Buy-in v. High Performance
Posted: May 23, 2013 Filed under: Your Business | Tags: Forbes, human resources, people, Ty Kiisel Leave a comment »You’ve got a high performer who doesn’t buy into your plans and culture; you also have an under-performer who metaphorically drives the company bandwagon. Who would you fire first?
5 Languages of Appreciation
Posted: May 9, 2013 Filed under: Your Business, Your Life | Tags: 5 Languages of Appreciation, 5 Love Languages, Gary Chapman, homework, human resources, people Leave a comment »Gary Chapman’s book, The 5 Love Languages, offers a helpful glossary for understanding how to most effectively communicate with those I love. I find myself offering this to employers who are struggling with employee appreciation. And for those too squeamish to use the word “love” in a workplace sentence, Chapman has another book just for you. Read the rest of this entry »
One Question
Posted: April 23, 2013 Filed under: Your Business | Tags: Dani Rodenbough, homework, human resources, people Leave a comment »Thanks to my favorite human resources resource, Dani Rodenbough, I have one question I ask every prospective employee: Read the rest of this entry »
Hire or Acquire
Posted: April 11, 2013 Filed under: Your Business | Tags: human resources, Organization, people Leave a comment »As business owners, we necessarily wear many hats, and some better than others. For those hats that aren’t the best fit, your choice is either to hire or acquire the skills your business needs. And I’ve got a couple of clues to help you choose Read the rest of this entry »
I Thee Wed
Posted: April 9, 2013 Filed under: Your Business | Tags: creativity, growth, human resources, partners, people, strategy Leave a comment »The creative lather created from collaborating with a like mind is contagious and seductive. Passionate conversations that begin with, “I’ve always wanted to go out on my own,” and “You can do sales, while I build widgets,” have spawned infinite small businesses.
Whoa or Go
Posted: April 2, 2013 Filed under: Your Business | Tags: human resources, people Leave a comment »
The two horses I ride: Sami and Samantha.
I ride two horses, coincidentally with the same root-word name: Sami and Samantha. Sami is what I like to call, “whoa and no go,” but Samantha is more “go and no whoa”; both need direction for us to have a great ride. 
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3-Second Feedback
Posted: March 21, 2013 Filed under: Your Business | Tags: homework, human resources, people 2 Comments »An annual review just isn’t frequent enough to motivate and accurately guide great employees. Unless you take meticulous notes year-round (and who has time for that!?), your review is likely to be shaped only by what your staff did for you lately. You also risk an interim year of floundering between reviews. It’s time you learned about the powah of 3-Second FeedbackTM (Okay – I didn’t really trademark this phrase, but it sounds like a trademark waiting to happen!) Read the rest of this entry »
Hire the Best Human Standing
Posted: February 28, 2013 Filed under: Your Business | Tags: Dani Rodenbough, human resources, people, Trouble at Work Leave a comment »One of my clients always says, “You hire for skills, but you fire for culture.” How about this: hire for skills AND culture. Read the rest of this entry »
Solopreneur Backup
Posted: January 24, 2013 Filed under: Your Business | Tags: human resources, Organization, people Leave a comment »Solopreneurs sometimes wish they were more than a solo act. When you’re ready for a little backup, here’s the order I recommend for hiring help. Read the rest of this entry »
Technical Debt
Posted: January 10, 2013 Filed under: Your Business | Tags: Brandon Worrell, Clickfarm Interactive, human resources, people Leave a comment »Client Brandon Worrell, who leads a team of programmers at Clickfarm Interactive, introduced me to the geek term “technical debt,” which perfectly explains the risk of hiring someone inexperienced at a lower cost rather than a more expensive, experienced candidate. Read the rest of this entry »
