Finding The "Human" In Human Resources

The other day I needed to get a hold of someone in the Human Resources Department. It had to do with documentation and I really needed some assistance to complete it properly. I learned that the person with whom I needed to speak was on Maternity Leave, which seems to me to be a good reason to be on leave.

I called the person filling in for her. She was on vacation, which may or may not be as good a reason to be on leave but seemed understandable. It is August. Her message , however, said to contact another person, which I did...or let's say tried.

His message said that he was in and if the caller had left a message the day before, he would be getting back to that person later in the day and to be patient. Being busy, may also be a good reason, but it wasn't as good as the other two reasons- at least not to me. All was not lost because his message also gave another number to call- he called it the HR Hotline- and that I could call if I needed immediate assistance, which I felt I did.

I called the hotline. No answer.

I called again. No answer.

I called again. Someone answered, then hung up.

I called once more. No answer.

If the purpose of the hotline is to give people immediate assistance no matter the status of the people needed, it failed. If the purpose is one of education, it worked. I stopped calling and just figured it out myself.

Sunday Scripture Choice

Numbers 6:23-27

Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

SUCCESS: S*U- Understanding

I know that there are people who teach that to achieve, all you need to do is envision it. "Fake it until you make it" is another opinion. It's a nice thought.

I don't know how anyone can imagine anything unless you know about it; have some understanding on what it is that you wish to accomplish. You have to have some "learning" about it. And "fake it"? You better know what you are supposed to be faking or you can end up looking pretty stupid.

Learn what it is that you want to accomplish. Read about others who have gone before you. Explore what it will do to your life style. Explore what others have done to accomplish what (or as close to what) you want to accomplish.

A couple of things will happen:
1) You might find that your dream is not as dreamy as you thought and you may want to alter you goal or it might be even more than you imagined and help you push harder, and
2) You will now what to emulate as success and not just "fake it".

Learning about your goals is a valuable element of success because it not only helps you understand your goals it may even help you accomplish them, relish them, and truly appreciate them.

Spice of Nevada

We are, as a family, spending some days in Nevada to visit my wife's family. This trip take us out to Carson City, the state's capital. And although Carson City is a city, it also has a feel of being very rural and also very Nevada. And I mean that in the best possible way.

We had some rain last night and we experienced rain as we came across I-80 from Salt Lake. Some do not like the rain, especially when driving, but there is one great benefit: the smell of sage in the air. It is enhanced when the rain and wind mix it up. As we re-fueled in Elko and again this evening as it rained, the air is full of the smell of sage.

Maybe it's because I lived in Nevada and spent a lot of time playing in her playgrounds- the desert, maybe it's because when I am exposed to it now, our family is on some kind of vacation, or maybe it just simply smells good. In any case the scent of the sage on the wind is always invited by me and is always a pleasant occasion. It seems to always say, "welcome back friend" and makes me feel at home.

Mel Brooks Said...

"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die."

Sunday Scripture Choice

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three: but the greastest of these is love.

SUCCESS: S- Steering

How do you decide on your goals? What do you want to be when you grow up. Many people waste years and lives not wanting to do anything until they know for sure what they what to be. The Pink Floyd song "Time" says it this way:

"And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun."

It is important to set goals and know where you want to go, but if undecided, for your sake choose something and start going!

"“Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him, and then choose that way with all his strength." Hasidic Saying

Listen to your heart. What do you want, what would make you happy? It does not matter if you know anything about it, it does no’t matter if it seems impossible, and it does no’t matter if you tell anybody else- so long as it is something of worth to you!

"This became a credo of mine...attempt the impossible in order to improve your work."” Bette Davis

If you find yourself at that spot where you haven't decided anything yet, you're actually in a good spot. Just don't stay there too long. All the questions do not have to be answered yet- you just have to know where you are going to point in the right direction. You're like a ship leaving port, heading out into the ocean. Start pointing your ship to whatever port you desire!

"My whole career can be summed up with 'Ignorance is bliss.' When you do not know better, you do not really worry about failing." Jeff Foxworthy

The Art of The Start

I know this video has been circulated around a lot already, at least in certain circles. It was referred to me not for its content, but for the speaking style. (Speaking geeks are just as bad as any other kind of geek). I watched it and found the style very good as well as the content.

Guy Kawasaki speaks about entrepreneurship, but his message extends deeper. I think that his message can be applied to any endeavor someone may venture into. I list a link to his video on Google Video at the bottom of this entry, but to help out those who may never have the time or capability to watch it, here is the outline that I made listening to it. (I told you I was a geek!) Guy mentions in the speech that his comments were loosely based on his book, The Art of the Start.

1. Make Meaning
a. Increase the quality of life.
b. Right a wrong
c. Prevent the End of Something good.

2. Make A Mantra
a. Not a vision statement
b. 2-3 words. What are you about?

3. Get Going
a. Think Different- Don't do better sameness
b. Polarize People
c. Find soul mates. Balance yourself.

4. Define a Business Model
a. Be specific.
b. Keep it simple.
c. Ask women about your business model

5. Weave a MAT
a. Milestones.
b. Assumptions.
c. Tasks

6. Niche Thyself
1. Great Value to customer
2. Ability to provide unique product or service

7. Follow the 10/20/30 Rule
a. 10 slide maximum
b. 20 minutes
c. 30 pts smallest font

8. Hire Infected People
a. Ignore the irrelevant
b. Hire Better people than yourself
c. Shopping center test
1. Run over and introduce yourself- Hire!
2. If you come face to face- introduce- Don't hire.
3. Drive away- Don't hire.

9. Lower Barriers to Adoption
a. Flatten the learning curve.
b. Don't ask people to do something you wouldn't do.
c. Embrace your evangelists.

10. Seed the Clouds
a. Let a hundred flowers blossom.
b. Enable test drives.
c. Find true influencers

11. Don't let the Bozos grind you down.
a. Losers- easy to ignore
b. Successful, educated- hard to ignore.

Video on Google Video. Check it out while it's free. Art of the Start

Mark Twain Said...

I am not one of those who in expressing opinions confine themselves to facts.

True Environmentalists

Weekends bring out so many good things. The thing I like the best is the cars. Many people break out their "babies" and cruise them for the weekend. I, myself, am a Corvette man, but I appreciate nice cars of any influence. I occasionally even admire a Mustang from time to time. I love those big engines, the rumble, and the all the shiny parts.

Some may think that muscle cars and big engines are irresponsible. In some ways they are. Anything can be used in an unsafe manner but there is an upside to these cars and their use. Fossil fuels.

We all know that the burning of fossil fuels (oil) is a contributor to not only global warming, but also the unrest in the Middle East. As long we was use the oil, these two things will continue to be a point of contention. Muscle cars and V-8's are the answer. The faster we use the oil, the sooner we will be forced to find a solution. If we only build automobiles that conserve oil and fuel consumption, we will just prolong the long term solution and never look for alternative fuels. Necessity is the mother of all invention.

Chevy, Ford, and Mopar owners, hold your head up high. You are the future of this planet!