As a rookie HR girl, I thought it was my responsibility to change the world and make everybody feel good about work. No tragedy was too big and no task was too troublesome to save me from my passion for getting involved in other people’s lives. Unfortunately, other people’s lives are messy. While working at…
It’s that time of year when HR nerds get together and talk policy and legislation at the SHRM Employment Law & Legislative Conference. I’m not going to lie, it’s my favorite event on the calendar because it affirms my career-long thesis that HR sits at the intersection of work, power, politics and money. I always…
Every weekend, millions of people around wake up early, dress their kids in cute clothes, and drive to a local house of worship to get good with God. Then they get to work on Monday and act like assholes. Churches, mosques, and synagogues are filled with loving and thoughtful people who hate their jobs. About…
My blog has been baptized by fire and water. It began with a passion for understanding myself and has since become a passion for helping people better understand themselves and the role of work in their lives. It’s a fire that often overwhelms me, but I don’t run from the flames. I sit down at…
There are two types of people in this world: 1. People who like to learn new things. 2. People who don’t. I fall into the second category. It’s hard for me to learn new things. I’m not a good student, and I don’t have the attention span or the desire to sit through a lesson…
Surprise birthday was a success. #auntsofinstagram #americangirl #chicago A post shared by Laurie Ruettimann (@lruettimann) on Oct 8, 2016 at 1:27pm PDT I got a flat tire while driving my niece around, a few months ago. It was only my third flat tire in my adult life. We were on a highway. Because I lack…
I took a break from the internet, last month. I was having a love-hate relationship with my phone, which is totally offensive to the poor kids who work as slaves to make my device. Seemed like the right time to get my head out of my butt (and my eyes off my screen). The results…
The field of human resources took it on the chin, this week, with the sexual harassment claims from Uber and Google and Tesla and Sterling Jewelers. I’m not sure HR practitioners knew they were being blamed, but in talking to journalists and business leaders, one question kept coming up over and over again. “Why have…
I don’t understand how this start-up business works. You have an idea. You get excited about it. Some people say nice things to you, and some people don’t say nice things to you. You build something. You test your ideas. You get feedback. Some of it’s good. Some of it’s bad. There’s a group of…
Nothing makes me happier than seeing other people succeed. Being happy for others just naturally makes me happy. Here’s why. 1. Your success influences people. When I see other people succeed, I’m inspired to be my very best. I think — if you can do it, I can do it. When your hard work pays off,…
