Workplace 101: A Profiles Global Business Blog

HR professionals will see major changes in their job functions as 2013 comes to a close, even if their job title remains the same. In an article for Forbes.com, Ron Ashkenas wrote about how the HR profession is in the middle of a major transition that will change the direction of HR goals and the work of HR professionals. The days of HR professionals spending their time calculating payroll and monitoring sick days is over.

Make sure to share with us in the comment section your favorite news story this week, or what you think is “Hot in HR” right now!

The decision to allow employees to work from home is a big decision.  We have written about the pros and cons of a mobile workforce. Unfortunately, no outsider can give you a definitive answer on whether or not you should allow telecommuting at your office, because there is no "one size fits all" answer.

Micromanagement has a bad rap. Here are just a few of the many reasons people hate the word:

Part 2 - Author: Scheherazade Perkins, M.A.

In part one of this blog series, I outlined how managers need to get creative about motivating their employees without dangling the dollar in front of them. For many organizations, this is not a choice. Constrained budgets and resources mean leaders NEED to find other ways of motivating their staff.

I also promised to share with you ten traits of highly self-motivating people. Gail Cohen, lecturer, consultant, and author compiled a list of attributes that typify self-motivated individuals.

Part 1 - Author: Scheherazade Perkins, M.A.

In this environment of economic downturn, tightened belts, and constrained resources, managers are experiencing the need to get creative about motivating their employees, without dangling the dollar in front of them. It is a fact that tightened belts mean fewer dollars available for dangling. Even in these rough times, not much has really changed about motivating people. Most HR professionals and OD specialists agree that money never really motivated anybody. Soon after your employees receive a salary increase and calculate the increase in taxes, the excitement of the increase dissipates.

Make sure to share with us in the comment section your favorite news story this week or what you think is ‘Hot in HR’ right now!

Guest Post by Dr. Greg Stewart

Are you a leader? Based upon the title, you already know not to take the bait. Some of you know you are a leader because you are a supervisor, manager, director, VP, or are a member of the C-Suite. Is it possible to hold one of those positions and not be a leader? Granted, it probably isn’t. The question then becomes: Is it possible to hold one of those positions and be a bad leader? I heard the screams of agreement as soon as I typed it.

Let’s start with the definition of leadership. I credit my favorite and, in my opinion, only correct definition of leadership to John Maxwell. I heard this definition almost 20 years ago and have never forgotten it. I was able to achieve this incredible feat because the definition is only one word: Influence. All of the other definitions I have read over the years are all contained in the two words of leadership and influence. Words like vision, direction, followers, motivation, passion, and management can all be sub-words to leadership and influence. If you lead someone, you by the very nature of the word are trying to motivate other people to go in a particular direction. It’s that simple.

It is a tale as old as time. One of your employees does not get along with another one of your employees but they have to work together on a regular basis. This is one of the most difficult situations you will face as a manager.

2012 saw a multitude of news stories in the corporate business world from Yahoo’s leadership challenges and Facebook’s IPO to plummeting stocks and growing tech giants. Unemployment dropped to its lowest rate in four years reaching 7.8 percent. Regardless of industry, millions of organizations have faced their fair share of challenges in the past year. Some businesses remain favorable in the eyes of their employees and the public, others… not so much.