Just like sunshine & water enable plants to bloom, social media allows voices to emerge & social networking enables relationships to blossom

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From the little day to day happenings to the big things in mind, life is full of opportunity and choices. The challenge lies in managing the equation and choosing "right" while forgetting the rest. Some days I clearly do better than others yet every day I see the reflection of my choices in my family. And, in the spirit of equal partnership, the same holds true for the husband.

So yes,we lose patience as parents and I donate regularly to the kid's future counseling fund but overall, the reflections we see are positive.

Why? We try hard to remember that of all the big things and little things in our days, the biggest little thing in it all is the amazing little being we call "the kid."

What's the biggest little thing in your life?

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And, taking a page from the Creative Chaos Consultant's book (read: steal shamelessly), up to the minute impressions from SHRM attendees is running below via Twitter hashtag #SHRM09 and Twubs.

That consultant has such great ideas!

 

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The Essential HR Handbook by Sharon Armstrong and Barbara Mitchell is a cut-to-the-chase tell-me what-I-need-to-know primer that offers 12 chapters of human resource information, each touching on an element of human resources.

Peppered with right-on quotes at the beginning of each chapter, this handbook "provides practical information, tools and techniques to help managers and HR professionals excel."

From strategic planning and mission statements to employee relations and diversity the authors provide a variety of checklists, forms and tables to assist the reader with process. Links, letters and laws (with the required caveats and disclaimers) provide the reader with further reading, reasoning and resources.

The managers mantra in the Employee Relations chapter consists of six simple words: when you see it, say it. After reading a chapter, any chapter, the reader will walk away with something to say on each of the topics. Don't have time to read a chapter on a topic but looking for some talking points quickly? Flip to the last page of each chapter. Each chapter ends with a Main Message for Managers that provides an important point or framework from the chapter to remember.

Read it front to back or pick out a specific chapter on a specific topic, you can tailor this book to your individual needs. While this is not a book I would have on my bookshelf for my own personal reference at this point in my career, it is one I would have at arms length when talking with someone interested in learning more about the profession.

People new to HR and managers new in their role are the target audience and the ones who will find the most value in this book. If that's you, this guide will help you get your head around concepts, provide you with a broad understanding of select human resource principles and practices and offer you help you to frame up the right questions to ask.

So, what do you think? I think you will find it helpful.

You can find out more about this book on it's website as well as information on other books authored by Sharon Armstrong at Sharon Armstrong and Associates.

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This Guest Post is authored by Ben Eubanks, an HR professional who loves to write and enjoys giving and receiving career advice.

Leaping into a field like HR is quite interesting. I’ve only been doing this for a short while, but I can tell that it’s like nothing else out there. We take problems and make them our own. We sometimes have the thankless job of policing and cleaning up after poor employee behaviors.

But then there’s the other side of the equation. We fix problems. Help people to love their jobs. Reward people for performing exemplary work. Guide employees along their career paths toward a rich, satisfying future. Sure, HR has its quirks, but by keeping a few ideas in mind, your work can be more fulfilling, exciting, and engaging.

Enthusiasm is Essential

I often get complimented on my enthusiasm. It’s a product of many things—from my fresh perspective to my desire to learn everything right now. Enthusiasm is essential not only in the early years, but in the later ones as well. What good is having all of those years of experience if you’ve turned into a curmudgeon? Having the right blend of knowledge and enthusiasm turns you into a credible advocate for the profession as a whole. Plus, it can help you to inspire others.

Humor is Handy

Humor is handy in so many different situations. I think that’s one thing that sets me apart from so many HR professionals. Growing up in a small business with parents who injected liberal doses of humor into the workplace prepared me for my role in HR. Sure, I can be funny, but it’s nothing for me to step into a serious role as required. Being able to laugh (especially at yourself) will go a long way toward increasing your longevity in regards to both career and physical health. Sharing that humor will make you stand out.

Maintenance is Mandatory

Like a marriage or a flower, proper care will help your HR career to flourish. Continually seeking new ways to innovate in the workplace will make you more valuable to the organization, and going out of your way to network with other professionals on Twitter or LinkedIn can make quite a difference in your own career in the long run. Keep in mind that the HR field changes very often, and it’s up to you to face that challenge head on. Be competent and current in what matters to you and your organization, and you will be highly valued by the leadership.

Of course, like much that I write, these HR thoughts can be applied to both new professionals and veterans, but that doesn’t mean they are any less true. Keeping enthusiasm, humor, and a “maintenance mindset” will mean that a young professional won’t be as likely to get burned out, and they could help a seasoned veteran along toward a stellar career.

Ben writes his own blog, UpstartHR. True to his words, Ben is enthusiastic, funny and focused and he is developing quite a presence on line. Did I mention he has energy?  Subscribe to his blog and follow him on Twitter to (try to) keep up with him. 

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We're trying to move mountains but we keep tripping on the rocks.

Brilliant.

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You begin to wonder. Where did you last see it? What were you doing when you lost it? When did you first notice it was missing? Was it really there one minute and gone the next or was it a long, slow leak?

You've been there before, I've been there before and we will be there again. Not only can self-motivation be a challenge in this frame of mind, so can inspiring others. That's a problem and it's a problem worth solving. I set out to solve it right here in this very space.

I carried my Modo & Modo black Moleskine journal around with me. I wrote, I erased, doodled, I cut, I pasted, I pondered and I wondered, "how do you inspire others when you are uninspired?"

I got nothing.

How about you?

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Interested in learning more about what Google Reader (or any reader) can do for you? Check out the Chris Young's latest post on the Maximize Possibility Blog, This Week's Featured Possibility Maximizer: Google Reader.

While you are there, click around to see what else Chris has to say!

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We are here for the big things.

Fighting, arguing, head butting, or clashing with {insert  department of choice here} or each other aren't big things. They are little thing.

What else are little things? Viewing mistakes of others as nonrecoverable, talking about others behind their back, telling one person what another person said about them for no reason other than getting their blood boiling, feeling (or saying) that your way is always better, thinking (or saying) it's not my turn, not my job, or not my turn to care, hoarding information, and saying you work harder, faster, or simply more than all others. Get my drift?

Drift higher. Swat the little things off your shoulder like the nuisances they are and don't engage. Don't let the little things stop you dead in your tracks or worse, veer you off course. Take the high road and stay above the fray. Yes, it may seem unfair that YOU are being asked to take the high road when others are not. I can't make you go there nor will this post get you there - you have to decide to go there for yourself.

Having a tough time deciding? Consider this. The little things do nothing more than distract us from what we can be. We can be big. Or we can be small.

I'm for being big. Let's soar.

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Don't think about it or read anything into this. Just comment with the first (clean) thing that comes to mind and check back to see what others have to say.

I'll start. "Whoa, when Evil HR Lady says to keep away from her brownies, she really means it!"

Your turn. Caption this.

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Steve Boese from Steve's HR Technology blog is hosting HR Happy Hour - Episode 2, live at 6:00 PM EDT, on Friday June 5. And I get to be one of Steve's three guests! Who are my cohorts in crime?

• Deidre Honner - The HR Maven - A key member of Job Angels, a HUGE hockey fan, and all-around great person
• Shauna Moerke - HR Minion (Shauna was on HR Happy Hour Episode 1, but she is so cool she got invited back for Round 2)

See, ideas like this is why I think Steve is one of the coolest HR Technology guys around!

To listen live to the show, or to access the show archive afterwards, go to Steve Boese on Blog Talk Radio. To participate and askquestions,call 646-378-1086 once the show starts.

Looking forward to having some fun at HR Happy Hour - hope to talk to you then!

I originally posted this in June 2007 but it still holds true today.

What do managers do? That's a pretty broad question so let's take me for an example. I am a manager, what do I do? Well, when my daughter asked me that very question a few months ago, I started to think and came up with this, an example of my typical day. But that is not the whole story.

When I returned to work on Friday after spending the week away on business, I spent the first 1 1/2 hours at my desk doing one thing over and over and over again. No, I was not banging my head on the desk but close :). Sometime between Friday and today, I realized that I didn't mention this task in my recap of a typical day. How could I have left it off? What was I thinking?

Well, it can be a seemingly small task and something done routinely and often without thought. However, it really is much more than that. This is a task fraught with responsibility, accountability, and more. The first few times it was ceremonial, it was exciting and yes, I was young and naive. The novelty wore off rather quickly and now it has turned into something else. Let's just say that when I go down, it is going to be because of this task. When I go down, it is going to be for something that I signed. Yes, the thing that takes me down will have my name all over it. My signature will be my downfall.

I sign because that's what manager's do. Research your action, do the leg work, get the facts straight and when I ask, be prepared to answer with information not emotion. Yes, at times I absolutely do have to see everything in writing. Tip: DO NOT respond, "well you signed it" when asked about an action. This is about as non-recoverable as it gets for me.

I sign without much question or fanfare. Why? Because I trust you. Don't take that lightly. I don't.

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Here’s the link to the Halogen site and a link to Steve Boese's HR Technology blog with a wonderful screen shot tutorial to walk you through the process.

What does Steve have to say about the tool?

The tool does a custom Google search of the many if not all of the top HR and HR Technology Blogs for relevant content. So if you want to know what the HR Bloggers are writing or thinking about on a particular topic, this is a tool worth checking out.

If you are not part of their search but should be, let them know and they will add you. Try a quick search now!

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What do you do?

Question the Rules

Decision makers that always defer to the rules, without question, are falling down on the job. The compliant rule-follower in me appreciates the foundation and guidance rules can provide and knows well that doing what's right may absolutely mean sticking to the letter of the law. However, that is not always, or often, the case. As decision makers, we get to spend a lot of time operating in the gray. Heck, if everything was black and white, we would not have any decisions to make. How boring!

The challenge for HR decision makers is to question the rules. Why? We cannot provide the service the organization or our customers expects or add the value we expect if we don’t. So before you blindly change a decision because of a pesky rule, take a closer look at that bugger and ask a few questions:

• Does not following it jeopardize safety?
• Does not following it violate a law, statute or something else legal?
• If not for the rule, would you be questioning the value of your decision?
• If not for the rule, would you make the same decision for a similar situation?

Do What's Right

There are differences between a course of action that violates a statute or creates a precedent you don't want to set and one that requires a change in the way things have been done or breaks new ground. We need to be able to distinguish between the two.

With each and every decision you make, you have an opportunity to make a difference.

So back to the decision you made to later find out it was not consistent with a rule. You ran through the questions and determined that the decisions does not jeopardize safety, does not violate a law, you are not questioning the value of the decision, and yes, you would decide the same in a similar circumstance. 

What do you do?

Question the rules, do what's right and let it go man, just let it go.

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