Tag Archives: Culture

Hackathons and fun at work

What’s a hackathon, you may be wondering? Check out the video below for more on that and the importance of having fun at work. I’m currently reading the Levity Effect, and it talks all about how to lighten up and have some fun in the workplace. When I read an article last week about a hackathon, I thought it was a neat concept and one that might be worth pursuing.

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Anyone else think that’s a neat idea? I’d love to hear some feedback on why it would/wouldn’t work!

Being influential, communication, and culture shock

sticking togetherI have been writing the RocketHR blog for almost 18 months now, and at times it’s an interesting existence. I try to write with a little less opinion and silliness that pervades my other blog, because I am not only representing myself but my chapter as well. Recently that got a lot easier as several other SHRM chapters and state councils have started using blogs to reach out to their members and share information. Today we’re going to kick off a rotating series to promote other SHRM blogs and help others to learn more about the best chapter blog in north Alabama. Let’s dig into the good stuff that others have shared!

Greater Cincinnati HR Association

It’s a big question, and we all would love to know: who is the most influential person for 2011? I think you will be surprised by who has the opportunity to make the top of this list in this great post by Steve Browne.

Illinois State Council

We hear a lot about communication these days, but this neat story about communicating up and down the line by Dave Ryan takes us back to a time when tools for sharing were much simpler. While he talks about a method that is old-fashioned, I still love telling people that the best way to be “social” is to pick up the phone!

HR Mouth of the South (HR Florida)

My current employer is really focused on a few things, and one of them is communication. We try to make it more difficult than it really is, but doing it consistently and in a timely manner is the basis for simple communication. This piece by Joyce Chastain will make you stop and think about how you are doing in this area.

Birmingham SHRM

My friends in the Birmingham SHRM chapter have been busy of late, but this post from their archives is one that I really enjoy. Often when we think of relocation, it’s in hard numbers and how things will work for the company. We rarely think about the effect on employees and any potential culture shock from the change.

And there you have it! Four great SHRM blogs that you should check into. Thanks for supporting these other chapters and state councils and for keeping RocketHR going strong!

Being aware of your culture and values (Video)

So. How’s your culture? Are you paying attention to it? What’s it like? Do people love it? Hate it? Want to burn it to the ground, bulldoze the ashes, and nuke the whole mess?

I jest, but it’s a serious question. Have you ever taken the time to just sit and think about the culture and values your organization embodies? I’d hope that it would be a pleasant experience, but there’s really no way for me to answer that for you. What do you think? Are you proud to talk about what your organization does and values, or does it make you a little queasy? Check the video below for a few ideas I have regarding culture and values and let me know what your thoughts are.

I just realized the audio and video tracks are off. Get ready for a funny video that looks like an old Japanese horror film. :-)

(Subscribers may have to click through to view the video.) Continue reading →

Hire for attitude, train for everything else

I’ve always been of the opinion that companies should hire for will and train for skill. While you can train someone on how to perform task X, you can’t train them to be excited and energetic. And I’m not the only one who thinks that way. I heard this great segment on the Dave Ramsey show recently and it made so much sense from a talent management perspective that I just had to share.

We have five books that we give you when you are hired, and they\’re short, easy-to-read books. All teach a core value—a principle—that we espouse inside of our organization. You\’re required to read all of them within the first 90 days of employment. Continue reading →

Netflix, Culture, and Responsibility (Slideshare)

Check out the fantastic Slideshare presentation I found the other day. It deals with culture, a high performance work environment, and the company that revolutionized movie rentals. (Subscribers may need to click through to view.)

The ideas in the presentation are refreshing and inspiring. They reinforce my core beliefs about HR. The “keeper test” on slide 29 is killer, and the reason for for such an emphasis on a high performance workforce (slide 35) is brilliant.

So, which part do you like? Would you enjoy working somewhere like Netflix?

(Click here to see the original presentation on Slideshare.)

Merry Freaking Christmas

merry freaking christmasI’m pretty good friends with Steve at HR Gumbo. We talked about this a good bit before we both posted. You might like to read his post on regulating holidays to make sure you get the “whole” story.

I’m definitely one of those people who gets angry when their company tells them how they can and cannot celebrate the approaching holiday. My last job was like that. My current one isn’t. I work in a radically different culture from a public institution. I’m in the far extreme side of the spectrum. The nonprofit organization that I work for is technically classified as a church, if that gives you any indication. But if someone brought in something representing another holiday, I can’t see us bashing their head in for it.

Christmas decorations rant Continue reading →