Thoughts on people, teams, organizations, communities, effectiveness and success
The email from the prospective applicant family asked my thoughts regarding my son’s grade school.
It could have just as easily been about a place to work or somebody referencing an employee.
It brought to mind a simple question.
When do you shift from “highly recommend” to a more nuanced “recommend with reservations?”
Just as the most qualified candidate may not be the best candidate for a job (“He had lots of great skills and experiences.… Read the rest
The parent’s “Welcome Coffee” at my son’s grade school on the first day-of-school was nicely done, complete with homemade pastries and breakfast items, and greetings from the Head of School and other luminaries. A chance to catch up with friends and acquaintances, and a marker (e.g. think the literal ringing of a school bell) to start the school session.
After a summer break, school – and work for the faculty and staff who count the school as their employer – was back in session.… Read the rest
“When a great adventure is offered, you don’t refuse it,” trailblazing aviator Amelia Earhart suggested.
The same can be said about that unexpected job opportunity that surfaces; the one that you didn’t foresee, is off the planned career arc and yet you find intriguing.
Take it or punt? Kick the heart-racing-intrigue down the road until you’re “ready” or take a flyer and pursue it.… Read the rest
You’ve been promoted to a job on an interim basis and perhaps promised a strong shot at that role on a permanent basis.
Your company has just hired a search firm to handle the “permanent” placement.
Are you at risk?
Maybe.
Or maybe not.
That’s the situation that Yahoo interim CEO Ross Levinshohn finds himself in with the news reported by Kara Swisher that blue chip executive search firm Spencer Stuart has been hired by the board to handle the firm’s CEO search.… Read the rest
Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson – he of the phantom computer science degree that found its way on his official resume filed with
the SEC – was either fired or resigned.
The question remains; whose fault was it that the resume mistake wasn’t caught earlier?
The now-departed Thompson said that exec search firm Heidrick & Struggles was to blame; somebody on the search firm interviewed him for a role with eBay years ago when the error originally occurred, took incorrect information, and that’s how it got in the system and on to his Yahoo resume.… Read the rest
Most companies and many other organizations sweat the details of how you do onboarding – also known as new employee orientation. With the bounce rate (who gets fired or leaves, who stays) at around 40% at 18 months for execs hired from the outside it makes sense to pay attention to getting people traction early and fast.
Great idea, but there’s one small flaw; effective onboarding for a new hire starts even before that new hire walks through the door.… Read the rest