When someone is depressed and asks me for career coaching, I send ’em to colleagues who are patient and know how to give guidance with the right touch. That’s not me. Here are the attributes of impressive career advisors in my network: 1. They are certified. Anybody can be a career coach. Some of the…
The thing about being an HR blogger is that I meet a lot of people who think they’re really good at what they do for a living. Even without saying it, they walk into a room and believe that they’re rock stars or geniuses. Some of these men and women are awesome. They make me…
My favorite painting in the entire world is Woman Descending the Staircase by Gerhard Richter. The woman in this painting DGAF about anything. Her shiny dress is like armor. Her face is a mask. She’s older, she’s ghostlike, and her posture tells you that she is absolutely confident about everything in life. I love it.…
There’s a respected HR blogger on the market by the name of Suzanne Lucas. You may know her by the name Evil HR Lady. She’s an early influencer in our community — someone who is admired by dreamers and skeptics alike. At the beginning of June, she wrote an article that criticized companies for…
If there’s an overused marketing trope in my industry, it’s the notion of HR heroes. Have you noticed the campaigns and advertisements? Companies celebrate human resources professionals who swoop in and save the day when you need something at work. Here’s the thing about HR heroes: They’re not heroes. HR professionals don’t leap tall buildings…
I can see why people still need HR. On a regular basis, I have people writing and asking about drugs. Mostly marijuana. Questions like, “My employee smells like weed. What can I do?” Part of me sympathizes with business owners and managers. It hardly seems fair that you have to show up to work sober…
I’m obsessed with the movie Cedar Rapids. Have you seen it? Tim Lippe has no idea what he’s in for when he’s sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at an annual insurance convention, where he soon finds himself under the “guidance” of three convention veterans. This movie is an exact depiction of…
I have attended SHRM’s annual conference since 2008, but I’m sitting this year out. The one thing I love about the event is that I make enduring “SHRM memories.” I thought I’d share some of them with you. Chicago 2008. I applied for a press pass and was accepted as one of the first bloggers to…
I got a call from an HR technology vendor telling me that I’m in this month’s HR Magazine. Then he asked me to do a free webinar for him. Yeah, okay. I must look new. So let’s back up. What is HR Magazine? Well, it’s a monthly publication from SHRM, an HR association. And it’s terrible.…
Most of you know that I’m toiling away at a side project: a software company. It’s going slowly because I’m trying to be deliberate and diligent while also having fun and not taking myself too seriously. It’s amazing and horrible at the same time. Mostly amazing. (Well, ask me how I feel in a few…
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