The Top 5 Albums of 2024

Another year in the books and Don't Forget to Remember remains mostly dormant. Which makes the annual Top 5 list all the more intriguing. If you are interested in my perspective on workforce engagement, follow me here. I've also got a collection of short stories on Medium.

There are a million sources through which to access the independent music landscape these days. I've found joy (and pain) in following Indiecast, Talkhouse, Broken Record, That's How I Remember It, Growing Up Punk and the Download 15. 

2024 saw the return of legendary acts like Grandaddy, J Mascis, Father John Misty, and Alkaline Trio. All perfectly back to form. 

If you don't know the name MJ Lenderman at the moment, you will! His work with Wednesday and Waxahatchee are a few nice appetizers into his latest solo album which will keep any BBQ moving along smoothly. Australia's Middle Kids authored some pool party anthems that nearly cracked the top 5. Good Looks resurfaced consistent with their smooth swap rock. Medium Build's album "country" produced a number of gems that hit right over morning coffee or with a night cap. Wild Pink can also join this group of ambitious youngsters with "Dulling the Horns". If you love Cake you will love Cheek Face.

Christian Lee Hutson, Adrianne Lenker & Hurray for the Riff Raff kept the harmony alive in 2024. 

All you little punk rockers will praise the long awaited return of The Story So Far, Frank Turner's consistently great folk punk, the finger tapping of Bottom Bracket and the joyous, if not insurmountable, grief relief brought to us by Aaron West & the Roaring Twenties. 

A tip of the trucker cap to Nik Freitas and an honorable mention extended to slimdan. In the case of the ladder, the indie producer took up the mantel to bring us tunes that run the gamut from new love to facing a life in hell for eating a hot dog.

Here are the Top 5 Albums of 2024:

5. DEADBEAT! by Jack Kays

DEADBEAT starts as a rollicking party album, but through it's progression, youthful negligence begins to tangle with the shame of addiction. You'll get notes to old friends, stories of love lost and missteps with family in these fables from an acoustic guitar. The sound cloud influence still prevalent in the production and album attitude; the lyrics triumphant to manifesto level. The record culminates with the recovery anthem, "My Promise" and even finds time to pay homage to the Mountain Goats. A listen that doesn't require a ton of focus but delivers some inspiring words to live by.

4. Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend is one of those band we all take for granted, the music consistently great at every turn. But can Ezra and company deliver absent of Rostam and with a new supporting cast? Yes, Yes they can. OGWAU certainly had it's expectations thanks to a ton of promo in the podcast-verse and boy did the boys deliver! Smoothed out tunes with less comfortable topics - check that box. All with the usual V Weekend layered instrumentation that frequently allows space for Ezra's story telling to shine. Another gem!

3. Santa Cruz by Pedro the Lion

Speaking of consistency. David Bazan and the various iterations of Pedro the Lion have been at it since the 90's. The formula of the music has not strayed much from the path but the subject matter continues to evolve to meet us in our life travels. Santa Cruz is the 3rd in the recounting of Bazan's life adventures. This chapter finds the journeyman.... wait for it..... actually fitting in socially by finding some personal happiness. Theme's of social awkwardness, life lessons from a loving family, music as a tour guide and maturing into confidence flood this record all beneath the shimmer of the Santa Cruz sunlight narrated through Bazan's signature baritone. My son venturing to the albums namesake on a four year heroes journey made this stop on the tour all the more impactful.        

2. Horrible Occurrences by Advance Base

Owen Ashworth's story telling through nasal vocal tones never gets old. Nor does his ability to translate small town fables into grand life lessons. Horrible Occurrences serves as a collection of short stories each mired in human disarmament with an ever-sweet silver lining. Low-fi electro pop with a singer/songwriter cadence. 

1. Weird Faith by Madi Diaz

Madi Diaz returns to the countdown this time with a perfect album of guitar strums and fables of love lost, acquired, returned, pondered and circumnavigated. A simple easy listen that challenges the heart in wonderful ways.

Something tells me we are going to need great music more than ever in 2025. Shut off the noise and crank up the volume. 

Thank You for Listening,

Dave 

The Top 100 Albums of All Time

Hello Dear Readers - 

Yes, this blog is mostly dormant these days. My professional musing can be found on LinkedIn and even those writings are more selective in the parlance of our times. You can continue to expect my annual top 5 albums and I've got a book planned for 2070. 

I was compelled to return my fingers to action with the release of Apple's top 100 albums of all time (mostly because I disagree with almost every one of their selections). Now, I'm sure they have some algorithm to defend their list, but last time I checked music was for listening not a competition generated through machine learning. 

Here are my top 100 albums of all time. This list is not created through research, record sales, critical ranking, chart popularity, concert tickets sold, or any other stupid criteria people who get paid to criticize art may have concocted. These are simply the records I have enjoyed over the last 50 years. You can feel free to comment or create your own list. My hope would be that you revisit the music that matters to you and that the process of doing that may remind you of all the beauty you bring to this world. 

100. Automatic For The People by REM

99. Quebec by Ween

98. Champ by Tokyo Police Club 

97. Vitalogy by Pearl Jam

96. Last Night On Earth by Noah & The Whale

95. The White Album by Weezer 

94. Love You Just the Same by Centro-Matic

93. Twelve Carat Toothache by Post Malone

92. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West

91. Havasu by Pedro the Lion

90. The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit

89. Return to Cookie Mountain by TV on the Radio 

88. There's Nothing Wrong with Love by Built to Spill

87. Cardinal by Pinegrove 

86. Field Report (self titled)

85. Big Night Without You by Emmet Swimming

84. It's a Shame About Ray by The Lemonheads 

83. Port of Morrow by The Shins

82. Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie

81. Give Up by The Postal Service 

80. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel

79. The Grand Archives by Grand Archives

78. Aim and Ignite by Fun.

77. I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers

76. Our Endless Numbered Days by Iron & Wine

75. August and Everything After by Counting Crows 

74. Severe Tire Damage by They Might Be Giants

73. Re-Arrange Us by Mates of State

72. Why Would I Watch by Hot Mulligan

71. Karma Covered Apple by Dead Hot Workshop

70. Deloused In The Comatorium by The Mars Volta

69. Quad Cities by Virgil Shaw

68. Weird Faith by Madi Diaz

67. Single Mothers by Justin Townes Earle

66. Check Your Head by The Beastie Boys

65. () by Sigur Ros

64. Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins

63. Strangeways, Here We Come by The Smiths

62. Harvest by Neil Young

61. We All Want the Same Things by Craig Finn

60. The River by Bruce Springsteen

59. Cease to Begin by Band of Horses 

58. Achtung Baby by U2

57. My Shame Is True by Alkaline Trio

56. The Beginning Stages Of The Polyphonic Spree

55. Person Pitch by Panda Bear

54. Suffer by Bad Religon

53. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips

52. The Software Slump.... on a wooden piano by Grandaddy

51. Short Stories by Dimestore Radio

50. Cup Runneth Over by Gloritone

49. Chip by Pollen

48. Folklore by Taylor Swift

47. Home Video by Lucy Dacus

46. Conor Oberst (self titled)

45. Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel

44. Be Here Now by Oasis

43. Is This It by The Strokes

42. Trace by Son Volt

41. Being There by Wilco

40. Let Go by Nada Surf

39. Rift by Phish

38. Wish by The Cure 

37. Led Zepplin (self titled)

36. Yoko by Beulah

35. Out of the Blue by Electric Light Orchestra

34. Beggars Banquet by The Rolling Stones

33. Breakfast in America by Supertramp

32. News of the World by Queen

31. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan

30. Animals by Pink Floyd

29. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys

28. Revolver by The Beatles

27. Anthem of the Sun by Grateful Dead

26. Songs for a Blue Guitar by Red House Painters

25. Putting the Days to Bed by The Long Winters

24. The Execution of All Things by Rilo Kiley

23. Strangers Almanac by Whiskeytown

22. Animal Companionship by Advance Base

21. Cassadaga by Bright Eyes

20. Reunion Tour by The Weakerthans

19. Laugh Track by The National 

18. Bon Iver (self titled)

17. Back On Top by The Front Bottoms

16. Notes On a Conditional Form by The 1975

15. Electro-Shock Blues by Eels

14. Closing Time by Tom Waits

13. Either/Or by Elliott Smith

12. Perils from the Sea by Mark Kozelek & Jimmy LaValle

11. Something to Remember Me By by Ben Lee

10. Father of the Bride by Vampire Weekend

9. Stranger in the Alps by Phoebe Bridgers

8. Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens

7. Songs for Silverman by Ben Folds

6. A Grand Don't Come for Free by The Streets

5. Sea Change by Beck 

4. Winter Wheat by John K. Samson 

3. Welcome Interstate Managers by Fountain Of Wayne

2. Windows for Stars by for stars

1. OK Computer by Radiohead

Thank You for Listening, 

Dave

Top 5 - 2023

Well, it's officially been a year since I've posted on DFTR.... so sad! If you are interested in musing on workforce engagement, check out my writings for LinkedIn - Let's get on with the show. 

Those who say Rock N Roll is dead simply aren't paying attention. We live in a time when extraordinary music is made, produced and distributed weekly - don't believe me? Check out The Download 15, All Songs Considered, Growing Up Punk, Indiecast, Brooklyn Vegan or Gorilla vs Bear. You're Welcome!

2023 found new music by The Hold Steady that involved massive guitars, hook laden choruses and lyrics that spanned as far as musing on LeBron James. John Prine's son Tommy debuted his first album with a different style but heartfelt nods to his dad - RIP! Sufjan Stevens reverted to his former self on Javelin (which is wonderfully comforting)! We also got some yummy punk rock (or whatever you call it) from Something Missing and Wicked Bears; one very sad, the other a barrel of laughs. Free Throw shared elements of both the aforementioned. Cat Power performed Bob Dylan to absolute perfection and Slaughter Beach, Dog gave us some lovely laments to drive to.

Hovvdy is emerging as a powerhouse, Wishy made some shoe gaze, Wednesday has brought back honky tonk (albeit on acid), and Rat Boys followed suit. Wilco made a record, no one cared. There appears to be some worthy material coming from Middle Kids, Alkaline Trio (remember them?), Grandaddy (remember them?), IDLES, J Mascis (remember him?),  Madi Diaz and Katy Kirby. The guy from Fontaines D.C. made a quiet, haunting shut-in record. 

Mike Skinner returned - meh. Not a lot of good hip-hop made (and don't say JPEGMAFIA). 

Some nice little surprises arrived via DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ, Kevin Drew, The Gaslight Anthem, Land of Talk, Jolie Holland, Al Menne, Ilsey, Origami Angel and Superviolet.

Sparklehorse and DeYarmond Edison released "after the fact" reminders.

The other guy from Weezer made a "best of" list that has several hidden gems.

Jess Williamson, Bella White & Drayton Farley brought us OUTSTANDING country music!

Honorable mentions to Mountain Goats, The Rural Alberta Advantage and Post Malone.       

Here are the Top 5 Record Albums of 2023:

5. You Are Who You Hang Out With by The Front Bottoms

"... you have got the power to drive around here 100 miles an hour... "

YAWYHOW won't go down as a pinnacle Front Bottoms release but a pretty good Front Bottoms record is better than most. We get the quintessential Brian Sella lyrical blend of humor and remorse. Great acoustic anchored songs complete with hand claps, ivory vibes, big bass and chaotic drum rolls. You can't listen to the Front Bottoms without feeling the glorious debauchery that is this beautiful thing called life. Bangers like Outlook, Punching Bag, Fake Gold and Brick will get any room beer soaked while Paris and Finding Your Way Home hint at a more-mature future for our favorite party kings & queens. Like Fountains of Wayne, The Weakerthans and They Might Be Giants before them, The Front Bottoms have an uncanny ability to write upbeat songs about sad topics that leave the listener exhausted from dancing with a head full of contradiction. Well-done, boys!!! 

4. What Matters Most by Ben Folds

"... in these days of overwhelming change I just want to know what I want ..."

Ben Folds has had a history of letting his since of humor (and possibly a whole lot of boredom) take away from his genuine gift for lyrical reflection. Not here. Indeed we see the return of what makes Ben Folds one of the great musicians of our time: heartbreaking lament with a sliver lining of optimism. Yes, please, I'll take all of it! What Matters Most is a triumph of the human spirit from a human who is complex in his favoritism for solitude. Tall Heights join on Moments which is a lyrical journey leaving the record skipping with love in the listeners heart and a tear in her eye. The title track cutting deep into the world's most perplexing dilemma: the meaning of life. There is a reversion to the sophomoric in Exhausting Lover (delete this track from your playlist) which is not surprisingly the lead single. Otherwise cover to cover this record is a masterpiece. Good to have you back, Benjamin!! 

3. Why Would I Watch by Hot Mulligan

"... there's nothing special in the water here, there's no reason you should feel the need to stay ..."

Hot Mulligan is a motherfucking assault on the brain, body and spirit!!! You'll find yourself involuntarily air boxing followed with roundhouse kicks fueled by the vitriol of youthful heartbreak. Nathan "Tades" Sanville's guttural vocal delivery is as incendiary as any Russell Hammond lick. The lyrics cutting deep with an element of self-protection rain coating another daily voyage to find peace. Dudes mad about a lot of shit (not a ton of which I understand) but it is strangely comforting to know he's out there fighting for us all... if only in his own head. This record will splatter your brain (in a good way)! The Lansing Michigan Emo seen is alive!!!

2. The Record by boygenius

"... I'll walk to Karaoke, sing the song you wrote about me, never once checking the words... "

Now turning the knob to the other end of the sound spectrum. 2021 was the year of Phoebe Bridgers, 2022 was the year of Lucy Dacus, so by proxy 2023 must belong to the third member of super-group boygenius; Juilen Baker. It's almost criminal that this band exists. Imagine Pete Townsend, Ginger Baker and John Bonham joining forces in the late 60s. Yes, that's how overwhelmingly talented this group of young people are. The story telling ethos that Phoebe and Lucy seem to share is only complimented by the guitar power that Julien brings to the group. Extraordinary lyrics, soaring vocal harmonies, and calming bridges followed by roaring choruses; purely sensational. It seems the three take turns writing on The Record, each tune better than the next with Leonard Cohen a seeming Phoebe stand out. We're In Love a masterpiece from Lucy Dacus. Simply Magnificent!

1. Laugh Track by The National

".. when did they say we should turn back the clocks? why do they always say everything's for the best when everybody knows it not ..."           

If ever there was a soundtrack to divorce Laugh Track is it. The second side of this record is a pedal to the metal one way trip off a cliff. Matt Berninger admitting he has a healthy marriage because he looks into the abyss makes this record all-the-more remarkable in it's lyrical narrative. Tune after tune an exploration of relational heartbreak, regret and uncompromising pain.... all with a happy ending (?) The National have always had moments but past albums as a whole display lulls. A careful listen to this record will change your life and you'll never be the same.

So there you have it. A year of remarkable music. We laughed, we cried, we rocked, we swayed. Rock is alive and well and there is nothing we can do but cry along the wispy ride with the reassurance that it's all going to be Ok.... because it will. 

Until Next Year.... Thanks for Listening!

~ Dave  

Top 5 - 2022

Well... the pandemic albums have found their way to the back of the vinyl collection and music as we knew it has returned (at least for the moment). In 2022, sleepy bedroom records gave way to celebratory "escape from the bunker" romps and a whole lotta live music. 

Post Malone and Bartees Strange brought forth some bangers, while we may have seen the last of Machine Gun Kelly's glimpse at punk pop greatness. Billy Talent, Mom Jeans and Pup created punk adjacent records with plenty of flare and Dan Andriano reminded us there is no replacing Alkaline Trio. Pedro the Lion and Damien Jurado's melancholy persists despite the state of the global social experiment and Yumi Zouma gave us reason to breath easy once again. Charlie Hickey and Christian Lee Hutson established themselves as this years Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. Kae Tempest laid down vocal flow to narrate the journey of transformation. Fontaines D.C. made a soundtrack to the apocalypse. Regina Spektor revisited waltzes with a little less hope. Death Cab for Cutie and Band of Horses made records that were just OK. Turns out, the girl from stranger things who has famous parents is actually an incredible song writer. Wilco and Walter Martin sang some lovely laments to nap to. We are now aware that The 1975 are just really annoying while Joyce Manor proved their virtue on the emo mantel with a near perfect record.

Where we see festivals like Coachella giving mainstage priority to pop acts and octogenarians, so now, even the beloved All Songs Considered podcast has abandoned indie rock for world music, hip hop and mainstream pop acts.

Let's hope the new year keeps venue doors open and reveals some new acts to shout about this time next year. Here are the Top 5 albums of 2022:       

Nothing Special by Will Sheff

"When I was thin as a scarecrow getting up only to go to bed"

The Okkervil River front man seemed to be hiding in Appalachia for a while but the emergence is worth the wait. "Nothing Special" presents the familiar Sheff vocal distinction, but the song structures are more open giving the listener space to dig into the lyrical content; each listen taking us deeper into stories of desire, loss and (ultimately) hope. Like The Last Time creates a psychedelic, sun soaked, narrative that brings hope where all seemed lost. Where Marathon Girl realizes an unrequited rock bottom then cracks the door open with an invitation to move on.           

Middling Age by Tim Kasher

"the guests all ashamed they've forgotten the name of the host's lovely wife but oh what a site she is"

I never loved Tim's acclaimed Cursive project, but he being the Obi-Wan to Conor Oberst's Luke has finally been revealed obvious. Middling Age seems to be a divorce record, Tim Kasher's mid-life crisis an excuse for him to bring forth his greatest document to date. These songs hit hard with metaphor of every day living smashed with contradiction; the one most loved a stranger. Glasses broken, uncomfortable social affairs and looks back where the end advanced to the inevitable. 100 Ways to Paint a Bowl of Limes seems a mid-afternoon barroom wave goodbye under-toned with a tip of the cap to good times forgotten.        

11:11 by Pinegrove

"I want to be a part of it, I'm not ready to die yet"

Pinegrove's triumphant debut album paired with it's almost instant collapse seemed might file them away in the category of quick shimmer indie darlings. Six years later, their 4th full length album seems to hint that hard lessons learned have produced a resilience ideal for creating ever-thoughtful music. The signature Pinegrove soundscapes and under-stated story telling remain (a little worse-for-wear, a little wiser). 11:11 spans regret with apology turning into self-awareness. Each song more aware than the next, regretful, reflective and hopeful. I guess at some point beating one's self up gives way to renewed focus. Swimming the pentacle of reflection giving birth to new hope. This record is a revelry, resound in a simple principle, "I'm done feeling sorry for myself". A soundtrack for a morning fraught with self-doubt.    

Break Me Open by S. Carey

"your eyes are starless ponds, I'd dive in with the frogs"

S. Carey, known mainly for his percussive work in Bon Iver, has certainly learned from his time close to Justin Vernon. Break Me Open is a towering (if not meditative) work that would fit comfortably amid the aforementioned auto-tune purveyors catalogue. Each songscape wide-spanning with strings, keys, harmonic vocals and Carey's signature percussion. Dark starts the record with a tone-setting lament tackling love not lost but the fear of what would happen if it was. Throughout, the listener may drift away only to be catapulted back into the frame by the words hung out over the ocean or the instrumentation that has flown it out there.       

A Legacy of Rentals by Craig Finn

"I had a suspended license and a court case coming up and the judge said he was seeing some patterns"

Craig Finn once recognized as the mad man fronting The Hold Steady with all the rock n roll glamour of a substitute science teacher (in a very good way), has certainly established new ground. Where the Steady hosted beer-soaked anthems, the author behind the stories has remained prolific in a more subdued manor. There still exist stories of youthful innocence (and the cost of it), small towns with big problems, drug transactions gone wrong and cold Minnesota winters spent elbow-to-elbow in warm bars. As Finn gets older in age his story telling remains rooted in what it's like to be young; for better or for worse. A man who has moved beyond his home town without for a minute forgetting the spirit that makes places where no one wants to live so charming. Finn, a lover of all things rock, has a ear for prose that somehow continues to blend nerd-culture with unapologetic debauchery. Messing with the Settings serves as a cousin of God in Chicago if not a bridge from All These Perfect Crosses stringing together the grace of Finn's last five solo narratives like Christmas lights on a beat up duplex. There are worn out heroes, insightful drunks, misunderstood junkies, lost souls, survivors... and there always seems to be a fish tank; all within a metaphorical mile of a dive bar somewhere adjacent to Hennepin..... and the cops are always right around the corner.  

Thank You for Listening.... See You Next Year!

Dave   

Employee Value Proposition Revisited

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ … You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”​
- Eleanor Roosevelt​

As new CDC guidelines relax isolation constraints, there is a glimmer of hope that a reprieve from the COVID 19 Pandemic is nigh. A call for return to office policy, amplified hiring efforts and emphasis on employee retention tactics will now fill the Human Resource megaphone. After so much adaptive work, we've been rewarded with a whole new set of responsibilities. The question as to whether HR leaders will get their own "time out" can only be met with the promise that a new day creates new opportunity.

So, as the new normal becomes the old normal again, it's time to focus on taking the learnings from the pandemic to lead us into a new tomorrow.

Pre-pandemic saw many organizations focusing on defining their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). The COVID derailment sidelined the focus on EVP. As opposed to picking up the aforementioned rough draft, why not start anew (more educated and better equipped)?

It's time to redefine your organization's EVP!      

There are three levels to an all-inclusive Employee Value Proposition:

1. Practical

2. Tactical

3. Measure of Inclusion

Mission, Vision and Values

Maybe your organization began in 1920 and the original vision and values continue to serve as the foundation for responsible business practices. Other organizations may feel a need for a reset to better address the current state of their employee population. 

Whether you are seeking a re-brand or a reminder of your organization's founding principles, the company's EVP should be grounded in your mission, vision and values. 

Audience Adjacent Objectives

This is where the theoretical meets departmental goals. Here, it is imperative that your EVP has open objectives that can be applied directly to specific goals: The ability to scale ideology directly into the elements that make performance specific to one's personal gain. 

Too often, we see executive speak float above the trenches with an inability to have a real impact on engaging employee perspective. The second rung on the EVP ladder has to feed systematic performance responsibilities (individually and for each group). 

The ethical perspective now feeds the core elements of each job function.

Redefining Culture

Where organizational culture was once defined by ping pong tables and napping pods, the extension of the professional collective has taken on a much different significance. The emergence of social justice awareness, attention to employee well being and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion mandates have created a cohesive work identity that is not left at the office.  

Passing one a beer is no longer a meaningful act of inclusion. Teams are being built through diverse skillsets and mindsets to create well-rounded approaches to project completion and revenue production. Not only is respect for fellow employees forming a more legitimate employee experience, the strategic relevance of work has reached an amplified dynamic. 

As companies remain in hybrid mode we've seen a strong emphasis on collaborative technology that serves as the backbone of production while allowing in-person interaction to compliment progress.

Indeed, your organization's Employee Value Proposition is the focal point of what employees value.

In simple terms, core values are just words on a wall unless they have divine meaning to an employee's ethical compass. The company mission needs to scale to performance objectives unique to each employee. Employees are no longer concerned with happy hours; true inclusion is driven by professional interaction with merit in one's social perspective. 

As we seek to define the next phase of workforce engagement there is a massive opportunity for Human Resource leaders to author objectives backed by systems to support and track progress. This is the only way to truly engage everyone!

Don't Forget to Remember,

Dave

The Inevitable Great Resignation

The LinkedIn network is run amuck with people posting new career adventures. I had questioned whether the Great Resignation was a theme more than a reality. I also questioned if mass professional exodus was a sign of disengagement or simply a trend to bolster individual empowerment. Make no mistake about it, the Great Resignation is here. 

There are a few distinct things that drive people from their job:

1. Bad Bosses

2. Lack of Upward Mobility

3.  No Alignment with Company Values

4. Ineffective Products/Solutions

What seems to have been over-looked in the malaise of the Great Resignation is that most of the above is avoidable through individuals taking ownership of their professional progression. Having a boss who seeks to limit your potential is of the worst part of professional existence. If you are passed over for multiple promotions your tenure is probably limited. To work for a company with a questionable commitment to elevated social worth can render your effort pointless. If you are bringing a product to market that doesn't work it is difficult not to feel like a fraud. These prompts to consider sharpening up the resume have always existed. The time tucked away in the COVID bunker has amplified the things that make work difficult, enter the Great Resignation.

As the COVID19 pandemic spotlighted the long ignored need for work/life balance, so now the Great Resignation has turned all heads in HR to enhance workforce engagement. How? What can we do to bring the tools to our workforce that will keep them engaged and keep the resume in the draft folder?

Carrots Not Sticks

There is a historical narrative that states: that which you which you wish to see repeated should be recognized. Not only is the sentiment of being thankful ever-important but the strategy behind rewards systems has evolved into driving performance. Through the COVID19 pandemic, companies had a built-in excuse to discard rewards. Those who made the sacrifice to prioritize employee well-being during the down times have seen sustained retention and improved engagement. People will always remember how they were treated in times of downturn, those companies who put "thank you" on-hold during the forced work-from-home experiment have seen mass-exodus in the return to office rebound.  

To be recognized by one's peers drives intrinsic motivation and can amplify the profile of more-reserved superstars. Here, we see qualitative work emerging by recognition from those in the trenches where overly-consumed managers may have failed to see the potential in their direct reports. What's best is peer-to-peer recognition need not carry a fiscal value but can serve to bolster cultural engagement (especially in virtual work environments).

Where is manager spend allocated? Let's say each team lead is given $2,500 a quarter to serve their employees. They use a portion for team dinners, happy hours or pizza lunches. There might be contests that reward winners with a gift card for their effort. There are two issues that arise in this scenario: We are unsure of who is being recognized for what.... and budgets are disbursed to disparate programs. Employees have a slice of pizza over here, a gift card there and a bit of cash directly deposited to their bank account. 

With a comprehensive points-based system, employees can combine their earning in each of the above mentioned categories. Now, a person can set goals to purchase a trip to Las Vegas as opposed to having unrealized rewards in fragments.      

Intentional Career Development

There was a time when even HR Leaders were apprehensive about the amount of training they were bringing to their employees. The thought being that if they learned too much people would leave for other opportunities. Times have changed! These days rewards, incentives and upward mobility are tied to performance as well as behavioral dynamics. We all know that top performers don't necessarily make the best leaders so the question remains: how do we determine who our future leaders might be? The answer is fairly straight forward.

You can measure performance to objectives through quantitative initiatives (i.e. revenue improvement). If you develop modules for recognizing qualitative behaviors alongside quantitative measures you can corelate corporate citizenship scores next to revenue components to find the leaders of tomorrow. 

Ownership Sharing    

Some companies give out stock options, others participate in revenue sharing, certain places give a healthy 401k contribution and others simply have robust compensation packages. What one is paid is a baseline qualifier. There is always a company that will likely pay you more but a pay check is, now more than ever, only part of the deal. Culture, upward mobility, flexible work and corporate citizenship are equally important to pay equity among the current workforce.

To have your opinions heard and applied is a form of influence sharing. Knowing the work you do contributes to making the world a better place gives one the energy to jump into work each day. If your CEO proves to be a genuinely caring person it is unlikely you would leave her workforce to chase more money. These concepts may seem divinely simple, but in times of chaos, simplicity wins.

It feels like the world is in the midst of a restart. What an opportunity to recreate your organizational purpose and establish the Human Resource function as the driving force behind making the world a better place. 

So what are you waiting for?

Thank You for Reading!

- Dave

Our Time Is Now!

Fatigue. That seems to be the word of the moment. Everywhere we are hearing stories of deteriorating mental health due to isolation and uncertainty. The COVID19 pandemic has prompted the practice of flexible leadership and workforce adjustment. Right when things seem to be returning to "normal", they revert to stagnation. All of this weighing on employees, managers, executives and (especially) Human Resource professionals. Per usual, HR is called upon to play middle (wo)man in connection with the news of the day and how it effects organizational strategy. Each day a new challenge. Each processes implemented half way and then adjusted.... rinse and repeat. 

As the sun peeks over the mountain and the bunker doors open are we actually going to get back to more predictable function? Time will tell but ever-evolving change seems now to be an expectation more than a forward-thinking strategy. Assuming we are bound for better consistency, what can be learned from our three years of adaptation? 

Humanity has been embraced in the workplace since the onset of the pandemic. Simply put, we all hit a point of fatigue at one point or another. Where once instruction would be to adapt, we've all thrown up our virtual hands without answers while working in silos. It turns out our forced acceptance of emotional intelligence may have taught us all to be a bit more logical in our expectations (and the asides that temper them). 

So here we are. New badges being printed, rotating desk schedules published and the security team back on site. It's time to get back to work! We know the new normal will not be business as usual and the great return to human interaction will pose a new set of challenges. 

All of us will need a bit of time to adapt. Mental health challenges will persist, management directives will have to be flexible and compassion from leadership is an expectation. So, what can HR do to position resources that may have been lost in the COVID shuffle? Instead of a return to the "same old, same old", I'd like to propose a few ideas that might help us learn from the past and endure for the long haul.

Offboarding

Ending an employment cycle comes with it's fair share of challenges. Companies are focused on growth so terminations and voluntary leave seldom garner a ton of attention. That said, knowing why employees leave or dismissing them with grace can mean a lot to a company's hiring and retention strategies. 

Here's the first of a few potential enlightened strategies: Offboarding

We put tremendous focus on hiring and onboarding but do little to nothing for our company Alumni. Many departing employees leave due to poor relationships with their manager. Said relationship is often an offset of a manager keeping direct reports in silos. During the exit interview process, HR plays a critical role in understanding where toxic leadership exists. With the collection of feedback comes the responsibility to action plan. The Human Resource function is key to turning voluntary leave into a data set for retention improvement.

Terminations are a more difficult process. Employees tend to leave companies after being terminated with an unkind feeling toward their employer. What if we could make that process a little more graceful? By simply giving departed employees a trusted referral to a hiring agency you can turn an unfortunate fit into a course correction. This is a win/win for individuals and companies. Would you rather your employees struggle to perform in silence or help them rediscover their professional purpose?    

Feedback Ecosystem

Employee surveys can be tricky. Acquiring candid feedback through surveys may fail to produce the desired result. Those taking the survey may be hesitant if the survey comes from HR (even if deemed confidential). Sharing feedback with managers can create a defensiveness that sends them back to their team to find out "who said boo" about them. Using surveys simply for the sake of company praise may miss an opportunity to find gaps in organizational performance. 

Too often we see disgruntled employees taking to social media or chat rooms to slander their employer. This action might be taken as a last resort when employees don't feel heard. Employees tend to feel ignored when they provide feedback that is held against them or goes without action.

Here is another opportunity for HR to create a real time feedback ecosystem in which employees can submit an idea (or complaint) confidentially and have it addressed without judgement. To collect information, acknowledge the input and take action would drastically effect employee morale and improve retention.  

Accountability Boosters

You may be familiar with The Office episode when Dwight deploys an accountability booster to help "fix mistakes" in the office. The premise absurd... or is it?

The past three years have been a time of employee empowerment across organizations. Individuals are celebrating their civil freedoms and their individuality across the collective. It is important, however, to differentiate empowerment from entitlement. 

Many people have left companies to participate in the gig economy or to start their own business. What happens if the sprint to greener pastures turns out to be a miscalculated stumble? 

In order for companies to re-establish a healthy market position, individuals may have to take on opportunities for which they are over-qualified. People may have to start at the bottom. Teamwork, collaboration and selflessness will be essential to helping the economy rebound. We are all going to have to roll up our sleeves and dive in together to support the company mission.

Your ideas will be respected, your performance will be aided and we will all win together.

Our lives have been obscured since early 2020. No one could have imagined the immense responsibility companies would have to shoulder. Every individual has experienced mental health challenges while sheltering in place. As usual, Human Resources took it all on with grace and professionalism. Let's use the forced change management of the past few years to strengthen our strategic relevance. Let's keep moving forward!

The Time Is Now!

- Dave       

Bold Leadership Through Strategic Resources

The COVID19 pandemic has propelled many into involuntary leadership action over the last 2 years. Navigating daily regulation inconsistency while addressing changes in work-from-home policy along with tempering the hiring and retention challenges of the Great Resignation has made Human Resources the busiest department in every organization. SHRM's Cause The Effect campaign is bringing attention to these unforeseen adjustments in the profession. Barely having time to catch one's breath is enough to keep any HR professional on the defensive. Today, I'd like to offer a few thoughts that might strengthen our long game strategy to lead organizations through this tumultuous time.     

It seems every day is a moving target. Where can HR intervene to formalize a plan toward predictability? This means allocating the appropriate tools to drive strategy with data output to defend our strategic decisions. 

It comes down to three principles: Training, Recognition & Performance Development.

Knowledge is Priceless 

Most exceptional leaders have adopted a "never stop learning" ethos. This need to pull knowledge from the trenches is the lifeblood of any forward-thinking organization. The approach to employee training often side-steps voluntary knowledge attainment for the sake of mandatory information transfer. Much in the way certain college courses drive a "memorize and test out" format, training for the sake of training can fail to engage employees. We need to rethink the learning process.

Certain groups will need to develop product knowledge to bring to market, there are times when we'll need to demo/test drive technology and there are always the HR Policy videos that fall in the mandatory risk mediation category. These are the nuts and bolts of professional comprehension. But, after they are aware of how to plug in the toaster in the breakroom, many employees are seeking personal development that will lead to leadership ascension. It's pretty simple: what can we provide in order for our employees to become their greatest professional self?

There are a ton of TED Talks that can be added to your Learning Management System, how about giving your employees the opportunity to view these theories and to report on them in short form essay? One of the most impactful events I've heard of was an intern shark tank competition used to bolster product development. How about a company book club? Any and all of these voluntary exercises can serve to engage your employee's personal passion to further expose their hidden leadership potential. 

The more we make training a stale requirement, the less employees will feel empowered to participate.

People Still Like Being Complimented

The world of Total Rewards has been second guessed over the last two decades. Large Global organizations may have a much more systematic employee rewards deployment than a company with ten employees. But, one constant remains: People like to have their achievements recognized! 

In a time when economic consistency is ever-under scrutiny, qualitative behavior change initiatives are of paramount importance. Rewards for incremental development can no longer be ignored. Here, we have the ability to develop behaviors that will aid in long-term organizational development. As opposed to micro-managing short term results, the time to build employee behavior based in cultural development is nigh. 

Recognition can encapsulate your organizational mission, vision and values or organically promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Recognition can incorporate Well Being (mental, physical and spiritual) or similar comprehensive behavior change initiatives at each step in development. 

Be mindful: people will always perform better when they know a Thank You will dovetail their effort!

Calling Out Failure Does Not Drive Performance 

HR professionals are called upon to walk the tightrope between policy and engagement practice. As such, performance management has always been a messy part of the Total Rewards model. Employees enter into a contract that may be performance based, contradicting legality with motivational initiatives can land your company in a lawsuit. This is why the call to terminate performance reviews that erupted within the last decade largely failed. Simply put, contracts need to remain in place. 

Our greatest opportunity exists in the ability to put management aids in place that guide excellence as opposed to being a fall back to approve terminations when merited. 

Being a middle manager is a difficult job. Individuals are called upon to set team goals while side-barring performance metrics for individuals. The often over-worked manager may default to micro-management guided by negative review of performance as opposed to frequent course adjustments. At best, manager-to-employee meetings can be driven by the intrinsic path of completing goals as opposed to looking for (and addressing) shortcomings. 

Managers can use the SCRAF methodology to understand individuals preferred path or simply start and end each one to one meeting with a compliment. We don't need a 78 category job function assessment to steer employees to promotion. What we do need is recognition of effort and guidance toward strength. Too often the simplicity of focusing on the good takes a back seat to cautionary discipline so as to provide employees warnings of potential pitfalls.

There has never been a more important time for leadership in the Human Resources profession!

Cause the Effect!

- Dave  

Top 5 2021

Another year in isolation is good for only one thing: creative output. Indeed, any artist with access to a four track has amplified musical production over the past 21 months. Fewer shows, cancellations, the loss of elder songwriters, more zoom interviews and videos made at home. Grab a cup of coffee and your acoustic guitar.... it's time to channel your inner Bon Iver.

2021 brought us the return of Bleachers, an homage to 80's pop and Bruce Springsteen. Little Jackie also produced every upstart pop star's record in 2021. Perhaps no one made a more apt quarantine record than Bo Burnham, full of mockery but astutely precise in reflection of this bitter sweet shitty time. Damien Jurado remained prolific (and sad). Dinosaur Jr returned to form never lost. Drake sucks, Ye rules! Nada Surf snuck in some nice little songs for the lovers. RADIOHEAD Tay Tay Tyler War on Drugs & Weezer.

Maybe you saw a show or two and maybe some shows got rescheduled for 2025 or maybe your favorite artist died or maybe someone you loved became a COVID denier and sued a lady for $11. Strange days are these. 

May the new year find you under a tree covered by headphones, poolside with the radio on high or rocking out in your car. 

Here are the top 5 albums of 2021:

5. History of a Feeling by Madi Diaz  

"I don't hate you, it's worse than that"     

Break ups bring us some wonderfully insightful music. Our narrator's heart hurts which reveals itself through sorrow and more than a few FU's. The crescendo on "Man in Me" is an emotional rollercoaster that will evoke tears and heart palpitations all at once. These reflections are drenched in remorse with an undertow of hope. They leave us with a feeling that having gone through hell might get us a step closer to heaven (unsure if any of it exists at all). Isn't this a perfect sign of our times?

4. Long Lost by Lord Huron 

"There's a reason why I'm still living here though I can't think of it right now"       

Lord Huron has consistently delivered quality song writing layered in acoustic strums and slide guitar shimmer. This record fades in on a scene of a ghost town littered with broken dreams and time gone too quickly. Each song invoking the years past with a nod more than a shake of the head. A long winding adventure through a myriad of emotions sonically present and distant in thought.

3. How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? by Big Red Machine

"Is it insensitive for me to say 'get your shit together', so I can love you"

Few have been as prolific as Aaron Dessner & Justin Vernon in recent time. From their recreation of Tay Tay's catalogue with a more sparse indie flare, to the extensive side projects, the production support and their primary projects; these humble kings just keep their head down and let the music speak for them. If only that was a sign of our times. Invite Anais Mitchell, Sharon Van Etten, Fleet Foxes, Tay Tay herself and slew of others to the party and you have a collection of songs that occupy an individual space. All songs underpinned by Aaron's piano and Justin's ability to compliment others with his vocal accompaniment.  

2. Pressure Machine by The Killers  

"Parents wept through daddy's girl eulogies and merit badge milestones"  

You won't see this one on many year end lists. People expect The Killers to blast them with 80's vibe bangers not a forlorn concept album about an opioid ravaged small town. Brandon Flowers narrates a place stuck in time; parents seeking solace in bars absent of factory work while their children over-dose on a daily basis. High School heroes living in tents off the lone highway, the way out visible but too far to fathom. Another day, another fix in a barbwire town with barbwire dreams. Lights won't illuminate the dance floor, more so, a fading hue with little light at the end of the tunnel.

1. Home Video by Lucy Dacus 

"He hadn't seen you since the fifth grade now you're 19 and you're 5'8"  

If 2020 was the year of Phoebe Bridgers, 2021 is the year of Lucy Dacus. The Boy Genius collective dominating the pandemic with home recordings that offer life shattering lyrics delivered in perfect pitch (the dichotomy alerting of present day confusion). "Hot & Heavy" brings our narrator back to the discomfort of lost love. "Brando" is a triumphant kiss off to someone seeking to mold a friend into someone they wish not to be (a misconception of cool, waived). "Thumbs" may be the most brutally revealing song ever written. Every track on this record is perfect in it's vulnerability while remaining self-aware. A triumph of the human spirit carrying us where ever we might be headed.

Until next year.... Thank You for Listening!

Dave      

An Approach to Tomorrow

It's the time of year to plan for next year unless you've lived through the last 2 years. Indeed the New Year's Resolutions going into 2020 were hit with freight train of "oh no you don't", while most people probably didn't bother setting goals for 2021. Things learned from a few years of isolation might help build a better tomorrow: people are sick of arguing with avatars and the great resignation has been hit with the great reality of a less than perfect job market. With a few years of futility behind us and a variant for every Greek letter ahead, how is it possible to catapult into a new year with any hope? 

We're alive and things, while complicated, show signs of normalizing. We might never go to an office again. We may have to adjust to technology irrupting human interaction. There may come difficult decisions with an uncertain end in mind. 

... and at some point, we'll get back to living. Why not make that time now. 

Can we allow humility to replace frustration?

Can we innovate against immobility?

Can we find a way to be grateful with so many simple pleasures being lost? 

Yes, we can!

The Story Of The Man Who Survived Poor Timing

Every road to success has a long runway covered with failure, regret and doubt. We tend to only get the tail end of the story. Michael Jordan did not make his JV Basketball team, Tom Brady was selected #199 in the NFL draft, most every tech billionaire fell on their face 100 times before finding their Big Idea. In all cases preparation and perseverance prevailed in the long run. But, what about these strange acts of god (or satan) that are unforeseeable if unavoidable?

There are certain things that are out of our control. In times of uncertainty we are some times forced to wait.... with only hope and luck in our back pocket.

Did you launch a business the 1st of 2020? Did a spell of bad luck cost you fortune or love or both? 

Your professional consequence will often be the result of motivation and drive. However, the most overlooked characteristic of success is patience. Many find their opportunity and run it over with well-intended repetition. What we fail to understand is that our effort is some times best directed through letting go. When we lack control we find that tedium can drive evaluation of time spent wisely. 

The Choice to Perform

The concept of the Great Resignation has empowered many to believe they have aces in their hand. Unfortunately, some have forgotten how to play cards. The last two years have certainly brought individual empowerment to many (through elevated professional and/or social consciousness). Some have found their moment of empowerment has been met with confusion and ill-conceived opportunity.

In the midst of success the greatest attribute one can embrace is humility. To understand fortune despite earned distinction leads to humility. To be under-stated in one's labor-driven pride leads to grace. Grace is important. 

Without chest-pounding or negotiation, to be grounded in one's current form is the definition of success. Simple success is often lost on those who amplify promotion of effort as the ultimate reward. 

Forgetting Everything That Sucks    

If you wake up with the first thought in your mind being that your day is going to suck.... it likely will! Finding resources to validate your discontent is the easiest thing in the world. To be positive in the midst of the current state of misery is a truly unique capability.

Misery is a choice. If you surround yourself with negative thinkers and/or spend your time consuming media that provokes defensiveness, you are making unfortunate choices. There are some who consider optimism to be a form of naiveite, these are people who are too weak to accept the responsibility of trying to make the world a better place. Anyone can embrace negativity and never attempt to make up for life's shortcomings. 

One day you may wake up feeling tired of always hating the dawn of another miserable day. Then it's time to do something about it. It starts with ending friendships with those who validate your excuses. From there, you'll need to develop distinct goals and a plan to achieve them. Finally there is the ever-difficult task of forgiving yourself for your failures.

And the sun shines brightly again (finally)! So, what are you waiting for? 

Don't Forget to Remember, 

Dave