Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Dan Oswald “Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.” —George Washington It was suggested to me recently that there are times when you must work for someone you don’t like or trust. My initial response was a blank […]
by Dan Oswald You know good customer service when you see it. That’s a statement in which I firmly believe. But it also means you know horrendous customer service when you see it. Do I have a story for you! Recently, my wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. My gift to her was […]
by Dan Oswald It’s a sad day for me. Hostess Brands, the maker of Twinkies, Ho-Hos, and Ding Dongs, is going out of business. While my midsection may not look like it, I haven’t had a Twinkie—or any other Hostess product, for that matter—in more than 30 years. But I hate to see them go. […]
by Dan Oswald The day after the 2012 presidential election, a colleague forwarded to me an interview with Michael Siegel, the author of The President as Leader. The interview was conducted by the Washington Post’s Tom Fox and centered around the top attributes of a great leader. In the interview, Siegel points to four leadership […]
I’m not very big on surprises. Years ago, for my 40th birthday, my wife threw me a surprise party. A lot of thought and planning went into it. Friends and family flew in from across the country. I had no clue what she was up to, so when I walked in the back […]
Once a colleague told me that he thought hiring former athletes was a risky proposition. His take was that while they were often charismatic, on average they just weren’t as smart as most. I politely reminded him that I considered myself a former athlete (with the emphasis on “former”), to which he had to think […]
Recently, at a company luncheon, I was asked about my favorite movie. Ask about the business and I’m quick with an answer. But the question about my favorite movie was nearly a stumper. I scrambled to come up with something and ultimately came up with a reply, but really wasn’t satisfied with my response. Well, […]
In Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, the author details how President Abraham Lincoln assembled a cabinet that included three men he bested for the Republican party’s presidential nomination and how Lincoln used their respective talents to win the Civil War and, ultimately, preserve the Union. It’s unusual […]
The other day, a colleague told me about one of his first tests as a new executive. He had recently been promoted when one of his direct reports — who had been a peer — recommended to him that an employee be put on a performance plan. When the newly promoted executive explored the situation […]
The other day a colleague shared this Dilbert cartoon with me: My initial reaction was that the message of this cartoon sums up the way the two parties in Washington, D.C. approach one another. ” Everything you said is right, but I have a reflexive urge to disagree with you.” Sounds very much like something […]