevolution HR Improv Session Videos
HR Improv was a session at HRevolution where participants had to present on a slideshow that they had never seen before and somehow tie it back to employee relations, recruiting, etc.
Please forgive the shaky portion of the videos. I grabbed the camera halfway through the session when I realized how hilarious this was going to be. I didn’t have a tripod, so I did the best I could with what I had.
Sean Conrad
Sean Conrad of Halogen Software was one of our volunteers. The random presentation we drew for Sean was a slideshow invitation to vacation in Nnoordwijk, Holland, and he had to try and relate that to the recruiting and talent management process. The first few minutes of his session were cut off, but this was the winner of the contest, so I wanted to get him a little love anyway! Continue reading