Soundbites

Pain on the fi ring line

You say it hurts to fi re someone? It should hurt. A lot. Because it may be as much your fault as the employee you’ve “had to” dismiss.

Why do I say that?

An employee who doesn’t work out tends to fail for two main reasons. One, she was a bad hire in the fi rst place. Two, she didn’t receive proper training. In both cases the main fault is the employer’s (though there are obvious exceptions).

Making the “right hire” is critical, not only to your organization but also to the employee who is investing in her and your future. You really must be careful to ensure the employee has the right skill set and personality to do the job.

So I roll my eyes when employers blithely get rid of someone with a “didn’t work out” shrug. You should never shrug when making the drastic choice to dismiss someone. You should examine yourself to see what you did wrong.

And you should feel some pain. — Personnel specialist R. B. Sawatzky

Diversity dividend

It’s no longer news — or, at least, it

Success

To laugh often and much, to win respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to fi nd the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

— Attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson

shouldn’t be news — that genderdiverse boards make good business sense. Time and time again, studies have shown that boards with greater gender balance have higher levels of organizational effectiveness and perform better fi nancially. They’re also more diverse in terms of thought and perspective, show more evidence of unity and collegiality, and are associated with better corporate social performance. — Susan Goldberg in Corporate Knights

Not silver, but...

Job creation is no silver bullet ... but going to work each day provides structure, discipline, and a little more meaning to life. It offers an answer to those who ask themselves, “What am I doing here?” Well, you are cleaning fl oors, you are working in an offi ce, you are fi lleting fi sh, or fulfi lling some other worthwhile role. It may not be the most profound answer, but it is a start. You are contributing to your family, your community, and the world to some extent. — Canadian Aboriginal leader Wab Kinew in The Reason You Walk

Good profi t

By “good profi t” I don’t mean high margins or high return on capital, or lots of profi t by just any means. What I consider to be good profi t comes from Principled Entrepreneurship — creating superior value for our customers while consuming fewer resources and always acting lawfully and with integrity. Good profi t comes from making a contribution in society — not from corporate welfare or other ways of taking advantage of people. — Charles G. Koch in Good Profi t: How Creating Value for Others Built One of the World’s Most Successful Companies