Similar to starting a new job or a new school, the Panthers entered the 2014 season feeling good about themselves.  They had completed a winning season the year before despite being eliminated in the first playoff game.  This season got off to a decent start with a 2-0 record.  The fans were on board and everyone had high hopes.  Then the Panthers hit a wall.  It was as if someone had cast a spell over them.  They won only one of their next nine games; well they did have a tie in there.  Entering December with a record of 3-8-1, the fans and everyone else had counted them out.  Maybe next year they would get their act together. 

Action learning programs exercise the strategic muscles of an organization, build leadership capability, drive employee engagement and improve business results.  Why not trust your strategy projects to your high potentials?

Smartphone icebreaker for team meetings.  Easy to setup and a fun lesson on the importance of perspective.

A few employment branding ideas,  each one serves the purpose of building a stronger employment brand.  The products connect your employees to your brand in a unique and fun way.  Even more importantly they connect your employees family to your company and your brand.

Understanding what drives you for success is the first step in the journey towards fulfilling your vision.

Not only was Oscar de la Renta a progressive fashion designer, he was also an insightful leader who recognized the importance of creating a succession plan.  Too many creatives allow their egos and sense of self worth stand in the way of creating an organization that can carry on in their absence.  Oscar de la Renta was unique in this regard.  We can all learn a lesson about just how fashionable succession planning can be from Oscar.

What really makes superman great is that he is a self-aware leader. He knows his strengths and he leverages them in his quest for peace. He is also fully aware that kryptonite is his weakness. Self-awareness is a strength that all great leaders have learned to leverage. Superman epitomizes a leader who knows how to leverage his strengths. Superman’s super power that very few talk about is his awareness of his own strengths and weakness.

Recognizing employees for a job well done is a key to being a great manager. Positive recognition brings out the best in people and it can be equally rewarding for the manager doing the recognizing.

Does your organization have a well developed talent acquisition strategy?  Have you considered your existing customers as a potential target audience for your open roles?  Are you sick of your current job?  

A paradox exists in most large companies.  The larger the organization the more risk averse it becomes.  This makes little sense, but it is commonplace.

A successful career must be built upon a solid foundation much like a building. A strong work ethic, determination and learning agility are keys to a successful career. Learning these skills and abilities begins with an individual’s first job. Whether that first job was mowing lawns, delivering newspapers, working retail or fast-food, those first job experiences helped build a foundation for future success.

Phone screens while helpful are not the most efficient way of determining if there is a match.  If the phone screen goes well it usually leads to a face-to-face interview.  My question is why not start with the face-to-face interview?  The simple answer is time and cost.  If a candidate is another city there is the travel expense and it can be difficult to schedule the face-to-face.  I agree that initial screenings
are important, but the approach could be improved.

Our best learnings occur when we push ourselves or we are pushed outside of our comfort zone.

5 interview questions regarding generational diversity that were posed to Brian Formato, CEO of Groove Management.

Workplace culture is like a living organism constantly evolving. The introduction of a new employee or the departure of an employee can change the dynamic of an office culture. Too often the leadership of companies overlooks the importance of culture to organizational performance. Work styles and personal preferences have been studied for ages. 

By providing a daily visual, the leaders could see that they were being measured against their colleagues.  This graphical view of response rates translated into a 97% response rate for one business unit and helped push the enterprise response rate over 90%.  

A new approach to talent management.  Forwardfill.

3 Keys to executive coaching success.  How to create a coaching relationship that drives results.

Learn about the 5 keys to success at work and to personal happiness.

An interview with Brian Formato from Groove Management about the changing requirements for success in the Human Resources field.