jen briggs

Are Durable Skills the Next Civic Skills?

Most of us know the story of so-called soft skills. The remnants of character that help us get along with our colleagues, take care of customers, and, more importantly, the manners that help us disagree with our colleagues. When soft skills are championed and taught best, there is not false harmony but positive, creative friction […]

Why HR Champions Is (still) One of My Favorites

Dave Ulrich’s book, HR Champions, was one of the frameworks for how we saw the Human Resources function at New Belgium. In the early 2000s, we used the Ulrich construct to evaluate how we were currently working and how we might reshape and advance the function. The Ulrich model is a classic 2×2 construct that looks at […]

Open Book Management in an Information Depleted World

One of the mistaken perceptions of open-book management (OBM) is that leaders can conduct an informational meeting, and, voila, they are practicing OBM. The reality is that open-book management is a broad concept with several different frameworks and fantastic opportunities for organizational action and cohesion. It is a vital part of the way a company […]

Straight Talk vs. Being Censored? (an ode to Office Space the movie)

There are so many times I wonder if the 1999 Office Space movie was purely generational. It’s a timeless ode to bad management. It’s a lesson for anyone in management or HR who thrives on corporate speak. If I’m honest, when I’ve found myself looking like one of the Bob’s – it’s a blaring signal […]