A while ago, I mentioned to you about how I have a daughter who studies philosophy and literature in college. We’ve discussed multiple different ways her world of arts and my world of business coincide and have even produced a blog from one of those very discussions. Today is another addition to those that I have already shared with you. This day is a day we take some advice from the greatest playwright of our time and apply it to the business world, because what Shakespeare taught us about love and war, he can also teach us about business. Today’s topic: The Taming of the Shrew.

 If you are unfamiliar with the plot of the play, here is a very brief summary: There are two sisters: beautiful and gentle Bianca and her more outspoken and unpleasant sister, Katharina. While Bianca has a number of suitors, their father insists that Bianca cannot be married until her elder sister is first. All of Bianca’s suitors are annoyed by this so they bribe a man named Petruchio to wed Katharina. He agrees and takes her to his country home and denies her food and sleep while complimenting her at the same time. His behavior ends up working on her and in the end she becomes even more of a submissive wife than her younger sister.

What can this play teach us about modern day comings and goings? Well…

1. The best kind of partnership is one that is equal. While Petruchio and Katharina eventually get along because she succumbs to his will, it cannot be said that their relationship is a particularly healthy one. She is fearful of him and agrees with him because of this as opposed to because she actually agrees with the ways in which he sees the world. This is a good thing to look at when it comes to business partnerships as well. While another company who is flashier or more popular may seem like a company to make a partnership with, it is always good to look deeper and do proper research before jumping into or agreeing to anything. You never know what you might find if you look just a little deeper.
2. Beauty isn’t everything. I am not talking about beauty in the literal sense, though that is the form in which it takes in this play. I mean that, in the confines of the play, the less beautiful of the two sisters ended up being what could be considered a better wife because she is more adaptive and knows how to handle herself in situations she would rather not be in. This could be said about any business partnership as well – while one company may be more aesthetically pleasing up front, another may be more beneficial to you and your dealings in the long run.

 The point of these blogs is to remind you that the best ways to handle your business and lessons to learn these things by can be found just about anywhere and the sooner you start looking, the more you will find in places you would never expect. To stay at the edge of issues on HR and staffing, be sure to subscribe to the Human Capital Supply Chain Blog.

Do you know a Shrew that needs Taming? is a post from: Human Capital Supply Chains

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We all have moments when we have trouble articulating what we want to say, or putting down the exact words that we want to write. This can be a big problem if it persists and keeps you from moving forward. Many people have their own techniques, habits, and solutions for when the elusive block comes – whether this is a writing block, a thinking block, or a general block of creativity doesn’t matter – because in the end, it all keeps things from getting done. Here are a few suggestions for what you can do when your brain just isn’t agreeing with your goals:

1. Do something else! Let’s say you are working on a proposal and your deadline is in a few hours and you just cannot figure out how to conclude it. You’re staring blankly at a computer screen but nothing comes to mind. Relax! Take a breath and take a step back. Go get a cup of coffee, reorganize your desk drawers, or write responses to a few e-mails you have been meaning to get to. You will find the words you were looking for when you stop actively looking for them.
2. Read. There is nothing wrong with looking up and reading pieces similar to those you are trying to work on and create yourself. If you’re having trouble finishing a blog for your website, go and read some blogs. The same goes for any other kind of project you’re trying to finish – creative, or otherwise.
3. Try Freewriting. Freewriting is a technique used mainly when someone who is writing a fiction or creative piece comes to a block and needs to get their ideas flowing once more. All you have to do is sit down with an empty word document and write for a set amount of time or space. Ten minutes, or a full page or two works. You don’t think about what you’re writing, you don’t read it as you write, you just write. A lot of times when you are done with freewriting and go back to review what you have written, you’ll find you have worked out a lot of problems through just letting your subconscious go.
4. Talk it out. Find an audience – a coworker, an employee, a casual friend. Talk to them about what is keeping you from finishing your work, get their input. It could be more beneficial to speak to someone who knows nothing about the work you are trying to finish, someone who doesn’t even work in the same field as you. That way their input will come from a direction you may not have even considered when you were working on your own.

If you find yourself still stuck after attempting some or all of these techniques, try something else! Anything that seems right to you might just be what you need. For all we know, all you needed was a chocolate bar! To stay at the edge of issues on HR and staffing, be sure to subscribe to the Human Capital Supply Chain Blog.

HR Professionals Need To Write More is a post from: Human Capital Supply Chains

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We’ve discussed multiple different ways the world of arts and the world of business coincide. Today is another addition to those that I have already shared with you. This day is a day we take some advice from Shakespeare about love and war, as well as business. Today’s topic: Macbeth.

If you are unfamiliar with the plot of the play, here is a very brief summary: On his return from war, Macbeth comes across three witches along with his another general named Banquo, whom is killed by Macbeth after he hears the prophecy. The witches predict that one day Macbeth will become king and because of this he murders the current king, Duncan. His wife helps him commit this act. The crown is then passed on to Macbeth. Banquo’s ghost begins to hunt Macbeth and his wife. She grows mad and weary with guilt. In the end, as is usual with Shakespeare, just about everyone dies.

So, what is there to learn from this that applies to the modern day? Well..

1. Do not mistake ambition for something else. The biggest lesson to learn from this play is that ambition can become something monstrous if you forget that the best way to become successful is an honest and hardworking way. Macbeth gets very far in the play, becoming the king, even, but he does it at a cost he can hardly fathom – he takes lives, and does it without regret or conscious because he feels that is what he is supposed to do to succeed instead of working hard for what he wants and earning it through pure means. This is the same when you’re working towards any goal, or any position in a business, whatever you achieve will not be worth it if it is achieved in negative ways because in the end, the truth always comes out and scores are always settled.
2. If someone you trust is about to make a poor decision, tell them that it is a poor decision. It’s incredibly difficult to tell someone that you think what they are about to do is something that they shouldn’t, especially if it is a supervisor or boss at work, but that is always the best thing to do because the consequences of not admitting what you feel are much greater than the opposite. If Macbeth’s wife had protested to the original murder, she never would have taken her life at the end because she would not have had the guilt to worry her. This is very important in a business setting because it is never a single person’s decision, an office is a well oiled machine that completely relies on proper communication and honesty between employee and employer, employer and employee.

The point of these blogs is to remind you that the best ways to handle your business and lessons to learn these things by can be found just about anywhere and the sooner you start looking, the more you will find in places you would never expect. To stay at the edge of issues on HR and staffing, be sure to subscribe to the Human Capital Supply Chain Blog.

Office Politics Can Destroy You is a post from: Human Capital Supply Chains

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Recently I have reminded you about how I have a daughter who studies philosophy and literature in college. Her and I frequently discuss the ways in which the worlds of business and the world of art and literature coincide. Not too long ago, we related this back to Shakespeare’s Hamlet and how lessons learned from that could apply in both words. Today we’re taking some more advice from the greatest playwright of our time and applying it to the business world, because what Shakespeare taught us about love and war, he can also teach us about business. Today’s topic: Romeo and Juliet.

If you are unfamiliar with the plot of the play, here is a very brief summary: It is set in the city of Verona, a violent and feuding place with two noble families locked in an ongoing war. Romeo and Juliet, the children of two of these families, become involved in a passionate love affair and are forced to keep that love hidden from their respective families. This leads to the deaths of both the children and in the end their families, all too late, put their feud behind them.

1.       Communication is one of the most important things when it comes to relations with other people. While it will not be as extreme in a business situation as it was for Romeo and Juliet, miscommunication can cause a lot of problems. Romeo and Juliet met their demise because of bad timing and poor communication – because they did not go to the source or speak directly to one another, and instead used other modes and assumed that they would work. Always double check the memos you sent out, always call back a day or two later to make sure that the messages you left were received. It is always better to be sure that contact was made than to wait until it is too late to recover if they were lost.
2.       Honesty is always the best policy. The progeny of the two families in the play were led to deceit because they felt that if they told the truth, everything would fall apart and be thrown into chaos. The fact of the matter, though, is that they had no definite, sure idea what would happen, but chose to act on the assumption that something bad would. Their avoidance of the truth led to their demise – if they had been honest, there is no denying that things could have ended up much better for them. This concept applies to practicing of business as well. Our fears are always worse than any repercussion from telling the truth – if something goes wrong, admit to it and work through it instead of hiding it away. If it is hidden, things only get worse and you end up having to lie more to cover up the original one and eventually it will be out of your control. Romeo and Juliet learned the hard way, not everyone has to.

The point of these blogs is to remind you that the best ways to handle your business and lessons to learn these things by can be found just about anywhere and the sooner you start looking, the more you will find in places you would never expect. Whether it is the back of cereal boxes or conversation with your children as opposed to business journals and social media, there is always something to be learned. To stay at the edge of issues on HR and staffing, be sure to subscribe to the Human Capital Supply Chain Blog.

Would You Hire Romeo & Juliet ?? is a post from: Human Capital Supply Chains

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An HR thought leader is someone who has innovative ideas and concepts – someone who, despite what is going on around them, defies convention and tries something new and succeeds. It is a term that was coined over fifteen years ago and has a lot of new dynamics in the current age. I have recently written to you about resources for those who desire to be on the track to HR thought leadership but there is more to sharing innovative ideas than just outlets. There are common traits that can be found in those who are HR thought leaders in this day and age and my goal is to share some of those with you today so that you may hone such traits in yourself and your work.

1.       Fearlessness. If you want your voice to be heard and your idea to be listened to, it is very likely that you will have to put yourself in multiple situations that could very well be outside the realm of your comfort zone. It’s okay! Do it! Talk to people you don’t know, ask questions that you need answers to, go to meetings and conferences and forums and you will begin to be recognized as long as you are not afraid to put yourself out there. No harm in trying, no matter what.
2.       Passion. One thing that can make a lot of ideas fall flat is a lack of passion. You may have an idea that you know could be very marketable but for some reason it just doesn’t inspire you or fire you up like other things do. People can sense this. People can tell when what you are pitching to them is something that comes from deep down inside. People respond well to “belly fire” more so than they do to most other things. If you want to be a thought leader, you have to believe in what you are doing. Don’t do anything halfway.
3.       Humility. Even if you’re positive that your idea is the best idea in the entire history of ideas, there is always room for growth. Remember this and stay humble because any help is useful help and you never know when some advice may make all the difference. People don’t want to help someone who believes they will never need it. Sometimes you do.
4.        Drive. Never! Give! Up! That’s the most important lesson here – drive. If you want to fly higher than anyone else, you have to continue to practice your craft, hone your work. You have to put in extra hours, get up early, write it all down, and keep on growing and working and believing. If you really believe you can do it, you have to keep doing it until you reach your goal. Once you reach your goal, keep climbing.

In the end, being an HR thought leader comes down to you. It comes down to your confidence and your drive. It comes down to your desire to really share your ideas with the world. If you believe you can change it, there’s no reason not to try. To stay at the edge of issues on HR and staffing, be sure to subscribe to the Human Capital Supply Chain Blog.

HR Thought Leadership and YOU Part 2 is a post from: Human Capital Supply Chains

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Irish poet William Butler Yeats once said, “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.”  I think this quote embodies a really important thing that we sometimes forget not only in the office, but in all aspects of life: how to properly communicate. We talk to strangers, friends, colleagues all the time, but there are many techniques we could employ to enrich our communicative experience for us and those we are communicating with. That’s what I’ll be talking about today – things to take in to consideration in order to communicate better.

1.       Listen! Suggesting listening as a way to improve your communication may seem silly, as it is something we do naturally, but if you stop to consider it, there is a lot of time we spend doing the exact opposite. How many times have you been more preoccupied with what you plan on saying next while someone is speaking to you instead of listening to what they are saying yourself? How many times have you completely ignored someone’s sentiment because you do not agree with it? If we take a pause to absorb what is being spoken to us instead of focusing on what we want to say next, we may learn a lot more than we would expect.
2.       Communication is not just the things you say. A lot of communication is about the way you present yourself. If you want someone to make sure they know that you are paying attention to what they are saying, things like straight posture, eye contact, and nodding or some other interactive gesture can help to get that point across. A lot of these things we do naturally, but in some situations, where we are nervous or uncomfortable, for instance, keep them in mind or that stiffness may send the wrong message.
3.       Constructive Criticism. It is natural to react defensively to any criticism someone might come to you with, but if you work on relaxing and taking it in stride, you will find yourself with a lot more room for growth and learning. The same goes with when finding yourself with criticism for someone else’s work – remember what it feels like to be criticized, and be constructive, statements like, “I like what you’re doing here, but…” help soften the blow of any problems you may find and segue into easier lines of communication on how to improve.
4.       Remember who you are speaking to. Being able to empathize with others will help you to know how to communicate better. For instance, if a worker is doing something that is negatively affecting the rest of those in the office working on a similar project, instead of automatically issuing a sort of warning or letting them go, tries to understand why they might do those things. If you can do that, you can help resolve it by speaking to them from a place of understanding.

 A lot of communication is natural, but sometimes we have to remember certain things to keep ourselves ready for anything at any time. To stay at the edge of issues on HR and staffing, be sure to subscribe to the Human Capital Supply Chain Blog.

Listen to YOUR employees, PLEASE is a post from: Human Capital Supply Chains

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SaaS is a new field, legally speaking. What are the rights of SaaS users?

Cloud computing is growing rapidly.  Experts predict that, by the end of 2010, the Software as a Service (SaaS) market will be 20-30% larger than it was on January 1 – and that’s while the economy as a whole is growing at an annual rate of less than 3%.

With growth comes growing pains, however, mostly in the form of unanswered questions. What happens to material in a cloud when a SaaS provider goes out of business? How liable is a cloud computing company for its mistakes? Should users have to pay for part of the licensing fees for cloud-borne software?

Two SaaS market experts — Ray Wang and James Urquhart — have each written a “Bill of Rights” for SaaS customers in an attempt to answer some of these questions. Here are the highlights:

1. Customer data always belongs to the customer. This includes data generated by using a SaaS program. The customer also holds all data proprietary rights when its relationship with the provider is terminated. This right protects the privacy of customers, freeing them from worries about a SaaS company misusing their data – which is, indeed, their property. If I rent power tools to make a desk, the owner of the tools has no right to the desk. Services – the SaaS tools – are what is purchased in a SaaS agreement. Whatever is created with those tools belongs to the customer.
2. Customers must always have full access to their data. This naturally follows from #1. If the data is my property, then the SaaS company has no right to withhold it from me.  If I haven’t paid my fees, it has a right to withhold services, but not to hold my data hostage.
3. Customers have a right to know where their data is stored and backed up and how it is secured. Since data is valuable property, the company which stores that data owes its owner a full description of the data’s security. This allows a customer to buy appropriate insurance and make disaster recovery plans as they see fit.
4. Customers have freedom of speech as they use the provider’s services and as they communicate about the provider, except as the law prohibits. Again, a SaaS provider is renting out tools. They cannot dictate what their customers do with those tools. Also, no one should have to worry about being cut off from the programs of a SaaS provider if they complain publicly about it.

At eEmpACT, we are definitely committed to the above SaaS customer rights, and we support efforts to emphasize them throughout the SaaS industry, especially as SaaS becomes more common in the business and personal computing worlds.

SaaS Users Bill Of Rights is a post from: Human Capital Supply Chains

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My youngest daughter is currently a college student, studying literature. This focus gives her a different eye on many of the HR topics I usually address in my blogs and that eye is what brings me to the topic of this blog. We were discussing her studies and she brought up a man named Niccolò Machiavelli. He is best known for his book, The Prince. The purpose of the book was to outline the goals of the Medicis, those ruling in Florence Italy, where he was living in the fifteen and sixteenth century, and how he believed they could attain those goals. His name is frequently associated with a very rigid sense of rules and some, when it was first introduced, thought his views were tyrannical – while this could be true at that time, with some creative interpretation, he had some important ideas that could apply to the modern day business world of Human Resources.

 While the topic is a bit outside of my norm, today I’m going to, with the help of my daughter’s insight, address some of the things Machiavelli speaks about in his book and how they can apply to the business world of Human Resources.

• Give attention to all human components of a company.

Machiavelli was very adamant about a ruler being aware of the morale of his subjects’ at any given time – from the lowest peon to all the lords and ladies. This concept applies to a business hierarchy as well. This allows changes to be made before any negative action can take place – a good business leader is aware of any potential grievances before they become problematic and, then, can make provisions ahead of time.

•  Appeal to subconscious desires.

Sometimes it is more effective to, instead of making an effort to reach potential customers with reasoning, to use passion. Machiavelli thought a person in a position of power could use common denominators to gain trust. In the business world this is most commonly done through the use of clever marketing techniques – if a customer thinks that your company is something that is fundamentally good, they will be much more likely to become committed to your cause.

•  Stay involved.

Machiavelli strongly believed that the idea of fortresses was a mistake, because if a ruler locks himself inside of one, he can become out of touch with what is really going on outside of the walls he hides in. This applies to the business world because a good business leader should avoid making “fortresses” by staying available to employees and interacting with those in the office environment. That way he or she can always be prepared for anything that is thrown his or her way.

There were many other things that Machiavelli stated in The Prince that could be applied to the current business world with modern interpretation. Not everything he said applies to the current century but the ideas are the same – a successful leader cannot dissociate from those that are being lead by being available, able to associate and confident in their abilities. I suggest giving it a read and drawing your own conclusions, if not for business, for historic perspective – you never know what you can learn from the future by looking to the past. To stay at the edge of issues on HR and staffing, be sure to subscribe to the Human Capital Supply Chain Blog.

The Machiavellian Approach to HR is a post from: Human Capital Supply Chains

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A video blog, or “vlog”, is a simple extension of the traditional blog format to include video. The use of video blogging can have many benefits for a business: they can be easier to share than their textual counterparts since the files can be saved on a smart phone to be brought up and viewed with little effort. They also add another informative dimension that can be taken in many directions. Here are the five T’s of video blogging – things you should take into consideration if you’re interested in using video blogs for your own business:

1. 1.      Theme. While a video blog being run for a business is presumably going to be business themed, there are a number of different options within that field that could be expounded upon. For instance, you could do a series of How-To videos in relation to your product or service. It could be testimonials from customers and employees, a documentary-style approach to office life or a number of other things. Using a variety of different themes add an intriguing dynamic to your series of videos.
2. 2.      Tech. Most computers and laptops nowadays have built in webcams that can be used for basic filming from a focal point. A digital video camera can be used as well but usually will involve more complicated editing techniques and software. Another important factor is having a website that you can use to host your videos – there are many free websites that can be used to host videos, the best known being Youtube – which can be found just by using an internet search.
3. 3.      Topic. Just as it goes with textual blogs, video blogs have to pertain to the interests of the people that you want to view them. One way to get a higher number of views is to alternate between specialized and broader topics – a video with a broader topic can attract numbers which can spread word and that action can help to attract those who may be interested in more specialized topics.
4. 4.      Trademark. With your video blogs, try and add something that stays consistent through all the videos – this “trademark”, or signature, can make your videos more memorable and thus, help you gain more views. It could be a consistent person speaking in all the videos, a certain approach or style of filming, or you could think of a trademark that is more pertinent to your company or field.
5. 5.      Tenacity. Determination and consistency are important if you want to keep a successful blog of any sort, including a video blog. Pick a consistent day of the week to update or a certain amount of days between entries to make sure that potential viewers will come back to view your videos without getting tired of randomly checking to not find any updates. Letting viewers know when they will be able to find an update will make said viewers more likely to keep up with your updates.

 Video blogging is a new and interesting form of expression in business which means new approaches are developing all the time. To stay at the edge of issues on HR and staffing, be sure to subscribe to the Human Capital Supply Chain Blog.

Video Blogs Are Taking Over The World is a post from: Human Capital Supply Chains

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A large part of the human capital supply chain is the acquisition and sourcing of many talents – but the process of obtaining these assets in the first place is also an important detail. Resumes are read, interviewees are spoken to, and decisions are made. Quality hiring practices are too frequently abandoned because of the inconvenience of finding the proper employee in a sufficient amount of time. There are a number of ways to ease the process and the one I’m addressing today is personality testing. The use of personality testing can be quite beneficial in the streamlining of the hiring process and here are three reasons why:

 1.      Personality testing can help reduce turnover in your company. Certain office jobs require certain personality traits all around – a personality test can help you find people who truly are ambitious about things that are key in your company. For example, let us say that a large part of a potential job requires a person to perform a series of highly specialized tasks, it would be best to find a person that is genuinely interested in doing detailed work. Certain series of questions can show whether or not a person is genuinely interested in such a thing instead of saying it for a better chance at being hired.

2.      Personality testing can help illuminate traits that are not easily measured through interviews. Let’s say that you are looking to hire a late night help desk person to sit and answer phones at a help desk for all hours of the night. A person ideal for that position would have to introverted and extroverted traits combined since they will both be alone at their desk but talking to people on the telephone. They would have to be interested in helping others, be willing to know immensely about whatever product or service it is that they are helping with and patient in the case of confrontation. Certain traits like these are not the sort of things you can see in an interview – like that of being introverted and extroverted in different ways – so a personality test helps you to add another layer to your interviews.

3.      Personality testing can help you gather data about what works successfully within your business. By testing employees before hiring and comparing their traits to your best performers, you can later analyze this data to see which test scores work best in the dynamic of your office. If you have a string of people you’re hiring leave shortly after their being hired, you can look back to see if there were any trends within their testing. This goes the same way for those who stay with your company for longer amounts of time. This will allow you to focus more on the traits and skills inherent in the employees that mesh best.

 Introducing personality testing as a part of your hiring process takes away a level of mystery that may be challenging later on when you are addressing other parts of the human capital supply chains. To stay at the edge of issues on HR and staffing, be sure to subscribe to the Human Capital Supply Chain Blog.

Hiring The Right Personality is a post from: Human Capital Supply Chains

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