This summer marks 40 years since I received my Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. A field I worked in for fewer years than it took me to learn. And yet, the skills that allowed me to earn that degree have carried into every role I have had since. What I can say now is that throughout […]
The top HR stories over the past 18 months have been sexual harassment and pay equality. Since I have written about sexual harassment at length I want to write a bit more about pay equality. You know the statistics, women (white women) take home about 80% of what white men take home. Black men […]
No matter what you see on the Twitters, HR’s reputation is in jeopardy right now. We got issues. We are taking a beating with all of the #MeToo stories of sexual harassment and even rape that goes on in the workplace. The latest organization is the Dallas Mavericks, according to articles and reports, women […]
At the tail end of women’s history month and three months into a year that saw #metoo , I am excited that we are finally breaking down the system that is designed to repress women simply because they are women. This system, patriarchy, may promise us women that we will be “taken care of” if […]
The roles of women and the ways they have impacted society have changed tremendously since women first gained the right to vote in 1920. In decades past, the contributions of women were often limited, as they were commonly controlled by men, whether husbands, fathers or other men seen as authority figures. But 21st century women […]
Imagine growing up in a world where you can’t look up to anyone like you because they do not exist. Well, that’s pretty much the story of my life. Don’t get me wrong. In the age of Tiffany Haddish, Issa Rae and Ava DuVernay we have no shortage of talented black women creating iconic things. […]
In high school my favorite shirt said: A Woman’s Place is in the House. And in the Senate. When I bought it in the 1970’s, the workplace was still getting used to the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). Okay, it’s been over 50 years and we […]
As we start this New Year, we all want it to be a happy and prosperous one but how? What can we do to have a happy New Year? Are there any philosophies that we can follow for the happiness that we so much desire? The key to having a successful New Year is […]
Many organizations have cycles that match the calendar year. See if these ring true for you. Business results based on year end totals Employee performance rated on annual objectives Setting new objectives for the new year New regulations (and new tax tables) that may need attention Budgets for departments that become “refreshed” on January 1 […]
Yea that’s right, I heard that this week: “I don’t like working for women.” This was said to me by a new, female, direct report. She didn’t have much of a choice about working for me and I guess she wasn’t happy about it. Like many corporate restructurings, her choice was to take […]
Yep, In Recruiting Land … Redacted Racism The relationship actually started out pretty good. Took a few years of patience, but most “good things” do. Patience and professional persistence to be honest. I stayed in touch every six months or so until he said yes. You know, agreeing to work with me in assisting […]
Today we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On April 4, 1968 he was murdered in Memphis, TN by James Earle Ray at the Lorraine Motel which has been converted to the Civil Rights Museum. Memphis is a wonderful town with many layers. Sure there is violence, racism, and poverty but so […]
Bringing HR Back: Black Mirror It’s time to get real about where we are as a profession. We all know that the good ones never get the attention they deserve or more “airtime” than the bad ones, yet the fact remains, we can do more and better. There are some terrible HR professionals out there. […]
When 2017 started I was pretty sure it was going to be the end of PerformanceICreate. It had been a tough 2016 and I was not sure if I wanted to continue with it. In fact, I was pretty sure I did not. This website was started by Chris Ponder, not me. A few […]
Remember all those articles you read five years ago about diversity being a pivotal focus of the 2020 workplace? You probably even read one this morning. The fact is that companies still truly don’t care about diversity. It’s all lip service. I know because D&I is a huge part of my job AND I […]