Thoughts on people, teams, organizations, communities, effectiveness and success
Glenn Murphy resigned his CEO role with Gap, Inc. effective February 1, 2015.
While I don’t know Murphy, I do know one thing about his 8-year stint at the Gap: Murphy left “fingerprints.”
Murphy was brought at a time when Gap was generally described as “adrift” and “without focus.” While financial results were mixed during his tenure – retail is a tough place for anyone to perform well – the stock price doubled during his time holding the stick.… Read the rest
Optics – whatever they might be – count. A lot.
Just ask Big Bird.
Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney announced that he’d stop funding PBS – effectively sacking Big Bird and the Sesame Street crew that generations of kids and their parents have grown to love – as one of the first steps to lower the multi-trillion Federal debt. It was a rare misstep in a sterling first debate performance against President Obama in Denver.… Read the rest
There is trouble in recruiter-land.
Talk to any in-house recruiter and they know it. Talk to any job candidate and they suspect it.
Heck, as someone who has run small, medium, and large size talent acquisition operations I even know it.
You probably do too.
So what’s going on?
Back in the pre-online application days, circa 1996, internal recruiters working for employers customarily carried (preface: at least the good employers who knew to balance workload with quality) 10-15 job requisitions – openings they were trying to fill – at any one time.… Read the rest
There was a minor kerfluffle with an organization with which I’m associated; a blog stalker noticed that a post I wrote quoted somebody from the organization by name (accurately, and within context, btw) and took exception.
Like the swimmer who admires the beauty in the whites of a sharks’ teeth before realizing they are about to be eaten, there are far bigger issues for anyone to worry about than someone quoting somebody else accurately on a blog.… Read the rest
You can lack efficiency and effectiveness in how you communicate.
Or you can have both. Here’s how.
As background, it always helps to be clear about what you’re trying to communicate. Simply pass on information, or engage in a discussion and check for understanding? Ask for feedback, or do a data dump and run?
Great communication starts with focus about what you’re trying to accomplish, and what you’re trying to avoid.… Read the rest
Journalist (and Twitter friend) Kara Swisher noted regarding the Carol Bartz debacle that “there really is no good time to fire someone.”
I think Kara’s work is great, and I’d suggest otherwise.
There are good times to fire people.
Lord knows that as someone who worked as a corporate HR exec during the height of the restructuring boom in the 80’s and 90’s I’ve fired more people than I can count.… Read the rest