The actions we take, whether as individuals or institutions, often lead to consequences that we did not anticipate. This phenomenon, known as the Law of Unintended Consequences (LOUC), is a fundamental aspect of human decision-making and has significant implications for various fields, including economics and social science. Despite its importance, the LOUC is often ignored by those in decision-making roles. The concept of the LOUC was first analyzed by sociologist Robert K. Merton in 1936. He identified five sources of unintended consequences that contribute to the divergence between intende ..read more

There are numerous notions we hold close – in our hearts and minds – about recruiting and hiring employees. We often learn these things early in our career as a manager, HR professional or recruiter. In the professional equivalent of sitting around the campfire, we hear the scary stories and soak in “advice” from those who have come before us. But a significant portion of what we think is truth might, in fact, be a myth. An urban legend. Something made up to keep us all “in line” – just as this story was designed to scare us and prevent nefarious nighttime activities.   Join me for this ..read more

I had jury duty last week. Or, to put it more accurately, last week I answered a summons to serve on a jury and thus reported to the 19th Judicial District Court to fulfill my civic duty. There were maybe 150 of us in total. Folks in business attire (suits, heels, LSU sweatshirts) and others who looked like they barely passed through a shower. Facial expressions and body language ranged from grim determination to exasperation. A fair number of people seemed eager and excited. And, naturally, this being Baton Rouge, quite a few seemed to be acquainted and/or related to each other based upon th ..read more

“The art of the possible” is a phrase often used to describe the practice of achieving the best possible outcome in a given situation – especially in the context of politics. It’s about creating achievable goals and being pragmatic rather than idealistic. Candidates (or elected representatives) who toss out this bon mot on the campaign trail desire to be thought of as intelligent (ha!), endowed with common sense (ha ha!), and agile enough to work within and amongst the existing government machinations.   Boiled down to its essence, “the art of the possible” emphasizes the elements of pra ..read more

Until 6 years ago I had never worked for an organization that scheduled to be closed for business on the Day after Thanksgiving. In addition, over the course of time, I worked for a fair number of companies that were open on Thanksgiving Day. At one organization the paid holidays were bundled into the general PTO bank so if, for example, a holiday feel on a regularly scheduled workday (i.e. M – F) and I wanted to take the day off for Thanksgiving or Christmas Day or Memorial Day (etc.), I needed to use a PTO day.  I generally didn’t waste a PTO day on Black Friday. But as we sit here in ..read more

Next week (hurray) I’m heading out to the HR Technology Conference & Exposition – one of my favorite annual events. I love the sessions, the demos, the Pitchfest, the Start-Up Pavilion, the Happy Hours, the “let’s catch up over lunch” meetings, and the parties. So many parties. My favorite sort of content? I love hearing case studies from HR teams who have implemented work tech that has created efficiencies, enhanced productivity, provided insight to leaders to enhance decision making, and improved the employee (and HR!) experience. This year, of course, there will be lots of chatter abou ..read more

Over the years, while working for some (certainly not all) of the companies in which I’ve plied my HR trade, I enjoyed the luxury of being serviced by a plant technician.   These people, some of whom handled the same customers for YEARS, would make weekly visits to our headquarters office, visit each department, and nurture the plants. They would water, fertilize, clip dead leaves, rotate towards the sun/away from the sun, move to a cooler and shadow-filled corner as required.  They would replace the stand or containers as necessary and occasionally whisk a plant away to re-pot ..read more

It’s time to address an annoying, longstanding, and frankly outdated tradition: the two-week notice. A business practice that is as obsolete as fax machines and paper resumes. Once upon a time, in an era lost to the mists of time, somebody thought: “Hey, employees need to give companies a heads up before they peace out” and thus, the two-week notice was born.  In theory, this notice period provides employers with time to find a replacement, redistribute tasks, and ensure no disruption in services. But I can guarantee you there are very few replacements being found and hired within two we ..read more

Let’s acknowledge that HR professionals are human beings (really) and, like everyone else, they can easily get caught up in the day-to-day hustle of checking off tasks on their to-do lists. But being “busy” doesn’t necessarily mean being effective. Activity and task completion often becomes the focal point simply because it’s easier to measure. It’s easy to track how many job interviews were conducted (check!) or how many training sessions were held (check!).  But the real  emphasis, which also allows HR to talk about success and the value-add of the work they do, should be about th ..read more

Are people still quiet quitting? Rage quitting? Staying or leaving their jobs in some other manner with a sexy/trendy moniker as highlighted in the WSJ and at SHRM conferences? Probably. People, tired of putting up with management nonsense and crappy work environments for decades centuries millennium, have always let their feet do the walking. And leaving a job is often not just because of one BIG thing; oftentimes people decide to look elsewhere due to the proverbial death by a thousand paper cups. The little indignities suffered every day. The piling on. But wanting a new job and finding on ..read more