Tag Archives: Human Resources

Getting Stuck Can Help You Grow

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by Gianpiero Petriglieri

After an accident, there is often a second of calm when you realize that you are seriously hurt. Memory captures the scene in fine detail, as if you’re hovering outside your skin, before pain and confusion pull you right back in.

I can still see myself getting up from a fall, almost exactly thirteen years ago, dusting snow off my tingling left arm. It looks odd, no longer in its usual place. I am somewhere between medical school and settling into my residency, before I could even imagine working in a school of business. Continue reading →

The Odd Questions Harvard Asks MBA Applicants

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By John A. Byrne

Want to go to Harvard Business School? Be prepared to answer some odd questions, such as what kind of chocolate you prefer.

If you’re a male applicant to the Harvard Business School and about to be interviewed by admissions, you should wear a well-fitting black, grey or navy blue suit with a non-distracting shirt and tie. Deodorant is a must but cologne is a no-no.

If you’re a woman, the length of your skirt should be at least at the knee. Your suit color and style should be simple and classic, with closed-toed pumps with a heel height of between one and three inches. The flashy baubles are best left at home along with any strong fragrance. Continue reading →

Talent Acquisition, Succession Planning and the Superbowl

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written by Larry Janis

Millions of people follow the game of professional football from preseason to the Superbowl.  Their interests are usually focused on the offensive and defensive talent on the field.

These players we admire are there because of the team’s scouting talent, the coaches and the general managers and their ability to identify and acquire talent. This talent acquisition process provides bench strength – literally – and resources for succession planning for the next year’s season. Continue reading →

Don’t Get Stuck as Someone Else’s Second-in-Command

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By John Beeson

Every senior executive would love to have an Allan Taylor on his or her team. And that was the nub of Allan’s problem. For a number of years, Allan has reported to a highly visionary manager, and they made a great team. Allan has ensured consistent execution of his boss’s strategic initiatives — and is quickly falling into what I call the “first lieutenant syndrome.” Continue reading →

The dumbest interview questions of 2012

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Written by Anne Fisher

If some of the things you’ve been asked in job interviews lately have struck you as kind of peculiar, cheer up. It’s not you, it’s them.

FORTUNE — “Are you a nerd?” “Can you dance?” “If you were a doughnut, what kind would you be?” When talent management consultants Development Dimensions International quizzed more than 2,000 newly hired employees about strange questions they had fielded in job interviews, the researchers got an earful. Some hiring managers’ queries are not just odd, they’re banned by law. See if you can spot the illegal questions in the following list. (Answers are at the bottom.) Continue reading →