Category Archives: Human Resources

HR: Compartmentalized or Big Tent?

13 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in Human Resources

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Back in the ’90’s I had a very poor opinion of HR.  This was based on my direct experience with a rather large HR department at a large consulting firm.  They operated in a very compartmentalized capacity, dotted i’s and crossed t’s quite well but did nothing to enhance the strategic framework of the organization.  In turn no one took them very seriously or truly looked to them as a strategic partner for the organization.

I have been away from that firm for a long time –  I hope HR realized the opportunities lost and in turn have become a strategic business partner at the table to help the organization be ready for the global environment, challenging economic times, so that the organization is positioned and ready to meet its goals and objectives via human capital and the skills gap.

I Don’t Buy Kleenex. Do You?

Everyday, there are graphics that catch our attention.  Today, I saw one from The Keas Blog that did just that.  It has been circulated over 80 times across Facebook and Twitter, so I’m sure some of you have seen it as well.  At first, I thought it was kinda cute.  However, after 20 minutes or so, I changed my mind and here’s why….

This graphic is totally “old school.”  For those HR professionals that do more than just find “cuddly” things to say to employees, the graphic is way off the mark. This type of generalization is why employees have the wrong idea of what HR actually does in the first place.

Even though this is supposed to be funny and witty, I find it non-creative and and so “yesterday.”  I don’t work in Personnel.  I don’t hold your hand while you fill out your tax forms.  I don’t care if someone stole your tuna sandwich out of the fridge.  I go to work to build relationships, understand my clients, and help to create strategic solutions that drive the business forward, to help us compete in the market place. I don’t buy Kleenex.

What are your thoughts?  Like the graphic or hate it?  I’m pretty sure you know what I think.

Photo Credit

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I Don’t Buy Kleenex. Do You?

Football and HR – great analogy for teamwork

13 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in Human Resources, Leadership

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I subscribe to several blogs and I reblog the ones I find very interesting, thought provoking and immediately applicable.  This one hits all three.  Most Americans love football and creating an analogy between football and teamwork is a no brainer!!

As Vince Lombardi said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

HR and Football. Got Your Helmet?

Posted by in Creating Teams, Human Resources, Performance Management

Helmets, shoulder pads, cleats and turf. It’s football season again. One of my favorite times of the year.  I get to spend many hours a week at practice, watching my boys run drills on the field, hit and be hit and answer, “yes, coach!”

I wondered what it would be like if our work teams were more like our sports teams.  I think there are advantages and definitely worth taking a closer look.

Touchdown!  The Home Field Advantage

Practice makes perfect.  On the field, drills are called out and the team follows. If someone cuts a cone or doesn’t cross the line and complete the drill, it’s push-up time.  ”Give me 10!” the coach yells to the offending player.  Players follow instructions and rarely is there a smart mouth saying, “no, coach, I’m not doing that.” Regular practice helps a team work together.  They learn about weakness and strength and how to fill those gaps.  Players understand each other.  They work together to ensure the plays lead to a successful game.  Teammates communicate and anticipate next moves.  Those that fall in line, help move the team forward.  Those that don’t are quickly provided with real-time performance improvement measures. Or, they quit.

Practice=Performance

What’s “practice” like at your company? Have you taken a look at your performance management system lately?  If not, or you think you may need an upgrade, ask yourself these questions:

  • Are your “coaches” well-equipped to manage teams? (remember, just because they manage a team, doesn’t mean they have the “know-how” to manage people.)  
  • You may not be out on a field in helmets and pads, but are you engaging in regular team conversations and learning team dynamics?
  • Does your team know what the goal is and how to score a touchdown?
  • Do they realize how their individual contributions help move them down the field to the goal line?
  • Does the team have the ability to take measures of risk to help drive the team to a successful finish?

I’m not saying that all teams need to look alike, play the same, or have the same ideas.  If that were the case, teams would suffer from “in-the-box-thinking” and creativity would lag.  We need a diverse group of teammates to be successful.  However, if we understand our place on the team and what it takes to score that winning point, we’ll be better communicators, hold each other accountable, and work to resolve our differences through collaboration, rather than “tackling” our colleagues.

HR and Football. Got Your Helmet?

Individualized Development Plan: Worth the Time?

10 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Human Resources, Leadership

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Some of you know I come from a background in the world of disabilities.  In that world there are so many that want something we take for granted – a typical life.  Well, what about those that want something in the business world that may not come natural to them or maybe they aren’t quite gifted in that area?  Come on now, we all know at least one person in this category.  How can we embolden them?  Equip them?  Empower them?  An Individual Development Plan – I challenge each of you to take the time to invest in someone … Make a difference in the life of someone.

Human Resources

Practice til You Make It by Sheri Mazurek

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 05:30 PM PDT

I love the Olympics. I love watching the amazing things others can accomplish with dedication and practice. That has always been a favorite part of my job as well. Regardless of the organization or role I had within the organization, I have always loved watching others change, develop and grow to achieve amazing things.  It’s how I ended up in HR. And no, I am not going to follow up that statement by, “I just love the people side of the business.” I just love business and have found that ordinary people can accomplish amazing things within the business by working hard and putting in the time to develop their talents.

At home, far from the Olympic stage, my son is currently looking to try out for a little league travel team. This is the first year he is eligible and he is excited to try. He doesn’t have as much raw talent as some of the other players but he loves the game. What he doesn’t love is practicing the game especially when the temperatures hover above the 90 degree mark all summer. He sees working on fundamentals boring. He wants to be in the game. So as parents, my husband and I are struggling to get him to realize that if he going to make the team, he has to work for it. He will need to work harder than some of the players.  He can be as good as those with the talent, but it will take practice to get there.

So what do you do with your average employees who may not have the natural ability to be superstars, but they love the game?  Do you teach them their not good enough to make it or do you challenge them to put in the work?  Go ahead; pull out a copy of their IDP. Oh, you don’t have one. You better get busy; they have a lot of work to do.

Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz

Communicate and be Honest!

22 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in Human Resources

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I am pursuing a second Masters and I was sitting in class last night on personnel law.  The professor, who is also an attorney specializing in personnel issues, was telling us that most employers do not tell the truth on the performance appraisals … what?  Really?  Then how the heck do you hope to work together to address things for both parties to move towards success?  He said it all comes down to not wanting to deal with hurt feelings, possible anger issues and so on.  It takes guts and courage to speak the truth (the good, the bad and the ugly) – speak it in love and speak respectfully and speak it often!

Human Resources

Tips and Tricks-Supervising Others by Sheri Mazurek

Posted: 20 May 2012 04:34 PM PDT

This is the first in a new series called tips and tricks. Supervising others is one of the most difficult jobs one can have; it is also one of the most important. Below is a list of tips for supervising others that I picked up along my career path. What can you add?

☺ Give Positive recognition immediately

☺ Meet individually with your employees to discuss their career goals and identify the skills they need to achieve these goals

☺ Evaluate yourself; ask “What do people have to do to get positive feedback from me?”

☺ Give immediate feedback on poor performance.  Silence is acceptance.

☺ Maintain a development file on every employee.  Track progress through out the year

☺ Focus feedback on behavior.  Be more descriptive and less evaluative in your feedback.

☺ Recognize development efforts, not just results.

☺ Help your employees build their skills by having each employee work on improving one development need at a time.  Be specific about the steps he or she can take to meet his or her goals.

☺ Identify your replacement and develop them to do your job.  If you don’t have a replacement, hire one.

☺ Rotate people through key positions to develop their skill set

Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.” Dr Seuss

22 Friday Jun 2012

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I have long been a believer of life is full of choices.  Nothing is more tiring than when people will not accept responsibility or accountability.  Everything comes down to a choice.  The Chick-Fil-A Leadercast for 2012, their theme was Choices.  Dr. Sheen Lyengar has done research on the brain and choices.  Even Dr. Seuss knew …

Human Resources

Personal Accountability has No Victims by Sheri Mazurek Posted: 01 Jun 2012 04:33 AM PDT

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.” Dr Seuss Dr. Seuss has been providing great advice to children for years. And while the above mentioned passage is great advice, it assumes that one realizes their own control in situations. It requires personal accountability. Personal accountability seems to be missing far too often in organizations today. Consider the number of conversations you have had with those in your organization about missed deadlines, failed projects, or performance misses. How often do those conversations result in a list of excuses? If my boss just understood how it really is…. The economy has really hurt…. Well if the customers would just…. I’m doing the job of four people with no extra pay…. The list continues and I am sure we could fill pages with all of the reasons why people can’t meet their objectives. When the focus is here, the behavior will continue. The deadlines will continue to get missed, and the projects will continue to fail. And the fingers will continue to point. The good news is that when the focus shifts to what is possible and what can be done, change can occur. The challenge is making the choice and helping those in your organization assume the personal accountability to make the choice to move out of the victim cycle of excuses and focus on action. Teach them what personal accountability is and how to put it into to action. You can start today with the next excuse. Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit http://www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz