OMG… It’s Wednesday.  Yes, I am patting myself on the back.  Honestly I really shouldn’t, I’ve been awake since 4.30 a.m. CST, and it’s taken me three hours to start writing the blog entry for today.  Worse, nothing on cable.  I did see a fun infomercial where a guy talks about his colon cleaner…  ick.  Even worse, he talks about his daughters “bowel movements” in terms of length and girth.  No kiddin.  She must be one popular teenager at school…

Anyways…

Cheaters in my midst

I conducted a three hour workshop yesterday at the Gulf Coast Symposium on HR Issues here in Houston.  About 125 folks were present, and to my surprise, no one left early!  They laughed at my jokes, were surprised by the disappointing results from the 2008 Employee Hold’em National Benchmark Study on Employee Engagement, and loved playing the “IM game” I inserted into the presentation.

The title of my presentation was “Cracking the Code, Creating Effective Manager-Employee Relationships”.  Since I used the Crack the Code term, I decided to add a game to the presentation, asking attendees to translate standard IM (instant message) code, you know, what the kids use to type their zillions of text messages sent each day on line or via phone.   I peppered my presentation with eight different “messages” (ROFL, H2CUS, L8RG8R), and asked the attendees to write their translation on a piece of paper.  I added one my 15 year old son told me about (CD9), and I assumed no one would get it right.  I was right and wrong.

The three hour presentation included a 15 minute break.  I noticed a lot of people doing what they normally do on break; checking emails,  making calls, and playing on their blackberry.

At the end of the presentation, six people had all eight IM’s translated correctly, including CD9 (Code 9, parents are watching).  However I think I guilted four into an admission… during the breaks they emailed or texted their kids to get the answers to the quiz.  Did it break the spirit of the game?  Sure.  Were four of the six crafty little devils?  Yup.  Did I still give them the fabulous prize (a copy of my first book)?  You betcha.  Will I have tighter rules next time?  No doubt about it.

But you gotta love ingenuity!

Work-Life Balance

A Harris Interactive survey indicated sixty percent (60%) working mothers said becoming a parent had no effect on their careers, while 25% said becoming a parent enhanced their careers. Nearly seven in ten working moms said managing family affairs is harder than handling their careers.

This matches the results from my recently completed benchmark which indicated 60% of managers recognize the importance of an employee’s family and personal life.  Remember, if you force employees to choose between work and family, they will choose family every single time.  Good for them.

Work-Life Balance #2

As you might have read in an earlier blog, I attended my sons college graduation on Sunday, in beautiful Granville, Ohio (home of Denison University).  On the ride to Columbus from Indiana, I received a call from the nursing home where my dad lives.  He was rushed to the hospital with severe difficulty breathing.  My dad has COPD and is on oxygen 24/7.  I was told that nothing was life threatening, and after talking with my brother, I went on to graduation.

I called frequently getting information from the doctors and nurses.  As I have POA and Healthcare POA (power of attorney), there were things that needed to be discussed, decisions that had already been made with me, my dad, and my older brother.  My dad will be in the hospital through the weekend, I hope to get there soon.

Work-life balance is a myth. You do the best you can in the situation you are in.

I love you dad.  Get better soon, we have a book to finish!