Hand Slapping HR

HR is on the move.

Open any issue of any HR magazine and you'll see phrases like "develop strategies that align with your organizational goals, mission and brand" and "identifying and rewarding the best and the brightest in the organization." On your favorite HR blog and you'll see tag words like "business, partner, people, innovation, problem solver and change."

On most days, we're running on possibility, vision, objective and goals. On other days, it takes a little something else to keep the train on the tracks.

On some days there's nothing like a good old fashioned "no."

No, you can not over spend your award budget. No, you can't discipline her without telling her what she did wrong and asking her why.

No, you can not charge him AWOL after you approved his leave. No, you can not promote her into a job that does not exist.

Does that sound too crabby? Ok, how about this?

Yes, you are most definitely the deciding official and I am only the advisor but no, I will not have your back when they haul you off to jail. Yes, you must notify the union of changes in conditions of employment and negotiate impact and implementation in good faith but no, you do not ask for their permission.

Better?

Is this the way you want your HR to be? No, not really. Not all the time but a little hand slap every now and then never hurt anybody.

Photo credit iStockphoto

Fathers: A Day in the Life Sunday

Google Father's Day and what do you see?

Right after the Wikipedia definition of father, I see a study that says children born to older fathers may live longer and an article from ABC News, Father's Day 2012: Are Dads Worth Less Than Moms?

Really? Do we have to rate, rank, study and value everything? I get the allure of quantification but you simply can't put a value on the love a father has for his daughter. And what it means to her.

The National Center for Fathering believes, "every child needs a dad they can count on. The research is clear: children thrive when they have an involved father—someone who loves them, knows them, guides them, and helps them achieve their destiny."

And so do I.

Happy Father's Day to the father of our daughter and my husband, Bill. Love you!

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And what does the daughter have to say?

Today we are celebrating the people in our lives that mean the most. The kind of people who teach you to fart, burp, and spit in public. These special people are our Dads. And the next time you think about your dad, think of all the things you can do because of him.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!