PODCAST - #HRHappyHour 203 - The HR Happy Hour Oscars Preview

HR Happy Hour 203 - The HR Happy Hour Oscars Preview

Recorded Thursday February 19, 2015

Hosts: Trish McFarlane, Steve Boese

Listen to the show HERE

I know what you are thinking - what in the hell are Steve and Trish thinking doing an Oscars preview show?

I must admit, for a second I thought the same thing myself, but once we sort of 'found' the topic on the show, (the Oscars stuff starts in after about five minutes or so after Steve had to talk NBA trades for a few moments), we had a fantastic time talking movies, actors, and of course making some Oscars predictions.

You can listen to the show here, or using the widget player below, (Email and RSS subscribers will need to click through, or go to the show direct link).

Check Out Business Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Steve Boese Trish McFarlane on BlogTalkRadio

Since Steve (admittedly), actually saw an amazingly low number of Oscar nominated movies and performances, we ended up having to get a little more creative in devising new ways to evaluate the contenders. Without giving away too much, let's just say the movie Mr. Mom plays a big role in the assessments, as well as which actor did a better job playing The Incredible Hulk. Luckily, Trish was much more prepared to talk movies and actors or else this could have been a disaster.

This was a really fun show, I hope the HR Happy Hour fans that are also movie fans or just plan to watch the Oscars on Sunday night will enjoy the show. Once the show goes live, we will post it to the HR Happy Hour page on Facebook, (yes, we have one of those, I always forget to mention it), where we hope you will leave your Oscar predictions as well.

As always, you can listen to the current and all the past shows from the archive on the show page here, on our HR Happy Hour website, and by subscribing to the show in podcast form on iTunes, or for Android devices using Stitcher Radio (or your favorite podcast app). Just search the iTunes store or your podcast app for 'HR Happy Hour' to add the show to your subscriptions.

Enjoy the weekend, enjoy the Oscars, and if you are in the Easter half of the USA, please stay warm! 

The Human Resources Manager - The Movie

Did you know there was a recent film titled 'The Human Resources Manager?'

Me either.

It is an Israeli film set back in 2002, during a time rife with suicide bombings in the city of Jerusalem. A foreign employee of a small bakery is killed in one of the bombing incidents, and the bakery's Human Resources Manager is tasked with the job of delivering the former employee's body to her home country of Romania. 

The (subtitled) trailer for the film is below (email and RSS subscribers may need to click through)

Folks in HR get some really unpleasant duties no doubt. From handling layoffs and firings, to advising employees that it is probably is a good idea to save the belly shirts for the county fair, to organizing the company picnic or team building outings. But 'escorting' the body of an employee to a faraway country for a proper burial? I'll bet even the most seasoned and jaded HR pro reading this has never had to go that far in the line of HR duty.

'The Human Resources Manager' might be can found on Netflix, (I am too tired too check), in case you are looking for a little weekend entertainment and a validation of sorts that no matter how trying your gig in HR seems, it probably could be worse!

What is the strangest assignment you have ever had to carry out in your HR role? 

Have a great weekend!

'If you double-cross me, I will destroy you'

Remember Atlas Shrugged?

It is Ayn Rand's 1957 novel about capitalism, her theory of objectivism, and the role of the innovator in business and society.  For a novel published over 50 years ago, it remains a consistent seller, still appearing in the Top 50 of Amazon.com sales rankings at times as recently as 2009.

'Shrugged' enjoys enduring popularity with college students, I think I read the book in college myself, and for many young readers it provides their first (made up) look behind the scenes of big business, government regulation, money and societal pressures, and the role of the innovator.

Whether or not you believe in Atlas Shrugged's Objectivist positions and Rand's political views is entirely up to you, and I don't really recall enough about the ridiculously long book (almost 1400 pages) to have much of a take, other than to observe that world of high stakes big-business, ultra-rich society, and global corporate domination that the book focuses on come off as WAY more exciting that what most of us do on a day-to-day basis.

And now in a move that is likely simultaneously absurd, and the smartest thing ever, a movie adaptation, 'Atlas Shrugged Part I', is slated for an April 2011 release.  As a novel, the artistic achievement of Atlas Shrugged is certainly debatable, but as a movie, if the trailer (embedded below, RSS and email subscribers click through), is any indication, 'Shrugged' is going to be an instant classic.

We love sci-fi and action adventure movies because for a couple of hours we suspend our disbelief and imagine ourselves battling super-villains, having insane car chases in crowded cities, and blowing up stuff, (while accompanied by Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt).  But obviously those are all fantasies that can never come true. Great fun for two hours, but then it's back to the minivan for the ride home.

But in the fake business world of Atlas Shrugged, rendered hilariously well in the trailer, we could sort of realistically see ourselves as global capitalist titans - wearing custom-made $4,000 suits, drinking 20-year old whisky served from crystal decanters, and putting our business adversaries in their place with jabs like 'If you double-cross me, I will destroy you'.

Don't lie - you know you have wanted to use a line like that in your last budget meeting. 

What do you think, will you see 'Atlas Shrugged' when it comes out?

Have a great weekend!

Lessons from Roadhouse

You remember ‘Roadhouse’ don’t you?  A classic film from 1989 that starred Patrick Swayze as Dalton, a barroom bouncer, (or more accurately a’cooler’) who takes on the daunting assignment of cleaning up a rough and tumble dive bar/club called the Double Deuce somewhere in rural Missouri, USA. When 'Not nice' time arrives

After doing some field observations of the bar, the employees, and the clientele (mainly consisting of leaning smugly against the bar and looking on as a series of brawls erupt), Dalton assumes his role as the cooler, and conducts his initial meeting with the team of bouncers. This is Dalton, the hotshot new team leader, recruited by the company owner himself, to lead a group of miscreants that for the most part is not all the happy to see him there.

At his first staff meeting (or what passes for a staff meeting at the Double Deuce), Dalton makes a measured and forceful speech about his managerial philosophy, his expectations of the team, and his feeling that all issues can be resolved by practicing and applying his time-tested principles and processes.  Kind of like Six Sigma for beating up drunken customers.

The highlight of the meeting and speech, is Dalton’s explanation of the three rules of nightclub security, which were exercised with varying degrees of success in the film (meaning, hardly at all), and also provide potential lessons for more general management and leadership of any kind of organizational team.  They also rank high on the unintentional comedy scale, because immediately after stating there are ‘three’ rules, Dalton really explains four different concepts, (I’ll label the extra item 1a).

Whatever, he is Dalton, counting is for losers.

Rule 1 - Don’t underestimate your enemy

The bouncers at the Double Deuce were used to simple fist fights with local drunks.  A hassle surely, but nothing too terribly hard to handle.  Once Dalton comes to town, somehow the caliber of thug goes way up.  The bad guys now seem to know some freaky martial arts (leveraging the pool cue as a weapon), and are way more of a challenge.

The problem was once Dalton started making an impact, the competitors and enemies of the DD now saw them as a threat more than an annoyance. Maybe your organization is a little plucky start up, under the radar but growing steadily.  Be careful of what might happen next, you may think you are beating your larger competitors but chances are they have not really noticed you yet, and have not yet begun their part of the fighting.  

Rule 1a - Expect the unexpected

How long did it take after your last staff meeting or planning session that you realized the decision you just made or the approach you just agreed to pursue has to be altered due to some unforeseen circumstance?  Fifteen minutes?  An hour?  Whatever the duration, the value of lengthy planning and strategizing often evaporates once the real world sets in.  Dalton rarely holds formal ‘planning’ meetings, most of the time is spent ‘doing’, and most of us should probably do the same.

Rule 2 - Take it outside

Unruly patrons, excessively drunk buffoons needed to be taken outside so as the disturbance and inevitable fight would not have too much detrimental effect on the bar, in terms of broken stuff and collateral damage.  The good customers would only see that the problem was handled, that Dalton and the staff were in charge, and they could continue to have a good time.  Problems in the workplace with staff or with customers often need to be handled the same way.  The team needs to know you will take care of issues when they arise, but don’t usually need to see and hear all the details of how you manage these situations.  A related lesson comes from the Godfather, when after the meeting with Solazzo, the Don takes Sonny aside and berates him privately, not in front of the lower level soldiers that Sonny still needs to command.

Rule 3 - Be nice. Until it isn’t time to be nice

Probably the simplest of Dalton’s rules, but the one that was the hardest for the bouncers to embrace. Be nice to the drunk that just threw a beer at me?  Not easy to do.  But Dalton was wise to know that in the long view, being nice as the initial reaction to conflict and adversity is a more sustainable and sane strategy.  Sure, at the Deuce the ‘time to not be nice’ came pretty fact, usually before the ‘take it outside’ rule could be exercised, but still it eventually helped Dalton and the team reach their (admittedly low) goals.  In the workplace I would also substitute the word ‘panic’ for nice in the rule and it would also apply.

There you have it, Dalton’s rules of management.  Hopefully in your practice of HR or management, or leadership, or coaching your 7 year old’s soccer team you won’t have to put these rules to the test by breaking bottles of Jack Daniels over people’s heads, or crushing them to death with a giant stuffed polar bear.