So I did two things – 1) I got the hell out of his office; and 2) I did what he asked without hesitation. In retrospect, I wished I would have said no and stood my ground, but it was the end of the quarter and he desperately needed me to bring in some revenue from one of our strategic partners. Although watching him limp around with (likely) broken toes offered some solace, I was young and lacked the courage or experience to know how to handle an irate boss. Like many of you, no one had taught me the art of saying no.

As working adults our daily decisions can be very complex. The implications of how we handle situations can range from taking on more work than we can handle to covering the shortcomings of those around us. In doing so, your more generous colleagues may recognize you as a “team player” who really “pitches in during crunch time” and doesn’t ever “question the assignment“. The manipulative types, however, will zero in and see you as an “easy target” who can “carry the load” while betting on how far they can push before you crack. Yet other more innocuous workmates may simply acknowledge the reality that everyone is doing more with less (and that everyone includes you).

Given today’s precarious world of employment, I’m finding that it’s harder and harder for people to say no. Author Leo Babauta summarized the criticality of this issue:

“What’s so hard about saying no? Well, to start with, it can hurt, anger or disappoint the person you’re saying ‘no’ to, and that’s not usually a fun task. Second, if you hope to work with that person in the future, you’ll want to continue to have a good relationship with that person, and saying ‘no’ in the wrong way can jeopardize that.” - Source: Lifehack

So how does one artfully decline without finding their office possessions in an unmarked cardboard box? Clearly it’s important to be judicious in your thought process, but is there a good means of deciding whether no is the right answer? Tammy Strobel of Rowdy Kittens shares her tips on how to make up your mind:

“Sleep on it. Maybe you were invited to a big event, but aren’t sure if you should go? Then sleep on it. If you’re feeling unsure about something a good night sleep might do the trick. I know when I’m sleep deprived my decision making skills aren’t stellar. Don’t be rash, be thoughtful.

Go for a walking meditation. I’m a big fan of taking really long walks (between 2 and 3 hours) in the park. I usually bring my camera, a writing pad and my thoughts. I listen to the birds, insects chirping and wind blowing through the trees. Walking clears my mind and helps me focus on the right choice.

Listen to your instinct. Listen to your gut, instincts, 6th sense or whatever you want to call it. The value of instinctive insight has been disregarded by many people. But I think our brain stores and holds onto information we might not be consciously aware of. We have these kinds of feelings and hunches for a reason, but we tend to ignore them when we should be listening.” – Source: Rowdy Kittens

Now that you’ve decided that no is the correct response, how should you handle the situation? Therese Haberman at Suite101.com offers these words of wisdom:

Location, location, location. – “Find a good place to talk to your boss privately, without ringing telephones or unwanted intrusions. Pick a less stressful time of the day, like after hours, when she is not preoccupied with getting the work done.“

Be logical, calm and concise. – “Be mindful and sensitive to the fact that she will likely have a knee jerk reaction to your request, so be tactful and diplomatic in your explanation of what you are declining to do and your reasoning.“

Choose your words wisely. - “Do not phrase your refusal in the form of a refusal. Instead of saying that you will not do the task, start by stating that you are having difficulty with completing the assignment. This will give her a chance to rethink the situation in a way that does not undermine her effectiveness or authority.“

Redirect. - “Offer an alternative solution to how she can get it done (e.g., assigning others or a team to complete it).“

Avoid public confrontation. - “Do not make her look bad or question her motives in front of others. This will be a losing situation for both of you.“

Know the rules. – “If the task presents a moral dilemma, many employers have a code of ethics that would allow you to refuse to do something, such as lying to a customer, to protect you from reprimand. This is a last resort, as it may damage your relationship with your manager.“

Take notes. – “Document the situation, circumstances and any action taken against you for future reference.” – Source: Suite101.com

Good stuff, but now it’s your turn. Please help everyone increase their skills by sharing your advice on how to say no (or you can practice your newfound skills and just say “no” to my request for assitance.) And if you happen to invent a time machine, please go back to find a younger me and share your words of wisdom. It won’t avoid a raging tirade but just might save my pride.

Kutik and fellow co-chair David Shadovitz have really stepped things up for 2010 and some of the individuals that I most admire in the industry will be active and vocal participants for this year’s festivities. And there’s something for everyone, including:

• Naomi Bloom and Jim Holincheck going mano y mano in “The Great Technology Debate”
• Lexy Martin unveiling her 13th Annual CedarCrestone HR Systems Survey
• Phil Fersht and Lowell Williams showing off their big brains in “The Great Service Delivery Debate”
• Laurie Ruettimann as the Pied Piper of new media in her “Twitterversity” tutorial
• Kris Dunn introducing you to some of the freshest voices in the market via his “Blogger Insight Panel”
• Jason Averbook and Gerry Crispin returning to moderate their respective (and respected) panels on talent management and job boards

And if you’re really not into great content, you can network your way to success on the expo floor, at the tweetup, over dinners, coffee meetings and the like. This is the one event that players in our industry do not miss, period.

Finally, I’d ask you to come so you can ridicule and humiliate me personally. Last year I was openly critical of the “Shootout” that HR Tech is famous for. In a very tactical and creative move, HR Technology has silenced yours truly by getting me personally involved. This year’s Shootout is now plural as my good friends Steve Boese, Mike Krupa and I will each be moderating (and judging) head-to-head battles between some of the industry’s top service providers. Let’s see if I do any better.

Oh… one last important note. Because Bill loves me and I love you, he’s offered you a discount on conference registration. Simply click here now and enter promotion code “INFLEXION10″ (note that this is case sensitive) for $500 off the onsite price. I may even let you buy me a drink with your savings.

(Checking my notes)…. okay, let’s review. Great show. Great content. Great people. The great Stelzner. Great discount. Well, that about sums it up. If you have thoughts about this show, the schedule, what I should wear or how death feuding vendors should be judged, please share your comments below. I’ll look forward to seeing you there.

Source: The Economist

When I think about winners in the ill-defined “war on talent”, a few attributes come to mind. First, you’re not apologetic about who you are and what makes your organization tick, so aspirational employee branding efforts are counter-culture and somewhat abhorrent. Second, you use research, data and analytics to study the real actions and resulting outcomes of your candidates and employees. Numbers aren’t scary but instead empower your thinking, decision making or overarching strategic plans. Finally, you are fully transparent about your goals and aspirations. You are running a business and can concisely convey your objectives and how each employee’s cog fits into your wheel of commerce.

A few weeks ago Bill Kutik and several other industry representatives (including yours truly) were invited out to Philadelphia to attend a fairly standard analyst briefing with Kenexa’s leadership team. My expectations for these events are fairly straight forward – you meet with the executive staff, hear their predictions for the coming year and gather information on product releases, feature specifications, client successes, revenues, etc. It’s a fairly prescribed event and some leave more cynical, others more enlightened, and yet others indifferent to what they saw or heard.

And here’s my top takeaway from the day. Kenexa, if it executes successfully and stays focused, is about to crack the code in this area. This is not something I say lightly and is not guaranteed, so I’ll explain my reasoning below. Know that although my travel and expenses were paid (as they were for all attendees), I received no incentive (financial or otherwise) to write this post.

Back to Philly…

Mid-morning arrived and we were asked to split off into separate tracks depending on our areas of interest. I went with the much smaller recruitment process outsourcing group due to my personal and professional curiousity about this rapidly growing (yet highly confusing) market segment. If you’re interested in what happened in the other track, be sure to read Kutik’s column, Kenexa Puts Its Pieces Together by clicking here. He offered a terrific summation and I wholeheartedly agree with his conclusions.

About eight of us huddled in an extremely warm wood-paneled room in the Union League Club, a Civil War-era time capsule in downtown Philadelphia. Yes, they have a dress code and women’s restrooms appear to be a fairly recent addition. This is not your venue of choice for a diversity conference, believe me. I digress…

I won’t bore you with a lot of what we discussed. Yes, Kenexa is a player in RPO and talent management. Yes, they have a full service solution, global footprint, and so on. That you can find out by reading their literature or visiting their website and it’s all really table stakes for competing in today’s environment. The “Wow!” factor comes when you learn more about their research and how they are deconstructing data-driven market insights.

Kenexa’s Research Institute (KRI) is a bellwether of workforce analytics and an extremely small (but incredibly valuable) portion of Kenexa’s overall infrastructure. If you haven’t heard of them or studied their findings, you’re missing out on some terrific insights, including:

• WorkTrends Studies: KRI has been assessing U.S. employee opinions since the mid-1980s and global trends since 2007. For an example, see For the slim majority of women, work and personal lives are balanced, but not for all.
• The Employee Confidence Index: A forecastable construct for measuring and predicting organizational success. See their white paper here.
• High-Performance Engagement Models: Exploration of the relationship between engagement and financial performance. For an example, see Engagement Trends over Time.

Remember, I’m married to a researcher and understand the value these studies can bring to an organization. But for many, putting that content into the context of their specific organizational needs is a barrier to action and change. And this is where the secret sauce of Kenexa’s new strategy really comes into play.

For several strategic clients, Kenexa has applied its KRI team for the specific purpose of attacking the “quality of hire” question. The insights gathered in this initial consultative research fundamentally change the sourcing strategies and resulting screening and assessment process. The outcome is a “tunnel” versus “funnel” candidate experience with the explicit goal of supporting only quality hires. It is this piece specifically – including competitive market research, top performer research and company culture assessment – that could change the face of recruiting as you know it.

You’re thinking, “But Mark, this stuff isn’t new! I mean c’mon, seriously. They’ll ‘win the market’??” I think it is new, and let me give you an example.

Regeneron is a biopharmaceutical company focused on medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. They worked with Kenexa to develop what was at the time a very controversial campaign to attack their market needs. Here’s an extract on the partnership from a recently published piece in the Journal of Organizational Excellence:

“A strategic partnership required that this successful biotech company add, in just one year, nearly 50 percent more employees, including top-notch scientific talent, and then do it again just two years later. A key challenge was to preserve, in the midst of high organizational growth, the unique cultural DNA that has been part of the company’s code for success. The authors describe a major employment branding initiative, which included a cultural assessment based on Jungian archetypes, that enabled the company to position its culture as the key differentiator in its recruitment strategy. They discuss the surfacing and articulation of five key cultural attributes that exemplify the culture and how they are used to attract and select new employees for a strong cultural fit; engage existing employees around the defining values and behaviors needed for success; and define the company’s external brand. They also describe how HR practices have been implemented or modified to sustain these characteristics as part of the organizational fabric.“

Regeneron and Kenexa named this initiative The Five and you’ll see that it’s an extremely candid and transparent representation of who they are, who they are not and what it takes to be successful at their firm. This campaign served as a screen to let candidates know that unless you’re comfortable with these five truths, Regeneron is not the firm for you. Beyond the “five things to know”, this also included a controversial list of reasons why you would not fit into their organization complete with a big DON’T APPLY graphic followed by… “If science isn’t your obsession”; “If you’re content being the smartest person in the room”; “If you’re afraid to fail”; “If you think good enough is good enough”; and “If you need a routine to define you”. I love this approach and you won’t be surprised to learn that scientists responded in droves, some enraged by the idea that they may not be the right fit for Regeneron. It’s brilliant and it worked.

And Kenexa isn’t waiting for HR and recruiting to wake up to their newer strategies. Instead they are forming CEO and board-level relationships to ensure that the criticality of discussions on talent and employee engagement see the light of day.

It’s rare for me to declare a winner and I remain very bullish on Kenexa’s chances of fundamentally changing the talent conversation. However, there are three challenges that they must immediately overcome:

1. Kenexa’s marketing budget is fractional compared to the competition. CEO Rudy Karsan is aware of this issue and knows that, in his words, Kenexa needs to address “how quickly we can expand the microphone“;
2. The Research Institute is thriving under top-notch leaders such as Dr. Anne Herman, but it’s an underfunded group and needs to expand significantly if Kenexa is going to fully capitalize on the opportunity; and
3. Kenexa currently houses a twenty-person employer branding group. I think this is a distraction as this is not (and should not, in my opinion) be a core competency of the firm. I think all stakeholders would benefit from an alliance strategy in the branding space.

I know this was a long one so thank you for hanging in there. Now it’s the time in our program for you to share your thoughts. What do you think of these initiatives? Are they ground breaking or am I ill-informed? What will it take to win the so-called “war on talent”? You’re smarter than I am so share your thoughts below and let’s keep the conversation going.

Is Social Media all that it’s cracked up to be?

Although many operational functions are embracing social media, human resources is left wondering how and if they should participate. We are surveying the market to capture valuable information on these emerging tools. Beyond benchmarking social media use across industries and organizations, we will also answer the following questions:

• How is use of social media changing?
• How are other HR functions using social media?
• Which function owns social media policy and strategy?
• How “deep” are organizations in social media?
• Can you dabble in social media or do you have to be cutting edge?
• How are organizations measuring the benefits of social media?

The survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete and your responses will be kept strictly confidential. We are pleased to provide you with a copy of the findings report in exchange for your participation. The aggregated results will be presented to the market in a variety of formats, including webinars, seminars, white papers and the like.

Take the survey now and add your voice to this important conversation. And if you have questions or comments, either email our Chief Research Officer or feel free to post a message below. Together we will demystify new media and help to clarify the path forward.

In her own words:

“After checking into [my] hotel, I proceeded to the wrong bank of elevators and rode it for awhile before realizing my mistake and getting off. Waiting with me for the next car down was a young guy – early 20s at most – with one arm covered in tattoos, and the other arm gone. Beside him was a canvas tote bag with a large prosthetic arm sticking out.

He was not in uniform; rather, he wore a plain t-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap. I wanted to acknowledge him but hesitated, thinking, “This has to be a war injury. But…what if it isn’t? No, it has to be – why else would a 20-something have such an injury?” Before opening my mouth to ask him about it, he asked me a question. “Ma’am, do you know if you have to turn in your room key?” I said I wasn’t sure but didn’t think so. I asked him if he had served and, when he said yes, I thanked him. He replied, “Oh, thank you, ma’am. It was my pleasure and I served with a smile.”

He took his room key out of his pocket and said, “I hate walking through the lobby with this prosthetic arm, getting stared at.” I said, “Let me do it. It’s the least I can do.” He seemed relieved. I felt humbled.

As I walked to the front desk with his key, I thought to myself, “This is what it is going to mean for us.” “Us,” meaning us Americans. Civilians. Going about our daily lives, we may encounter someone with a visible war injury. My friends who work in the DoD’s Wounded Warrior program have said that wounded veterans don’t want pity from civilian employers and co-workers, but a little patience is helpful. “Soldiers are used to being active and they want to be active again, even if they are injured. They will be active again.”” ~ Emily King

Emily is someone you need to know. She’s the founder of MyMilitaryTransition.com, is a nationally recognized expert on military-to-civilian transitions, spent over a decade with Booz Allen Hamilton in HR strategy and holds a MS in OD and applied behavior science. In short, she’s smart, she understands the problem and has developed a wonderful sense of how to address this systemic issue facing America’s veteran workforce.

Emily recently presented as part of SHRM’s wonderful two-day program, Military Veterans: Transitioning Skills to the New Economy. I applaud SHRM for their work in this area, and as their research shows below, we have a long way to go in educating employers on the benefits that our veterans can bring to their organizations.

But beyond hiring, retention becomes the next key issue, and this is the where Emily’s work really shines. Based on her deep understanding of the differences between military and civilian work culture, she translates civilian culture, expectations and behavioral norms for transitioning military personnel so they experience early and lasting success in the private sector. That’s right – early and lasting success, and this helps bolster the dialogue and understanding between both groups so that veterans succeed as civilians. In turn, organizations accelerate productivity and increase retention among this invaluable segment of the workforce. You really couldn’t ask for anything more.

I’ll leave you with a final thought from Emily King. It was one of the most important lessons she shared and I’d encourage you to truly ponder the meaning of her words. After that, please share your thoughts, comments and stories below. We need to speak more openly about our returning veterans and the challenges associated with their transition into sustainable employment post-service. In my opinion, silence and inaction are simply not an option.

“For those of us civilians who have only experienced war through the media…where we might want to look away, we need to look ahead. Where we want to be silent we need to say thank you. It is only our own discomfort that stands in the way. My encounter today with the young serviceman who had lost his arm showed me a bit about what the war meant for him. Bearing witness to it as we welcome soldiers home is what it means for us.“

]]> http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/07/08/employing-americas-heroes/feed/ 8 http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/06/30/shrm-2010-observations-conclusions/ http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/06/30/shrm-2010-observations-conclusions/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:50:19 +0000 mark.stelzner http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/?p=507 Well, it’s hard to believe that another SHRM Annual Conference has come and gone. And like last year’s event, we witnessed some of the same challenges and opportunities. But before I offer my thoughts on this year’s gala, let me suggest a few of the wonderful bloggers who provided fantastic coverage of SHRM 2010:

• Charlie Judy offered terrific coverage, including, What (the ‘f) were you thinking? A new calling for HR.
• Monster.com had a terrific team on the ground this year, so be sure to check out posts such as Jennifer McClure’s, What HR Wants to Know About Social Media CAN HR Them, and Ben Eubanks’, Creating a Culture of Engagement: HR Leader’s New Strategic Role.
• Mary Ellen Slayter of SmartBrief partnered with Monster to produce a wonderful series of SHRM 2010 interviews for the Monster Thinking Series.
• Laurie Ruettimann used to offer fantastic hotel-cam observations of her world travels, and this year she’s back! Be sure to check out her fashion insights from the show.

Ok, let’s get down to business:

The Venue/Location

I’m a big fan of San Diego and the convention center really did offer a terrific venue for the event. There were plenty of places for exhausted, swag-laden HR pros to find a little corner to relax and even catch a brief nap (I saw more than a few sleepers). Although San Diego was geographically too distant (and therefore costly) for many, the convention center was conveniently located within walking distance of several hotels, dozens of restaurants and nightlife, as well as on the shore for those who needed to get away from the chaos of the expo hall. My only nit is that there were not enough coffee shops as the lines were very, very long. If there’s one thing to know about HR, we love our java.

SHRM’s Organization/Speakers

I said this last year and I’ll say it again – I really can’t imagine the difficultly in hosting more than 11,000 attendees, coordinating hundreds of sponsors, securing hundreds of volunteers and making it look relatively effortless. My hat goes off to the organizing committee for another terrific job. Moreover, this year we saw some new offerings including the introduction of a social media lounge and what I felt was a much more comfortable press room. With plenty of power strips, good high-speed internet, pre-configured laptops and desktops and all the beverages and snacks you could handle, our merry band of misfits were connected, caffeinated and ready to roll. A personal “thank you” to SHRM’s new social media guru Curtis Midkiff for doing a great job in his inaugural appearance.

Now let’s talk about presenters. Regardless of your political views, nearly all attendees I spoke with were thrilled with Al Gore having spent the time and effort to truly tailor his speech to human resources. It wasn’t just a casual mention but a full-blown call to action. My suggestion is that SHRM work with Michael J. Fox and Sir Richard Branson (SHRM ‘11 keynoters) to ensure that their presentations are similarly on point. It is member dollars that are funding these speaker fees and they deserve to walk away with something relevant.

My last point on speakers is this – where is the diversity?? I’m hoping someone kept score but it appeared that only white males were available for a trip to San Diego in late June. Of course I’m exaggerating, but I did not see a proper representation on stage. Hell, SHRM itself only has one female executive leader in the hopper, and she hasn’t started her job yet. In an industry dominated by women, we need to do a better job of lifting them up and celebrating their contributions and accomplishments. This picture does not do the membership justice (and people really do take notice).

Executive Presence

I want to hit this on two fronts.

First, SHRM rolled out their entire leadership team and we witnessed some (unfortunate) dancing from a few of them. Much to my surprise, CEO Lon O’Neil even launched his Twitter account (although he had some phantom tweets appear while he was on stage). However, I did not walk away feeling the level of transparency and openness that we saw under prior leaders such as Sue Meisinger. Where’s the annual financial report? Where are those heartfelt and unscripted moments? And Lon, where in the hell is your SPHR certification? You can’t claim that it’s a tremendous asset to HR leaders while never having secured it yourself. It’s been almost two years, so either acknowledge that it’s not important (which will never happen) or make this a top priority. Pot, meet kettle…

Second, I was sadly disappointed by the attendee reaction to a keynote featuring a panel of HR leaders, including Google, Northrop Grumman, Kaiser Permanente and Deutsche Bank. SHRM’s membership is generally not comprised of the senior-most HR professionals from the world’s largest firms, so when they actually take the time to show up, share best practices and offer advice, you damn well better pay attention. Attendees swarmed from the session, first in 2’s and 3’s and then by the dozens. Are you there to listen to Steve Forbes and Al Gore or should you perhaps learn from those who have theoretically arrived at your career destination? And if you did walk out early, you missed a gem from Deutsche Bank’s Conrad Venter when he predicated that HR will be obsolete in ten years if we stay on our current course. I tend to agree.

Attendee Behavior

The oddity began the moment I arrived on Sunday. While walking through the expo hall, a senior VP of HR locked eyes with me from fifty yards away. She was trashed on free margaritas from one of the vendor booths. Swaying down the red carpet, she made her way toward me as I looked over my shoulder to assess who in the hell she was looking at. When she grabbed me by the shoulder, I realized I was her target. Holding my shoulder with her left hand, she then silently stroked my cheek with her right. (Yeah, this really happened.) Then gravity took over, she swayed around me to the left and continued her bumper-car journey of bliss.

She never said a word.

I know, you’re thinking this must be one out-of-control attendee from a sea of well-behaved professionals. But let me tell you something. I have been to well over one hundred HR conferences in my career and this is more “normal” than you might expect. HR people get shit-faced, misbehave, rant, party, dance and flirt to excess at these shows. My theory is this – all year long they have to model behavior as the dream corporate citizen. So, when the opportunity arises to hang out with their peers and finally let their hair down, they take full advantage. In some respects, I can’t blame them, but I would ask that people get their act together and maintain some dignity. While walking to my car last evening, I saw two thirty-something SHRM 2010 attendees, one rubbing the back of the other while she threw up in an alley. Both were still wearing their badges.

Engagement

This continues to be SHRM’s number one challenge. Many attendees came for the party, others came for the HRCI credits, and others probably realized they needed pens, dolls, stuffed animals, notepads and bags of other bizarre tchotchkes. I saw droves of attendees just sitting around, doing crossword puzzles, checking email, walking in and out of sessions and generally moving listlessly through the convention center. Some were just simply overwhelmed by the sheer size and scope of the event, and that really concerns me. I suggested to some SHRM staffers that they consider a pre-event orientation (via video) that can be viewed remotely and help prepare first-time attendees for the experience. Heck, this would even help the veterans understand the venue, logistics and surrounding areas. Or, how about a mentor/protege program where more experienced attendees would help their newer peers?

Although this is SHRM’s biggest revenue generator, something needs to change. Attendance does not guarantee learning or action, and if SHRM truly intends to use this event to advance the profession, the issue of engagement must be addressed. I know, I know… it’s difficult to meet the specific needs of 250,000 members and over 10,000 live attendees. But when dozens of people say to me, “maybe SHRM is just too big?”, you know that there is a groundswell of discontent and a questioning of value.

And this brings me to my last point – member voice. I am very concerned that SHRM is no longer capturing the true needs of its constituency. For example, I asked at least twenty SHRM staffers how the legislative agenda is set. No one knew. So when millions of dollars are being poured into lobbying and policy changes, is SHRM confident that it’s voice is truly that of it’s constituents, or is this an educated guess made by a sequestered committee? I’d like to know.

What Do You Think?

Whether you attended or not, I’d love your thoughts. My goal with this 1,500+ word post is not to rant and complain, but instead to bubble up some of the systemic issues facing our industry. I implore SHRM – the largest, most influential body in our industry – to read these words with an eye toward member value (versus top line revenues), engagement (over sponsorship) and the future needs of the profession (over certification credentials). We’re all in this together, and we must keep an open and honest dialogue going. I’ll look forward to your comments.

]]> http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/06/30/shrm-2010-observations-conclusions/feed/ 32 http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/06/24/the-hr-carnival-summertime-edition/ http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/06/24/the-hr-carnival-summertime-edition/#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 05:46:21 +0000 mark.stelzner http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/?p=471 When HR professionals emerge from the cocoon of their offices and take in a lungful of sweet summer air, you know that change is on the horizon. With sunbeams cascading on their table-seated faces, they bask in the glow of the glory that is the late June edition of the HR Carnival. And like every carnival that’s come before, HR applauds the hard work and musings of a peer-based group of writers who stomp the status quo into oblivion with their flip-flops.

If you don’t know or follow these writers, you’re missing out on some of the best original content in the market. Don your shades, lather yourself with SPF and let’s take in the insight that only HR bloggers can provide. It will warm you with the knowledge that somehow, somewhere, someone has walked a mile in your sand-filled shoes:

• Mervyn Dinnen throws stones into the recruiting ocean and asks, Is your recruitment partner damaging your bottom line?
• Mike VanDervort’s sandcastle bridges the moat to his wife’s success in, Networking: It’s a small world after all
• Amit Bagria tackles waves of incentives with, What are the different categories of reward and recognition programs?
• Susan M. Heathfield covers up in, Documentation Dilemma, CYA or… ?
• Justin Field judges your surf skills with, Have you done your performance review yet?
• Lois Melbourne plays beach soccer and asks, How talent management is like the World Cup?
• Mark Vickers peers across oceans and describes Four key challenges for developing global leaders.
• Gireesh Sharma casts a line and questions whether Employers can be bad and still attract candidates.
• Mike Haberman recognizes the arrival of summer yet challenges the Value of vacations.
• Cathy Missildine-Martin scans the horizon with, Who values you most at work?
• Tanmay Vora faces the big waves in, Survival mindset, abundance and leadership.
• Melissa Prusher peers through clear blue waters with, Transparent communication.
• Ben Eubanks patrols the beach and offers An open letter to HR on policies, regulating and training.
• Lisa Rosendahl collects the shiniest shells in, How to make exceptional staffing decisions.
• Paul Smith chops up driftwood with, A tool by any other name.
• Laura Schroeder lifeguards your talent in, Are high performers the worst managers?
• Gautum Ghosh goes deep in, What does social CRM, enterprise 2.0 mean for hr and work?
• Lance Haun leaves terra firma behind with, Social media isn’t rocket science.

Dolphin break. Why? Because they’re smart and cool, just like certain HR peeps such as these writers:

• Dan McCarthy schools alpha fish in, Establishing a culture of distributed leadership.
• Melanie Sklarz questions your respect for the oceanic diversity with, Does your workplace really need sensitivity training?
• Wally Bock shares a fireside story with the classic, Once upon a time.
• Shauna Moerke body surfs through technical waves in, When it’s this easy…
• Jennifer V. Miller pushes against the current with, Game-changers welcome resistance.
• Benjamin McCall grabs his bucket and offers, How to make a sand pillow.
• John Hunter burns a little by asking, Are “classic” management theories still relevant?
• Naomi Bloom dives for treasure with, Sunk costs versus innovation.

As you soak up the sun this June take time to thank those who stole from their precious vacations to author some of the brightest content in the market. And if you have thoughts, comments or summertime stories, share them in the comments section below and let’s keep the (sunny) conversation going.

]]> http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/06/24/the-hr-carnival-summertime-edition/feed/ 3 http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/06/18/diy-for-hro/ http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/06/18/diy-for-hro/#comments Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:43:13 +0000 mark.stelzner http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/?p=457 I believe I have a different perspective than most consultants insofar as HR outsourcing is concerned. This market has matured to the point where HR buyers should be self-sufficient and fully knowledgeable in sourcing transactions. Yes, there are a few very strategic moments where getting an independent shot in the arm can be helpful, but short of that I’d like to see HR leaders adopt a “do-it-yourself” attitude on complex transactions that have been largely left to hired guns to proxy.

Yesterday I was pleased to present these thoughts in a SHRM webcast entited, The HR Outsourcing Evolution. If you’re an active SHRM member, the archive can be accessed here. If you’re not a member, I’ve included the presentation below (and it can also be downloaded via SlideShare by clicking here). Thanks to Phil Fersht of Horses for Sources from some terrific content on sourcing and innovation.

I’m certain that I’ve missed some important items in my presentation and you may not agree with all of them. That’s okay. My objective with this deck is to simply stimulate your thinking as you prepare to engage in HR outsourcing activities.

If you’d like to receive a clean copy of the deck, feel free to drop me an email and I’ll happily forward it along. If you have comments, suggestions or experiences you’d like to share, please feel free to do so and let’s help keep this DIY conversation going.

]]> http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/06/18/diy-for-hro/feed/ 1 http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/06/14/the-definitive-response/ http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/06/14/the-definitive-response/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:18:28 +0000 mark.stelzner http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/?p=435 My inane ability to shut down a conversation by providing the definitive response has become a bit of a joke in our industry. Now referred to as “pulling a Stelzner” (not my invention, I promise), it’s invoked anytime someone states their opinion with such confidence and false gravitas that the listener is either stunned into silence or too bored to care.

Although they’ll likely revoke my membership in the arrogant a**hole club, I wanted to share a few secrets related to the this absurd communication style.

Why It Works …

There are many reasons why this is so prevalent and effective. And to understand why, you simply need to deconstruct the word definitive:

• “To end a situation”: Sometimes you just want the conversation to be over. All the points have been heard, the protagonist and antagonist have weighed in and life needs to move on. Ye olde definite response will do the trick.
• “Authoritative and apparently exhaustive”: You’d like to render the listener mute and in awe through confident and bold declarations. In assuming a mentality of the final word you can overpower the weaker and self-doubting members of the conversation.
• “Serving as a perfect example”: A well formulated response can serve to summarize all the issues at hand and exemplify that the topic is unquestionably represented in the real world. Story telling is the most common means of bringing the point home.
• “Fully differentiated or developed”: This is when you’ve reached the pinnacle of mental exhaustion and the answer is now a truism. You state the facts and passive nodding verifies your working assumption of completion.

… And Why You Should Be Wary

Those who constantly pull the rabbit of definitive response from their verbal hat should not be trusted. In fact, you should use this as a warning that the self-professed magician may have tricks up their sleeves. Let’s call these charlatans “defininators”.

• Exceptions exist: For every definitive response there exists a counterpoint that may be equally valid. A defininator who cannot acknowledge that the professed rule might have a tiny asterisk (*) either is not a student of history or doesn’t respect the opinions of others.
• Insecurity rules: Whether in a classroom, sitting in a meeting or attending a conference, the presenter is often cast as the defacto ruler over the topic at hand. And what happens when the presenter is suddenly threatened by their audience? They become a defininator and shut it down. Many experts do not like to be questioned.
• Voice over words: If you have a high-pitched voice you have to work twice as hard to convince others of the seriousness of your point of view. If you’re like me and have a deep modulation to your speech, you can say just about anything and get away with it. Deep voiced defininator = likelihood of faking it.

So What Now?

Well, that’s up to you. I share this because those who use definitive statements will continue their behavior if left unchecked by the masses. Start questioning the given. Become comfortable pushing back against the so-called experts. Trust your gut instincts, and if something smells like a sham it likely is. Don’t let presentation style overshadow shoddy content.

This includes me. I don’t want you to believe what I say because of how I say it. That doesn’t help anyone and it certainly doesn’t raise the level of discourse, so I’m going to do my best to stop communicating in the form of a definitive response.

Do you agree? Have you run into this problem? Has this affected your life either personally or professionally? Share your thoughts below and let’s keep the conversation going.

To their credit, the Northern California HR Association (NCHRA) decided to expose their members to the basic principals and benefits of Twitter in this morning’s webinar, Twitter 101 for HR Professionals. Preparing to present on this topic was more difficult than I expected given the need to look at Twitter through the eyes of the skeptic non-user. The end result is the following (far from perfect) presentation.

My goal in socializing this document is simple – I’d like to see more HR professionals add Twitter to their toolkit. I’d encourage you to beg, borrow or steal from the deck if you believe it will bring more of our peers into the fold. If you’d like a copy of the slides themselves, simply drop me an email and I’ll forward them along for your enhancement, modification and customization.

Finally, please share your thoughts on what you think is missing. For example, I neglected to include a slide on tools (TweetDeck, Twitterific, etc.) so help out by sharing those utilities that make your Twitter experience more manageable and accessible. And when you do you’ll be supporting the one thing that always makes me smile – keeping the conversation going.