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...

Make sure you like what's on the menu! "Before you aspire to sit at the executive table, please confirm that you like what’s on the menu!" By Rod Lacey, Sunstone HR I was involved in an acquisition of an organization in southern Switzerland. Stories from the executives first exploring the purchase described the lakeside city of Lugano, on the border of Italy. Not only did the location sound beautiful (palm trees?!) but they also described these incredible multi-course feasts that lasted for hours! When it was finally my turn to visit Lugano and meet my HR team there, I was excited to experience first-hand the amazing feasts that had been discussed. There’s no doubt that my first and second night meals lived up to the descriptions! The food was a blend of Switzerland and Italy, and the courses just kept coming . . . It would have been a foodie’s dream, but it was a nightmare for me. For someone like me, who is lactose intolerant, the never-ending cheeses a...