Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences. (Norman Cousins) Start the new year off right and decide to start a succession plan at a minimum of two levels of the organization: the middle and the executive levels. The new supply chain issue for 2023 is human capital or having enough employees to do the job. […]

The best HR audits are the ones you control. The worst are those prompted by a letter from a government agency. Clean up one issue at a time while there is still time. All organizations need a major HR audit every few years and an annual review to ensure that the policies and procedures comply […]

If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it. Thank you, Peter Drucker. October is the month to get ready for annual performance reviews. I wholeheartedly recommend evaluating the staff throughout the year with informal walkthroughs, supportive emails, and verbal or written corrective coaching to improve performance. The annual review should never be a surprise to […]

The number one problem in the Permian Basin is recruiting and retaining quality employees. Benefits, including health and supplemental insurance and retirement offerings, are vital to solving the problem. By this time, I hope most of my readers have selected an online, full-service human resource management system (HRIS) to service the organization from job inception […]

Hire right because the penalties of hiring wrong are huge. —Ray Dalio   In September of 2021, I cautioned readers to take care in hiring executives. The article was titled Buyer Beware. In that article I pointed out tips for reviewing resumes. I wrote about a specific situation, and it is worth discussing again. I […]

As promised, I want to talk about the Brutal Facts of Leadership. Often, your HR lady is the one that brings you those brutal facts regarding employees’ desires, and more often, than your managers bring you hard-to-hear information. In Chapter 5 of Good to Great, author Jim Collins addresses the need for leaders to be […]

This month I want to address the idea of getting the Right People in the Right Seat on the Bus. However, before I get started, and my reader may drift off, I will begin by highlighting a new resource to assist your organization with Human Resources (HR). I want to tell you about a fantastic […]

Loose lips sink ships. Less is more in professional communication. Being clear and concise is the key. There is no need to fill the air with words that might get you in trouble. What is said cannot be taken back once it is out, either in conversation or in writing, including on social media. I […]

Deep Dive: People are your most expensive line item. How do you save money? Pay attention to turnover rates. This month we address critical issues to keep in mind when hiring and firing staff. Is anyone an At-Will employee? Can you fire an employee just because? Is it the right thing to do to provide […]

Remember, Common Sense by Thomas Paine, 1776: “Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.” March 2022: The past is the past. Let it go, for now. Be prepared for the rest of the year and what […]