Monthly Archives: March 2011

The Power of Intuition: Going with the Gut?

How many times have you “gone with the gut” when you had to make a decision?  Literally, I hear someone refer to the “mighty” gut at least three times a week when working with organizations.  For most, it is revered … Continue reading

Posted in HR Operations, Leadership, Organizations | Tagged | 49 Comments

Countering the Network

An informal communication network can be regular source of leader anxiety due to the fact it is normally more trusted, biased to a few individual’s point of view, not easily influenced or controlled, and highly effective at impacting opinion. Most … Continue reading

Posted in HR Operations, Leadership, Organizations | Tagged | 9 Comments

How Strong Is the Network? Understanding the Informal Network

Most organizations have an informal communication network that disseminates information to most employees on a regular basis.  The network is normally “anchored” by a ringleader that ensures that information is collected and shared on a regular basis and becomes a … Continue reading

Posted in HR Operations, Leadership, Organizations | Tagged | 46 Comments

Look Who’s Talking: Stirring the Pot

We all know that people talk. My youngest explained to me this weekend why three friends together will never work. We had just finished breakfast and in a matter of fact manner she let all of us know she possessed … Continue reading

Posted in HR Operations, Leadership, Organizations | 26 Comments

Public vs Private Sector Pay: Comparisons and Differences

The raging debate over if the public is paid more than the private sector has heated up since the beginning of the recession.  Although think tanks, compensation professionals, and other leaders in both sectors have been discussing the evidence for … Continue reading

Posted in Compensation, HR Operations, Organizations | Tagged | 99 Comments

Importance of First Impressions

Most people draw their impression of a person, place, or object in the first few seconds of interaction.  Research shows that most impressions are formed in less than a minute and can carry forward throughout a relationship.  Although we may … Continue reading

Posted in HR Operations, Leadership, Organizations | Tagged | 36 Comments

Labor Market: Challenges and Complaints

Up to this point we have looked at how to make the labor market survey process successful.  We have discussed the questions to ask, how to structure the survey based on the information desired, and how to ensure the analysis … Continue reading

Posted in Compensation, HR Operations, Organizations | Tagged | 28 Comments

Labor Market: Real Analysis of Survey Data

We live in an era when data is king.  Now more than ever, everything is counted, analyzed, and reviewed in almost every facet of our lives.  Over the last several decades, most organizations have significantly increased the amount data available, … Continue reading

Posted in Compensation, HR Operations, Organizations | Tagged | 18 Comments

Labor Market: Getting It Right

Matching or determining what goes together is a basic human cognitive ability. If you have children, you probably witnessed the surprising desire and ability of very young children to put similar things together.  More than once, I wandered through the … Continue reading

Posted in Compensation, HR Operations, Organizations | Tagged | 93 Comments