I'm not your typical Silicon Valley guy. Here, you'll find my random but intentional thoughts on parenthood, innovation, faith, health and family life in a hyper connected, super social world.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Andrew Mason’s Performance Deal: Honesty and Accountability in Leadership
I hate when people get fired publicly. I guess that’s why I never really went back to watch Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice”. There is something seriously wrong about getting pleasure from others’ misfortunes.
But Andrew Mason is a special case. Instead of bitter reproach and lash out, he takes the higher road and uses it as an opportunity for redemption. A chance to show leadership and accountability.
There is something refreshing about his exit. Yes, he was canned. But that does not mean he needs to pack up and leave quietly. Here are 5 lessons learned from his leaving Groupon:
HR Leaders: Your Biggest Talent Management Issue Today is Social Media Attrition #Infographic
Wait, what? What in the world is Social Media Attrition?
Let me define this for you: Social Media Attrition is the risk of losing your employees via social media marketing and professional networks.
How big is this risk? HUGE. It used to be that your risk of attrition (potential for people leaving your company) was anywhere between 5% and 25%, of which, typically, only half of that risk actualized. Nowadays? Your risk is up to 79%.
3 Unconventional Ways to Cut Through Resume Monotony, Catch the hiring Manager’s Attention
To what extremes would you go to get a job? Specifically, to stand out of the hundreds of resumes each posted job requisition gets?
These people have thought creatively about this question, and their creativity paid off.
The Chocolate Bar
Resume chocolate bar via imgur: http://imgur.com/vjdVFqO
Jobseeker Lesson Learned: find creative ways to show your skills in the resume itself. If you’re a visual designer, make a well designed resume, if you’re a mobile developer, why not build an app that shows your resume in a fun way?
The Billboard
Adam Pacitti went the unconventional way to get employers’ attention.
Jobseeker Lesson Learned: in desperate times, use desperate measures. Don’t be afraid to use guerrilla job seeking tactics: contact hiring managers, send paper resumes (I know, old school, but it works), or even buy yourself a billboard.
The Sandwich Board.
Jason Fruen’s sandwich board on the highway got him the calls that lead to employment.
Jobseeker Lesson Learned: make yourself visible, in the right place, and with a clear call to action.
At Work: What John Paul II and Benedict XVI Taught Us About Quitting …or Not
Even if you are not catholic, or do not adhere to religious beliefs, we can all learn something about work from the last two Vatican leaders.
At work, successful employees share some common personality traits rooted in self awareness: judging when to keep at it or simply get out of the way for the greater benefit of the team.
Commitment & Perseverance
John Paul II just kept going. Even in the last stages of Alzheimer, he demonstrated a relentless desire to serve others and dedicate his last bit of energy to the mission he was hired to advance. He showed us than when you love your job, it becomes a natural extension of your life. It’s not just what you do, it’s who you are, till the very end.
Courage & Humility
Benedict XVI stepped up then stepped down. He showed leadership and commitment to team that picked him, then proceeded to give it his best. However, there comes a time when one must acknowledge his limitations. If you deemed yourself unfit to perform the job you were hired to do, would you be courageous enough to admit it and let others take the lead?
I don’t know about you, but I’d love to see these behaviors at work more often.
Talent Diversity: Beyond Race, Age, and Gender
This article was originally written for and posted on RiseSmart’s blog.
When the word “diversity” pops up in a conversation. What thoughts does it trigger? Typically it’s about race, gender, age, and other protected classes.
I know what you’re thinking: yet another post about how having diversity in the workplace through variety of gender, race, religion and other protected classes is not only the legal thing to do but good for your organization. Well, no; I’m no legal expert. What I do know after working with many organizations with progressive cultures is that they invest in talent diversity beyond the legal compliance requirements. Here are three ways these innovative companies use intentional diversity to create organizational strength and talent resiliency.
Christmas Day #2: Make Room for God and Those Less Fortunate
Our Pope is probably one of the most loved and hated public figures in the world. Loved by Christians around the globe who abide by his message of love, charity and Jesus-centered lives, while hated by those who can’t stand his perceived position of authority that reaches across nations.
But on this second day of Christmas, I want to call your attention (of both lovers and haters) to a few points he made during his Christmas Mass homily that made me stop and think, in hope that it would touch your soul as well:
Christmas Day #1: Unto Us A Child Is Born
No matter how many times we celebrate Christmas, the story always gets me. The whole idea of an omnipotent God entering the world He created in its most vulnerable form, a baby, is simply genius. Why? because it was not until then that men were forced to stop thinking about God as a distant, megalomaniacal, top-down, controlling, judging and punishing being, but instead a loving and lovable God, who’s willing to live, suffer, and die with/for us.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
May the love of God be reborn and grow healthy and plump in your heart. Merry Christmas to all.
The Future of HR Technology is Social, Mobile, in the Cloud, Employee-Centric, Gamified and Data Rich #HRTechConf
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the 2012 HR Technology Conference in Chicago, where top analysts, vendors and practitioners get together to network, explore the latest trends, and see what’s new in HR tech.
I had a great time exchanging ideas, seeing the latest versions of some cool (and some not so cool ones too) products, and hunting for disruptive, bleeding edge technologies that significantly impact the bottom line via the HR folks…. aaaand that’s where the conference felt short for me: there was not really much new stuff to sink my teeth on. Yes, I admit I already live in the mecca of innovation and disruption, and after all, many of the new interesting, disruptive HR tech players are coming out of Silicon Valley (Work.com, Workday, TalentBin, SmartRecruiters, RiseSmart), but the problem for me was finding myself having similar conversations around the same topics we discussed last year, when I wrote about six clear trends that would forever impact HR.
As my friend Matt Charney puts it: “basically, the last year in HR and recruiting has been pretty much, same stuff, different hashtag.”
At least it was obvious that those trends continue to be here, impacting the HR function; some stronger (social, cloud, mobile), some less so (gamification, global and big data). They have evolved, with some proof points and clear examples of success, where others seem to be fading away in importance.
So how have these trends evolved since last year? Inspired by the thoughts shared by Bill Kutik, John Wookey, Yvette Cameron, Marcia Conner, Lisa Rowan, Naomi Lee Bloom, Thomas Koulopoulos and many other experts during this year’s HR Technology Conference, I ventured out to answer this question in this 3-part coverage of #HRTechConf:
- The Future of HR is Social, Collaborative and Hyper-Connected
- The Future of HR is Mobile and in the Cloud
- The Future of HR is Employee-Centric and Data Rich
Let me what you think, and see you next year in Vegas.
Employee Engagement and Loyalty Start at the Top: How to Deal with Problem Bosses
Not everyone has a boss that embodies good management philosophies: caring for employees leads to loyalty which in turns leads to engagement which leads to happy employees which makes them work harder and more productively… phew! You got that? Bosses are the main drivers of attrition.
Bosses set the tone for the organization
Not everyone is a born manager. Most people need some training, as it happens. A lot of management is common sense. Treat people the way you’d have them treat you. Sadly, sometimes people forget all about the Golden Rule – or choose to for their own purposes. Friends and colleagues have shared stories with me over the years about their various work experiences, and one thing rings true across all of them. Leadership is a critical and all too often missing element of employee engagement and loyalty. The boss sets the tone of an organization, and it quickly becomes apparent what traits get rewarded.
Happy Mother’s Day to 7 Moms
A mother’s love cannot be measured, taught or demanded. It’s just there. Always there. On this day, I honored the 7 mothers that have changed my life for ever. 3 alive, 2 gone but never forgotten, and 2 I never met in person yet inspire me everyday: Abuela Luisa: you showed me determination and resourcefulness Abuela Mencha: you always extended a sweet loving hand and a happy attitude Mama Sol: you gave me protection, encouragement and independence Mama Leyda: you took me in as your own son Tatiana: you selflessly give your all for your children and husband, every day Mary, mother of Jesus: you showed us infinite love, ultimate sacrifice and the unknown moms: who honored life and chose their child(ren) over abortion. To you, and all moms out there… I love you. A day, gifts or any FB post will never be enough to pay for your dedication and love.
