Monday, August 20, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
A Facebook Jobs Board Would Be Big, But Obstacles Remain
A Facebook Jobs Board Would Be Big, But Obstacles Remain
I am very interested to see how this fairs. Should social networking sites have separate focuses whereas LinkedIn focuses on professional relationships and networking and Facebook is for friends and personal relationships? They are certainly marketed differently and the content is vastly different.
I am very interested to see how this fairs. Should social networking sites have separate focuses whereas LinkedIn focuses on professional relationships and networking and Facebook is for friends and personal relationships? They are certainly marketed differently and the content is vastly different.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Choosing Between Making Money and Doing What You Love - Leonard A. Schlesinger, Charles F. Kiefer, and Paul B. Brown - Harvard Business Review
I say do what you love and the rest will follow...
Choosing Between Making Money and Doing What You Love - Leonard A. Schlesinger, Charles F. Kiefer, and Paul B. Brown - Harvard Business Review
Choosing Between Making Money and Doing What You Love - Leonard A. Schlesinger, Charles F. Kiefer, and Paul B. Brown - Harvard Business Review
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Happiness Is As Happiness Does
Just received this message from my Financial Planner and thought I would share:
DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY is apparently more than just a cliché. Research over the past 10 years shows there is a direct link between happiness and business outcomes. Author and researcher Shawn Achor says “happiness” raises sales by 37 percent, productivity by 31 percent, and accuracy on tasks by 19 percent. He goes on to say, “The single greatest advantage in the modern economy is a happy and engaged workforce,” (CNN.com, March 19, 2012).
So, how do you become happy at work?
Achor says you have to train yourself and start developing new, positive habits. For example, he challenges his clients to implement one of the following positive exercises everyday for 21 days.
By following one of these exercises, Achor says your happiness will rise and so will your business success.
The tiny Himalayan country of Bhutan has taken this idea of happiness even further. Four years ago, the country launched a “gross national happiness” measure to guide public policy. According to The Guardian, Bhutan’s “constitution mandates that at least 60% of the country remains under forest cover in perpetuity and its stated policy is to be 100% organic in its agricultural production,” (March 29, 2012).
Now, Bhutan’s definition of happiness is a little different than our typical Western definition. The Bhutan government says, “it refers to the deep, abiding happiness that comes from living life in full harmony with the natural world, with our communities and fellow beings, and with our culture and spiritual heritage, in short, from feeling totally connected with our world.”
Well, no matter how you define it, it looks like it “pays” to be “happy.”
Weekly Focus – Think About It
“Rules for Happiness: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for.”
DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY is apparently more than just a cliché. Research over the past 10 years shows there is a direct link between happiness and business outcomes. Author and researcher Shawn Achor says “happiness” raises sales by 37 percent, productivity by 31 percent, and accuracy on tasks by 19 percent. He goes on to say, “The single greatest advantage in the modern economy is a happy and engaged workforce,” (CNN.com, March 19, 2012).
So, how do you become happy at work?
Achor says you have to train yourself and start developing new, positive habits. For example, he challenges his clients to implement one of the following positive exercises everyday for 21 days.
·
Write
down three new things you are grateful for each day.
·
Write
for two minutes a day describing one positive experience you had over the past
24 hours.
·
Exercise
for 10 minutes a day.
·
Meditate
for two minutes, focusing on your breath going in and out.
·
Write
one quick e-mail first thing in the morning thanking or praising someone in
your social support network (family member, friend, old teacher).
By following one of these exercises, Achor says your happiness will rise and so will your business success.
The tiny Himalayan country of Bhutan has taken this idea of happiness even further. Four years ago, the country launched a “gross national happiness” measure to guide public policy. According to The Guardian, Bhutan’s “constitution mandates that at least 60% of the country remains under forest cover in perpetuity and its stated policy is to be 100% organic in its agricultural production,” (March 29, 2012).
Now, Bhutan’s definition of happiness is a little different than our typical Western definition. The Bhutan government says, “it refers to the deep, abiding happiness that comes from living life in full harmony with the natural world, with our communities and fellow beings, and with our culture and spiritual heritage, in short, from feeling totally connected with our world.”
Well, no matter how you define it, it looks like it “pays” to be “happy.”
Weekly Focus – Think About It
“Rules for Happiness: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for.”
--Immanuel Kant, German philosopher
·
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
AIS is Gold 3x Over
AIS has picked up another
Gold competency – Web Development. We are now Gold in Web Development, Software
Development, Portals and Collaboration and a member of the Cloud Accelerate
program (the highest level for that competency).
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Recruiting's Bad Rep
So, the following situation is something that I have seen happen with some
frequency:
Recruiter approaches a group of acquaintances at a networking event and is introduced to those he does not know. Part of the introduction is a reference to title/profession in which the reaction is “Oh…you’re one of those (rolling of eyes)…Recruiter then laughs it off and proceeds with pleasantries.
Another situation: Recruiter is at a meeting and is networking. Recruiter is introduced to an attendee who then says “You’re a pimp?”
Could be taken as a joke, but REALLY?!?
People must have some supremely disheartening experiences with Recruiters to warrant such reactions. There are folks out there that do not want to interact with recruiters at all!?! Even when they’re interested in a company or potential opportunity – I would say that intrinsically makes the interview process more difficult. Recruiters are not always welcome at professional events or groups on LinkedIn (no matter how relevant the group is; example: corporate alumni group). Just because I go to an event, doesn’t mean that I automatically view you as “prey” or that I will relentlessly proposition you about working for my company. Come on now! Professional Recruiters are certainly smarter and more strategic than that. We keep our eyes open, but generally conduct ourselves with a sense of decorum.
In my opinion, the actions of some have really put a bad taste in the mouths of many, which is really sad. A great Recruiter is an advocate, a mediator, a champion for your cause, a counselor, and can help you progress in your career. This is the fashion in which I and my teammates strive towards. I know I am not perfect. Sometimes things fall through the cracks, but I have good intentions. I like to “hunt”, but it’s not to thwart, take advantage or lead anyone astray. For me, the thrill of the hunt is to find exceptional talent and to have them join a company that I passionately believe in. As an organization, we understand that our employees are our greatest asset. I want people to join our community and I want to hire “A” players whenever possible. For me, it isn’t about hitting a number or filling a seat. It’s about making a match and providing an opportunity!
Obviously, there are some bad apples out there. There are Recruiters that pay little attention to what they're doing – it’s just a numbers game for them. I, personally, have received ridiculous messages from Recruiters in the past. I have been offered opportunities to do .NET development. Hmmm…I scratch my head with that one. So, because I have .NET in my LinkedIn profile, that qualifies me to do .NET development? That’s really interesting! Hold yourself to a higher standard. Try putting some effort into what you do. Do a little research on your prospects. Let’s work to rectify the reputation of this profession (reputation is *everything*). Recruiting is challenging enough without the negative sentiment thrown our direction with such gusto. I can tell you there are easier ways to make a living so be mindful of how you represent and “honor” what so many hardworking professionals do. It would be wise to keep in mind that people take notice of how they are treated and people like to share their personal experiences (in many different ways J).
Recruiter approaches a group of acquaintances at a networking event and is introduced to those he does not know. Part of the introduction is a reference to title/profession in which the reaction is “Oh…you’re one of those (rolling of eyes)…Recruiter then laughs it off and proceeds with pleasantries.
Another situation: Recruiter is at a meeting and is networking. Recruiter is introduced to an attendee who then says “You’re a pimp?”
Could be taken as a joke, but REALLY?!?
People must have some supremely disheartening experiences with Recruiters to warrant such reactions. There are folks out there that do not want to interact with recruiters at all!?! Even when they’re interested in a company or potential opportunity – I would say that intrinsically makes the interview process more difficult. Recruiters are not always welcome at professional events or groups on LinkedIn (no matter how relevant the group is; example: corporate alumni group). Just because I go to an event, doesn’t mean that I automatically view you as “prey” or that I will relentlessly proposition you about working for my company. Come on now! Professional Recruiters are certainly smarter and more strategic than that. We keep our eyes open, but generally conduct ourselves with a sense of decorum.
In my opinion, the actions of some have really put a bad taste in the mouths of many, which is really sad. A great Recruiter is an advocate, a mediator, a champion for your cause, a counselor, and can help you progress in your career. This is the fashion in which I and my teammates strive towards. I know I am not perfect. Sometimes things fall through the cracks, but I have good intentions. I like to “hunt”, but it’s not to thwart, take advantage or lead anyone astray. For me, the thrill of the hunt is to find exceptional talent and to have them join a company that I passionately believe in. As an organization, we understand that our employees are our greatest asset. I want people to join our community and I want to hire “A” players whenever possible. For me, it isn’t about hitting a number or filling a seat. It’s about making a match and providing an opportunity!
Obviously, there are some bad apples out there. There are Recruiters that pay little attention to what they're doing – it’s just a numbers game for them. I, personally, have received ridiculous messages from Recruiters in the past. I have been offered opportunities to do .NET development. Hmmm…I scratch my head with that one. So, because I have .NET in my LinkedIn profile, that qualifies me to do .NET development? That’s really interesting! Hold yourself to a higher standard. Try putting some effort into what you do. Do a little research on your prospects. Let’s work to rectify the reputation of this profession (reputation is *everything*). Recruiting is challenging enough without the negative sentiment thrown our direction with such gusto. I can tell you there are easier ways to make a living so be mindful of how you represent and “honor” what so many hardworking professionals do. It would be wise to keep in mind that people take notice of how they are treated and people like to share their personal experiences (in many different ways J).
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