Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Dan Oswald, CEO of Simplify Compliance, writes about management, leadership, and the workplace. Occasional guest articles are written by other leaders and C-Suite executives from BLR.
As I write this, it’s Super Bowl Sunday, and tens of millions of viewers will be tuning in to watch the big game tonight. In fact, I heard this morning that 177 million people watched last year’s game. For most of us, our team’s season is over. With 32 teams in the NFL, there’s only […]
by Dan Oswald What’s your favorite subject? For many people it’s me. I don’t mean me; I mean them. To them, me is them. Got it? What I’m trying to say is that often a person’s favorite subject is himself. People want to talk about themselves. People like to think about themselves. People are concerned […]
by Dan Oswald “Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.” —George Washington It was suggested to me recently that there are times when you must work for someone you don’t like or trust. My initial response was a blank […]
by Dan Oswald “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” —W. Clement Stone Do you believe in karma? Do you think a person brings upon himself inevitable results, whether they […]
by Dan Oswald As we kick off 2013, it’s a great time to take a step back as a manager and assess your situation. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day activities of managing and lose sight of the bigger picture. The beginning of a new year provides a natural break for […]
by Dan Oswald Have you ever been in a meeting where two executives face off, each on the opposite side of a critical issue? You watch the debate like you would a tennis match, with each participant knocking the issue back to the other side. As they volley back and forth, the debate picks up […]
by Dan Oswald I grew up in Wisconsin and am a Green Bay Packers fan, so I often quote their legendary football coach Vince Lombardi in my writings. Today I live in the South, and here there’s another legendary coach who is revered, Paul “Bear” Bryant. Bryant is best known for his success at the […]
by Dan Oswald You know good customer service when you see it. That’s a statement in which I firmly believe. But it also means you know horrendous customer service when you see it. Do I have a story for you! Recently, my wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. My gift to her was […]
by Dan Oswald It’s a sad day for me. Hostess Brands, the maker of Twinkies, Ho-Hos, and Ding Dongs, is going out of business. While my midsection may not look like it, I haven’t had a Twinkie—or any other Hostess product, for that matter—in more than 30 years. But I hate to see them go. […]
by Dan Oswald I happen to live in the country music capital of the world, Nashville. So at least a couple of country stations have been programmed into my radio. This morning on my drive to the office, I was listening to one of the stations when a Travis Tritt song titled “It’s a Great […]