The Power of 5

March 14, 2021

 

Roman numerals had tally marks for 1-4, then a V for 5. I just read that in Maya writing, dots meant single units and a bar represented 5.

 

I thought it was cool that 2 different ancient civilizations, on 2 different continents, marked off by 5. Is it because we have 5 fingers on one hand? What’s the deal? Did anybody else do it that way?

Looking Beneath the Surface

March 10, 2021

A friend forwarded several of these photos to me. When I saw them, at first I saw women carrying burdens that are too heavy for most of us to bear, performing incredible feats on a daily basis. But I also saw more: I saw engineers; I saw problem-solvers—CEO’s and office managers. I saw athletes and artists and time-management specialists. I saw people that I would like to go to when I needed help, because I'm pretty sure they'd find a way to do it.

 

What do you see?

(April 25: Now you see nothing. But they were great pictures.)

+2

Modern Miracles

 

March 10, 2021

 

My sister accidentally dialed me for a video call this morning. Even though she didn’t have time to talk, I got to see her smiling face for a minute, which brightened my day considerably.

Think about that: Technology has come so far that you can accidentally get into a video call with somebody.

How cool is that?

His Opponents May Have a Shot

 

March 9, 2021

 

In a stunning reversal of policy, Missouri has now decreed that more COVID-19 vaccines will go to heavily populated areas with lots of at-risk people, instead of being sent to rural areas where demand (and desire) for the vaccine is low.

Cynics claim that the rural areas got access to the vaccine because they voted heavily for Gov. Parson, while the metropolitan areas did not. The governor, of course, denies it.

 

Ah, well. Better late than never, right?

 

Don't Let One Person Hold Your Company Hostage

 

March 6, 2021

I have worked with no fewer than 4 companies where one person would refuse to train others on his or her position, possibly because s/he wanted job security, possibly for other reasons.

 

At one place, the Information Hoarder had to be on medical leave for 6 months, and the company was in a world of hurt.

 

To avoid being caught in that type of situation, take these steps:

• ALWAYS have a procedure manual for each department. It won’t contain the extra knowledge in the Information Hoarder’s head—which clients need special handling, how to deal with quirks in the software, etc.—but you won’t be crippled if the person is gone for a while.

• If you already have an Information Hoarder and cannot convince the person that it is in his or her best interests, as well as the company’s, to train someone, ask the company that provided the software how much it would charge to train someone else. It’ll cost you, but you won’t be at the mercy of the Information Hoarder any more.

Protect your company. Don’t let someone else call the shots.

 

Are Human Resources Directors Human?

 

March 2, 2021

 

After I made it through 2 rounds of interviews with a company, both of which I thought went well, and one of which I really enjoyed, I got an email regretting that they had gone with another person, and wishing me luck. I emailed back, “Thanks for letting me know.”

My email bounced back because it was sent to an address that sent out auto-emails. After two interviews, the HR Director hadn’t even bothered to send a personal email. I thought, “Dang, that was cold. And tacky!”

But believe it or not, that’s not the worst that can happen. The worst is when you go through interviews, the HR Director says s/he’ll be in touch, and then never lets you know that you are no longer being considered.

Now, let’s think about this. People who are looking for jobs are often not in the best of situations. They are likely unemployed, which is very stressful. Do they really need the added stressor of being left on tenterhooks, hoping that they’ll be hired; only to realize gradually that it ain’t gonna happen?

What do people learn in HR school? Apparently, it’s not to be empathetic.

One of my friends said, “That’s the real world. Suck it up.”

It seemed like a stupid thing to say. Why not try to make the “real world” a little better for each other? This would be a simple way to relieve a lot of stress for someone in need: Tell them that they didn’t get the job, so that they can stop hoping.

 

Try it, HR Directors. Find some way to connect with people. It’s sort of your job.

 

He Rushed Out of Here

 March 4, 2021

In response to a Missouri legislator’s proposal to declare the late Rush Limbaugh’s birthday Rush Limbaugh day (on the grounds that Rush was born here), Post-Dispatch columnist Bill McClellan pointed out that Rush didn’t like Missouri enough to live here once he hit the big time.

McClellan also listed a lot of other people who could have called Missouri home, but chose not to. One of those people wrote an article in 2011 extolling the virtues of flying Southwest Airlines to get home to his family every weekend. The man was the chief marketing officer for what was then the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission; the home he couldn’t wait to get to was in Baltimore. 

Apparently, nobody held it against him. He’s still working with the bureau, and he still lives in Baltimore.