Willem’s fever was burning as he lay on a makeshift hospital bed in Steinbach Manitoba in November 1919. Just 17 years old he was a victim of the Spanish flu, a pandemic ravaging the world at the time. The temporary hospital had been the only school in the little village and was filled. Schooling was […]
As I write this article it’s just a week ago that our family had to say goodbye to our much beloved dog. His name was Seve, named after one of my favourite golfers, the Spaniard Seve Ballesteros. A Portuguese water dog, he was with us for 10 fantastic years. His personality was aptly defined by […]
Those who drink the water should never forget those who dug the well Who dug your well? As you look at your successes and your accomplishments, do you pause to remember who contributed? In other words, who laid the foundations for you and taught you some of the things you know? Who advised and corrected […]
“There’s nothing like being in the right place at the right time … Even better if you understand why.” We’ve all heard this adage many times: “There’s nothing like being in the right place at the right time.” Only recently did I hear this important piece appended: “Even better if you understand why.” This adds […]
“A GOOD BOSS is hard to find, difficult to part with, and hard to forget.” I had just finished eating breakfast at a small diner and was paying my bill. As I stood at the cash register, I noticed a large plaque hanging on the wall with these words engraved in the middle. Surrounding this […]
This term is used often when talking about the challenges of attracting and retaining the very best employees, but perhaps “war” is a bit excessive. However, there’s no doubt that the current employment marketplace presents significant challenges for employers who are intent on building an outstanding team. If we were to group potential employees into […]
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward Do you know a pessimist? How about an optimist? Do you know any realists? I think it’s safe to say we all know people who fit into each category. In fact it’s quite likely that […]
(Names have been changed to protect the innocent) Ralph could feel the sweat beginning to form, his chest tightening as he sat outside the boss’s office waiting for the hastily called meeting. It was last night at 10:30 when he received the text: “7:30 tomorrow morning, my office.” The boss was rarely so blunt in […]
Webster’s Dictionary defines “over the hill” as “past one’s prime” and “advanced in age.” The expression itself is rarely used these days. As a recruiter, I receive résumés from a broad demographic of supply chain and transportation people ranging in age from early 20s to late 60s. Occasionally I’m asked by clients to avoid submitting […]
“What can I do to get the promotion? It feels like the only solution is to leave the company and look for a new opportunity.” This was the question posed to me earlier this week by a business development representative working within the transportation industry. Because I’m in the recruitment business, it’s not an unusual […]
More than 30 years ago my friend Bruce got the call from a potential employer: “Thanks very much for coming in, Bruce. We enjoyed the conversation but we decided to move in a different direction.” It happens all the time. Almost every available position has a number of interested applicants and typically there’s only one […]
I met Mitchell 30 years ago. Little did I know that we would spend our careers working together and become great friends. When we first met I was 27 years old and overseeing operations in a transportation company. Mitchell was 39 and had recently relocated to Toronto after a successful career in the banking industry. […]