I’ve been asked to speak to a group of high school student leaders this week. I’m always open to almost any topic the organizers want me to cover that I have expertise in. In this case, what started off as a talk about communication skills morphed into talking about building confidence. The adult leader said that she felt as though this was a challenge for most youth of today. I see this point and also see where there are a variety of factors contributing to it. One factor that I see related to both challenges in communication skills and confidence is the
I hope to see you at #SHRM19 next week! If you are attending, stop by and see me at 10:45 am on Tuesday in Westgate Ballroom A for my session – “Do You Need to Raise Your Wages: A Step-by-Step Guide for Evaluating Your Wage Practices”. If you can’t make it, one of the most important steps in this process is to get good market data. Where do you find this? First: Contact your local Chamber of Commerce and/or Economic Development Entity and see if they do a local or regional wage survey that you can participate in and/or purchase. Most communities do
I once put on about 30 articles of clothing in a matter of a couple of minutes. My team won. I once had to build a wooden tower while blindfolded and being instructed by others what to do. My team lost. I did these things (and many more) at a previous employer where we had morning meetings and every Friday was Fun Friday. We’d forego the regular meeting content of financials, project updates, and announcements every Friday morning to have fifteen minutes of fun. It was the weekly meeting everyone looked forward to and usually, we all walked away laughing
One of the things I like to do most is help students consider what would maximize their learning and experiences in preparation for the working world. I recently had lunch with a student who is majoring in business and thinking about concentrating in Human Resources. She is bright, well-rounded and is exploring multiple possibilities. She asked good questions about what to consider, and I found myself offering this advice that I would offer to most college students, in particular, business school students: 1. Study or work abroad at some point before you graduate. I know the cost of this
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.” During a recent conversation with a client, he raised a concern about his leadership team expecting him to make every decision. The previous leadership set that expectation, but he wants to empower his team to make decisions they are capable of making. The conversation reminded me of when my children were younger and learning new skills, like riding a bike. My youngest is very headstrong and lacks patience (he doesn’t take after his mother at all). If he doesn’t get it right the first time, he’s quick to say “I