Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Dan Oswald Our newly inaugurated president is in the midst of selecting the team he will work with to achieve his vision for our country. And while, in his case, many of those selections will require congressional approval, they are nonetheless his choices. It’s an interesting process to watch. Imagine recruiting and hiring your […]
by Dan Oswald Does your team know what the ultimate objective is for each project they work on? Do they know what the purpose is—what they’re trying to achieve? Are you confident that you consistently communicate exactly what the goal is for each and every project? Knowing what you, their leader, want to ultimately achieve […]
by Dan Oswald A few weeks ago, I wrote about integrity—the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Then last week we learned that NBC News chief anchor Brian Williams appears to have been stretching the truth. His employer has confirmed that it is investigating Williams’ statement that he was in a helicopter […]
by Dan Oswald Last night, my wife encouraged me to watch the movie Saving Mr. Banks, and I’m glad she did. The movie, which stars Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks, tells the story of Walt Disney’s quest to obtain the rights to make a movie based on P.L. Travers’ Mary Poppins and her role in […]
When I was 12 years old, my family moved from Milwaukee to a small town in Iowa. How small? Well, we didn’t have a McDonald’s or even a single traffic light. On our first day in town, my brother, who was and continues to be a year younger than I, walked four blocks with me […]
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. […]
One of the traits I think is important in a leader is consistency. It’s not always easy to assess in job candidates, but it certainly shows itself (or not) over time. Webster’s defines consistency this way: “steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.” A consistent leader has a steadfast adherence to the same […]
Summer is here and in full swing. It’s time for baseball, picnics and vacations. So, what do you do for “R&R”? Rest and relaxation are important ingredients to maintaining a healthy and productive work life. Sounds funny doesn’t it? Not “ha ha” funny, but a little strange to say that rest and relaxation are critical […]
Recently, the Miami Heat won the NBA championship. It was the team’s first title since the “Big Three” — LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh — joined forces, with great fanfare, predicting a multitude of championships for the Heat a few years back. This year’s championship silenced a lot of critics who, after a […]
The other day, I was faced with a situation where things were not progressing as I had hoped. My frustration led me to have a conversation with a colleague. I shared my dilemma with him and asked what he thought the key was to resuming progress. His response was, “You need to build trust. Obviously […]