The New HR Leader’s First 100 Days 

In 2013, I found myself at a career crossroads.  I had served as Deputy HR Director at NASA’s Johnson Space Center since 2010, and it was unclear what was next.  So, I started looking around for various career development resources.  I also sought a rotation outside of HR—since The Chief HR Officer noted that most top HR leaders had spent time outside the function. 

Additionally, I ran across Alan Collins’ site SuccessInHR.com and heeded his advice: “Take your Human Resources career to the next level by launching your own HR blog!”  Since my personal mission is To Improve Leadership Wherever I Go, I went with a blog about leadership instead of a sole focus on HR.  To get started, I found Collins’ book Start Your Own Awesome HR Blog an instructive and invaluable resource. 

As I faced another major career transition earlier this year—moving from a 28-year career at NASA to the role of Vice President for Human Resources at a non-profit, Space Center Houston—I again turned to Alan Collins.  His 2019 book The New HR Leader’s First 100 Days: How To Start Strong, Hit The Ground Running & Achieve Success Faster As A New Human Resources Manager, Director or VP again provided invaluable advice.   

Click here for Collins’ 15 Proven Rules to help you start strong, hit the ground running, and guide you to success faster

Happy National Learning & Development Month

National Learning and Development Month is celebrated every October and encourages individuals to focus on broadening and advancing their personal and professional skills.  The National month recognition reminds us of the importance of supporting educating and learning at every stage of life—it’s not just for kids!  Education and learning are critical to human progress. 

Take the initiative, and never stop learning.  It is important to continue to build skills that make us better team members and citizens.

In honor of the month, let’s turn to Ed Lawler’s 2017 book Reinventing Talent Management: Principles and Practices for the New World of Work. 

Click here for more from Ed Lawler