The following humor is attributed to Kurt Vonnegut: To be is to do – Socrates To do is to be – Sartre Do Be Do Be Do – Sinatra Having heard it in multiple contexts over the years, I tried to find the origin of the phrase, “I am a human being, not a human doing.†It appears to be another of those catchy quotations everyone has heard, but it seems to have been originated… Read More »What Do You Do?
Experts suggest that there are two kinds of people: Those who are Big Picture Thinkers and those who are Detail Oriented Thinkers. It doesn’t take but a few seconds of data diving to find reams of advice for BPT’s on how to relate to DOT’s and how to deal with them. There must be research data somewhere that would point to this being true, but it must be way too detailed to be interesting or… Read More »Plan To Do Small Things
There are lies, damned lies and statistics. ~ Mark Twain There are two kinds of statistics, the kind you look up and the kind you make up. ~ Rex Stout Statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamppost: for support, not illumination. ~ Vin Scully There’s a sucker born every minute. ~ Unknown (incorrectly attributed to P. T. Barnum) If you are a marketing genius, here is some feedback for you… no charge… Read More »May I Have a Few Minutes of Your Time?
Ah, but you say customer service always matters. Not always. The outward-facing image of a company is only one of its many characteristics that must be prioritized relative to the external environment. I once worked with a crusty old marketing VP to ensure that a start-up company’s recruiting campaigns were consistent with product marketing. In a universe where everyone is concerned with projecting a positive brand image in the marketplace, collaboration such as this is… Read More »When Customer Service Doesn’t Matter
This is a reposting of three articles written to explore problems with systems that are in place today for appraising the performance of employees. Recent articles and discussions indicate that most performance appraisal systems fall short of the mark and this is an important opportunity for HR professionals to move forward with improvements. Comments are welcome. Performance Failure or Performance Appraisal Failure – Part I: The Basics - It should be like Management 101 to… Read More »Performance Failure or Performance Appraisal Failure (Reprise)