Thoughts on people, teams, organizations, communities, effectiveness and success
The economy feels like it’s moving sideways even though data suggests it’s ever-so-slightly improving. Promotional opportunities are few for people with jobs, and budgets for developmental activities such as conferences may have been slashed.
If you do a few simple things in your job life now your career can take a better route than simply hunkering down and waiting for the economy to improve.… Read the rest
Transition markers for the big things in life abound: diplomas from schools, birth certificates of children, employee of the year plaques and deal tombstones . All of them shout out “big step” congratulations.
But what marks the in-betweens – the minor and important accomplishments that put you in a position for those bigger deeds and accomplishments? How do you mark task well done , knowing that it makes you able to do job done well ?… Read the rest
Some people plan all their lives to become a senior executive – and it never happens. Others, through talent, timing, hard work, and or luck, become one though it was not something they sought, or even to which they aspired.
What will be in your future?
I think of these latter types of folks as “accidental execs.” I should know – I’ve been one as a Senior Vice President of Human Resources with a US Fortune 15 corporation – and any career planning behind the occurrence is as precise as the path of a butterfly on a warm, windy San Francisco day.… Read the rest
There are certain steps you should do when you leave a job, and Sam (not his real name) knew them all. He just didn’t follow them.
I thought it was odd when my mid-monthly Life Back West mailer bounced from his work address, but it would not be the first time that an e-mail bounced from a valid address. Odder was the call two week later from a manager from his firm looking for some advice, the type of advice you’d normally get from your Head of Human Resources.… Read the rest
As I suspect it’s been for a number of other people, the last 12 months have been choppy, marked by some high highs and low lows and any number of very bumpy bumps – economic and otherwise – in between. Paradoxically, those lows in our lives may let us experience the exhilaration of the highs.
My thoughts for the future, though, have stayed somehow optimistic.… Read the rest
In case you missed it, yesterday – April 15th – the US major league baseball teams honored Jackie Robinson , who in 1947 on that date became the first player of color to play in US major league baseball. All players yesterday wore the same number – Robinson’s #42 – as a way of honoring his memory and accomplishments. More on Robinson at this ESPN video clip here .… Read the rest