Victorio Milian

SOPA, Troublemakers, and Setting Your People Up for Success

2012-01-19T07:00:00.053-05:00

SOPA put me in an awkward position yesterday. For those of you who may not be aware, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is a bill making its way through the United States House of Representatives. Proponents of the bill state that it will help to curb online piracy. Critics, of which I'm one, view the bill as misguided and dangerous. You can read more about it here and here.

On January 18th several websites staged a day of protest to demonstrate their opposition. In particular, Wikipedia, the online information reference site (and sixth largest website globally), went dark, meaning that you couldn't view any of the site's web pages. It wasn't a surprise; Jimmy Wales, the co-founder of Wikipedia, announced the action in advance, even offering advice to those that may be affected ("Student warning! Do your homework early.").

So, inspired by Randy Duax, I tweeted on Tuesday that I was available to answer questions while the site was down. I became a one-man wiki.

The start of my troubles...

The next day ~~some~~ ~~troublemaker~~ HR pro Dwane Lay took me at my word and started asking questions. I started strong, but he was persistent.

So far, so good...

Dwane's getting tricky...

Fortunately for me I predate both the dinosaurs and the Internet, which meant that I knew of other resources I could turn to, both online and off. Utilizing the tools at my disposal (mostly disdain-see below) I was able to find the answers my inquisitive colleague was seeking, as well as earn some social currency from my peers.

Score!

I admit that, while amusing, the exercise got me thinking. We often take for granted certain resources, especially those that we find useful and free. The Internet provides a wide range of services. Anyone with access has a way to gain information, help organize that information, communicate with people globally, and most importantly, post cute pictures of cats. It's only when they've been compromised that we realize its existence, and complain of the inconvenience or hazard that woke us up from our blissful state.

The same holds true for people. At the end of the day we, not money, are what makes the world go around. As business leaders it's important that the resources we utilize to achieve organizational goals, particularly the human ones, are recognized, valued, and developed. And we should ensure that we're aware and prepared to deal with disruptions that could impact operations. Like I mentioned before, the online blackout was known in advance. What if it was done on the spur of the moment? Or imagine if Google, Facebook, or another similarly ubiquitous web site went completely dark. Now imagine if employees or our company's customers did something similar. Amusement would have quickly turned to anger and regret. I've pointed this out in other blog posts but it bears repeating.

For my fellow HR pros out there this goes double for you. People are supposed to be the priority of your work. If you truly value them then demonstrate it through action. If you can't or won't then find a different job.

R.I.P. Syms

2012-01-18T07:00:00.002-05:00

The start of the 2012 new year saw the passing of Sym's and Filene's Basement, two clothing retailers owned by the Syms Corporation. Started in 1959 by its namesake Sy, Syms grew to over 30 stores in 13 states before declaring bankruptcy in late 2011. Filene's Basement is even older; it started in 1909 and was bought by the Syms Corporation in 2009.

I'm going to miss Syms. Although retailers come and go, it's still difficult to see them close down. A good colleague of mine will be out of work as a result. It's tough to see good people lose their jobs through no fault of their own, particularly in the current economy.

Syms is special to me also because it was a local institution. The brand originated in New York City; its first store was on Greenwich Street in lower Manhattan. Unlike Men's Warehouse it was a regional business, with most of its stores located in the Northeast United States.

It also occupied a unique (at the time) niche in retail. Before the internet made it easy (for example, through sites such as Bluefly), finding quality men's clothing, especially suits, at discount prices was difficult. For many young men getting their first suit from Syms was a right of passage. And its tagline, "Where educated consumer is our best customer" was so smart. How many retailers openly acknowledged the type of customer they valued? I also grew up watching their commercials on TV which, unlike the awfully sexist one below, reinforced the concept of the smart customer.

Sym's felt like a part of New York that was unique, making it a bit more special than a retailer you could find wherever you go. It was an institution that helped people look good for less, which is a concept that should never go out of style.

R.I.P. Syms

1959-2011

B-words, Babies, and Tolerating Terrible Top Performers

2012-01-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

Jay-Z announced recently that he's no longer going to use the word "bitch" in his songs. As you may know, Beyonce, his wife, gave birth in early January to a baby girl, Blue Ivy Carter, which is what prompted him to adjust his language. If this is true then I say, "Congratulations!" It shows a certain sense of maturity on the part of an artist that was very casual about the language in his lyrics. I'm curious to see how long it lasts and if it influences other artists to make similar changes.

Before I got in the game, made a change, and got rich,
I didn’t think hard about using the word Bitch.
I rapped, I flipped it, I sold it, I lived it now with my daughter in this world
I curse those that give it.

While I'm happy for Jay-Z I also find it ironic. He changed his tone not because of protests, or changes in his fan's taste in music, or the fact that he's married to one of the most successful female artists in history (whom I'm sure in his mind is not a bitch, not like the rest of the female population). He changed it because he had a baby. No doubt he was thinking that when she grows up she may question why daddy was so free and easy with such a derogatory term, one that could, and most likely will, be directed at her at some point in her life.

I never realized while on the fast track
that I’d give riddance to the word bitch, to leave her innocence in tact.
No man will degrade her, or call her out her name
the women won’t despise her and call her the same.

This is the trouble with success, both for the individual and the organizations that support and benefit from them. In a "normal" company people are supposed to be disciplined/fired/face criminal charges for using such language. It's considered offensive and leaders are supposed to be intolerant of this. Let's be honest though, this doesn't always happen. Top performers in particular may receive more preferential treatment; supervisors may be reluctant to address behavioral issues, downplay incidents, or just plain stick their head in the proverbial sand, for fear that it could negatively impact a company's bottom line.

I know it’s gonna miss me
cuz we been together like Nike Airs and crisp tees
when we all used to hang out front
singing 99 problems but a lady ain’t one.

As for the individual, once a certain level of success is achieved it becomes difficult to discipline a person in a serious fashion. Money's no longer a motivator to deviate from what may be a successful strategy. I think if Def Jam tried to restrict Jay's language I have no doubt he would have just went to a different label, one that would have welcomed him with open arms and a fatter contract. And the fans, myself included, are complicit in this, either through our silence or through our purchases.

Excuse me miss, can I be your mister
cuz I can tell the difference from a little girl and a sister,
She never grew up, her father left her alone
I promise not to talk like we used to
until Kingdom Come.

Faced with this inconsistency, it's important that leaders recognize that one's actions, or lack thereof, defines the environment he or she operates in. If one isn't clear on where to stand ethically leaders run the risk of tolerating unacceptable behavior. At that point one should get out the way because now you're part of the problem. It's not always easy (or profitable) but without ethics how do we explain ourselves to those that we're trying to influence or direct, whether it be our staff, peers, or our children?

I’m so focused on your future,
The degradation has passed I wish you wealth, health, and insight
forever young you may pass.
Blue Ivy Carter, my angel.”

The choice is yours, always.

In the News - 3 Developments to Pay Attention To

2012-01-16T07:00:00.003-05:00

There have been some interesting developments that could impact workplaces, both nationally and abroad. Here are three of the most recent ones I've come across:

Answering Emails after Work May Constitute Overtime. In December of 2011 Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff signed a bill into law stating that email is the equivalent of receiving instructions from a supervisor. This could lead to an employee earning overtime, according to labor experts there. Could this happen here? On a national level, I don't believe so. Yet, considering the economic climate, as well as recent efforts by some companies to reduce or outright ban email, it's safe to say that it's an issue in the forefront of people's minds.
Paid Sick Leave Instituted in Connecticut. Effective January 1st, 2012, certain categories of employees in Connecticut will be eligible to receive and use paid sick leave. This right was granted via a bill signed into law last summer. The bill is not the first to introduce paid sick leave (San Francisco, Washington DC, and others also have similar laws on the books), but it's the first to do so on the state level. Expect to see similar legislation crop up around the country.
Best Buy is Crashing and Burning. It's been reported in Forbes and elsewhere that the tech retail giant is heading down the same path as its former rival Circuit City. And while businesses go under all the time, this one may have an unintended consequence on the workforce. If you don't already know, Best Buy pioneered the concept of ROWE, Results Only Work Environment. Under ROWE employees had greater freedom to define their own work hours and locations, which advocates stated led to an increase in productivity and job satisfaction, as well as reducing voluntary turnover. Since its inception, other retailers have attempted to go ROWE, most notably The Gap's Outlet division. If Best Buy tanks it could discourage other businesses, particularly retailers, from implementing innovative workplace solutions.

Redefining boundaries between work and non-work time, as well as health/wellness benefits, will be critical issues every business leader tackles in the foreseeable future. Some of the ones described above are straightforward and may only require adjustments to an organization's policies and procedures. All require further analysis in order for leaders to craft the best strategies possible. Forward looking leaders will want to look deeper to see how to position their organizations ahead of these trends, so that the power to define their business remains with it and not the courts.

Brand Advocates or Brand Arsonists-Managing Seasonal Employee Exits

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Many retailers increased their staff levels for the 2011 holiday season in expectation of increased sales. Now that they're over I expect that most, if not all, of a company's seasonal employees will be let go. This is a common practice in the retail industry. Although organizations can usually find a way to retain a few "superstar" holiday hires, this year probably will be different. While there are signs of economic recovery, it's not enough for most companies to overcome their anxiety and take a risk by adding headcount.

However, I've found that in my experience enough isn't done to make this difficult transition easier. It's all too easy to think that just because a person was hired as a seasonal employee that they'll be okay with exiting the business at the appointed time. Leaders, put yourself in their shoes. As job candidates, they worked hard to prove themselves worthy of being hired. While their seasonal status should have been communicated clearly during the recruitment, job offer, and onboarding phases, many holiday hires are hoping that their efforts will land them regular employment.

As employees, they worked hard to meet the company's and customer's expectations. Perhaps they worked extra hours; most seasonal employees are hired at a part-time status, which generally determines how many hours they're scheduled. Yet there's nothing to stop them (except a strictly enforced company policy) from picking up extra hours. More than likely they worked early morning or late shifts, as most retailers and malls extend their business hours for the holidays. They most certainly had to deal with increased foot traffic and greater expectations from customers (e.g., finding that perfect gift) and managers (e.g., hitting sales targets).

Hopefully, managers were treating employees (both regular and seasonal) with respect during the holiday season. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. In their defense, most do it not out of maliciousness but because they themselves are under a lot of pressure to perform. The increased foot traffic, operating hours, and emphasis on ending the year on a positive note, sales-wise, makes it too easy for some to be neglectful. However, if managers don't take the time to slow down and ensure that staff members are set up for success (as well as recognized and rewarded for their contributions) it can result in a number of negative repercussions for the business. Neglect during the holidays will also make the exit process for seasonal employees more difficult.

And why should business leaders care? Once they're gone they're gone, right? Here are a few reasons:

Brand integrity. You can make a cynical argument that someone sought employment for strictly selfish needs. And you might be right. I can't tell you how many times I've heard candidates answer, "Because I want an employee discount!" when I asked why they want to join a particular company. Most people, however, choose companies that they identify positively with. Having an effective exit strategy for seasonal hires helps to preserve their impressions of the company. It means that they're less likely to be an obstacle to organizational success; for example, in telling others what a poor experience they had.
Recruitment. Doing everything possible to allow quality seasonal hires to resign with grace allows for the possibility of re-hire. If available, a former employee is easier to onboard and train than a brand new hire. It can also be an effective form of recruitment in terms of referrals. A former employee knows from experience what types of competencies an organization's looking for. One company I worked for had a consistent pass rate of 60% for sales associate referrals. Your hiring manager will thank you this time next year if you've helped make their lives easier.
Common courtesy. Making sure employees leave on the right note is simply the respectful thing to do. 'Nuff said.

In the back of their minds many seasonal employees are hoping their efforts will be enough to have them remain on a company's payroll past the holidays. If that's not the case, then it's extremely important that business leaders take steps to ensure that they exit in a good way. These efforts will help the organization in the long run. Former employees can become brand advocates or brand arsonists-it's your choice.

Chalkboard Paint, Fake Christmas Trees, and Knowing your People

2012-01-06T07:00:00.002-05:00

How well do you know your employees?

I recently learned that a former colleague, a father of two, made the decision not to purchase a Christmas tree this year. Recently unemployed and just returning to work, he did the math and decided that he couldn't afford quality presents for his kid and a tree. He explained this to them and while they were a bit sad (the younger one going so far as to offer her father the money-all $5 of it-in his piggy bank towards its purchase) they were okay with it.

He then had an idea. Having planned on painting the kid's playroom while off from work he decided to use chalkboard paint instead of regular paint. So after the kids went to bed on Christmas Eve he and his partner covered one wall of the kid's playroom with the chalkboard paint, drew a Christmas tree, then placed presents underneath. The surprise was a big hit. The kids were super-excited, spending the morning "decorating" their tree and playing with the gifts they received. The grown-ups enjoyed the day as well. Christmas was saved!

Facing tough financial choices, my former colleague was able to come up with a creative solution. This is not always an option.

The US Census Bureau reported in September 2011 that 15.1% of Americans (over 46 million) were in poverty, an increase from 14.3% in 2009. Consider as well the fact that many employee wages, when adjusted for inflation, have remained sluggish. This, along with the high rate of unemployment, coupled with the fact that just 7% of job seekers gain employment where they earn as much, if not more than what they did at their previous job, means that it's a very real possibility that someone in your organization is struggling, economically-speaking. That likelihood is higher in the retail industry, traditionally known for being an entry level field.

What this means for leaders is that the people you rely on to help the organization fulfill its mission have a lot on their minds. It means that just because they're working and productive doesn't mean things are a-okay. It means that money is a motivator, but so are flexible work place policies which allow people to take care of their personal needs. It means having programs like Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) readily available to anyone who needs them. It means knowing your employees as people, first and foremost.

How well do you know your employees?

10 Things to Make My Holidays Even More Awesome

2011-12-23T07:51:00.000-05:00

If you want to make me happy then here's my wish list. They're better than presents and will make me smile. And who doesn't want that?

10 Things to Make My Holidays Even More Awesome

Turn on your out of office message (Sorry Paul).
Disable all of your automated message services, except the out of office one.
Don't add more Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter connections. The holidays are not the time to add people to your professional network.
Don't multi-task with your phone or laptop (e.g., watch a movie and text on your phone). Act with a singular intention and reduce your distractions.
Get your holiday shopping over with ASAP. That cashier at Walmart has holiday plans too. Help him or her get home at a decent time.
Say happy holidays to everyone that you come across that's working during the holidays. And don't forget those that are out of work.
When possible, do little to nothing.
Cause some trouble (but no headlines, please).
Reflect on the year and how you're going to impact your future.
Get some rest.
And as a bonus, just enjoy what you have, and who you're with.

Happy Holidays, my friends!

2012 - the Prelude

2011-12-21T07:00:00.002-05:00

2011 has been quite the rollercoaster ride.

I've been fortunate enough to do a lot of good work, both personally and professionally. It was year filled with events, where I got to travel and meet other great HR and business professionals. It was my first time being invited to HR Florida's state conference as a participant. It was my second HRevolution unconference and my fourth SHRM National Conference (and my second in Las Vegas.). It was my first time blogging from a conference sponsored by The Conference Board.

These events inspired me in so many ways. It demonstrated the power of networks, that a group of dedicated and hard working people can educate, challenge, and encourage their peers to deliver excellence. It demonstrated that more and more HR professionals understand and embrace social media. It showed me the value of state chapters.

2011 was a year where I reaffirmed my faith in the HR profession. I spoke with people who loved Human Resources and wanted to make it better. I observed some really smart people admit that they didn't have all of the answers, yet they refused to give in to cynicism. I read some great blog posts and articles, highlighting the good, bad, and ugly when it comes to what we do. And I enjoyed the fact that HR pros talked a lot less about the metaphorical "seat at the table" and focused on doing the work.

I've also faced a number of challenges, of which being unemployed has been the latest and most illuminating. I wasn't the only one, of course. Part of my growth came from helping others who were going through a similar transition. We encouraged each other, was honest in our feedback, and cheered when they made progress or, in far too few cases, were able to find work.

Throughout the ups-and-downs I've received many gifts from friends, family, and colleagues. Most have been in the form of phone calls, insight, humor, and support. Particularly in the last half of the year not a day has gone by without someone reaching out to me wanting to share their time and energy. And when time and schedules permitted I had the pleasure of meeting up with people here in New York, the best city in the universe.

I'm lucky to have such smart, generous, and creative people in my corner, actively working with me to help me be the best person I can. You've made this year memorable, and I thank you for that. I hope I did similar things for you, and I look forward to seeing you in 2012.

2011-HR in Pictures

Have a great holiday everyone!

Mayhem, Cell Phones, and Keeping People Safe on the Road

2011-12-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a proposal for banning the use of cell phones while driving. Specifically, they recommended the ban on "non-emergency use of personal electronic devices (PEDs)", which would include cell phones (but not GPS devices). While many states have bans covering phones the board's recommendation goes further. For example, it doesn't exclude hands-free devices, something which no state currently bans the use of.

“It’s not unlike smoking. We have to get to a place where it’s not in vogue anymore, where people recognize it’s harmful and there’s a risk and it’s not worth it.”

Deborah Hersman, Chairman, NTSB

Statistics seem to support the recommendation. According to a 2010 study it's believed that 28% of car accidents are caused by drivers using cell phones, whether by texting or making calls. There's plenty of anecdotal evidence of major accidents that have been linked to this issue. And it must resonate enough that insurance companies make commercials exploiting this issue.

As a business leader I've dealt with this. In the retail industry many roles require a fair amount of travel; for example, to conduct store visits. Based on their locations a manager could spend a lot of time driving and to remain productive might take and receive calls. I knew one District Manager who consistently dialed into a Monday morning conference call while on the road to the office. They used a hands-free device each time. On one occasion they didn't and we insisted that they stop on the side of the road to continue the call.

From a policy and procedure standpoint I've crafted language around cell phone use while driving. It was challenging because there's no uniform policy across the US. So I created one that was broad enough to apply in any market the company operated in at that time. No texting (partly for safety reasons and partly for cost) under any circumstances while driving. They must use a hands-free device. From a cultural standpoint we made adjustments as well. We tried to schedule meetings when people were less likely to be driving. All company issued cell phones had hands-free attachments included. We wanted employees to be safe and focused on the more important task, which was to get to where they were going in one piece.

It's interesting to note that many people oppose a total ban. The rationale is that, while people will admit that texting or talking on a phone is distracting, it's only distracting for others and not themselves. They also see it as an infringement of their rights; that this isn't a serious enough issue to warrant government intervention.

For those that argue this point they should consider a woman named Candice Lightner. In May of 1980 her 13 year old daughter, Cari Lightner, was killed by a drunk driver. This wasn't the first time her family was affected by the actions of an irresponsible driver. But the death of her daughter prompted her to do more than grieve. It led to the creation of MADD-Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Through the group's efforts legislation was enacted raising the drinking age in the United States from 18 to 21. It also led to stiffer fines and penalties for people caught driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol.

Cari Lightner's death was the tipping point with regards to how Americans address the issue of drunk driving. I suspect something similar will happen when it comes to cell phones. To protect employees and the organization business leaders should do the following:

Be proactive. Do your homework when it comes to local and state laws on cell phone use while driving. Review the company's policies on this subject to see if they match, if not exceed, government regulations. If the company operates in multiple states then it might be better to have a blanket policy in place, one that meets the criteria of the most restrictive public policy in existence.
Be honest. Take a clear look at what employees are actually doing. If asked, many will say, "Oh yeah, I never text." Is this true? Also be sensitive to the reasons why employees are on the phone while driving. How much time are they typically spending driving? Is it the only time they have to have certain conversations, either personal or professional? How much time are they spending on their own while driving? Getting to the truth will allow leaders to understand the dynamics behind employee behavior. This will lead to better...
Training and communication strategies. As with any policy change, it's important to communicate why it was made. Make it simple, straightforward, and give employees a chance to voice their opinions. Make sure everyone's clear on their role and responsibility in complying with the policy.

Like I said before, more restrictive legislation will come. Companies should get ahead of this issue, not just for safety reasons, but also to avoid the potential for litigation and negative publicity. All it takes is one high profile tragedy, then the choice is out of the organization's hands.

Holiday Shopping, Late Nights, and Retail Employees

2011-12-16T08:15:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day will be here in 10 days. Hooray! The holiday season is a time for reflection, as well as celebrating with family and friends. In the retail world this last stretch will be marked by a stronger than normal focus on sales goals and other measures. The season so far has been good and many retailers remain hopeful that consumers will make this a happy holidays for their bottom lines.

This period also means longer than normal operating hours. Some, like Sears, will stay open to midnight. Macy's plans on having 14 of its stores stay open around the clock. This will occur between Wednesday, December 21st and Saturday the 24th. In addition, 27 stores will stay open to 2 am during the aforementioned time frame. Offering extended hours can be an effective sales strategy. It's a way to offer better service by giving customers an opportunity to avoid crowds and take advantage of promotions.

On the employee side, offering the right motivation and incentives (e.g., asking for volunteers, spot rewards, shift differentials) will help ensure that everyone's able to do their best work. It's also critical that leaders pitch in directly. In my past I've done everything from having food delivered to store staff to volunteering to work at a store (instead of the office). A festive yet focused atmosphere is important, one where staff members feel appreciated for their efforts and understand their responsibility in delivering an excellent customer experience.

Having worked similar hours both during and not during the holidays, I can tell you that these shifts are exhausting. It's a disruption of your normal sleep patterns. It means making out of the ordinary childcare arrangements. It means spending part of your holiday at work instead of with friends and family. It means figuring out how your going to get your holiday related tasks done as you help customers complete theirs.

As we approach the holidays I ask that you think about this as you shop. People are putting in long hours. They may be losing their jobs shortly, as many retail employees will be seasonal. They are working hard to make your holidays special. If the service they provide is great then let them know. More importantly, let their supervisor know. It'll go a long way to make their holidays as special as yours.

Video Games, Untapped Talent, and Understanding your Audience

2011-12-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

I ran across an insightful blog post on the DML Central website recently. It discusses the ways in which Betsy DiSalvo, a researcher from the Georgia Institute's School of Interactive Technology, sought to figure out a particular problem, which was: why did young African American men's love of electronic games not translate into a love of learning about computers and programming? The answer to that question wasn't as straightforward as one would think. With other groups (such as Whites and Asians), love of video games led to them moving into computer related fields of study. While young African American men enjoyed games it was the underlying subject matter that was the issue. Namely, subjects such as science and computer programming weren't "cool." The perception amongst their peers was that this is something one didn't do or was encouraged. Being perceived as smart wasn't socially rewarding.

Exploring this question and finding solutions to the underlying issues led to the research which would spawn the Glitch Game Testers. A job program now in its third year, it gives young African American men an opportunity to work with companies, such as EA Games and Game Tap, performing quality assurance testing on video games. While performing this work they also take computer science courses with college professors.

I would encourage readers to check out the post, written by Whitney Burke. I embedded the video interview with Betsy DiSilva below. In it, she talks about the evolution of the Glitch Game Testers program, as well as the insight she gained from her research.

Two things struck me about Betsy DiSalvo and the program. The first was her sense of curiosity. It makes sense-as a researcher she should be, right?. Yet her subject matter focus-young men of color-wasn't dictated by the parameters of a grant she received, nor a pre-existing program she joined. Through her previous work with young women and gaming she realized that there wasn't much information on this group and she decided to focus on them. This lead to the eventual formation of the Glitch Game Testers.

The second thing was what was accomplished as a result of this exploration. Through the program Betsy and team did something that should make Human Resource and other business leaders take note:

Created a diverse talent pool. Through the Glitch Game Testers program over 86% of the participants have gone onto college and are taking computer related courses. Their practical and conceptual experiences should make these students that much more attractive to recruiters and organizations in technology circles.
Increased engagement amongst a group that was seen as unengaged. It was interesting to hear her talk about how, through trial and error, they discovered how to get the young men motivated. In their minds learning wasn't cool, so by "disguising" it as game play it became socially acceptable. Also of importance was the decision to make this a paid program. It demonstrated to the young men that their work had value. It also encouraged them to remain with the program, as cost (e.g., for transportation) presented itself as a real barrier to participation. As a result, attendance in the program remained high throughout and their attitudes toward computer programming changed as well. Games were no longer just what they played. They had an increased understanding of the hard work and skill set it took to create them.
Created jobs. The program participants are performing real work as well as learning job skills. They work full time in the summer and part time during the school year. This is to be celebrated, especially in light of the most recent unemployment figures for American youth. For African American youth (ages 16-19) it's at 39.6%, compared to the national average of 6.5 for the same age group (November 2011 figures).

There have been quite a number of recent discussions regarding the lack of diversity in the technology industry (click here and here for some examples), as well as the overall perception of skill shortages in the modern workforce. It's my hope that more people like Betsy DiSilva will come forward with insightful and creative solutions to these issues.

In a business context, I encourage organizational leaders to continually question the effectiveness of their talent management programs. Beyond issues of diversity and inclusiveness, it's important to understand why certain groups choose not to engage with them. Having this insight will allow organizations to make more informed decisions about how to best serve them. As you can see from Betsy DiSalvo's work asking enough of the right questions can lead to innovative solutions.

Put Up or Shut Up-Thinking back on 2011

2011-12-12T08:01:00.000-05:00

For the past two years I've asked Human Resources professionals to 'Put Up or Shut Up', which was a multi-contributor blog post series. Designed as a call to action, it was intended to showcase HR practitioners, have them discuss what they wanted to change-about themselves or the work that they did-and highlight their progress over time. Since its start I've been impressed by the number of responses to the PUSU challenge. I've been equally impressed by what people have been able to accomplish. It's been a pleasure to help motivate and support those who are trying to do great things for themselves and the organizations they represent.

This year I've decided not to relaunch the series. I've been too busy to dedicate myself to the project. Besides, I think we could all use a break. If you still want to establish your own PUSU challenge then I wish you well. If you need my assistance let me know.

Instead of PUSU, I offer a different challenge. What I would ask of all of the readers is this: find yourself a quiet space. Once you've done that give yourself 30 minutes to quietly reflect on this past year. What did you accomplish? What did you fail at? Who did you impact and how? And most importantly (at least to me), was it worth it?

Over the next year I believe that, more important than accomplishment or a sense of progress, leaders will need to feel as if their work has worth. I hope the answers to the above questions renews your sense of worth, and guide you to having a great 2012. As I said before, if you would like my support and assistance please let me know.

Paid in Full-Hip Hop, the Hall of Fame, and Innovation

2011-12-08T06:33:00.001-05:00

So, the Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recently? Congratulations! Although I'm disappointed that Eric B. and Rakim didn't get in this year. What's up with that? Clearly the selection committee isn't perfect, but still...

I had to laugh at the whole thing, though. I remember when the Beastie Boys (and rap music in general) was considered many things except being worthy of recognition. It was considered loud, disruptive, anti-authoritarian, and even illegal. What's even funnier is that rock and roll (and jazz, another distinctly American music form) was accused of similar things. Now these musical forms have since become, well, normal. We might perk our ears up and complain about certain artists or songs but few people are calling for out-and-out bans of the music anymore.

Both are also profitable institutions. Classic rock and roll artists such as The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen have made millions off their work. The same can be said to a lesser degree about Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, and other rap artists. And the music industry continues to make tons of money off of music sales, concert tickets, and other related items from artists of both genres.

It wasn't always this way. A popular (and possibly false) story tells of Russell Simmons, co-founder of the pioneering hip-hop record label Def Jam, trying to convince an executive team from Adidas to sign Run-DMC to a sneaker contract. He brought them to a club where they were performing. Run then told the crowd to "take their Adidas off and wave them in the air!" The vast majority of the kids in attendance did so, as the group were well known to wear them. They got the contract and Run-DMC became the first non-athletes to sign an exclusive sneaker deal.

From the streets to the Hall of Fame, rap has changed an industry and impacted people globally. Where many saw noise and a fad, Russell Simmons and others like him saw innovation and opportunity. Somewhere out there similar forces are at work. Something scary (in the eyes of many) is being created and growing. Will you be able to recognize it for the potential opportunity that it could be, or will you dismiss it and be left behind?

While you think about this, here's a playlist for your enjoyment:

From Scary to Not-So-Much by Chaos Agent on Grooveshark

Middle Schools, Brand Clarity, and Making Choices

2011-12-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

Over the past several months I've had the pleasure of trying to locate suitable middle schools (grade 6 and up) for my daughter to attend next year. Please note that I'm being mildly sarcastic. Selecting good schools are not so easy. Locating them is, if you know what you want in an academic program. It's extremely important to have a clear sense of what type of educational philosophy will work best for your child. Applying for and getting accepted to them is another thing entirely. At the end of the day it's a lottery system so no matter how well prepared you are it's a crap shoot.

One of the problems with middle school selection is picking the top one for your child. You've done the research, you've visited the schools, you've consulted with friends and family about the pros and cons of each institution. Now you have several viable options. When all things appear equal what will be the deciding factor that puts one school at the top of the list?

The last school my daughter and I visited wasn't her first choice. It has a good reputation, well respected and offers a good mix of programs. Yet as a parent listening to the Assistant Principal talk about the school I felt a sense of deja-vu, as it wasn't much different than what was said to me at other schools we visited. Then he did something different. He put on a short video highlighting a former student. In the video it shows her at the moment she receives an acceptance email to Brown University, one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States.

Unfortunately the video isn't available publicly, but I thought that this one best approximated the one we viewed that evening:

For 2 minutes the entire room was silent as we watched the young lady and fellow students cry, scream, and express their joy over her accomplishment. And the shot of her mother smiling from ear to ear spoke volumes. When it was over the Assistant Principal turned on the lights and looked over the crowd and said,

"This is what we do. Our purpose is to prepare your child to get into college."

This is now my daughter's top choice of public middle schools that she wants to attend next year.

As consumers we face a flood of choices everyday. We like to think of ourselves as sophisticated and rational human beings. When faced with equal choices however, we tend to go with the the emotional connection. That's part of the reasons why commercials work; they speak to the unspoken need that resides in all of us.

As business leaders, we like to think that we know the purpose of our work. Yet can we speak of it as clearly as the Assistant Principal did? And can we marry it with such an emotionally powerful message?

In short, is your organizational mission as clear and emotionally engaging as a middle school?

Hope, Respect, and the Recruitment Equation

2011-12-02T10:29:00.000-05:00

When it comes to HR and the unemployment crisis the past year has hurt my heart. Just about every networking event I attended in 2011 had several attendees handing out personal business cards, intent on making connections to those who could help them find work. I can't help but notice the number of LinkedIn profile updates that say something along the lines of, "Currently seeking the next great opportunity!" More and more Human Resources practitioners are now consultants. In many cases they're striking out on their own because their prospects of joining an established organization are slim to none. And I found out just this week that two more HR colleagues I know are out of work. It's enough to make you not want to get out of bed.

While the holidays are portrayed as a time of celebration and joy it should be noted that reports of depression, even suicide, increase at this time of year. It's not too hard to imagine that given the current employment climate that people may not be feeling the holiday spirit (although November's job numbers are much better than October's). People want hope and for some it appears that they're may not be much to go around this year. I imagine that many kids will be asking Santa for things other than toys, just like last year.

While hope may be in short supply, I believe that there is something that those involved in the recruitment equation-job seekers and hiring managers-can offer each other, and that's respect. It's something that both sides have control over. It doesn't cost anything. And like good customer service it can be all the difference between a great experience and merely a good (or awful) one.

For recruiters and hiring managers, please take note of the following:

When candidates submit applications they want to know where they stand. This is especially true when submitted via an applicant tracking system (ATS).
When candidates leave messages please respond back in a timely fashion.
Honor commitments; if you agree to do something then stick to it.
Be honest with candidates. Don't sugarcoat the position, the company that has the open position, or the candidate's chances of securing the role. Most will appreciate it, even if they don't always want to hear it.
Be kind. People deserve to be treated as if they mattered, regardless of whether or not they're a good fit for the role or company.

For job seekers, you have a part to play as well:

Stay focused. It can be difficult to remain consistent around your job search. You should have a routine that will allow you to produce tangible results, which can help keep you motivated and positive. This attitude will and should reflect in your interactions with those who are attempting to hire you.
Find partners. Having people in your corner will go a long way toward helping you stay sane during your job search. If you're angry, frustrated, or just need to let off steam go to these people first instead of venting out loud or online. Having these outlets allow you to remain professional.
Be kind. What goes unnoticed in the discussion around unemployment is that those with jobs are doing more with less. The manager involved in the organization's recruitment process is probably juggling a dozen different tasks in addition to filling headcount. Recruiters are under enormous pressure to fill requisitions. Be mindful of this as you interact with people throughout the job search process.

Let's do what we can to help each other through this mess. Seeking work can be a full-time job. Finding appropriate positions to apply for, making phone calls, replying to emails, completing applications, preparing for and conducting interviews-these are just some of the steps that people must complete in order to have an opportunity to join an organization. It can be physically and mentally exhausting. At the same time, those that are seeking to fill roles are working hard to do so, often in conjunction with other responsibilities. Both want to be recognized and respected for what they are trying to do. Let's not make the situation more difficult by not doing so.

I survived Black Friday and all I got was this blog post

2011-11-29T08:35:00.000-05:00

So the 2011 extreme sport known as Black Friday shopping has concluded and the numbers look good:

According to the National Retail Federation, a record 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites over the weekend.
$11.4 Billion dollars were spent on Black Friday alone, according to ShopperTrak.
The average holiday shopper spent $398.62 at bricks and mortar stores this weekend, up from $365.34 last year.
Close to 40% of total weekend spending was done online, with an average spend of $150.53.

And it seems that customers were more than willing to get up even earlier to grab great deals:

In 2011, 24.4% of shoppers were at stores by midnight on Black Friday, either waiting for stores to open or visiting retailers who opened on Thanksgiving evening.
In 2010 and 2009 these percentages were 9.5 and 3.3, respectively.

Considering the great start to the season, especially in light of the sluggish economy, it's easy to see why the trend to open early may continue for retailers.

Or will it? People are questioning whether or not opening early (say, at midnight or earlier) is such a good thing. One example is Seth Coleman, a Target employee, who protested against the company's decision to open at midnight by collecting close to 200, 000 signatures on a petition to have Target reverse its decision.

"Our guests have expressed that they would prefer to kick off their holiday shopping experience right after the holiday celebrations, rather than getting up in the middle of the night." Anahita Cameron, HR Director for Target

I applaud the fact that Seth and other employees felt comfortable in expressing their opinion to Target management. As a HR professional, having an open door policy is not the same as actually having someone use it. He could have just as easily gone to a union. But his actions, and the fact that he was able to gather so many signatures, speaks to another growing sentiment. Where do we-consumers, companies, and employees-draw the line when it comes to the holidays?

Yes, sales were better than last year. But there were also more incidents of violence and poor behavior. And the competitive advantage that was earned this year by opening early will more than likely be erased next year, due to the fact that other retailers will copy the formula. There's only so low a company can price their goods and still earn a profit, and only so early they can open and still pretend that Thanksgiving is a holiday for its employees.

"I feel terrible... It will change some Thanksgiving plans for our employees. It certainly changes mine." Brian Dunn, Best Buy CEO

So, how will retailers change their Black Friday sales strategies to remain competitive (and avoid a backlash)?

Black Friday Shouldn't Be a Bloodsport

2011-11-23T07:46:00.000-05:00

Black Friday has turned into a hot mess of an event. Where once it was a way to effectively kick off the retail holiday season (and provide a snapshot of what the season may look like, sales-wise), it's now turned into a feeding frenzy. Companies are racing to the bottom to see how early they can open. Customers are exhibiting behavior that in a different context would make you want to cross the street to get away from them. Everyone seems miserable, yet unable to stop themselves.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Please be kind, to yourselves and to those around you this Friday (and beyond) if you choose to shop this Friday. Better yet, turn off the TV and if you have the day off, stay home with family and friends. Give thanks for what you have, and help those that don't have so much.

Cleaning House, Effective Communication, and Building Better Institutions

2011-10-28T10:14:00.000-04:00

I had an a-ha moment as I was cleaning my house. Stop laughing at me; it's been another busy week and cleaning is as calming an activity as I get to do. It's nice to get things back in order, even if your kids destroy it again within a few minutes after getting home from school.

Anyway, my moment of clarity is this-most organizations suck at communication. For some readers this might translate into "Duh, Victorio! Everybody knows this except you." I'm going to run with it anyway and feel free to call me out in the comments.

By communication I mean consistent, meaningful, two-way, conversations that drives decision making and actions. Communication that occurs across, up, down, and throughout the business. The CEO talking with the entry-level employee. The finance team talking with the HR team about how to improve the bottom line and not just how to fire that underperformer in Accounts Receivable. Employees having conversations with non-employees, whether or not they're potential customers or employment candidates. Ongoing communication which allow for the idea that issues aren't going to get resolved over the course of a single meeting. Living with uncertainty and the uncomfortable tension that goes along with it. Hard, non-judgmental conversations with as many stakeholders within and outside the organization that, when done well, sparks a fire which will light the way towards a solution.

This skills gap is what keeps Human Resource departments (and in this social age, marketing) in existence in many organizations. Line managers are uncomfortable with or ignorant of how to have effective conversations so they turn to us as proxies. We as HR pros need to support the business in a better fashion. Communication strategies need to be more robust and empowering to all users. We need to train and coach others to utilize proper judgement when talking to different stakeholders, to maximize their capacity for critical thinking. We need to encourage diversity and inclusion along a wide spectrum, not only of race and gender, but of thought. Again, this will mean living with uncertainty and attention. Human Resource managers who are skilled at employee relations and conflict management will be of great value in this context.

We have to get better at talking to each other if we want our work to evolve. Being able to communicate broadly, richly, and skillfully provides the best chance of doing so. Organizations that don't risk being left behind.

The Conference Board - Interview with Edward Ferris

2011-10-26T07:05:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite activities at business events is meeting intelligent and creative professionals. For me, having quality conversations with others helps to put what I learn from the sessions I get to attend in perspective. While at a recent succession management conference I was fortunate enough to meet and talk with a gentleman named Edward Farris. Aside from his professional background, what struck me about him was, unlike myself, he wasn't outwardly afraid to approach other attendees and engage them. Fortunately for me we sat together and got to know each other. I'm honored to have him share his thoughts on the conference, succession management, and the evolving nature of business.

Please tell the readers who you are and what you do.

I currently work as a management consultant with a specialization in organizational strategy. This means helping companies develop an organization capable of delivering strategy. My background is in global human resource leadership in Global 50 and Fortune 1000 corporations; over the years my work has primarily centered on building high performance organizations during periods of intensive change. I’ve had the good fortune to have worked extensively internationally and also teach global leadership on a graduate program in New York City.

For more information, please visit the Charlesmore Partners International web site or my Executive Insight blog. You can also find me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

What was your motivation for attending this year’s Succession Management conference?

I was invited to moderate a panel discussion on CEO succession at the conference. Fortunately this allowed me to stay and participate through the whole conference, which provides nice learning and networking opportunity.

What were some of the a-ha moments for you from this year’s conference?

All the sessions that I attended were strong and interesting. Two stood out for me – the PepsiCo one on organizational analytics and Michael Watkins’ session on transitions. With PepsiCo I was interested and impressed by the work they are doing on development planning and career management, particularly the concept of looking at careers in a “future-back” way which makes a lot of sense to me and ties to the work that we do in organizational strategy.

In organizational strategy we look out into the future and envision where the company aspires to be over a series of sequential time horizons (typically 1, 3 and 5 years out); then we “future-back” to determine what needs to be built in order to develop an organization capable of delivering the strategy. PepsiCo are doing the same with careers – envisioning the potential of high value leaders then reverse-engineering a career path to make sure that the right roles and experiences are put in place and competencies built so that potential can be realized. We all do this to some extent with succession planning, but typically look two-to-five years out rather than PepsiCo’s 10 which is that much more ambitious.

The other interesting concept from PepsiCo was to look at enterprise talent through the lens and disciplines of asset and portfolio management. The presenter, Corley Farber, started his career in the asset management industry, which to me is interesting, particularly as he described some of the practices and disciplines employed in PepsiCo’s organizational analytics that so clearly derive from these other disciplines.

Dr. Watkins has done some important work over the last few years on executive onboarding and I was keen to have the opportunity to listen to him. The interesting aspect to me was how his work and focus has clearly evolved and grown. The session primarily examined the impact and implications of transitions in organizations (not necessarily organizational change-types of transitions but transitions related to moves that individuals are making). Thus the affect on an individual, a work group or indeed an entire organization when new people come in, people in jobs change, people relocate etc.. In other words, the dynamic churn that is the norm in today’s organizations and the ripple effect of impact and implication that these have beyond the individuals who are in transition. The transitional challenge of a new boss, for example, affects directly and indirectly so many people in a consequential way… so it’s insufficient just to look at the onboarding of a leader - which is where we have been primarily focused in the large few years because of the high derailment statistics – but also to look at, and figure out how to better manage, the turbulence that transitions cause in organizations.

Not only were you an attendee, but you moderated a panel discussion entitled, Adding Succession Management Value to the Board. Tell us about the panel’s genesis and its purpose.

Many public companies are not on top of CEO succession planning, if you believe the statistics that permeate most reports on the topic. Public company directors are stretched with their ever intensifying duties and responsibilities. Shareholders are increasingly concerned about the rigor of succession planning practice in corporations, not just because of the risk issues but because inadequate succession planning appears to lead to external hiring – and external CEO hires cost a lot more that internal promotions in total compensation and other costs, tend to underperform compared to internals and derail more frequently and sooner. CEOs can be conflicted on the topic of their own succession, and boards struggle with how to navigate through topic-sensitivities while meeting their fiduciary obligations. These are just a few of the many important and interrelated issues that surround the topic of CEO succession in contemporary organizations.

Under new SEC guidelines CEO succession is now “a key board function” and “a significant policy (and governance) issue … so that a company is not adversely affected by a vacancy in leadership”. Its responsibility belongs “in the boardroom, and nowhere else” suggests a recent The Conference Board report and - counsels leading corporate attorney Marty Lipton - “there is no job that is more important for the Board than selecting the company’s CEO and planning for his/her succession.”

Against this backdrop we wanted to use the panel to examine CEO succession from multiple dimensions – as an issue of policy, risk and corporate governance, as a matter of good process and best practice, and then at the very practical level of how boards and management teams manage its execution. We were fortunate to be able to draw together an outstanding panel that represented the perspectives of CEO, board chair and independent director, chief human resources officer, institutional investor and a leading academic who had recently studied corporate practice in the domain.

We titled this session Adding Succession Management Value to the Board, and we hoped that by the end of the session participants (HR and Talent Management executives who often do not deal at board-level) would a greater understanding of the topic and be better positioned be able to do just that. We were very pleased with how the session went and was received by the audience.

You and I had a discussion around a challenge you were contemplating, namely the concept of developing a global leadership mindset. Please elaborate on this and why you feel it’s important.

This was in one of the interactive sessions; we were asked to formulate a problem and solicit solution ideas from others in the room. I thought that I would use it as an opportunity to see if any of the participants that I talked with during this exercise had any breakthrough ideas or practices on the topic of developing global mindset. It’s important for multiple reasons, not least of which is because it is, and increasingly will be, foundational to successful global organizations and leaders in the future. We can structure globally, we can build transnational systems and practices, but this is all “hardware”; we also need to become accomplished on the “software” side, namely the mindset of leaders that shapes behaviors, choices and priorities, builds shared understanding, credibility and relationships and manifests in how skills are deployed.

One participant from Australia suggested that in addition to traditional experiential and developmental methods, we think about how social media can provide tools and mechanisms to globalize understanding, relationships and thinking. No specifics, but very intriguing… particularly because it came from someone who seemed representative of the social media generation and lived and worked 10,000 miles away - and who clearly look at the “problem” through a different lens. I have this idea now on my research agenda to explore…

An interesting point to bring up is that, while we were both attending the event, we become introduced to each other via Twitter. What are your views of the platform and of social media in general?

It’s a major discontinuity. Most businesses and businesspeople have not scratched the surface of its potentiality. The ones that do will have the edge. What does this all mean? I’m not sure but we are certainly trying to learn as much as we can in rapid fashion. It’s already changed the world on the political scene, built global (and local) communities and disrupted industries in foundational ways. We need find ways to leverage its power for – amongst other things - stakeholder reach, understanding and relationship development, knowledge expansion, rapid information exchange, community building and brand management …

Not to state the obvious but the business landscape is changing rapidly. In your opinion, what are some key actions organizations must do in order to navigate through this?

It’s not a question of navigating through, because there is no other side. It’s more a question of skillfully riding the whitewater but in a purposeful way. In times of turbulence, it’s tempting to go into a free flow mode. But vision, purpose, values, standards and strategy are preeminently important if one is to ride the waves rather than becoming buffeted and consumed by them. We used to talk about the adaptive enterprise – though few attained it – we now need to think in terms of fluidity and design and operate organizations accordingly.

On a more personal note, what’s next for you?

To continue to find fresh challenges that are intellectually demanding and meaningful in impact. The opportunities to remake organizations to fit their future – capabilities, culture, levels of commitment and performance – continues to highly motivate me every day. I’d also be interested in working more in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector – particularly economic and societal development initiatives that can benefit from my background and capabilities.

The Conference Board - Succession Management Conference

2011-10-24T07:05:00.010-04:00

Last week I had the good fortune to attend a great conference here in New York City. Presented by The Conference Board, it centered around the topic of succession management (SM). The event served as a way for attendees to learn from organizations, experts, and colleagues who were leading the way in this focus area.

Succession management has become a critical talent issue in many organizations. With the global economy still depressed, companies are pressured to do more with less (human) resources. It's also recognized that in order to remain viable down the road leadership must take steps to develop the right mix of technical and experiential skills in their employees, particularly ones that are identified as high potential. Also important were identifying critical roles, those that were essential to keeping an organization running as effectively as possible and without major disruption.

The conference also coincided with a survey I received recently. Released by Towers Watson and World at Work, it focused on Talent Management and Rewards. While the two weren't directly related, the study did reveal certain insights which, in my mind, served to reinforce how critical it is for organizations to get SM right.

For example, the study revealed that:

Only 11% of companies have trouble retaining employees in general, but those struggling to retain critical-skill employees increased by five percentage points in the U.S. (from 31% to 36%) and four percentage points in Canada (from 35% to 39%) since 2010.
Only 44% of organizations formally identify employees with critical skills.
Fully 68% identify high potentials, but only 28% inform those employees who have been identified.

A clear sense of risk is evident in the survey's results. Organizations that don't have quality TM and SM strategies can't afford not to have one.

So what were the key themes that I took away from the Succession Management conference?

Business leaders are human. Session after session I attended revealed that no organization had the right answer when it comes to succession management. They readily recognized the need for SM yet struggled with the details. What level of the organization should we focus our efforts on? What skills/abilities/experiences are critical? What are the unique challenges our organizations face when it comes to SM? While the answers were different for everyone, all agreed that a succession management strategy must be tied to the business strategy. This makes sense; having a clear sense of the organization's destination will dictate the type of leader that will be most appropriate, and then programs can be developed and implemented accordingly.

Consistency works best. Most of the presenters represented large-scale multinational organizations. A common problem was the lack of consistency amongst different business units regarding their SM processes. One CEO shared that his organization had 78 business units and didn't have a unified approach to succession management until 2005. Another executive, this time a EVP of HR, talked about the fact that one business unit utilized an employee ranking system vastly different from the rest of the organization. When it came time to present the findings to the larger organization they would "translate" them beforehand. Both companies have since moved to implementing a unified set of criteria and tool.

A champion must be found. Whether creating a succession management program from scratch or revamping an existing one, executive level support (preferably the CEO) was crucial. Unfortunately, this isn't an easy task at it may sound, especially if the SM process is focused on the CEO. As one stated at the conference, "The biggest barrier to CEO succession is the CEO." This is where HR is well positioned to present the business case for a succession management program, particularly for the C-Suite. This leads to the next bullet point, namely

Know the data and the stories behind it. In order to make the case for creating or updating an organization's succession management strategy one had to know what measures were important. To gain a more complete view many organizations engaged in a systematic collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Human Resource officers had to access and gather data across the organization which allowed them to "connect the dots" and walk senior leaders through the benefits and risks. Coupled with hard data HR leaders also had to understand what would motivate others to support SM initiatives from an emotional standpoint. One HR executive described how she appealed to her colleague's ego. As a global leader in the BioPharma industry, the C-Suite of the company wasn't satisfied when her team demonstrated that when it came to SM they were considered average, statistically speaking. Theirs was an organization of firsts; they were used to leading the way. The evidence presented showed that they had to rethink their SM strategies in order to be better in this area.

Just do it. While it was important to try to get succession management right, most of those present at the conference emphasized the need to execute and adapt as things changed. Like I mentioned before, no one had all of the right answers. Those that made the needed changes were able to show progress (e.g., having "ready now" candidates in place to fill critical roles) and in many cases demonstrate significant savings to the organization. This gave them the confidence and organizational support to continue ongoing SM efforts.

Without the right succession management strategy a business puts itself at risk for not being prepared for the future. Business leaders are stepping forward to identify needs, organize and deploy resources, and hold leaders accountable for the organization's success. I look forward to seeing how they progress.

My Perspective on Flatness

2011-10-23T07:30:00.000-04:00

I read this piece at the Huffington Post and had to respond. The author talks about the need to remove layers in an organization in order to produce better business results. Below is an excerpt and I highly encourage you to read the entire work:

About Leadership: Flatten, Flatten, Flatten

by Bernie Belkin

"I know that Tom Peters and others have played this particular song before, but the removal of layers in a corporation must be a never ending theme. There is something about companies that provides a fertile soil for the growing of layers -- maybe it is the human instinct to reward those working for us by putting them in charge of someone else.

So I believe in stripping out layers. Relentlessly. Find new and productive things for the middle managers to do. If they are really still useful, they should be good individual contributors at a senior level. And that is something that is needed. People with experience of the business who can see opportunities, advise and consult. But not managing a layer of managers."

I'm going to be blunt - Belkin's argument is flawed. "Stripping out layers" may sound like a good organizational strategy, but in all likelihood won't be conducted as he suggests. If I'm reading his piece correctly he believes that employees should be focused on contributing to the organization through the use of their individual knowledge, skills, and abilities, and not through their use of human capital (aka their reports). If this is the case then most companies will do as they've been doing for the past 2 decades-layoffs and outsourcing. Why reshuffle the deck chairs on the Titanic when you can simply lighten the load? While removing layers may be good for an organization's bottom line it does little for the persons affected. And like the Titanic it may not prevent the organization from sinking.

Belkin also suggests that flattening the organization structure will force senior leaders to be more directly involved in the lives of those that still report to them. I'm finding it hard to believe it's that simple, considering the nature of business these days. Work teams are often dispersed, everyone is drowning in email, and are working more hours than ever. According to a recent Towers Watson/World at Work survey most organizations (65%) expect employees to work more hours than before the recession, and over half (53%) expect this to continue. With this in mind are leaders going to consistently commit to the proper investment of time, energy, and resources to manage a larger workforce to successful outcomes?

Lastly, I have to assume the writer's argument is based on the idea that an organization already possesses the right people with the right skill set. Reality says otherwise. Attracting and retaining employees, particularly those with critical skills, is an increasingly important issue in the workplace. The same Towers Watson/World at Work survey showed that nearly six out of 10 U.S. companies (59%) reported problems attracting critical-skill employees in 2011, an increase from 52% last year and 28% in 2009. Forty-two percent also reported difficulty attracting top-performing employees. Additionally, more than one-third (36%) reported difficulty retaining critical-skill employees, an increase from 31% last year and 16% in 2009.

Does this mean that companies should remain bloated with non-productive employees? Absolutely not. I do believe that a more thoughtful analysis of what an organization needs in order to transform its workforce is needed. Reductions in force only produce minimum productivity gains, have a negative impact on employee morale, and further contribute to the current economic problems being faced worldwide. We need more innovative solutions. Organizations need to do a better job adapting and not eliminating the workforce to its strategic objectives.

My Week in Review - Anxiety, Unemployment, and the Future

2011-10-21T20:34:00.000-04:00

I'm exhausted.

I spent a lot of time navigating through some serious socioeconomic terrain. I started and ended my week participating in presentations with job seekers. While the objectives were the same the audiences were vastly different. The group I spoke with on Monday were college students trying to get into the workforce. The group on Friday were poor and trying to get back into the workforce. Both groups were anxious about their respective futures.

In between these events I attended a business conference in NYC. For 2 days I got a rare glimpse into the strategies and mindsets of CEOs, VPs, and senior level executives when it comes to the subject of succession management. Guess what? They were anxious about the future as well. It was refreshing (they're just like the rest of us-who knew?) and a bit frightening.

I wrapped up my week at Zuccotti Park, where the 'Occupy Wall Street' protesters have been gathering over (at this point) the past 5 weeks. Regardless of what you think of the movement, it was plain to see that, like those I met with over the course of the week, they were anxious about the current state of affairs.

College students, regular folks, VPs, and protesters. I encountered them all in a short frame of time, sometimes in a single day. How often do people get to do that, especially in a deliberate fashion? Perhaps that's part of the problem. As business leaders, most of us recognize the need to move across functions and silos in order to increase organizational effectiveness. Imagine if we did this in our daily lives, listening to and working with people outside our normal circles. What kind of results could be achieved by this?

In the end I'm hopeful. While facing uncertainty, the groups I met were trying to figure things out in their respective ways. Conversations were occurring, strategies were being implemented, and people were helping each other find answers. I wish them all the best of luck.

Retail Jobs - 5 tips on how to get the one you want

2011-10-12T07:30:00.001-04:00

An article from the New York Times website caught my attention last week. They're reporting that retailers plan on hiring thousands of addition employees for the holidays. This represents a small percentage increase in hiring (for most retailers) over last year's figures. Cautious optimism over projected sales increases for this year's holiday season is the main motivator for the uptick in recruitment.

This is great news, right? Maybe not. Unfortunately, these are seasonal jobs. For the most part they're meant to last through New Year's Day. Most retailers I worked for had seasonal help until January 15th at the latest. And while many would enjoy hiring great workers for regular employment after the season that might not be financially possible.

However, for those that need to secure employment, however briefly, this could be an opportunity. I started my career in retail over 20 years ago as a seasonal employee. I worked my way up, performing a variety of roles from stock, to sales, to Human Resources. Retail has been good to me, and it could be that way for others.

Here are 5 tips to help job seekers secure employment for the season (and hopefully beyond):

Seek out companies you believe in. By this I mean find a retailer that's a good fit. If you're a style maven then working for a fashion retailer would suit you better than working in an electronics store. Targeting companies you have a stronger connection with makes it easier to convince recruiters that you're right for the role.
Do your homework. Be prepared for every interview by learning as much as you can about the company. What are the core values? What does the brand stand stand for? Most focus on one of three things - style, cost, or service - in order to differentiate themselves from competitors. Another bit of important research: go to a store and observe what's going on. How the employees and customers interact with each other and within the company's space will provide job seekers with unfiltered information about the work environment.
Be professional at all stages of the interview process. I've seen this too many times-candidates come in to an interview wearing jeans and sneakers. I understand that may be what the sales associates are wearing. As a candidate you have to stand out in any way that you can from others vying for the same role. Dress for success! Professionalism also extends beyond your appearance. I had a candidate interview for a position and was great. When I called them the next day I was directed to their voicemail, which started off by playing the Notorious B.I.G. Needless to say, I didn't leave a message.
Educate yourself on the metrics. At the end of the day it's all about sales. Knowing what measures and desirable behaviors organizations focus on will give you an advantage. One retailer I worked for valued the ability to multi-task. Their primary focus was on how fast an employee executed a task, as well as how they prioritized them. For job candidates, those that were able to speak to these behaviors had the hiring edge.
Focus on the customer. It sounds like common sense, yet it can't be emphasized enough-the customer experience is the key to personal and organizational success. Again, the company culture will be the primary indicator in terms of how this is accomplished. Does the company emphasize relationship building, or being able to provide the desired product quickly and efficiently? Knowing this will enable you to speak with recruiters on what skills you possess that are a match for the role.

Seasonal employment is not a cure all for those that are under/unemployed. What it can be is a short-term fix that may lead to better opportunities down the road. Treat it as you would any job search and you may potentially find a new career.

Local SHRM Participation-Will I Commit?

2011-10-10T07:30:00.001-04:00

Back in late August I wrote a post talking about how I've never been involved in my local SHRM chapter. I didn't see what the benefits were in relation to the perceived amount of work I would have to do. During my time in Florida Bryan Wempen (of DrivethruHR fame) took my lack of commitment as a challenge. He was kind enough to arrange a virtual introduction with Jennifer Loftus, the current president of HR/NY, which is the largest chapter in New York State and the 6th largest in the country.

Jennifer and I quickly arranged a meeting over coffee. We spoke about a lot of things-our professional histories, why we became HR pros, and what the profession could be better at. During our conversation she made a strong case for why participation in HR/NY would benefit me. Some of the things she talked about were:

Networking. Aside from being a large chapter, it's also a diverse one, with members occupying all organizational levels. And Jennifer clarified that its members are local, which makes the networking possibilities easier for me.
Community Involvement. HR/NY understands that its members have been affected by the economy. They've recently launched a new group on LinkedIn, entitled HR/NY Networking Leads Group, specifically for job seekers. Since LinkedIn is the social network of choice for professionals, it makes perfect sense to set this up there.
Social Media. This is where my ears perked up. The chapter has an in-house social media/PR committee of one-Janet Hoffmann. Having one person handle this responsibility seems daunting but Janet appears to be holding her own. Jennifer hinted that they could use another committee member and would I like to meet her? She quickly arranged an introduction between Janet and I. We met for coffee about a week later. I enjoyed learning more about her, her business, and what she got out of HR/NY. We also brainstormed some ideas on using social media for the chapter.

While discussing the benefits and features Jennifer was upfront about the challenges that the chapter faces. The main ones were:

Doing more with less. As a volunteer organization HR/NY faces the same financial pressures as other organizations.
Growing membership. Similar to my situation, other practitioners are asking the question, "What's in it for me?" Answering this will be critical for the chapter if it's to remain a vital and vibrant service.

So I'm still intrigued by the possibility of joining. Jennifer and Janet made compelling cases. Thank you both for the time, insight, and coffee! And thank you Bryan! This is a great example of why connections matter. Without him I wouldn't have had this chance to meet 2 great HR professionals in person.

So what's stopping me? Right now it's being unemployed. I have to make securing meaningful work my #1 priority. I will say this-once that's done I will become a member of HR/NY. I see a lot of value in what they do and what I could offer as a member. So get ready to see me develop in a new direction and work to highlight what's going on in the New York City Human Resources community.

Nickel and Dimed-Bank Fees and Customer Service

2011-10-04T07:30:00.037-04:00

When I was a kid my grandfather set-up a savings account for my older brother. He gave him a little deposit book and explained how it worked. A bank, my grandfather said, acts as a place to keep your money safe. They also use your money to make investments. In return for using your money they pay you in the form of a percentage rate. It's a mutually beneficial relationship.

Businesses work hard to attract and retain customers. The fragile economy, coupled with the fact that customers have more options of where to spend their money, makes the competition for a consumer's discretionary dollars intense. How this is done varies: some choose to emphasize customer service, others focus on low prices, and some emphasize scarcity or the social status conferred through acquiring a particular product (e.g., a Rolex watch).

In the banking industry the way to inspire customer attraction and loyalty is to raise fees on what's become a staple for many: debit cards. By the end of 2011, Bank of America will charge a monthly fee of $5 to customers using the bank's debit card. Unless you don't use it at all you will be charged. Other banks are considering similar fees. This is just the latest example of how banks are trying to make money off of their customers in poor ways.

"The economics of offering a debit card have changed."

Ann Pace, Bank of America spokesperson

What makes this sad is that all this is doing is making it easier for people to look elsewhere. Credit unions are becoming more popular, as they charge little to no fees. Prepaid debit cards are also an option, especially for those that don't have enough savings to open a traditional banking account. New banking and financial services, such as Mint and BankSimple, can potentially disrupt the traditional business model. And cold, hard cash is still welcome in most places.

The other potential impact of BoA's actions is on consumer spending. Part of the reason for capping swipe card fees because was it was based on a percentage. So the more you spent the more you paid in fees. Now swipe fees are capped at $0.21. This opens up the possibility for consumers to begin spending again. Already, retailers are discussing ways to pass the savings onto their customers. Bank of America's $5 fee may offset this benefit, possibly making consumers reluctant to spend their hard earned money.

Now I understand that banks aren't going to get rich off of customer's savings and checking accounts, particularly in the United States. The Great Recession has exposed the fact that Americans are terrible at saving money. But in the face of a 15.1% poverty rate (2010 statistics, according to the US Census) and 9.1% unemployment rate (as of August 2011) institutions that manage people's money would be more sympathetic.

Another reason for changing its stance-it may also keep federal regulators off its back. The debit card fee increase is coming shortly after changes to the Dodd-Frank Act will take effect. Those changes (capping debit card swipe fees to a $0.21 maximum) are expected to reduce bank profits. The Dodd-Frank Act was a result of the financial crisis of 2007-2008, where major financial institutions were on the verge of collapse. It also exposed unethical business practices within the financial industry. Considering its recent history, I would think BoA would be mindful of how its policies could be perceived by the federal government. The fee isn't unethical, but it's callous and politicians are sensitive to how their constituents may react to this.

Bank of America was one of many financial institutions that received billions in bailout funding from the US government. It was given a chance to use other people's money to make investments. In their case it was to remain in business. In return for the investment they were able to recover and in 2009 paid back the TARP loan. An intervention on the part of American taxpayers allowed it to overcome its financial difficulties. So why is BoA not extending this same generosity to its customers? Creating value for customers without passing the costs onto them can do much to change the company's image.

As more financial institutions look to nickel and dime their customers, Bank of America has a great opportunity to differentiate itself. If not, then they may continue to lose revenue as customers find businesses that respect their money more.

We are all John Henry

2011-10-02T10:18:00.000-04:00

It's a lazy Sunday here at home. My son's listening to a CD entitled, Treasury of African American Heroes. One of the folktales on the disc is John Henry, voiced by Denzel Washington. I've been familiar with the story since I was a kid, yet Denzel's narration really brought it to life. It had an impact on my son as well; he actually stayed still to listen. All in all, it's a great way to spend the morning.

If you don't know the story, John Henry is an African American man born in the 1800's and like most heroes of tall tales, possesses great physical gifts. A former slave, when he grows up he goes to work helping with the expansion of the Intercontinental Railroad across the United States. He does this by "driving steel"-using a hammer and spike to make holes in rocks so explosives can be set. It was grueling work where people died, yet John Henry was the best at it. One day, a man comes along and presents a steam-powered drill, which he claims can drive steel faster than any man. So a contest was held where John Henry competed against the drill. In the end he won the contest but died as a result of his efforts.

John Henry's an important metaphor to take note of. The concept of being replaceable, no matter how skilled you are, is something that we're all going to face sooner or later. Whether you're average or exceptional, technology, globalization, and other forces will make your role obsolete one day.

The beauty of the story is that John Henry never gave up. Even in the face of inevitable change, he showed courage and determination. This is important now as it was then. How one faces a job loss, extended unemployment, and other modern uncertainties will determine how we eventually get out of this mess we're currently in.

We are all John Henry. Will we embrace chaos with dignity and determination, or will we allow fear of change overwhelm us? The choice is yours.

Be Nice! or Why you shouldn't order people to be cheery

2011-09-30T07:00:00.002-04:00

This made me laugh:

SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR ORDERS STATE WORKERS TO ANSWER PHONES WITH CHEERY "IT'S A GREAT DAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA"

"Republican Nikki Haley issued the order at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, saying the phrase will put workers in a better mood and remind them that they work for the public. She also says the public will feel better, too."

You can read the rest of the article at the Washington Post web site.

A couple of things:

"Ordering" workers to be act in a "cheery" fashion is almost guaranteed to backfire. Exhibiting energy and enthusiasm is something to be encouraged, not commanded from on high.
When it comes to phone-based customer service, most people want ease of service. I know for myself, what I want from my state representative is answers. How do I renew my drivers license? How do I get this form processed? Yes, I want them to be friendly but I want them to be able to cut through the bureaucracy first and foremost.
As of August, the unemployment rate in South Carolina is 11.1% and the poverty rate is 17.1% (compared to 9.1% and 14.3%, respectively for the overall United States). For many, receiving this type of greeting may sound ingenuous.

In spite of my points, I do wish the South Carolina governor the best of luck with this initiative. I appreciate attempts to improve customer service in any organization. If you want to do it right, please give state employees the best tools, training, and recognition to do the job. Then they can truly help make it a great day for someone in South Carolina.

Are you satisfied?

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

I ate well at the 2011 SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition. For some, Las Vegas is about the gambling, shows, or the sin. For me, it was the food. The Disney team and I ate at quite a number of great restaurants during our stay. Which one was my personal favorite? It's tough because they were all good. If I had to pick just one I would choose Scarpetta's, located at the Cosmopolitan. For those of you going to HREvolution/HR Technology Conference next week, go there and try the duck and foie gras ravioli with the marsala reduction. And tell them that Victorio sent you.

So we ate amazing food. At a certain point though there was only so much I could eat, between appetizers, the main course, sampling other people's meals, and then dessert. I had to make a choice-do I take another bite or do I say no, that's enough? It was hard to do initially. I was having a great time; I don't come to Las Vegas often and I didn't want to miss out on anything. I was hungry for more than just the food. I was hungry for the experience. I was caught up in the energy of the conference, the surroundings, and being with people I enjoyed and respected. When would I get this opportunity again? Eventually I learned to recognize when I was satisfied and focused instead on really enjoying myself.

sat·is·fac·tionNoun/ˌsatisˈfakSHən/
- Fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this: "he smiled with satisfaction".

There's a chemical that the human body produces, called seratonin, that's released to help prevent people from overeating. It does this by producing a sense of satisfaction. This is what helps people to say no. This is what helps you say, "I've had enough." Not surprisingly, it also impacts mood, which is why it's used in anti-depressant medications.

On Wednesday, September 21st, 2011 the Forbes 400: The Richest People in America list was released. As imagined, none were multi-millionaires. To get on the list one has to be a billionaire; specifically, one has to be worth at least $1.05 billion.

I'm curious to know-What satisfies a billionaire? Having achieved a measure of wealth that many countries, let alone people, haven't, what keeps them pushing forward to earn more? I'd love to know if anyone's studied Warren Buffet's brain. Perhaps the critical difference between a billionaire and someone else can be reduced to brain functionality. I doubt it.

What satisfies a billionaire? More importantly, as you go about being the best you can be, do you know what will truly satisfy you? What is that goal or objective that, once obtained, will give you what you want?

Success can be defined just as much by your limits as much as your strengths. Being effective at getting what you want can mean stepping away from something, no matter how tempting. Ultimately, it's your choice.

Are you satisfied?

You're not a bad-ass, but you can be

2011-09-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

DIANA NYAD PLANS TO CONTINUE SWIM TO CUBA,

DESPITE JELLYFISH STINGS

This is a great headline, almost as good as the New York Post classic, "Headless Body Found in Topless Bar."

Diana is an endurance swimmer who's set and broken several records. Her latest venture is to swim from Cuba to Florida, which will take several days and encompass over 100 miles of swimming. You can track her progress here. This attempt, if accomplished, would be another milestone in a long list for this elite athlete. Did I mention that she was born in New York City? Sorry, that's my hometown pride showing.

According to her blog the jellyfish stings were painful and impacted her swimming. However, she was able to recover and in the words of her chief handler, "You're doing better, I can see it." As of this post she was approximately 25 miles from Cuba.

Diana Nyad is a badass. And while not everyone can or wants to be a world class endurance swimmer, there are clear lessons to be learned from her experience:

Have a great team and equipment. Diana is the one doing the heavy lifting, so to speak, but without the team of coaches, doctors, boat handlers, and others involved she wouldn't be able to do what's she's doing. This became obvious not only during the jellyfish event (where doctors administered medications to help her deal with the stings) but also when a shark swam nearby (she uses equipment by which an electrical field is generated, which helps keep them away). Are you surrounded by the right people and resources for the purpose at hand?
Breaking down goals into smaller, achievable ones. Diana herself described this beautifully on a blog post, labelled 'Strategy': "The mental approach has to be to parcel it out. No one could swim the whole thing while thinking about the whole thing." Think about the goals you want to achieve. How many times do we get anxious because they appear too big to handle? Breaking it down helps you stay motivated and moving forward. It also makes it easier to celebrate success, as it's visible because it occurs more often.
Be prepared to work through setbacks and pain. This is not Diana's first attempt to swim the 103 miles from Cuba to Florida. She made one earlier in 2011 that she ended (after 29 hours) due to an asthma attack. She also suffered a shoulder injury. Clearly these things didn't deter her or the team. She had true grit - a willingness to work through obstacles in pursuit of her ultimate goal. Are the goals you set for yourself on par with this, meaning, are you determined to stick with it until you achieve success? Are you giving it 100%?

A great team and equipment. Break down large goals into smaller, achievable ones. Be prepared to work through setbacks and pain. These are just a few ways to take what Diana Nyad's doing and apply it to your life.

Now go forth and be a bad-ass!

Unusual Idea of the Day - Make the Invisible Visible

2011-09-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

If you want to surprise or unsettle someone in the service industry, acknowledge them by his or her name. Try it the next time you're in a restaurant, clothing store, or anywhere where people are expected to interact with you. Remember, that's why many service employees wear name badges. If you want an extra challenge, find out someone's name if they don't have a badge or ID of some sort.

For most of us we encounter a surprising number of people each day. Many of them occupy a small amount of our time. Yet they can have a measurable impact on our quality of life. The security guard at the front desk. The cleaning person in the office that works odd hours. The lunchtime delivery person.

How many of them do you know by their name? How may kids do they have? Do you know them and their stories?

When I first became a Human Resource Generalist the best advice I received was from my District Manager at the time. I was assigned to a new store and had to clean it up. His challenge to me was this: find out every employee's name in 2 months time. Now you have to understand that this was a store of over 200 employees. I managed to do it and I learned a lot more than their names. I learned about their history with the company, what motivated them, both in and out of work, and whether they were organizational assets. As a result, it made performance conversations a bit easier. We had a relationship through which we established the trust necessary to have the right discussions. When I left 2 years later it was in a much better place than when I first entered.

As you go through your day take a second to take notice of those around you. Appreciate them for the work that they do. You may be doing more to impact your environment than you think.

A Vicious Cycle - Colleges prefer those who can pay

2011-09-22T08:14:00.000-04:00

The weak economy isn't just impacting people in the corporate world. A recent survey by Inside Higher Ed has shown that colleges and universities are just like us, meaning they're focused on money and costs. According to the survey, Admission Directors were asked "the two most important admission issues/challenges confronting their institutions over the next 2-3 years." Here are the top 3 responses for the category 'All 4-Year Institutions':

Rising concern from families about tuition and affordability
Potential cuts in Federal student aid programs
Increased competition from other institutions similar to mine.

With these concerns have come a change of recruitment focus. Public institutions are increasingly targeting "full pay" students, meaning those that aren't utilizing loans to support their educational efforts. Institutions across the board are pursuing full-time students. More credits means more tuition. Also being courted are out-of-state students, as they pay higher tuition fees.

There's a few things troubling about this report. First is that by focusing on those who can pay (or don't rely as much on financial aid) it makes it more difficult for those utilizing these support services to get admitted. This can only contribute to the skills gap that's looming over businesses and those struggling to find gainful employment. Also, are academic standards being sacrificed as a result of this selection focus? If this trend continues future generations are at risk for being unprepared for the workforce.

It's well known that a college degree helps the recipient in terms of potential earnings over a lifetime. While the focus on job creation is incredibly important, leaders need to pay attention to the trends happening on the educational front. Otherwise, the responsibility to create the workforce necessary for organizational success may fall on us, and less on the institutions designed for this role.

What does Art and Creativity have to do with Customer Service?

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

This is a thing of simplicity and great beauty:

The name of this art installation is Before I Die, and it was conceived by artist and designer Candy Chang. This excerpt from her website explains the motivation behind the piece:

"It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget what really matters to you. With help from friends and neighbors, I turned the side of an abandoned house in my neighborhood into a giant chalkboard to invite people to share what is important to them. Before I Die transforms a neglected space into a constructive one where we can learn the hopes and aspirations of the people around us."

As you can see, people in the neighborhood (and beyond) really took to the work. Notice that people did this of their own free will. They didn't get paid to help create or add their thoughts to the piece. This was something that spoke to their need to express themselves, to be a part of something beautiful, and to contribute to a collective effort.

All too often as business leaders we talk about business. What the numbers are or should be. We discuss productivity, both our own and others. Efficiency and effectiveness measures. Sorting and making sense of massive amounts of data so organizational strategies can be adjusted appropriately.

We rarely talk about creativity, about that which inspires. Ignored in many business related conversations are the events and objects of beauty and grace that make us come alive. Why is that? Is it because it's not quantifiable the same way a balance sheet is? Is it because it's difficult to measure the ROI?

I believe it's because, like human beings themselves, it's messy and not easy to sort into distinct categories. Yet this is the crisis we face now, in the midst of a recession and massive social change. How do leaders, and people in general, learn to sort through that messiness? How do we recreate our institutions to allow people to be more, both from a productivity standpoint as well as a creative one?

I do believe that most organizations have mastered the basics when it comes to efficiency and productivity. What needs to happen now is mastery of motivation and recognition. Traditional incentive programs only work to a certain extent. Studies have shown (as demonstrated by Dan Pink in the RSA.org video posted below) that people aren't as motivated by money as we think. As we move away from task based work to more project and team based work we need to rethink what is going to keep people motivated.

This is true in customer service focused areas, such as retail. It's been traditionally perceived as task oriented, yet I can tell you from experience that's there's more to it than that. Providing great customer service is a creative as well as technical process. Think about the barista that knows your name and how to make your favorite drink. Think about the sales associate that put together the right clothing outfit for you. The difference between a purely transactional encounter and an experiential one is that human touch. The person providing the elevated form of service didn't leave part of themselves at home. They were there, with you, in the moment. They were able to make quick decisions to help you get what you wanted. They wanted you to be satisfied with the service. They cared.

Organizations need to do the same for their employees, to be there and to provide an exceptional experience. To do this effectively they need to provide several key things:

Good pay. You have to pay people enough so they can focus more of their time and attention on work than on their bills. Do the necessary research to find out how competitive you are in comparison to others in your industry. If you want to attract great talent go one further and research organizations in adjacent industries. This will give you an idea of what other talent pools you may be able to pull from, and what it may cost to do so.
Give people room to make their own decisions. In a customer service environment the best employees are those you don't have to think about. They know what the hard and soft controls are and work within them to give the customer the best possible service. They only involve supervisors when it's a situation that they've attempted to resolve but can't.
Connection to a great purpose. Just like in the art piece at the beginning of this post, people want to be a part of something special. How does your organization create and generate a sense of pride amongst its employees? Maybe its through volunteer work. Perhaps its through open communication. Every year Zappos sends out a request to all its employees and vendors to contribute to its Culture Book. This book is an unfiltered representation of the brand. It gives those that contribute a way to express how they feel about the company. How many organizations would trust employees to communicate openly and honestly about it? This is part of what differentiates Zappos from its competitors. And it pays off-the company earned $1 billion in sales in 2008.
Respect. The work that people do has value. Acknowledge that and the person performing it, especially when they don't perform to expectations.

Creating a creative and vibrant work environment can be difficult. When done well it can be a way to give employees a canvas by which to express themselves and build a successful organization.

What's on the Horizon for me?

2011-09-19T13:52:00.002-04:00

In case you're not connected to me on LinkedIn then I have some news to share. As of September 15th I'm back on the job market. After working closely with senior leaders at the Disney Store, I am no longer part of the brand. It was a decision made months ago and now it's reached its conclusion. I'm thankful for the Disney team; they added great value to my overall retail and HR experience. It was a pleasure working with such a hard-working and dedicated group, many of whom I will remain in touch with. I wish them continued success and I'll miss working with them.

Now it's time to focus on finding another great organization to contribute to. One that's creative, values the efforts and contributions of all its members, and is actively pursuing long-term growth. Do you know of a place like that? Do you work in a place like that? Then let me know. I have a career that's highlighted by consistent professional growth, creative problem solving, and the ability to work across divisions. If the fit is right then nothing but great things are bound to happen.

Aside from finding meaningful work this time allows me to pursue another emerging opportunity. After participating in the 2011 HR Florida Annual Conference and Expo I've been contacted by several colleagues to support a variety of professional interests, similar to my participation in the SHRM Connect Taskforce. One of the most intriguing has been to participate in a discussion about workforce preparedness at a local high school. With the unemployment rate so high, and the war on talent in full effect, I believe it's of incredible importance that business leaders reach into their communities in order to prepare them for the future. I look back on my career and it's the mentors and advocates in my life that had as great an impact on my growth as my intrinsic skills. In these critical times it would be foolish of me not to give back. More to come on this as it develops.

I want to again thank the partners at the Disney Store for everything they've done. I'm looking forward to observing the company's growth and development as I move into the next stage of my professional and personal journey. And for all my readers, if there's anything I can do to support your growth efforts let me know. I'd be more than happy to help be a part of something worthwhile.

Labor Day Thoughts

2011-09-05T07:17:00.000-04:00

In a short while I'll be going to work. But before I do I just wanted to wish everyone in the United States and Canada a wonderful Labor Day. And I want to thank all those who are on the clock today. It doesn't matter whether you're first responders, people employed in vital areas, such as public transportation, or work in the service industry like I do. I value and honor the work that you do.

For those of you that have the day off, please take a moment to recognize those that are working today. They're away from friends and family, serving the needs of their companies and profession.

Regardless of whether or not you're working, relaxing, or doing a combination of both, I wish you the best.

Enjoy the holiday!

HR Florida State Conference and Expo - Closing Thoughts

2011-09-01T00:19:00.012-04:00

I’m exhausted and in a good way. It’s been an intense 4 days of activity - blogging, tweeting, networking, knowledge gaining and sharing – for me at the 2011 HR Florida State Conference and Expo. I didn't get a lot of sleep and it’s going to be a while before all of the caffeine I consumed works its way through my bloodstream. It was worth it and I was glad for the experience.

I want to use this post to pull together a variety of thoughts about the event. Here it goes:

Michael VanDervort, Dana Chatel, Heather Vogel, Carol McDaniel, Joyce Chastain, Stephen Geraghty-Harrison and the rest of the HR Florida Council deserve a vacation. They, along with the dozens of volunteers, sponsors, and vendors, worked extremely hard to deliver a high quality, high touch, well run conference experience. What I most appreciate from my time spent with them were the discussions about chapter participation. The people I spoke with clearly believed that their involvement in their respective chapters mattered. I’m honored to have been part of such a great event and hope I have an opportunity to be a part of the next one. Go get some rest-you deserve it!

Human Resources professionals are hungry. Every social media related session - whether hosted by the Social Technology Team or by another presenter - were well attended, as were sessions covering a variety of different topics. Demand exceeded supply; many a completely full session had volunteers positioned at the doors so as to turn away attendees. Not a bad problem to have and one in which the Council is attempting to rectify for future events. Aside from this I heard many a HR practitioner ask quality questions or add relevant comments to a discussion. I do believe that content’s being spoon fed to attendees and it will be interesting to see how presenters, conference planners, and others may choose to address this.

Speaking of presenters, it was a treat to be part of the Social Media Academy pre-conference workshop, as well as the Social Media in HR panel discussion. More of a treat was to meet with and observe some well respected professionals in action. Through their respective sessions Kris Dunn, Dwane Lay, Franny O., Shauna Moerke, William Tincup, and Jennifer McClure (to name a few) all contributed great content and discussion points. They also gave me a first-hand perspective on delivering an effective presentation and its impact on an audience. I learned a lot from them.

Call me lazy but I wish I had a Segway in order to get around the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort. The place is huge. Great amenities, helpful staff, comfortable rooms, but huge.

Now I would be irresponsible if I didn't walk away from this event without applying what I learned. It's time to put up or shut up! Here’s what I’m going to do once I settle in at home:

I’m going to revisit the connections I made during the conference. The goal is to deepen those random and not so random interactions I made. Borrowing a tactic I learned from Bryan Wempen, I’m going to create a spreadsheet containing the names and contact information of said connections. I’m going to then proceed to diversify them by connecting and interacting across a variety of platforms, whether it’s email, LinkedIn, or another. The goal isn’t to make them into social media converts, it’s to stay in touch now that the conference is over. How and which way it occurs will happen naturally as people choose which format works best for them.

I will map out and implement a professional development strategy. Naomi Bloom put a healthy dose of fear into my system (along with Kris Dunn’s Glengarry Glen Ross reference in his session). I’ve got some skill building to do. Attending the various sessions have only served to put the methods of how to do that at the forefront of my mind. Define the specific, measurable, and actionable goal to be obtained. Map out a realistic time frame to achieve it. Identify resources and roadblocks. Then execute to drive results and track progress (see, I was paying attention while tweeting from the sessions). I have a couple of focus areas in mind but I won’t settle on any just yet. I want to really think it through before I act. However, participation in my local chapter will be part of that strategy discussion.

I will have some fun. I went off the grid, work-wise, while at HR Florida, so I know there’s a ton of it waiting for me upon my return. I have to make time for my family though. They were troopers, staying indoors during Hurricane Irene while I was away at the conference. They deserve to have their father and husband back for a bit.

Once again, I want to recognize the hard work and effort of everyone involved in making this year’s HR Florida Conference and Expo an amazing experience. I was glad to play my part and gained immensely from it.

Thank you!

HR Florida State Conference and Expo - Day 2

2011-08-31T02:12:00.000-04:00

I'm having a great time at the 2011 HR Florida State Conference and Expo. Along with the rest of the Social Technology Team I'm spreading the gospel of social media. I've helped people understand and navigate social media tools. I've personally assisted several people set-up Twitter accounts, which was fun but more importantly, let me learn more about them as practitioners and people.

In addition, I've gone to many sessions over the past few days. One that I had to attend was Naomi Bloom's, which was entitled 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road, Using HR Technology to Drive Business Results.' Naomi's a highly respected Human Resource management consultant and thought leader in the Human Resource Technology space. Having followed her work online for a while I looked forward to hearing her thoughts.

While I'm not going to focus on the length and breadth of the two-hour presentation I do want to share one thing in particular. I don't remember the exact quote but she stated that there's roughly 1500 HR professionals attending the conference this year. Within the next 5 years 1000 of them will be eliminated (via outsourcing and/or automation). The implication was that HR pros would quickly become outdated unless a transformation into vital partners in the business occurred, and soon.

This struck a chord with me, mainly because of its bluntness. It's true; HR practitioners, myself included, have to adapt or face reductions in the ranks. Much like anyone else, an HR professional needs to be able to justify why it's vital to an organization. It needs to be able to prove its worth to the business.

This was a theme that was present throughout the sessions I attended. I heard similar messages to the ones below over the past two days:

"Human Resources objectives need to be aligned with organizational objectives."

"You have to be able to present a data driven business case."

"You have to hold people accountable."

"You have to be perceived as a business partner."

In most sessions I saw lots of head nodding, yet the thing that really stood out for me was how passive audiences were. I realized that the issue wasn't necessarily the subject matter, the presenters, nor the audience members. It was the format. Most sessions were similar-the speaker speaks and the audience listens and takes notes (or not). It reminded me of someone watching TV and I think we all know how mentally stimulating watching TV is.

At the core of the discussion around strategic planning is the ability for a person to think critically about challenges being faced. Increasingly, organizations need people in leadership roles that can perceive, assess, formulate and execute a plan to address important business objectives. That's not a passive activity, yet the format by which we use to educate, motivate, and incent (mainly through HRCI credits) Human Resource professionals is.

Now what if Human Resources conferences were designed to push practioners out of their comfort zone a bit? Here's a few ideas to do that:

Eliminate entry level sessions. What happens if presenters work from the assumption that most of the people sitting in the session have a baseline understanding of the topic? This would force them to start at a more elevated level. I don't have a problem with spending part of the session covering the basics of a particular topic. But let's face it, we're all adults and should be able to keep up. Just to qualify things, I wouldn't encourage neglecting or ostracizing those that may be struggling or are perhaps new to the topic of study. Part of this proposed change would need to include protocols around providing a sense of safety and peer support. We need to start at a higher level, however.
Offer levels of difficulty. My perception of many of the sessions were that they were pretty basic (including the social media ones that I supported). That's okay but mix in some intermediate and advanced sessions. Most college programs are built around this model-to complete all coursework in a given subject you have to take courses that increase in difficulty. To motivate participants different amounts of HRCI credits could be attached to a course based on difficulty (beginner level = 1 credit, mid-level = 2, and so on).
Make participants come prepared and ahead of the event. Conferences do a good to great job of providing materials in advance so that people know what's being offered. This allows participants to pick and choose which sessions to attend. What if part of the conference experience was to ask (or demand) attendees to come prepared to discuss/challenge/be open to a particular subject? Going back to strategic planning, imagine if 1700 (that's the record breaking number of attendees to this year's HR Florida conference) HR professionals shared, in advance, what they wanted from their conference experience? It would force conference planners and speakers to really focus on effectively alligning resources to meet the needs of those attending. It would also potentially streamline the conference, as presentations and services that didn't support demand wouldn't make the cut.
Change up the format. As I said before, the current delivery method is too passive. That's part of the reason why presenters for early morning and late afternoon sessions are so apologetic. They have an audience that's tired, sitting for extended periods, and know that they're expected to do not much else except take notes (or not). Make people work-mentally, physically, and otherwise. Have them form groups to resolve critical issues (strategic planning!). Have them go on a treasure hunt, which would serve as a good recruitment exercise, as well as a way to network with other attendees. The point isn't to initiate change for change's sake. It's to stimulate the crowd, foster collaboration and creativity (two other skill sets in high demand), and to drive greater engagement amongst participants. If nothing else it'll be a session they'll never forget.

A Human Resources professional's goal is to be part of the solution within their organizations. Currently there's a significant skills gap that needs to be narrowed or closed. HR conferences are a valuable resource to support practitioner needs. To be better, conference planners should look to position itself ahead of the curve. Changing the tone and look of conference sessions and offerings shouldn't be merely cosmetic. It should reflect a roadmap which will allow HR professionals to reach their potential as true business partners.

"An abundant and increasing supply of highly educated people has become the prerequisite of social and economic development in our world. It is rapidly becoming a condition of national survival." Peter Drucker, Landmarks of Tomorrow

HR Florida State Conference and Expo - Day 1

2011-08-30T10:27:00.000-04:00

In spite being a SHRM member for over 4 years I'm still a rookie Human Resources professional in certain ways. For example, I have no affiliation with my local chapter in NYC. A lot of that decision is based on time-I simply don't have enough of it to devote to it. Also, to quote Grouch Marx, "I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member." Being a member of SHRM national allows me to be anonymous, non-committal, yet able to access people and resources when I need them. SHRM is basically my friend with benefits. I'm not ready to make the full commitment. Sad, isn't it?

Actual photo. That's me on the right.

So now I'm at this year's HR Florida State Conference and Expo and I have to admit, I may be changing my opinion. I've been impressed by how well this conference is operating. They appear to run a well oiled machine. I've had the chance to speak with various members of the Council and volunteers since I've arrived. Their energy, enthusiasm, and commitment is inspiring. Going back to the relationship analogy, the conference feels much like my wedding. To our guests they saw and participated in an amazing event. For my wife and I, all we saw was everything that could go wrong and worked hard to keep things on track. If the HR Florida Conference team had any missteps I haven't seen nor heard them.

Along with my observations of the council, I've also been speaking with several members of the Social Technology Team (Franny, Bryan, and Ben) who are actively involved in their local and/or State chapters. They've been straightforward about what it's like and why it's important to them. So through observation and discussion I've gained a lot of insight-both good and critical- about why local participation may be in my future.

Is there a place for me at HR/NY, my local chapter in the near future? We'll see if I'm ready to put a ring on it...

HR Florida State Conference and Expo - Day 1/2

2011-08-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'm geeked to be at the 2011 HR Florida State Conference and Expo for a variety of different reasons. As it progresses I will express those reasons more fully through blog posts, tweets, and other content. Bear with me if I appear to discuss random topics without providing the proper context. In the end I believe all will be clear. If not, feel free to stop me in the hallway or send an email/tweet/Facebook message and ask for clarity.

Today was the pre-conference Social Media Academy, a two-part, six-hour in total session led by Michael VanDervort with Ben Eubanks, Bryan Wempen, Kris Dunn, and myself as ~~back-up singers~~ subject matter experts. The purpose was twofold. First, the morning session was designed to help attendees learn more about why they should embrace the concepts, if not the actual tools of social media. Why should you be aware of what's out there, how it's being used by competitors and those that may want to do harm to your brand, and how it can enhance an organization's strategic efforts (particularly around talent management) were the guiding ideas that drove Michael's presentation. Michael also invested time in discussing the benefits and features of the big 3 social networking sites (LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook). During this time Ben, Bryan, and I offered our thoughts while engaging in our the HR version of Geek Squad, helping interested parties set-up profiles on those respective sites.

Actual photo from the Social Media Academy session. That's me on the right, by the way.

The second part of the day was more of a traditional presentation session, led by three untraditional people. Bryan started, offering his perspective on how to build an audience for one's brand through social networking. What I appreciated most about his was the emphasis on thinking it through before you take a single step. Defining your purpose is the most important part of the strategy (in or out of social media) because it helps define the outputs and outcomes of one's efforts. He spoke to the group as business professionals, as opposed to social media rookies, and he had their solid attention throughout the presentation.

Ben was next; he spoke about being a solo practitioner at a small company and how he uses social media to push the business forward in certain ways. He also spoke emphatically about making time for social media, in spite competing demands. He compared it to making a commitment to one's professional development. Simply put, it's about the investment and if you don't you'll be left behind.

Kris wrapped it up with a rapid-fire presentation about social recruiting. Somehow he powered through 60 or so PowerPoint slides in 45 minutes. He talked broadly about ways in which companies could at a minimum be doing to support recruitment through social media. Kris received the best compliment from an attendee where she said, "You kept me awake!" Again, Kris had their attention, just as Bryan, Ben, and Michael did.

Overall, it was a good session. What I observed was that, aside from the engaging presentation styles of my social technology team mates, was that the audience truly wanted to be there. It was a 6-hour Sunday pre-conference session for general, not strategic, HRCI credits. It would have been very easy for any of the participants to take it easy in preparation for more other topics of discussion being offered throughout the week. They made a choice to be there, to engage with us, to participate, and ask good questions. For those that did so, I want to thank you for that.

There was a more elevated body of knowledge on display regarding social media than I've seen in similar venues. Is this a sign of the tipping point for Human Resources professionals when it comes to social media? I don't think we're quite there yet. I do believe that it's much closer than ever and probably in 3 years or so I'll need to come up with another selling point to get me invited to another HR conference. But if that means the profession will be better respected, more fully utilized, and properly compensated for their contributions that'll be okay with me. Besides, I'll be focused on what's next on the horizon.

Thanks again to those that participated in this year's Social Media Academy. I look forward to seeing you on Monday, August 28th, at the 'Putting Social Media to work In HR' panel discussion.

Planes, Hurricanes, Anxiety Attacks, and Customer Service

2011-08-27T16:46:00.000-04:00

Earlier today I was on a flight to the HR Florida State Conference and Expo and I thought I was going to die. There was a lot of turbulence because of Hurricane Irene boot stomping across the northeast United States. The children a few rows back from me were having a great time. They were giddy with excitement as the plane shook and dipped. I felt vulnerable, much like Wile E. Coyote in that moment after running off the cliff but before he begins to fall to the desert floor. Was the turbulence unusual? The rational part of my being kept saying no, but the lizard portion of my brain wouldn’t listen. All I could think about was that I'm in a metal cylinder 20,000 feet up in the air without any visible means of support. My chest was hurting and I had to force myself to take slow, deep breaths. After a while I began to calm down and distracted myself with other things. As I left the plane I said a silent thank you to everyone who properly secured every nut, bolt, and widget on Flight 1785 from New York.

People often do good work that doesn’t get recognized. Much like oxygen, fresh water, and money, we don’t think about what’s essential until forced to, oftentimes in moments of panic similar to the one I just experienced. As consumers, we’re often guilty of expecting that those that serve us should always do so flawlessly, regardless of their personal situations, and appreciation isn't necessary. Yes, if customer service is your job, then do it and do it well. This sentiment applies equally to the accountant, the baker, and the CEO. We should be mindful, however, that there’s a person behind the role. For example, I know for a fact that many of those at the airport won’t be going home tonight. Yet I'm getting to my destination safely and without any disruption of expectations between those that were working to get me here and myself.

So as I move through the next few days - from airport to hotel to conference and back - I want to acknowledge those that are working to give me a quality experience while dealing with hurricanes, earthquakes, and customers, myself included, that don't always see you as people. I apologize if I've made you invisible. You deserve better, and I will strive to acknowledge your contributions.

Life, Death, the Economy, and Choices

2011-08-20T08:37:00.000-04:00

Here's a fun fact about me-I can potentially save your life.

Several months ago my employer signed us up for First Aid/CPR/AED training through the American Red Cross. Close to a full-day course, it was designed to help us recognize and respond to various medical emergency situations. We learned how to treat a wide range of physical issues, from burns to puncture wounds. We practiced CPR and using an automatic external defibrillator (AED), which is the machine that sends a electric shock through your system in cases of cardiac arrest. And no, we didn't get to yell, "Clear!" during our practice sessions. We learned how to transport injured people out of dangerous situations.

Ultimately, what I learned was that this knowledge gave me a heightened sense of responsibility. Knowing how to help people meant that I couldn't be a passive observer anymore. If you think about a typical emergency situation (an accident on a highway's a good example) you'll tend to find 3 things-the person in need, someone attempting to help, and people watching the event. Prior to the training I was squarely in the "people watching" camp. It's a position of powerlessness. Now I can help, and that's an amazing feeling. After the training day I felt I grew as a person and not just as an employee.

Like I previously mentioned, it's also a lot of responsibility. When my colleagues and I were practicing CPR on the test dummies, the instructor started us off by having us perform it in spurts. First we practiced for 30 seconds, then 1 minute, then 3. By the 3rd 3-minute session my arms were sore and all the silly jokes we were sharing had stopped. I asked the instructor how long should a person continue to perform CPR before stopping. He said that you don't stop, not until someone can take over for you or until medical personnel arrive. To illustrate the point pretty dramatically here's a scene from The Abyss (warning-slapping the person you're trying to save is not recommended):

That's a lot to place on a person's shoulders. I suspect that's part of the reason why so many people aren't certified. If you don't know how to do something you can then honestly say that you can't help. Power and responsibility has been delegated. Yet we all have a choice. To be an observer, someone in need, or someone who can help. Training's important, but not a prerequisite. What proper training does is give you the confidence and skill needed to be more effective, to reduce risk and increase the chances for success. It creates conditions under which to inspire hope, that something better will emerge.

With all of the economic issues we're facing, it's important that we all recognize a few things. First, we all have a part to play in this mess, both in its creation and resolution. Second, that we have a choice in what role we want to adopt. This is not to say that by choosing you'll be successful. Knowing CPR doesn't mean that I'll be able to save everyone. With choice comes risk. What it does mean is that you've taken back the power that's been yours all along and you've taken the first step in building a desirable future.

What choices will you make today?

Unusual Idea of the Day - Wellness Programs

2011-08-04T07:00:00.003-04:00

Here's an unusual idea-instead of wellness programs focusing mostly on the physical well-being of employees, why not focus on his or her mental well-being? Consider these facts:

According to a 1999 study by the U.S. Surgeon General's office 15% of American adults use mental health services in a given year.
In the same study it reveals that $69 billion (approximately 7% of total health spending)was on mental health services.This excludes items such as substance abuse, as well as Alzheimer's treatment ($13 billion and $18 billion, respectively).

If you consider current economic conditions, unemployment rate, and reports of work-related stress, I believe I make a compelling argument for this case.

When I first conceived this I was going to focus primarily on so-called "knowledge workers." First coined by Peter Drucker in his book Landmarks of Tomorrow the term has come to embody employees whose primary tool of value to an organization is their brainpower. My thinking was that in any organizations this type of worker is perceived as more important in the current economic landscape than manual laborers.

"The most valuable assets of a 20th-century company were its production equipment.The most valuable asset of a 21st-century institution, whether business or non-business, will be its knowledge workers and its productivity." ~ Drucker, 1999

It was a shell of an idea that needed fleshing out. I'm no expert at wellness programs so I reached out to Fran Melmed, the founder of context communication consulting, a communications firm specializing in health and wellness programs. The question I asked her was, "Do you know of any organizations that make mental health a focus of their health and wellness programs?" Honestly, I was hoping for a long list of providers that were leading the way. While I didn't get exactly what I was looking for I did get something just as good-a passionate conversation about who deserves what kind of care.

Here's her response to the question and the subsequent discussion, all conducted via email:

FRAN: i know companies that include mental health. one of my longest clients, saint-gobain, was one of the first companies to use CIGNA's integrated health approach, which includes a team approach to wellness. you might work with a psychologist or social worker, fitness expert, nutritionist--all at the same time. of course there are others but they come to mind!

ME: Thanks Fran! My idea was to talk about how mental health services should be at the forefront of wellness programs, particularly for "knowledge workers." If our mental skills are what's keeping us paid and employers utilizing our services then it seems logical to me. If you're saying that there's progressive companies out there then I'll have to do some more digging.

FRAN: i don't know that any company is putting mental health programs at the forefront. if you look at SHRM's 2011 report you'll see that companies are worried about mental well-being. i'm not sure why you would call out knowledge workers. mental health is something that's affecting all, particularly now with financial worries. financial woes lead to physical and mental ones.

good luck with your article. i look forward to reading it.

ME: I agree bout mental health being available for all workers. My distinction comes from the concept that the #1 tool for knowledge workers are their brains. When I was a stockperson my concern (and the comapny's) was my back. Using my body was how I got the job done. so my training centered around prevention, such as how to lift properly and the use of special equipment.

Now I do difficult work using a different set of muscles, so to speak. Yet I can't think of any programs I've been exposed to that speak to what could be viewed as mental fatigue prevention. Where company's specifically speak to physical issues I perceive silence on mental ones, even socially acceptable ones such as stress.

Maybe it's because of the stigma still attached to anything signifying a challenge of the mind and soul. Maybe it's because mental health issues are harder to treat, at least not in the same direct way as physical ones. When you have a headache you take an aspirin and you feel better. When you're depressed wht may work for one may not work for another.

So my point is that wellness programs might be of more value to employees and organizations if they focused more on a person's mental well being, in addition to their physical well-being. I do believe that this is particularly critical for knowledge workers because of the nature of their work.

Thanks for helping me think this through some more Fran!

So I still stick to my basic premise regarding mental and emotional health taking a more front-and-center position when it comes to wellness programs. However, Fran has convinced me that I was too narrow in my scope. An organization is composed of many members, performing different yet valuable roles. I made an incorrect value judgement that, had this been a real world scenario, could have had a negative impact on a workforce I was responsible for. Thanks again Fran!

So I'm curious to know from you, is making mental and emotional health a primary focus of an organization's health and wellness program far-fetched, or brilliant enough to work? Do you know of any organizations that are leading the way in this?

Additional Resources:

Coping with Mental Illness in the Workplace, by Bryan V. Gibb, MBA
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Global Depression Statistics, via Science Daily

Project: Social Reboot

2011-08-02T07:00:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to start by saying thank you to everyone that's kept Project: Social going over the past several months. Ben and I have been busy with so much stuff lately that we haven't been able to give it the attention it deserves. Honestly, you didn't need us! With little input or direction Lance Haun and his partner Pawan Tahilramani are rocking it. In particular, I really love the direction that Lyn Hoyt, Dave Ryan, and Laura Schroeder have taken it. Rather than outlining clear mentor/mentee roles, it appears that what's emerged is a self-sustaining community of learning. Knowledge is flowing between participants, with no one person in charge. There's an active commitment to supporting each other's efforts, which are built around a common theme. There's no clear delineation of roles and everyone seems to be gaining something from the experiences.

It's this community spirit that prompted the creation of Project: Social and should remain at its heart. Let's face it, we're all adults and we know how to find the answers to most questions about social media. What we don't always have is a vibrant support system. By support system I mean like-minded people that'll take the time to work with you to really develop those answers, and to assist in tackling new ones. Right now the current structure of PS doesn't create community. Once mentor pairs are formed they're on their own. A community needs a collective space where conversations, partnerships, and action can take place.

Which leads me to a proposal for all of you...

I just set-up a space on Ning for Project: Social. It has some of the capabilities (such as forums, the ability to add apps) I believe might help to grow the community. It's open to anyone that believes in what PS is about. Of course, this is just my opinion, so feel free to check it out, play with the features of the site, and let me know if it's an idea worth exploring. More importantly, let's jump start the conversations about Project: Social. What is its purpose? How do we work to ensure that it can become a self-sustaining community? And, regardless of the future of PS, what can I do to help you be better?

Thanks again for all of your work and support of Project: Social! I look forward to seeing what develops.

Unusual Idea of the Day - A Better Use of Social Currency

2011-07-27T07:00:00.003-04:00

I've been intrigued by the concept of online social currency (OSC) for a while now. As someone who's fairly active online, I intuitively "get it." It's easy to see how absorbing, remixing, and sharing content amongst your network can help you to gain (as well as confer) advantages. For me, this has most recently taken the form of being part of the Social Technology Team at this year's HR Florida State Council annual conference. I can't speak for the other participants but the committee selecting me is a direct result of the social currency I've earned through my online efforts. I'm not famous, nor have I ever worked in a conference setting. Yet I have a presence that they felt was worth investing in for this event. Thank you! For that trust and faith I'm truly grateful.

Along with OSC as a concept you now have services and applications that attempt to quantify and reward people based on perceived social worth. Foursquare, Facebook, and Klout are all explicit examples of this. I've used most of them at some point and I've mixed feelings. I would be a liar if I said that I'm somehow above it all. I'm vain (imagine my wife snorting in laughter) and curious to know where I stand in comparison to peers and those I look up to. I'm also a sucker for certain perks, such as my recent Spotify invite from Klout.

In certain respects this phenomenon reminds me of another contemporary transformation in currency. It used to be that you carried hard currency, such as bills and/or coins around in order to conduct transactions. Nowadays many people carry around credit cards instead. And why not? They're less bulky, for one. Credit cards also have super powers! They expand a person's transactional capabilities, depending on the type of service a person has in connection with the card. One can spend more money than they possess (which is a double-edged sword), as well as utilize services offered by the credit card company and business partners. Used effectively, credit cards can greatly enhance a person's quality of life.

If credit cards can be compared to smartphones then people who mainly utilize hard currency can be said to be using pagers. One offers options and flexibility, while the other, well, doesn't. Online social currency is poised to offer similar options do those that know how to take advantage of it. At this stage in its evolution perks are pretty basic. Aside from bragging rights you may get a free coffee at Starbucks or similar discounts at participating retailers.

It can be so much better than this.

Why do I say this? Let's look at the below data:

Unemployment in the United States is at 9.2%, which represents roughly 14 million Americans. Amongst 16-24 year olds (the talent pool many retailers pull from) the unemployment rate's a staggering 17.3%.

As far as I know, one's Klout score doesn't translate into landing a job. Perhaps it could lead to a short-term gig, such as what I'm doing for HR Florida conference. It certainly can't be converted into food on the table or low cost healthcare. At the end of the day OSC is, while free in a lot of cases, is still a luxury that many people can't afford.

Offline, currency is a transferrable commodity. One can choose to do any number of things with it-invest, spend, destroy it, whatever. If I have a friend in need I can choose to give it to him or her, with or without conditions. Currently, this capability doesn't exist for OSC; one is limited in the types of activities one can perform. I currently can’t change the activity associated with being the Foursquare designated 'Mayor' of Starbucks (getting a free coffee) to one that may be more beneficial (e.g., pay for a babysitter while a parent goes to a job interview). Facebook credits can't be rolled over into an IRA. Where can I find a "I helped someone find meaningful work" badge? How can I transfer my Klout points into a savings account for my kid's education? There's a lot of potential here! It'll be interesting to see if companies find a way to tap into this need.

I hope that someone smart and dedicated can figure out a way to make this a reality. Maybe it's figuring out a way of taking one's OSC and converting it into offline currency in some shape or form. It may sound odd but consider that people are already spending "real" money on virtual goods. Basically what needs to occur is that enough people and organizations need to embrace and sustain the concept.

So what do you think? How might we transform online social currency from what it currently is to what it could be, and so much more? Is it an idea whose time has come, or am I living in a fantasy world?

Tony Hsieh, Happiness, and Resetting Expectations

2011-07-24T09:00:00.008-04:00

Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, the online shoe and apparel retailer, has been on my mind a lot recently. I saw his keynote speech at the SHRM national conference this past June (check out this behind the scenes video). I got a chance to sneak aboard the Delivering Happiness tour bus after the speech. I also finished reading his book, Delivering Happiness, just a few nights ago.

Before reading the book I had several assumptions about the company and its culture. Two of them were:

that their current culture was already firmly established from the beginning (at least from the time when Tony took over the leadership reins), and
the company was more or less fiscally solid during Tony's time as CEO.

Reading the book made me realize that wasn't the case. Regarding the culture, it evolved on its own, but it wasn't until 2003 that they actually started to codify what that meant. For Zappos, this was summed up by their belief that they were all about delivering the best customer service. Once they determined this then the company was deliberately shaped to reflect that vision. Profitable portions of the business were sold off. They moved their entire headquarters to Las Vegas. To be specific, they were looking for locations to transplant their call center operations and chose Las Vegas. Before doing so they realized that if they wanted to be true to their customer service ideal then the call center shouldn't be set apart from the rest of the operations. As Tony says in the book, "To build the Zappos brand into being about the very best customer service, we needed to make sure customer service was the entire company, not just a department."

The future of the company was in doubt at various points. Several times Zappos was close to folding. Employees made a variety of sacrifices to keep the operations going. People lived in hotels or apartments for months at a time, took pay cuts, or worked for free. Tony sold many of his personal assets in order to keep the business afloat. Why? He was rich, having sold a previous company he started (LinkExchange) to Microsoft for $265 million. It's because he, and those around him, valued the company's potential. He believed it would be financially successful, for sure. More importantly, he believed that Zappos could be ideologically successful also. It fit with the decision he made in 1999 to "stop chasing the money and start chasing the passion."

Now here's where the cynical side of my nature rears its ugly head. Millionaires, especially young ones (Tony Hsieh was 24 years old at the time of the LinkExchange sale) chasing their passion generally has me rolling my eyes into the back of my head. Tony's reality is not the same as most people. Many don't have the resources and access that he does. This is the trap that I've allowed myself to fall into. Believing myself (and others like me) to be on equal footing with a multi-millionaire will just lead to resentment. The lessons inherent in his story is the point, and that's what I enjoyed about the book.

So what are those lessons? For me, it's a few things:

People will do almost anything to be a part of something great. Tony and the Zappos team struggled and made a lot of sacrifices in order to keep the business afloat. These shared experiences made them a stronger culture. There's a passage in the book where Tony talks about how the move to Las Vegas, while difficult, was actually a good thing. Since they were in a new city where they had no friends, they had to rely on each other in and out of work. I've personally seen this happen at companies I've worked for. When I left Macy's to join J. Crew I was part of the 1st team that was hired for their then flagship location. The long hours spent together getting the store ready for opening, and the ensuing holiday season madness, brought us together in ways that more normal circumstances wouldn't have. Strong personal relationships were formed. It's been over a decade and I'm still friends with many of those same people.

Culture won't survive if you don't handle the money. If Zappos hadn't secured a line of credit in 2003 to stabilize its operations it would have went out of business. The well known culture it's become would never have been. On a personal level, if you want to "start chasing the passion" then make sure you have a solid enough financial foundation to work from. Or else be prepared to struggle, much like Tony did.

If you believe in what you do, be prepared to work for it. It seems logical but this is what separates dreamers from doers. It's rarely easy to follow one's dreams, which is why they often remain just that. Which leads to the next lesson, which is that

There are no guarantees. There's no clause in the 'follow your bliss' contract that states you will achieve it. You may fail, or find out that your dream has morphed into something else. Enjoy the trip while keeping an eye on the destination.

So I enjoyed the book and the messages it contained. If you've read the book I'm curious to know what you thought of it!

Clean Out the Crap!

2011-07-12T11:18:00.000-04:00

I was in my kid's bathroom the other day and I noticed that there was a pool of dirty water in the sink. The water wasn't draining properly. Huh. So I fiddled with it for a couple of minutes and nothing happened. Now one of the beautiful things about city living is that we have a Service Department. I'm decent with a set of tools but I know my limits. I much prefer leaving things like this to the experts.

So I called them up and a technician came and checked it out. We found that there was tons of crap in the drain. Not just hair, as you might expect, but an old toothbrush, several flossers, and a black gook that looked as if a spark of electricity would bring it to life. It was nasty looking, as well as a little embarrassing. And obviously, the only reason we noticed is because it got so bad that it caused the sink to back up. It wasn't able to work properly.

Just like at home, I'm sure we have the potential for "clogged drains" within the companies we serve. By an organizational clogged drain I mean any area of the business that collects crap and prevents things from operating effectively. Maybe it's a physical space, such as an area of the office where things magically collect like dust bunnies and no one organizes. If you still have paper files then you probably know what I'm talking about. For those of us in retail this can take the form of equipment being stored in an unsafe manner or area (e.g., visual props stored in a fire exit; ladders not secured properly when not being used). These things sound benign, yet could potentially lead to frustration (in the case of not being able to find a file in time for a client), accidents (in the case of the retail example I provided), or legal recourse.

The other, more difficult to pin down and correct, type of clogged drain is mental. Maybe it's someone who's been part of the organization for forever and doesn't know how to get further engaged. They're creatures of routine and don't know how to shake themselves up in order to perform better. Maybe it's someone who's not taking good care of themselves. They look half-asleep all the time because they're working too hard. More research is pointing out that getting enough sleep is important, not only for individual but for organizational performance. Lack of quality sleep can result in accidents at work, missed days, and diminished mental and physical performance. Check out this report from the National Sleep Foundation for further details.

These employees may be competent, likable (or not), and do enough to get things done. How long can they sustain this performance before it catches up to them? Do they recognize recognize their self-limiting behavior? More importantly, does the company? And if the answer's yes, what steps are being take to address it on an individual and organizational level?

Systems are important. Well-functioning ones allow for people and companies to focus more energy on items that defy routine, such as meeting sales quotas, raising a family, and living a life of quality. Make sure that yours stay well maintained!

So thinking about my story, where are the potential for clogged drains within your organization? What systems, if any, do you have in place to diagnose and address this?

SHRM 2011 - Past, Present, and Future

2011-07-01T14:09:00.000-04:00

I recently attended the SHRM Annual Conference held in Las Vegas, Nevada (aka Sin City). What better place to be as a HR professional than an entire city that can be perceived as one big HR Nightmare? And if you followed the Twitter stream you may have gotten the impression that some of those nightmares were HR folks themselves. But that's another story, and one that I'm not telling. Remember, what happens in Vegas...

As far as myself, I stayed out of trouble and learned a lot. The most interesting part for me was that the conference was a convergence of sorts. People and ideas that I normally kept discrete came together and mingled over the course of several days.

For those of you that didn't know, I attended this event with several of my co-workers from Disney, my present company. There were a lot of us and their conference experience ranged from novice to seasoned veteran. I've been to several Annual Conferences so it was fun to talk shop with them about sessions, guest speakers both past and present, and how to best navigate the vendor Expo Hall. Speaking of the Expo, I want it on the record that I collected no swag this year. I was very disciplined! Although I did my best to win an Ipad, it was not meant to be.

Another cool thing I was able to share with them was some of my experiences in social media. Now I've always had a low-key mentality about my social media work. Being part of large companies with strong brand presence left me reluctant to expose myself to any issues or misunderstandings about what I do online. I don't deny what I do (it's on my LinkedIn profile, so I'm not exactly being quiet about it) but I don't make it part of my work either.

There was something about the comfort I felt with them that made me open up over the course of the conference. Maybe it was because I noticed that they were actively posting messages to Facebook. Maybe it was because we were in Las Vegas. The point is that I talked about what I did and shared stories with them. The highlight for me was when I told them about how my tweet got me onto the Zappos Delivering Happiness Tour bus! Now I don't know if I made them social media evangelists but I didn't deny who I am. This event served as a great way for us to tighten our bonds as a team.

Hanging out in the back of the Zappos Delivering Happiness bus

I also ran into several colleagues from a past company, H&M. It was good to see them and talk about what's going on in their lives. It was also good to see that the company was reinvesting in the team. Conference attendance was eliminated in the final 3 years I was with them. Maybe my leaving freed up some money in the budget? Hmmmm...

Of course I ran into tons of my online HR buddies, people like Rachel Salley, Laurie Ruettimann, Rob Lockard, Nancy Slotnick, Teela Jackson, and a host of others. It was good to reconnect with them and see all the great things they were up to. I even managed to introduce some of them to my Disney co-workers. Here's another thing I learned - Steve Boese is very smooth when it comes to meeting new people. I also made new connections (shout out to Joel Peterson-always good to connect with other NYC-based HR pros!) online and off.

So I let my online self peek through to my co-workers, through my Twitter interactions and real life connections. There's part of that convergence I was talking about earlier. It felt good to be open about it. I now know that I have to be more honest about this part of my life.

That's only part of what I took away from this year's conference. I'm still processing all of the sights, sounds, and emotions I experienced. It will be a time of self-reflection for me, both personally and personally. Expect more posts in the near future about what that means and may look like.

So, what did you like best about the 2011 SHRM Annual Conference? Let me know in the comments!

The Sound and the Fury - Music and HR

2011-06-04T10:24:00.000-04:00

Over the past week a few HR pros (Steve Browne, Matthew Stollak, Paul Smith, Dwane Lay, and John Jorgensen being the main ones; others come in and out as they please) and I have been having a bit of fun on Twitter. It started with the fact that one of the things we have in common is a love of music. So what happens when you get geeks talking about their favorite things? They want to share of course! And that's how #HRMusicShare got started. Go check it out when you have a moment. An feel free to join in; we're pretty harmless!

So on Thursday someone from the group suggested that we share our favorite covers. There were a lot of interesting ones contributed (mine was Imperial March by Rage Against the Machine). Of course, not all songs appeal to everyone, especially covers. Like any form of art, people develop strong feelings and opinions about it and it's difficult to change that. For someone to alter it can be jarring. But that doesn't stop people from trying. Maybe they want to pay homage to the original artist. Perhaps they have a vision of what the song could be like. Maybe they just want to savage it (a certain a cappella version of Sexyback by Justin Timberlake comes to mind. I'll let you find it on your own).

I have found that, in my opinion, the best cover songs work because the artist does this:

They rock it and make it theirs.

Whether they stay fairly true to the source material or demolish it and start over completely, great artists take an existing song and add something personal, something special to the mix. You can hear it; think Frank Sinatra singing The Theme from New York, New York. It's a difficult thing to do and most fail. When it works though, it's a beautiful thing.

For my HR friends out there, think about that. Not every process needs to be scrapped in the name of innovation. Not everything needs to be re-engineered from the ground up. Just rock it and make it yours.

Man, Machine, and Coming of Age

2011-04-21T05:00:00.000-04:00

In case you missed it, April 19th, 2011 was the day Skynet was supposed to become self-aware. I, along with several friends and colleagues, had a bit of fun with it. The Terminator franchise, like most pop culture artifacts, can be a great way to bond with people.

As I thought about it further, there is something compelling about the idea of self-awareness. In particular, there's that special point in time where one has an 'a-ha!' moment, and you have a clearer understanding of who you are. Following closely upon that realization is that something needs to be done; the current state of being is no longer enough.

I've had several of those moments, career-wise:

In 1996 I realized that I could no longer work in a toxic workplace. I took a pay cut in order to leave.
In 1998 I realized that I was no longer satisfied with being in a non-leadership role. It took a few years but I was able to become a manager.
In 2009 I realized that work wasn't fulfilling enough and that I had more to share. That's when I started engaging with the online Human Resource and business professional community.
In 2010 I realized that, after 8 years with a great company, it was time to move on.

If I didn't have the moments I described above my life may have been vastly different from what it is now. And as a leader it's even more important to be open to these moments. It's this insight that enables a leader to speak up when things no longer make sense, and a new path needs to be chosen. The alternative, continuing with methods that are no longer successful, will most likely lead to frustration and diminishing returns. It's scary and if it's done right can lead to greater trust from colleagues, as well as a stronger organization.

So becoming self-aware doesn't necessarily mean destroying the world. It does mean making decisions, about who you are and what you want, and they can have long-lasting and far reaching effects.

So tell me, when and what was your last 'a-ha!' moment? Leave a comment!

Greed or Just Rewards? Safety Bonuses Paid After Major Tragedy

2011-04-06T05:00:00.005-04:00

I was hoping this was a twisted April Fools' Day joke but apparently it's not. From the Associated Press:

"Transocean Ltd. gave its top executives bonuses for achieving the "best year in safety performance in our company's history" - despite the explosion of its oil rig that killed 11 people and spilled 200 million gallons (757 million liters) of oil into the Gulf of Mexico."

What?

Now I don't pretend to understand executive compensation. My experience is in the realm of store level compensation, specifically in regards to quarterly and annual bonuses. However, if I'm reading this article correctly it doesn't appear to be much different.

The programs I managed awarded individuals and groups who met certain goals, which is what Transocean did. The article states that "the company still had an "exemplary" safety record because it met or exceeded certain internal safety targets concerning the frequency and severity of its accidents, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday." So it appears that, in spite Transocean's role in the largest offshore oil spill in history, it was on or above their target goals.

Really?

Were the company's safety goals so horrific before that 11 dead and billions of dollars in damage seem like an improvement? Apparently, the answer is yes; the incident rate fell 4% in 2010 over 2009.

Also, I've worked for organizations that provided a clause in its compensation program which, generally stated, made bonus payouts contingent upon certain criteria being met. For example, if an employee was on disciplinary action, or if the company was unable to pay out bonuses due to a financial emergency.

Where was the language in the Transocean's bonus program to protect the company from paying these types of bonuses? Or were they locked in and didn't have a choice (as this BBC article implies)?

This would have been a great opportunity for the leadership at Transocean to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to correcting the mistakes of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy. By not paying out this money it would have earned them much needed positive public relations and goodwill. And the timing is awful. Doing a securities filing on a Friday (and April Fools' Day) seems... sneaky, as if they thought it wouldn't be noticed amongst the day's pranks and other distractions. The timing and lack of communication from the company isn't helping them change people's perception.

Again, this isn't my area of expertise. And in cases like these I'm almost glad that I'm not more knowledgeable about executive compensation. This is an emotional issue and it's because of this that I decided to do something different with this blog post. Over the weekend I reached out to a few trusted Human Resource professionals and showed them the draft of this post. What I was looking for were a fresh set of eyes focused on the post. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing anything critical.

So I asked if they could share their thoughts. Currently I received 2 responses. Franny O. and Steve Browne provided much needed perspective on the situation.

From Franny:

"Truly I don't know. But it could be a couple of things:

They could need to keep the folks involved employed/fat and happy, so they'll remain witnesses FOR Transocean rather than against them, as hearings and trials continue.

They could just see a greater risk in failing to honor the terms of their employment contracts than in losing what small amount of credibility they have with the general public, especially since much of the media has moved on from this tragedy.

They could honestly be that tone deaf."

And Steve:

"The missing point to me is trying to be rational in an emotional situation.

TransOcean appears to be oblivious of their actions because it seems to flaunt money in spite of the spill. You're trying to make it seem "right", and it won't. They think that rewarding these "goals" will incent folks to continue to "perform" - which may happen short-term, just don't expect them to care.

Safety incentives are tricky because they focus on avoidance vs. performance. People are hitting numbers to get their carrot and if that happens to keep people safe, then great. It doesn't truly ensure a better safety environment.

Sadly, there are folks at TransOcean who probably deserved this bonus because they are doing good work. We just can't see that because their primary actions have shown otherwise."

Thanks Franny and Steve! I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my request.

So some great points were made. In looking at just the big picture I lost sight of some things. I viewed Transocean as a monolithic organization, almost as a person, instead of an entity composed of hundreds of employees. Those that received the bonuses may not have had any direct ties to the disaster. Also, my perception around these bonuses shouldn't take away from the fact that safety measurements did show improvement. If this led to less deaths and accidents then that's to be applauded.

It also highlighted how tricky incentives can be. What measures a company focuses on ("avoidance vs. performance" as Steve pointed out) and how they reward employees don't always turn out to be the right ones, either internally or in the public's eye. I'd be curious to know if non-executives had the opportunity to participate and if so, what the bonus structure looked like for them.

In conclusion, while it appears callous and short-sighted, I'll concede that there could be more to the story than what's currently being reported. Again, I believe the leadership at Transocean, if they wanted to regain public trust, should be up front about the bonus payments. If not then they can expect people to draw their own conclusions.

The Best Resume Ever

2011-04-04T05:00:00.004-04:00

This made my day. The best part is this was sent to me via an actual job posting. This is (as far as I know) an actual applicant!

You can see the full size version here

Toxic Superstar aka Oh Crap, Another Charlie Sheen Blog Post

2011-03-31T05:00:00.001-04:00

I didn't want to write this post. I hate adding to the noise around celebrities and their lives. As someone placed in a position to uphold the confidentiality given to me by my employer and employees I'm reluctant to use someone's personal life as a lesson for understanding. However, I can't seem to avoid him. Charlie Sheen's all over Twitter, the news, blogs. The man's everywhere. He's taken over all of the communication channels I normally use.

"Sheen's camp is clearly out there trying to create a marketplace for their client. And the media is lapping it up like a thirsty dog"

He's the dark side of personal branding. He's overshadowed the show that's help make him wildly successful and, in spite having horrible behavior that would have gotten him fired had he worked at a "normal" job, he seems to be doing well. Of course that's relative; for all I know he could be millions in debt. And it's well known that his family life's in shambles.

So what's my point? Charlie Sheen is the "new normal" for organizations that tolerate toxic superstars. When CBS finally acted against his poor behavior, he did what many disgruntled employees would do-he vented using the tools at his disposal. While the scale of his response was unusual it shouldn't surprise any of us in Human Resources. Disciplinary action and terminations against employees posting inappropriate messages online are not uncommon anymore. Many organizations have, or are developing, policies and training around social media and how individuals should be using it to best represent the organization they serve. Social media gives individuals a vibrant platform to broadcast their thoughts and actions. Like any tool, it can be abused, and companies need to come to grip with that reality.

When all is said and done, I wish his family and him the best of luck. For the readers, start thinking about the type of culture your organizations promote. Some questions to ask are:

Are star performers at your company held to the same (ethical and professional) standards as everyone else?
What types of programs are in place to ensure that employees are aware of the company's position on public communications, confidentiality, and remaining positive brand ambassadors?
What's your employee exit strategy, both for "normal" separations and volatile ones?
Now that the person's no longer part of the organization, how do you protect its reputation in the public sphere?

Terminated employees may no longer go silently into the night. If not handled well, they can come back to haunt you.

What a Long, Strange Trip it's Been...

2011-03-29T05:00:00.000-04:00

I'm retiring-my shoes, that is.

I received them when I first joined J. Crew, way back in the 90's. All employees hired at that time received a uniform composed of a shirt, khaki pants, and a pair of shoes. As a stock associate I received the pair that you see in the picture. This was a new and exciting experience for me. My previous work uniform consisted of an dung colored, uncomfortable, and not-very-flattering nylon shirt that had my name on it. So with this wardrobe upgrade I was clearly moving up in the world.

So I've had these shoes for close to 15 years now. 15 years! Aside from being comfortable these shoes represent a lot to me. I've had them through 4 companies, numerous roles and job titles, and plenty of learning experiences. I've worn them through snowstorms and job interviews. They've been around the world and back again. If you could walk a mile in my shoes you would learn some things:

Not all retailers are the same. For example, I've learned the difference (the hard way) between working in a union and non-union store. I worked at Macy's for 6 years prior to going to J. Crew. Macy's in New York City is a union shop, meaning that you can't be employed there without becoming a member of the local union. As a union employee I was used to certain benefits that, at my young age, I thought all retail workers received. Wrong! Aside from this different retailers have similar yet unique cultures. Going further, this can even vary within a company-each store can possess a unique variation of a company's overall culture. So it's important to find one that you truly fit into. If you don't you won't be able to succeed.
Hard work will open doors for you. As I mentioned, I've managed to move up through the ranks in my retail career. I don't consider myself particularly talented. I do have a strong work ethic and ability to learn. When I decide to tackle an issue I don't let go of it until I get it resolved. Sometimes that's meant making huge mistakes and learning from them. It's this ethic that's gotten me noticed by those in a position to help me advance.
Take care of yourself. My shoes and I have lasted this long because of some simple maintenance, done routinely over the course of time. I've been in the retail profession for 22 years, mainly in store level positions. It's a physically and mentally challenging environment. If you don't take care you can easily get hurt or burned out.
There's nothing like grand openings! I've had the pleasure of being part of 3 in my career. When I went to work for J. Crew I was part of their opening staff for their then flagship store. When I went to H&M it was to be a part of their team for their newest Manhattan store at the time. I did miss the actual grand opening, as I was just returning from Norway where I was being trained for my role. I did get to experience a grand opening on a smaller scale when H&M opened a location in St. Louis (see the below video). And now I've achieved this again with Disney, opening their Times Square location, currently the largest for the company.

My time in retail has been a great one and I look forward to a bright future in the industry that I love. As for my shoes, it's time to say good-bye. You've been part of many a milestone.

The Rebirth of SHRM Connect

2011-03-21T05:00:00.011-04:00

I mentioned in a previous post that I was invited to attend a SHRM sponsored Taskforce meeting in Washington DC. The discussion was centered around SHRM Connect, the member exclusive social networking platform that was introduced close to 2 years ago. I attended along with Ben Eubanks, Jessica Merrill, Sharlyn Lauby, Bryan Wempen, Michael VanDervort, John Jorgensen, and other high profile social media users in the Human Resources space. I honestly had high expectations in terms of networking and low expectations regarding updates to SHRM Connect. Call me cynical or arrogant but I didn't believe that SHRM was truly going to listen to our suggestions on how to improve the platform.

In the end I was pleasantly surprised-SHRM is listening (who knew?). There was a diverse group represented at the Taskforce meeting. There were SHRM members from various levels (state, local, and at-large) and departments at both the Thursday meet-up and the Taskforce meeting on Friday. Aside from the chance to contribute to the further development of SHRM Connect, having the pleasure to meet these individuals in person was a personal highlight for me. Some standout moments for me include: convincing Pamela J. Green, SHRM's Chief Membership Officer, to switch mobile Twitter applications; talking technology with SHRM's Chief Information Officer Heidi Byerly; and putting Project: Social earworms in Curtis Midkiff and Laurie McIntosh's heads.

Other professional associations members were invited to participate in the meeting as well. They were:

Ted Simpson, Executive Vice President, Higher Education Users Group
Heather McNair, Vice President of Marketing and Social Media, American Association of Nurse Assessment
Shari Rager, Assistant Director, CAE, Child Life Council

This was a great move on SHRM's part as it allowed us to see what similar institutions had done in the area of internal social media platforms. All 3 spoke of the successes and failures that their organizations went through. No one had the magic bullet; it was a work in progress to figure out what their respective members wanted and how to deliver it to them. The other consideration was how to use these platforms as a way to facilitate more or greater interactions between members. So SHRM is not alone in this.

As far as upgrades to the site there was a lot to look forward to. The mock-ups look good. Navigation and functionality concerns seem to be addressed. HR Talk, their forum site, will become integrated with SHRM Connect. This will enhance the experience in both arenas. Human Resource professionals will continue have a robust forum for discussion and finding answers to their questions. Having HR Talk as part of SHRM Connect should drive more traffic to it and should result in more connections and interactions there.

There was also an energetic discussion around whether or not SHRM Connect should be open to non-members. Most agreed that the site shouldn't be fully accessible. "This is for us!" was the overwhelming sentiment in the room. The general consensus was that the site could be structured around a "freemium" model. Non-members could gain access to certain areas and if they wanted greater benefits they could subscribe for a fee, meaning the cost of SHRM membership. Revenue generation was interwoven into a lot of conversations. SHRM does have to pay for these things somehow! This opened up the possibility of a more flexible payment model than is currently available.

Will a new and improved SHRM Connect drive me away from LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook? Probably not. But I'm not the target audience in many respects. Many HR pros are departments of one. Many are new to their roles and need a well-known and trusted resource. SHRM is an excellent clearinghouse of HR related services and information. Need a white paper or toolkit? The website probably has it, or the HR Talk participants can point you in the right direction. If a better SHRM Connect platform can get more members to embrace and leverage social media tools for improving the profession then I will gladly support it.

Good luck SHRM, and thanks for the opportunity to be heard. And kudos to Gary Rubin, Steven Williams, Anne-Margaret Olsson, and the rest of the SHRM team for putting together a well run Taskforce meeting!

Disasters and Leadership Lessons...

2011-03-16T05:00:00.013-04:00

The nation of Japan is in dire straits right now. Between the earthquakes, tsunamis, and critical conditions occurring at their nuclear facilities it's safe to say that it's citizens are being challenged in ways many people can't imagine. It's been scary to observe and I hope for the best.

As expected, there's a lot of news coverage of the events, exploring many aspects of the disaster-lives impacted, radiation updates, people miraculously saved. One storyline that stood out to me was that there seems to be very little looting going on. Despite power outages and supply shortages reports highlight orderly efforts by residents to cope with events. In several they specifically contrast what's occurring in Japan to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This is striking and misleading for a few reasons.

First, what happened in New Orleans and throughout the Gulf states was largely preventable. The levee system in Louisiana was known to be susceptible to failure from a major storm. FEMA's poor (to put it mildly) response to the disaster has been well documented. Reports from Japan also neglect to discuss the fact that poverty and race played a role in the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina. Contrast this to Japan's emergency preparedness efforts. It appears that Japanese leaders have long understood what controls and systems needed to be in place for the good of its citizens. So it's easy to see that there's no comparison between the two. One scenario represents a system overwhelmed, the other in neglect.

"I would like to ensure that the government will prepare itself for disaster, together with the people, so that it can confidently say that 'Providing is preventing'"

Prime Minister of Japan Naoto Kan

I hope that this serves as a lesson for all leaders that when it comes to the people it serves there shouldn't be any cut corners or shortcuts. While it's everyone's responsibility to act in an appropriate manner in an emergency, it's our responsibility as leaders to ensure that the environment supports expected behaviors. It's simply the right thing to do.

Lives are on the line so if you're interested you can reach out to these or other humanitarian groups:

The Red Cross - http://www.redcross.org/
Doctors Without Borders - http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

Tick, tick, tick... The Social Media Elevator Pitch

2011-03-15T05:00:00.004-04:00

I've been going through a phase recently where I've actively pared down my online social profile. Much of my decision is due to the fact that my life offline is much busier. A new job for myself, new directions for my growing children, and an emerging HR-related social life has required that I shift priorities. I can no longer divide my attention amongst different mediums as I once did.

Also, I'm at the point of my online career where I have effective practices in place for the sites I use the most. When I was new to social media I was eager and able to experiment. Now that I've, ahem, matured, I use what works. Whereas I might have looked at a new site or platform as a blank canvas from which to express myself, I now see these things as work, which I have enough of these days, thank you very much.

Also, I can't seem to tell one site or platform from another these days. They all seem to be variations of those that I currently use, with maybe a cool widget thrown in as a point of differentiation. When all's said and done it seems like more labor on my part. How many times can I be expected to create a profile, import contacts, and send invitations to connect with those I'm already connected to elsewhere? Some of this is me being a curmudgeon, but I believe it to be a valid point. Social media is at the point where a site, app, or platform needs to do more than aggregate your information and give you shiny objects or rewards for your effort.

I don't want to imply that it's all a big waste of time. I understand the social aspect, though. When done right, social media creates the conditions by which communities of interest can take hold, grow, and evolve. That's what I most appreciate about the medium. I'm more than willing to put forth the effort if I believe it's worthwhile. So I don't necessary want ease of use. I don't even want a great interface. I want a great experience, one that makes my time and effort worth it. I don't want a carbon copy of LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter (aka the Big 3). Give me elegant design, exceptional privacy settings and data security, or an actual human being that works with you to make the most of the site's capabilities. Imagine if the Big 3 provided real time expert advice to its members in the same manner as Apple Geniuses! Most of these so called social media experts would be out of a job.

Give me something so far outside of the realm of the Big 3 that I use it for a unique (but perhaps complimentary) purpose. It started that way for me in the beginning. LinkedIn was my online resume, Twitter was my gateway to connect with other progressive Human Resource professionals, and Facebook was where I kept in contact with friends from the old neighborhood. Now all 3 are intertwined (no offense to anyone but I don't want to see your Twitter stream on LinkedIn) and I don't know if that's such a good thing anymore. I share in that blame for sure, hence my recent clean-up.

So here's the deal. I won't automatically disqualify a social media tool, site, or platform anymore. This doesn't mean I'll try anything, but I'll be receptive to those that are referred to me by people I trust. However, it has only 60 days to wow me. At the end of 60 if I'm not loving it I'm killing it.

Let the games begin!

The end? No, I'm just beginning...

2011-03-14T05:00:00.003-04:00

Today marks the second anniversary of this blog. As I was going through the site I came across this blog post draft. The piece below was from an emotional time for me and it seems right to post it now. It's a little rough around the edges but I don't mind. Here it is...

After 8 years I'm leaving H&M. It's been a rolloercoaster ride and I enjoyed it a lot. It's time to pour my creative energy into a new venture. I'm not going to bore you with the details; if you want to know more than just get in contact with me.

I do want to discuss one thing about my last few weeks with H&M and that's my exit. The team's been very professional and understanding as we've worked on what was needed to wrap things up in a good way. Plans were made, resources moved around, and goals were set. And while there's simply no way to take care of everything before I go, I feel confident that the world won't end once I leave. Whew!

What made me a little wistful was my exit interview. Again, it was handled with professionalism and grace. The feedback I gave to the facilitator was virtually unchanged from what I've shared with co-workers and supervisors once I announced my resignation. What made me a little sad was that, for all of the information given, it didn't tell the complete story. It couldn't; there simply wasn't enough time in the day to talk about it all. I had a story to tell and organizations on not built around stories, they're built around processes.

In looking back at this draft I now realize how lucky I am to have this blog. I can't expect employees, peers, and supervisors to spend time out of their busy lives to hear my story. We've got a business to run, people! I have this great outlet (and readers-thank you for putting up with me!) for expressing not only the practical but creative side of business, Human Resources, and doing great work. Thank you for participating in this social experiment of mine for the past two years. I hope you stick with me until the end, whenever that may be.

Social Norms and the Workplace-What's on the Horizon?

2011-03-11T08:01:00.000-05:00

Fun fact about me, dear readers - my mom thought I would never get a job.

Picture me as a teenager and ready to go out and get a job. I wanted to make some money so I could go out and do the things I thought were important at the time. One of those things was getting my hair dreaded and my ears pierced. I told my mom of this and she was, well, concerned, to say the least. She was dead set against both things and forbid me to do it. So I did what most teenagers did when faced with parental opposition-I waited until she left me alone for an extended period and did it anyway. I'll spare you the details but put simply she wasn't pleased. For her, I basically crippled my chances of securing meaningful employment.

Fast forward a few decades and we're both happy to see that this didn't happen. In my case, my appearance works within the guidelines of most organizations I've worked for. The only concession I've ever had to make was in regards to my earrings. A large part of that has to do with working in retail. Many retailers have dress code and grooming guidelines, however, most restrictions are in relation to uniform and clothing choices. Also, lawsuits and public scrutiny surrounding hair styles and religious accommodations have forced companies to open up their policies.

Another factor is simply times have changed. In my early years my hairstyle was considered unusual (Note to readers-Yes, they are real. Also, describing someone's features as "exotic" is offensive. Finally, touching my hair without asking first is flat out rude.) and now that's no longer the case. Also, piercings aside from earrings are becoming more and more accepted in the workplace. Tattoos are as well. I had the pleasure of working with a District Manager, a person who managed approximately $100 million of company assets, who proudly sported tattoos from his neck to the back of his hands. Diversity includes one's appearance, and many organizations are looking more at performance measures than if you look a certain way.

So what's next on the horizon? What's unusual, uncommon, or unacceptable now that will change in the future? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Where I'll Be...

2011-03-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

Over the next several months I'm going to have the chance to do some traveling. Here's what I have confirmed so far:

SHRM Connect Evolution Task Force Meeting (March 17-18th) - I'll be heading to Washington D.C. to participate in a discussion about SHRM Connect. This is SHRM's social network platform that was launched shortly after their 2009 national conference. They're looking for feedback on how to make it a better tool for SHRM members. There were a lot of strong feelings expressed about it when first launched so I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of the meeting. It'll also give me a chance to meet with some great HR professionals, such as Sharlyn Lauby, John Jorgensen, and my Project: Social cohort, Ben Eubanks.

HRevolution (April 29th-30th) - This will be my 2nd year attending this great event (and the only HR event I went to last year). I'm looking forward to participating in great discussions, meeting with more Project: Social participants, and really trying to move HR forward as a profession.

SHRM National Convention (June 25th-29th) - Vegas baby! Seriously, I'm looking forward to this year's event for a few reasons. First, it'll be the first SHRM event I attend with my Disney co-workers. On a personal level, it'll be deja-vu all over again-the first SHRM conference I ever attended was the 2007 Las Vegas one. Then there's the FOT show, which I'm sure will be quite the event! The conference sessions have enough variety to keep a HR geek like me interested. Last, but definitely not least, I'll get to meet and talk shop with some my HR comrades.

HR Florida State Conference and Expo (August 29th-31st) - I'm excited and nervous about this event as I was selected to be a part of the HR Florida State Council's Social Technology team. This means that I'll be an active participant in the conference's operation and success. I'm honored to be teamed up with a great group of social media savvy practitioners. We're going to do everything possible to make this year's conference a spectacular one!

So that's what 2011 looks like so far. If you're attending any of these events and want to connect don't hesitate to reach out to me!

(Not Quite) Vacation Time

2011-02-26T10:30:00.004-05:00

I was thinking about vacation planning today and I remembered an old blog post of mine around the subject. Having a new job has meant a lot of changes and paid time off has been one of them. It's probably been the biggest adjustment, as I've gone from a very generous PTO package to one that's more in line with the industry. A significant part of that change in status is due to tenure. I went from benefits accrued over a 8 year span to being the new kid so I get that. Still, it's required that I rethink how I manage my non-work time.

I still count myself fortunate. Regardless of my situation the fact is that many Americans don't have adequate PTO options. There are no Federal requirements to offer workers vacation. The economy and increased workloads have made it so people are reluctant to take the time that they do have. In short, a lot of people are working too hard and not getting enough time to themselves.

So as the weather gets warmer I want to ask the readers these questions:

Should Paid Time Off be legally mandated in the United States?

What would an ideal PTO policy look like for the organization you serve?

I would love to know your thoughts. Thanks!

Project: Social - It's Live!

2011-02-16T05:00:00.009-05:00

As you know, Ben Eubanks and I have been working behind the scenes on Project: Social (PS). When Ben and I set up the program we wanted to make sure that it was a something worthwhile to those that participated. Could we put something together that allowed people to grow and develop as social media users? Could we make it simple yet engaging? Ben and I quickly realized that our conversations around this meant nothing without testing the program. To help answer these questions we selected 3 groups of guinea pigs, I mean, beta-testers. They were kind enough to test it out and their feedback has been instrumental in figuring out how to best continue with the program.

So Ben and I want to take a moment to thank the PS beta-testers:

Michael VanDervort

Sabrina Baker

Dave Ryan

Laura Schroeder

Lisa Rosendahl

William Gould

We appreciate the time and effort in making the beta testing a success!

So now what? Well, after what seems like decades (in reality just a few months) Project: Social is now out of beta-testing and is live!

So what does this mean? First, it means that we're committed to making Project: Social a great program, one that allows participants to learn and grow at their own pace, in partnership with intelligent, creative, and (dare I say it) passionate professionals. To aid the program we're adding a community-focused component, which is located on LinkedIn. This forum gives people a chance to add their ideas and support to Project: Social even if not directly involved as a mentor or mentee.

In addition we're going to rev-up the use of the #ProjectSocial hashtag on Twitter so everyone knows what's going on!

Last, and certainly not least, we have another set of mentoring groups ready to go!

Let's learn a little about them, shall we?

Thaddeus Figlock is a former Human Resource consultant looking for the next great challenge. He currently holds a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). My favorite thing about Thaddeus is that he works in retail! You can learn more about Thaddeus here.

John Jorgensen is a consultant, Adjunct Instructor, Conference Director at the Illinois State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and blogger. In short, he's an incredibly experienced and well-rounded HR professional. You can view his profile here.

Inshirah Muhamut is a talent management consultant for a regional grocery chain. In addition she's active as a recruiting coordinator for a local volunteer group, helping to develop future leaders in the community and beyond. Check out Inshirah's profile here.

Joan Ginsberg is a lawyer, HR, and administrative management professional. She's also a blogger some of whose work has been featured on my blog. You can view her full bio here.

Pawan Tahilramani is a Senior HR Generalist in the Canadian software industry. He's also received his Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation. Learn more about Pawan here.

Lance Haun is, well, Lance Haun. Blogger, former HR professional now Community Director for ERE Media, Inc., Lance is well known figure occupying the intersection between Human Resources and social media. He also sparked the conversation that led to the formation of Project: Social. Learn about Lance here.

Good luck to you, new PS group! Of course, Ben and I (and the emerging PS community) are here to support your needs. Don't hesitate to reach out to us should you need to. I know I'm super-excited to see where this next group takes their ideas and plans.

Ben and I are fully confident of the program's usefulness to the Human Resources community. We hope you join us in making Project: Social a useful tool for HR professionals.

Be a part of the program, be a part of the community, be a part of Project: Social!

Talk Sweetly To Me... How You Make Connections Matter

2011-02-11T07:55:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is fast approaching here in the United States. From a retail perspective, this year's day of love should be better than the last one. According to this report from the National Retail Federation (NRF):

"the average consumer will shell out $116.21 on traditional...merchandise this year, up 12.8% over last year's $103.00. Total holiday spending is expected to reach $15.7 billion." (emphasis mine)

Of course, not everyone spends this amount and the best gifts can't always be bought. How many of you remember making Valentine's Day cards as a kid in school? A few crayons, some glue (which I admit was used to engage in tons mischief) and construction paper allowed most children to create masterpieces of love, at least in the eyes of their parents. Growing up I had teachers who used one of two approaches to card making and giving. One approach was to create one for a specific person. This was a cause of great anxiety for me. There's nothing like being 5 and having a crush-on my teacher, no less-to teach you that life isn't fair. Don't worry, I'm not bitter or anything.

The second is to create cards for everyone. This seems fair, right? Everyone supposedly goes home happy, even that weird kid in the back row. To make this happen a teacher would distribute a blank generic piece of art stock. All you had to do was decorate it, add the recipient's name, and you were done.

The problem with the second approach is that there's nothing to say that the person who created this card really cared for me as an individual. It was an obligation; I had no way of knowing if the person truly cared about me. When you go out of your way to create and give someone a personalized item, it shows the recipient that you were thinking of them in particular. Your approach and delivery is different.

I'm a grown-up now and I still find myself thinking of these things, except in a much different context. As someone who uses social media extensively I'm often surprised and disappointed by the way in which people choose to connect with me on different platforms.

Let's look at the big 3 of Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook:

Twitter-this platform makes it ridiculously easy to connect with someone you're interested in. All you have to do is click the 'Follow' button and it's done. There's no magic; when I get notifications I often ask myself, "Why did they choose to follow me?" There's nothing in the connection mechanism to allow for that exchange of information. So I've taken this step on my own, oftentimes asking new followers the above question. I've received a wide range of responses and as a result I've been able to form deeper connections than what would have resulted had I not taken that step.

LinkedIn-LinkedIn allows you to send messages to prospective connections, which gives the sender a great canvas for creativity. Unfortunately, most people use the generic "I'd like to add you to my professional network." message to make connections. When I see this I think, "All you want to do is add to your stats." Why is it so hard to personalize the message? Did the person have an interesting profile? Are they someone whom you admire professionally? Let them know! Most people will appreciate the time and effort it takes.

Facebook-Like LinkedIn, Facebook allows you to send a message along with an invitation to connect. Like LinkedIn, most invitations I receive are generic. Unlike LinkedIn, I don't care. For me, it's the most "social" of the networks I've talked about. If I'm connecting with you it's because I consider you someone I enjoy in a more casual way. I don't use it as a channel for promoting my blog or work-related items. On Facebook, I'm not looking to know why you want to connect because I already know in most cases.

So for the readers out there, the next time you want to reach out to someone, think about your approach and delivery. If you truly want to "connect" then get to know the person better before sending that connection message or clicking the 'Follow' button. Also choose the most appropriate platform for the type of relationship you want to have with that person. People, online and off, want to feel unique and special, especially at the first point of contact. You can do that, can't you?

Saving the World - 5 Ways Comics Can Make Us Better Business Professionals

2011-01-29T11:21:00.002-05:00

It's my day off and I'm reading comics. Forget business books-comics have all I need to be a successful professional. Now they won't tell me how to get angel investors to finance a start-up but they do teach you important lessons.

To be successful it helps to have an ego. Think about it-why would anyone run around in tights? On a more realistic level, think about some of your career goals and what it'll take to achieve them. Whether it's to bring criminals to justice or getting promoted, achieving your objectives sometimes means ignoring what others may think of you (and your wardrobe choices). It means believing in yourself and your abilities, especially when it seems you're the only one that does.

Teamwork. Even singular legends, such as Superman, Batman, and the Hulk, can't always solve issues alone. All are actively part of, or have partnered with, groups through which they've tackled problems beyond their capabilities. For us normal folks, think about which organizations or groups you're a part of (or should be). Can they help get you to the next level? Will its members challenge and encourage your unique combination of abilities?

Villians and ethical behavior. Great heroes are defined by the enemies they face. Batman vs. Joker. Captain America vs. the Red Skull. Many of the most well known heroes faced tremendous adversity. Most of the time they've been able to outwit their opponents. The critical piece is that the hero finds a way to succeed without sacrificing their morals. While it might be easy to view a disliked colleague as your enemy it's disruptive to business if you deal with them in an unethical manner. Remember, "with great power comes great responsibility".

Diversity and the lack thereof. There are no shortage of comic book characters. Look beneath the surface and you may notice that they tend to look alike. Quick-name 3 superheroes of color? That are gay? And there's much to be said about its portrayal of female characters. Unfortunately, comics mirror society in this respect. There's still a lot of work to be done.

Reinvention. The double-edged sword of comic book heroes is that that they are constantly changing. While this means that they stay relevant it also means that they never die. Unlike Brett Favre, sometimes the best way to preserve your legacy and teach others important lessons is to get out of the way.

So comics have been a great teaching tool for me. What unusual resources do you use as a professional? I'd love to hear about it!

Put Up or Shut Up 2011

2011-01-27T08:17:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I had a few friends outline their PUSU goals for 2011. In continuing with the tradition I'm (finally getting around to) sharing mine with the readers here. As always, I ask that you give me the push I need to make these goals a reality.

RETAIL

Have you noticed that work in retail yet I don't talk much about it? Well, I have and that's going to change. Expect more posts on what it's like to work in this industry. I'll talk about my personal experiences-the friends, colleagues, and challenges that played a part in my life-and how they made me who I am today. I'll focus on particular subjects, such as customer service, that are important facets of the retail profession. I plan on doing interviews with other retail veterans as well. With these posts I'm going to paint a picture of my world and ask you to compare it to your own. What makes retail different or the same? Based on what you learned has your perception of the industry changed?

PROJECT: SOCIAL

If you don't already know, Ben Eubanks (he of Upstart HR fame) and I started a social media mentoring program named Project: Social (PS for short). Designed for HR professionals, PS is a volunteer effort to get participants to effectively use social media tools and strategies. It's just another good way for us to be better at our jobs. And who doesn't want that?

For the past several months PS has been in beta mode. We used a small test group to run through the program from beginning to end and the feedback Ben and I received has been overwhelmingly positive-Rock! So pretty soon we'll open PS to more mentoring groups. Expect details soon!

EVENTS

This year looks to be a much better one than 2010 in terms of events I plan to attend. I've recently joined the East Coast Retail Professional Network (ECRPN) on LinkedIn and participated in a breakfast meet-and-greet in New York. Retail is such a small and fast moving community (more on that in a future post) so events like this are good way to keep in touch as well as stay on top of what your colleagues are up to.

As far as other events, I've bought my ticket to HRevolution 2011! I went to last year's event and had a blast. The sessions and venue were great. Chicago, as always, was an amazing city to visit. The best part was the people. It was the first time I was able to meet most of my online HR colleagues in person. Having the chance to put a face to a name/avatar/username helped to deepen the connections that already existed through numerous exchanges via Twitter, LinkedIn, and other online mediums. I felt as if I was meeting someone familiar and not a total stranger. The event reaffirmed my commitment to making the Human Resource profession and its practitioners well respected. I look forward to another excellent event!

I'm also planning to attend other events, one of which I've been asked to participate in! Once details become finalized I'll let you know.

So those are my Put Up Or Shut Up goals for 2011. Retail, Project: Social, and Events are the big focuses, in addition to the usual online/offline 9-5 duties. It's not too much that I'll be overwhelmed yet challenging enough where I'll have to really use my brain and other abilities fully to actually accomplish something worthwhile.

Any questions?

Endings and Beginnings

2011-01-19T22:37:00.005-05:00

It's time for a change.

I've been meaning to switch things up on the blog, starting with the title. I originally came up with "Creative Chaos Consultant" as a way of differentiating myself from other HR bloggers out there. I enjoy talking about other things-business, technology, culture-and I didn't want to pigeonhole myself. Also, I was (somewhat) anonymous when I started so the CCC tag helped preserve my, ahem, secret identity. That hasn't been the case for a while. I'm out of the closet, so to speak.

I also wanted to change blogging platforms. Blogger doesn't have nearly the tools and capabilities as others, such as Wordpress. Besides, all the cool kids seem to be using it. However, Wordpress has been nothing short of a pain in the butt for me. So I've decided to stick with what I know.

So what should I do? The problem was that I wasn't clear on what I wanted to accomplish next. I'm heading into my second year (can you believe it? I certainly can't) as a blogger and I had a lot of questions. Did I want to reach a larger audience and increase my influence? Did I want to attempt to earn extra money from blogging? If so, then I would need a more robust platform. I would also need to dedicate more time and energy into blogging. I would need to learn more about what self-hosting is, analytics, plug-ins, RSS feeds... on and on and on.

Forget it!

All I want for my blog is to have a discussion with the readers. The numbers aren't as important and I don't plan to monetize it. I just want to write and enjoy the process. Hopefully you'll enjoy it and come back for more. So I've decided to simplify things a bit. The name speaks for itself. The tagline speaks to my overarching goal. The layout and design is simple and clean.

Welcome to the new blog!