HR Transformation: The Old Way of Doing Things Is Over and Finished

Kay, my father’s way of doing things is over, it’s finished,” said Michael Corleone in discussing their business transformation in The Godfather.

 
Last week, it was announced here that the TLNT Transform conference is scheduled for February 26-28, 2012 in Austin, TX. The phrase that caught my eye was, “Share Fresh Ideas at a Different Kind of HR Conference.”

I once worked for a boss who told me that she did not think much of the strategic aspects of HR. To her,  it was the “fancy stuff” and we should all concentrate of the basic tenets of HR.

HR today is not your father’s or mother’s human resources. HR today is on the cusp of changing the entire profession.

Anyone that doubts this should just take a look at the level of articles being shared on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook by HR pros. Take a look at the various conventions held throughout the year and the type seminars being given. Everyone in this profession is at a point that they have to step up their game.

What Great Organizations Seem to Get: To Execute, You Need Engaged Talent

It’s all about trust.

“HR is never on this floor. She came in and headed to our bosses’ office and stayed behind closed doors all afternoon.”

“She came back today and is in the office again. Our bosses’ door is never closed, but as soon as she comes, the door closes.”

“Well, she is back again for the third day. Do you think I will lose my job? I have two interviews lined up for next week. I can’t wait to get out of here. Everyone feels the same way.”

The Lesson from Yahoo: Like It or Not, Every Manager IS a Role Model

“I am very sad to tell you that I’ve just been fired over the phone by Yahoo’s Chairman of the Board,” Carol Bartz wrote to her company’s workforce.

“These people f***** me over.”

“Why don’t you have the balls to tell me yourself?”

“The board was so spooked by being cast as the worst board in the country,” Bartz opined. “Now they’re trying to show that they’re not the doofuses that they are.”

When Will You Be Ready to Finally Go on the Offensive?

While letting the TV watch me the other night (which means that it is on and you are positioned to watch it, but the mind is wandering into the universe), I was brought back to life when I noticed that it was a documentary on Muhammad Ali, specifically the fight with George Foreman dubbed the “Rumble in the Jungle.”

This was the fight that Ali appeared to be beaten but miraculously came back in the end to win it.

This was the fight that the strategy called “rope-a-dope” was invented.

The rope-a-dope is a tactic of protecting one’s self during combat while an opponent wears himself out. As the contest continues, the opponent tires and starts to make mistakes. Once that happens, the other boxer can exploit those mistakes with a counter attack.

In competitive situations other than boxing, rope-a-dope is used to describe strategies in which one party purposely puts itself in what appears to be a losing position, attempting thereby to become the eventual victor.

Today on TLNT Radio: Employee Engagement is About the Simple Stuff

Regular TLNT contributor Ron Thomas joins hosts Lance Haun and John Hollon for a discussion on engagement in the workplace. We talk about the little things employers can do as well as the idea behind "Thank God It's Monday."

Employee engagement is a topic fresh on everyone’s mind. While there may be some best practices out there, nobody is really sure how to do it the right way for their organization.

Our guest this week, former Martha Stewart Living Vice President for HR & Organizational Development Ron Thomas, told TLNT Radio there are two simple ways to keep a pulse on employee engagement and some easy ways to get the most out of informal engagement exercises.

Thank God It’s Monday: What It Takes For True Employee Engagement

Thank God It’s Monday

While waiting on the bus the other morning, one of the other gentlemen at the stop started complaining about the local bus that makes the same stop as the express bus which we both catch. The driver of the local bus stops when she wants to, regardless of the number of people trying to flag the bus down.

“She always has attitude with passengers” he said. “Maybe it is because it is 6:25 in the morning,” I replied jokingly. No he assured me, she is always like that.

This conversation brought me back to another driver that I knew from another bus route that I took years back.

Engaged vs. non-engaged

This driver was the perfect example of the engaged worker. He was the exact opposite of the above mentioned driver.

He knew all his passengers. He always had a piece of conversation for everyone. His personality would melt even the most hardened faces. I would always watch with amazement as to how he had the passengers eating out of his hand.