Putting the Meat in Team
There is a growing trend in the private firms of staff development which has shown signs of success. The lunch meeting with a potential new team member to see how the person interacts with potentially new coworkers has been on the rise. The theory behind the concept...
To Gap Year or to Not Gap Year?
Gap Year. Recently these two words have been used, thought about, and planned around more than ever, but what is a gap year actually? Most people understand a gap year to be time spent post-graduation before pursuing more schooling, jobs or other exciting...
Hiring for Cultural Fit
They just didn’t work out. The hardest part of selecting a new hire is figuring whether or not they will fit into your organization. A strong resume and skill set are impressive but most hiring managers would agree that long-term employee success depends on whether a...
Reach Your Goals Twice as Fast with Half The Effort
Naturally, everyone wants to be more successful by reaching their goals. Whether you want more money, more customers, more profits, better health, or whatever result you’re looking for—what you’re really trying to do is create a new reality for yourself. Let’s...
The Pursuit of Significance in Mentoring
“No one can teach anyone anything of significance,” wrote the famed psychologist Carl Rogers in his classic book, On Becoming a Person. This philosophy is the foundation of effective mentoring. I learned a lot of insignificant things in grade school. Even today, I...
Recruiters and Older Job Seekers
We all know being an older Job Seeker is just a state of mind. Most of us are ready to contribute right now, regardless of our birth generation. However, it seems there is continuing bias against workforce veterans… and that relevancy as a candidate is perhaps...
Public Policy: The Good & Bad
Local, regional and even national public policy brings both opportunity to grow and evolve, and on occasion, a related opportunity to step back to a previous position or place if a policy doesn’t work. Two excellent illustrations of ‘the choice after the choice’ I...
Boomers and Millennials: Gen-X to the Rescue!
As many are aware, the generations have aligned on the American workplace like the planets in some science fiction movie. However, this does not have to alert us to the doom of the known world as with so many of those movies. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good...
Why Women Should Not Shy Away From Leadership Positions
It is a well-known and controversial topic that nationally, we are lacking women in leadership positions both in the public and in private sectors. The campaign to ban the word “Bossy” has received plenty of media attention as has the one encouraging women to lean in....
HR Innovation Plan 2014
Our CEO Stan has started taking Xanax, an anti-anxiety pill Why is he worried? The revenue stream from new products is only “semi wow “due to limited innovation and feeble leadership provided by R&D Chief Comrade Carl Marks and his hapless team. Since Comrade Carl...
Take Charge of Your Career – Planning Your Next Step
Have you been thinking about your next career step or perhaps striking out in a different direction or with a new organization? Do you know someone who is on the precipice of a big leap in a new direction? Protracted government cutbacks and a free-agent job culture...
A Career In Public Safety
In pursuing A Career In Public Safety, I needed a new suit for several upcoming interviews as I ventured into a career in Public Safety. I visited a men’s clothing store and was helped by a salesman who presented himself with a “kindred spirit” like connection. In the...
Why We Need More Women in Government
Government officials are the representatives of the people, whether they are working at the local, state or even federal level. The problem with the government is that men significantly outnumber women as representatives. The United States has a very low rate of...
Performance Management: A Leadership Perspective
Recently, I have been challenged to understand the relationship between leadership and performance management. This relationship is important to understand because performance metrics are found everywhere. You can’t escape them. From test scores, to quotas, to...
LinkedIn: Construct a Clickable and Compelling headline
So you’re pretty chuffed with your job title and like so many others have included it in your LinkedIn headline. The truth is, to make the right first impression you need more than a fancy job title (and good dress sense). The highly valuable headline space is your...
Working With An Elected or Appointed Council Board
In the public sector, like other sectors, many would like to aspire to the top level executive job at some point in their careers. This, of course, means that your skills, abilities and knowledge must be finely honed to a level that can be applied at the very top of...
Local Government: Continued Erosion of Faith and Trust
The Effects of ‘Community Warming’ Local governments, public servants and their respective communities across the country are beginning to face the wrath of a phenomenon known as ‘Community Warming’. This drastic change in community climate is a direct result of...
Veterans in the Workplace: Transitioning From Military to Civilian
It is a tough shift for some to segue from an enlisted or commissioned member of the military to a civilian. What is lost in the transition process is how valuable a Veteran is! What would make that individual marketable in the work place you ask? Let me paint you a...