I saw the above image recently and it got me thinking... As an HR professional, do you sometimes feel your role is undervalued or...

You sit at your computer, ready to start the work you've been promising yourself to complete. However, your inbox inevitably pings, your chat beeps and your phone rings. Just as you're about to begin, you instinctively reach for your phone, browse headlines, and scroll through social media—your focus shattering with each digital distraction. These interruptions, both external and self-imposed, have become our default mode rather than the exception. Many of us think we're skil

Monitoring employee performance is crucial for assessing how effectively employees perform their duties. HR teams require dependable methods to evaluate productivity, efficiency, and overall performance. While measuring 'hard skills' such as KPIs is straightforward, assessing competencies, behaviors, or 'softer' task completions presents a challenge. These insights assist in pinpointing areas needing improvement, recognizing top performers, and informing decisions regarding t

A stay interview is a crucial management tool aimed at enhancing employee retention rates. By uncovering the factors that motivate employees to stay with a company, as well as potential reasons for leaving, stay interviews enable managers to proactively address any dissatisfaction. This proactive approach not only reduces the risk of employee turnover but also contributes to a happier and more engaged workforce. Stay interviews differ from traditional interviews in their focu

What is a Toxic Work Environment? A toxic work environment can be detrimental to both Team Members and the organization as a whole. It is characterized by negativity, dysfunction, and a lack of trust, often leading to issues such as bullying, harassment, and discrimination. A toxic work environment is one where negative behavior—such as manipulation, bullying, yelling, and so on—are so intrinsic to the culture of the organization that a lack of productivity, a lack of trust,

The best People Leaders are the best delegators. It not only boosts their team's efficiency but their own too.  Delegation is a vital management skill, yet it can be challenging to implement for many managers. Some may hesitate to delegate work for various reasons such as thinking it will take longer to explain tasks than to do them themselves, wanting to maintain a sense of indispensability by keeping certain knowledge, or feeling guilty about burdening others with addition

As a People Leader, it is essential to identify individuals who display high potential and high performance in the workplace. Although the terms may sound similar, the two have distinct differences. High performers excel in their current role, while high potentials can grow and succeed in future roles.  Sometimes it is hard to differentiate one from another, so here is some useful information to help you out. What does High Performance mean? High Team Member performance is al

Every year, untold numbers of businesses are launched across the United States, and the unfortunate truth is that most of them will fail. Why is it that some businesses thrive and grow, while most close-up shop within a few years?   There are many factors, including access to capital, understanding one’s marketplace, an ability to innovate, and—not to be underestimated—some good old-fashioned luck. But there is one factor that nearly all business owners can control that may d

OKR vs KPI OKRs and KPIs are essential tools for effective performance management. While OKRs focus on goal setting, KPIs track goal performance. As a People Leader/Manager, leveraging both frameworks can enhance business performance by setting ambitious goals and monitoring progress efficiently. Understanding the nuances between OKRs and KPIs is key to optimizing goal planning and monitoring. Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) Objectives and key results (OKRs) are a powerful to

One of HR’s essential functions is to act as an organization’s eyes, observing internal and external information crucial for business improvement. HR metrics serve as indispensable glasses, bringing clarity to workplace data. Through these metrics, organizations can decipher patterns and discrepancies, enabling informed decision-making processes. The evolving role of HR signifies a shift in the importance of HR metrics. Company leaders recognize that workforce happiness and p

Imagine a workplace where every interaction is fueled by kindness. As a leader, you have the power to choose kindness, creating a lasting impact. Kindness, a celebrated virtue throughout history, is not just a nicety but a transformative force in leadership. Successful leaders understand the power of kindness, setting them apart and making them stand out.   The Basics   Kindness helps foster trust and respect, which are two of the most important components of successful leade

When it comes to coaching, there's a model that can help both the coach and the coachee work together to achieve the coachee's goals. It's called the GROW model, which stands for Goals, Reality, Options, and Will . As a coach, you'll help your coachee assess, explore and define each of these areas over the course of a constructive conversation. First, you'll help your coachee think about how they'd like things to be in the future and identify their desired goal. This stage

Feedback models offer several benefits for providing effective feedback in various contexts. Here are some specific advantages of using feedback models: 🔹Structure: Feedback models provide a clear and easy-to-follow structure for giving actionable, helpful feedback. Having a framework ensures that your feedback is concise and relevant, making it easier to communicate with others about areas of improvement or positive behavior. 🔹Increased Confidence: Positive feedback and en

What is Effective Feedback? Effective feedback is crucial to improving performance, whether it's positive (such as a compliment), negative (such as a corrective measure) or neutral (such as a general observation). As a giver of feedback, it's important to be supportive and encouraging while also providing specific suggestions for change. This insight can truly contribute to desired outcomes. Remember, feedback is a two-way street, and it's equally important to be open to rece

Congratulations! You've made it to the interview stage! But as exciting as this news is, the real work is just beginning. How can you ensure you stand out from the other candidates? Is preparing for a job interview really necessary? The truth is preparation is key to acing your interview. It's not just about knowing the company or the job requirements - it's about how you present yourself, your speaking skills, negotiation tactics, and confidence. Even if you're naturally sh

A negative mindset can have a profound impact on our daily lives. It can lead to feelings of social anxiety, depression, stress, and low self-esteem. It can also prevent us from taking action and achieving our goals. If you find yourself struggling with negative thinking, know that you're not alone. A negative mindset is often caused by fear, worry, self-doubt, pessimism, or past trauma. By recognizing these patterns of thinking and working to reframe them, we can begin to cu

Active listening is an important part of your communication skill set because it encourages openness, honesty, and success.  When you pay attention to your conversation partner, you show that person they are being heard, thus building trust and making that person feel like their words matter to you. One of the most critical skills in effective communication is active listening. Developing this soft skill will help you build and maintain relationships, solve problems, improve

Proper impactful feedback conversations do three things: 1. Always come from a good place and start with openness and humility. 2. Have positive intent, with the focus being on helping the receiver grow and develop, rather than to showing them they were wrong, or making them feel bad. 3. Invite the receiver into the problem-solving process and be part of the solution. Giving developmental feedback that sparks growth is a critical challenge to master, because it can make the d

A lot of people, including myself, will create goals for the New Year around work productivity. Productivity is the amount of work an individual or group accomplishes within a certain amount of time. Greater productivity means you complete more with less time or effort. You can measure accomplishments by the quality of the work, the number of tasks finished, or the amount of product created. Why is productivity important? 1. People with higher levels of productivity can reduc

Want to be a leader who is respected, admired and followed by others? Well then, start by serving them! Visualize two contrasting leaders... One leader commands and demands from their people. They spark more dread than drive within their team. The other leader is more hands-on. Working in unison with their team. They regularly ask, "What can I do to support you?" Guess who gets happier employees and better results? When it comes to leadership, there are several different mana