Today leadership is about visibility and being authentic. Earlier this year, I attended a session with my favorite living poet, David Whyte, who inspires us to be vulnerable in being ourselves. I have followed his writing and enjoyed his workshops for many years. This session included a most intriguing organizational expert, Gayle Karen Young, who I was totally taken by. I found her perspective on leaders finding their way in this messy organizational life quite mind shifting

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-win-over-skeptical-coworkers-as-a-young-boss-1493717406 As Millennials, we grew up in a world surrounded by technology, a known social stigma for a love of taking selfies, and we are infamously known to “steal” jobs away from experienced Baby Boomers. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, Millennials surpassed Generation X to become the largest share of the American workforce - which means that Millennials are here to stay. But h

https://www.wsj.com/articles/where-college-seniors-are-falling-short-1493118000 As a recent 2017 University of Oregon graduate with my degree in Public Relations, I found this article very interesting and, let’s be honest, somewhat alarming. It seems as though 2017 grads are getting a bad wrap - and while many may be unprepared to enter the workforce, I find myself in a different place post-graduation. University of Oregon’s PR program really encouraged students to get involv

SBCo has proven to me how a small team can work together to make a big impact. We are a close-knit, collaborative group that fosters creativity, flexibility in thought and in working logistics. It has amazed me that while we all work virtually, we manage to operate as if we see each other daily. Our small group never seems to miss a beat; both in finding creative ways to help our clients or working together as a cohesive unit. While the nature of our business has ebbs and flo

I can’t believe it has been over 17 years ago that I started this journey with SBC. As I made a leap from the corporate world to consulting, little did I know that I was joining an organization that would make such an impact on my life, working with the best leader and team. After working with our first client, Allergan and AMO, I remember thinking to myself that this organization was something different - it's not just an ordinary firm, but one that has built its foundation

SBC sets itself apart from other search firms because of our passion for search and connecting others with great opportunities. Coming from a corporate background I was afraid that going into a firm might be more transactional, but I love the deep connections that are fostered with both the clients we work with and the candidates we place. I feel as though I am an extension of our client organizations and am able to be a trusted business partner.  Our clients have a lot to of

Perhaps you can relate. Imagine my surprise when I showed up in corporate life with a burning desire to contribute, bundles of energy to get things done, and an never-ending flow of ideas (at least some of which were even feasible), only to realize the company just wasn’t willing to let me work to my potential. It felt like I was a salmon throwing myself on the rocks time and time again trying to get the company to let me make the contribution of which I was capable! I finall

What I have always admired/loved about SBC is the authenticity of relationships that are created with clients/candidates/community members. Although the majority of our work is done virtually, there is still a very personal connection we make with those we interact with. Whether it’s the pro-bono work we do for non-profits or the recruiting work we do with Fortune 500 companies, our hearts are focused on the people side of business. I find that you can most prominently see th

We launched our second HRoundtable this past week with the help of my long-time friend and wonderful consultant, business owner Sonya Kemp. Sonya believes in the notion that giving to others and allowing a group to learn from each other strengthens the outcome for everyone.  Adam Grant talks about this in his giving book, "Give and Take."  We have eight wonderful managers in this group from premier companies and they are already demonstrating their passion to give to each oth

Erik Benjamins: How did you choose the path of entrepreneurship? Ryan Sheffer: Up until I was applying for college, I thought that “becoming a business person” was the thing you did as a career. I didn’t know that becoming a filmmaker—or doing your own thing—could be a job. In my head, it seemed like something that others did. When I started to get into the technology industry about ten years later to start my own company, I didn’t know what venture capital was. I didn’t use

Following the election last fall, our son, Erik initiated a project called "Last Day First Day." I was taken by his initiative and timing to ask us all to actively reflect through writing.    Writing, creating, performing allows reflection and self-expression.  Whether you voted for either candidate in the election, the process of sharing your views in a simple letter results in shifting or embracing a new mindset and yes, we are creating art in doing this simple act. We can

Forbes recently posted top workforce trends for 2017.  I was delighted to see at the top of the list that companies are focused on strengthening their candidate and employee experience.  There are several ideas around this that make it so powerful and relevant. First, a great candidate experience means first understanding the power of common courtesy.  Being respectful of others matters for it reflects on who you are as a person and how your company brand is experienced. Our

On this episode of Talent Talk we focused on "The Future of Managing -Those Darn Millennials" . We sat down with two Millennials to find out what leadership traits the admire about leaders today and what traits they plan to bring to the table as leaders of the future! http://traffic.libsyn.com/sbcompany/05_Talent_Talk_Episode_5.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed Subscribe: Android | RSS #Talent #Leadership #Communication #Culture #OrganizationalCulture #Podcas

Are we over it yet?  Half of the workers in  your organizations will be under 30 and by 2025, everyone under 25 will be a digital native.  They grew up with all things tech. Innovation inside our companies will come from the digital natives.  So, why are we hanging on to old structures and ways of thinking about work?  Do we have leaders who just don't see this coming or chose to stick to models they grew up in? It was great to see an LA Business Journal article last week abo

There is no denying that we have reached an era of digital disruption.  In the workplace, many CHRO’s are beginning to see the effect of digital disruption through a changing employment style. There is a new workforce rising through the “gig economy” (also known as contingent work, sharing economy, agile talent, non-traditional work relationships, or alternate forms of employment). Gig Economy companies include Uber, Airbnb, Lyft, UpCounsel, Instacart, and TaskRabbit.  The ra

How about rejecting the default in us? Take a chance and get on that limb.  Adam Grant, in his new book, Originals, talks about taking those chances. Are you exploring whether there is a better option or do you default to what you know? The start is curiosity and seeing things in fresh perspectives.  I know that is hard to do.  The job market is requiring us to reject the default in us.  Taking a role that you thought might be less than what you are skilled for might be scary

Culture Talk with Ron Schrader & Jennifer Pietrzak This month we sat down with the dynamic culture-savvy duo of Ron Schrader and Jennifer Pietrzak Carlson. Ron and Jennifer have their own respected firms and clients, but have also collaborated often over the past nine years.  We have had the pleasure of working with them also and were so pleased to catch up and hear what they're up to. Working together, Ron and Jennifer have built a reputation for helping organizations realiz

Talent Talk Episode 4 This episode is focused on The Future of Leading – Is Bottom up Listening the Answer? Employees are bringing new attitudes, ideas, values and expectations with them into the workplace. These are all getting passed up to managers, who are being forced to adapt in order to attract and retain top talent, and managers in turn are passing it up to the organization, and in some cases driving broad-based change across the entire company. So we wanted to find ou

S. Benjamins & Company is excited to announce our new podcast, Talent Talk! We hope you will tune in as we talk to innovative practitioners about issues facing organizations today. http://traffic.libsyn.com/sbcompany/Welcome_to_Talent_Talk.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed Subscribe: Android | RSS #Leadership #Communication #Culture #HR #Innovation #HumanResources

There is a sense of anxiety in our world today.  Just read the newspaper or try following the political scene for a few days.  It is crazy making.  The financial markets have calmed down for the moment however, there is little confidence that we have a smooth sailing year ahead.  So, is it hard to find the optimists? Maybe. Settling for a pessimist view is not the answer.  Bill Taylor, speaker and author of Mavericks at Work and a new book soon coming out called; Simply Brill