Almost every college career services department in the country pushes to area employers the benefits of using their internship program. On the first look it is a no brainer for the corporation. They get added manpower during heavy workload times and they can usually get it without any financial impact on the corporation. For the student it provides them with some work experience in the real world and exposure to varying industries from which they can plan out their…

The Houston Gulf Coast Symposium on HR Issues was this Wednesday and Thursday.  The sessions that I attended were excellent.  Thank you to the exhibitors for their financial support!  A couple of the presenters mentioned that in a recent survey, more CEOs interviewed sited Human Capital as their top challenge than any other concern.  HR expertise is more important now than ever and it is finally being recognized.  Recruiting, engagement, and retention are now key concerns on the minds in the…

I am fortunate to have a warm and receptive boss that cares about my future and goes above and beyond to provide me with the tools and resources to gain the necessary skills to grow and work in a very satisfying environment.

With her cheerleader persona, focus on rewards and recognition and balanced workflow, she is a role model for the qualities that we look for in a “cool” boss.  On a daily basis, I witness a leader that:

• Fosters innovation
• Promotes strong…

Interesting pronouncement but I assure you you that it did not come from my mouth to heaven's ears. Several years ago when I thought about trying to return to the full time corporate side of HR a seasoned recruiter made the comment after looking at my resume. He was basing this on the fact that since graduating from college I have been in a number of positions within a number of industries. But the statement is more telling of the state of the recruiting industry then it is of my skill…

Next time you hire a CEO. …

What does it mean to be a leader in the Digital Era? Have the requirements for success drastically changed, or are they fundamentally the same? This post invites people to share their thoughts, as well as related resources, on the defining characteristics of leadership as the Digital Era progresses and evolves.

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In honor of President’s Day in the United States, I’d like to solicit people's…

The Social Media in Organizations Community (SMinOrgs) will be undergoing a "digital makeover" in 2013. The core mission of the group won't change significantly, but we need a name and logo that better reflect our evolving focus on new technologies beyond social media. We've identified four possible options and are inviting "the crowd" to help us make the final decision by participating in a brief survey:…

I recently attended the #TonyRobbins Business Mastery course at the Excel in London.  It consisted of 4 days packed with information, tools and techniques on building and growing a business that is continually innovating and performing at its peak, and the best ways to create an exit plan for yourself; be this through creating a leadership team that will enable you to step away from the day to day running of the business, or the…

The advance of social and digital technologies continues unabated. We witnessed dramatic changes in 2012, and the anticipated changes in 2013 promise to be equally profound. My first blog post of the year provides resources that capture some of the key trends and predictions and offers nine bottom-line insights about what these trends mean for both…

I was stung this morning. I read a blog by Jorg Stegemann. He asked if there are parallels between your boss and a…

I admit it I have an addiction. Back in 2001 I was introduced to the writings of Kathleen O'Neal Gear and her husband W. Michael Gear who have written a series of 23 historical fiction books centered around the lives of the North American Native Americans(http://www.gear-gear.com)They are fast reads but full of twists and turns. Their latest one is called People of the Back Sun in which the Standing Stone village is manned by about 400 warriors and they…

A fun image/quote put together by our cartoonist in residence. I can provide a larger version if you'd like to print it out for your wall.…

Everything I know about leadership I learned in the Marines.

I enlisted in the Marine Corps on my 19th birthday after a half-hearted attempt at college. I spent the next twelve years  learning to lead using the 14 Leadership Traits and 11 Leadership Principles. Nearing the end of my third enlistment my wife and I discovered that she was pregnant with our first child. So, I decided to hang up my guns.

Since then, four children have come and a dozen years have passed. I've read…

Earlier this year I wrote a series of
SMinOrgs S.M.A.R.T. Blog posts targeted to social media rookies and others who want to engage more efficiently and effectively. These posts capture many of the "Welcome to the Digital Era" themes I highlight in the presentations I give. Scroll down to read more about:



The digital divide has increasingly become about knowledge and adoption of new technologies rather than access. Which side of the divide are you on - are you a leader or a laggard? This post offers insights into the factors contributing to the growing chasm between those who have embraced and leveraged new technologies and those who haven’t. It…

Having spent a couple of days of my holidays reading the Steve Jobs biography I couldn't help but reflect on the remarkable accomplishments of the man and the lessons applicable for business owners everywhere, big or small.

This could have been a very long list, but here are the seven things that are most strongly front of mind for me (text is paraphrased and quoted from the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, Simon & Schuster, 2011).

1)   …

Employee coaching is on the rise, according to a recent study by Bersin & Associates. Business results (defined as a combination of market share, costs and financial performance) were 21 percent higher for companies whose executive leadership embraced coaching and actively coached others. When businesses reported “excellent cultural support for coaching”, employee results (a combination of employee productivity, engagement and customer satisfaction) were 39 percent stronger.

The…

Several months ago, I decided to give my bathroom a facelift.  I don't know if you're like me, but once I get an idea like that in my head, it's on and there is no stopping me.  After choosing just the right paint color, accessories and all the amentites a bathroom needs, I was nearing the completion mark.  Save one item.  The…