Tales from the (proverbial) crypt
As a child of divorced parents, I experienced two radically different forms of Halloween. My dad’s approach was fully immersive, replete with gore, sound effects, and a small army of neighborhood workers funneling innocent candy seekers into a nightmare born from our collective imagination. My mom’s experience was laughably neglectful, including dropping me at a […]
You can’t outsource accountability
I know I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m just going to say it. I love coffee. I love coffee so much that my son recently told me, “Dad, your teeth really don’t need to be any yellower, so maybe you should stick to water.” (Kids – keeping us humble.) Because of my […]
The (HR) Leftovers
Imagine attending an all-hands meeting to hear from your organization’s new CEO. Inspirational t-shirts are handed out, leadership paints an intriguing picture of the future, and you enjoy lunch with your colleagues from all across the nation. Then, later that same day, you’re called into a conference room to learn that you and a few […]
On Being Wrong
I have so many horrible ideas. This isn’t a self-effacing comment, but instead a reflection of a lifetime’s accumulation of what my wife describes as a “magnetic draw to the absurd.” In fact, we have a running joke that I should open a company called, Eight Second Brands. In her view, I would take the […]
Work dungeons, self-care, and greenfield opportunities
So, we’ve made it past the halfway point of one of the strangest, most trying years in recent memory. High elbows all around (because “fives”, you know, are so 2019) for making it this far. Although it’s late July, we’re not out of the fake-Zoom-background woods just yet. As I shared with dozens of retail […]
HR is (finally) center stage
For decades, industry pundits have called for HR to be recognized as an integral, strategic, and indispensable voice of the organization. HR work is hard and often unseen, and rarely does HR seek the spotlight to gain public praise for our contributions. Of course, 2020 has changed everything. Pick any topic of importance – #metoo, COVID-19, […]
There is no “new normal”
Leaders are humans, and humans are nothing if not adaptable. Each week I reconnect with business and HR leaders as they navigate an uncertain future. All are facing challenges of some kind – whether it’s finding enough PPE to keep their employees safe, trying to find creative means of retaining their workforces, or proceeding with […]
Don’t Call it a Comeback
A few days ago, I tweeted my frustration with certain COVID-19-related content on social media. It’s not that this information isn’t important — it is — but I’m not sure the world will be saved by yet another article about how to effectively work from home. Although I fully support all the groups sharing resources to navigate […]
A Personal Note
If you’re like me, each day of this new world order requires a very intentional focus on empathy, listening, and caregiving. It’s easy to lose your sense of self and purpose, and equally easy to forget to truly engage with others while complying with social distancing. With remote work dominating the environment, spending the first few […]
The Shortest Month Feels the Longest
What is it about February? Somehow it has become everyone’s least favorite month, and that makes sense – the holidays are over, there are hints of spring in the air in between bitingly bitter snowstorms (or, if you’re in a warmer state, nights when it gets all the way down to 50 degrees), and we […]