Why would anyone work for free …
I am writing this on a Saturday. I did two hours of work today and two hours last night. I have already worked many hours over my allotted workdays this week. It is unlikely I […]
Category: Leadership
Seeing all the people, seeing all the possibilities
When you or your organization goes looking for new people, what do you see? Do you see everyone who could meet or exceed your requirements? Do you include people from different backgrounds, ethnicity, cultures, people who experience barriers to employment. Hiring people is about seeing people without bias, misconceptions; it is about seeing the humanity behind the cover letter or resume.
I was involved in Human Resources for most of may career, I made mistakes; but with help I learned some lessons that might help you and your team.
Stepping back from the edge …
I have been here. Painfully unaware that I was teetering on the precipice. I was lucky, I had good mentors, I had key people who took a chance and told me what I needed to do and gave me the space to change. It wasn’t always smooth but I listened, I learned, and I became better.
As managers and supervisors, we will all eventually find ourselves in this position; how we react determines if we can step back or if we will plunge into the abyss.
What follows is what I was taught, what I learned, and what I continue to use. I hope it helps you.
An Insider’s guide to being a good Career Advisor
There is a special group of people who are making a difference to help people help themselves. I would like to dedicate this post to them, what they have taught me, to the people they help, and to the employers who work with them.
What ailments are you causing or ignoring?
Organizations experience major and minor ailments just like people do. Many are the result of external pressures; however, some like “Meeting Narcolepsy” are internally generated. Left undiagnosed and/or untreated these ailments can limit growth, cause decline, and even cause the organization to “die.”
Simple Truths – Nobody is born with a good work ethic.
This past week I attended a meeting where some people were lamenting that their new hires didn’t have a good work ethic and they seemed not to know how to function. Their comments inspired this post because “work ethic” is a learned skill and knowing what and how “to work” is also something that organizations should teach rather than assume.
An Insider’s guide to preparing for winter.
Today was a hot humid day in mid-September … not a day many people are thinking about winter. It doesn’t have to be today, but before the month is over, consider your plans for dealing with winter for your people.
The knocking on your door suddenly wakes you up; you glance at the clock; it’s 2:13 am. You knew this might happen but hoped it wouldn’t. As you open the door, you see more cruisers in the street, lights flashing, and officers knocking on your neighbor’s doors. Your heart is beating rapidly. It’s the police; they quickly say the fire has turned towards town as the wind changed directions. You can see the glow on the dark horizon and smell the smoke. … the officer says you and your family have one hour to evacuate.
Wildfires, floods, tornados, hurricanes: Are you prepared? In the past twelve months in Canada, we have experienced extreme wildfires in British Columbia, Alberta, the Northern Territories, and Quebec. Nova Scotia and Ontario have experienced record-breaking […]
Teaching People How to Fish
s a volunteer, I have presented workshops and seminars to people of all ages on “how to find a job” and “how to keep a job,” for more than twenty years.
Eight months ago I was fortunate enough to be hired by an Employment Agency that specializes in assisting job seekers who experience barriers to employment. The time has been a revelation, the people I work for and with have taught me so much that I did not know about resilience, perseverance, and the resources that are available to help, often with no cost. I invite you to read and to share this very brief introduction to things many of us do not know about employment agencies.
No one is where they were supposed to be.
Are we just the sum of our good and bad decisions? Labels and simple equations do not begin to adequately describe us and how we became who we are. In a world that increasingly uses simple rhetoric to explain how to solve our problems; we need to understand the complex interplay of variables that shape all of us.
If we can understand and appreciate, then we can begin to tailor individual courses of action.