How do you manage an obnoxious employee or vendor? Glad you asked — and I know you’re “asking for a friend” because no one wants to admit they’ve hired … Read more
How to Manage Resistance to Change
People don’t like change. We seek pleasure, avoid discomfort, and are creatures of habit. In fact, research indicates that the longer something has been … Read more
3 Ways to Unload a Loaded Question
Let’s assume an angry reporter doesn’t confront you every day to ask why your organization has committed some scam or why you’re improperly handling … Read more
Why Has Employee Engagement Improved During the Pandemic?
Not long ago, the National Bureau of Economic Research officially declared that the United States entered into a recession in February 2020, ending one of … Read more
How to Stop People From Rambling
You run into ramblers everywhere: On a Zoom webinar. In the boardroom. In your training class. The reasons vary: They have extensive experience. They want … Read more
Anti-Racism Conversations Should Not Be Easy
Well-intentioned conversations about racism are happening at companies across the country, but if not handled correctly, they can leave Black employees … Read more
Empathy Is Not a Soft Skill
This year dawned like any other. For many of us, especially those fortunate enough to work in the HR space, things seemed downright rosy. The economy was … Read more
Feeling Trapped by Forced-Option Questions From Leadership?
The old “Have you stopped beating your spouse?” dilemma captures this problem well: “Yes or no?” Either way you answer, you’re in trouble. During a … Read more
Oh No! Not Another “Conversation” About Race!
Not long after the social-justice uprising following the death of George Floyd, I was on a video call with a group of leaders inspired to dismantle racism … Read more
How to Keep Hypotheticals From Burying You
Suppose you’re in a staff meeting or rolling out a new policy in an all-hands meeting, and Rani, an employee, poses this question to you: “You say that … Read more
Capture Mentoring Moments for Career Growth
Early in my writing career, an executive assistant to the CEO of a large oil-tool company astounded me with her business acumen — and how she got it. More … Read more
How to Guarantee Employees Understand You
Envision the last time you presented new information to a group of employees in an extended session of one to three hours: Rolling out new software and how … Read more
The One Question You Have to Answer Correctly Every Time
As an HR leader, you get questions every day; some serious, some trivial. “What else is the company going to do to protect us from COVID?” “What did you … Read more
Valid Excuses to Avoid Giving Feedback Are Still…Excuses
We spend our entire lives engaging with feedback. It starts in school with report cards, grades, test scores, and even parent-teacher conferences (which … Read more
Is Remote Work Failing Your Company? The Problem Might Be Your Company.
When the pandemic sent everyone home to work for the foreseeable future, little changed for those already accustomed to working from home. Many of these … Read more
Why Not Publish a Book to Promote Your Career or Organization?
You’ve probably heard of Basecamp, the popular project-management tool for team collaboration. The company, 37Signals, that produced this software hit the … Read more
Wanted: Great Leadership
Great leaders are often made during the worst possible times. Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill would be relegated to relative obscurity were it not … Read more
5 Reasons Your Wellness Program Is Failing (And How to Fix It)
Employee wellness programs have become all the rage over the past few years with companies leveraging them as competitive differentiators for hiring and … Read more
Great HR Leaders Master These Three Skills Early
When you think of great leaders, what image comes to mind? You might envision a well-known CEO granting a TV interview or a politician taking tough … Read more
Leaders Struggle to Communicate Authentically in Remote Environments
When the coronavirus pandemic reached its critical flashpoint in March 2020, it triggered an immensely damaging blow to business. Offices and conference … Read more