The Cradle of Coaches, or Celebrating your Ex-employees

Note: It's 'HR and Sports' this Friday on the HR Happy Hour show, and in that spirit, I figured I'd try some posts with some kind of sports angle. Apologies in advance, Kris Dunn over at the HR Capitalist does these type of posts way better than anyone else, in fact you should probably stop reading this and click over there right now.

Still here? Ok here goes:

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In American college athletics it is not uncommon for coaches to have some success at smaller programs at lesser-known schools, then move out and up to higher paying, more prestigious jobs at so-called 'major' universities, like Ohio State, Notre Dame, or Florida. It does seem that almost every year one of these highly lucrative positions is filled in this way.

One of these smaller programs is the Miami University of Ohio. Miami of Ohio is known as the 'Cradle of Coaches', based on the numerous legendary coaches that worked there, and then went on to have remarkable success at larger, more well-known universities as well as in professional football. Just some of the coaches that have Miami roots are Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Ara Parseghian, and Jim Tressel.

Ara Parseghian - Time Magazine - Nov. 20, 1964The interesting thing is that Miami is not the only smaller program to have had this experience, but by embracing it, and celebrating the achievements of former coaches once they have left Miami, they have created a kind of sustainable competitive advantage for talent compared to their most likely competitors for coaching talent.

Any candidate for an opening at Miami would absolutely know of this rich history of successful coaches moving on from Miami to the highest echelon of the profession.  And for a highly competitive field like collegiate coaching this is a huge selling point.  Come and coach here at Miami, and we can help you on your path to becoming the next National Coach of the Year at whatever 'big' school you go to next.  They take advantage of this legacy by fully embracing it, in fact they are planning to erect statues of many of the legends that built the 'Cradle of Coaches' history.

How many 'regular' organizations do you know that celebrate the achievements of ex-employees in such an explicit manner? Think of organizations that typically recruit new graduates or early career professionals.  A compelling factor for the best talent among them might very well be, 'What can I do next with the experience I gain here?'  For smaller companies,or ones in the non-profit or educational sector that can't usually compete evenly on salary and benefits, this may be one source of advantage that can be exploited.

Instead of limiting your pitch to the potential career paths within your organization, what about highlighting some of the success stories of people who left and then went on to achieve success in other places, or as entrepreneurs? Instead of just having current employee testimonials on your corporate job site, why not try and include interviews with some of your most famous alumni who would be willing to talk about how their experience with your organization set them up for long-term professional success?

Who is the most successful ex-employee from your organization right now?

Are you using that story to your best advantage?

Coming up on the HR Happy Hour

We have a pretty full and I think exciting schedule of shows coming up on the HR Happy Hour the next few months.

Here is what Shauna and I have planned: (Times and Guests subject to change):

Episode 8 - 'HR and Sports' - August 28, 2009  - 8PM EDT

What are the connections between Sports and HR and Talent Management? Is managing superstar employees at all like managing superstar athletes? What can coaching Little League baseball tell you about management? Are my beloved Jets going to get the Super Bowl? Shauna and I will talk about these topics and who knows what else with scheduled guests Tracy Tran, Todd Kmiec, Lance Haun and Kris Dunn.

Episode 9 - 'HR and Small Business' - September 11, 2009 - 8PM EDT

Small businesses and small HR departments have lots of challenges.  Lack of resources, budget, time, and access to information can all put small businesses at a disadvantage.  What are some strategies that small business and small HR departments can use to try and level the playing field with their larger, and usually better equipped competition?  Set to join Shauna and I are Charee Klimek and Franny Oxford.

Episode 10 - 'The Job Seekers Show' - September 18, 2009 - 8PM EDT

We know unemployment is almost 10% in the US, and much higher than that in many especially hard-hit states.  This show is all about giving some practical, simple advice and strategies for the job-seeker,  facing the worst economic climate in generations. Folks that are actively searching are encouraged to call in with their questions.  Scheduled to join us and share their expertise are Jennifer McClure, Paul DeBettignies, Deirdre Honner, and Robin Eads.

Episode 11 - 'Talent and Technology' - September 25, 2009 - 6PM EDT

This should be a really fun show coming to you live from the offices of Halogen Software, a leading HR Technology vendor in the Talent Management Technology space.  Shauna and I will welcome some great folks from Halogen to talk about these technologies, the benefits that can be gained from the use of these tools, and some of the critical success factors necessary for organizations that embark on these projects.  Halogen has been a great support of my HR Tech class, and the HR blogging and social media community and I am really pleased to take the show to their headquarters.

Episode 12 - 'The Work/Life Show' - October 9, 2009 - 8PM EDT

The Work/Life balance debate really heated up this summer after the Jack Welch speech at the SHRM national convention.  Is there really such a thing as Work/Life balance?  Do employees have a right to expect flexibility or Alternative Work Strategies?  Should companies toss out schedules altogether and move to a Results Only Work Environment (ROWE)?  Shauna and I will welcome Leanne Chase and Chris Ferdinandi to figure it all out.

Episode 13 - 'HR Horror Stories' - October 23, 2009 - 8PM EDT

Shauna had a great idea for a 'Horror Stories' show to fit the Halloween season.  This show will be all about taking your calls with the scariest, craziest, and most frightening HR stories that you can share. Employee forgot to wear pants to work? Illegal escort service being run out of the stockroom? Anyone pull a George Costanza with the office cleaning lady?  Here's your chance to share with the world.

That's it for now, as always the archives for past shows can be found at my Blog Talk Radio page.

One discusson, three platforms, twenty peeps

Ok, so that was a bad title, this is really just a little story of how some social media tools facilitated some fantastic dialog and ongoing discussion on real business and Human Resources issues.

Last Friday night Shauna and I did a HR Happy Hour Show about Tattoos, Piercings, and Diversity in the workplace. The show was really a discussion on company culture, and how culture is developed and perpetuated in the workplace.  It was a really fun show, and I encourage you to listen to the archive here:

 Also since there is no live show tonight, this should give you your HR Happy Hour fix until next week.

The next morning, Saturday, the culture discussion continued on Twitter among myself, The HR Maven, and Tammi Colson. We kicked around the idea of culture being a top-down, leadership driven construct versus the notion of company culture really begin driven and enforced so to speak by employees themselves. It was a pretty interesting exchange to have early on a Saturday morning, but definitely very interesting and informative

On Tuesday I blogged here about Technology and Company Culture, mostly riffing the conversation from the show and form the impromptu Twitter chat on Saturday morning. The basic question I asked was can the application of collaboration technology actually drive a change in company culture.  There was some excellent comments and discussion on the post.

And of course the debate carried over to Twitter on Tuesday night, where Beth Carvin, Kevin Grossman, Robin Schooling and I debated the whole Technology and culture issue some more.

So by my count the final tally was one radio show with about ten active participants, one blog post with about eight commenters, and two separate twitter chats involving five more people.

All great discussions, all happening in 'off hours' (heck on Tuesday night I was grilling ribeyes and having a beer during the chat), and all enabled by various social media tools.

And by the way, just some of the 'titles' represented in the various discussions - CEO, VP of HR, HR Director, and VP of Marketing among others. Look the titles don't really mean all that much to me, but I mention them to underscore the point that social media in general and Twitter in particular is not all about inane blather about what people had for lunch.

I probably learned more about company culture in the last few days, from this diverse group of people that I had in the last five years.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 7 - Tattooed HR Pros Unite!

It is that time again, time for the next installment of the HR Happy Hour!

We are up to Episode 7 - 'Funky Hair, Tattoos, and HR Diversity', starting at 6PM EDT, Friday August 14, 2009.

Shauna Moerke, the HR Minion and I will welcome Kelly Mitton, Jen Wojcik, Lynne Ellsberry, and more in a fun discussion on a wide range of topics:

Is HR is truly welcoming as a profession to those folks that look and act a bit 'different'?

Are tattoos and purple hair welcome in HR? Does HR need to do more to embrace individuality and creativity in the workplace?

Do visible tattoos give you a bad impression of a job candidate?

This is shaping up to be the most free-wheeling and fun shows yet, and I hope you can listen in, or better still call in and share your 'Tattoo' stories.

The logisitics:

The show can be foung on Blog Talk Radio here, and you can also listen live using the widget below. The show can also be heard via the listener line, that number is 646-378-1086.  If you call in and want to come on the air and participate, be sure to press '1' on your handset when prompted, and I will get you on as quickly as I can.

See you at Happy Hour!

Update on Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 7:37AM by Steve

Wow, a really fun show once again, and as the HR Minion has said, it was a barely contained 'Anarchy of Awesome'.  I will try my best to capture the high points, and I apologize if I leave anything or anyone out.

Kelly Mitton joined us fresh off her first skydiving trip, and I am pretty sure she called in right from the airfield.  Kelly shared some great insights on appearance, culture, and customer relations.  Check out Kelly's blog at www.kellymitton.blogspot.com and consider supporting her charity work for cancer research.

Lynne Ellsberry had some excellent perspective on the whole 'Tattoo and Funky Hair' discussion from a number of different angles.  Lynne very clearly articulated the importance of cultural fit with an organization and without it, the employee/employer relationship is not really all the sustainable.

Deirdre Honner, the HR Maven and 'Friend of the Show' called in and was fantastic as usual. Dee has a great ability to distill the discussion to its essential elements, and help us all understand what is really important.

Victorio Milian called in from the angle of an HR organization and company that is much more accepting and welcoming of 'alternative' looks and new perspectives.  It was great to have Victorio on the show and I hope he calls in again in the future. And be sure to check out the Creative Chaos Consultant blog.

Jessica Miller-Merrell from blogging4jobs.com called in and talked about the recruiter's perspective in this debate. Jessica also has a new career themed TV show coming up that you can learn more about on her site.

Lastly thanks (I think) to Nora Burns, Trish McFarlane, Traci Deveau and Franny Oxford for calling in at the start of the show and playing along with Shauna in a little sing-a-long.  It was very funny!

See everyone the next time, August 28, 2009 for the 'HR and Sports' show.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 6 - Viva la Revolution!

Shauna Moerke, the HR Minion and I are back with the latest Episode of the HR Happy Hour show on Blog Talk Radio, tonight, Friday July 31 at 8PM EDT, 5PM PDT.

Here is what is coming up on the the HR Happy Hour:

Episode 6 - July 31, 2009 - 8 PM EDT, 5 PM PDT  'The HRevolution' - An open forum to chat about ideas for the very first HR Blog Conference.  Where should the conference be held?  What topics and sessions are you interested in?  Would you actually attend?  Set to appear are conference founders Trish McFarlane, Ben Eubanks and more.

A reminder, you can listen to the show live at the Blog Talk Radio page, you can use the widget embedded here, or you can use the listener line, 646-378-1086, to hear the show via the phone, and you can come on the air by calling in to that number and pressing '1' on your phone and I will get you on the air.

I hope you can join Shauna and I for the show!

Update on Friday, July 31, 2009 at 9:56PM by Steve

Wow - another great show.  First, I apologize that my audio was a bit spotty at times, I had to do the show using the VOIP service and I did notice some choppiness in my feed.

Thanks to everyone who participated tonight.

Trish McFarlane - creator or mastermind of the HRevolution and the first ever HR Blog Conference.  Trish blogs at the HR Ringleader blog, and the conference information can be found at www.hrevolution.wetpaint.com.

Deidre Honner - the HR Maven - came on to say hi and it was great to hear from her.  Please check out her blog for details on the events that she is holding for job seekers in Michigan

Lois Melbourne - Thanks Lois and Aquire Software for being the first official show sponsor!  The Aquire beer koozie did the job for sure!

Michael Krupa - Michael called in primarily to defend the Mini I think.

Traci Deveau - Traci offered some great insight on conference planning from her experience planning major HR conferences in Florida.

Jessica Miller-Merrill - From Blogging4Jobs.  Jessica made some great suggestions about planning around events and being mindful of competing events.

Michael VanDervort - Mike made an unusual but welcome repeat appearance on the HR Happy Hour show. Check out Mike's blog at Human Race Horses.

All told, I thought it was an excellent show and I hope it helped get more publicity for the HRevolution and the HR Blogger Conference.

Thanks Shauna, and everyone else who called in to participate.