Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Shimmering Reflection


At the start of any given day I have two goals:

I know people who are in pain. Their lives have been forever changed by an event or series of events that cannot be forgiven. The convenient thing to do is be glad it's not you and turn away. I've never been good at that. There are people who simply cannot figure out how to get through today. Is there a way to change what was and help them become what can be? Probably not.


How do you tell someone you understand their pain if you don't. How do you relate to someone who has lost a part of themselves without repair.

You can start by caring.

... and continue by counting your blessings.


Angel Kisses
There was a moment when my smart ass kids and their Mother had a laugh from the bottom of their souls. For that moment all the unkind remarks, missteps and disappointments were forgotten and we were just 4 people trying our hardest to be human... together!

I walked out of the house and the sun kissed my face. I hopped in my car, turned on the radio and headed off into the world.... confident because I had a parachute of love on my back that would save me from any free fall for which I might position myself.

Not everyone is so lucky. But, we all encounter brief moments of synergy when the sun kisses our face. I'd like to think in these moments the people we've lost along the way are toasting us from Heaven.

... and to remember that we are all worth fighting for but we're better off hugging!

 

Real Fortune Never Frowns
I'd never minimize the profession of another. But, I always have to remind myself that it could be worse.

We all get frustrated. Certain things don't go our way. We over-promise and under-deliver. We try and fail. It seems there are times when everything comes down at once and the meadow is hard to see through the brush.

Life is hard.

... and then people surprise us.

You get a note from an old friend. Your kid says something that reminds you of the great opportunity in innocence. That person who you hate says something that makes you love them. The angry guy laughs. Your team wins. Your dog wakes you up by licking your face.

... and the sun kisses your face.

... and for a moment you remember that everything is gonna be OK... because it is!

Don't Forget to Remember,

Dave     

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

HR Tech 18


 With the HR Technology Conference upon us, all my friends are abuzz...... !

What new technology is coming?
What's developing in the AI, Bot and Big Data spaces?
What are the new buzzwords?
Are the old Vanguards still relevant?

At HR Tech, exhibitors, entrepreneurs, program managers, bloggers and end users all meet up to find systems to make work better.

Having been in the Human Capital Management (HCM) space for over a decade, I see technology from deep in the trenches every day. There are no trends or fancy buzzwords.... just a lot of Human Beings doing really great work across the world.

System evolution is always exciting, new bells a whistles are fun, but what really works?

Every day we enter the workplace face-to-face with business problems. Our duty is to solve them.

In the HCM space there are two distinct paradigms we face every day:

How can we engage users in system adoption?
What carrots are most compelling at sticks end?

Behavioral Modeling
Let's disregard Employee Engagement and Employee Experience and Performance Management and SCARF and Holacracy for a moment to answer 2 very simple questions:

What do you want your employees to do?
How can you help them do it?

Your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) should contain:
  • Work Content
  • Compensation & Benefits
  • Personal Goals
  • Organizational Goals
  • Growth Opportunity
  • Rewards & Recognition
In order to holistically address the above, we have to focus on 3 areas of application:

1. What Intrinsic Motivators are the life blood of Employee Purpose?
2. What dynamics must be inventoried to apply organizational strategy?
3. How do we program mechanics to achieve our goals?

Engagement Ecosystem 
Now, let's apply it.....

Two elements of technology are most important when seeking to amplify program adoption:

1. Consolidation
2. Integration

Employee Engagement is not a matter of the ends justifying the means. The process of getting over the rainbow is most important.

ALL of the by-ways of your EVP have to be systemic and easy to access.

Employees should have the autonomy to select the areas of your EVP that are most important to them, to participate accordingly and to have a weighted motivational scale to help them achieve success.

Learning, Leadership Development, Ideation, Teamwork, Core-Value Participation and Soft Skill Development are all key components in the challenge of helping your employees become the greatest version of themselves.

Whether you are in the exhibitor hall, attending keynotes or finding new engagement avenues in break out sessions at HR Tech; keep the above mentioned in mind.

There may not be one all-encompassing technology to assist in every employee adventure but everything should tie into a synchronized workforce vision.

Technology doesn't work without a sensible strategy, ease of administration and an ultimate intent to make everyone better while avoiding unnecessary minutia.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave