Posts Tagged ‘Martha Finney’
Why I love HR
I can’t believe it’s been five years since Fast Company magazine ran its infamous cover story “Why We Hate HR.” Can you imagine how it must feel to be the human resources person for that magazine? It would be hard not to take it personally. Over the years, HR continues to be the function people [...]
How to rebuild your team in a crisis economy
Nothing will strain a great team like a terrible crisis. And thanks to wave after wave of crises recently, I’m seeing a refreshed need for team-building experiences. But a very different kind of team-building experience. Perhaps a team re-building experience. Does anyone really like team-building exercises? They’re usually embarrassing to some degree. They typically involve [...]
Should you take a job with a company that’s laying people off?
If you’re in HR, you know this better than anyone else: Companies that are laying people off — or that are in serious trouble — are often still hiring different people at the same time. Your first reaction to a job-opening announcement by a company like that might be to shrug and keep clicking through [...]
A checklist for good friends in bad times
A few months ago, I read a line in Kay Redfield Jamison’s new book, Nothing Was the Same, that has haunted me ever since: “Keep away the ungenerous and unkind.” This particular book is about the healing journey of widowhood. But death of our beloveds isn’t the only earth-shaking loss we’re suffering, especially these days. [...]
Should you be committed?
I just got off the phone with a colleague. The purpose of her call: to be reassured that it would be OK to blow off a conference call that involves five very busy people around the globe. It was set up more than a month ago, and it was the first slot when we were [...]
4 keys to creating a union-resistant workplace
Like almost everything that’s politically loaded, the subject of labor unions is a very touchy one. Regardless of your personal opinion about labor unions, as an HR leader you hold the obligation to keep the people side of your business solidly within your leaders’ control. With a very strong pro-labor administration in place in Washington, [...]
How to learn to love performance reviews
I’ve never figured out why so many people dread the prospect of performance reviews. Before you thunk your forehead with the heel of your hand, let me explain. I know that performance reviews are hideous — they can end in tears (I know that for a personal fact). But really, they don’t have to be [...]
What to do when you inherit troubled talent
Unless you specialize in start-up companies, where you get to handpick your direct reports as they come in from the outside, the chances are excellent that you will inherit your teams now and then. And, let’s face it, some of your new team members will be coming in with baggage. That’s the drawback of working [...]
