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Employee
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05/26/02
- About Industry and Business Training Special
Visit the About Industry and Business Training Special for up-to-the-minute
human resources and business information about how to make training and new employee orientation effective in your organization.
View links to the best training sites on the Web.
05/19/02
- Training: Your Investment in People Development and Retention
The right employee training, development and
education at the right time provides big payoffs for the employer in increased productivity, knowledge, loyalty,
and contribution. Learn the
approaches that will guarantee a return on your investment.
04/21/02
- Employee Orientation: Keeping New Employees on Board
New Employee Orientation is a critical factor
in helping a new person develop a productive, lasting relationship with your organization. Here are tips, tools,
and examples for people orientation processes that promote longevity and loyalty.
01/15/02
- Catch the Wave: Six Training Trends
The wave of the future of training is breaking on the shore. It's dissolving old ways
of thinking and asking organizations to look at training in a whole new way. Why? Because much of what organizations
did for years in training failed to produce the desired results,
if expected outcomes were defined at all. Yes, results. Find out more.
04/06/01
- Training Resource Center
Some are old, some new, but all are terrific resources about
training related topics for you. Check out the free training from Guides at About.
03/13/01
- Everyone Wins: More Tips for Training Transfer
Critically
important to training transfer are the activities that start during and occur
following the training session. You can help create an environment that fosters the ability of
each individual to assimilate learning and apply it on the job. Just follow these guidelines.
02/26/01
- Orientation Vs. Integration
Your new employee orientation is a make 'em or break 'em experience for a new employee.
Why does something we want to do well, so often go astray? Check out these tips for doing new employee orientation well. Welcome guest writer, Barbara O'Toole.
11/18/00
- Make Learning Matter: Become a Learning Organization
Organizations with the best chance to
succeed and thrive in the future are learning organizations. What is a learning
organization? How can you turn your organization into a learning organization?
Find sixteen tips and a definition in this article.
08/14/00
- Ten Tips to Make Training Work
How much money did your organization
invest last year in training that failed to provide the results you sought? You
are not alone if training classes rarely resulted in the transfer of
immediately useful information to your workplace. Real employee behavioral
change, based on the training content, is even harder to demonstrate.
Discouraging? You bet. So what's an organization to do?
09/24/00
- Training CAN Make a Difference: Twelve Tips for Training
Transfer
Can you turn your training participants into learning magnets
who can’t wait to attend their next training? Absolutely. Can you expect
improved work performance as a result of the time, energy, and money you
invest? Absolutely. Find out how.
05/28/00
- Training Trends
The way organizations integrate training and
development concepts is changing. Is your organization ready for new
developments such as online learning?
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Employee Involvement and Teams |
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02/24/02
- Use Your Team for Recruitment: A Retention Strategy
How would you like to increase your candidate selection pool,
add value to interviews, heighten employee loyalty, build supportive peer relationships, and improve retention
rates simultaneously? By implementing a team recruitment
strategy, you can achieve this. Find out how.
12/20/01
- How to Build a Teamwork Culture: Do the Hard Stuff
Team building is creating a work culture that
values collaboration. In a teamwork environment, people assimilate the belief that "none of us is as good as all of us."
Gain great teamwork tips, my favorite ice breaker and a fun team building activity.
12/02/01
- Top Picks: Accelerate Your Work Team Success
Many people view team-based, horizontal, organization structures as the best
design for involving all employees in creating business success and profitability. If you're intrigued by this belief,
these books will help you capitalize on team power.
11/25/01
- Twelve Tips for Team Building
People in every workplace talk about building
the team, working as a team, and my team, but few understand how to create the experience
of team work or how to develop an effective team. Here are twelve tips
for building successful work teams.
09/09/01
- Twenty Dumb Things Organizations Do to Mess Up Their Relationships With People
Twenty things you'd
never do - right? You'd be surprised
how often I encounter these approaches. Sadly, they are generally implemented or proposed to accomplish all
the right things for people and the organization. Don't miss these. Add your own.
07/29/01
- True Empowerment Wins
Confused about the legitimate role of employee teams and committees in a non-union
work setting? If so, you are not alone. Employers have been cautious for years. A new NLRB decision may shed some
light. Truly empowered teams rock. Read more.
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HR
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09/18/02
- Your 401(k) Plan is a Recruiting Magnet
Competitive base pay, medical insurance and a 401(k) plan are the
must have benefits necessary to attract and keep talent in your company. This makes your 401(k) and other retirement
benefits cornerstones for your Human Resources recruitment and retention strategy. Do you know everything
you need to know to serve as the "go-to" source for this information?
09/02/02
- Celebrate Labor Day
People work for many reasons including love, money,
and creating a successful future. Celebrate Labor Day with our special resource about Labor Day, labor unions,
compensation, salary, bonuses, benefits, and more.
08/04/02
- Why an Effective Job Description Makes Good Business Sense
The job description is a communication tool
significant for your organization's success. A poorly-written job description creates workplace confusion, hurts
communication, and makes people feel as if they don't know what is expected from them.
Read words of wisdom and warning about job descriptions.
07/17/02
- The Time of Your Life: Top 10 Time Management and Productivity Tools
Take a look at these top ten time management and productivity enhancement tools.
From my Palm and its keyboard to my favorite, current, stress-free productivity boosting book, you'll get ideas
that will help you best use the time of your life, too.
05/12/02
- Summary: Effective Networking for Professional Success
What propels your career success whether you are self-employed or
work for others? Networking with as many people as possible. Your business success is a result of the power, reach
and depth of the relationships you cultivate. Want to know more?
02/14/02
- Manage Your HR Career
Are you mid-career and wondering what's next? Are you deciding
whether HR is the career for you? Learn how to get started and how to explore your mid-career options. This resource is
completely updated for your use.
11/01/01
- Are You Getting the Best Benefit From Your Benefits?
Is your benefits package giving you the payback you deserve
in increased employee appreciation and satisfaction? Chances are, it's not. Employees only understand and appreciate part of the employer's cost of the benefits they receive. Learn more.
08/05/01
- HR Tool: Ask Right to Hire Right
Looking for a simple, yet effective way to immediately improve your interviewing and
staff selection process? Define the characteristics
you'd most like to have in a new employee. Then, develop questions that help you assess the applicant's fit.
07/10/01
- HR Tool: Grow Your Strategic Consulting Skills
What does your organization need from you as an HR professional in the twenty-first century? I'll bet it's less rulemaking and
administration and more about consulting, customer-focus, measuring results and value-added activities. Find out how.
02/05/01
- HR Tool: Performance Development Process Checklist
Performance appraisals, performance reviews, appraisal forms, whatever
you want to call them, let's call them gone! As a stand-alone, annual assault, they are
universally disliked and avoided. Use this tool to create a process that nurtures employee development instead.
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HR
Career Development |
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07/17/02
- The Time of Your Life: Top 10 Time Management and Productivity Tools
Take a look at these top ten time management and productivity enhancement tools.
From my Palm and its keyboard to my favorite, current, stress-free productivity boosting book, you'll get ideas
that will help you best use the time of your life, too.
06/19/02
- Why You Really Ought to Want to Love Your Work
Are you working more, enjoying it less, and dreading the time you
spend most days at your work place? If you answered "yes" to this question, take time this summer to explore your current career
choice and consider all of the other options life has to offer. You spend a substantial portion of your life at work. Why not make
that time as professionally and personally rewarding and fulfilling as possible?
06/05/02
- Top 10 Books for Job Seekers and Career Changers
Thinking about your current job search or a career change?
For dads, grads and others, these books will help you find your way. Learn about the job market. Translate your most
important needs, interests, and goals into a rewarding career. Find techniques for a successful job search. These are my
long term favorites. Gift a favorite person with the opportunity to explore their desired future.
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HR
Trends |
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09/18/02
- Your 401(k) Plan is a Recruiting Magnet
Competitive base pay, medical insurance and a 401(k) plan are the
must have benefits necessary to attract and keep talent in your company. This makes your 401(k) and other retirement
benefits cornerstones for your Human Resources recruitment and retention strategy. Do you know everything
you need to know to serve as the "go-to" source for this information?
Some people work for love; others work for personal fulfillment. Others like to accomplish goals and feel as if they are contributing to something larger than themselves, something important. Whatever your personal reasons for working, the bottom line, however, is that almost everyone works for money. Find out the latest thinking and research about what people want from their work.
02/03/02
- Community - Gone? Or Just Harder to Find?
Community is breaking down in America with
serious implications for volunteerism, charity-giving, religious practices, neighborhoods, friendships, family, democracy,
and society. There are implications for work, family, and self. Find out more.
01/06/02
- Four Trends Shaping Your Future
It's tough to write about trends. Writing requires separating what is
likely to happen from my own wishful thinking about what ought to happen. Add my fears,
concerns, needs, and wishes for your success … You get the picture. If you're not yet thinking about these possibilities
and opportunities, it's time to start.
11/22/01
- Predictors and Promises for Your HR Future
If you wish to jump start your progress in the HR profession,
these books will tell you where to invest your time and attention. They are recent, on-target, study-based and
key for professional growth. They identify key trends for you to adopt now.
11/10/00
- HR Trends: Are You Ready for an Agile Future?
Agile, nimble,
resilient—these words describe the people you want to hire, retain, and
develop in the future. They describe the organizations that will thrive in
times of intensely competitive, rapidly changing markets, customers, products,
delivery systems, and services. They describe YOU, if you value your HR career
and your contribution to the competitiveness and success of your organization.
Find out more.
05/14/00
- The New Role of the Human Resource Professional
The role of the
Human Resources professional is radically changing. Are you ready for the next
decade of change and evolution in HR systems and management style?
12/21/00
- The Top Ten Resolutions for Your Possible New Year
Take a look at
these recommended resolutions. They'll help you recharge, renew, and revitalize
your career and life. These are from my heart, and just for you.
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Management
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09/11/02
- Celebrate Life: Workplace Remembrance of September 11
People in workplaces around the world will remember September 11, 2001 as a day
of tragedy, sorrow, remembrance, honor, and celebration. To commemorate September 11, while there is much to
mourn and memorialize, there is also much to honor and celebrate. To appropriately honor the individuals, families,
and workplaces affected, your remembrance must provide the opportunity for both mourning and for celebration. Find out more.
08/18/02
- Working With People at Work Tip 2: Group Meeting Management - Competing Conversations
Want to develop effective working relationships with people
at work? Effective interaction by people in business meetings can create effective work relationships.
Effective group meetings manage the interaction of difficult people holding competing conversations.
07/25/02
- Top 8 Business and Management Book Reviews: Must-Do Reading
These business books are my current favorites for managers,
supervisors, and Human Resources professionals. Management topics are often boring; these books offer new and useful ideas
in a readable format. These books won't put you to sleep. I promise! These book reviews tell you why.
07/10/02
- Fight for What's Right: Ten Tips to Encourage Meaningful Conflict
Conflict avoidance is most frequently the
topic when conflict in organizations is discussed. Conflict resolution - as quickly as possible - is the second most frequent
topic. This is bad news because meaningful conflict is a cornerstone in healthy, successful organizations.
These tips will help you initiate and encourage positive conflict.
07/03/02
- Recruiting and Retention Special
Finding the best possible people who can fit within your culture and
contribute within your organization is a challenge and an opportunity. Keeping the best people, once you find them, is easy if you do
the right things right. Take a look at the helpful features in the Primedia/About Industry and Business Recruiting and Retention
Special.
06/26/02
- Top Ten Recruiting Tips
Recruiting ideas, facts, and myths permeate the hiring field. Check out these tips for
some of the best recruiting and hiring practices. They're research-based and recommended to you for hiring great employees.
04/07/02
- The Power of Positive Recognition
Prioritize recognition for people and you can ensure a
positive, productive organization. Belief that recognition is positive is common among employers even if not commonly carried out.
Why is recognition so closely guarded in many organizations? Here are tips to help you recognize people more often.
02/24/02
- Use Your Team for Recruitment: A Retention Strategy
How would you like to increase your candidate selection pool,
add value to interviews, heighten employee loyalty, build supportive peer relationships, and improve retention
rates simultaneously? By implementing a team recruitment
strategy, you can achieve this. Find out how.
02/21/02
- Creating High Morale Workplaces
Are you interested in resources that will help you create a work environment
that fosters high staff morale, productivity and motivation? Start here to retain your best employees and
create the work environment in which they will thrive.
10/13/01
- Reducing Sources of Conflict at Work Just Makes Sense
While it's unfortunate managers applied the company 'no flag'
policy on the national day of remembrance, it's a well-founded policy which other workplaces ought to imitate.
They'd reduce potential employee conflict. A reader offers a second opinion.
10/06/01
- The Workplace in a World at War
In the aftermath of the attack on America, organizations are addressing
issues of safety, security, sorrow, sensitivity, stress and staffing. Here are the conversations taking place in
workplaces around the world. If you're not discussing these issues, maybe you should be.
09/26/01
- Mourning Needs Not Met
On the national remembrance day, a Florida company deprived its employees of
their right to take comfort in the sight of the American flag. Why? Because the company had a long held policy
that did not permit political or religious expression at work. Read the whole story.
09/13/01
- When Tragedy Strikes...
The Kennedy assassination, the Challenger explosion, and the terrorist attack
on the World Trade Center and Pentagon are among America's unconscionable tragedies.
Many hear the news at work. Learn what you can do to ease the pain and encourage hope.
07/22/01
- Ten Tips to Prevent Vacation Downtime
Summer brings heavy vacation time to organizations.
Vacations tax your resources and keep you shorthanded. Work is undone. Customer
service suffers. Does this scenario have to happen? Not if you use these ten tips for work coverage. Check them out.
06/24/01
- It's All About the Managers...Duh!
The keys to financial success in
business are not the strategies or the systems of the firm. The character and
skill of managers, who practice what they preach, and know how to coach employee performance and morale are what count. Learn more.
06/17/01
- Sick Leave Abuse: A Chronic Workplace Ill?
Unscheduled employee absences are increasing. If you apply creative strategies to leave,
attendance, and absenteeism management, you can keep people coming to work. You'll increase workplace productivity and add value to your bottom line!
08/31/00
- Book Review: Birth of the Chaordic Age
I‘ve been
thinking a lot about chaos -- not as in massive disorder, but as described in
the new science of complexity. That’s the study of organizations as
complex, living systems, not as ordered, controlled environments like those
defined by organizational charts and detailed job descriptions. Read some
additional thoughts and a book review of a terrific book.
08/23/00
- Resource Roundup: Ten Great Web Sites for Managers
The Internet is
a world whose cities, countries, streets, and byways are millions of Web pages
and more. If you’re a Human Resources manager with limited time to use the
World Wide Web as a career-building tool, the sheer magnitude is daunting. To
make this world more approachable, I’ve picked ten Web sites that contain
knowledgeable, thoughtful content for managers. Take a look; I’m sure
they’re value added for you.
06/04/00
- Tips for Effective Coaching
Have you tried on your coaching hat?
These six tips will help you make the most of your opportunity as an HR
Coach.
05/30/00
- The Strategic HR Coach
Are you missing the momentum as more and
more executives seek the assistance of a business or personal coach? Find out
more about your opportunity in this role.
01/28/01
- Tips About Dating, Sex, and Romance at Work
What's love got to do with dating, sex, and
romance at the office? Plenty. Get tips about how to address dating, sex, and romance at work.
07/09/00
- What Great Managers Do Differently
Great managers break every rule
perceived as "conventional wisdom" in selecting, motivating, and developing
staff. See how this helps create a stronger organization and committed
staff.
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09/02/02
- Celebrate Labor Day
People work for many reasons including love, money,
and creating a successful future. Celebrate Labor Day with our special resource about Labor Day, labor unions,
compensation, salary, bonuses, benefits, and more.
06/12/02
- What's New at About Human Resources?
Frequent visitors will want to bookmark this page to quickly
link to new and exciting content on the About HR site. Want to know what's new and worth your reading time?
Learn what Susan's reading here. Check here first for new articles, products, and recommendations.
01/08/01
- The Growing Glossary Keeps on Giving
Who thought Santa didn't
bring you anything for the Christmas holidays this year? He actually brought
the gift that keeps on giving--the beginning of a comprehensive glossary of
Human Resources words, terms, and concepts. Check out this ever-growing
resource.
09/30/00
- HR Guide Got Guidance: Survey Results Are In
Survey results are
in! Over 140 people invested their time to participate. I promise your time was
well spent. Read on to discover who uses the About HR site and what your
colleagues want from this HR site. Some of the results may surprise you! They
did me.
11/30/00
- What Would an HR Hero Do?
Check out my first scenario in a new
interactive feature. I’ll keep adding more scenarios if site visitors
enjoy this new approach to sharing HR information. Please give me feedback in
the HR Community Connection Forum.
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Organization
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09/01/01
- How to Add Value in Continuing Strategic Change
HR is the stabilizer and champion during organizational change. HR adds value
by ensuring change efforts deliver lasting results. How? Use a principle-based approach to promote
stability and manage your organization's embedded polarities. Learn more
04/14/01
- Trust Rules: The Most Important Secret
Without it, you have nothing. Trust forms the foundation for effective
communication, employee retention, and employee motivation and contribution of
discretionary energy, the extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. When trust is present, everything else is easier. Learn more.
03/07/01
- Change Management Wisdom
As the speed of change continues to increase, change management is a
fundamental competency needed by the Human Resources professional. I've collected your words, from my recent change
management survey. They demonstrate the nuances of change strategy, planning, implementation, and courage much more graphically than any I can offer on my own.
02/20/01
- Change, Change, Change: More Lessons From the Field
Want to make change work for you? Communicate; involve all stakeholders;
share the belief and the dream. Check out the second installment of change survey results.
02/12/01
- Change, Change, Change: Lessons From the Field
Change is possible; the need for change is increasing;
change capability is necessary for organizations that will succeed in the future. So say the respondents to my recent
survey about change management success. Check out the first installment of results.
01/14/01
- Downsizing Survivors
For whatever reason, your organization
downsized, right-sized, eliminated redundancy, scheduled lay-offs, or cut
staff. No matter what you called it, you all have something in
common--survivors. Learn more.
01/22/01
- Survivors Can Soar After Downsizing
If you do the right things right, you can minimize,
and even eliminate, the negative organizational impacts of a downsizing. Find out how.
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Performance Management
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08/25/02
- Performance Consulting, Measurement, and Improvement Books
Effective performance
consulting and training can provide big payoffs for the employer in increased staff productivity, knowledge, loyalty, and
contribution. These resources increase your ability to do performance consulting, measure performance improvement, and
provide resultant training using internal staff. Increase your self-sufficiency in performance consulting and improvement.
08/04/02
- Why an Effective Job Description Makes Good Business Sense
The job description is a communication tool
significant for your organization's success. A poorly-written job description creates workplace confusion, hurts
communication, and makes people feel as if they don't know what is expected from them.
Read words of wisdom and warning about job descriptions.
03/10/02
- Use Performance Management to Help People Succeed and Improve
Are you fed up with the return on investment
you experience with your current performance appraisal? Ready to change your approach? You can improve productivity,
motivation, and morale by handling performance management and development in new ways.
01/28/02
- Top Picks: Toss Out Your Dusty, Old Appraisal System: Best Performance Management Books
Performance appraisal
systems don't work as traditionally practiced. The people who do them and the people who get them, despise the process.
You need to provide feedback and measure and reward contribution. Create a better system with these books.
Join the great debates about 360 degree feedback. Anonymous or shared? Web-based or paper and pencil? Affects compensation or not? Organization or employee-owned? Find out more about the pros and cons.
04/25/01
- 360 Degree Feedback: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Want to stir up all of the dormant fearballs
hidden just below the surface in your organization? Nothing raises hackles as fiercely as a change in performance feedback methods, especially
when they affect compensation decisions. Learn more about 360 degree feedback processes.
03/21/01
- A New Look at Performance Management
I've expanded the performance management resources. Visit this resource for forward
thinking ideas about performance management, appraisal, or the annual review.
12/10/00
- The Awesome Power of Goal Setting—Ten Tips for Triumph
Heed
the advice offered by Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat, Johann Wolfgang Von
Goethe, and Stephen Covey. When you begin your new year with solid direction
and desired outcomes in mind, you set yourself up for awesome success. These
tips will help you achieve your goals and live your resolutions.
02/05/01
- HR Tool: Performance Development Process Checklist
Performance appraisals, performance reviews, appraisal forms, whatever
you want to call them, let's call them gone! As a stand-alone, annual assault, they are
universally disliked and avoided. Use this tool to create a process that nurtures employee development instead.
06/11/00
- Performance Appraisals Don't Work
Many managers intensely dislike
doing performance appraisals. Given the expectations of the traditional
process, who can blame them?
10/23/00
- Performance Management is NOT an Annual Appraisal
Performance
appraisals are a hot topic in HR these days. In fact, hundreds of resources
exist to tell you how to do performance reviews. I think this is the wrong
approach. Should you do reviews at all? If so, what is the larger systems
issue? Find out.
11/25/00
- Take Those Numeric Ratings and...
Numeric ratings are one of the
most abused components of any measurement and assessment system. They make
people angry and destroy fragile working relationships. The wonder to me is why
you would expect anything different. Want to know more?
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Product, Process and Book Reviews
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08/25/02
- Performance Consulting, Measurement, and Improvement Books
Effective performance
consulting and training can provide big payoffs for the employer in increased staff productivity, knowledge, loyalty, and
contribution. These resources increase your ability to do performance consulting, measure performance improvement, and
provide resultant training using internal staff. Increase your self-sufficiency in performance consulting and improvement.
07/25/02
- Top 8 Business and Management Book Reviews: Must-Do Reading
These business books are my current favorites for managers,
supervisors, and Human Resources professionals. Management topics are often boring; these books offer new and useful ideas
in a readable format. These books won't put you to sleep. I promise! These book reviews tell you why.
07/17/02
- The Time of Your Life: Top 10 Time Management and Productivity Tools
Take a look at these top ten time management and productivity enhancement tools.
From my Palm and its keyboard to my favorite, current, stress-free productivity boosting book, you'll get ideas
that will help you best use the time of your life, too.
06/05/02
- Top 10 Books for Job Seekers and Career Changers
Thinking about your current job search or a career change?
For dads, grads and others, these books will help you find your way. Learn about the job market. Translate your most
important needs, interests, and goals into a rewarding career. Find techniques for a successful job search. These are my
long term favorites. Gift a favorite person with the opportunity to explore their desired future.
05/12/02
- Summary: Effective Networking for Professional Success
What propels your career success whether you are self-employed or
work for others? Networking with as many people as possible. Your business success is a result of the power, reach
and depth of the relationships you cultivate. Want to know more?
04/28/02
- Top 6 Work-Life Balance Books: Your Family-Friendly Future
Spring is the season for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day
and Family Support Month. Concurrently, work-life balance is a hot issue in the HR field. Searching for ideas and examples
of innovative approaches to recruiting and retaining employees? Start here.
04/14/02
- Top Picks: Reward, Recognition, Award, and Thank You Ideas
Looking for convenient, appreciated, reasonably
cost-conscious ways to reward, recognize, demonstrate your appreciation, award, and say "thank you" for contributions that
people make at work? These ideas will help.
01/28/02
- Top Picks: Toss Out Your Dusty, Old Appraisal System: Best Performance Management Books
Performance appraisal
systems don't work as traditionally practiced. The people who do them and the people who get them, despise the process.
You need to provide feedback and measure and reward contribution. Create a better system with these books.
12/15/01
- How to Gift the Boss or a Special Co-worker
It's an age-old dilemma and it comes up every year.
What do you do for that valued boss or co-worker on a special occasion? Gift-giving opportunities are endless -
and endlessly challenging. Help is here. These gifts are appreciated and cherished.
12/08/01
- Top Picks: Posters That Reinforce and Sustain Your Culture
Your culture is a result of the values, experience,
and behaviors shared by its employees. You can see your culture live in your language, symbols, stories, and
work practices. Emphasize the values and culture you desire with motivational prints.
12/02/01
- Top Picks: Accelerate Your Work Team Success
Many people view team-based, horizontal, organization structures as the best
design for involving all employees in creating business success and profitability. If you're intrigued by this belief,
these books will help you capitalize on team power.
11/22/01
- Predictors and Promises for Your HR Future
If you wish to jump start your progress in the HR profession,
these books will tell you where to invest your time and attention. They are recent, on-target, study-based and
key for professional growth. They identify key trends for you to adopt now.
Business books are often boring. They offer few "real world" examples of the touted philosophy or recommendations in action. I've selected these books; they're the best I've read recently. They'll hold your interest and demonstrate theory in action.
11/15/01
- Little Books With Big Impact
One current trend in business books is the short book, often written as a story or fable.
These books are approachable, useful and may help encourage more people to read.
They pack a solid punch in a small package. Read about some of my favorites.
11/12/01
- Books About Consulting
Looking for ways to find clients, keep clients happy and hone your consulting skills?
If you're starting a practice, even internal, these books will save you time. Experienced consultants
may have missed these informative, special choices. Take a look.
11/07/01
- Before You Buy a Business Book
Avoid the siren call of the latest and greatest business book!
When you spot a book that says, "buy me," resist the urge unless you can use the book right now. I own so many unread books!
These tips can help you avoid the same needless expenditures.
10/18/01
- My Favorite Online Business E-card Shops
Nothing beats an online greeting when you want
to communicate a sentiment, a reaction, or an observation quickly and informally. Pleased? Send congratulations.
Sad? Send sympathy. Many of you enjoy sending free cards; here are more opportunities.
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Small Business Focus |
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09/18/02
- Your 401(k) Plan is a Recruiting Magnet
Competitive base pay, medical insurance and a 401(k) plan are the
must have benefits necessary to attract and keep talent in your company. This makes your 401(k) and other retirement
benefits cornerstones for your Human Resources recruitment and retention strategy. Do you know everything
you need to know to serve as the "go-to" source for this information?
08/04/02
- Why an Effective Job Description Makes Good Business Sense
The job description is a communication tool
significant for your organization's success. A poorly-written job description creates workplace confusion, hurts
communication, and makes people feel as if they don't know what is expected from them.
Read words of wisdom and warning about job descriptions.
Your small business has unique people opportunities and challenges. Some are unique to small business. Others, you share with organizations of any size. The good news? Best practices exist. Proven solutions to the troublesome issues you face with your human resources programs, policies, and approaches are available. I'll highlight some of the most important time investments and solutions for the small organization. These also apply to start-ups, and provide a basic HR framework for any business.
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10/06/01
- The Workplace in a World at War
In the aftermath of the attack on America, organizations are addressing
issues of safety, security, sorrow, sensitivity, stress and staffing. Here are the conversations taking place in
workplaces around the world. If you're not discussing these issues, maybe you should be.
05/22/01
- HR as Product: Be the Brand of Choice
Human Resource practitioners need to rethink their role as a department, not just for contributing
to their organization's bottom line, but for their survival. Learn how to be the brand of choice in your organization. Welcome guest writer, Judith Brown.
09/12/00
- Build an Organization Based on Values
Does the environment of your
workplace motivate, excite and retain employees? To ensure that it does, create
a workplace with a foundation firmly based on your core values. Learn
more.
10/31/00
- Help People Thrive at Work
How to recruit, retain, reward, and
motivate staff currently tops your interest list. Doing these well is the most
important strategic role of the Human Resources professional. In what other
capacity can you contribute more to the success of your organization? InThe
New Pioneers: The Men and Women Who are Transforming the Workplace and the
Marketplace, Thomas Petzinger, Jr., discusses the pieces of a powerful
revolution currently reshaping the face of American business. I’d like to
see HR professionals leading the charge on these.
10/15/00
- How to Make Values Live in Your Organization
Your culture is the
outward demonstration of the values that exist in your workplace. Are these
values creating the workplace you want? Do these values promote a culture of
extraordinary customer care by happy, motivated, productive people? Find out
more.
12/31/00
- Make the Most of Your HR Month.
Looking for ways to shine the
positive spotlight on your Human Resources programs, processes, and people?
Human Resources Month provides a great opportunity to get started. Find out
how.
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08/18/02
- Working With People at Work Tip 2: Group Meeting Management - Competing Conversations
Want to develop effective working relationships with people
at work? Effective interaction by people in business meetings can create effective work relationships.
Effective group meetings manage the interaction of difficult people holding competing conversations.
08/11/02
- Working With People at Work Tip 1: Just Like Me: Search for Similarities
Want to develop effective working relationships with people
at work? Start with similarities, not differences, among people when you build relationships. As a human resources
professional, manager, supervisor, co-worker, staff member or business owner, effective work relationships are critical
for your success.
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Some people work for love; others work for personal fulfillment. Others like to accomplish goals and feel as if they are contributing to something larger than themselves, something important. Whatever your personal reasons for working, the bottom line, however, is that almost everyone works for money. Find out the latest thinking and research about what people want from their work.
08/11/02
- Working With People at Work Tip 1: Just Like Me: Search for Similarities
Want to develop effective working relationships with people
at work? Start with similarities, not differences, among people when you build relationships. As a human resources
professional, manager, supervisor, co-worker, staff member or business owner, effective work relationships are critical
for your success.
07/10/02
- Fight for What's Right: Ten Tips to Encourage Meaningful Conflict
Conflict avoidance is most frequently the
topic when conflict in organizations is discussed. Conflict resolution - as quickly as possible - is the second most frequent
topic. This is bad news because meaningful conflict is a cornerstone in healthy, successful organizations.
These tips will help you initiate and encourage positive conflict.
07/03/02
- Recruiting and Retention Special
Finding the best possible people who can fit within your culture and
contribute within your organization is a challenge and an opportunity. Keeping the best people, once you find them, is easy if you do
the right things right. Take a look at the helpful features in the Primedia/About Industry and Business Recruiting and Retention
Special.
04/28/02
- Top 6 Work-Life Balance Books: Your Family-Friendly Future
Spring is the season for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day
and Family Support Month. Concurrently, work-life balance is a hot issue in the HR field. Searching for ideas and examples
of innovative approaches to recruiting and retaining employees? Start here.
04/14/02
- Top Picks: Reward, Recognition, Award, and Thank You Ideas
Looking for convenient, appreciated, reasonably
cost-conscious ways to reward, recognize, demonstrate your appreciation, award, and say "thank you" for contributions that
people make at work? These ideas will help.
04/07/02
- The Power of Positive Recognition
Prioritize recognition for people and you can ensure a
positive, productive organization. Belief that recognition is positive is common among employers even if not commonly carried out.
Why is recognition so closely guarded in many organizations? Here are tips to help you recognize people more often.
03/22/02
- Tips for Managing Stress and Change at Work
Stress is normal. You need some stress to perform
your best. The key for management? Determine the right amount of stress that will give you energy, ambition,
and enthusiasm versus the wrong amount which can harm your well-being. Here are five tips.
03/03/02
- Fun and the Bottom Line: Using Humor to Retain Employees
As more organizations reengineer, merge, downsize, and even capsize, employees confront uncertainty daily.
The rules keep changing and since most have little control over the rules, the result is often a sense of
powerlessness. This translates into increased stress, decreased wellness, demoralization, absenteeism, and lower productivity.
Humor could be the cure.
02/21/02
- Creating High Morale Workplaces
Are you interested in resources that will help you create a work environment
that fosters high staff morale, productivity and motivation? Start here to retain your best employees and
create the work environment in which they will thrive.
12/27/01
- Laughing Your Way to Organizational Health
Workplace wellness is a serious issue.
With stress-related-illness and burnout becoming household words, you are increasingly looking for ways
to keep your workforce happy, healthy and productive.
David Granirer's humor insights tell you how.
12/15/01
- How to Gift the Boss or a Special Co-worker
It's an age-old dilemma and it comes up every year.
What do you do for that valued boss or co-worker on a special occasion? Gift-giving opportunities are endless -
and endlessly challenging. Help is here. These gifts are appreciated and cherished.
12/08/01
- Top Picks: Posters That Reinforce and Sustain Your Culture
Your culture is a result of the values, experience,
and behaviors shared by its employees. You can see your culture live in your language, symbols, stories, and
work practices. Emphasize the values and culture you desire with motivational prints.
11/01/01
- Are You Getting the Best Benefit From Your Benefits?
Is your benefits package giving you the payback you deserve
in increased employee appreciation and satisfaction? Chances are, it's not. Employees only understand and appreciate part of the employer's cost of the benefits they receive. Learn more.
10/18/01
- My Favorite Online Business E-card Shops
Nothing beats an online greeting when you want
to communicate a sentiment, a reaction, or an observation quickly and informally. Pleased? Send congratulations.
Sad? Send sympathy. Many of you enjoy sending free cards; here are more opportunities.
10/13/01
- Reducing Sources of Conflict at Work Just Makes Sense
While it's unfortunate managers applied the company 'no flag'
policy on the national day of remembrance, it's a well-founded policy which other workplaces ought to imitate.
They'd reduce potential employee conflict. A reader offers a second opinion.
09/26/01
- Mourning Needs Not Met
On the national remembrance day, a Florida company deprived its employees of
their right to take comfort in the sight of the American flag. Why? Because the company had a long held policy
that did not permit political or religious expression at work. Read the whole story.
09/13/01
- When Tragedy Strikes...
The Kennedy assassination, the Challenger explosion, and the terrorist attack
on the World Trade Center and Pentagon are among America's unconscionable tragedies.
Many hear the news at work. Learn what you can do to ease the pain and encourage hope.
09/09/01
- Twenty Dumb Things Organizations Do to Mess Up Their Relationships With People
Twenty things you'd
never do - right? You'd be surprised
at how often I encounter these approaches. Sadly, they are generally implemented or proposed to accomplish all
the right things for people and the organization. Don't miss these. Add your own.
08/23/01
- Elan at Work
Are you capturing the ardor and the spirit
of your work force? You want to maximize contributions from people. You want to fuel excitement. You want people
to fulfill dreams, plans and needs. You want to be the chosen, valued employer. Find out how.
08/13/01
- Foster Success for People: Two More Musts for Motivation
Tired of hearing that people are your most important
resource? That's fair. These buzz words sound trite today. How about a better statement of belief?
People are your only resource. Love them and help them grow or lose them to an employer who will.
06/10/01
- It Can Happen Here
A very real, clear and present danger lurks just beyond the
consciousness of most people who work together. It is the potential for violent actions to occur in your
workplace. Increasingly, the Human Resources function is both the target and the organization's first line of defense for prevention. Find out more.
05/03/01
- Promote Self-Discipline!
You can create a work environment in which people choose to practice self-discipline and thus, minimize the need
for supervisory disciplinary action. Intriguing? Find out more.
04/14/01
- Trust Rules: The Most Important Secret
Without it, you have nothing. Trust forms the foundation for effective
communication, employee retention, and employee motivation and contribution of
discretionary energy, the extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. When trust is present, everything else is easier. Learn more.
03/28/01
- Set Them Free: Two Musts for Motivation!
Everyone is motivated about something! Find out how to create a work environment that
enables people to express that motivation at work.
07/31/00
- Cures for Negativity
Your workplace is seething with hostility and
negativity! No matter where the bad vibes came from, it's up to you, as an HR
professional, to help make the atmosphere more positive, productive and
supportive. Find out how.
07/16/00
- Tips for Minimizing Workplace Negativity
Nothing affects employee
morale more insidiously than persistent workplace negativity. It saps the
energy of your organization and diverts critical attention from work and
performance. Find out how to minimize negativity before it starts.
