Human Strategies

OHUG Research Links

2010-06-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to the OHUG team for another great conference. I had a few questions after the keynote about the research we cited - here are a few links.

Center for Creative Leadership: The Changing Nature of Leadership

Gallup: The Next Generation of Leadership (subscription required)

Harvard Business Review: Mentoring Millenials (May, 2010)

Harvard Business Review: How to Keep Your Top Talent (May, 2010)

Harvard Business Review: Are You a High Potential? (June, 2010)

Groundswell

So what are YOU thinking about Leadership and Retaining Key Talent? Any other good research to share?

The Tenure Trap

2010-03-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

We had a contentious Music Boosters meeting last week: the High School Band Director was let go, and the Principal came in to explain his decision. I’ve been in the Principal’s shoes before – having to explain why a well-liked person was fired. But I was surprised to learn how much of the Principal’s decision was impacted by the tenure rules he has to follow.

In California, if a school employee is slotted against a defined position, that person has to be given tenure, or released, at the end of 2 years. Think about that for a minute. What do you know about a person after 2 years? If they are a rock star, you’ve figured that out. Grant tenure and congratulate yourself on a great hire. If they are a D player, you’ve got that covered too. But what if they’re in the middle? They seem ok, but they aren’t lighting the world on fire. Or they were dealing with personal problems over the last 6 months, so work wasn’t their 100% focus. Or they look like they are about to turn the corner and grow into the rock star you know they can be. In the corporate world, we have tools to deal with that situation – the person meets expectations, gets a low salary increase and you focus performance discussions on how to get to the next level of performance. But in the school system, you don’t have that room. If you grant tenure, this person cannot be fired except for egregious actions.

After 2 years, the music program was improving, but not as much as the Principal expected. Students loved the teacher, and parents were fairly happy as well. But there was still room to grow on the overall excellence of the program, and the Director wasn't necessarily "owning" the vision for the department. So the Principal had to make a call: keep the Director, who is a great person, but hasn’t risen to the level you expect, or say "we can do better" and release the employee? Make a bet that a B player will grow to be an A, or cut your losses?

Despite the pressure from students and parents, the Principal made the decision to release the Director. As he said, if he has the slightest doubt on whether or not to give tenure, he’s not going to do it. It’s far better to go through the short term upheaval of recruiting a new A player than get by with a B player for the next 15-20 years.

I agree with the Principal’s decision – because I think it’s the right principle to establish in this situation. To me, the idea of making this long-term decision after only 18 months of performance is ludicrous. Other states grant tenure after 5 years, which gives an employee more room to take risks and grow earlier in their career. But if we’ve removed the idea of lifetime jobs from other industries, why is it still acceptable in education? How would you feel about granting tenure in this situation? Educators, or parents with kids…what do you think?

[Image from Thinkpublic used under creative commons]

Presentations: Square One. Again.

2010-03-02T17:30:00.000-08:00

The 13 year-old arrived in the living room last Sunday with a wild look in his eyes.

"Mom, I have to do a presentation on my Math Problem of the Week. Can you teach me Powerpoint?"

[NB: Once upon a time, I was, in fact, paid to teach people how to give presentations. So there's some precedent to the request.]

So we sat down at the table, fired up the computer, and I asked him what he wanted to present. In order, his answers were:

1. I need to show all of the content from my math assignment, because that's what the teacher is looking for.

2. I need to do something that will keep people awake, because this could be boring.

3. I want to do some cool transitions - do you have any with flames?

He's only 13, and already he's been taught that presentations should reflect all of your content, and creativity is limited to how you get from point to point. On the plus side, the idea of "keeping people awake" had some merit - although I think it had more to do with him not liking math, than thinking about presentations.

45 minutes later, he had 19 slides - all text, with 1 thought per slide. As we were editing for font alignment, I decided to try again - "How are you going to keep people awake?" We brainstormed, and he loved the idea of framing the problem around creating a new Olympic sport. All the math calculations could be brought in as "supporting material" for presenting to the IOC on safety standards. We started changing graphics, adding new images, and talking about the difference between the Story, and the Slide Content. We finished by finalizing the math components, and agreed to practice the story on Monday.

Monday night. 8pm. "Mom, I know we had a good idea, but I watched the smartest person in class give her presentation today. She had all of her information on the slides, and just read them. So I'm going to do that, too."

Sadly, it'll be a while before the IOC gets to learn about para-skiing ... however, I now know where to find animated slide transitions. Maybe I'll throw in some flames the next time I'm low on inspiration!

[Image from Chris and Laura Pawluk. Used under CC]

Thought Provoking: Linda Hill on Innovation

2010-02-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to hear Linda Hill of Harvard Business School discuss her current research last week. I'm always interested in listening to academics because they take such a different view of business. Right now, Professor Hill is looking at innovation, and specifically, the type of leadership that enables innovation within an organization.

It's an interesting idea - how do some companies become more innovative, while others don't? Is there a recipe for innovation? Are there specific skills or competencies that you can recruit for to enable innovation? Her research is really looking for a magic bullet - how do you define innovation, and then how do you bring it into your organization?

Hill's defines this leadership challenge as "creating an organization that is willing and able to innovate". As she expanded on the definition, the qualities need to make the organization "willing" aligned with a lot of what we've heard when discussing employee engagement: Shared Purpose, Aligned Values, Clear Rules of Engagement, Collaborative. However as she talked about making an organization "able" to innovate, she went in a different direction. In this area she defined 3 focuses: Creative Abrasion, Creative Agility and Creative Resolution. Her argument was that if you have an engaged and aligned team, you can generate ideas and have high degrees of debate. You can test ideas quickly, running pilot projects, or test cases. You can also make collaborative decisions. She pointed out that in this kind of environment, consensus is not easy to achieve, but you can reach resolutions.

Professor Hill pointed to examples from Pixar and several other companies who have participated in her research, sharing their experiences and approaches. One of the comments from Pixar hit home. The participant said "I don't read these types of books, because they say 'You're the leader, set direction' but by definition, I don't know where I'm going." Hill's response was that leader sets direction by creating the organization culture. It's an interesting way to think of a leader - as someone who sets the scene, not the person who directs the action.

Professor Hill's book is not yet published, but I'm adding it to my watch list. I'm very interested to hear more stories from the companies she's worked with. I think she's on to something in holding leaders accountable for creating a culture of innovation, and can't wait to read more of her research.

Back to School Goals

2009-08-27T14:56:00.001-07:00

School starts this week, and I'm looking forward to Back to School Night. At the beginning of the event, the principal will step up to the podium and present her goals for the year. She'll share the goals she is setting for the school, and her plan to hold the staff accountable. She'll then go a step further and ask the parent community to hold both her and her staff accountable for these goals as well.

The first time this happened, 3 years ago, I was floored. Principals have goals? Beyond test scores? In fact, yes.

I'm not sure why this was such a shock to me. Maybe it's because up to this point, I had viewed the educators in our school system as authorities. Teachers teach and evaluate students learning. Parents support, but mostly defer to the teacher. In the event of a problem, we'd call in the principal to discuss what needed to be done. It never occurred to me that I could be holding the school or teachers accountable to something more than teaching. They were the ones holding people accountable – namely my kids and me!

What a refreshing change to have a series of goals to review. Now, as a "customer" of the educational system, I have better insight. I know what the principal is trying to accomplish, and I have a better sense of why they need help. For example, when they ask for more parents to help with Yard Duty, it's not just to give teachers a lunch break (as certain cynics might have thought), it's because the school is committed to intervening before bullying can start. That requires more eyes on kids during recess, and help from the community.

Also, as an informed customer, I have a better way to interact with the teachers and staff. If I know what they are trying to accomplish, I can assess how my kids' experience fits with the goals. Parent teacher conferences are about more than just the report card. They can include questions about the school lunch program, the anti-bullying initiative, or the new technology focus. If something isn't working, I'm more comfortable asking for a change. Conversations with teachers changes to a dialog around how to get to the outcomes we both want to have.

Many people view the start of a school year as a time to set new goals. What do you want your kids to accomplish this year? Do you know how your goals for your children align with your school's goals? Shouldn't you? Maybe it's time to ask for some additional conversations with teachers at Back to School night. This year, go beyond the review of the syllabus and the homework policy. Ask them how they are held accountable, and how you can help them be successful. You may be surprised to gain a new insight into your school's systems.

Creativity On Demand

2009-07-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

I had a great plan for last Friday. I was working from home, and for once had a free calendar. The only thing I needed to do was finish a presentation. So how, exactly, did I end up working ALL Friday night and until 2am Saturday?

Friday turned into a day of writer’s block. By the end of the afternoon I had a very clean house, snippets of graphics, a few cool ideas, and some great quotes, but there wasn’t a story that hung together. So I gave up, decided that I’d write off the afternoon as unplanned PTO and headed out to pick up my daughter at school. An hour later, I was standing in the grocery store, and the answer arrived fully-formed in my head. As usually happens after a block, once the vision came in, it was completely clear. I had the idea, knew the path the story needed to take and had no choice but to focus entirely on the presentation until it was completely finished. Even though that meant working until 2.

It’s a cliché that engineers are known for working weird hours. While I was at the startup, it was common for the developers to come in around 11, take frequent breaks for World of Warcraft or foosball, and then work all night. As an HR person, I used to worry about this schedule – didn’t these guys have home lives? Shouldn’t I be encouraging them to work a normal schedule, or at least try to get them back to 40 hours/week?

The truth is that creativity is not available on demand. When you are managing people who work in a creative space, you need to acknowledge this fact. You will have people who work crazy hours, and deliver at random times. This will be simultaneously energizing and frustrating. Most innovators I’ve worked with are incredibly dedicated people but they are also demanding. As an HR person, and as a manager, I’ve found some principles that help in setting the stage to help innovators:
- Focus on outcomes not hours. Some projects will seem easier than others, but you may not be able to accurately predict this. Better to make sure your team members are aligned on the goal, and not worry as much about the time required.
- Create frameworks for success. When assigning projects, give as much context as possible, and be clear if there are specific requirements such as a requirement for delivery, or a deadline that cannot be missed. Beyond that, try to leave ample room for innovation and creativity.
- Be ready to call “done”. Many creative people have trouble declaring something is finished. There’s always one more refinement, or one more thing to add. You may need to set earlier deadlines, or add in reviews to stop tweaking.
- Acknowledge the need for downtime (which may come from nowhere). An engaged creative person is likely to work insane hours. As a result, they will come close to burnout and may need a manager to encourage PTO. Or, they may catch themselves, and announce a spontaneous trip to Hawaii. This flexibility in time off will be necessary to balance the crazy hours and to allow them to recharge creative batteries.

The creative process isn’t a straight line. There are high highs and low lows, and there will always be late nights. But when you see an innovator deliver their latest product, or present a new solution, they aren’t thinking about the hours they put in. They have created something new, something they can be proud of. That’s the measure of accomplishment, not the hours that they worked.

[Image Source Evil Erin. Used under Creative Commons.]

A Whiteboard in the Shower

2009-07-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have an ongoing game where we talk about all the home improvements we will make someday when we’ve hit the lottery. The last few weeks we’ve been focused on our master bathroom, which is a textbook example of all that was wrong with 1980’s décor. Most of my suggestions are usually pretty mundane - better lighting, move the linen closet - but there’s one requirement that always gets a weird look: a whiteboard in the shower.

You see, both my husband and I have jobs requiring a lot of creativity. He spends his days dreaming up new products, and I spend mine looking at new approaches to business processes. In both cases, there’s a lot of opportunity to think and dream, and a lot of need to capture ideas.

Years ago when I took a personality types course, our leader recommended that certain types of people keep a journal by their bed. She said that these types were known for processing the day’s events long after they were supposed to be asleep, and often would wake up in the middle of the night still thinking about what had gone on during the day. If they had the opportunity to write down their thoughts, she reasoned, these types would be able to sleep better. This works well for my husband, and he has a nice orderly journal where he writes most of his design ideas.

Unfortunately, my creative processes are a little less predictable. I can’t say I’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night with a brand new strategy. However, I can say that I have created multiple marketing campaigns and solved world hunger while on my elliptical trainer. I’ve written character studies, and planned out presentations while driving to and from work. And I’ve rewritten requirements, dreamed up product names and solved design problems in the shower. There’s something about these times when I’m focused elsewhere that my subconscious takes over and delivers a solution that is exactly perfect.

Of course, in most of these situations, it’s a little hard to document my brilliant ideas. I’m enough of a klutz to know that writing while on the elliptical trainer is a recipe for a broken ankle, and the CHP doesn’t really like people to write and drive at the same time. But HGTV shows bathroom remodels to add TVs, shower radios and telephones, so why not a whiteboard?

How about you – where are you when the creative idea hits? How do you capture it?

[Whiteboard courtesy of Mark.Pilgrim. Used under Creative Commons]

Taking a Career Left Turn

2009-04-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

The dot-com bubble had just burst, and we were planning layoffs. As the afternoon wound to a close, our new CEO turned, looked me directly in the eye and said “Why don’t you take on product management?”

….What?? I was only attending the meeting because I was the head of HR. I had to make sure we weren’t doing anything illegal, and give guidance on options around the layoff process. This wasn’t about me. “Think about it” the CEO said. “We need product management, and you’ve got the domain knowledge. Let me know by Friday.” This was different from past job changes, in that I wasn’t being recruited to the new role. I was being asked to take it. It was a big change, and I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in product management - that wasn’t on my 5 year career plan!

Right now, people across the country are being asked to do something new. Maybe you are looking for a new role because you’ve been laid-off. Or you are picking up new responsibilities since others around you have been let go. Or you are being asked to transfer to a new team with new assignments. It’s a time of uncertainty and causes a lot of stress. My advice is to not over-think this transition. There are 3 main questions you need to ask yourself:
1. Can you do the job for 3-6 months?
2. How well do your skills match the job you are being asked to do?
3. Who will support you in making this move?

Note that I didn’t say anything about your history or your career trajectory. In times of major change, you can’t plan for your 5-10 year career path. What you can do is identify what you can bring to the new role, which would make you successful. You can assess if this job would be a good landing place while you look for the “ideal role”. And you can identify champions within the organization who will help you be successful in the role.

I ended up taking the transfer. My new manager and I set very specific goals focused on my existing skills so I could find successes early in the transition. My old manager agreed that if the new role didn’t work out, she would support me in receiving a decent severance package and recommend me for other HR positions. Most importantly, my dev lead, the UX lead and my HR partner-in-crime all went out of their way to give me time in the first 90 days to ask questions, to vent, and to find a comfort level with the new role.

It’s been more than 7 years since I changed jobs. What I thought was a short term experiment to weather the dot-com bust turned into a career that I hadn’t planned for, but have found to be a great ride. Times of change can be times of great opportunity. Prepare yourself, and be open to taking a leap.

[img source: Bruno Peck]

Virtual Trade Show - the Recap

2009-04-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

Last month I participated in Oracle’s Virtual Trade Show. This was a first for me. Although I’ve done plenty of trade shows in person, I haven’t done one on-line, and wasn’t sure how it would work. We had very positive feedback on the event, which was great. I’d like to add a few additional thoughts.

The pluses:
Immediacy. Since I had a scheduled chat, there were several people in the session firing questions. I enjoyed the focus on our topic, and the chance to interact real-time with these people.
No travel! There is value in meeting people face to face, but not having to go to Orlando or Las Vegas for what was essentially a one-day event was a nice change.
Access to experts. Since this was done online, I was able to keep my instant messaging open. That way if a question came up that I wasn’t able to answer, I had the whole team available to ask.
Sharing. With an online discussion, everyone participating could see everyone else’s questions. That way I could answer once and everyone could benefit. Similarly, participants could see other content that maybe they weren’t going to ask and may have sparked some other ideas.

The minuses:
No feedback loop. I couldn’t see if my responses were meeting people’s needs unless they asked follow up questions. It was hard to gauge if I was giving good answers to questions.
System issues. We had a system outage midway through my chat session. Fortunately Danielle from our team was in the same room and online so she was able to relay the rest of my answer for me.
I can’t spell! I wanted to respond quickly in the chat, but that meant that my thoughts went faster than my fingers, and resulted in atrocious spelling errors.

On balance, I think the virtual trade shows was a creative idea, and something we should continue to explore. Although there were system issues, the opportunity to reach customers without requiring travel either for our staff or for our customers was a great experience. Big thanks to the Oracle marketing team for trying out this new approach and letting me participate.

Presentation Special Case: Going to Court

2009-04-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

I spent Friday morning at Small Claims Court. I didn’t know if this would be more Judge Judy or Night Court. Not only was it both, it was a classic learning example for presentation skills.
Which story would you rather hear?

Option A: It was a Tuesday, and I went to have my nails done, because I always go on Tuesday. So I was there and there was a bunch of talk about the ants, and you know how those ants can be. So anyway, she came over and sprayed something, I think it was Raid, and I told her not to because that’s so irritating. So then I left, and I tripped – oh now I remember, it was that generic Costco ant spray – and I fell to the ground. So I left and went home, and I was at a family gathering the next week and my knee was so bad, but I couldn’t think what I had done to it. So I got an x-ray – that was at Kaiser. And then I had to get another type of medicine and that was also really expensive. And when I called the salon they said they hadn’t sprayed any ant spray and so I decided not to deal with them and come here to you.
Option B: Your honor, I was at the salon on June 23rd. When I left the salon I slipped on some liquid, and fell. As a result, I incurred $4K in medical bills, which I believe the defendant should pay.

Option A was quite entertaining. The judge did a great job balancing the person’s need to express with his need to get the actual facts of the case. However, after the 3rd case with similar organization problems, I started to get a bit frustrated. Appearing in court is a type of public speaking. The rules don’t go away just because the audience is different. In fact, some rules become even more important.

Organize your statement. Tell it from A-Z. Practice it before you get to the hearing.
Focus on the most important parts. No one cares if the salon uses Raid, Simple Green or just plain water – unless it affects the case.
Give detail where needed. If you need to describe multiple calls, or trace the history in detail, do it. But closely watch if the details enhance your story, or just make it longer.
Provide documentation – but make sure it’s organized and easy to follow. (HR people are always advising you to keep records, this is the time to use them.)
Brainstorm possible questions from the judge or from the defendant, and be prepared to answer them.

Appearing in court isn’t a time when you want to be memorable. It’s a time when you want to be focused and convincing. Invest in the preparation upfront so you can have the best chance of winning the case.

[Image courtesy of Joe Gratz]

Lessons Learned from the School Auction

2009-04-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

I’ve always admired the moms who run the Home and School Club in our district. Many of them have stopped out of the workforce while their kids are young, and they are putting their work experience to good use in support of our schools. The work they do goes well beyond making copies and helping teachers in the classroom. Recently, I had the opportunity to see this first hand as I volunteered with annual school auction. So why volunteer at the school? Some ideas:

Try a new skill: Volunteering is a great way to work on a skill you are developing. I worked with one person who hadn’t ever done marketing, but wanted to try it. She had a lot of questions and was open to new ideas because this was a learning opportunity for her.

Share expertise: Many of the volunteers naturally gravitated to the area they already knew. That meant we had a former accountant managing the books, a PR person managing the communications, and a small business owner in charge of logistics. They brought their skills to this project and helped make it a more professional endeavor.

Try a new approach: I was responsible for the auction booklet, which entailed writing concise appealing descriptions for the auction items. It was a departure from talking about software, which gave me the opportunity to try a different voice, and play with words in a different way than I do when talking about our products. I also tried out istockphoto, and was quite impressed with the results.

Expand your network: Working on a school project like this is a great way to meet new people. You have a common interest, and have a reason to build a relationship beyond nodding hello in the hallway. A few of the people I worked with are job-hunting, and this project was another avenue toward finding a new position.

Try management: This sort of project is a great introduction to people management. The parents in charge of the event had to recruit volunteers to staff committees. They needed to find the right balance between will and skill to ensure the objectives could be met. They also had to keep volunteers motivated throughout the process and celebrate success at the end of the project. All are important management skills.

In this climate schools continue to be strapped for resources, and welcome assistance. If you are looking for a way to contribute, and to broaden your skills, may I refer you to your local school?

[schoolhouse picture from Rachel's flickrs']

Softball and Talent

2009-03-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

My 9 year old just started softball. She’s playing in an age-divided league, which means some girls have been playing since Kindergarten, and others are trying the sport for the first time. According to the rules, each player has to have equal time in the infield and outfield, but the coach can determine which positions they play. My daughter’s coach has decided each player gets to try each position at least once. The team they played yesterday has already specialized: the more experienced players are catching, and playing first or shortstop. All the new players are “helping pitch” or standing on second or third and counting on the experienced players to make the play.

I’ve been reading Outliers recently, and my daughter’s situation lines up quite well with the examples Gladwell gives about age-rated systems, and how they impact the development of competitive hockey players. If the more experienced or better skilled players are given the better playing positions, they are going to further differentiate their abilities. When they are ready to move to a competitive league, guess who will be more likely to move forward?

Thinking about this from a Talent Management perspective, how do you provide room for people to develop new skills? It’s easy to give the project to the person you know will get it done. They’ve done similar projects in the past, and you are confident in their abilities. But is that really the best thing for the team? Is there someone else – waiting in the outfield – who would really like to try something new? Now is a good time to see who on your team is up for a stretch assignment. Let them try a new position or project, and back them up with an experienced team member who can help them develop. You can use resource constraints imposed by the economy to help team members learn new skills and position them for future success. You may find you’ve had a star hidden on your team, just waiting for the opportunity.

Are you trying new things with Talent Management in this new economy? I’d love to hear about it! Join me at the Oracle Virtual Trade Show March 11th.

[No that's not my daughter, although I wish she would pitch. Image from Teeny!, used under CC.]

Note-Taking -- How do You do it?

2009-02-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

How do you capture information? Are you a note taker? Do you draw pictures? What's your preferred way to ensure that you have captured the right take-aways from a meeting? I used to to work with someone who outlined every meeting. We could be having a 1:1, and his notes would read:

1. Catch up

1a Weekend conversations

i My weekend

ii Her weekend

1b Kid conversations

i Soccer game

ii Dance lessons

iii Preschool drama

It helped that this person had the most beautiful handwriting I've ever seen. Each of the post-meeting outlines could have been framed for posterity.

I'm not nearly so organized when it comes to meetings. I've learned that I retain information better if I link related thoughts on the page. So my notes tend to have lots of arrows, and small text where I'm expanding on a topic. It's fine for me, since I'm the only one who needs to read the notes, but would make it very difficult to share those notes with anyone else.

I'm always impressed by people who capture information visually. There's something about the way they reflect the meeting that shares the content, but also draws connections that may not have been explicitly stated. When I've participated in a meeting with a professional graphic facilitator, I always feel that the notes/drawing presented at the end of the session represents the best outcome of the meeting. Not only is the content captured, but the way it's depicted it brings a different level of understanding. David Sibbet from The Grove recently posted an interpretation that one of his consultants did of Obama's inauguration speech. It's a very different way to think about the speech, and I really liked it.

So, what are your best tips for capturing information? Sound off in the comments.

In Defense of the Details

2009-01-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

Presentation Zen has swept through the office, and we are all now working diligently on improving our slides. I'm a big fan of any concept that causes you to think more about your presentation, and the way to deliver content. However, I'm concerned that in focusing too much on this approach, we may miss a key concept: the audience's preferences for receiving content.

Consider: 1995ish. Our GM has a quarterly business review with his peers and the executive staff. In this meeting, they will review all aspects of the business (orders, ships, quality, plant performance, financials, hiring, expenses, etc.) In this environment we still refer to slides as "foils" and the deck is printed out onto transparencies before each business review meeting. Our assistant has mastered powerpoint, and puts all sorts of content onto those foils. She mixes charts and tables, and adds in every reference possible - often going to size 9-10 font to make the details fit. When completed, her decks have every piece of data you possibly could need for this review. Bind up the 40 foils, and you have the equivalent of a detailed briefing book. There isn't a piece of information you could ask about the business that can't be found in this deck.

Viewed through the tenets of Presentation Zen, this sounds like a nightmare. 10 pt font! How can you get across your main point? Why wouldn't you put all of this into a separate document, and have the slides be more focused on the message you want to send? The answer is that our assistant knows the audience. She has worked for the GM for 10 years, and knows all of the players who attend the meeting. They are all engineers by training, with an eye for detail, and each wants to review the data in his own way. If we had gone in with eye catching graphics and only highlighted the numbers we wanted to show, the assumption would have been that either we didn't know what we were doing, or we were trying to hide something. Neither were the case, and neither was the message we wanted to give to executive management. Instead, we led with the data, made it available to each person as a handout, and then raised the key points as we arrived at each slide.

Looking back on those decks, I wouldn't say they stand out as well designed. However, they do stand out as well-suited to their audience. I'm all for good design, and personally would have preferred to have a deck with better graphics, and less detail. But I wasn't the target audience. The people in that meeting wanted details, and these decks with the detailed slides were just what they needed to see.

Keep in mind that sending the message is not the same as receiving the message. While I encourage you to think about your graphics and making your presentation memorable, you also need to stay focused on your audience. Who you are presenting to, and why? How can you meet their needs? How can you use your slides/foils/videos/what-have-you to amplify your message, and make sure the audience receives the message you intend to give? Great graphics are a tool to add in to your presentation kit - but graphics alone do not make for a great presentation. In the end, the most important thing is to get your points across to the audience, and to do that, you might just have to make some really detailed slides.

[Image from the amazing photostream of ~BostonBill~]

Presentation Geek: The Inauguration Speech

2009-01-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

The inaugural address is a signature moment for a president. While he has other significant addresses – the election night speech and state of the union, for example – the inauguration speech is the one that is most anticipated. How will a new president set the tone for his administration? Will he focus on history? Will he confidently predict the future? Will he have a phrase that will capture our imagination? All ears are turned toward Washington, and we hope to hear something great. On Monday, NPR ran a segment with highlights of inauguration speeches from 1925 to 2005. I was struck by the differences in tone and level of rhetoric. Of course, each president faced different challenges, and each had their own agenda to communicate. But all were trying to address the American public, and hopefully to inspire them.

Several media outlets have commented on the difference in styles between Obama and Bush. There have been comments about having an Author-President, and what that might mean for the content and clarity of the inaugural address. I found the speech to be an interesting blend between ideals and pragmatic considerations. I also thought that the word choice sounded different, and wondered if this meant Obama might be reaching for a different level of conversation. As one media person mentioned “maybe he expects us to come to his level.”

So I thought I’d try a little test. I took the inaugural addresses of Kennedy, Reagan (1st inauguration), Bush 43 (1st inauguration) and Obama, and ran the first 5000 characters through the assessment at Blue Centauri. This site includes word counts, and assesses against the more common writing indexes:

Flesch Reading Ease. This measures the number of words per sentence, and number of syllables per word, and scales against 100 points. The higher the score, the easier the text is to read. Authors are encouraged to shoot for a score between 60-70. A number below 30 indicates an advanced college text.
Gunning-Fog Scale. This is similar to the Flesch scale, however it focuses on “Foggy words” – those with more than 3 syllables. Scoring on this system is a scale of 1-20. This score is often used to show how print media target their content. Some comparisons: Fog score of 6 = TV Guides, 8=Reader’s Digest, 10= Time or Newsweek magazine, 11= Wall Street Journal, 15+=Academic papers.
Flesch-Kincaid grade level. This algorithm sets expectations for what level of school would be most able to read and understand the content. (Assigned in years, 0-17).

Here are the results:

Of course, these speeches are more than 5000 characters long, but I do think this sample size leads to some interesting comparisons. Obama has the most dense sentences (almost 2x words/sentence compared to Bush). He also has the lowest Reading Ease, although he’s still just outside the target for most authors. Bush has the highest Reading Ease. I found it interesting that Kennedy and Reagan’s content were so close to each other, and fit right in between Bush and Obama. Most importantly, I think the results show the shift in approach between Bush and Obama. We’re moving from a President whose speech was accessible at the 5th grade level, with word choice targeted near Reader’s Digest to a President who set the bar at almost high school levels, and reaches the Wall Street Journal's level for word choice. I will be interested to see if this level of content stays, and how it impacts the public’s opinions of the President.

One side note. During the speech I started thinking about the speechwriters who toiled over those words, trying for the right turn of phrase, hoping the content would be there, and knowing that there would be many many edits before the final delivery. I’ve always wondered about speechwriters – I think it takes a special class of person to be able to write for presentation vs writing for print. It’s also a special class of person who is gratified to hear their words spoken, even though the credit will go to the President, and not to them. Kudos to the speechwriters, whoever you are. Thank you for once again delivering an address that inspires a nation.

[img: orangejack]

Inauguration Thoughts.

2009-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Why isn't Inauguration Day a national holiday? Doesn't it have some level of importance? Of weight? Shouldn't we encourage people to take the day to witness the history, listen to the speeches, and recognize the value of living in a democracy? Especially this year, when the inauguration is the day after we celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday, a holiday seems appropriate.

More on leadership and HR practices later. Today, I'm putting my American Studies hat back on, and pulling out my all time favorite poem about the American dream. A poem that seems incredibly apt given the current economic situation. I'm looking forward to hearing from a new president, and taking a day to celebrate the possibilities of a new administration. (Hat tip to mindfully.org for having it posted, so I didn't have to retype.)

Let America be America Again
LANGSTON HUGHES 1938
Originally published in Esquire and in the International Worker Order pamphlet A New Song (1938)

Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed-- Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me, Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek-- And finding only the same old stupid plan Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope, Tangled in that ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land! Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need! Of work the men! Of take the pay! Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil. I am the worker sold to the machine. I am the Negro, servant to you all. I am the people, humble, hungry, mean-- Hungry yet today despite the dream. Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers! I am the man who never got ahead, The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream In the Old World while still a serf of kings, Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true, That even yet its mighty daring sings In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned That's made America the land it has become. O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas In search of what I meant to be my home-- For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore, And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea, And torn from Black Africa's strand I came To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me? Surely not me? The millions on relief today? The millions shot down when we strike? The millions who have nothing for our pay? For all the dreams we've dreamed And all the songs we've sung And all the hopes we've held And all the flags we've hung, The millions who have nothing for our pay-- Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again-- The land that never has been yet-- And yet must be--the land where every man is free. The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME-- Who made America, Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain, Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain, Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose-- The steel of freedom does not stain. From those who live like leeches on the people's lives, We must take back our land again, America!

O, yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath-- America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death, The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies, We, the people, must redeem The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers. The mountains and the endless plain-- All, all the stretch of these great green states-- And make America again!

[* Portrait of Langston Hughes, via http://www.mindully.org Original source: http://www.dclibrary.org/blkren/bios/hughesl.html]

Standing Up

2009-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

I posted before about the amazing leadership panel at Stanford: 6 panelists, all articulate, and each with a specific point of view to share. The combination led to great content, and I took away several good ideas. There was one moment though, that I’ve returned to several times over the last few months. It wasn’t part of the agenda, but I saw it as a significant leadership moment.

The discussion had turned to the American political process, and panelists were being asked their thoughts on whether a leader’s private life should be considered in the election process. In course of the conversation, someone referred to the common phrase “the personal is political”. At this point Kavita Ramdas interrupted. She called attention to that phrase, and said (paraphrasing here) “This phrase has a very specific meaning. It refers to women using the political process as a way to change the rules, and gain control over their rights. As a feminist, I can’t let you use this slogan that way.”

“As a feminist, I can’t let you use the slogan that way.” How often have you heard someone stand up and interrupt a conversation and make a correction based on their beliefs? Especially in the middle of a large group? And to say this not as a request, but as a statement of fact. How would that play in a business setting? “As an HR person, I can’t let you speak about an employee that way.” Or “As a manager, I can’t let you use that language in a meeting. It’s not appropriate.” Or “As a representative of Company X, I can’t allow you to behave this way when you work with my team.” I can count the number of times that’s happened in my work life on one hand.

Why don’t we say something? Is it because the person speaking is a customer, or a senior person, or a key player? Or do we think it’s better to address a behavioral issue behind the scenes rather than in a group setting? Is it fear of confrontation?

It’s hard to be the one who stands-up. So instead we grind our teeth as people swear in the office. Or we put up with the condescending comments in email or in meetings. Or we tolerate the off-color jokes in the hallway… and maybe we turn a blind eye on content that could be seen as harassment. And as a result, we end up with high turnover, or a harassment suit, and wonder how we got there.

Let’s make a pact for this year. Let’s agree to stand up. To call attention to the cases where there are behavior issues, or bad language. Let’s recognize that we have multiple cultures, values, norms and expectations in the workplace, and a flip comment could have significant ramifications. Let’s be open to feedback coming from others in the organization, and take it as an opportunity for improvement. And most importantly, let’s realize that this is part of a learning process. Mistakes will be made, but they are not intentional – and giving actionable, timely feedback is the best way to help someone improve.

[img: danny.hammontree]

A Small Business HR Case Study

2009-01-06T08:00:00.001-08:00

My husband has had a tough week. He's launching a product at CES next week, and to make the deadline, the factory in China shipped 50 prototypes early. Unassembled. To him, and not to the finishing guy in LA. So he needs assembly help - and he needs it fast. He posted an ad for technical assemblers on Craigslist, and thus started a quick HR challenge.

First: there was the volume issue. 100 responses in a little over 2 hours on a holiday week is an unfortunate comment about the unemployment situation in the Bay Area. Or maybe he set the hourly rate too high. In any case, he needed a quick way to sort. So we had a chat about hiring criteria and goals. Since this was a short term project, he gave priority to skills, work history, time of response, and location.

Second: there were SO MANY errors and issues with the resumes. With such a high volume, if the resume didn't meet a quick scan test, it was quickly moved to the 'pass' pile. Even within the initial 'consider' pile, there were a lot of resume basics that hadn't been met, and that became an additional screening criteria. A few reminders, if you are job-hunting:

Name your resume something other than "resume.doc". Name it "gretchenalarcon2009resume.doc" or "Alarcon_resume.doc". Give the recruiter/manager an easy way to find it if they download to a file.
Contact info goes at the top. This should be obvious, but there were several resumes that had the contact info in the email and only the name in the doc. Don't assume the cover letter and resume will always be together.
If you have a 2-page resume, add your name and contact info to the header/footer on each page. Again, don't assume multiple pages will stay together.
Make sure the contact information is for a phone/email that you will check frequently. If I can't reach you, I can't hire you.
Spell check. Seriously.

Third: How do you pay these people? As an independent contractor, he usually works with other independents. Could he treat these people the same? Would they need a 1099? Would they have to be w-2 employees? The IRS site didn't have anything obvious on this, and it took over an hour of searching to confirm that he had the right forms.

Here's a hiring manager who wants to do right thing, and has a former HR manager to help him, and it still required research and planning, both of which he didn't really have time to do. There's a reason why we have employment laws, but without an easy way to find them or review them, I suspect many businesses are unknowingly out of compliance. This was a one-off, and I don't think he'll be hiring again any time soon. However, it's a wake up call for me to look into some small company HR options. Any recommendations out there for the small business owner? Specifically for sole-proprietorships that don't have staff on an ongoing basis?

[img: Whatknot]

Be it Resolved....

2008-12-30T15:00:00.000-08:00

I don't do New Year's Resolutions. It's not that I have anything against them, it's just that I don't think of the New Year as the time to set goals. I'm much more likely to be introspective around my birthday, or when the kids go back to school. But seeing that many people think about resolutions, or take stock at this time of year here are a few for consideration:

Resolve to...do your own quarterly review. Write down what you've accomplished, and what you want to accomplish. Update your resume with these accomplishments before you forget them.

Resolve to...share your expertise. You know what you do well - do others? How hard would it be to send an email saying "I just upgraded my laptop and have some ideas to share if you're thinking about the same thing" or "I've got a great relationship with the Sales Ops teams, so if you need help getting customer info let me know."

Resolve to...pass it on. How many emails do you get each day? How often do you pass them to your team? To the broader team? It's a fine line to walk, since you don't want to spam people, but in general, more communication is better than less. I'd rather get the information twice than not at all.

Resolve to...find something in each week that you enjoyed doing. And then do more of that. My daughter's class ends each week with sharing their "sweets and sours". It's a silly thing, but it does make you think about what you got out of the week - maybe you worked like crazy on the presentation, but you really enjoyed getting to work with a new team member. How can you work more with them next week?

Resolve to...learn. What do you want to look into? Learning opportunities come in all shapes and sizes. Once you identify your learning objectives, share them, and you'll see many ways to help you fullfill your need - from in class learning, to mentors to ojt. If you want to learn it, the information is out there.

Resolve to...lead. In the current economy, there are going to be plenty of people who are ducking and covering and being fearful. This is a perfect time to emerge as a leader in your organzation or group. Start the project. Pull the people together. Say "yes". Anyone can be a leader, all it takes is raising your hand.

Cheers to 2009!

What’s Your Lead?

2008-12-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

Many of us struggle with the question of how to be heard. How do I get my point across? In meetings with my manager, how do I direct the conversation to the topics I want to cover? I don’t have every answer, but I’ve learned an approach that can change the dynamic of a conversation. Consider this situation:

Manager: Hi, how are you?
You: Fine.
Manager: Great. Let’s talk about x-y-z thing I’m thinking about.

You just missed an opportunity. Your manager gave you an opening, and you didn’t step in. What if instead, you did something like this:

Manager: Hi, how are you?
You: I’m so proud of the team. Talented Apps just was listed as one of the best Talent Management blogs.
Manager: That’s awesome. Who gave the award?
You: It was from Fistful of Talent and the HR Capitalist. Which reminds me, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about x-y-z topic.

Look at that – you are now driving the conversation. Just like a journalist has to come up with a good lead story, you need to think about your headline, and use that as a conversation-starter.

This applies not only in meetings, but hallway conversations, elevator rides, or standing in line at the cafeteria. You may want to think about one headline for the day, and repeat it to everyone. Or you might have multiple headlines depending on who you see: tell the Senior VP about the great customer win, but tell your peer about the mad scramble to pull data to get the win. (Or vice versa – what point are you trying to make?)

It’s a simple change in how you start a conversation, but can go a long way to making your points. Try it for a week. Experiment with it. And tell me if your headlines made an impact.

[Img: from a second story]

You're Right-sized?!

2008-12-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

Meg's latest post reminded me that I have some old posts on my personal blog, that might fit better here. So I'm reposting, from June '05.

I’m told all the time that I speak in bullet points. And it’s true. I don’t like to spend a lot of time elaborating, or mincing words. It’s not that I don’t care about people’s feelings, and I’m certainly not taciturn. It’s just that when there’s a point to be made, I don’t see why you don’t just make it and move on. I think a lot of my brevity is a reaction to my time working in HR.

When you think about an HR job, lots of nice words and phrases come to mind. Outsourcing. Rightsizing. Downsizing. HR has many different words for a basic statement: you’re fired. Of course, now Trump has made this the cool phrase, but in general, firing someone is one of the most emotionally charged things you can do in the workplace. Firing comes in 3 forms:

The worker isn’t performing. This is the easiest for a manager, and often a relief for the worker. They both know it isn’t working out, and with the right counselling, the break-up is fairly painless.
The worker is performing, but there’s a personality issue. This is hard for the worker, less hard for the manager. Usually, the manager has decided that the situation isn’t going to work out, and is ok with the news. For the employee, this firing often comes as a shock.
The layoff. This is the most difficult for both sides of the relationship. The manager doesn’t want to deliver the news, but has to because they have to put the company needs first. The employee doesn’t understand why they were the one laid off, and there is often an emotional confrontation.

In each of these cases, it’s easier for the manager and the HR person to rely on rote phrases. The phrases are not as charged as saying “fired”. They also are used in the planning process – while meeting to discuss the issues, HR and the manager get comfortable with rightsizing or downsizing, it feels more humane than "mass firing". So when the discussion with the employee happens, the manager uses the language he is familiar with. The problem is that those phrases mean nothing to the person being let go. They haven’t discussed the issue multiple times with HR, agonized over the decision, and made the call to fire. They are hearing the news for the first time, and don't understand the words being chosen.

One of the worst firing situations I’ve ever been in was layoff round one at the dot-com gig. Steve, the manager I was working with, had never laid anyone off before, and the first meeting went something like this:
[Steve] Bob, as you know we’ve had some financial decisions to make lately. Due to our changes in the revenue model and the goal of raising additional financing, we have decided that this is the time to rightsize the company.
[Bob] Oh…?
[Steve] So, since the new business model doesn’t support having multiple revenue streams coming from the support organization, we’ve decided to restructure your group. I will be refocusing on the development organization and they will pick up a number of new assignments. Gretchen will help you with the transition details. Meanwhile, I want to let you know that you have my full support and I’m more than willing to help you with whatever you need as you go through this time of change.
[Bob]…time of change?
[Gretchen] Bob, you are being laid-off.

Then Bob got it. Then Bob lost it, and we spent the next 60 minutes with Steve reiterating that yes, Bob really was being laid off, and no, there was nothing he could do to change the decision, and yes, he was really sorry, and on and on.

Fortunately after this meeting, Steve was open to some feedback. He realized that he had defaulted to manager-speak because he was nervous and didn’t know what to say. As a result, the employee had been confused, and the interview was much more painful than it had to be. I rescheduled the rest of Steve’s layoff interviews and we did some role-playing. Over the next hour, he fired me about a dozen times. He practiced until he felt confortable delivering the news in a concise, compassionate way, and was prepared for the employee’s emotional responses. We structured the interview so he could see it simply:

Deliver the news – get to the point, don’t expand.
Pause, to let it sink in. Let the employee speak next.
Provide more detail, but keep it focused on the employee. Start directing the conversation away from the firing and into the next steps. Think short sentences, and simple concepts.
Refer the employee to HR or other resources for the questions that will come up once the shock wears off.

The next exit interview went something like this:
[Steve] Mary, as you know we’ve had to make some tough decisions lately, and I’m sorry to have to tell you that you have been let go.
[Mary] Why?
[Steve] We had to reduce our headcount by 5%, and I made the decision to eliminate your position.
[Mary] But what about the rest of my team?
[Steve] Right now, I’d rather focus on making sure you have the information you need as you leave Old Company. Gretchen is here to talk about your benefits and last paycheck. Then, she’ll take you to our outplacement counsellors to talk about next steps. If you have additional questions, we’ll have a meeting Thursday to discuss them.
[Gretchen] So let’s talk about the content of your letter...

Asking someone to leave is never easy. It takes you back to elementary school when someone said “You’re not my friend anymore.” After running 6 layoffs over the last few years, I can tell you each one is equally painful. But it’s a part of business, just as hiring is. Learning to do it humanely is an important management skill. The key is to get the bad news over with. The longer you draw it out, and the more you try to use euphemisms or management-speak, the harder it is for both sides. So, say it. Don’t confuse it, or hide the facts. Make your point, let them respond and move on. While you won’t feel better at the time, you will later.

Giving Thanks

2008-11-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

How much time do you spend at work? Or thinking about work? Or annoying your spouse as you rehash everything that happened at work? A lot, right? Why are you invested in your work? The project? The recognition? For me, it’s always been about the people I’m working with. However, years as an HR person taught me to be careful of making friends at work. I never wanted to have to sit across the table and lay-off a good friend.

There’s value to work friendships that goes beyond having a lunch buddy. As reported in the New York Times last year, researchers have found that having close friends at work leads to decreases in job-related stress. One of the researchers commented that because your co-workers are in the same environment, they “get where you are coming from”. Certainly my co-workers are much more interested in talking about the latest work challenges than my family, who roll their eyes every time I try to tell a work story. But I’ve also realized in the last month how much I’ve come to rely on my friendships at work.

It’s easy to do the surface friendship things: ask about the family, share funny vacation stories, etc. But in times of crisis – family illnesses or loss – you see those friendships take another step. Last month one of my co-workers lost her husband, and her work friends banded together to support her, and assist in any way possible. This wasn’t just signing names on a card or covering meetings. This was a group of friends helping each other through a life event. Last week, when my husband was hospitalized, my work friends jumped in to offer help and to make sure I was supported – far and above the normal call of work colleagues. It’s these kinds of relationships, the give and take, the sharing and the support, that make you value your job a little more. It’s not just about the work, or the profits, or the customer success. It’s about the people.

Thank you to my work friends (and customer friends!) for your support and friendship. You’ve helped me more than you know, and I’m very thankful.

[img: klmontgomery]

Inspirational Leaders

2008-11-04T22:24:00.000-08:00

As the final question of the leadership panel, Tom Brokaw asked each person to name a leader that inspires them. Then before letting them answer, he took Abraham Lincoln off the table. Apparently Lincoln is the response in almost every discussion of great leaders. (As someone who picked Lincoln as my favorite president in 2nd grade, he certainly would have been my choice!) The panelist answers were as follows:

David Kennedy: Franklin Roosevelt. No one else could have brought an isolationist country into WWII, and then persisted through the dark times to end the war.

Kavita Ramdas: A woman, (I didn’t catch the name) who while in an Afghani refugee camp, decided to start a school. She did this at great personal risk, but managed to not only teach her children, and her friends children. She wound teaching the children of the head of the camp. And then she expanded the teaching to the women in the camp as well. She won’t be known to the world, but she is a personal hero for Ms Ramdas.

Xavier Becerra: Eleanor Roosevelt. While the country owes gratitude to Franklin Roosevelt for particpation in WWII, the people owe an even greater debt to Eleanor Roosevelt. She was not only a supportive first lady (under trying times!) but she drove her own agenda, and was instrumental in social programs throughout the country.

John Hennessey: George Washington. He accepted command of the army, even though he knew he’d have to build it practically from scratch. He then won the Revolutionay War through brilliant tactics. Then, after 8 years as president, he had the humility to realize that it was time for him to retire from the public spotlight so that the democracy he had helped from could continue to grow.

Anthony Kennedy: George Washington. We wouldn’t have had a constituion if Washington hadn’t been at the congress. Through his leadership he was able to keep the respresntatives together – no one would leave as long as Washington was going to stay.

Carly Fiorina: Unknown women everywhere. The women who are living in poverty, disease, war, and still provide for their families. They raise their children and do their best to make the world a better place for them.

Jeff Raikes: Lou Pinella. He had a great mentoring discussion with Lou a few years ago, and Lou told him his 5 rules for success. 1. Get along with the players. 2. Know how to keep the players at their peak performance. 3. Game strategy. Know it, use it. 4. Everyone needs PR (you may not believe what the reporters say about you, but if it’s said enough, the players and the public will). 5. Get along with the front office.

Tom Brokaw: Martin Luther King. The nation owes a great debt to King as a leader who did what he knew was right, at great personal cost, to bring the forward the cause of civil rights.

My take: I tend to look not only for an inspirational leader, but also one who was first to try something. My choice (assuming Lincoln is ineligible) would be Frances Willard. Like Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton she was a leader in the women’s suffrage movement. In addition, she led the creation of the WCTU – not just to argue for Temperance, but to raise women to a level of equality with men. In her words, she worked for "a world republic of women without distinction of race or color; with no sectarianism in religion and no sex in citizenship. Whatever touches humanity touches us." She was the first woman to be recognized with a statue in the US Capitol, and set the standard by which all further women leaders should be measured.

What about you? Who do you think of as an inspiring leader? Why?

[Img source: jimbowen0306]

Web 2.0 vs. Knowledge Management

2008-10-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

I spoke at HR Tech last week on Web 2.0. During the session, someone asked whether Web 2.0 concepts are different than the Knowledge Management initiatives of the 90’s, or if we were just reinventing the wheel. I think they are different, and that they are part of a more systemic change happening in the workforce.

The rise of Knowledge Management (KM) programs in the 90s stemmed from the transition to an information economy. Companies, particularly in financial services and consulting, realized that their primary competitive differentiator was the information in people’s heads. If someone moved on to a new assignment or left the company, that information could be lost. So the companies started programs to have teams document their processes, results, and learnings. That way if they had turnover, they would retain the intellectual property that their employees had generated. It’s a completely reasonable request to have employees share information and collaborate with others, and this was in line with the trend toward more self-directed teams. So why didn’t KM take off?

When KM programs were implemented, they were seen as just another thing to do. (As one of my clients once said, “It’s Another Fine Program from HR.”) The systems were well-intentioned, but didn’t fit well into the processes the firm already used. Content had to be rewritten, and users had to change their processes to ensure their information went to the system. Once the system was installed, team members could collaborate or build upon content. But there were already processes in place for that, so again users had to change their processes to include the KM system. Also, team members weren’t as familiar with technology, so there was a learning curve involved in using the system. As a result, unless someone was mandating system use and including a strong change management program, the KM program became more a repository for finished documents and projects – a digital filing system.

The difference with Web 2.0, is that the users are driving adoption of the tool. Rather than a top-down mandate to share information, Web 2.0 comes from the bottom up. A developer decides he’s tired of trying to find the latest version of a document. So he builds a wiki, puts documents there, and tells the rest of his team to do the same. Or a marketer wants a new way to look at content, so she creates a team workspace to capture ideas and build up new messages. Or an employee is tired of keeping up with all the blogs and PR content that is sent around the company via email, so he creates an RSS reader, and then shares what he’s done with other team members. These people aren’t waiting for a program, or a central source. They are familiar with technology and know that it can meet their needs right now.

So what’s different? We are still capturing information, and making it available to others, just like we did with KM systems. We’re still allowing multiple people to view and build on content. But now, the focus is more likely to be individual productivity vs. intellectual property management. The workforce is much more familiar with technology, and willing to explore using new tools. In fact, they will likely bring the tools into the company themselves rather than wait for a corporate program. The new generation in the workplace expects to collaborate, to share and to use technology to do so. These systemic changes in worker attitudes and technology acceptance will lead to Web 2.0 adoption, and deliver on the promise of the original Knowledge Management systems. We're not reinventing the wheel - we're improving on it.

[img credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12392252@N03/]

We Don’t Need Another Hero

2008-10-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

One of the first a-ha moments for me in the leadership panel came when Kavita Ramdas was talking about her definition of leadership. As she expressed it, it seems that all too often these days we are conflating the definition of a leader with the definition of a hero. That led me off on a tangent: Is a leader heroic? And is a hero a leader?

Let’s start with some definitions (source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. MICRA, Inc. Dictionary.com):

Hero: 1. (Myth.) An illustrious man, supposed to be exalted, after death, to a place among the gods; a demigod, as Hercules.
2. A man of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event; hence, a great or illustrious person.

Leader: One who, or that which, leads or conducts; a guide; a conductor. Especially: (a) One who goes first. (b) One having authority to direct; a chief; a commander.

I think we have often considered heroes great leaders. If you think of George Washington or Winston Churchill they certainly were both. However, Ulysses S. Grant was a Civil War hero, but had one of the most worst presidencies in US history. Was he a leader? More importantly, why is it that we think a leader must have heroic qualities?

You could say that heroism, or a heroic mentality, conveys a sense of personal commitment and responsibility. Heroes are laser-focused on the objective, take no prisoners, and will get the job done. If you think about examples of heroism in war, they are typically high pressure situations where action must be taken, and being focused and decisive is more important than being collaborative or empowering. Thomas Jefferson wrote "In times of peace the people look most to their representatives; but in war, to the executive solely." Translating that to business, heroes emerge in times of crisis: the manager who gets the product shipped on deadline no matter what. The sales rep who closes the big deal on the last day of the quarter. The CEO who turns around a struggling company and brings it back to profitability. Those are success stories, but they are also extreme situations, when the organization needs someone who won’t worry about the longer term impact of their decisions – they are just focused on getting the job done.

The problem with rewarding these heroic behaviors is that you can create a culture where a “diving save” is seen as a good outcome regardless of the effort or longer term costs. Taken to extremes, these behaviors result in an individual walking around saving the world, but not empowering those among them, benefiting from their knowledge, or setting up systems where heroics are an exception rather than the rule. Just once, wouldn’t it be great to see Lois Lane and Jimmy Olson tell Superman that they have what he needs to resolve the situation, and they don’t have to depend on him to rescue them?

Personally, I think it would be hard to work for a hero. I’d rather work for someone who has focus and judgement, but acknowledges that they need the intelligence and commitment of those around them to be successful. A leader can still take the hill, and be as successful as the hero, but how they achieve that objective will be different. They will set high bars for their team, and put systems in place to catch problems before they require heroics. They’ll hire to increase the overall knowledge and strength of their team, and value the contribution of those team members. They will make tough decisions, but the decisions will be tempered with empathy and an understanding of the broader implications. We don’t need more heroes in business. We need more leaders.

What do you think? Have you ever worked for a hero? How does that compare to working for a leader?

Special present for children of the 80s: the video that inspired this post's title.

Leadership in a New Century

2008-10-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to attend a session at Stanford last weekend titled: Wanted: Courage, Compassion and Character—Leadership for the 21st Century. Moderated by Tom Brokaw, the panel included:

Jeff Raikes, CEO, Gates Foundation
Carly Fiorina, Former CEO, HP
Anthony Kennedy, Supreme Court Justice
Xavier Becerra, U.S. Representative
Kavita Ramdas, CEO, Global Fund for Women
John Hennessy, President, Stanford University
David Kennedy Professor Emeritus of History, Stanford University

In two hours the panelists focused on many different topics ranging from the role of women in leadership, to new skills required for leaders, to the role of law in establishing leadership, to global differences in leadership expectations and delivery. The panelists were well-informed, and kept the conversation going by pulling in larger themes, adding details, and then drawing parallels to other topics in the conversation. There were too many comments, quotes, and thoughts expressed to fit into one blog posting. So I’m going to take the next few days to tease out some of the key messages and my reactions to them.

I’m sure at some point Stanford will make the full video of the session available for sale. In the interim, a highlight reel is posted here. If you are tasked with leadership training or coaching, I would highly recommend looking for the video. It would be a great tool to use in a training session. I could also see assigning a pre-work task to review the video and form your own reactions to the questions or the comments. Finally, for anyone who is looking to build their public speaking skills, this would be a good video to compare/contrast styles, word choice and persona as expressed by the panelists. [/end unpaid advertisement]

Of course, I’m hoping that these posts will stimulate some conversation, so let me start with a first question: How do you define leadership in the 21st century?

OpenWorld: the Chaos Begins

2008-09-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Jake and the Mix team - I loved seeing the Mix on the front page on Friday. Yes, this is shameless promotion. OpenWorld is insane, and incredibly energizing. I love public speaking. I especially love it when I haven't prepared... So if you want to see me doing my best job of "winging it", join me Tuesday afternoon at Moscone West. We'll have fun. And you can make fun of me. I promise.

Meanwhile, I'm more focused on the main reason I enjoy OpenWorld: the customers. While there are other opportunities to meet with customers during the year, the meetings at OpenWorld have their own flavor. These aren't customers who've sat through a full day at the CVC and are sick of Powerpoint. These are customers who are here to learn, and want to spend 1/2 hour to an hour to address very specific questions, and get a sense of what they need to do next. It's a time to really engage 1:1, and talk not in generalities, but specifically about what they are trying to achieve, and how they are going to do it. I always leave OpenWorld exhausted, but full of stories about the people I met and the challenges they're facing, and I hope this year will be more of the same.

Can't make OpenWorld? Got a good story to tell? Sound off below.

Remembering...

2008-09-11T23:56:00.001-07:00

There are moments that become touchstones in your life. Getting married. The birth of a child. Losing a parent. Whether the event is positive or negative, it’s a moment when you look around and realize that life as you know it has changed. I’m fortunate enough not to have lost anyone in the events of September 11th. But that day, and the days following had a major impact on me. Although I’ve talked with people about that time, I’ve not written about it before. But today, on the 7th anniversary, I think it’s time to articulate some of what I took away from that experience. These lessons are my keys for dealing with a crisis.

Lesson #1. Focus on the immediate problem.
When I went to bed on 9/10, my largest problem was the impending layoffs at our company. I’d spent the evening on the phone with my boss talking through options, and then updated my resume just in case. The next morning, the layoff problem took a backseat. Now we had to ensure our team was accounted for (thankfully, yes) and then figure out what was going on, and what we were going to do. The layoffs would still happen, but they could hold off for a few days as we dealt with the more immediate concerns.

Lesson #2. Find a plan, even if it’s just for the next 2 hours.
In a crisis situation, no one really knows what to do – stay inside? Are the hotels safe? Is it better to be outside? We needed to do something, but didn’t know what it should be. So, someone brilliant said “let’s go to lunch”. It seemed so mundane, but it was the best answer for the moment. Raise the blood sugar; take a break from the news; and over lunch we planned out what to do next: figure out the best options and timing for getting home.

Lesson #3. Do the right thing.
So, how were we going to get home? The next day, the rental car agencies stepped in saying people could rent cars and drive to wherever they needed to go. No fees, no restrictions. Hello, solution: roadtrip. We rented 4 large cars and started on our way. Seven years later, I can still feel the overwhelming sense of relief I experienced when I realized we had a way to get home. Hertz, Avis et al did the right thing, and to this day, I think of that moment when I rent a car.

Lesson #4. Remember that people react in different ways.
In crisis, I’m a do-er. I need to keep moving, so we can find our way through the problem. When the immediate need is over, I fall apart. But others react differently: they need more time upfront to assess and decide what to do. I had to remember to slow down and acknowledge my team members’ needs, so we could make good decisions. I also needed the team to understand me, when I broke down 2 days later. We were half-way home and the airports were going to re-open, so we decided to stop driving and fly home from St Louis. As soon as we stopped moving, the enormity of the situation sank in. I can remember sitting at the Arch, sobbing, wondering how we were ever going to make it through this. Marie checked in that afternoon to see how I was coping – she knew it was time for me to lean on someone.

Lesson #5. Focus on the principles: we are all in this together
It’s easy to become jaded, and focus only on the business side of work, keeping people at arms length. The thing 9/11 burned deep into me, is that there will always be personal connections at work, and people will rise to the occasion. Our company was in a tight spot financially, and we had to get the layoffs done if the company was going to stay solvent. And yet, in every call during that week, our CFO reiterated our primary goal: to get everyone safely home. Nothing was more important. She didn’t care about the cost, she cared about the people.

You never know when you’re going to have an experience that leads to life lessons. And hopefully, we’ll never have to learn from something like 9/11 again. But having touchstones, and recognizing what you’ve learned from those moments is part of what growing as a person and as a professional is all about. So today, when we remember our heroes, and mourn our losses, I want to say thank you to the Icarian team. September 11th was horrible. But when I think of the days following, I think of how we banded together, and the faith I had that even though the world would never be the same, with our team, we would find a way to carry on.

[Image Source: http://spencesmith.typepad.com/spence/images/2007/09/11/twin_towers_tribute_of_light.jpg]

What's Your Type?

2008-08-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

Why do we feel a need to classify ourselves? Every team building class I've ever taken had started with a Myers-Briggs or a Disc assessment. The intent makes sense. People are wired differently, and as a result, act differently, and the class is focused on how to build a stronger team. But the tools have always seemed flawed to me. Is there a right answer? Meg says she's looking for one. What happens if the result from the test doesn't fit with your personal perception? In what context do you take the assessment? For example, my Myers-Briggs type ends in J when I take the assessment in a work situation, but if I take the test at home, or in a social context, that J always turns to a P. What does that say about me?

My favorite class on types was one I took in the early 90s called Human Dynamics. What worked about this process was that it was a week-long self identification class. We watched videos of people who were of certain dynamics, and thought about which we identified with. We heard speakers talk about how they approached groups, how they thought, where they carried their stress, what challenges they felt when interacting with others, and based on their comments, self-identified our dynamic. In this class, there wasn't so much a focus on the "right" answer, but on what group felt most like you. As a result, each dynamic was perceived as valuable. The learning process was focused on how your dynamic could best interact with people from other dynamics, by asking for what you need to be effective. 10+ years later, I still have the book and materials in my office, and pull them out when I'm having interaction challenges with someone.

In the end, the goal is learning how to interact effectively with the people around you - at work, or in society in general. But please don't put labels on me or on yourself...talk to me about what makes you tick. When are you most energized? What turns you off? How can we work together to be most effective? Whether you're a Driver, INFP, Influencer, Analyst, Physical-Mental, or any other label you choose, you are a valuable human being. Let's find a way to interact that makes us all happy and successful (insert sunshine and rainbows here!).

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, now that I've explained why I don't like these tests, I will say that the PICTURE part of this quiz result is exactly me. Almost all the pictures I've have up at home and at work are of nature, and very colorful. However I think a key part of the description below is wrong. Solitude is good for me to recharge, but I wouldn't say that I'm comforted in subdued settings....have you seen where I work? Take the test for yourself, and let me know how it fits for you. Good for fun, or in 10 years will we be describing ourselves as Daydreamers, Viisioinaries, Humanitarians, etc?

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

NBPC - The Daydreamer

Nature, Background, Big Picture, and Color

You perceive the world with particular attention to nature. You focus on the hidden treasures of life (the background) and how that fits into the larger picture. You are also particularly drawn towards the colors around you. Because of the value you place on nature, you tend to find comfort in more subdued settings and find energy in solitude. You like to ponder ideas and imagine the many possibilities of your life without worrying about the details or specifics. You are in tune with all that is around you and understand your life as part of a larger whole. You are a down-to-earth person who enjoys going with the flow.

Take your own quiz at HelloQuizzy

1...2...3...Eyes on Me.

2008-07-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

We were talking technology pet peeves at dinner last night, and the topic turned to using laptops in group meetings. The argument for not having a laptop in a meeting usually goes along the lines of “if it was important enough for me to call a meeting, and to request your participation, then it should be important enough to you to give the meeting your full attention.” That argument certainly makes sense, but it also assumes the content is equally relevant and important to the attendees, and that the meeting is being well-managed.

Rather than placing an outright ban on having computers in the meeting room, I think it’s worth asking a different question: why are they being used?
- Are people multi-tasking?
- Are they reaching out to other people to contribute to the content of the meeting
- Are they preparing for their part of the meeting?
- Are they taking notes?
- Are they looking up stock quotes or the latest entertainment scandal?

I like to use laptops as a proxy to determine how the meeting is going. For example in a recent meeting, we had an hour-long presentation that I didn’t think was resonating with the group. When I looked around the room, 4 people were actively using laptops, 2 had their BlackBerries out, and the meeting organizer was doodling on her notebook. The next speaker had a longer timeframe, but the content was relevant, and presented well. BlackBerries went away, and laptops were closed or pushed forward. People were leaning in and actively contributing.

Do you really need to ban laptops to get people’s attention in a meeting? Arguably a laptop is a compelling distraction device, but laptops aren’t the source of bad meeting behavior – they just make it more visible. A better approach would be set groundrules for good meeting behavior. For example, the leader should double check the attendee list, and make sure people are attending for the right reasons and the right time frame. If someone is only needed for a portion of a meeting, and needs time to prepare a demo, or work on their presentation, why not suggest that they step out, and return when it’s time for their topic? If someone seems distracted in the meeting, why not encourage the presenter, facilitator or leader to draw them in? Ask the distracted person a direct question a few times, and they will realize that they need to put their attention on the meeting rather than email. Yes, it’s more work for the meeting leader, but it also likely means the meeting will be better managed. In a well-managed meeting, with the right attendees and compelling content, I suspect laptops would be used more as tools than distractions.

[Photo credit: Shenghung Lin]

Accelerating Slowly

2008-06-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

March, 1993. Day Two at my first real, honest-to-goodness career job. I’d survived Day One with the requisite paperwork, video from the CEO, and rah-rah pitch from HR. Now I was ready to really experience work. My boss met me at the HR building.

“Congratulations,” he said. “And, you are already behind. I’ve arranged for you to get a crash course in the HR concepts you will need to know. You’ve got 1:1s with each of the recent college grads hired in HR in the last 2 years, and with the leader of every HR area. I’ve arranged for you to have 2 days with the compensation manager since you’ll be running the focal in about 6 weeks and I want you to be ready. I’ve set you up with a temporary office over here; so that you will closer to the people you are meeting with. Also, I ordered all the most current literature on HR.” He pointed to a stack of 15 books in the corner of the desk. “I’m heading to Bangkok for 2 weeks. When I get back, your cube in our business unit will be ready, and we can start getting you oriented to the line.”

Wow. I remember feeling overwhelmed and strangely let down at the same time. I just finished 4 years of college, and you just handed me enough reading material for a typical semester class? I won’t meet my client group for another 2 weeks? I’m stuck hanging out in a different work group? Wait, you’re going where? For how long? Huh?

Looking back, my manager did me a great favor. Yes, it was awkward to not have my boss around. It was also strange to be working in a temporary office instead of where I would eventually be. But, this two week period let me build relationships with the people I would need to rely on in my job as a generalist. Meeting the HR leaders when I didn’t have a specific agenda, and when I wasn’t interviewing for the job, let us get to know each other in an easier environment. They also were looking out for me, since they knew my boss was out of town. I met my peers (other college hires) who had similar jobs, and could advise me informally. As for the literature, I read most of the books in the 2 weeks, since I didn’t have any other deliverables. Several of them were key to the work I was asked to do in the first 6 months of my job. I still have some of those books on my desk today. Most importantly, not being with my client group meant I had time to learn the company practices before being asked to interpret them. When I was introduced 2 weeks later, I wasn’t in Orientation Overload, and could immediately show some small wins within the group.

Onboarding is not a science. Balancing the need for learning with the need for execution is tough – especially when a position has been held open for a long period of time. Dedicating extra time for new hires to meet people, to learn from those interactions, and to get a sense of how things are done leads to a more informed employee, and potentially a more engaged one as well. Especially in groups where the new hire will be a service provider with internal constituents, it helps to have them start out with this grounding in company practices. The deliverables will still be there in 2 weeks, and the new employee will be better able to achieve them with a network of contacts and foundation of knowledge.

What other suggestions would you offer for Onboarding?

[Photo credit: davidking]

Let Us Now Praise HR Generalists

2008-06-05T22:59:00.000-07:00

Dan McCarthy’s post last week, on the things he learned while working in HR, was a breath of fresh air. Most articles on the HR profession focus on weaknesses. They start from a position that HR is not useful, or not strategic. While that may be true for individuals, it is not true for the profession as a whole. In my opinion, HR is one of the least understood or appreciated roles in the modern organization. It is a role that emerged with very few codified responsibilities or practices and over the years has evolved from a back office function focused on legs and regs to a collaborative advisory role with substantive impact on the organization.

It’s been 15 years since I started my career in HR (thank you, Hugo!) and was fortunate enough to participate in the redesign of Human Resources as one of my first assignments (thank you Eric and Dave!) One of the key parts of that process was a social analysis of the role of HR – trying to see what made our team tick. Dan defines many of the concepts that came up in the analysis – being “always on”, throwing away your schedule every morning as you reacted to the crisis du jour, crunching a lot of information, and wondering if anyone really understood what you do. There are 3 key skills though, that I would add as critical for a successful generalist: compartmentalization, helicopter thinking and judgment.

Compartmentalization: I can’t think of many roles where you have as many different topics to cover in a short period of time. A generalist might have to go from a team planning meeting to an employee grievance procedure, to a 1:1 with a manager, to a termination meeting – all before lunch. The best generalists can flow from one meeting to the next without giving any indication of the topics they just covered or the emotional impact of the session. One of my mentors referred to this as “the code”. After each meeting, you take what you just covered, put it in a mental box, close the lid and put it away until you are focused on that topic again. You might vent to someone else in HR if you are having a bad day, but what you cover in an HR meeting stays between the people in the room at that time and does not impact any other meetings. This is not easy to do, but this separation is crucial to being effective (and to being sane at the end of a busy day!).

Helicopter thinking is about being able to zoom from the abstract into the specific, or vice versa. For example, a discussion about challenges in a product line might trigger a thought about career opportunity for the employee you counseled earlier in the day. Similarly, thinking about a series of events (meetings, 1:1s, etc) might lead to an idea for a new management strategy – solving a larger problem instead of the individual symptoms. Knowing when to pull up to look at a broader situation, or when to drill in from a high level idea to a specific example is important in a role like this where your role is to influence decisions both for individuals and for the organization.

Finally, there’s the question of judgment. As a generalist, you are exposed to a lot of information, with varying degrees of confidentiality. How do you manage that knowledge, and when do you share what you know? Do you lean toward sharing with management, or do you keep employee information locked up? For example, your marketing manager is looking for someone to head up a new project, and you know that someone in another team is looking for a new challenge. Do you as the HR generalist make the connection for them, or do you strongly hint to one or both that they should have a conversation? Is this decision situational, or do you have a communicated practice for these sorts of situations?

I left the generalist world about 8 years ago. I wanted to explore other areas of business, and try some new challenges. But I have very high regard for people who choose this profession. Those who have made their career in this field are often battle scarred, but they are also the first people I would look to in a tough situation. Their combination of empathy and strength can help you realize a good solution. The HR profession may not get a lot of respect, but HR Generalists deserve a round of applause for their commitment to employees, managers and their organization’s success.

[photo credit: voxphoto]

Think of the User...Please!

2008-05-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

I had a terrible user experience last week. I realized that our video camera’s memory was almost full, and decided I’d download the videos to our family server. Now, I’m not the most technical person on the block, but I have previously been successful in transferring pictures from our standard camera, and I’m pretty adept at managing standard software packages. Plus, the video camera is from a reputable brand and purchased in the last 12 months. Surely I’d be able to figure this out – after all, it’s a consumer product right?

45 minutes later, I still hadn’t downloaded a single video. Why? Because the software didn’t work the way I’d expected. I had dutifully looked over the instructions, plugged in the connections, started the application and opened the lens cap when prompted (Sidebar: Why would you need to open a lens cap to transfer video? It’s not like the camera is beaming the content to the computer….). Then, I was presented with what looked like a reasonable set of choices:
1. Edit/copy video
2. Edit/copy pictures
3. Settings
4. Close
It seemed pretty clear to me. So I clicked #1, reviewed the videos, and selected one. Then up popped a confirmation: Copy video to c://blahblahblah…? Wait, when did I select that folder? Where is that folder? Is that on the server or on my desktop? Oh no, am I about to lose my only copy of 6th grade band playing “Hills of Kilimanjaro”?

To be safe, I cancelled the confirmation and looked for a place to change the folder. No links on the screen to change folders or create new. Still thinking logically, I went back to the Settings link, thinking I could set preferences there. I found an option (good…) which then took me to the root menu for the computer (not so good…) and made me scroll up/down (really not so good…) until I landed on c://docs and settings (yay!). But once here, there was still no way to select a sub-folder, or create one! Frustrated, I ended up quitting the program, creating a new desktop folder, going back into the annoying scroll screen to select the folder and FINALLY TRANSFERRED THE STUPID VIDEO (/rant).

Now, I work in the software industry. I have a fairly high tolerance for figuring things out when they don’t work the way I think they should. But I have family members who don’t work in this space, who would have needed the geek squad to make this application work. There’s a reason why people left the VCR clock blinking at 12:00, and why the vast majority of digital pictures stay in the camera. The interface didn’t work the way people expected to.

It’s easy to assume that the people who will use your technology are just like you and approach problems the same way. But unless you are working with a highly structured process, there isn’t always one single flow that will apply to all users. It takes talent to make a user interface that is simple, and more importantly, follows a user’s mental model. The best designers get out of their design environment and test with all sorts of users. The content that comes from user feedback is really valuable. It gives designers and coders a better understanding not just of the requirement, but the reason why the requirement is needed. Regardless of the role you play in developing a product, the more you invest in knowing your user, the better the chances for a successful customer experience.

[Photo credit: Basial]

Second Life for HR

2008-04-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

At every conference, there should be 1 session that blows your mind. Most conference sessions are geared toward providing new information on something you already know. You already know that there's a shortage of nurses, but you didn't know that the constraint is in college classes. Interesting, you've just added to your body of knowledge. But the session that blows your mind, that introduces new technology, or shows you a completely new way to work, is the session you'll be talking about in 6 months. It's the session that justifies your attendance at the conference.

The mind-blowing session at HRPS was the plenary session: Second Life: The Business Case for HR in the Virtual World. The abstract included a well-constucted audience tease.

You will be transported into the virtual world of Second Life, where the future is now. Explore the impact of the new economy, the emerging virtual workforce and the workplace of the not so distant future. Your Avatar moderator and tour guide will show you what millions of people and dozens of leading companies are doing NOW in a virtual world and economy.

Hmm.... there's an Avatar moderator? How's that going to work? Will there be someone live as well? Are they actually going to present in Second Life? I was intrigued.

The presenter (in person, standing behind the podium, bummer!) started by asking how many in the audience had an avatar, in any application. (maybe 5-10% of the audience.) He then offered a definition of Second Life as "the unholy offspring of The Matrix, MySpace and eBay". That was followed by some suprising demographic stats. 43% of Second Life users are female. Average age: 32. 55% of users are outside North America. He was also very careful to distinguish Second Life from World of Warcraft. (WoW: it's a game, and you live within its rules and narrative. Second Life: focus on commerce and creativity.)

And then the fun started. The moderator brought up his Second Life instance, and in the guise of his Avatar ("Ace Carson") proceeded to give a guided tour, including interacting with 2 other avatars who co-presented. The demo paid particular attention to how IBM has invested in Second Life as a way to better interact with their workforce. Chuck Hamilton, from IBM @ Play walked through their Onboarding Island, complete with detailed documentation for IBM's processes and services. They also are using Second Life for virtual conference participation, saying that the Avatars give more of a presence indicator than just participating in web conferences. The IBM team has built out spaces to support this stronger presences as well. For example, when Sam Palmisano was speaking in China earlier this year, he was also speaking in "China" in Second Life. Another area when they have found Second Life useful is in mentoring. The use of Avatars helps employees feel more comfortable asking questions, or interacting than they might in real life, and they don't have to rely purely on text, or audio communication. After moving their onboarding and mentoring to Second Life, they have found that employees are building more connections, faster. One reason given is that the Avatar-based relationships feel more "real" than pure instant messaging or email-mediated communication. The results, according to Chuck are better relationships, less travel, and a very active virtual world. There are currently 15,000 IBM Avatars.

The audience reaction was just what you would hope. Lots of questions, lots of interest, lots of people thinking about how to apply the technology. There was a fair amount of skepticism as well. ("It's all well and good for IBM with the resources they have. How would this work in a company of less than 5,000 employees? Who has the time or money to invest in this?") But most importantly, this was a topic that reached out well beyond the time allocated for the session. At lunch on Day 3, people were still talking about Second Life, drawing connections between other tools, and thinking about how this might change the game. Will it happen overnight? No. But this is exactly what you hope to take away from a conference: new ideas, new conversations, and new solutions that you want to go explore.

HRPS: Marcus Buckingham on Strengths

2008-04-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

Marcus Buckingham rallied the Day One HRPS crowd by talking about Strengths and how to leverage them. He’s a great speaker – engaging, humorous, lots of examples based on his data over the past 3 years. Most of his focus for this presentation was on how to invest time in your Strengths. First, to clarify his definition, Strengths are not just what you do best. A Strength is something you do well which you look forward to doing, enjoy while doing, and are energized after doing. It’s an interesting definition, that helps focus on a small number of items, rather than a long list of competencies.

According to Buckingham, using this definition of Strengths helps people identify how to shape their jobs. For example, if you ask people how much time they spend at work doing what they are most good at, the numbers are decreasing (17% in 2005 to 12% in 2007). But if you ask if they are engaged in their work once a week, or hit that state of flow where you lose track of time once a week, 80% of respondents say yes. So the question is, how do you increase that engagement to more than once a week.

Buckingham’s argument is that over time, you can shape your job to better fit your strengths. He's careful to note that this is a gradual process, not something that can happen overnight. But it's worth the investment: as the correlation between your job and your strengths increases, your engagement level goes up, and your job satisfaction will increase as well.

So, here’s the challenge: What are your strengths, and how can you leverage them in your current role? What is one change you can make today to increase the fit?

To learn more: visit his site, or buy his book.

Photo credit: Mrs. Maze

Initial Thoughts from the HR Planning Society Conference

2008-04-17T14:52:00.001-07:00

I wanted to look into some new conferences this year. Nothing against HR Technology or IHRIM, but I’ve been attending those for a while, and wanted to see what another group might offer. I’ve been to some of the HRPS affiliate meetings in San Francisco, and had heard good things about their annual conference. I was quite interested in the focus themes for this year: global work, talent management and sustainability – all issues I hear about from our customers. The audience for HRPS is not the typical audience I speak with at OpenWorld, or meet at HR Technology. They are primarily HR Leaders in Organizational Design, Executive Development or Talent Management. So the conference was an opportunity for me to see how the key themes we are hearing from customers are being presented to people who might be end users of our technology.

There were several surprises along the way. First, was the response of attendees when I told them I was from Oracle. Actual quotes from people at the cocktail hour:
“Doesn’t your CEO have a big boat?”
“I know the name, but I don’t know what you do.”
“You’re the guys who took over my PeopleSoft”
Key messages: Oracle is not a known vendor for these people. If they do know what we do, there’s a negative connotation tied to PeopleSoft. Announcing that I was a PeopleSoft employee during the acquisition garnered instant support from those who knew of or use PeopleSoft or Oracle applications, and empathy from other people who have been through acquisitions.

Another surprise: the level of interaction in breakout sessions. My usual conference experience is that the speaker presents for 45 of their allotted 50 minutes, takes 1-2 questions at the end, and then gets bombarded by people after the talk. The breakouts at this conference were interactive from the first slides. In almost every case, it was more like the presenter was facilitating a conversation, with some slides to point the way. Even in a “full session” – about 100 people in the room – people were still asking questions, clarifying, re-clarifying and commenting as much on others’ questions as on the presentation. A new experience for me in a conference, and I think I got more out of the sessions by hearing other people question and comment on the content.

This interactive approach continued throughout the conference, and addressed one of the potential risks of the conference: most of the 400 attendees were there on their own. Even companies that sent multiple attendees hadn’t sent more than 2-3. As a result, the conference could have been very isolating; it can be hard for people to show up alone at dinner or drinks. So the organizers drafted “facilitators” to start conversations, engage with people over breaks, and otherwise help attendees feel part of the conference community. They also reminded us at the end of each session that the dialog could continue at break, or lunch, or cocktails. After one keynote, the leader mentioned that you should be getting as much out of the breaks as you are from the sessions. This is often true at conferences, but I don’t remember attending another conference where they so deliberately addressed this need to connect and engage with other attendees. I walked away having had good conversations with quite a few people, and am looking forward to continuing the dialog online.

One more great idea from the conference, and this was from a vendor. Most of the vendors on sight were talent management consulting. The exception was Borders Books of Costa Mesa. They were on site with copies of every book ever written by the speakers at the conference, and they were encouraging all speakers to autograph books. Then, they offered my favorite service of the week – shipping books anywhere in the US for $5.00. “Oh, so I don’t have to lug books home in my overcrowded suitcase? In that case, I’d like to have 4-5 books instead of 1-2.” Great sales strategy Borders! I bet they doubled their on-site sales with this idea. Timely action too – the books arrived this afternoon!

A good conference, and great interactions. Oh, you want to hear about content? Next post please…

Notes on a Conference

2008-04-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

I’m at the HR Planning Society annual conference this week. My original intention was to live-blog at least some of the sessions, so that I wouldn’t have to rely on my poor handwriting. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen – no wireless in the conference room, and the keynote area is set up in table rounds with people so close together that you can’t fit a computer on the table. So over the next few days, I’ll be transcribing my notes and publishing them. I’m still working on the mantra that authentic and timely trump polished, but given the need to transfer from small notebook to the page, and the associated rethinking of content that will happen, there will likely be a time delay. [Insert appropriate sarcastic comments from my team.]

In the meantime, a few thoughts to people who plan conference centers (specifically the Huntington Beach Hyatt Regency) on ways to improve the conference experience.

Phone access. In 2008, it is unacceptable to have inconsistent or completely lacking cell phone access. Forcing people to run back to their room to get a land line results in less conference session attendance. Those who were lucky enough to have access were still moving all over the building to find the best reception. I can’t believe that this issue is primarily due to mobile coverage issues. If you are building a new conference facility, work with the mobile providers to identify the best way to support access – even if the problem is the cell providers’ it still reflects badly on the hotel.

Wireless access. I don’t understand why hotels still feel the need to charge for wireless access. $9.95 for 24 hours isn’t significant when you are already paying $200+ for the room. Surely the hotel could find a way to factor this into their room fees, and make wireless “free”. Is this really a money maker for the hotel? Similarly, within the conference center area….Make the Wireless Work!! If I’ve already paid for my 24 hours, I want the ability to actually use them during the 8 hours I’m spending in the conference area.

Restrooms. Meg already covered this last year. This Hyatt was built in the last 5 years and to their credit, they clearly tried to address the women’s restroom challenge. And they got close. However, adding stalls but only providing 3 sinks just moves the constraint. As a result the line was within the restroom instead of outside it. (I guess it’s a good sign that people were willing to form a line for sinks…?)

Chairs. Someday, some smart product developer is going to figure out how to create a lightweight, stackable chair that can be produced in mass quantities and is Comfortable. When that chair is created, I will spend all my influence to have conferences only in hotels that use those chairs. Even though the conference had frequent breaks, by the end of Day 1 my back was stiff, and several other people had moved to standing up, or sitting on the floor. In the absence of comfy chairs, maybe hotels could start ordering additional pillows and making them available in conference rooms?

Complaints aside, the Hyatt got several things right – the food was excellent, the hotel layout was conducive to group meetings and interactions, and the staff was quite responsive. And you can’t argue with the location:

[photo credit: quarrier]

Ok, enough with the logistics, on to the conference write-up!

Navel Gazing

2008-04-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

As I wrote earlier, I'm a huge fan of Twitter. Last week I hit my 250th post, and am now over 60 followers. So I thought it would be interesting to see where my tweets are focused. The results surprised me:

I *thought* there might be more mention of technology or work. Instead, the tweets show interest, and exploration (New, Great, Wondering), my priorities (Kids) and my challenges (Time, Day). One thing that tweetclouds could improve, or add, would be to show links that were posted -- that would be a great way to track interests, and the way they change over time. Food for thought, and a check point to see how this my use of this application continues to evolve.

Of Blogs and BRDs

2008-03-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

So…2 months into my professional blogging experiment and I have some observations.

1. Posting frequency is not where I’d like it to be. This is not for lack of content, as I’ve got 5-6 articles in various stages of completion. It’s more a factor of setting aside writing time, and editing these articles into consumable content.

2. Level of depth varies. I prefer to read blog posts with links to other content, rather than pure opinion pieces. But I also know these can look like research pieces if there isn’t enough analysis of the content. This is more a case of finding the right voice and balance for content.

3. The biggest shift here is moving from content acquisition to content dissemination. I can spend hours on Google Reader, and am great at forwarding articles of interest to others on my team. But taking the time to synthesize this content and draw conclusions takes time, and more brain cells.

This is the same challenge I face whenever writing or reviewing Business Requirements Docs. The research and surveying part of BRDs is my favorite part. I enjoy seeing what’s out there, finding new content, and measuring against current products and investments. But once I’ve accumulated all of this content, how do I put it all into a nice tidy package to hand over to development so they will know what to build? How do you prioritize the must-haves vs the nice to haves? How do I convey the excitement I have around the product or the process to development, and (hopefully) inspire them to go beyond my requirements to build a great product? How do I get them to read anything beyond the requirements list? I think I need a cup of coffee.

Writing a BRD is an art, not a science. Every company has a different format and requires different content. Some BRDs are purely requirements lists, with details presented in nice easy subbullets. This is great if you want a check list to ensure development knows WHAT to build, and an artifact for accountability. But a good BRD needs to also include the WHY. (Note: that’s Why, not How). Why are these features important? Why are they prioritized in this way? Why do they need to be built now vs in 3 years? The more context that is provided for the development audience, the more likely they are to agree with your scope and priorities.

Tying this back to the blog experiment, I’m going to continue to focus on the interpretation of content, vs just sharing links. (If you want links, follow me on Twitter). I think synthesizing information, and framing an argument is what makes blogs (and BRDs) valuable. This will require some extra dedication of brain cells. So, if you need me, I’ll be at Peet’s, working on shaping up some of these works in progress.

40 hours? Right...

2008-03-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

This morning's topic on Radio Times was the 40 hour work-week. The first guest, journalist Laurie Granieri, had a great story about making a conscious choice to "only" work 40 hours/week, and the change in behavior this required of her. She was backed up by Penn Sociology professor Jerry Jacobs commenting on the challenges of limiting oneself to this amount of work. According to Jacobs, 1/3 of professional men, and 15% of professional women work more than 40 hours/week. As a resident of Silicon Valley, I think that estimate is low. But I also don't think Silicon Valley's culture is representative of the US at large. We have a high proportion of professional workers, we have technology enthusiasts who believe in an "always-on" approach to work, and we have a significant commuting population, all of which can push our average up. In either case 40 hours/week is the law, but most professionals I know are paying little to no attention to it.

What I found thought provoking in today's discussion though, was the ideal represented by a 40 hour workweek. It implies balance between work and family. Jacobs commented on concerns that the lack of a 40 hour week impacts family rituals such as evening meals together, or investment in personal activities. Granieri mentioned her Dad's adage that you can't write about the stars twinkling like diamonds if you haven't seen them. I agree that all work and no play makes for a problem, but I don't know that I believe there is a magic value to 40 hours. I know plenty of Little League coaches who work more than 40 hours/week but still make time to coach. I think instead, that we should ask a few questions: If you are working more than 40 hours/week, why? Is it because you want to? Need to? Have to? What impact does this have on your family and social life, and could you be equally successful (as you define success) with more hours free? With less? And importantly, are you happy with the amount of time you commit to work?

Years ago, while working in start-up land, we decided we needed a 12-step process to rein back our working hours. The entire team was working round-the-clock and productivity was lagging. Further, the management team recognized that we weren't in crunch time, and we needed to slow down so there would be energy when we needed to go faster later. Step 1 of our program was to admit that you didn't have to work 7 days/week, and we declared Sundays off. Most of the engineers heaved huge sighs of relief and stopped coming on Sundays. But there was one guy who kept showing up. It turned out that quiet Sundays in the office worked for him: he was engaged, and focused and liked working in the office when the rest of the team was out. He didn't need to slow down as he was happy with the level of work he was doing, and he was meeting his personal commitments by leaving early once a week for a soccer match. In our work environment he found a situation in which even though he worked significantly more 40 hours/week, he was personally and professionally satisfied.

In my case today, I'm striving for balance by reducing my commute time, and flexing hours to support my kids' school activities. Yes, I have concerns about taking time away from the office and at the same time I feel guilty about not spending enough time with the kids. But I've learned that for me, this tension is there because I am choosing between things that matter to me - I want to do both! I can't split these commitments 50/50 because different priorities need focus at different times. What matters is my ability to be present in the moment, and devote my energies to that kid, or that work project. My kids don't know about working 40 hours/week. They know if Mom picks them up after dance, or makes it to the baseball game. Similarly, in our Results Only Work Environment, it doesn't matter if I finish a presentation at 11 am or 11 pm, as long as it meets the deadline for delivery.

40 hours/week isn't a magic recipe for success in a professional environment. It's a rule that was put in place 70 years ago, and at this point I suspect it's outdated for professional workers. In this case, I vote with Elizabeth Swan: Hang the code, and hang the rules. They're more like guidelines anyway.

Presentations 101: Know Your Content

2008-02-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

What makes a good presentation? There are hundreds of books on powerpoint styles, and engagement methods, and how to deliver a pitch. But the most crucial thing in any presentation is Your Content. What are you trying to communicate?

We've all seen dry, dull and boring presentations, where the presenter is overwhelming the audience with data. In my opinion though, a boring presentation is better than a clueless presentation. When listening to a boring presentation you have options. You can leave and get a copy of the presentation to review afterwards. You can salvage the session through Q&A to get the presenter to loosen up. You can probably still get something from the presentation...it's just more work than you'd like. At least with most boring presentations, the speaker knows what they are talking about. Their problem is in editing it for mass consumption.

A clueless presentation however, is a much harder prospect. The classic example is the presenter who is relying on their slides. In this case, the presenter has at least thought through the content enough to get it written down, but if the webconference crashes, or the projector bulb goes, they won't have any idea what to do -- they don't know what they are presenting. Similarly, there is the case of the expanding/contracting timeframe. It's very common when presenting to customers that the timing will get screwed up, and suddenly you have to fit 60 minutes worth of content into 30. Or worse, stretch 60 into 90-120. If you don't know your content, you won't be able to adjust to fit the new requirement.

So how do you know if you are prepared with your content? First, step away from your computer and presentation materials. Now ask yourself a few questions:

What is the one message you want your audience to take away?

If you were reporting your message on the evening news, what would be the headline? What 1-2 examples or facts would you use to back up the headline? (Remember, on the evening news, you only get 2 minutes to tell your story)

If your manager asked for a summary of your presentation that he could send to his boss, what would you say?

What actions do you want your audience to take after hearing your presentation?

If they met you after your presentation, what questions do you think the audience would ask?

Congratulations - you can give the abbreviated version of your pitch, and you know your key message. Now for the other extreme...the part where you really show that you know your content. You'll have to pick up a pencil, or go to the whiteboard. Again, no looking at your material. Start by making a series of columns. Assign a key message in your presentation to each column. For each key message, list your supporting examples, facts or stories. If you have been following classic presentation training, you should now have a matrix with 3 columns (1 for each key message), each with 3 sub-bullets. Now take a minute and answer a few more questions:

If you were asked, could you produce more examples for each key message?

Do you have more content or depth to share on any of those supporting points?

Are there any other points you are currently planning to cover that don't fit into this structure?

Go back to your presentation materials - did you cover it all? What's missing?

What's the purpose of this exercise? It helps you see where you have depth of content, and where you don't. That way you can better assess the strength of your messages, and your level of content knowledge. If you can map out your entire presentation without looking at your materials, you know your content. If you have a few areas where you missed a point, or didn't get the data right, you may need to do some extra homework.

Why should you spend the time on these sorts of exercises - shouldn't you be focusing on better graphics? If you don't know what you are saying, the fanciest animations in the world won't save you. More importantly, if you know your content and have focused it, you are more than half-way to a great presentation. You can better follow the audience's interests by going deeper into some content, and lighter on others. Or you can adjust the timing of your presentation without missing the key messages. Most importantly, you can spend more time engaging with the audience because you know what you are talking about - and your audience will be happy to hear what you have to say.

Why aren’t you in the office?

2008-02-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

Much has been made of Best Buy’s move to a Results Only Work Environment (ROWE). It’s certainly a concept that appeals to all. Who wouldn’t want to work when they want, and only be measured by what they are delivering. It solves the challenge of managing child care, brings back a sense of balance, and allows you to pursue what matters to you, even if the timing isn’t convenient. I completely agree with this concept. I don’t think that individuals should be judged based on time spent working. They should be rewarded for what they accomplish.

However, I think that the ROWE concept has gotten convoluted to mean Remote Work Only, which is not the same thing. It is true that I am highly productive when I’m not in the office. But I am also productive in the office, for different reasons. If I’m going to be on the phone all day, I might as well work at home. I’ve got the same technology, and can get the same work done. But a large part of my job involves interacting with people, and in many cases there is no substitute for meeting in person. It’s hard to brainstorm on the phone. It’s also not easy to collaborate when only 1 person can drive the webconference.

Not only that, but working remotely is hard. It requires strong interaction skills to make your presence known. You miss out on the small talk that happens before and after meetings. Or the office drive-by on the way for coffee that brings up 3-4 really important issues. You need to work harder to get to know your team, and establish rapport. You have to leverage multiple types of technology, and invest time to build relationships. And even then, you will still feel differently when you meet your team members in person for the first time.

But my biggest gripe with ROWE turning into Remote Work is the lost opportunity it represents. When people stop coming to the office regularly, the connections between team members change, and so does the level of energy in the office. When coming to the office feels like going to Desolation Island, then no one wants to come in, and we’ve got a self-defeating strategy. Again, I’m not saying that everyone needs to be in the office 8-5 every day. But scheduling team meetings in person, or setting regular meet-ups helps the entire team feel connected, raises the energy, and increases the positive feelings people have about work.

So, while I’m all for ROWE, I’m also for dedicated office time – as it makes sense to you. And if you are always a Remote Worker, I strongly recommend dedicated trips to meet with your team. That isn’t to say you must always travel. But a scheduled trip every quarter, or every month can help reestablish connections and move projects forward – and maybe even help you achieve your results in a more effective way.

Twitter: Headline News for the Next Generation?

2008-02-05T11:35:00.000-08:00

I think you could call me a geek wannabe. I work in technology. I'm married to an Engineer. I live in Silicon Valley, where technology changes constantly, and the your next door neighbor could be the architect of iTunes (true for a close friend) or a senior person at IBM (true for me).

I know I'll never be a programmer - I barely passed CS 106. But I find the continual advancements in technology to be completely fascinating. First there's the "Wow, that's cool!" factor. And then there's the question of how does it impact a person? How does it make someone more productive? Change their lives? Change their thinking?

Twitter has been one of those fascinating revelations for me. At first I thought it was interesting. I can get messages on my phone in a constant stream? Cool. Then, it became annoying. Too many messages to track on the phone, and I'm not that interested in constant texting. At the end of last year I moved to Twhirl to see if my use would change when I had a constant gadget, and suddenly Twitter became an essential application. As of this writing, I'm following about 40 people. I haven't set specific criteria for following, other than being quick to stop following if the noise ratio gets too high. What I've found with the group I'm following is that they have diverse interests, they are dispersed throughout the globe, and they all are quick to share what they know. As a result, I've come to view Twitter as a participation based Headline News.

When I was in college, Headline News was a critical channel. I didn't have time to watch television, and even if I had, I had no interest in watching the local tv affiliates at 11pm every night. But at any time of the day, I could check Headline News and get the latest on critical stories, get updates on other news that I might not have heard on the local channels, and usually find 1-2 off-beat stories that would be good for later discussion. Also, if I missed an important story, I could be confident that it would be repeated later. Twitter is providing the same content. In the last few months, my Twitter friends have discussed politics, Heath Ledger, Britney, Bhutto, Seesmic, iPhones, the Monte Carlo fire....you name it, there is content, and links to follow to drill into more detail. The news isn't precisely personalized, as there are plenty of tweets that I can ignore. But Twitter has become a new way to stay informed, and to share content, that I've found quite valuable.

How does this apply to management? Or HCM? I don't know yet. It could be that Twitter will be more of a social faciliation process. The mash-up between Twitter and GoogleMaps for Super Tuesday is a fascinating way to track a national process. And it shows that there is still a lot of room to explore the use of Twitter. I think encouraging use (and importantly connections!) between team members can make Twitter a resource for better sharing, and overall team productivity. How could you use something like this mash-up to support a distributed team working on a key project? I'd be interested to hear from others who are using Twitter in a business context. Comment below, or follow me: @GretchenA.

Follow the (Thought) Leaders

2008-01-28T15:36:00.000-08:00

We talk a lot about Thought Leadership within the HR space. But what does that really mean? What is a Thought Leader? Why should I listen to one person versus another? And in this age of blogs, and wikis, how do you know who is a Thought Leader, and who is just opinionated?

The term Thought Leader is used a lot on business, but isn’t necessarily understood. According to Wikipedia, “the term was first coined in 1994, by Joel Kurtzman, editor-in-chief of the magazine, Strategy & Business. The term was used to designate interview subjects for that magazine who had contributed new thoughts to business…Since that time, the term has spread from business to other disciplines and has come to mean someone who enlivens old processes with new ideas”.

That’s an interesting definition, someone who enlivens old processes with new ideas. It’s a very inclusive definition, suggesting that a Thought Leader isn’t limited to a professor in an ivory tower, or an executive with a certain rank or title. It means that a Thought Leader could be a line worker who comes up with a new way to reduce waste on the production floor. Or someone who parachutes in from another industry and brings new ideas with them. Or a researcher who changes up processes when proposing new tools for automation.

But I do have a problem with this definition: it doesn’t take into consideration the source or the effect of those ideas. If I decide that I’d like to have all my recruiting candidates participate in a Survivor-style competition, it might “enliven” the process, but would it make it better? What effect would it have on the qualities of the candidates I’m recruiting? Where did I get that idea (too much TV!) and what makes me think it would have a positive impact on the process?

To me, the best Thought Leaders are those who practice both research and application. They experiment, but do so with a goal in mind, and then act on the evidence. And they are vocal about what works and what doesn’t. They take the time to contribute to the body of knowledge within their space, and they challenge others to contribute as well. Nicholas Higgins did a series at the end of last year on the Top 25 contributors to Human Capital Management. His list is strongly weighted to the research side, but it’s a good list of the primary influencers in HCM. I don’t argue with anyone he included, although I’d like to also see a list of HR practitioners or influencers to get a more complete Thought Leadership profile. Any nominations for Thought Leaders? Who do you look to in the HCM space? And more importantly, why?

And we're off!

2008-01-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

Why another blog? Frankly, it was getting confusing to put work and personal content on the same site. So this blog is dedicated to explorations of Human Capital Management, the practice of Product Strategy, and ongoing developments in the wonderful world of Software Applications. As such, as small disclaimer is needed - see the bottom of the page.

My intent is to publish once a week. Of course I reserve the right to completely ignore that intent during conferences, travel, or chaotic times at work, not that we have any of those around here.

Since Meg tagged me in the most recent round of Oracle blog tag, I thought I'd start this off with 8 things to know about me (cross listed to Scarlet's Letters, so I only have to do this once!).

I'm horribly embarrassed to admit that I can't remember the name of the person who introduced me to HR as a practice. I know he was an important person at Syntex, and he was kind enough to extend an informational interview from 30 minutes to 2 hours when he realized that I was genuinely interested in his work. So Mr Whoever You Are, thank you for putting me on the right path.

I used to teach HR certification classes. These are the courses to help prepare HR professionals for their credential as a PHR or SPHR. I stopped teaching during the PSFT/Oracle integration, but hope to get back to it someday. I think it's important that HR be recognized as a specific profession - not something people fall into.

I'm deathly allergic to pine nuts. As in, get me to the hospital for an adrenalin shot STAT! So, no pesto for me. Not now, not ever.

I grew up in a small town in Colorado. There were 125 people in my graduating class, 100+ of whom had been together in Kindergarten.

I was a long-term member of 4-H while growing up. I learned to sew, knit, crochet, tat, cross-stitch and quilt. I'm still always have a handwork project going on - can't just sit and watch tv.

In college, I taught public speaking. To grad students. In the Engineering and Business schools. And got paid for it. Best. Job. Ever!

I'm a singer. In high school I participated in a number of choir festivals. In college I was part of Counterpoint, an all female a capella group. And for the last 5 years I've performed with the Santa Clara Chorale.

My life revolves around my family. My husband works from home, which is what enables me to do all the crazy work things I do. Our 2 kids (ages 8 and 11) are into soccer, baseball, band and dance. As a result I'm the queen of multi-tasking and working from random places. I did make a resolution last year to stop reading email during baseball games, as my responses rarely make sense, but we'll see what happens when the next season starts.

So, there's an introduction, and there will be more content to come over the next few weeks.