Precept Employee Benefits Blog

Welcome to the latest edition of the Carnival of HR. March is American Red Cross Month, and in celebration of both the Carnival of HR making a stop at the Precept Employee Benefits Blog and the wonderful organization that is the American Red Cross, Precept will be making a donation on behalf of all of our wonderful Carnival of HR bloggers!

And now, get ready, because these are all “E” ticket-worthy rides!

Mark Vickers explains how typical succession planning models are flawed and companies should be succession “managing” in Don’t Plan Succession, Manage It.

Jason Seiden shows Why Corporate America Can’t Build a Training Program Worth Squat – it’s because we’re not very good at eating our vegetables, and good training programs are like vegetables – employees may not like them, but they need them, and it’s up to you to make sure they get what they need.

Denise O’Berry hands us the keys to successful delegation in Getting a Delegated Task Back on Track.

Gautam Ghosh says Employee Engagement Should Not be Your End Goal; rather, it should be part of the path to creating driven, successful employees.

Lisa Rosendahl is tired of all the doom and gloom talk about social media. She thinks If Your Sky Falls, It Won’t be Because of Social Media.

Joan Jett doesn’t give a gosh darn about her bad reputation, but Melissa Prusher knows that you should! She gives you the three “M”s of proactive reputation management to help you Seize Control of Your Online Reputation.

So, how do you handle it when your manager is – gasp! – younger than you? Never fear, Evil HR Lady is on the case, answering your question about How to Work for a Younger Manager.

Laura Schroeder has Just One Teeny Weeny Criticism about your employee communication, and it has to do with having the right attitude.

Cathy Missildine-Martin asks, How Good is Your Performance Data? Is it objective? Is it effective? Do you know how to fix it if it isn’t? No problem. She does.

More keys – just think of all the doors you’ll be able to open now! Courtesy of Kevin Eikenberry, here are the Six Keys to Turning Reflection into Action.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Your Team, and You: Wally Bock says it’s not strengths or weaknesses. It’s not individuals or the team. It is about both accomplishing the mission and helping team members develop.

Remember that old saying, you can’t please all of the people all of the time? Benjamin McCall says the Healthcare Argument will not end today! And probably not anytime in the near future, either.

Dan McCarthy gives us Part 4 of 5 Little Thinks that Make a BIG Difference as a Leader: 4 Magic Words. And they are…what, you thought I was going to give away the ending? That would be like telling you Rosebud was the sled!

Kevin Grossman (who is now certified in CPR and first aid by – hey, looky there! It’s our friends at the American Red Cross!) gives us Emergency Preparedness: And now the short fuse of incivility is lit, noting that while it’s important to prepare employees for emergencies like natural disasters, accidents, and workplace violence, but it is just as important to prepare them for a more common workplace disaster: incivility.

Chris Young has come up with A Better Way to be an “Undercover Boss” and says executives don’t need to go undercover to get a better understanding of their front-line employees, they just need to get out there and walk among them. The results may be eye-opening.

Paul Gupta is Now hiring: All slow learners because he wants you to reconsider whether you always want to hire according to a fixed set of attributes.

April Dowling has an important reminder: When it comes to Accountability – Hold Yourself Accountable First. Lead by example.

Strategy Alert: Too Few Workers and Union Activity: Mike Haberman says a union-friendly NLRB and the potential for employee shortage are what the future holds in store. You better start paying attention now.

Steve Boese wants to know: Are you telling a story or acting in one? Celebrity endorses often get ignored because we just don’t believe they are authentic and sharing their real stories.  The same could be said of employment and recruitment messaging. It is important to know the difference between telling a story, and simple acting a story.

Susan Heathfield warns you to proceed with caution: with the high levels of unemployment, the massive response to every job posting, and the number of seemingly qualified candidates for every job,  Employers: Beware and Check.

Marsha Keeffer know that a happy boss cuts your stress, is good for your career and lengthens your employment. It’s all to your benefit, so she gives you 9 Ways to Make Your Boss Happy.

Naomi Bloom begins her series on the characteristics of great HRM software. And what better way to begin than with HRM Saas InFullBloom vs Everything Else: The Musical! 

Speaking of musicals, Heather Stagl wants you to stop singing “Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down you’re rocking the boat.” She says that when Implementing Change from the Inside, Watch Out for Blind Spots. Change can be a good thing, people!

Contrary to some opinions, Michael Krupa thinks that SaaS does not require just as much IT support.

Mark Stelzner is up on the roof, and he’s shouting You Have All the Answers! You just may not know it yet. It’s up to you to take the time and effort to get out there and learn from others to find solutions to your problems. You may end up helping someone else, too.

And finally, mark your calendars, because Ben Eubanks gives just a few reasons Why You Have to Come to HRevolution 2010. It’s going to be totally awesome and you would be a total square not to register right now! Oh, and something about a monkey.

And there you have it, folks! I hope you enjoyed our show today. Thank you to all of the great bloggers who sent in posts. Tune in next time when the Carnival of HR makes a stop at the I’m So Corporate blog on April 14th.

Also, if you have anything to do with employee benefits, take some time out of your busy day on April 6^th to celebrate National Employee Benefits Day!