Part One of a Three-Part Series I attended a Workforce Issues panel discussion during which panelist Tracy Brower discussed forces shaping work/life integration. Tracy and I first met when we were colleagues in the Learning Development Group at Herman Miller. Tracy is currently the Director of Performance Environments for Herman Miller. In addition to…
The Mutuality Measuring Stick for Networking
Should you network with someone you don’t like? This question was put to me recently. My response was emphatic: “No, of course not!” Here’s why I say this with such conviction. My definition of networking is: The purpose of networking is to connect people who have a mutual interest in developing a professional relationship or assisting one…
What Tomatoes and Radishes Have in Common with Networking
My vegetable garden has taught me something about building business relationships: different types of vegetables, like business connections, require different types of care and yield different results. Consider two veggies* in my garden: radishes and tomatoes. Radishes are super-easy to grow. They sprout in a mere 2 – 3 days, are very hardy and are…
Excluding the Unemployed is No Silver Bullet
In recent weeks The New York Times, NPR and Slate have covered what I see as a very disturbing trend for job seekers: the practice of stating “only the employed need apply” on job postings. I wrote an op-ed piece about this from a human resources perspective called Unocverting Unemployment Bias on the Women of HR blog….
Leaders – Keep Your Mind Clear for a Magnetic Personality
Whenever there’s a discussion of “what makes a great leader?” invariably the trait of “charisma” surfaces— that special “something” that is appealing and makes people want to follow that leader. I recently read something that helped me think about the ways in which leaders attract people to their cause. The reading comes from an essay1…