We are Getting Busy!

I know an odd post, however business for Human Capital 3.0 is definitely ramping up! We are doing coaching and team training on work place investigations and a variety of HR essentials...supply and demand is shifting...yes we are in demand!
On a personal note I am teaching the SPHR/PHR prep course for SHRM/NYIT on Long Island this spring (yes there is still time to sign up ), teaching grad school and doing special project work for Adelphi Business School administration...OH and I am speaking February 11th at HRNY in nyc:
http://www.hrny.org/
I am doing an encore presentation on building enrichment programs on a shoe string, which I originally presented at both SHRM and World at Work national conferences in San Diego and Orlando.
Talking about National conferences, SHRM invited me back to do my global HR discussion at National this June as well. I also have a few more speaking engagements planned for later this year. I am back to writing, my latest is in this months issue of the Corridor LI at: http://www.thecorridorli.com 
I am dishing on gamification and phone apps for HR. Check it out when you have a few minutes..

2014 is starting to look like a promising year for us, and we hope for all of you as well!

Life According to Ferris

My favorite movie of all  time is Ferris Bueller's Day off. My favorite quote is: Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. So true, Ferris had it right.

He also said: I do have a test today, that wasn't bullshit. It's on European socialism. I mean, really, what's the point? I'm not European. I don't plan on being European. So who gives a crap if they're socialists? They could be fascist anarchists, it still doesn't change the fact that I don't own a car.

And: Not that I condone fascism, or any -ism for that matter. -Ism's in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an -ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me." Good point there. After all, he was the walrus. I could be the walrus.

What's the point you might ask?

Well Ferris lived in the moment, he enjoyed every minute (so did we watching his every move in a 9 or 10 hour period). Ferris cut school, caught a ball game, went to a nice lunch, danced in a parade, hung out in his best friends pool, spent time with his best friend and girl friend, got over on a prickly principal, and covered his tracks...all in a single day...That's a week or even a month for many of us...and he had no regrets.

Yes Ferris bucked the system, some might even say he cheated a little. In the post Bernie Madoff era I doubt anyone would even notice Ferris's small indiscretions. I wanted to be Ferris then and maybe I still do...

Don't miss life...it's moving really fast....be like Ferris, he's my Hero...

Make the Most of Every Day

Today was one of those days where life hits hard, both good and bad. One of my friends lost his wife in a tragic and freak accident. My daughter also had her bid day for Sorority Rush at college.
Two very different events...one tragic and one filled with hope.
Why the comparison?
Well most days we just go through the motions, deal with a few issues and go to sleep.

Today was different, it was a unique day.

 It started with the news that one of  the members of my tennis group for the past decade lost his wife. Words cannot express my sorrow or grief for my friend and his family. Our entire community is shaken by this tragedy. My wife and I cried upon the news. Life is truly fragile.

My daughter is away at college and had the culmination of sorority rush. To a college freshman this is probably the single most important event of their college experience (at least their freshman experience). Two weeks of intense meetings and trying to show strangers her personality and capabilities, followed by bids and placement. In the end she did well, ending up in a sorority she seems happy with. My wife and I have spent the past few days with numerous phone calls discussing the trials and tribulations of the process. Lets just say it was an emotional process that thankfully ended ok!
As I write my daughter is experiencing her first moments of being a member of a new sorority and with it the hopes and dreams of every college freshman going through a similar experience.

So today I am struck by the dichotomy of life, its fragility and the possibilities, sadness and joy, and of course uncertainty.

A real life reminder of making the most of every day.

Why do Corporate Recruitment Sites Suck?

For that matter why do recruitment software applications suck?
Have you ever gone on a corporate website and tried to navigate filling out an application. The average experience takes about 20 minutes. It usually starts with downloading a resume. Its down hill from there!
First off why do we need a password and logon?
The typical job searcher is targeting one job, that's it...all they want to do is leave their resume and contact info...and if necessary a link to their linkedin page...
1/2 the time it asks you to repopulate what's on your resume. Then it penalizes you for  not filling in some ridiculous data...Usually with some red highlighted message that tells you  that you can't go on without fixing the problem...
All the years I did recruitment at the Limited and Leviton I wanted three things: a resume, a phone # and an email...when did things get so complicated?
If I were an HR software company I would make the experience as simple as possible, link a resume, click submit...and have the software pull the appropriate data (scrape it) from the resume...For that matter if I was running HR for any of these companies I would demand it...
I don't buy the company wants all the information twice...

Something is very wrong....

Birthday Wishes

Wishes don't usually come true unless there is also a goal that you work towards achieving. Today is my birthday and I am not very big on birthday celebrations, especially since I feel like every birthday is taking me towards a finite finish line.
 Don't take this the wrong way, I am not being negative. In fact to the contrary I am usually a positive person that gets criticized for not being skeptical enough. Its just that your birthday is really just another day...except for some unknown reason we celebrate this day well beyond our childhood years.
I guess it gives us a day to gather family and or friends together. It also gives us one special day of hope and happiness.
This year's birthday is different from all the rest. My daughter is a way at college. The weather has been bad, and its a Monday too. My life is a little more complicated and challenged then in many a year. Monday night is also not a prime night to celebrate anything...unless your a Florida State or Auburn alumni watching the national championship college football game at a sports bar (hum - not a bad idea).
To add to this I am faced with getting a new business off the ground, which is a bigger challenge then I ever imagined. As I have been told by many of my friends and business colleagues, I am a skillprenuer that needs to learn to be an entrepreneur. Many assumptions I have made are incorrect, folks I thought I could count on have been no shows, and the market is not exactly what I thought it was. So I have had to react and flex to the situation at hand. Luckily this is where some of my skills and attributes have helped weather the storm. In the end I am really very good at HR, and that seems to be the one thing that has been a constant through this turbulent past few months.
I have also had a lot of time to reflect and rethink almost everything I have done to this very moment. This leaves with a whole new set of challenges and as I started out this post noting, goals to set and achieve...

So on this birthday I won't be making any wishes, just setting some goals...time to blow out the candles.

Without Volunteers, Where Would the World Be?

I talked about volunteering in a previous post, which includes my desire to spend less time on this too in 2014. Let me clarify, spend less time, be more efficient, get better results.

Sometimes I feel like I do so many different volunteer activities that there is no critical mass to it. That’s probably not true. Any volunteering is better than not doing so. We live in a world where many folks would rather write a check and not have to give their time and effort. I think that’s terrible.  In my book, everyone should give a few hours a month to help others. Yes you can write a check (we need that too), but why not both. And what is the message we are sending to our kids?

When I was at Leviton my daughter had to pitch the CEO with a full presentation to get a sponsorship for relay for life.  It was a good experience for her and she learned the value of working towards something.

When I was traveling internationally a lot in 2009 and 2010 I would do editorial review volunteering for World at Work publications. I had time on 16 hour flights to Asia and back…there is always something you can do even if it’s not by being physically present.

In 2014 I want to focus on my volunteer efforts to have a greater impact in the things I do choose to spend time participating on. I am also sure when I get the call or email for things I am contemplating editing out  I will possibly say yes anyway…so I guess we will see…I have a tough time saying no unless I am already committed time wise to something else.

What are you doing to help others, inquiring minds would like to know!

                                                                                                                                             

 

The Snow Day Dilema- What's the Right Thing To Do?

A snow storm (blizzard) is imminent here in NY. Thousands of businesses are struggling to decide whether to open, close, leave early or stay the course. Hundreds of thousands of workers are waiting with anxiety on their businesses decision.
If you remember a year ago, hundreds of individuals were stranded on major highways and side streets in Suffolk county during a snow event. The governor has already told folks to use mass transit and stay off the roads tonight as he may close the Long Island Expressway to allow snow removal and avoid last years catastrophe.
This is also the first time in 13 yrs. that I am not personally responsible to either make the call for what to do for closing the business I worked for, or as I did in my last role, communicate it for executive leadership. I can tell you first hand that weather is so unpredictable that the best intentions sometimes end up with bad results. During Sandy in 2012 (the Nor'easter Hurricane), we didn't close our NY offices...that one was against my personal recommendation, but you do what your told to do. Luckily we only had 4 people make it that day on long island, and a few in nyc. I was one of them. Most of the employees were smart and used the right judgement. I had 3 partners curse at me for opening and it took weeks to regain employees trust (only after doing a ton of good will things after for those without power or shelter). In my opinion it was the wrong decision, but it wasn't my dog so I did as I was told after arguing the point. At Leviton we were pretty good and usually made the right calls on opening, closing and shutting early. There we also had the 9/11 event and the New York  blackout of several summers back. The owners truly put people first and employees responded by taking care of the company to catch up quickly.
When I worked in retail the theory was: a day lost was never made up. I thought and still think that is one of the most ridiculous statements in business. Where does your employee and customer safety factor into the equation?

So here is my personal advice on a snow situation:
Listen to your government officials, close early or close if its suggested. Let your employees work remotely if they can (lets be honest if there is a foot plus of snow, they will be shoveling out their home and cars anyway - and so will your clients). Treat your employees safely first, let them leave if their afraid of driving or commuting in bad weather, or to get family members home safely. Have liberal pay policies, your employees pay it back when you treat them right.
Don't be a martyr, do what I did this year, get a couple of dvd.s, go to the gym before the weather gets bad to burn a few calories, stock up the fridge, and  work from home on your pc and phone....

Stay safe and enjoy the snow!