Looking for guidance or inspiration? The Now What blog is packed with free advice, tips, and real-world insights to help you navigate work and life with confidence.
As one reader shares, "Amanda embodies what an ideal HR professional should be—empathetic, understanding, and solution-focused. She stands out by prioritizing needs while creating a truly unique and supportive approach."
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You've Received An Employee Complaint - Now What?
I recently had a client reach out to me with a dilemma: “I just had an employee share an uncomfortable and inappropriate situation that has happened to them involving a colleague, and I don’t know how to handle it.” Here's the situation:
Sitting in the Uncomfortable
We’ve all experienced moments of discomfort, whether it’s asking for a raise, giving critical feedback, or tackling a challenging conversation. As an HR professional with over a decade of experience, I’ve learned that enduring these moments of unease can lead to remarkable outcomes.
One Person Can Tear Down a Whole Culture
It’s a tale as old as time. If I asked you to name the one person in your workplace who undermines company culture more than anyone else, a name likely pops into your head immediately. Let’s be honest—they might be mean, rude, and generally unpleasant to work with, yet they’re a top performer who brings in significant business for the company.
Mastering Productivity in Remote and Hybrid Work
One of the most common mistakes young professionals make early in their careers is underestimating their power to lead and influence, even without an official "leadership" title. Many assume they must wait for a promotion to a position like "manager" or "supervisor" before they can step into leadership roles. However, the truth is that leadership begins long before any formal title is granted.
I Work Remotely… Now What?
Someone recently asked me how to manage a team successfully in a remote environment and I thought I knew the answer until I started working at a fully remote company. I worked remotely at my previous company but we didn’t start that way, so I had a lot of credibility and relationship equity built up by the time I started managing people remotely.
Building Trust and Credibility: A Key to Success in Any Career
In my career, I’ve had to be scrappy. I started in accounting, realized it wasn’t the right fit for me, and pivoted to a new role as an administrative assistant where I worked my way up to Director of People Operations by the time I was 30. Looking back on my journey, I can confidently say that one key element has kept me on track…
Curiosity Matters
As someone who has spent years in HR, I’ve witnessed firsthand how leading with curiosity can transform interactions and improve outcomes. Here’s why fostering a curious mindset can make a world of difference in your professional life and how you can cultivate it.
Building Relationship Deposits
In the professional world, relationships are as crucial as skills and experience. One concept that has profoundly influenced my approach to building and maintaining professional relationships is the idea of "relationship deposits." I first encountered this concept early in my career, and it’s a principle I strive to practice daily.
Difficult Personalities
In any workplace, you’re likely to encounter a range of personalities, some of which can present challenges. Understanding these behaviors and learning effective strategies to manage them can help maintain a positive work environment. Here’s a guide to handling various difficult personalities while focusing on the problem rather than the person.
Is HR Confidential?
The conservative and ever-annoying answer is: it depends. Generally speaking, yes, HR conversations should be confidential. However, it's crucial to understand the boundaries of confidentiality and ensure both parties are clear before delving into a discussion.
Managing Up
Here’s the situation: My manager and I were aligned on a particular issue and how to handle it. When we went together to present our solution to our boss, my manager completely changed his stance. Suddenly, I felt abandoned, standing alone in a spotlight.
Why Should You Care?
I sat there thinking, “Why am I crying about this email I wrote so long ago?” Yes, they provided a stable job and room for professional growth - all the things good employers should do. But those things aren’t what made me loyal to them for over eight years.
Off-boarding Essentials: Insights from an HR Director
Navigating being let go or experiencing a layoff can be challenging. As someone who has overseen employee offboarding as a Director of People and HR, I understand the complexities firsthand. Whether from the perspective of an HR professional or an employee facing termination, there are valuable insights I’ve gained that I’d like to share with you.
Thanks for the Feedback
The most recent piece of feedback I received stopped me in my tracks. First, I was embarrassed. I knew my delivery wasn’t my best work but it was even more mortifying to realize that others noticed it as well. It felt like leaving the house on a bad hair day, hoping nobody would notice, only to find out it was worse than I thought.
Don’t Take it Personally
I can count the number of times I've cried at work, in front of my boss, on one hand—maybe even on one finger. I was put in an extremely difficult situation where I had to make a decision that went against everything I stood for. Before I could check in with my face, tears were streaming down faster than I could catch them.
Dealing With Bullies at Work
Dealing with a workplace bully starts with not trying to understand their motivation. Their actions are a direct reflection of themselves and their own issues, it is not a reflection of you. While it’s natural to take their words or actions personally and let them ruin your day, it is not worth it. After reminding yourself that their behavior is not a reflection of your personal worth, step back and consider your next moves…
Navigating Social Media Connections in the Workplace
Your social media profiles serve as windows into your life, so as you start creating a professional reputation for yourself, you need to think carefully about your social media presence online: who can see it, what you are posting, and what kind of message you are sending to the world.
Get to the Point
One of the most important skills in your professional toolbelt is the ability to get to the root of an issue. Throughout my career, I’ve seen countless instances where people dive headfirst into solving a problem without truly understanding what they’re tackling. Often, when people attempt to find a solution, they’re asking the wrong questions.
So You’ve Started a New Job
Whether you're interviewing for your first job ever or just a new job in general; there are basic fundamentals of interviewing that everyone must know and spoiler alert they're mostly common sense!
I've Landed An Interview - Now What?
Whether you're interviewing for your first job ever or just a new job in general; there are basic fundamentals of interviewing that everyone must know and spoiler alert they're mostly common sense!