P.S. – “I Love You” and Other Forms of Communication

When I ran Human Resources for the drug distribution side of  McKesson , prying 15 minutes from a distribution operating shift for employee communication basics was like taking bear cubs away from their parents.

Why is this important to you? Because the lessons McKesson supervisors learned should inform the communication practices of anyone who manages people from senior execs to first line supervisors.Read the rest

[Through the Glass Door] Barclays Global Investors and Genentech: Stuck in the M & A Middle?

In Roman Catholic theology, limbo is that afterlife condition for those who die without being assigned to hell. For employees in companies waiting for the post-acquisition dust to settle such as Genentech, or for those waiting for part of the organization to be halved off, such as Barclays Global Investors (BGI) with its iShares division,  limbo is a pretty good description of what it’s like to be inside the organization.Read the rest

Naismith’s Pride: Teamwork Spells Success

Eight United States teams – four men’s and four women’s – of sweaty, baggy-shorted collegiate basketball players will be running up and down a wooden court that is 94 feet long and 50 feet wide trying to claim the winner’s trophy in what’s known as basketball’s Final Four over the next few days.

Basketball, more than any other sport, is the ultimate team experience: nothing else comes close in the way five players must play well together and the lessons for business are endless.Read the rest

[Land O’Spin] Addition by Subtraction

Land O’Spin is an occasional set of writings focused on best practices in coaching and assessment: how do take what you observe, know what it means, and draw conclusions about what outcomes will occur in the future.

The news came in different ways about different people but the intersection was all mine: addition by subtraction was at play.

The sports news channels were filled with the predictable dispatches about Terrell Owens ‘ release from yet another National Football League team – this time the Dallas Cowboys.Read the rest

10 Secrets Headhunters (Usually) Don’t Tell You – Part 7 of the series “Choose Me, Hire Me!”

Headlines blare: “Why You Should Hire Me.” While times may be challenged, there is work (and jobs) to be had. I’ve been in the people (and teams) coaching business for over 25 years , both as a coach to managers and teams and also as someone directly responsible for hiring thousands of people through roles running large staffing / recruiting operations.Read the rest