Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Dan Oswald We’ve all heard the quote, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I’m a firm believer in this. Life’s too short to toil away in a job you hate. So, I’ve always encouraged my kids to pursue their passions and then figure […]
by Brad Federman It’s time to rethink HR. It’s actually way past due. Globalization, millennials entering the workforce, a shift to contract and part-time labor, an increase in diversity, technology that encourages networking, and open communications are just a few of the signs that illustrate the shift in the workplace. HR should be at the […]
by Dan Oswald It’s often said that being a parent is the world’s toughest job. Not all of us are parents, but most of us can appreciate what a difficult job parenting is. I found it fascinating that Boston-based advertising agency Mullen created an ad for a nonexistent director of operations position. The requirements included: […]
In February, one of my favorite televisions shows, Parks and Recreation, concluded its magnificent seven-season run. While it had typical struggles in the early going, it soon hit its stride and gave us a cast of interesting characters whom we got to see evolve from their first interaction with the Pawnee, Indiana, Parks Department all […]
by Dan Oswald The other day, I was driving through a small town and saw a sign on the side of a building that read, “Nobody ever regrets buying quality.” That got me thinking about quality. Did the proprietor of this business have it right? Does no one ever regret paying for a quality product […]
by Dan Oswald With the recent tragic death of comedian and actor Robin Williams, my family and I decided to watch one of his many great films over the weekend, Dead Poets Society. The movie is about a group of boys at a private prep school. It’s there that they meet Professor Keating, their new […]
I keep coming back to books about baseball, but they’re just too valuable in terms of personnel management. A baseball manager (and his colleagues in the team office) function so much like an HR department. They have to pick the best roster and field the best lineup for the opponent each night. They have to […]
by Dan Oswald Vince Lombardi once said, “I think coaching is teaching, see? So I don’t think there’s any difference whether you teach on the football field or whether you teach in the classroom. They’re both exactly the same. It’s a question of . . . a good teacher puts across what he wants to […]
by Dan Oswald Marvin Bower joined McKinsey & Company in 1933 and served as the management consulting firm’s managing partner from 1950 to 1967. In 1997, he published a book titled The Will to Lead: Running a Business with a Network of Leaders, in which he shares his perspectives on leadership. One of Bower’s beliefs […]
Ever flip through the channels on a lazy Saturday afternoon and come across an oldie but goodie? This happened to me recently with the movie Office Space, a workplace classic. While I can’t imagine a world where everyone hasn’t seen Office Space, here is a quick plot summary. Peter Gibbons (played by Ron Livingston, pictured […]