The topic of boomerang employees is hot right now, but is it fad or fabulous? In this post, I offer some of my high-level thoughts on the phenomenon and link to several articles discussing the trend.

The HR function has been thrust into the limelight over the past few years due to unprecedented circumstances. In many cases, HR leaders emerged as vital strategic partners in business success. While HR leaders should enjoy their relatively newfound “seat at the table,” they should also be wary that this status may not endure without careful caretaking.

Manager-employee one-on-ones can be one of the most valuable tools in your organization’s toolkit. Yet, many organizations and their managers (especially first-timers!) fail to use them correctly if at all. In this article, we discuss the importance of a healthy one-on-one regimen, offer three basic guidelines for developing a meaningful one-on-one program, and provide a sample template to help you think about the type of program your organization should consider adopting.

Rapid growth requires near constant change, which prompts some leaders to swing wildly from one extreme to another in terms of structures and HR practices. In this article, we argue that leaders are often better served to find a suitable “Goldilocks Zone” that offers balance between competing priorities. Using this lens, we discuss three common pain points in the high growth space: (1) driving clarity amidst chaos; (2) enabling speed through structure; and (3) ruthlessly prioritizing.

Aspiring leaders will likely encounter several major, albeit predictable challenges in their leadership journey. Successfully overcoming them requires acquiring new technical skills, to be sure, but also meaningful shifts in one’s mindset. In this post I share five transferable lessons based on my experiences as a leadership researcher and a member of the People Leader Accelerator community.

As silly as it sounds, leaders often fall prey to “I Like Forks” thinking—a problem where they become so enamored with a specific tool, framework, or best practice that they try to apply it even when the context doesn’t make sense.

Startup HR leaders are frequently tempted by flashy “best practices.” Yet, in many cases these are simply bright shiny objects rather than evidence-based remedies appropriate for their context. While HR leaders rarely need to reinvent the wheel, there is still no substitute for critical thinking and a little homework when it comes to deciding which practices make sense for your organization.