Rudy Karsan -
Off the Cuff
I recently had an interesting conversation with a colleague about developing relationships. I am of the strong opinion that it is better to have a few good friends than numerous mediocre friends. The mediocre relationships are usually defined by some mutual interest, such as a sport you play together or a group you are both members of, and you generally do not develop these further—once the commonality ends, so does the relationship....
|
Jeff Saltzman -
Organizations
“They poison the mind and corrupt the morals of the young, who waste their time sitting on sofas immersed in dangerous fantasy worlds”.
What is this statement decrying? At first glance you might assume video games but it was written in the 1700’s and was aimed at a new medium that was springing up at the time, a medium that the older generation was lamenting was going to be the ruin of the younger generation, that medium was novels. Today of course we would be thrilled if the younger generation became immersed in novels and got hooked on reading, it would be considered a virtue....
|
Rudy Karsan -
Off the Cuff
Good workplace relationships are imperative for success and effectiveness at your job. Besides this, if you have some good friends from among colleagues, this gives you an edge. You will be less stressed at work, and the friendship will make you feel positive, supported and empowered....
|
Can a bird be afraid of heights? Can a fish fear water? Do earthworms worry about germs that might exist in the soil? Can a raccoon fear the dark? Animals when in their natural habitats are unlikely to show fear of things that are part of their very existence. But fear can be learned and once learned that fear can be debilitating.
There is an old children’s story of a fish that angered the elders of a village....
|
Rudy Karsan -
Organizations
Many moons ago, I worked as a recruiter. In that role, the question that I was never able to answer satisfactorily was: Why would individuals be much more amenable to moving to a new location when the company they were employed by wanted them to relocate, but be less open to doing so as part of a new job? It occurs to me that the primary reason for the latter might be because it would involve two separations—one from the current employer and the other from the town and home they were living in.
In the US, especially, employers often announce relocation and expect the employees to take a decision within days or at most a couple of weeks....
|
Rudy Karsan -
Performance
Are you truly engaged at work? Do you feel you are a good fit for the job you do? Are you passionate about what you do? Are you able to go beyond the call of duty because you want to do so? Do you feel your efforts are well recognized? Do you wake up each morning eager to go to work? If you cannot truly answer “Yes” to all of these questions, you are not really engaged.
The opposite of engagement is not disengagement; it is apathy. If all you find yourself doing is clocking in your eight hour-workday and going home, feeling that you have done your day’s work and that’s it, it is truly time for you to start thinking about moving on....
|
There is an old story that describes a very special clock. This clock does not work like most clocks, keeping track of the passage of time. Rather this clock, though it looks like a regular clock, keeps track of the time until a certain event is supposed to happen....
|
Rudy Karsan -
Employee Research
As a manager, anytime an employee reporting to you announces that he is resigning, assume that it is because of something that was lacking in your role as his boss. Do not be complacent or accept his reason at face value only so that you do not lose face in the eyes of your peers or superiors. Hit the pause button and reflect on whether the reason he gives—better compensation elsewhere, better prospects—is really the correct one....
|
Jeff Saltzman -
Performance
“How far back can you remember?” a friend asked me the other day. I thought about it for awhile searching my old memories and finally responded “Maybe 28 or 30”. “Years ago?” he asked....
|
Rudy Karsan -
Employee Research
If you have strong relationships with your employees, they will be unlikely to quit on you at what might be a crucial juncture. Furthermore, in the event that they do decide to move on for some reason, you may not be able to change their minds, but your strong relationship will ensure that they either will give you a longer lead-time or give you ample lead-time so you can backfill if required. There is no factor that can quite compete with a good relationship when it comes to employee retention....
|