Insightful Endeavors International, Inc

Too Old to Preside Over Age Discrimination Case?

2011-11-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

A man in New York City is suing non-profit Young Concert Artists under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act for limiting the age of competitors to musicians between the ages of 19 and 26. The claimant, Martin Stoner, is a 60-year old violinist with a long career in the music industry.

Bizarre you say.....you don't know the half of it!

The case was dismissed and the claimant has now requested that the 88-year old judge assigned to the case recuse himself because he is too old.

More on the case here and here.

Fall Back!

2011-11-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again -- Daylight Savings Time comes to an end this weekend.

It's the one time a year that you get to go back in time! It's also the one time of year I find Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time" stuck in my head.

This weekend, at 2am November 6th, Daylight Saving Time ends, and we revert to Standard Time. Well, most of us will -- there are some areas of the U.S. (namely Arizona and Hawaii) as well as some areas of the world that do not recognize Daylight Saving Time.

iPhones and other new technology will change automatically - any 'old-fashion' gadgetry will require some assistance.

Not a bad idea to post signs near time-clocks in your facilities to remind employees of the pending time change. A - it's a nice touch, and B - it's much easier to take this proactive step than to address a plethora of "can I get an hour of overtime if I punch in now" requests when employees arrive early Monday morning.

Enjoy the extra hour of sleep, play or work -- however you choose to make use of the "fall back" change!

May all Your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

Nora A Burns, SPHR is founder of Insightful Endeavors International,Inc a Denver based firm specializing in team selection anddevelopment. She has over twenty yearsexperience in human resources and organizational development and is committedto helping organizations large and small build and develop effective teams todrive bottom-line results. She is amember of the National Speakers Association (NSA), the Society for HumanResource Management (SHRM), American Society for Training and Development(ASTD) and The Center for Association Leadership (ASAE) and is a sought after speaker for conferences as wall as corporate training opportunities.

Mouse in the House

2011-10-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

There is a mouse in my house.

As I sat in my living room talking with a friend I saw itscamper behind the bookshelf.

Yes, I understand conventional wisdom that if I have seenone mouse there are several more in hiding. I, however, am focused on the one mouse that showed its face in myspace.

It’s late – most stores are closed – to Amazon.com I go.

I type “mouse trap” into Amazon’s search engine and receive 2,789results.

It’s unlikely Hasboro’s Mousetrap game is going to be ofmuch use in this situation, so I opt to narrow the search.

Under “Home & Kitchen” there are 595 results for “MouseTrap”.

I must say, after nearly five years without spotting asingle mouse or any sign of mice, I have been unaware of innovative ways peoplehave created to catch and/or kill mice.

Live capture traps, electronic traps, glue board traps,standard/classic snap traps as well as sonic pest chasers if you simply wantthem to move to the neighbor’s house.

Apparently a lot of people have takento heart Emerson’s quote, “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat apath to your door”.

The traps selected have arrived. I have set three and am hopeful this will bea short-term project.

Why am I sharing this with you?

A self-professed HR geek, I realizethat I want to get rid of these mice in much the same manner that many managerswant to get rid of “problem employees”.

I don’t want to see them suffer.
I don’t want others in the space (inthis case, my dog) to be negatively impacted.
I don’t want to handle the messiness ofit all and would like very much if someone else would do the dirty work.
I really wish they would just go livesomewhere else.

The thing is – while I can find a no-view,no-touch mouse trap, not getting actively involved in proactive performancemanagement with direct reports is definitely not the way to go in theworkplace!

Would love your thoughts!

May all Your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

Twitter: @NoraBurns

Nora A Burns, SPHR is founder of Insightful Endeavors International,Inc a Denver based firm specializing in team selection anddevelopment. She has over twenty yearsexperience in human resources and organizational development and is committedto helping organizations large and small build and develop effective teams todrive bottom-line results. She is amember of the National Speakers Association (NSA), the Society for HumanResource Management (SHRM), American Society for Training and Development(ASTD) and The Center for Association Leadership (ASAE).

Legal Discrimiantion Based on Religion

2011-10-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

This week the US Supreme Court declined to hear a case that pitted three former employees against World Vision Inc. By refusing to hear the case, the Justices have essentially affirmed the lower court's decision allowing World Vision to use religion as a component of employment decisions.

Yes, you read that correctly.

At the heart of the case is the fact that World Vision is a faith-based humanitarian organization and as such reserves the right under the Civil Rights Act to hire and retain only those employees who hold the same religious beliefs. The organization doesn't keep this practice a secret, on the "careers" section of their website it states:

"Who You Are:
You are a committed Christian eager to put your faith into action every day as you use your life to make a tangible difference for children in need. ......

You are an experienced, results-oriented professional excited at the prospect of using the unique gifts and talents God has given you to help children and families in need. World Vision U.S. hires only those who agree and accept to its Statement of Faith and/or the Apostles' Creed."

As a faith-based humanitarian organization, World Vision has the court's permission to discriminate in hiring based on religious affiliation. This is not something you should consider as a private organization as you would not have the same dispensation. Furthermore, just because an organization can legally discriminate, I personally wouldn't recommend that they do so.

First, this could be a PR nightmare for World Vision. Time will tell what the overall effect of the press on the case is.

Secondly, it could result in a loss of funding for the organization as non-Christians who have donated in the past opt to put their financial resources to use within other organizations that do not have the same employment practices. It's possible - I'm uncertain how large of an impact this will have. May be an interesting case study for people in the non-profit arena who study such things.

Thirdly, I absolutely, fundamentally believe in building a diverse and inclusive workforce. By bringing together people who look at the world through different filters we are able to create more innovative solutions. An inclusive workforce brings out the greatest brilliance of employees as fear isn't keeping ideas in the shadows.

As such, I find some irony in this portion of their "Who you are" statement on the career page:
"You recognize the importance of working together with diverse partners--including individuals, churches, corporations, and governments"

It's worth noting, that there are faith-based humanitarian organizations the do not choose to utilize their right under the Civil Rights Act to discriminate based on religious affiliation. Habitat for Humanity, for example.

As a long-time volunteer with Habitat, I am well aware that while they are a Christian-based organization, you do not need to be a Christian to (a) Be a Habitat Homeowner, (b) Volunteer with Habitat or (c) Work for Habitat as an Employee.

Volunteering with Habitat I have worked alongside Christians, Buddhists, Agnostics, Atheists and Jews and those are only the religious affiliations I've been made aware of - I am certain others have been present on builds as well.

Similar circumstances - different approaches.

What do you think? Would love to hear your insights as a hiring manager, job candidate, supporter of non-profit organizations and member of the community at large!

May all your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR
Insightful Endeavors International, Inc

Lessons from a Black Swan.....

2011-09-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

Two unpaid interns who worked on the wildly successful movie 'Black Swan', are lead plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit related for the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Simply put - they weren't paid and they believe they should have been.

It seems to me this happens quite a bit.

I cringe whenever I hear business people talk about adding summer interns to do filing and other front-line admin tasks.

Interns are not meant to be free labor. They are meant to provide a meaningful educational experience for the student.

The intern experience is carved out by the Department of Labor for the benefit of the student....not the employer. This means, for example, if an intern is simply running for coffee and lunch orders, doing filing and sweeping floors they are truly an employee and should be paid at least minimum wage.

While all the facts of the 'Black Swan' case have not yet come to light, if the interns truly were only doing 'menial tasks' the studio could be on the losing end of this suit. Truly, the DOL doesn't care if you're fetching coffee for Natalie Portman or Bob in accounting .....such tasks, if the majority of the role, do not meet the expectations of an unpaid intern.

Employers should tread very carefully if deciding the use of unpaid interns - please call your employment attorney. If you don't have one, please send me an email or give me a call and I'll gladly recommend one that I know and trust.

More on the 'Black Swan' case: New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/business/interns-file-suit-against-black-swan-producer.html ; ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/US/black-swan-unpaid-interns-file-lawsuit-fox-searchlight/story?id=14632803

Are all the walls in your house white?

2011-05-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was chatting with an out-of-state friend via Skype. I have not seen this friend's current home other than the Skype video view of his office. This weekend he decided to give me a virtual tour of the house. As he walked into the third room with the Skype video feed active, I noticed the walls appeared to all be the same color.

"Are all the walls in the house white?" I inquired.

"No” he responded, "none of them are."

Pause (imagine the perplexed look on my face as I wonder what is wrong with my camera/video feed).

"They're eggshell".

(Note the photo - he showed me a white paint sample which he had handy to demonstrate his point and graciously held it there while I snapped a photo of my screen!)

To put this conversation in Emergenetics terms, his strong Analytical preference knew he had selected “eggshell” for the paint…..my strong Conceptual preference isn’t quick to discern the difference between “eggshell” and white”.

We enjoyed a health laugh about the difference in how we view the same information - after which I provided him with a tour of my home - including the red kitchen which I love and he found a bit .....well....bright!

Embrace the difference filters through which we view the world – our differences can build highly effective, productive and innovative teams if we learn to appreciate the filters of others rather than letting these differences cause miscommunication and distrust.

May all Your Endeavors be Insightful,

~Nora

Nora A Burns, SPHR is Founder and Principal of Insightful Endeavors International, Inc a Denver, CO based firm specializing in team selection and development. She is an member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). When she's not traveling to assist clients in building innovative teams to drive bottom-line results she resides in Denver, CO with Bella the insanely cute labradoodle.

The Quest for the Best Hire is not a World of Warcraft Quest

2011-02-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

In a recent conversation with a manager at a large (Fortune 250) company, the discussion turned to hiring and interviewing. With great excitement he shared his favorite interview question – I’m fairly certain he was expecting me to congratulate him on asking an outstanding interview question. The question….his favorite/go-to interview question: “Do you play video games?”

Unless you are hiring a video game tester please do NOT ask this question during your hiring/interviewing process.

Why not?

There are more than a few reasons why this is not a legitimate, valid question for the interviewing process.

First, let me share his rational: The job requires managing multiple priorities and and if someone can manage the many aspects of a video game – keeping tabs on other players, objectives to be achieved, amount of life remaining, etc then he/she can keep up with all the aspects of the job.

I understand the rational. For over twenty years I’ve listened to people rationalize why they ask particular interview questions and in most cases there is a thread of logic. Unfortunately, as with this case, the logic has some flaws and could put this manager and his company into a position of being challenged on the legitimacy and legality of their hiring process.

First and foremost, it’s not relevant to the job. He is not, in fact, hiring a video game tester. The golden rule for interview questions is that they be directly related to the job at hand.

While there may be some truth to the fact that people who are good at video games are generally good at keeping tabs on multiple moving parts, it has not been validated and, more importantly:

(1) There are a lot of people who do not play video games who are exceptional at managing multiple priorities.

(2) There are people who play video games who are so obsessed with them that their work productivity may suffer.

Given that there are a lot of people who do NOT play video games who are exceptional at managing multiple priorities (the competency we are actually in search of) here is a risk of disparate impact with this question. Disparate impact occurs when an employer uses a selection procedure/criteria, which has an effect of disproportionately excluding persons based on a protected class such as race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, or where the selection procedure is not “job related and consisted with business necessity”.

Given that, according to Entertainment Software Association, only 40% of gamers (including everything from Wii to WOW) are women, there is already a risk of disparate impact on women. Let’s add to that the economic factors which may exclude valid candidates. Video games – be it a Wii Console or a computer with internet connection and subscription to World of Warcraft, are not cheap. This implies a bias toward candidates with higher levels of disposable income.

In addition to risks of disparate impact there is also the impression this question leaves on prospective candidates. When I posted this question on Twitter, Max Resnick (@Max_Resnick) responded:

"I would seriously question that position as a potential candidate. How much extra work do I get so they can play #everquest longer"

While the job interview is designed to help you select the best candidate, questions asked also provide potential hires with insight into you and your organization. While this hiring manager is not looking to spend more time on games himself, that may be the perception of a candidate who will choose to seek an opportunity with a more committed manager.

Finally, in addition to eliminating individuals who are exceptional at managing multiple priories simply because they do not play video games, this manager was elevating candidates in the process who play video games even though doing so may reduce their overall job performance. According to researcher Nick Yee of the Daedalus Project, individuals who play World of Warcraft spend an average of 21 to 22 hours a week playing the game. I was intrigued by this statistic and contacted twenty individuals who play WOW (admittedly a very limited sampling and not a statistically valid process). Of these twenty players, 25% admitted to playing at work while they are “on the clock”.

All-in, “Do you play video games?” is a not a question that should be part of your interviewing/hiring process for a myriad of reasons! Furthermore, if an experienced hiring manager at a Fortune 250 firm is asking this question....are you absolutely certain managers in your organization up-to-speed on effective hiring/interviewing? As the economy continues to turn and hiring picks up now is the ideal time to invest in hiring managers to ensure they fully understand and can apply effective (and legal!) interviewing techniques.

I welcome your insights, thoughts, ideas and submissions of your favorite “go-to” interviewing questions for discussion.

May all your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

www.insightfulendeavors.com
Twitter: @noraburns

Missed Opportunities

2010-10-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Bella (aka The Insanely Cute Labradoodle) has been in my life for four (4) years. This month I took her hiking for the very first time. I love hiking & yet hadn't taken Bella in all this time.

Suppose I had some fear that she would get hurt and there's the matter of Baxter (the 14lb alpha dog who doesn't care to be left alone and isn't great on a leash when encountering other animals) to contend with.

This month Baxter is away at training (watch for a post on this coming soon) so it's just Bella and I. This, coupled with a mini-trip to Steamboat Springs, was the impetus to introduce Bella to hiking.

Picked up some doggie shoes at REI to protect her paws from rocks and sharp objects (I mentioned the fear of her getting hurt, right?) then started with a nicely groomed path in Boulder and worked our way up to more challenging terrain including St. Mary's Glacier and Fish Creek Falls

She loves it.

Four years of missed hikes - I've done
her & I both a great disservice.

As I hiked with Bella I thought how similar
this is to managing employees....

What opportunities have you missed out on with members of your team because you haven't given them a chance to demonstrate hidden talents?

What amazing talents might you discover if you set aside your preconceived notions of what your team can do as well as fears you may have of mistakes being made. It could open up a whole new world of possibilities!

May all Your Endeavors be Insightful!

Nora A Burns, SPHR
www.insightfulendeavors.com

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - Stories of Emotional Intelligence (or lack thereof) - In Real Life

2010-06-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

Each day provides examples of EQ Rock Stars....and....well.... those who may not be aware of EQ and the role it plays in their world.

During a recent week I crossed paths with two mail carriers in my neighborhood who were in very different places emotionally.

Both interactions took place on beautiful, sunny spring days in Denver, CO within 5-7 blocks of one another.

The first interaction.....

Me: "Good Afternoon!"

Him: "humph" (seriously....he said "humph")

Me: "Beautiful day to have an outside job, isn't it?"

Him: "I suppose. I would rather be doing just about anything else."

The second interaction.....

Me: "Good Morning!"

Him: "And to you as well!"

Me: "It's a beautiful day to have your job isn't it!"

Him: "EVERY day is a beautiful day to have my job!"

Which of these individuals would YOU rather work with?

Attitude Matters.

Happiness Matters.

Emotional Intelligence Matters.

Where Everybody...or at least Somebody....Knows Your Name

2010-03-12T16:12:00.000-08:00

For three years, since moving to my current neighborhood, I’ve been going to the same dry cleaner.

Three years.

For the majority of those three years I went to the dry cleaner two times a week.

Each time we did the same dance….

“What’s your last name?”

“Burns….B U R N S”

“And your first name?”

“Nora….N O R A”

All of this is done with little to no eye contact.

They would enter my order or, if I were picking up, pull my newly cleaned clothes and hang them on the rack by the register. I provide my credit card and the next week we repeat the same process.

With little exception I talked with the same three clerks each week.

At around the 16-month mark I started wondering when the clerks would remember my name.

At the 24-month mark I started making little bets with myself as to if they would remember my name.

“What’s your last name?”

“Burns….B U R N S”

Two months ago I was talking with a friend at a cafe. The conversation turned to customer service and how the benefit of being a “regular” (as we both are at that particular cafe), is that the staff recognizes you, greets you by name and generally knows what you will want. They typically go the extra mile to provide outstanding service in recognition of the many visits you’ve made to their establishment.

I share the story of my dry cleaner and how I’ve been seriously considering finding a new one.

Small world – my friend knows the owner of the dry cleaner where I’ve been going for three years. He gives me his name and the hours when the owner is typically at the store and says to be sure to mention that Dale sent me his way.

The next week I go to the dry cleaners when the owner will be there.

“What’s your last name?”

“Burns……B U R N S"

*the owner is standing a few feet away*

“And your first name….”

The dance continues.

After completing the transaction I introduce myself to the owner of the shop and explain what I have shared with you here.

He shows little concern.

He makes excuses.

He mentions that perhaps there exists a technology fix that he could institute.

He says they will try harder and that he would definitely remember my name.

It hits me.

My very social/relational brain is frustrated with what I see as lack of concern and care for a loyal customer.

His very analytical and structure-focused brain doesn’t see why the clerk knowing my name is important when the clothes are cleaned properly.

We are looking at the world through very different filters.

His filters focus on efficiency and accuracy while mine focus on relationship.

He looked at me as if I had a third eye in the middle of my forehead – and I’m quite certain my face was displaying confusion as I realized he really wasn’t all that concerned that his staff did not recognize their regulars.

Since this conversation I’ve been back four times (2 times to drop off - 2 to pick up).

“What’s your last name?”….

“Burns….B U R N S “

The dance continued.

Now I drive back to my old neighborhood – to the dry cleaner who not only remembers by name (even after three years) – but also asks about my dogs who she met years ago.

Sometimes it's nice to go somewhere where everybody...or at least somebody...knows your name.

Chances are your customers look at the world through different filters than you --- personality, thinking preferences, generational, socio-economic, etc – Being able to meet your clientele where THEY are is key to growing and retaining the business relationship. The first step to doing this effectively is to hire for DIVERSITY of THOUGHT vs hiring a series of mini-mes who look at the world the same way you do.

Is your organization like a tiger?

2009-11-30T12:04:00.000-08:00

In the absence of real information from a credible source, it is human nature to fill the gap – most often with the worst-case scenario. With each iteration, these stories grow more speculative, more horrifying, more grandiose.

We’re seeing this occur with Tiger Woods’ one-car accident. In the absence of REAL information there is speculation. Was he drinking? Were they fighting? The conspiracy theories are out in force. With each day that passes without him speaking with authorities the rumors appear to grow stronger and more ferocious.

The story isn’t so much about the accident….it’s about the lack of information around the accident.

This is exactly what happens inside organizations. In the absence of real information from a credible source, employees will fill the gaps and panic can easily ensue. Are we being bought out? Is the company in financial trouble? Should I be looking for another job?

The fallout of this speculation is wide-reaching:

(1) Productivity plummets. Employees are expending so much energy on speculations, worry, working on their resumes, etc that productivity takes a hit. The more wild rampant the rumors and speculation, the further productivity falls.

(2) Top talent exits the organization. Exceptional employees have more options in terms of where they work - when the culture of an organization disintegrates into one of uncertainty top performers become frustrated by the drop of productivity and will seek opportunities elsewhere. Brain-drain ensues further hampering the organization.

(3) Customers question the organization’s viability. Rumors are not contained by the walls of your headquarters. When employees get nervous so do customers. Chat boards light up with talk about the perils of the organization – real or imagined. It fuels the fire of misinformation and further hampers the organization’s effectiveness.

My advice: Don’t be like a tiger ….well….at least don’t be like Tiger Woods and his handling of the car accident.

Openly share information – don’t hide from your employees and naively think they will operate on the assumption that “no news is good news”. It’ more likely they will assume ‘no news means something horrible is happening and I should talk with others about this and see if they agree with me that the world is, in fact, coming to an end’.

When in doubt communicate, communicate, communicate.

May all your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR
www.insightfulendeavors.com
Twitter: @NoraBurns

Want employees to go above and beyond? Lead by example!

2009-11-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

This week I had the pleasure of attending the 2009 Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association Conference in Colorado Springs, CO. At the annual conference, outstanding employees in the hotel & lodging industry are recognized for exceptional service in their respective areas of expertise. If you’ve traveled in Colorado you’ve likely met some of these service providers. They are the people who go out of their way to make guests feel “at home” while on the road and include bellman, concierges, reception desk staff, chefs, etc.

The evening before the award dinner I heard about one particularly outstanding employee …. Ken Wall of Doubletree Grand Junction. If memory serves correctly, Ken has worked at the property for 19 years. In that time he has not missed a single day of work, has never been late and has not been the recipient of a single disciplinary action. Ken is a “getter done” guy who is committed to exceptional service and making life easier for others.

Here’s the challenge……and the story as I heard it from several sources…..I-70, the highway leading from Grand Junction to Denver/Colorado Springs was closed. If I-70 is impassable it would be really unsafe and unwise to attempt any other way down the mountain. It looked like Ken would miss the conference….and the presentation of his award for outstanding service.

The owner of the Doubletree Grand Junction property is in the Denver area and was already at the conference. When he heard about Ken’s predicament he immediately went into action. Ken arrived later that evening…….by plane. The property owner recognized the importance of going above and beyond for Ken.…..just as Ken had gone above and beyond for so many guests over the previous 19 years.

My reaction to this story as it was relayed to me….in a word: Goosebumps.

If you want your employees to go the extra mile for your customers…..go the extra mile for them.

Are you holding yourself to the same standard you expect of all employees?

May all your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

p.s. Next time I’m in Grand Junction ….. I’ll be staying at the Doubletree. They have earned my business by displaying exceptional leadership.

Are you a clock watcher?

2009-09-14T13:56:00.001-07:00

While visiting Denver's Wellington Webb Municipal Building I couldn't help but think of those who spend their days staring at the clock in anticipation of quitting time.

Why?

Mainly because with this piece of art hanging nearby I feel for the folks working the information desk on slow days.....

The scent of fresh cut grass.....a reminder to say thank you.

2009-09-09T06:54:00.000-07:00

Last week, for the first time in at least ten years, I mowed the lawn. More specifically, I mowed my sister’s lawn while visiting her in Wisconsin.

After volunteering for the task I headed to the garage…..it took a good fifteen minutes to figure out how this particular mower worked. Now, in all fairness, I would have had to do that with any mower manufactured after about 1990.

Choke, motor speed, blade controls – got it. Now to maneuver the lawn. Around the edge of the lawn……couldn’t just go with 90 degree angles…..nope this lawn has curved edging providing a bit more of a challenge.

As I worked in the hot sun I thought about what an un/under appreciated task mowing the lawn is. It’s one of those things that needs to be done and if we aren’t the one that is responsible for this household task it probably doesn’t even register on our mind for a minute …..unless the lawn starts getting REALLY long. I confess to being someone who has taken a mowed yard for granted - whether it me by HOA, property manager or ex-husband....the yard has been mowed and I don't think I've fully appreciated the task being done.

How many tasks are being done within your team ….within your organization….that go unnoticed……unless they don’t get done? Take a few moments today to seek out those who take care of all the details….who do their jobs so well they make it look easy and therefore can often be taken for granted.

Thank those folks who make it possible for you to do what you do....by taking care of the administrative details, the behind-the-scenes work that is critical to your success.

Take a few moments to notice how great the lawn looks.

Maintaining SPHR Certification When Times Are Tough

2009-07-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

Maintaining professional credentials like the SPHR (Senior Professional Human Resources) can be difficult -- doing so when you are unemployed takes it to another level.

We understand and would like to help.

For every five paid registrations for workshops which have been pre-approved by HRCI for re-certification credits we will invite an SPHR-certified member of the HR
community who is currently between gigs to attend as our guest. We will continue this offer until the national unemployment rate is once again under at least 7%

Opportunities for free passes will be posted to www.insightfulendeavors.com/free

This week we gave away:

Twitter for Business TWO (2) seats
Building a Leadership Development Program from the Inside Out ONE (1) seat

How to qualify to win FREE passes

Free passes are to support UNEMPLOYED HR Pros with SPHR Certification.
If you are not Unemployed AND hold SPHR Certification sorry but you are not eligible.

Check the www.insightfulendeavors.com/free list periodically
When a program is listed that you are interested in and available for then...
Send an email with "SPHR between gigs" in the subject line
In the body of the message include:

your name
email address
phone number
Title of Session you would like to be entered into the drawing for

Send the message to: info@insightfulendeavors.com

Please note: We have received entries and inquiries from individuals who are working temporary positions -- these free seats are for the truly and fully unemployed.

May all your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR
www.insightfulendeavors.com

For a full list of the programs we offer that have been pre-approved by HRCI for 2009 visit www.insightfulendeavors.com/phrsphr

CEOs are on Twitter....are you?

2009-05-10T20:46:00.001-07:00

It’s being talked about across the U.S.……

• CNN.com
• New York Times
• Fortune Magazine
• NPR (National Public Radio)

It’s being talked about overseas….

• Business Standard - India
• Kippreport – Dubai
• This French Life – France

CEOs are talking about it....and on it....

• 'Yes, I'm a CEO Who Really Uses Twitter'
• 'CEOs Take on Twitter'

It’s being talked about on television shows…..

Sunday night “Twittering” was talked about on Desperate Housewives in context of business/marketing executives needing to understand Twitter!

It’s not going away. It’s time to pay attention to Twitter!

Five Quick Tips:

1. Content vs Fluff: It’s all about who you choose to follow. Find interesting people and follow them --- and look at who THEY are following since interesting people tend to follow interesting people.
2. Use TwitterDeck to organize your tweets.
3. iPhone users visit the App Store to find “Tweetie”
4. Assume your boss, clients, professors, friends, family, etc will find you on Twitter – tweet accordingly
5. Stop making excuses. You are NOT “too old” or too “non-techie”.

If you’d like to learn more about Twitter we welcome you to attend the workshop that best meets your needs:

Twitter for Business – understand your organization’s brand/identity twitter-style, case studies of businesses that have effectively used Twitter to build their business, etc.

Twitter Boot Camp – for the twitter novice – hands-on workshop including setting up your account, establishing your profile and understanding basic twitter lingo.

For an up-to-date schedule of our public workshops and webinars: www.insightfulendeavors.com/calendar

May all your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR
www.insightfulendeavors
www.twitter.com/noraburns
www.twitter.com/phrsph

"Blocked" Call....An Unexpected Turn of Events

2009-04-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

The call came up as "Blocked" on caller I.D.

"It's going to be a solicitor" I thought to myself as I begrudgingly answered "Good morning, this is Nora, how can I help?"

It wasn't a solicitor.

It was, in fact, the complete OPPOSITE of a solicitor.

The caller explained he was aware I was offering classes that had been pre-approved by HRCI credit......and that I was giving away a free seat to someone who is currently unemployed for every 5 registrants.

"Yes", I confirmed, "that is correct"

I was unsure where he going to lead the conversation ---- request to be entered into the drawing for the guest pass? Register himself? Something else?

"I'm not available for the sesssion April 29th", he stated.

Hmmm...I wondered....why is he calling about it then?

"I'd like to help out"

In an unexected turn.... he stated he wanted to purchase two seats for the April 29th session. He is purchasing them not for himself but for two to-be-determined SPHRs.....possibly for you.

My caller (who wishes to remain anonymous) is purchasing two seats for the April 29th session "Building a Leadership Development Program From the Inside Out" being held in Denver. (The session has been pre-approved by HRCI for 5.75 Strategic Credits.)

The seats will be given away Monday to two Human Resource/Training/Organizational Development Professionals.

To be entered to win one of these two seats...

Send an email with your contact information no later than noon on Monday.

I'm very excited and will now answer "Blocked" calls with much more enthusiasm!!!

Looking forward to hearing from you and working with you next week!

May all your Endeavors be Insightful and all your "BLOCKED" calls Positive,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

www.insightfulendeavors.com

www.twitter.com/noraburns

www.twitter.com/phrsphr

Nora A Burns, SPHR is founder of Insightful Endeavors International, Inc a Denver, CO based firm specializing in team and leadership development. She is an member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). When she's not traveling to assist clients in building innovative teams to drive bottom-line results she resides in Denver, CO with Bella, the insanely cute labradoodle and Bella's sidekick Baxter.

Raindrops keep falling on my head.......

2009-04-19T09:40:00.001-07:00

We had more than the usual amount of precipitation in Denver over the past few days. Snow, Sleet, Rain – it was messy. It was perfect “stay in” weather.

Unfortunately the rain, snow, sleet also decided it was a good weekend to be “in” .........“in” my basement.

ick

Earlier this week I read Ashley Andrus’ post on Jobing.com Denver about Kathy Stroh being stranded in Wyoming. Sometime after running the wet-vac, having friends come by with a back-up wet-vac, my neighbor adding apoxy to the outside of the house to keep more water from coming in, etc --- I flashed back to her post.

I was slow to realize the ‘Comic Vision’– but it was there.

Thankfully I discovered it before the water restoration guy showed up.

As he felt around the edges of the guest room closet I heard him grown as he discovered a new challenge to our clean-up….…. “Now that’s the sound you never want to hear coming from your doctor or your home contractor” I chucked out loud upon hearing that groan. Finally – my ‘Comic Vision’ had returned!

He laughed in response and said, “at least you have a positive outlook through this”. But I hadn’t. That ‘Comic Vision’ had not been present the previous five hours. I had been very stressed, sad and frustrated.

This relates directly to the components of Emotional Intelligence ---- Stress Tolerance and Impulse Control in particular. Had my Stress Tolerance been stronger my ‘Comic Vision’ could have found it’s way more easily. Instead, I had stacked up my "bummers"(watch the full video for more on that phrase)

Those hours immediately following the discovery of the flood in my basement could have been far less frustrating….and I a much more enjoyable person had my stress tolerance been stronger and my 'comic vision' in play.

A great reminder that regardless of the strength or weakness of our general EQ there is always room for improvement -- and it's important to always be aware of your 'Comic Vision'.

If you have not yet watched Tim Gard’s video regarding 'Comic Vision' I encourage you to watch it now – it is well worth your time! I'm going to go watch it again myself.....

May all your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

www.insightfulendeavors.com

www.twitter.com/noraburns

www.twitter.com/phrsphr

Teambuilding Lessons.....from my dogs

2009-04-16T15:41:00.001-07:00

Earlier this month I took care
of my sister's two dogs while
she was on vacation.

<- My two dogs plus her two dogs

(yes….that’s a lot of dogs in one small house....a pack actually)

This was by no means the first time they met. They have been “dog friends” and played together on countless occasions.

This is different. This is 24 hours a day for 6 days and 5 nights.

Here’s a run-down of the characters:

Bella – insanely cute labradoodle, physically the largest – she is a true pacifist
Baxter – my little guy who is 14lbs of alpha dog
Skittle – my sister’s little white dog who channels a labrador - a ball must be thrown for him on an almost constant basis
Chloe – my sister’s shitzu - I’ve always known her to be a bit of a wall-flower, preferring to watch than participate

Watching them interact over the course of the week I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to when we bring new team members on board…..or a new manager is hired for a group of employees.

There were set expectations. Bella and Baxter have been living together – sharing space, food and attention for a year and a half. Now there are two other little dogs in the same framework.

Bella looked at me on more than one occasion with an expression I read as “you have GOT to be kidding…I was an only dog…then you brought in Baxter….now TWO more….*sigh*”. She made several attempts to play with Skittle and Chloe…..most of the time Skittle was too focused on the ball….and her size was a bit intimidating to Chloe.

She is that first employee we hired onto the team --- it may have been to help her that we hired the second employee --- someone to share the growing workload. She’s not sure the circumstances are right for her anymore. We need to be sure we are still recognizing and rewarding this employee to ensure he/she doesn’t get ‘lost in the crowd’.

Baxter, the classic alpha dog, started out being bossy -- laying on the couch beside me he would growl when Skittle or Chloe came around to be pet. After a few days of being kicked off the couch or ignored when he acted out, he opted for the role of the loner, laying out in the sun on the patio by himself.

He’s the employee who feels threatened when new talent joins the team. This happens a fair amount when new expectations are not set and manager or team assimilation is not handled well. An assimilation strategy can help this exponentially – sadly, I am not able to reason with Baxter.

Chloe surprised me on more than one occasion. She is typically pretty quiet – afraid of sudden movements and loud noises. When the neighbor dog barked the other three ran toward the sound….Chloe away from it. Once in awhile she would add some spunkiness and energy --- it was there, just hidden away most of the time.

She’s the employee who joins the team after working for a manager who has never appropriately recognized her talent. She’s been shoo’d away, told her ideas aren’t significant, her contribution isn’t valued. She probably worked for the manager for which nothing is good enough. When greeted with “Here’s a million dollars!” this employee’s former boss would say in a nasty tone “What?!? In 20’s?!?"

When a new employee joins your team it’s important to realize you don’t know what kind of baggage they are carrying. There is a learning curve that comes with every new position, employer and employee --- be sure to give your new hires a chance to be successful.

Skittle is the Energizer Bunny® of dogs. He was not affected at all by Baxter’s bossiness, Bella’s attempts to distract him with play, or Chloe’s shyness. He had one objective: chase the ball.

He’s the employee who works hard while remaining oblivious to the outside world. You brought him on to do a job – and he is going to do it!! Of course, he may alienate everyone else in the process….but the work will be done! This employee will need guidance from you on understanding that meeting objectives means more than delivering the project. Competencies such as peer relationships and approachability will be key to meeting objectives in the long term.

When you bring together a team of employees….or change the makeup in any way, there is a risk of alienation….of missing out on the brilliance of some members because of intimidation or simply a history of intimidation elsewhere. There is a risk of losing members because they grow tired of living in the shadow of the new, cuter puppy…..or rather, the new and therefore very interesting new hire.

It's important to put time and effort into building and effectively communicating with your team in order to capture the unique excellence of each member.

May all you Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR
www.twitter.com/noraburns
www.twitter.com/phrsphr

Nora A Burns, SPHR is the founder of Insightful Endeavors International, Inc a Denver, CO based firm specializing in team and leadership development. She is an member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). When she's not traveling to assist clients in building innovative teams to drive bottom-line results she resides in Denver, CO with Bella, the insanely cute labradoodle and Bella's sidekick Baxter.

2009-02-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of buzz around Twitter these days......and I've received a fair number questions while at speaking engagements and via follow-up emails about the basics of using Twitter. As a result, I've pulled together this list of things I wish I would have known sooner rather than later.

Note: these are Twitter 101 insights....there are a lot of ways you could use Twitter to build your brand, communicate with employees, clients and prospective clients....this list provides some initial "welcome to twitter" information.

(1) Twitter.com is FREE (...there is talk that there will be a charge down the road....time will tell..for now FREE)

(2) My base-line definition of twitter: "Micro-Blog that allows people to share their humor, insights and wisdom in 140 characters or less" @noraburns

(3) There are hundreds if not thousands of applications to help you manage twitter. Some of my favorites: TweetDeck.com and TweetLater.com ......and on my iPhone I currently use Tweetsville and TwitterFon.

(4) When identifying another person on Twitter in a message use the @ symbol before their twitter name --- i.e. "Chatting with @NoraBurns about building a Leadership Development Program" or "Meeting with @NoraBurns at the XYZ Convention"

....this allows other Twitter-ers to simply click on the "@noraburns" portion of the message to see my profile --- it also would also allow me to easily see that you are tweeting about me---- as well as demonstrating that you take Twitter into real life with REAL relationships (please use caution if you choose to identify specifically where you are)

(5) A Re-Tweet is identified by "RT" at the beginning of a message --- this is when you are so inspired by what someone else said or it's information that you feel ought to be shared that you want YOUR followers to know about it as well.

(6) If you want others to RT your messages -- keep them UNDER 100 characters as the "RT @noraburns" counts toward the 140 characters --- and Retweeters often want to add a bit of commentary to the end of your message as well.

(7) To send a message directly to one user that no one else will see.....use "D @noraburns". This is essentially a private chat. NOTE: You cannot send a Direct Message to anyone who is NOT following you......and that also means if you aren't following people they cannot Direct Message you!

(8) Anyone can follow you. It's not like Facebook or LinkedIn where others have to request to be connected to you.

(9) You CAN Block people. If someone truly is obnoxious and you don't want him/her on your "Followers" list you could block them. I use this pretty much only for people who have nude or semi-nude photos up or truly inappropriate messaging.

(10) You'll learn a lot as you start using it -- I like Ford Saeks' (@Prime_Concepts) suggestion which he applies to any social media site -- set up a dummy account to practice and get the hang of it --- then set up your brand-specific account.

(11) Sign up today and secure YOUR brand identity! Unfortunately @Insightful was already taken when I joined the land of twitter and @InsightfulEndeavors is too long (twitter names are 15 characters or less).

There you go -- some basic Twitter info from an avid user (some might say addict). I've been "Twittering since 2008" and have found it to be a fabulous tool for building relationships as well as brand recognition.

Now go -- set up your account ......and don't forget to follow @noraburns! (and for HR Pros who are or looking to obtain/retain PHR/SPHR certification....@phrsphr)

May all your Endeavors (and Tweets) be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

Nora A Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, Inc. With over twenty years Human Resource and Organizational Development experience, Nora has provided insights to entrepreneurial firms, mid-size organizations and Fortune 50 companies on team and leadership development.

Insightful Endeavors International, Inc specializes in Team and Leadership Development. We are based in Denver, CO and work internationally.

Insightful Job Seeker Quick Tip: Voice Mail/Answering Machines

2008-12-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

Insightful Job Seeker Quick Tip: Voice Mail/Answering Machines

Update the greeting on your voice mail/answering machine.
- As cute as your daughter’s voice on the machine sounds and as funny as your son gargling the “hello” message may be, it’s not the appropriate message for potential employers to reach.

Record a professional message that includes at least your last name if not your full name --- this way the caller is assured they have reached the correct number and can leave a more detailed message.

Check your messages regularly and respond to recruiters within within 24 hours.

If the line prospective employers are calling is shared with other family members set up a system for handling messages about job opportunities so you don't miss out!

You’d think this one would go without saying .......but I’ve had it happen..... do NOT answer the phone if you’ve been drinking alcohol....it may be the recruiting you’ve been hoping would call!

May all your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

Nora A Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, Inc. Over her twenty year career in human resources and organizational development she has interviewed and hired thousands of individuals across a variety of industries.

Insightful Endeavors International, Inc specializes in Leadership Development and Team Development --- building sustainable, innovative teams to drive bottom-line results. We are based in Denver, CO and work internationally.

Insightful Job Seeker Quick Tip: Email Addresses

2008-11-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

Today’s Job Seeker Tip: E-mail addresses

Over the course of my career I have been absolutely SHOCKED by the email addresses people use during their job search.

It is NOT appropriate to have an email address such as.......

sxykitten
sexychic
video_game_aholic
hotguy74

.....listed on your resume/application.

Not the way to make a great first impression.

Yahoo, hotmail and gmail accounts FREE and take less than fifteen minutes to set up. Set one up using your name or name and profession..........

LisaSmith@
EngineerBob@
Mary.Smith@

You want the person screening resumes/applications to say “Hey! Look at this one” because of the content -- not because they are laughing and wondering WHAT you were thinking!

May all your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

Nora A Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, Inc. Over her twenty year career in human resources and organizational development she has interviewed and hired thousands of individuals across a variety of industries.

FISH!® Principles in Everyday Life!

2008-11-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

Imagine you are sitting on a plane..... you have the aisle seat and the person sitting in the window seat has taken his place. The plane is filling with travelers ..... the flight attendant’s voice fills the aircraft announcing the flight will be full. As passengers load you continue to check for eye contact with those approaching your aisle........which one will request to get past you to that middle seat...... The flow of passengers is slowing...... The attendant is looking down the jet-bridge.......

The man sitting in the window seat looks over.....having read your mind he knows you’re hoping for the extra space afforded travelers with an empty seat next to them.....he says “won’t happen.....I am the unluckiest guy on the planet”. You pause....then reply “well, I lead a particularly charmed life so I’d say together we’re still luckier than not....there is hope!”

He is not to be convinced.

Then, that fabulous sound........you hear the door latch. YES! You smile. He shrugs and comments that he’ll need to buy a lotto ticket when we land.

Fast forward fifteen minutes. We’re still on the tarmac.....the pilot’s voice fills the aircraft announcing we are in line for de-icing and it will be another five to ten minutes.

“See?!?” says the man by the window ..... “Told you I’m unlucky.”

“How so?”

The man looks dumbfounded “We’re just sitting here!”

“But we’re lucky they are de-icing the plane”

He looks more dumfounded than before.

“Well, if the crew skipped de-icing just to get out on time we’d likely crash.....we’re lucky to have a trained crew who puts out safety first!”

He smiles ....... he laughs.....and he has an “ah-ha” moment. Life truly IS what we make it. “I’ve never thought of it that way before --- I’m going to start putting things into that perspective”. Another smile. And in the moment he was Choosing His Attitude....one of the key principles of FISH!

What attitude have YOU chosen today?

May all your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

Nora A Burns, SPHR is Founder and Head Marlin of Insightful Endeavors International, Inc. She is a road-warrior, working with companies and associations across the globe to build sustainable, innovative teams that drive bottom-line results. When not traveling to work with clients on building sustainable, innovative teams, Nora lives in Denver, CO.

From the Home Office in Denver, CO....the TOP TEN LIST!

2008-11-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Reasons to Attend the CHRA Annual Conference “RECRUIT, RETAIN, REWARD: The Three Rs of Strategic HR Leadership” in Denver on January 23, 2009:

10. You deserve a day away from office politics—and you’ll earn PHR/SPHR credit to boot!
Dealing with employee issues day in, day out…you need some professional development “Me Time”! If you’re working on your certification or recertification efforts, you’ll also have the opportunity for 5.5 hours of valuable content towards your requirements. (Plus, you’ve always wanted to see INVESCO Field in the light of day without all those football players running around.)

9. It’s your chance to pick up the latest exhibitor “loot”!
This year’s conference includes an Exhibit Hall with exceptional service providers --- from legal services and educational institutions to top-notch HR consultants and ancillary benefits experts. The Tattered Cover will also be on hand so you can pick up the latest must-read books and resources. Come network with the people whose job it is to make your job easier!

8. An ENFP told you it would be FABULOUS to learn about the use of psychometric tools in the hiring process.
Ever feel like recruiting is like a revolving door and having trouble finding candidates who “stick”??? Nora Burns, SPHR (yup, that's me) will review the use of personality profiles as a consideration in the hiring process. Learn if and when to use personality profiles in your talent acquisition process for improved results.

7. Disney Institute will be there! Disney!!
In the morning keynote session Scott Milligan, SPHR will share proven, valuable insights on “Recruiting & Retaining Employees, Disney Style” that you can put to work in your own organization. This is your chance to learn proven Disney business philosophies developed by Walt Disney himself that have benefited over half of the Fortune 100 companies. Get ready to be inspired, motivated and entertained!

6. Everyone likes to hear two words: free food.
Your registration for the day includes breakfast, lunch and the famous CHRA afternoon dessert bar. This year’s dessert lineup includes Epicurean’s delicious “silver spoon bites” with strawberry shortcake, bananas foster, raspberry fudge brownies, white chocolate truffle cake, and more. Don’t miss your afternoon sugar rush!

5. You've always wanted to know how to say ANYTHING to ANYONE.
Ever have a hard time coming up with the right words to say to an employee and drive the messages you intended? Shari Harley, MA will share the secrets for having those candid conversations that will lead to increased engagement, employee satisfaction and retention of your talent.

4. Tight budgets have you scrambling for creative, inexpensive employee recognition solutions.
Slashed budget holding you back from saying “thank you” and recognizing employee efforts? Tara Powers, MS will give you a variety of effective recognition techniques that can be implemented immediately without breaking the bank.

3. You’re pretty sure you’re supposed to know what EEO, AAP, ADA, FLSA, EFCA all mean—and what the latest legal developments are on each of them.
Laura Hazen, Esq, and Denise Kay, Esq, SPHR will walk you through the “Alphabet Soup” on the path to developing sound, strategic HR policies in a legal minefield. In a separate session we’ll also address the hot trend towards corporate social responsibility and the legal, ethical, and political issues affecting HR strategy.

2. You’ll get a FREE copy of Dr. Bob Nelson’s “1001 Rewards & Recognition Field Book”.
Best-selling author and internationally-recognized “Guru of Thank You” Dr. Bob Nelson will be giving the afternoon keynote address on “Creating a Culture of Recognition & Rewards” so you’ll hear the latest trends on this critical topic. In addition, you’ll walk away with your very own copy of the Field Book for future reference.

and the NUMBER ONE reason to attend the 2009 CHRA Conference…..

1. NETWORKING…..it’s not just for jobseekers anymore.
Well, it never has been…but that doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as nicely. There will be several hundred HR folks in attendance at the event from around Colorado as well as area experts in recruitment, retention and rewards. Networking with other HR practitioners at this one-a-year event will be well worth the time aside from the great sessions, speakers, and attendees.

Every aspect of the 2009 conference has been designed to give you practical information you can put to work to help your organization succeed in these challenging economic times. Don’t get left behind—register today!!

Visit www.CHRA.org for more details and to register.

See you at the Conference in January!!!

Wishing you the very best with ALL your endeavors,

Nora A Burns, SPHR
www.insightfulendeavors.com

Twitter Tag!

2008-11-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

ChrisRussell tagged me (via Twitter)....... to share seven random/weird facts about me.

It's an interesting concept, to tell virtual strangers...who are "virtual friends"....about yourself in a Twitter-Tell-All kind of way...but I'm almost always game for a game so here goes.

You should know the rules I have been instructed to follow (note, I have have not ACTUALLY committed to following them....).......

Link your original tagger(s) (in my case....ChrisRussell who you can also find on Twitter)
List these rules on your blog. (check!)
Share seven facts about yourself in the post - some random, some weird.

This fall I traveled to Macedonia with Habitat for Humanity
My dream vacation is an African Safari including a hot air balloon ride over Serengeti during the migration.
My dreams are sometimes rather specific.
I love my job.
I am the youngest of nine...yes, nine and yes, all from the same two parents.
Working my way through college included a stint as a 3rd shift press operator for the local shopping news (who could make that up??)
I share my life with two insanely cute dogs (see photo for proof!)

Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs. (see below -- would have listed them here but the rules DO say to put them at the end of the post!)
Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs and/or twitter. (check!)

Here are the bloggers I'm tagging...

Liz Ryan
Gina Schreck
Brad Montgomery
Sandy Durmont
Jennifer Murray - The Nimble Assistant
Steve Spangler
Gina LaGuardia

My Name Is Nora.....and I'm a Twitter Addict

2008-11-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

It's official. While I am late on the scene, having joined the Twitter craze less than 48 hours ago, I am already hooked.

No, I'm not addicted to knowing who is going to the grocery store, the coffee shop and the bathroom (Seriously people --- note item #4 below). I'm addicted to the knowledge sharing.

A curious person by nature, I'm finding Twitter to be the equivalent of a 7-shot espresso. This morning, compliments of Twitter-ers (ites, ies?), I learned:

Emotional Intelligence DOES affect SAT scores!
You can find the blogs of many big companies all in one place.
Blogging moms rule the world (simply search Mom and Motrin to see what I mean!)
Obama will likely have to give up his Blackberry when he takes office! (I can't even fathom doing this)

....and so much more.

People have information -- and they want to share it. Twitter provides another opportunity for us to do just that --- in REAL TIME.

Quick tips from one Twitter Rookie to another:

Content vs Fluff Solution : It's all about who you choose to follow. Find interesting people and follow them -- and look at who THEY are following since interesting people tent to follow interesting people.
If you use Mac....set up TwitterDeck to organize your twittering.
iPhone users visit the App Store and find "Twitterrific".
Assume your boss, clients, professors, friends, family, etc will find you on Twitter.

Follow me on Twitter.......I promise not to tell you when I am on my way to the bathroom...well, except maybe on April Fools Day.

Wishing you the best in all your endeavors,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

www.insightfulendeavors.com

Nora A Burns, SPHR is founder of Insightful Endeavors International (IEI), Inc. A native of Wisconsin with 20 years experiences in Learning & Organizational Development, Nora currently resides in Denver, CO with her insanely cute Labradoodle Bella and Bella's sidekick Baxter.

IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results. We pride ourselves on being a top-tier resource for leadership development, team development and assisting organizations in finding innovative solutions.

Remarkable People

2008-11-16T20:36:00.000-08:00

Last month I had the distinct honor of meeting Desmond Tutu. The evening was remarkable in itself and made all that more special by the fact that I shared it with my mom (standing between Demond Tutu and I in the photo).

I wish you could have been there…..we were at the VIP reception after the Archbishop’s talk…..the room was filled with excited chatter, the clinking of glasses and the laugher of friends. Reverend Tutu was mingling with guests. I had spoken with him earlier in the evening before his talk and now I had the absolute delight of introducing him to my mom. Upon completing the introduction I stepped back and drank in the moment. My mom (from rural Wisconsin) was shaking hands and chatting with Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Desmond Tutu from South Africa. A moment which will live forever in my memory ---- as I type this I can almost hear their respective laughs milling together. I wish you could have heard it …….

The paths of remarkable people cross each day --- in this case it was my mom and Desmond Tutu. Both people I admire --- with more differences than similarities --- and both remarkable in their own way.

The world is filled with remarkable people……some, like Desmond Tutu, have Nobel Peace Prizes….many more, like my mom, do not. Are you appreciating the remarkable people in your life?

More on the messages Desmond Tutu shared in future posts. I’m confident I will be sharing stories of the evening in workshops and keynotes for many years to come!

Wishing you the very best with all your endeavors,

Nora A Burns

Nora A. Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, (IEI), Inc. A native of Wisconsin with 20 years experience in Learning & Organizational Development, Nora currently resides in Denver, CO with her insanely cute Labradoodle Bella and Bella's sidekick Baxter.

IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results.

Photo Note: Left to right.... Me - Nora Burns, My Mom - Ruth Burns, Desmond Tutu, My Friend - Penny Paster

The Important Things In Life......

2008-10-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend my mother (who lives in Madison, WI) was visiting me in Colorado.

She and I are from different generations of course (she is my mother after all)! We are not separated by only one generation ---- I am the youngest of nine (yes….nine) and was born when my mother was 45. We are two generations apart, with my older siblings representing the generation in between.

It’s no wonder I’ve had a life-long appreciation for generational differences.

During our most recent conversation the topic turned to thank you notes. Seems my mother is a little annoyed at one of the grandkids (there are 23 of them) for not having sent a thank you note for a gift she sent months ago. In my mother’s words “There are probably five really important things to learn in this world…..and the importance of sending thank you notes is one of them”. (In all honesty I think she is more annoyed that her children have not passed on the importance of thank you notes to their children after she spent so much time focused on this with each of us).

In any case…this got me thinking ---- if I had to list the five most important things in life to be passed on to my children (or, since I don’t have kids….to my nieces and nephews)…what would they be?

Here’s what I came up with….

• Do what you love and love what you do --- it makes the days much more enjoyable
makes you a lot easier to be around during and after work!
• Be involved – in your community, neighborhood, school, etc.
• Experience new things – see the world, experience and appreciate new cultures
and different ways of doing things – broaden your horizons.
• Be a great friend ----- and it will be reciprocated.
• And…for the sake of my mother….send thank you notes.

I’d love to hear what you might include on your list – please add your thoughts via the comment section or contact me through www.insightfulendeavors.com

Wishing you the very best with all your endeavors,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

Nora A. Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, (IEI), Inc. IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results. In addition to working with corporations and associations, IEI offers public workshops across the United States. Fall/Winter workshops are being offered in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Wisconsin – registration is available here.

Henry the Eighth --- English Monarch or hit by Herman's Hermits?

2008-10-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

Henry the Eighth --- English Monarch or 1965 muscial hit by Herman's Hermits?

Our generational ‘culture’ influences our interpretation of words, phrases, etc.

Each generation has been shaped by the events which occurred during their lives….particularly those which occurred during formative years….

Do you remember…..

• When construction began on the Berlin Wall in 1961?
• Sitting by the radio listening to news of John F Kennedy's assassination?
• Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster in 1986?
• The dismantling of the Berlin Wall in 1989?
• Your parents being laid-off from jobs they had expected to retire from?
• Watching television coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995?

Experiencing events like these shape how we look at the world. Imagine witnessing these events at the age of 10 vs the age of 30 and the impact that experience would have on you as a result.

Last fall I was in Beijing with a friend (who has a different generational reference than I). As we walked through Tiananmen Square I was thinking to myself “this is where it happened 18 years ago...this is where ‘The Unknown Rebel’ had stood up to the tanks”….... I looked over at my friend and realized she had a very different perspective of this place.

This did not represent a massacre site to her --- she had not heard news coverage and seen photographs of the events of June, 1989 flash across the television screen.

We were looking at the same thing at the same time and having completely different experiences. Neither “right” nor “wrong”….just different.

Sometimes when I say “tomato” and you say “tomahto” we are, indeed, referencing different things.

An understanding and appreciation of our differences.....developing the ability to communicate effectively to benefit from these different perspectives is key to developing innovative and sustainable working relationships......which leads to enhanced bottom line results.

All my best,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

Nora A. Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, (IEI), Inc. A native of Wisconsin with 20 years experience in Learning & Organizational Development, Nora currently resides in Denver, CO with her insanely cute Labradoodle Bella and Bella's sidekick Baxter.

IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results. In addition to working with corporations and associations, IEI offers public workshops across the United States.

Registration for Nora’s upcoming workshop “V+BB+X+Y=??? : Managing Multiple Generations” is available here.

Hello, Hola, Dobar den, Ciao, Guten Tag!

2008-10-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

For as many differences as there are across cultures and geographic locations, there are some things I have found to be consistent. In each city and town I meet mothers and fathers who love their children and want to provide a better life for them.....regardless of the language or dialect, there is always a word or series of words to say hello, please, thank you, you're welcome and it is nice to meet you.

Consistently, within any population there are those willing to reach out and help a complete stranger --- including those who do not look like, sound like or act anything like they do.

On my most recent international journey (which started in Denver and went through Canada, Germany, Hungary and Serbia to Macedonia), I met people who were willing to reach out their hand to help a stranger. Lifting a suitcase into the overhead bin, offering translation assistance in shops and kiosks, demonstrating how the beds of a sleeper car fold down, sharing their meal, providing directions...the list goes on and on.

For two weeks during this adventure I have had the distinct pleasure of working side-by-side with members of the Habitat Global Village Team (13 from across North America) as we partnered with volunteers from Macedonia to work on a home for a family in Veles, Macedonia. For the most part, the team members were strangers to one another having been introduced a few days or a few minutes before starting to work together.

Together this team dug trenches, cleared brush, loaded/unloaded lumber, cut re bar wire, etc. What a wonderful experience to be able to part of this incredible team and witness their interaction firsthand!

The team represented quite a mix.....

22 to 76 years of age
Men & Women
First international trip to third passport in past fifteen years
MBAs and lawyers to high school graduates
Canadian, Mexican, American, Macedonian
No less than 5 distinct religions represented
Analytical, Social/Relational, Structural and Conceptual thinkers

.....and together we laughed, joked and worked in the heat of the Macedonian sun. All for the good of a family we met only a few days ago. And yet more than the family is benefiting --- we have all learned from one another ---- through our differences we built a stronger, more functional and innovative team!

It's amazing how much was accomplished by ~22 strangers working together.

Are the differences on your team drawing you together or forcing you apart?

Learn how to connect with those who have difference approaches to life in my engaging, energetic and insightful workshop "Meetings of the Minds : High Impact Communication Through Emergenetics" --- you'll be glad you did!

For a preview of Emergenetics and my facilitation style click here (or search YouTube for "Insightful Endeavors".

Wishing you the very best with all your endeavors,

Nora A Burns, SPHR
www.insightfulendeavors.com

Nora A. Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, (IEI), Inc. IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results. In addition to working with corporations and associations, IEI offers public workshops across the United States.

Registration for Nora’s upcoming workshops available here.

Finding the Silver Lining....the story of Joan & the woman who gave her the news.....

2008-10-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

Early in my career (okay, okay, in the 1980s) I was brought into a Wisconsin-based Insurance Company to assist with a major corporate down/right sizing effort (19% of their workforce). An opportunity to put my text-book knowledge to work - an opportunity not to be passed up.

As a rookie I made a rookie mistake on this consulting gig -- I ate lunch in the company cafeteria. (No, the mistake wasn’t eating the food served in the cafeteria!) By eating in the cafeteria I got to know many of the employees personally--- I met husbands and wives who worked together, saw photos of employee’s children, learned about the child with Down syndrome, etc.

After a few weeks on the job I received the initial list of employees whose jobs would be eliminated. There I saw the names of the couples --- both jobs would be lost in one fell swoop. I saw the name of the delightful woman from accounting who was raising her grandchildren, and then there was the name of the mom of the five year old with Down syndrome. The names of the people on the list had personalities and I was now on an emotional roller-coaster ride as the realization set in that I would be delivering the news to these people that they no longer had jobs.

Intellectually I knew the jobs needed to be eliminated. I had seen the company’s financials and understood if the organization did not make significant cuts all jobs would ultimately be lost.

It was time to come up with a plan --- to find the silver lining.

My boss was gracious enough to hear my pitch ----- and to enthusiastically embrace it. We set aside a room by the “Personnel” area (I did say this was in the 1980’s correct?) for employees to work on their resumes and receive coaching on interviewing. A job fair was arranged and local employers, staffing agencies and government agencies were invited in to assist those who were losing their jobs. Within two months of lay-offs being announced over 80% of impacted employees had job offers from other firms. The silver lining was solidified. It may have been a rookie mistake to eat in the company cafeteria....AND it is what ignited an outsourcing program.

Several months later I was at a local grocery store when I heard my name being called (the really good thing about a name like Nora...when someone yells it in the mall or at a store there is a REALLY good chance they are talking to me).......I turn and see a woman behind the bakery counter frantically motioning for me to join her. “Nora!” she exclaimed “Hi!!!” “it’s me....Joan!”. Ah, I remember Joan -- she had been with the insurance company for over ten years and was working as an underwriter when her job was eliminated. My heart fell --- what was she doing here?

She went on to tell me, very excitedly, that getting laid off was the absolute best thing that had ever happened to her. When she went to work at the insurance company it had not been her intention to stay there more than a year or two....but with each passing year new and different financial obligations kept her at the job. She was content, liked the people she worked with and thought highly of the company as a whole. But her passion --- what she DREAMED of doing since she had been a little girl --- was to be a pastry chef!

She confessed that she would not have left the company on her own --- she was too comfortable and too logical. What was an emotional roller coaster at the time was the best thing that could have happened to her. She was now on her way to achieving her childhood dream and was happier than she could ever remember being as an adult.

If Joan can go from content underwriter to enthusiastic bakery apprentice YOU too can find the silver lining in any challenges life may throw your way! What are YOU passionate about --- and what can you do today to make your dreams come true?

Wishing you the very best with all your endeavors,

Nora A. Burns, SPHR

Nora is founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, Inc. She works with corporations, associations and teams across the globe to understand how our differences (cultural, generational, personality, etc) are the keys to fabulous, innovative teams vs being barriers as we often make them out to be. To register for one of her public workshops click here!

Surviving No Man's Land

2008-10-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

Later this month friends of mine will find out if they are part of a down/right-sizing at their company or if their jobs will remain intact. This is a challenging position to be in. Over the weekend we talked about the stresses they are experiencing while in “wait and see mode”. If you, like several of my friends, find yourself in this situation here is my (completely unsolicited) advice…

Be involved

No, I’m not suggesting you crash the Board of Directors meeting ---that would NOT be a great career move! I’m simply asking you to remember that it is YOUR life and you get to make choices. Do not allow life to happen to you without your involvement.

It’s possible the company will keep your position and you in that position --- doesn’t mean you don’t still have a decision to make. You make this decision passively every day you go to work – I’m suggesting you make it an active, conscious decision that this is what you want to do…and this is who you want to do it for. It will make a world of difference in your approach to work.

It’s the difference between I “have” to go to work and I “get” to go to work.

Don’t create invisible monsters

It is HIGHLY unlikely that you will, to quote the Chris Farley SNL skit, be “living in a van down by the river” if you lose your job. Don’t create invisible monsters. Focus on the real and plan accordingly.

True, this probably isn’t the best time to go on a major shopping spree or buy a new BMW..... AND…..you don’t need to be stocking up on canned goods in a Y2K kind-of way either!

Deal with what’s real --- it takes a lot less energy.

Be prepared --- it’s not just for Boy Scouts anymore

It’s always a good idea to have your resume up-to-date regardless of what’s going on. Why?....what if you run into someone at a networking event who shares that your DREAM JOB is available and the cutoff for resumes is that evening….you don’t want to be scrambling to put together a resume in that adrenaline-fueled moment!

It’s also a good idea to have one or two professional recruiters take a look at your resume to provide some feedback before sending it off in an attempt to land your dream job. The jobing.com career fairs offer this opportunity, you may have friends in the HR profession, and you could look into a personal career coach – I have heard good things about Coach Joan (http://coachjoan.com/) as well as Coach Cogswell (http://www.coachcogswell.com/) although I have not worked with either of them directly.

Be prepared....it reduces stress considerably!

Find the Silver Lining

Talk to 5 people who have been laid off down/right sized in the past five years and I’m confident at least one of them will tell you it’s the best thing that could have happened to them.

Sometimes people will share that they knew it wasn’t the right job for them…….but they stayed out of comfort until they were asked to leave.

Other times people will share that they had a secret dream they had never pursued until life gave them the opportunity through being downsized.

What is your silver lining??

***

In a future post I’ll share the down/right-sizing story of Joan from Wisconsin…….Until then, know that you can and will survive “no mans land”!

Wishing you the very best with your endeavors,

Nora Burns, SPHR
www.insightfulendeavors.com

What are your interests outside of work?

2008-09-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month a friend was giving an update on his job search when he referenced the “what are your interests outside of work question”.

I had to ask ---- have you really been asked this question while interviewing? Yup --- he has.

Surely not in the past few years???? ---- Actually, he replies, last week.

Why? Why? Why?

Okay, I understand part of the “why” --- hiring managers think questions like “what do you do with your free time” and “what was the last book you read” provide insight into the psyche of the candidate. Realistically --- they don’t --- not in any type of reliable fashion. The BEST predictor of future behavior and success is past behavior…..not what three items a candidate would take with them to a deserted island.

“Tell me about a time you fundamentally disagreed with your boss or other person in authority on how to move forward with a project…... “ THAT will garner useful information! (…don’t forget about the follow-up questions).

Setting aside the lack of insight questions like “what color crayon would you be” provide, here’s another challenge ----- what if the interviewee responds with personal political or spiritual –laden information? Now you have information which you cannot legally use in your decision making process. Let’s say you don’t hire the person who just disclosed otherwise confidential, protected information….how would you prove you did NOT use the information in reaching your decision? (hmmmm….kind of like trying to un-ring a bell). It is, without question, a slippery slope.

The bottom line --- asking behaviorally based questions will improve your overall hiring process. Secure better hires, reduce legal issues and keep you from having to go through the hiring process every year for the same position by reducing turnover since you’ll be hiring the right candidate for the right job.

Save “What kind of tree would you be?” and “What’s your favorite movie?” for dating and pledging a…..for job interviews focus on behaviorally based questions that demonstrate essential competencies of the job.

All my best,
Nora B.

Nora A. Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, (IEI), Inc. IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results. In addition to working with corporations and associations, IEI offers public workshops across the United States. Fall/Winter workshop registration is open.