Sunstone HR (HR Consulting)

We’ve all heard “There’s no second chance to make a first impression.” While I fully agree with this, I would add that there’s no third chance to make a second impression, no fourth chance to make a third impression . . . you get the idea. I believe that professional relationships are either growing or fading, and that every handshake is a unique opportunity to build. Approaching every interaction with a mindset of building the reputation of you and your department is an effective way to earn respect for your team and to grow your career. I call this theory “Every Handshake.” Every Handshake There are few meaningless interactions in life. There are a couple of times where I’ve realized I will likely never see these individuals again, but social media and our global economy makes the world a much, much smaller place. True anonymity has faded, and it’s become relatively easy to find a connection to just about any professional, in any company, around the world. Treatin...

There’s an interesting, almost magical growth in a person’s value to the organization, as soon as they have another job offer. I’ve seen managers, who have very recently rated an employee as mediocre or poor, hurriedly change that rating to ‘irreplaceable’ as soon as the employee has an offer. Now, did the employee’s performance magically swing upward that morning, or did the manager find herself at risk of being short-staffed? If this is how an organization rates the value of people, are the most valuable employees the dissatisfied ones who are most actively seeking other opportunities? What to Do? Managers like the above will commonly come to HR, pleading for their very existence, and insist that we counter offer. And, of course, the counter is conveniently positioned right at, or slightly above what the organization has presented. As a general rule I have taught my HR teams and organizations that “we do not do counter-offers.” Of course, there are exceptions, bu...

Perseverance Is Paramount to Success "GET BACK ON THE HORSE" At the age of 11 I had my own palomino horse that I named Buck, due to his buckskin color. Buck was a good workhorse and was great in the mountains, but I had ambitions of team roping with my father. Going to the arena with my dad to rope was something that I looked forward to. I mostly helped to herd the calves after they were released, but on one occasion I was given an opportunity to back into the chute and chase a ‘muley’ (calf without horns). I excitedly backed Buck into the chute and when the gates opened I kicked Buck and did my best “Heeyah!” Buck didn’t move. The calf now well out of reach I kicked again. Buck calmly walked out of the chute, lowered his head and began to buck, trying to throw me. I held on for a few of the crow-hops, but eventually was thrown from the horse. I dusted myself off, grabbed the reins and started to walk Buck to the side of the arena. I was done. I was embarrassed...