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.
I ran into a good friend the other day at our kids’ baseball game. After the usual pleasantries, he said, “I’m glad you’re here, we really need to talk.” So we moved away from the rest of the crowd and he began to tell me about an incredible opportunity that he had been presented. His […]
Last week, I attended the funeral of a good friend’s father. He was a man who was quite obviously loved by his family and friends. At the service, they displayed pictures of him during happy times with his wife, children, and grandchildren. The people who spoke at the funeral talked about a caring, generous man […]
During a meeting on Wednesday, we were discussing issues that many HR professionals might face and I asked the question, “What about when you have two employees who hate each other?” That got a few chuckles and wisecracks from around the table, but I was serious. I’ve seen workplaces in which employees couldn’t stand each […]
Before I headed to the airport today, the president of our company, Bob Brady, handed me a book and said something like, “This is a quick read and I really think you’ll enjoy it.” The book he gave me was The Corner Office: Indispensable and Unexpected Lessons from CEOs on How to Lead and Succeed, […]
It’s time for me to climb up on my soapbox once again. I hate to do it, but I just can’t hold back any longer. Have you noticed how much time we spend saving time and trying to be more efficient? (Read that again.) It’s occurred to me that all of these tools designed to […]
The other day, a colleague sent me the results of a survey that says Americans would like to have Vince Lombardi or Oprah Winfrey as their coach. That got me thinking. It got me thinking about whom I would choose as my coach. Who should be in the running? What makes each an appealing choice? […]
Last week I spent a few days with members of the Employers Counsel Network, a group of people that our company works with closely on a regular basis. We tend to get together formally as a group once each year to catch up, discuss business, and strengthen our bonds. It’s a great meeting that mixes […]
I read a fascinating article about a fishing guide by the name of Steve Huff. Huff has been a fishing guide for 43 years and is considered one of the best in his profession. Last year, he was inducted into the International Game Fish Association’s Hall of Fame and, the editor and publisher of one […]
I read the other day that people tend to learn more from their failures than they do their successes. You see, we chalk our successes up to hard work or even luck and don’t take much time to truly analyze why we were able to succeed. On the other hand, when we fail we are […]
Recently, Google Inc. cofounder Larry Page reclaimed the role of chief executive at the Internet company. I really wasn’t surprised when I read that one of Page’s priorities was to cut through the bureaucracy at Google. I’ve worked with and for enough entrepreneurs to know that they prize a nimble and fast-moving approach to business […]