I never even heard the term “fake news” until 2016. Although it rapidly became a Donald Trump rallying cry, cynically (and inaccurately) tied to respected … Read more
What to Ask — and Not to Ask — in Employee Surveys
With in-person interactions being few and far between for many teams, employee engagement is especially crucial to your business’ success. It starts with … Read more
5 Steps to Think Clearly When You Write
An employee at a large oil company submitted a suggestion that netted him $18,000 from his company’s incentive-awards program. Although I can’t share the … Read more
How to Turn Down Applicants Tactfully — and Truthfully
Eggs and rejections should be done over-easy. Turning down applicants with class pays off in your long-term recruiting efforts and reputation as a great … Read more
How COVID-19 Has Changed Communication for the Better — and the Worst
When you have yet another email hitting your inbox with an invitation to an online meeting, how do you react? Eager to take part or irritated at the … Read more
5 Metrics for Your Corporate Communication
Ask executives if their organizations communicate well, and chances are you’ll hear a resounding yes. But ask those a little lower in the ranks and you may … Read more
HR Famous: United Airlines vs. Blondes Lawsuit, and Slack Growth Woes
In episode 34 of The HR Famous Podcast, longtime HR leaders (and friends) Tim Sackett, Kris Dunn, and Jessica Lee come together to discuss a recent … Read more
How to Deal With an Obnoxious Know-It-All
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