Author Archives: Mark Stelzner

4 Reasons Change Is So Damn Hard

By Mark Stelzner | Published: May 18, 2011
While flying somewhere over the Midwest I started chatting with a very senior executive from an organization you would instantly recognize. Without taking a moment to assess who I was, he began to lambast his firm and lament how “back-asswards” they were and that they were “destined for failure“. Given that he was responsible for [...]
Posted in General Thoughts, Human Resources | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Will I Fit In?

By Mark Stelzner | Published: April 27, 2011
For many it begins the moment Mom or Dad first releases our hands, eyes shining as we step into the strange and often unfamiliar surroundings of pre-school. Walking reluctantly away, this trickle of self-doubt may swell into a flood of uncertainty. Will I get along with others? Will I be met with kindness and warmth? Will [...]
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Finally, Safe At Home

By Mark Stelzner | Published: March 28, 2011
Although a bit of a departure from my usual rambling, this post is in response to a request by Lean HR’s Dwane Lay. A consummate HR pro and host of this week’s HR Carnival, Dwane has asked each of us to take the simple title “Safe At Home” and make it our own. He’ll be posting [...]
Posted in General Thoughts | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

6 Ways To Destroy Your New Hire

By Mark Stelzner | Published: March 14, 2011
Although the economy shows signs of improvement, it can still be quite difficult to gain approval for that all-important new hire requisition. But despite these challenges, you’ve secured the req and you’re prepared to expand your mini empire. And after reviewing hundreds of resumes and interviewing dozens of candidates, you’ve managed to lock down a [...]
Posted in Human Resources | Tagged , | 27 Comments

JobAngels: The Journey Continues

By Mark Stelzner | Published: February 28, 2011
Several weeks ago I was working in my office when the phone unexpectedly rang. Upon answering I was greeted by an exasperated woman who was in desperate need of assistance. Crying, pleading, fearful and hopeless, she had difficulty articulating the series of unfortunate events that taken her from an unexpected layoff to her daily struggle [...]
Posted in General Thoughts | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Social Honesty

By Mark Stelzner | Published: February 14, 2011
During a recent pundit retreat several of us discussed the age-old problem of lying on your resume. And although we touched on some of the typical issues, my friend and colleague Kris Dunn brought a very original perspective when he described LinkedIn as a potentially trustworthy source of an individual’s actual work experience. In his own words: [...]
Posted in General Thoughts, Human Resources | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

The Leadership Development Carnival – A Love Story

By Mark Stelzner | Published: February 7, 2011
The emotions attached to February 14th range from wide-eyed hopefulness and heart-pounding anticipation to downright disdain and overt hostility. As many attribute the same feelings to their organizational leadership, I thought we’d focus this month’s Carnival on our favorite Hallmark holiday. That’s right, it’s the leadership development carnival of love featuring fifty of the sweetest [...]
Posted in Finance & Strategy, General Thoughts, Human Resources | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

Climbing All Over TheLadders

By Mark Stelzner | Published: February 1, 2011
Last week I was invited to New York to participate in an earthbound Gods of Recruiting mega-panel-roundtable-fireside-chat-student-teacher-conference-pundit lovefest. Entitled the “Position Accomplished Summit”, the event was hosted by the controversial firm TheLadders at the trendy Standard Hotel in Manhattan. Attendees represented the Who’s Available of the market, including the three wise men of Sumser, Wheeler [...]
Posted in Human Resources | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

Don’t Let Them Break You

By Mark Stelzner | Published: January 18, 2011
Would you be able to stay alive on a raft without food or water for over a month? Could you fight off hungry sharks with your bare hands? Or how about eating less than a tablespoon of rice a day for years? What about enduring daily beatings that left you bloody, afraid and often unconscious? Any [...]
Posted in General Thoughts | Tagged , | 6 Comments

What Are You Afraid Of?

By Mark Stelzner | Published: January 12, 2011
In today’s rat maze rush of conflicting demands and overbooked schedules appears a resurgence of the corporate/team meeting. These reluctant (yet seemingly necessary) collisions of personality and perspective force participants to pause – even for a moment – and look one another squarely in the eye. All the while phones buzz and distractions abound as [...]
Posted in General Thoughts, Human Resources | Tagged , , | 6 Comments