I’m not typically one to share press releases or vendor news on a frequent basis, but there are times when practitioners like me need to be made aware of advancements in HR technology that can positively impact their ability to do business.  Many have heard of Oracle’s Fusion human capital management, but what you may not know is that it is now rapidly being used at more organizations.  These organizations are starting to see the benefits and just today, Oracle released news with some of the feedback.

It’s exciting to see leaders in the HR space like Gretchen Alarcon, Meg Bear and Steve Boese working on exciting projects to help revolutionize the way HR works.  Be sure to check out Oracle Fusion. 

Customers Adopt Oracle Fusion Human Capital Management to Help Maximize Valuable Assets and Achieve Business Goals

Oracle Continues Its Leadership in HR Applications With Next Generation Oracle Fusion HCM

Back when I had not been writing for very long, I wrote a post called CBS Sunday Morning- HR Style.  I’m a huge fan of the show and it is rare that I get to watch it because by the time it comes on, my family is usually awake and the hustle and bustle of the day has begun.  I thought of the post today because the show is starting in ten minutes and my house is still quiet.  I might actually get to watch it this week.

What I like about the show is it highlights stories from the week in a news magazine style.  I learn about a wide array of things, many of which I would never had known about.  Back in 2009, I attempted my version by sharing business stories that had caught my attention.  Here are a few that I spent time reading this week:

• Sorry I’m Late Boss, My Cat Had the Hiccups-  We’ve all heard excuses for being late to work and over 1/3 of managers say they have terminated an employee for being late.  These excuses are funny and highly creative.
• The Real Organizational Chart-  This article from one of my “must read” blogs caught my eye because every box on the org chart is YOU.  If you want to learn how to work as a team and not individuals, this one is for you.
• Ten Rules for Leaders-  Look, we all need a good psychologist now and then.  I get my fix by reading Incblot blog by Dr. Daniel Crosby.  This  guest article by Jeff Barnett is just pure good.  And he’s a Marine.  Share it.
• After 70 Years, Right-to-Work Issue Remains A Hot Potato-  What is a week without a little NLRB, unions and right-to-work conversation?  Well, this article has all those components so I guess we hit the trifecta!

What did you read this week?  Share in the comments so we can all benefit!

Yesterday I had quite a scare.  I went to a local restaurant for lunch with a friend.  We were having a wonderful time and had just received the check when suddenly there was a loud explosion and the whole building shook.  My first thought was that a bomb had gone off, but in mere seconds I realized that everyone in the restaurant was alive and well.  I turned my head to the left and just two tables away from me, at the front wall of the restaurant, a car had smashed into the building.

Several of us jumped up and ran to the front wall.  I could see a woman fall out of the car to the ground.  I knew I had to get involved and help, so I quickly asked if there were any nurses or doctors in the restaurant as I began looking for towels to put under the victim’s head.  We all ran outside as one customer called 911 and three of us cared for the victim who was in and out of consciousness.  We were able to determine she had family to call, so another customer did that.  We all held her hands and told her we were with her as we waited for the ambulance.  It was cold and we did not have a blanket but we tried to keep her sheltered and as warm as possible.  She was taken away and I may never know if she made it, but I’m hoping and praying she did.

She was by herself and had she not been able to tell us, in a brief moment of consciousness, how to reach her son, we would not have known who to contact.  I thought of myself in that situation and realized that unless someone tried to go through my phone and guess who to call, I would be alone.

I wrote last year about being prepared for emergencies in the home and in the workplace.  I now add to that list that it is critical to be prepared for an emergency in your car.  

• Place emergency contact information in your glove box in case you are in an accident and cannot communicate with rescuers.
• Have a blanket and gloves in the trunk
• Carry a first aid kit

*Now, from the archives of January 2011…

Stillness, and the house is quiet.  Faintly in the distance, the sirens begin to wail.  The volume increases as the wind is picking up.  My heart rate picks up a little bit too as I glance out the window and see the trees beginning to sway.  Without scaring the children, I quickly call them to me.  I tell them to put on their shoes and winter coats and grab their favorite “baby”.  I gather the house phone, my cell, and a flashlight and we all head to the basement.  We sit through the hail, the thunder, and driving rain.  Then, as quickly as it began, it’s over.

A few minutes later is when I first hear about the tornado that touched down on the other side of the city, approximately 30 miles from my house.  Not far from my childhood home.   The tornado hit areas with the precision of a scalpel. One house would be blown away while the house next to it was virtually untouched.  The city of St. Louis was hit by eleven tornadoes New Year’s eve, one of which was the F3 twister I’ve just described.  It makes the danger of the storm real and justifies my emergency preparedness plan for my family.

Preparation In the Workplace is Just As Important

I know organizations have fire drills, tornado drills, and other emergency preparedness drills.  Often I see employees going through the motions in a daze, not taking it seriously or sometimes, refusing to participate.  The danger is very real though and sometimes you have to pull out all the emergency preparedness stops.

• Practice fire drills and other workplace safety drills as if it is a real emergency
• Keep a few bottles of water in your office or work area
• Bring a small flashlight and extra batteries to your workspace
• Invest in a small first aid kit for your work area
• Be familiar with the fastest way to evacuate
• Make note of colleagues who may need help evacuating should an emergency occur

These are just a few tips to get you started.  It really can save your life.

When you work in human resources, you become part advisor, part therapist, part enforcer.  You are constantly presented with situations where leaders and employees need advice on how to communicate more effectively or how to relate to people who think differently or approach life differently.  In my role, I keep my eyes open to new techniques that can inspire people to become better communicators.  What I’m realizing is that for each new technique I find, they really all go back to some simple principles of getting along.  I recently had something remind me that good advice and good manners never go out of style or effectiveness.

How To Win Friends and Influence People

If you have not read the famous book by Dale Carnegie,  the basic premise of the book is that if you are nice to people, if you listen more than you speak and if you praise and help others keep their dignity, you will have successful relationships.   Written in 1936, the advice still largely holds true and has even been updated recently to how to win friends and influence people in the digital age.  It’s been many years since I read the book but it was one of the books my father recommended for me while I was still in college and had not started down my career path.

If you read this blog, you have likely been working for some time.  As you think back over your career, what books have inspired you or helped shape how you interact with other people?  What is the main message of the book?

Several months ago, I decided to give my bathroom a facelift.  I don’t know if you’re like me, but once I get an idea like that in my head, it’s on and there is no stopping me.  After choosing just the right paint color, accessories and all the amentites a bathroom needs, I was nearing the completion mark.  Save one item.  The mirror.

You see, my home came with those large, plain, rectangular mirrors that the builder installs.  All I knew was that I was not about to leave that plain mirror up a moment longer.  I began the search of all types of stores for the perfect mirror.  Then, I found it.  It was a colorful, mosaic mirror at Pier One.  But I did not buy it.  In fact, I doubted that something so colorful and unique would work in that space.  I kept thinking that maybe there was still one more mirror out there I had not seen.  So, I left the store and went home.

I continued to look at mirrors but my mind kept coming back to the mirror with the mosaic frame.  I finally decided that I was crazy not to buy it, even if it was bold and even if it was different than all the other mirrors in the house.  I headed back to Pier One, ready to make the purchase.  One problem…

The mirror was gone.

Sold out.

Can’t be ordered.

The same thing happens each day as leaders make hiring decisions about high potential candidates.  Recruiters work hard to source just the right person, one with the mix of experience and skills that also has a strong possibility of being a culture fit.  Sometimes, the leaders stalls on the decision though because the candidate seems just a little too unique, too cutting edge or too different than the rest of the team.  The recruiter tries to keep the candidate warm on the idea of joining the company, but many times, the candidate is lost once the hiring leader comes to his or her senses and decides to make that offer.

The reasons for a leader to be decisive are many, but three strong benefits of a faster decision are:

• Cost-  The longer you wait to fill the role, the greater your chance you will lose the strong candidate and have to keep the recruiting process going.  As days to fill increase, so do your costs.  Also, you run the risk of needing to pay current employees overtime or hire a contract employee if the role remains unfilled for many months.  Making a decisive decision will cut your expenses up front.
• Tone-  When a candidate has the interview process and hiring decision dragged out for months, even if the offer comes through and the candidate accepts, it plants that nagging seed of doubt about how other decisions in the company are made.  It leaves the candidate not feeling as valued or wanted as they join the organization.
• Impact on Current Team-  When positions remain open for long periods of time, it puts stress on the existing team.  Often, they are not fully aware of the behind-the-scenes activity so they may begin thinking that the role will never be filled.  This may mean that they are doing more work and feeling over extended which if there is no end in sight, may impact their decision to stay.  By communicating the progress with the team and that a quick decision is the desired outcome, it gives them confidence they need to pitch in and work even harder while the interview process is going on.