S.E.T.H. says “show me the money” (or does he?)

In this series of posts (SETH), I’m outlining the forces that we need to consider in the future of work. This post is about the economic forces, but not from an economist, just so we’re clear! The fact that I’m writing about economics in a public forum is making me nervous. If any economists read this, I’d really love some input…

Employment is a master-servant relationship

I am self-employed.  My boss is really easy to work with and yet I have no work-life balance.  It’s all in the same bucket.  But, I like it that way.  No messy vacation requests.  No performance reviews.  No income security.  No banked overtime or nine day fortnight applications.  Not everyone would love it.  But, what if [...]

When cash is king and people are not.

Why do we treat money like gold and people like scrap metal? During the recession, it was all about cost cutting and people were the first ones on the chopping block, whether it was a cut to their hours, pay, training or entire jobs.  Unfortunately, CFOs forgot that living breathing people are required for an [...]

The best business school (and cheap, too!)

I heart Dragons’ Den, the best “reality” show around. It features 5 highly successful entrepreneurs (the “Dragons”) who have experience building companies, have money to burn, and are looking for the next great idea to invest their venture capital.

This show is so great, it should be mandated viewing for all HR professionals. If you’re looking to brush up on your business know-how, then tune in. Here is a recap of what I’ve learned so far in my free business school.

When “good” ideas backfire

Ever thought of getting the professional opinion of a psychologist for your HR initiatives?  Maybe it’s time we did.  Perhaps then we could better nail down human behavior and predict employee reaction for every management action. Take for example employee engagement.  You start of measuring engagement for the ultimate purpose of generating more profit (engaged [...]