What will history say about you? I pose the question because we may be living through the worst times in our history. We are thrown into the mayhem of 2008, 911, the 1980s, Pearl Harbor, and the Spanish Flu all at once. What has been your reaction to the crisis of 2020? How have you […]
What a Difference a Month Makes
Be proactive, or better still, don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. In April, I wrote about finding a new job. Now I find that my advice may be ridiculous because with the possibility of so many being unemployed, any new job may do. I write these articles two months in advance and, consequently, I […]
Leaving Your Job
Looking for a new job? Did you know the best time to find a new job is between January and May? Think about it—the summer months are when people are on vacation, and in the fall, employers are more likely to be looking for holiday help, which is less permanent. Changing jobs is a big […]
Beware the Ides of March
This month I’m going to talk with you about hiring the right people. In October, I reviewed the basics of hiring and firing but I want to talk about making the right hire. Why the reference to the Ides of March? It is because Julius Caesar was assassinated and if you also remember your Roman […]
When Love Takes Over
Love is in the air. Happy Valentine’s Day. Have you noticed that love is in the air and occasionally at work? So, what does your employee handbook say about office romances? If you don’t have one on employee dating, I recommend you develop one and have every employee sign it. This can be a part […]
What a Leader Does
If you think you are leading and turn around to see no one is following, then you are just taking a walk. —Benjamin Hooks Each month I like to share tips for different things related to human resources. This month I’d like to share some leadership tips. Recently I was inspired by a speaker and […]
Classifying Employees—A Primer
If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. This saying is better known as the Duck Test and the phase was coined by the Indiana poet James Whitcomb Riley in the 19th Century. Surely you have heard this expression and it immediately […]
Just a Click Away
A sign of the times: eCommerce reaches the oil patch. As much as Amazon revolutionized the business-to-consumer market by offering an online marketplace that has largely left the brick-and-mortar business model crumbling in ruins, the oilfield marketplace has largely continued on in time-tested fashion, as follows: A buyer looking for pumps or valves gets out […]
Happy Thanksgiving
The candy season of Halloween has passed so bring on the turkey and dressing and holiday parties. There are only 4 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so get busy. Are you feeling the pressure yet? Because I’ve started my yoga breathing just to finish typing this sentence. The reality of the holiday season means that […]
Hiring and Firing: What do I need to know?
What are a few critical things that you need to know before hiring or firing an employee? First, avoid hiring people who are not a good fit for the organization. I have had clients that were so quick to hire that they did not read the job application. How do you tell your boss that […]
