output over time

Measure work done rather than hours worked. That’s what Francis Bacon warned us for in 1612. “Affected dispatch is one of the most dangerous things to business that can be… Therefore measure not dispatch by the times of sitting, but by the advancement of the business.”

Combining this visionary statement with Parkinson’s law from 1955, which claims: “The amount of work will always expand as to the amount of time available.” Meaning, if you have one year to complete your thesis, somehow it takes one year to complete. If you have six months to complete your thesis, magically, it takes but six months to wrap it up.

Spending more time working is only interesting if the output remains high. Favor output over time.

scientific people

There is something HR can learn from science. Even if you aren’t a scientist at all, there is a large chance you understand what science entails. In short, the ability to recreate an experiment and get the same outcome.

Rather than a massive rollout of a new approach or solution, start small. Very small. One individual, a couple, a group, a team, a department.

People are incredibly diverse. Without knowing precisely what you’re measuring, why bother? Luck isn’t a good strategy, is it?

Launch new HR initiatives on a small scale. Evaluate and then increase the size of the rollout.

don’t change your essence

Do you have what it takes for the job? Maybe you do. If you don’t? What can, and would you be willing to change, to legitimately be able to claim that you do have what it takes?

We can take small steps to improve on certain hard-skills and soft-skills. Doing so can be incredibly valuable. Changing who you are, in essence, on the other hand, isn’t something you can do, nor should you be asked to do.

The greater distance between who you are in essence and whom you are required to be (on the job), the more well-being problems will arise.

interesting people

Being introverted or extraverted isn’t inherently good or bad. In fact, we all have to cross over to the other side every once in a while.

Interesting people are part of interesting groups. There is a large chance that one of those interesting people might save your business one day. Sometimes all it takes is one connection or one opportunity.

Without the audacity to reach out to interesting people, you pretty much stay in your lane without expanding your network, thus limiting your business’ survival chances.

Without knowing when to tone it down a notch, extraverts might scare their audience away.

Everything in moderation. There is no need for introverts or extroverts to change who they are in essence, but a little crossover now and then doesn’t hurt.

relevant retention

Do you have a problem with employee retention? Yes or no?
When talent is quitting faster than you can hire them, it’s pretty apparent you have a problem with retention. A major one at that.

When talent isn’t quitting, ever, you also have a problem with retention. While the talent may be very loyal, they might not be productive at all. That’s the downside to loyalty.

Retention, the principle, in itself doesn’t entirely cover the load. You want to aim for relevant retention.

Relevant retention means keeping talent engaged simply because engaged talent is more productive.

Talent engagement efforts should precede retention efforts.

mine for diamonds

How to mine a diamond in three steps.

Minimize inherent bias in recruiters or hiring managers.

Hire for skills. Move away from functions (and their titles) and embrace skills (hard-skills and soft-skills, combined) instead.

Provide a non-linear career perspective. Based on the hard-skills and soft-skills, combined with the talent’s willingness to learn, draw a roadmap with possible career choices within your company.

There is, however, one caveat to this approach. You can’t polish a gem if you’re not willing to dig up the diamond.

control the weather

Sales is like the weather. You can’t control it. You can take actions to influence the climate, but that doesn’t happen overnight.

Being in sales means taking no for an answer repeatedly.

As such, handling no’s takes resilience, lots of it. Not being able to control all outcomes requires acceptance. Nourish both to improve selling skills.

path to creativity

The path to creativity has three stages. Imitate, emulate, and innovate.

Every artistic endeavor starts the same. You hear some music, read a poem, watch a painting or a sculpture and say to yourself, that’s amazing, how can I make something like that.

The second stage is emulation. You are still heavily influenced by the works that inspire you. However, now you try to blend in some personal touches.

The third stage is innovation. This final stage is where you define who you are. You completely master the craft and subsequently have made it yours.

earn savings

The one thing every business must do is create value. That value once offered to a customer should create added value on top, resulting in higher earnings. Inversely, the value you offer could potentially help the customer lose less money, resulting in savings.

Added value has two dimensions. Both are fine. However, they do require a different pitch and a way to prove upfront how additional money is going to be made or how less money will be lost.

not a buffet

Running a business isn’t like queuing for a buffet. Where you glide your platter along, scoop up the food you want, disregard the food you dislike.

Running a business is a multiple course meal where you can’t skip courses, and you have to finish your plates.

In the beginning, you can’t pick and choose. You have to take it all or leave it.