Editor’s Note: The holiday season is here, and TLNT is getting into the spirit with some classic holiday posts. Look for them through Christmas Eve. When I … Read more
Crystal Spraggins, SPHR, is an HR consultant and freelance writer who lives in Philadelphia. She also writes at her blog, HR BlogVOCATE. For the past 15 years, Crystal has focused on building HR departments in small- to mid-sized companies under the philosophy that "HR is not for wimps." She is also the CEO and Founder of Work It Out! and partners with HRCVision, a full-service HR consultant practice specializing in leadership and diversity training. Contact her at crs036@aim.com.
Should You Trust a Woman Who Cries at Work?
Last week on Shark Tank, a female business owner was counseled by Barbara Corcoran (one of the “sharks”) that she needed to “give up this … Read more
How Much Can We Really Demand of the People We Hire?
A few weeks ago I interviewed for a job there was no way in hell I’d ever get. Of course, that fact wasn’t apparent to me at first. But by the second … Read more
Five Really Good Reasons to Give HR a Little Love
Poor HR gets so much hate. Sadly, some of it is justified, but there’s also a lot to appreciate about HR. For example: 1. We know more than you think I’m … Read more
Just What Really Is “Top Talent,” Anyway?
Editor’s Note: Readers sometimes ask about past TLNT articles, so every Friday we republish a Classic TLNT post. The business community (and that … Read more
Managing Up: What The Heck Is It And Why Should You Care?
Editor’s Note: Readers sometimes ask about past TLNT articles, so every Friday we republish a Classic TLNT post. Regardless of what you do or where you do … Read more
The Three Hallmarks of a Dysfunctional Workplace
In Anna Karenina, Russian author Leo Tolstoy famously wrote “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The same could … Read more
The One Thing Every Great Leader Cares About Most
Today I was reminded in a potent and somewhat painful way that leaders have a truly awesome responsibility. When leaders speak, others are obligated to … Read more
How Uber Is Pushing Us to Answer the Challenges of the “Freelancer Economy”
While reviewing a client’s policy manual the other day, I asked whether the sick leave policy — which allows employees to use sick time to care for unwell … Read more
Corporate Accountability Needs to Be More Than a Management Notion
No one disputes the importance of accountability in healthy workplaces, but the meaning of the word seems to escape many. Here’s a case in point: … Read more
Here’s Why Incumbents Shouldn’t Hire Their Replacements – Period
The other day I had a phone interview with a potential employer about a part-time position, and the employer told me the incumbent was “very interested” in … Read more
How to Deal With a Ruthlessly Competitive Boss
Americans love to compete. Whether on turf, on television, in the classroom, or in the boardroom, we’re all about outwitting, outfoxing, and outdoing our … Read more
The Mark of a Leader: What Does Your Communication Say About You?
Last week, TLNT republished an article from the vault in which John Hollon wrote that when it comes to good bossology, “There is no such thing as over … Read more
Why Isn’t HR Driving Company Culture?
The other day while with a client, I mentioned something about the organization’s culture, and the client grumpily replied “I’m sick of hearing about the … Read more
Why Meddling Management Can Be Just as Bad as Micromanagement
It’s long been established that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Why then, do so many leaders beg to disagree? If not, how to … Read more
It’s Hard to Get Off Easy When You Make a Really Bad Hire
There’s a certain type of manager you only have to work with for, oh, five minutes, before concluding that they really suck. Why? Mostly because said … Read more
Yet Another Management Challenge: Coping With the Narcissistic Boss
Of all the offensive managerial types, the narcissist has got to be one of the worst. For our purposes, the term “narcissist” does NOT refer to those with … Read more
Why Smart Leaders Make Dumb Decisions
Like many of you, I spend a good bit of my time thinking about and/or interacting with organizational leaders and wondering what the hell makes them tick. … Read more
Never Trust HR and Other Workplace Tips for Millennials
One of my favorite Millennials is graduating from college next month, and it occurs to me that he, like millions of others from the so-called Godless … Read more
Workplace Inequality: Can We Talk About How We Treat Each Other?
The other day a friend asked me what I thought about the rape allegations against Bill Cosby, and I told her. She said she thought he was probably guilty, … Read more