Praise /prāz/: The expression of approval or admiration for someone or something. Ongoing performance feedback are buzz words associated with today’s workplace. Gone for many companies are the one time a year performance feedback sessions where an entire year’s worth of work, metrics, and development are clumped into one massive feedback talk with 1-5 rating… Read more »
I have been seeing more than the usual amount of posts and articles on “toxic culture” in the workplace, poor leaders, and ineffective organizations. And while I do appreciate the opportunity to continue to learn about these topics, I felt that this blog should not be focused on all of the ways leaders and organizations… Read more »
I read a piece by columnist Mary Schmich in Sunday’s Chicago Tribune that got me thinking deeper about why employees leave their jobs. The piece focused on this question: “What’s a hard thing about your job that no one understands?” Answers included “patience” from a barista and an attorney feeling like his clients want him… Read more »
My nephew graduated from high school a couple of weeks ago. While I was looking forward to seeing him graduate, I was not necessarily looking forward to the rest of the ceremony. However, I was pleasantly surprised with many of the speeches, especially the principal’s call to action. He started by sharing with us that… Read more »
It’s spring thaw time in Chicago. And the melting snow revealed many surprises in the yard of my house. I have broken walkway lights, branches down, and various paper products that escaped on garbage day. The melting snow also revealed some good things as well – – – a decorative flag that flew off in… Read more »
There is a lot of work to be done each day in your organization. As a leader, you feel like you are inundated with tasks and responsibilities. But if you stop and think about it for a minute, without your employees there as part of your organization, your job would be so much harder. Nobody… Read more »
How often do you think about what the people you list as a reference say about you? I am guessing not often. For many of us, we think about our references only when we are looking for a new job. And even then, we quickly mentally scan our friends and colleagues list in our heads… Read more »
I am going to say some words that put together terrify many employers. Here we go: Formerly incarcerated people need employment. I know by starting off with those words I have already lost some of you. But don’t go. Hear me out. I had an opportunity last week to participate with other HR and business… Read more »
Have you heard the expression that everyone has baggage? While we cannot see people’s baggage, we know that their past experiences and current situations fill these suitcases and impact how they act or respond to situations. Usually the “contents” of these suitcases are negative experiences that are heavy. And on some days, they suitcases have… Read more »
With the rise of the gig economy has come the creation and growth of coworking spaces. Whatever definition you use, the definition of coworking has some common characteristics: Shared workspace Where people from different organizations, career-levels, and roles Work independently Meeting in groups may be membership based with many having fees According to a Harvard… Read more »