SHRM CEO

The SHRM CEO is Retiring

The CEO of SHRM is retiring. What’s SHRM? It’s the AARP of HR professionals. They are an association that does commercials on CNN and tell everybody about how great it is to work in HR. And, like the people AARP who want us to believe that being an old lady is empowering, they are lying…

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Braggy CHROs

It’s great that CHROs around the world are patting themselves on the back for embracing the cloud, understanding business, and focusing on culture. But whenever I hear about systemic sexual harassment or widespread pay inequality, I want to raise my hand and say, “HR fails workers and shareholders every day.” I also want to say,…

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Business Travel & Sleep

I can’t sleep on the road, which sucks because my job requires a significant amount of time away from my home. I toss and turn for a good part of the night, waking up to worry about whether or not I’ve missed the alarm. Even when I’m not worried, I can’t get comfortable and fall…

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Be Your Own Container

My cat Jake is old, deaf, and fully retired. I come at him three times a day with medication, and as long as he’s pain-free and using the litter box, I don’t mind being his home healthcare nurse. This arrangement could go on for years if you ask me. I’m happy he is still around.…

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I’m So Tired

I’m so tired. I’m not “work in a Chinese coal mine” tired. I’m not “spend all day collecting tickets at a water park” tired. I’m not “autoimmune disease” tired. I have perspective, of course. I’m not insensitive. But I’m pretty tired. I’d give you a list, but I’m too tired to write it. We’ll start…

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Uncoachable People

Some of the worst people in your company are the ones who aren’t coachable, can’t hear feedback, and won’t take risks. Strong? Maybe. I don’t know. You tell me. The ones who aren’t coachable are a waste of time unless you’re the idiot and they’re totally right about everything. I suspect that’s not the case.…

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Should I Go Into HR?

“Should I go into HR?” I think it’s a great profession for many people. Go into HR if you’re a young mom. The cool thing about human resources is that the job offers a ton of flexibility if you can keep your eye on the prize: your kids. The barrier to entry is low, and…