Respect for Millennials

Our current generation of millennial professionals will make up the majority of the workplace in the next twenty years. Employers report millennials aren’t ready for work–that in management and leadership areas they only succeed because they are bright achievers. So far. We have the power to change that. It’s not anyone’s fault–everything is happening soRead… Read more »

The Washington Nationals and Talent Management Success

There’s a lot of excitement this fall in Washington, DC. This time of year, it’s usually football that has everyone around here talking, but this year, baseball and the Washington Nationals are all the buzz, as the playoffs begin and the Nationals strive to reach the World Series. What’s that have to do with talentRead… Read more »

Rating Training: The How-To of What Not to Do

We know training is important to both organizations and employees, yet it is often seen by workers and supervisors as extra work of no real value. It interrupts the workflow. It is the immediate tangible evaluations are the most important. The effectiveness of training should matter. That’s what we tell ourselves and, yet, we hand out trainer and trainingRead… Read more »

There are Dumb Questions. Don’t Ask Them.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “There are no dumb questions, only dumb answers.” That is patently false, as any one who has been the victim of a terrible question at a public event can attest. Participation is important, whether at an internal brown bag or plenary at an annual convention. Asking a question is aRead… Read more »

My Leadership Sweet Spot

Leaders must be learners and last week I completed the Healthcare Leadership Development Program. It was great program focused on each of us as individual leaders, the healthcare environment we operate in and leadership in crisis. As a wrap-up, each participant was asked to share a three minute success story.  Not quite Ignite style (wouldn’tRead… Read more »

Failure Résumés: A Training Guide for Success

Who says your failures can’t lead to success? Employers it seems. We are fond of saying, “Failure is not an option.” And, “when it’s rough, the tough get going.” That may be a positive result of the United States unemployment situation and lagging economy. Today’s unemployed may have failed in nailing a specific job orRead… Read more »

Trust Me. I’m a Digital Immigrant.

I admit it. I didn’t know much about Marc Prensky or his 2001 article on digital natives until about, oh, 2006. Though I find his article fascinating and the conversations and research that it sparked equally interesting, I want to bring a slightly different and lighthearted perspective to this conversation. I have found that there isRead… Read more »

Keep Service Levels Up by Improving Revenue Streams

As consumers, we expect service, don’t we? When service lessens or is taken away from us altogether, we struggle to comprehend it. As a recent example, I went to the pharmacy the other day and learned that I couldn’t pick up my prescription since the pharmacists were out to lunch. “Who takes lunch anymore?” IRead… Read more »

5 Mistakes You’re Making in Your Job Search

Even though the outlook’s been a bit sunnier lately, it’s still a tough job market out there. Recruiters and hiring managers are still getting dozens – if not hundreds – of qualified applications for each position. If yours has been getting lost in the shuffle, or you’re not getting any calls back after interviews, you may beRead… Read more »

Student Aid: Pioneers in Managing Risk

The Office of Federal Student Aid put in place the first formalized risk management framework in the federal government, starting its efforts in 2004. What does it look like? How did they do it? One former federal leader, Todd Grams, observes that agencies that ignore risk are actually creating risk. Not surprisingly, there has beenRead… Read more »