What is Paul Thinking

SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

If you work in corporate America you worry about employee engagement. If you work in corporate “World” you worry about employee engagement. And if you pay attention to employee engagement data you know it really hasn’t changed much in 10 years or so. Hovering around 30%, employee engagement is the Groundhog’s Day of HR issues. But what the heck. And this is one of them.

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What is Paul Thinking

MARCH 18, 2016

It’s been something in the back of mind, wound tight, ready to spring with the right trigger – the feeling this whole mad, headlong rush into big data and predictive analytics for HR isn’t right. Isn’t human. Sure, in a few (very, very few) instances you might find a passing nod to bettering the employee. But with HR, it seemed different. You do know that, right?”.

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What is Paul Thinking

JANUARY 14, 2016

This post is a redo of a post from a few years back (about 4 or 5 to be not-exact.) I decided to remix/repost based on a twitter conversation I had with @TrishMcFarlane and @AKABruno (aka Matt Stollack.). Trish said: “Interesting. Recognition makes me uncomfortable (personally) but validation is important to me. Wonder why?”. Today the idea of recognition is huge! Yet engagement numbers still lag.

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What is Paul Thinking

OCTOBER 21, 2016

We all want to predict the future. want to know which company will be the next AOL, or the next Apple. want to know where to tell my kids to put their money so they can take care of me in in my old age in the same lifestyle they have grown accustomed to under my roof. Trust me. They’ve lived better than I did at their age – and probably better than I do at my current state. Le sigh. But seriously.

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Can you hear the collective groan when you launch that new compliance course? Do you get complaints both public and private from trainees about the uselessness of the training courses you've launched? Is there anything that can be done about it

Training

What is Paul Thinking

APRIL 11, 2016

Can you believe there was a time in medical history when medical practitioners didn’t wash their hands? When cleanliness wasn’t a “best practice?” True story. Washing hands wasn’t a routine issue back in the mid-1800s. The idea of washing hands came about because of the studies of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis. I’m sure many of you have heard the story but for those who haven’t…. Sounds simple, right?

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What is Paul Thinking

JUNE 22, 2016

There are no shortages of people telling you how to get things done at work. I’m one of them. There is, however,  a shortage of people who will HONESTLY tell you how to get things done at work. Too often advice on the internet is buried deep inside a sales pitch designed simply to sell you – not support you. solve. “If you book a hotel within the policy, you get 10 points. Client:   “Cool.”.

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What is Paul Thinking

AUGUST 11, 2016

Culture – the tapestry of who and what your company is and stands for. Woven from many different behaviors – large and small. Culture isn’t what is written on posters outside the offices of your senior leadership team. Culture is what happens in the conference rooms and on the phones of your employees. Culture is the space between words and actions. You think I’m kidding right? But I’m not.

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What is Paul Thinking

JANUARY 6, 2016

One of the things I’ve been working on for 2016 (all five days of it) is to try to have a more structured schedule, and that means taking time for breakfast and not spending that time in front of the computer. First some backstory (not that you need it…). Today was no different. One of the stories in  USA Today was about the St. Louis Rams. The headline read, “Rams bash St. Louis fan base.

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1Making Dynamic Performance. Development a Reality eGuide 3Introduction Does your organization want to adopt. more dynamic approach to managing. performance and developing employees? We see a stampede of organizations. moving in this direction. At the same. time, we also see that, all too often, managers in such organizations are simply. not prepared to follow through because. Without clear. Maybe.

Coaching

What is Paul Thinking

MARCH 15, 2016

Seems I’m doing more podcasts than writing lately. think it’s because I’ve been writing for almost 10 years about engagement, rewards, incentives, recognition and just about anything connected to influencing behavior in an organization. It gets tough to continue to find new things to say. And it is going extremely well. And the conversations have been enlightening and fun.

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What is Paul Thinking

JUNE 9, 2016

If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me “what incentive should I run to help me grow my business?” I’d have enough nickels to buy something really expensive. If I had a dollar for every time I’d been asked that I’d be on the beach not answering this question anymore. But the question is common. While that would make my life a lot easier – it just isn’t true. Only 2 Things Incentives Do.

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What is Paul Thinking

APRIL 4, 2016

Show of hands… how many of you like being compared to domesticated farm animals? Or even non-domesticated animals for that matter? Except for honey badgers and wolverines – those are some bad-ass animals. I’m cool if someone said I was like a honey badger or wolverine. But what about cows? Do you like being compared to a cow? Don’t we all? You’ve seen it. Contented freakin cows. Oh – yeah I forgot.

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What is Paul Thinking

APRIL 20, 2016

Are you afraid? Are you intimidated? Was there a time in your career where you didn’t say something or didn’t do something because you were intimidated? Either by title, gender, tenure? Was your career stalled or at least slowed down because you were too intimidated by someone at work? That’s what Kristen Harcourt brings to the “Paul”Cast in this episode. Kristen is a senior consultant with the McQuaig Institute. Listen in as we riff on the idea of overcoming the intimidation factor and hear the one thing that 100% of all successful people do. Listen for it.

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Training and learning organizations today play an active role in contributing to the bottom line of any organization by aligning their objectives to the immediate business objectives. This provides a solid ground for cost justification and encourages businesses to place training groups right where they should be, at the heart of a growing, thriving, learning culture

Groups

What is Paul Thinking

AUGUST 29, 2016

Rayanne Thorn joins the “Paul”Cast to chat about doing something different with your life and your career. Normally we talk about leveraging your strengths and focusing on what you do well while outsourcing the stuff you suck at. Rayanne is the Vice President of Marketing at  Dovetail Software , ( [link] ) a case management and help desk solutions for HR and also Clarify Solutions. She is also an editor at  intrepidNOW  ( [link] ), an online radio show where she covers the  IntrepidHR channel. She is also an online radio host for  HR Latte  and  TradeShow.media. But fun!

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What is Paul Thinking

MARCH 30, 2016

On March 23, 2016, Microsoft unleashed on the internet an artificial intelligence (AI) attached to a twitter account. It was called a chatbot and it went by the name of “Tay.”. Tay” was an experiment in AI to learn how this nonhuman software robot would interact with the twittersphere and converse with “real” people on twitter. Turing test anyone?). That’s not how this works. Almost. Maybe.

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What is Paul Thinking

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Click Here for Larger Version of Incentive Decision Tree. Most people think they know. My experience is that most people are wrong. But here I am to save the day. Below are the most important questions you need to answer before deciding whether to run an incentive program and deciding how to structure it. Use this EVERY time you think you need an incentive program. Most people want to succeed.

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What is Paul Thinking

JUNE 1, 2016

Except for a few classes in high school and college, I’m betting you haven’t used the word entropy in a long while. If you have, you’re traveling in better circles than me. In my group the most common words we use are “does it hurt when I do this” and “do these look like bed bug bites?”. But seriously. But I’m thinking it should. Stick with me here…. Just like your business.

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Employees at the front lines often have better ideas for innovation than others within the business, but when they walk out the door, they take those ideas with them. Want to innovate better and faster than the competition? You need to hold onto your best employees and the ideas they have.

What is Paul Thinking

MAY 5, 2016

About 6 years ago I wrote a post for Fistful Of Talent entitled: HR Plays Too Much Defense”. The gist of the post was that HR sees their job as “protecting the company.” That HR is in the “prevention of problems game.” ” Unfortunately, the way you win that game is to not lose. And the way you “not lose” is to make sure you don’t have problems.  HR still plays defense.

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What is Paul Thinking

JULY 14, 2016

Incentive programs are sometimes more art than science. think that is due to a variety of studies that contradict each other and gurus who do the same. That tension creates “gray” areas and they get filled with the “art” part of the design. Think Alfie Kohn. But, as I’ve said over and over and over again, like any tool – it is only as good as the craftsman. You Make the Call ? Case in point.

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What is Paul Thinking

MARCH 28, 2016

Continuing my podcast series addressing advice you wished someone had given you early in your career we talk with Chad Atwell. Chad is the Director, Product Strategy – Human Capital Management at Oracle leading the strategy for Oracle’s Compensation Cloud working with clients and prospects to help create future product functionality. Someone with that pedigree SHOULD be giving advice.

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What is Paul Thinking

JULY 11, 2016

As I got ready to upload this podcast I noticed just how long it has been since my last post. I am embarrassed! Chaulk it up to being busy – which also equates to better business. I can attest – there is an uptick in the economy. And speaking of making money. Today’s podcast is a special one. I got the chance to talk to Ray Zinn. The past CEO of a silicon valley company called Micrel. Ray is (was?) the longest-tenured CEO in Silicon Valley – 37 years! THAT is really a different kinda tech CEO. One question he asks – “How did you like your last job.”

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Company 22

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From Performance Management. to Performance Development eGuide 2Part 2: A Roadmap. for Change In Part 1 of this eGuide, we explored the confluence. of factors that’s driving change in how performance. is managed and how organizations are moving. away from the traditional annual review process to. more real-time dynamic approach. This all sounds. very logical, of course, until an organization starts to. push forward with change then finds that there may. be some very real barriers to moving forward. successfully transition from a traditional performance. management approach to a more dynamic.

Coaching

What is Paul Thinking

APRIL 5, 2016

Back on the air with another “Paul”Cast. This time we welcome Jim Hacking – an immigration and citizenship attorney in St. Louis. (I know who I’m gonna call if I get lit up in St. Louis!). Jim joins me to talk about “time.” More ” More specifically – the amount of time things really take to accomplish vs. what you think they should take.

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What is Paul Thinking

MAY 17, 2016

Six years ago I wrote a post on Fistful of Talent called “Just Throw Strikes.”. The gist of the post was that too often what we think is helpful advice is rarely that. At best it is just a restatement of obvious facts or at worst, a group of words strung together with no meaning whatsoever. The crowd screaming at my kid “Just throw strikes!”. Yeah – no one thinks of that right? Until now of course!

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What is Paul Thinking

JANUARY 11, 2016

During conversations over Christmas break with my 22 year-old and my 24 year-old children they were surprised to learn that all this parenting stuff they had to suffer through growing up (and continue to for at least a little while longer) … their mom and I were making up as we went along. Like EVERYONE else, we didn’t know what we were doing. Sometimes you guess right and you repeat it. TRUTH.

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What is Paul Thinking

JUNE 14, 2016

Back behind the microphone with Drew Hawkins. Drew is someone I met about 8 years ago as I was just firing up a single practitioner consulting service and we was working in Chicago at a semi-competitor. Drew moved on to bigger and better things. Got married. Moved to ATL and got a legitimate job. Drew’s profile on LinkedIn is here and you can see his blog “Brainwads” ” here.

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Training and development professionals often bemoan the lack of apparent initiative in their trainees. Learning professionals spend huge sums of money creating or acquiring skill aligned libraries of learning content, only to watch almost helplessly as learners refuse to engage with any training available that isn’t mandatory

Training

What is Paul Thinking

JANUARY 25, 2016

Hello… my name is Paul. I’m a social media and industry news addict. Truth. actually have an app installed that won’t let me open Facebook during certain hours. I can’t disable it. I can’t reboot the computer and start over. It stops me from accessing Facebook during certain hours of the day – like say – 8:00am – Noon and then from 1:00pm – 5:00pm. YOU.MUST.READ.THEM. know you know the feeling ….

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What is Paul Thinking

JANUARY 8, 2016

Hope you had a happy first week of 2016! Is it just me or have we seen a huge uptick in pithy sayings set top of beautifully photographed scenes? Like you, I read them and nod my head in agreement. In the past these visual soundbites (or do we call them site bites?) were quotes from famous people or people who had earned some level of accomplishment and notoriety. You get the idea.

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What is Paul Thinking

JANUARY 13, 2016

I hear a lot of people say that those of us that buy Powerball tickets are stupid. They say we are throwing away our money. They say we have no chance of winning. Well… not exactly… we have a chance. But it is a really, really, really, really small one. Bugger off! You, my friend, are missing the point. The lottery isn’t about winning. It is about the “possibility” of winning. Dream a Little Dream.

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What is Paul Thinking

JANUARY 31, 2016

Continuing the ongoing podcast series exploring the tips, tricks, and advice you wish someone had provided when you were first starting out in life. In the post that introduced this podcast idea I provided my advice: Don’t assume a title means intelligence. Michael Moon came on the show and talked about understanding cultural fit. She is on twitter at @keransd. Trust me.

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Today’s workplace is characterized by chaotic forces—low employee engagement and productivity levels, and declining employee well being. HR Leaders have a critical role in defining the vision and strategy to transform and create a more productive and happy workplace

What is Paul Thinking

JUNE 6, 2016

I keep a file of all the articles I find about how to drive performance in organizations. Some are good. Some are horrible. Most are about 50% correct. Even this one will fall short of 100% because at the core what we all are addressing are human beings – who – by their very nature – are 100% inscrutable and unreliable. Just ask my wife. And to a point he’s right on the money. least for some.

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What is Paul Thinking

FEBRUARY 28, 2016

You are in for a treat this time. On the podcast this time around is Trish McFarlane – friend and great HR professional and HR consultant at H3 Advisors. Trish and I spent about 25 minutes the other day chatting about what she wish someone had told her early in her career. It’s not what you would expect so I won’t spoil the surprise – you’ll just have to listen in. First – a bit of a Trish introduction. (I hope I have enough room on the post for all she’s doing.). She blogs at HR Ringleader and can be followed on Twitter @TrishMcFarlane.

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What is Paul Thinking

MARCH 6, 2016

Another podcast in the can! Fast and furious they are coming now said my inner Yoda. Wowsers. It was just last week when Trish McFarlane and I talked about how she wished someone had told her “creating” a job was a thing. Today we’re lucky enough to talk with Michael Nagorski, a Senior Consultant at MHI Global , a TwentyEighty Company. but the goal is to connect with other professionals and talk about what they wished they had been told early in their careers that might have made big difference in their career path. Michael volunteered to talk.

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What is Paul Thinking

OCTOBER 18, 2016

We are a one-trick pony society now. We have abandoned our ability to see our world as a complex set of iterations, interactions and interrelationships. We think the economy is ONLY a function of Fed interest policy. We think the election is ONLY a function of media. We think our weight is ONLY a function of McDonalds (or 96 oz. sugary drinks – but not both.). Now THAT stuff is complex! Always.

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1Why Your Company Will Need to. Rethink Performance Management eGuide Part 1: The Argument. for Change 2 3About this Guide Organizations are increasingly. moving from traditional performance. management systems (organized as. an annual review process) to newer. performance development systems. organized around real-time dynamics). Here, in Part 1, we describe why. happening now. As you’ll see, the.

Performance Management