Executive Book Club: November 2012
It’s that time of year again. The annual opportunity to plan, scheme, and build a budget. Generally, this is the time of year when we think about what new programs or technologies we could add in the upcoming year. We dream of slick technology or powerful new programs that we could implement if we are lucky enough to be given the budget to do it. It’s a fun time of year. Planning and thinking big thoughts is important.
But, this year, while you plan and dream and budget, set aside a little time for another powerful exercise that...
Tuition assistance programs (or TAPs) can close employees’ skill gaps in the near term, and strengthen your internal pipeline of leadership candidates in the long term. The challenge is to manage investments in employee education in a way that maximizes returns–both for the employer and the employee.
To that end, Bellevue University’s Human Capital Lab and EdLink hosted a webinar based on the findings of two recent studies: Employer Value from Investing in Workforce Education and The Value of Tuition Assistance. The webinar–presented by Joe Hare, Associate Director of Human Capital Lab, and John...
I was born in July 1963, several months before a defining moment for the Baby Boomer generation occurred—the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. I was a “latch key kid” – I walked home from elementary school to an empty house because both of my parents worked. In fact, I started walking to school by myself in first grade after everyone else had left the house. I wasn’t supposed to use the record player but nearly every morning I used those few minutes before school to play a 45 of Tommy Roe’s hit song “Dizzy” over and over again. [If...
You do not have to clean up your social media profile to get a job.
Look, I understand taking off the “I hate my boss” posts, the mug shot of your wild weekend in Vegas or the rants about your disdain for baby seals.
But the weekend pictures where you are having a beer or a glass of wine and a great time? Those funny cat memes? Where is the harm?
Social networking sites have an intended purpose but most are created for people to share their experiences and to show a personal side. LinkedIn has...
Election 2012 is over. It could be weeks until you hear anyone “approve this message” again. That’s the good news.
The ominous news is that the fiscal cliff is dead ahead. Both the short- and long-term fates of the economy may be altered by what Congress does in the coming months.
“Fiscal cliff” was first coined by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. It refers to the combination of automatic tax increases and spending reductions that will occur on or around Jan. 2, 2013, if Congress does nothing.
Congress must address the Bush tax cuts, sequestration and...
On November 7, SHRM We Know Next chatted with Steve Browne (@sbrownehr) about The Inescapable World of Office Politics.
They’re a reality in the workplace and a necessary skill. Whether you know it or not, you engage in office politics, every day, and they're impossible to avoid. Many wonder why they are necessary; what does it take to be successful and what are the biggest mistakes? Nextchatters agreed that when it comes to politics, as long as employees respect each other and maintain honest communication, a healthy culture...
In last month’s blog, we discussed the importance of providing skilled coaching during experiential learning activities to produce desired developmental results. It is essentially an insurance policy for making experiential learning successful. Since these activities typically involve a high degree of personal and organizational investment of time and resources, their design is critical for return on investment. So let’s examine how to structure coaching throughout these experiences.
Coaching should begin prior to the developmental experience to help leaders understand the developmental objectives of the experience. Especially in global leadership development, where experiential learning can introduce people to new...
#NEXTCHAT: The Inescapable World of Office Politics
Office politics. They’re a reality in the workplace and a necessary skill. Whether you know it or not, you engage in office politics, every day, and they are impossible to avoid. Even if you choose not to interact with others, you are still engaging in politics and it’s probably not helping your career.
It’s not about being dishonest, calculated or two-faced. It’s not about jockeying for an advantage, or sucking up to those who can help you. It’s about communication. It's about building relationships, creating allies and understanding the positive...