Human Resource Management

Every organization has a human resource department of its own. Regardless of the number of employees or members of an organization, the organization survives—and thrives—because of the capabilities and performance of its people. As a small business owner you may not have an official HR Department, but as the owner of the company you are ultimately responsible; you may not even have employees. Neither of these situations releases you of the necessity of thinking and organizing your company’s activities to ensure the policies and procedures you implement along the way support your success.

Human Resource Management (HRM) implements and manages recruitment, training, career and organizational development initiatives within an organization. The aim of HRM is to maximize the production of an organization by maximizing the effectiveness of its employees while simultaneously improving the work life of employees and treating employees as integral resources. As a small business owner with no employees, are you scratching your head as to how this is even applicable to you? HRM focuses on promoting personal development, employee satisfaction and compliance with employment-related laws. Still confused? Good. The purpose behind this article is to help you understand as a one-person-shop how HRM is critical to your overall success. Following are a few perspectives normally used by HRM and how they translate into small business.

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Five Steps to Improve Your Spiritual Health

What does the term “spiritual health” mean? We all have our own perspective of what both “spiritual” and “health” mean in a general sense, but when we talk about spiritual health we define it as “a sense of wholeness.” For example, when we feel sick, we have two options: either we get better and recovered, or we don’t and complete our life cycle by finishing the connection with anything living. Some believe Spiritual Health is an art of healing: the ultimate medicine, a remedy that cures your inner sight as well as your spirit. There are those who believe it also provides you with the capacity of loving yourself unconditionally and reconnects you to your talents and gifts, which helps in feeling fulfilled with your life.

A healthy “spirit” does take a little extra effort, as it becomes a daily priority to embrace. In the beginning it is on your “to-do” list, but after a while it becomes second nature and a habit that for the most part you begin to do subconsciously. But what does that mean? Well, each day you will need to give spirit a top-level priority to do such actions as thinking positively or focusing on your successes and not your so-called failures. And your next question is most likely “Really? That simple, eh?” And my response in most instances is a simple yes. But it is not without effort and time before your perspective will shift to see it being just this simple.

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Basic Steps to Starting Your Own Business

Got that entrepreneurial ability and spirit? You aren't alone. No matter if you are young, dynamic and enthusiastic or if you have been working at your J.O.B. for 20 years, motivated and willing to take a leap of faith—if you have an idea, concept or inspiration to go into business for yourself, then you are ready to set up your own business.

What will set you apart from others? Your thirst for success, your desire to bring your passion to life, and the dream of being your own boss. Learning to minimize your risks while getting to know your new industry and competitors is going to be one of your keys to success. People will tell you to be sure you get experience before you start, but the reality of the entrepreneur is you can acquire a certain amount of experience along the way as well as certain skill sets. What you need to have in your hip pocket from the get-go is self-belief along with trust in your concept and how it will impact your target market.

What I would like to share with you is the five basic steps that can help you more effectively kick-start your new business career:

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Can Eyes See Beyond the World?

Over the last several years I always have wondered about, toyed with and believed in our extrasensory perception in relation to my own personal views versus those individuals close to me as well as people in general. We know and read in the media both science and philosophy continuously grow and expand in the advancement of understanding human life. Today most if not all scientists and philosophers agree on the fact a human’s investigation of the world is limited. With saying this the intention is not to belittle humanity’s capability but to point out humanity is basically like a newborn who only feels, says, acts and receives that which comes from the world around him: his experiences. In all our scientific investigations, we are limited by our five senses. The result is any inventions created or those built in the future will be no exception and do not escape the limitations of our five senses. They merely widen the boundaries we associate with our senses. But does it truly end there, or is there a very real possibility that science one day will consider extrasensory perception as a legitimate part of the investigation process?

I realize how difficult it is or basically the impossibility that we struggle with being able to imagine or identify what our senses lack. Namely, what other additional sense we need in order to recognize the true reality around us, and is “my” reality going to be the same as “Jane Doe’s” reality? Do those who have not embraced the idea of a sixth sense or believe in its validity feel no lack for this, as we feel no lack of a sixth finger on our hands? That for which we feel no lack can never be something to which we would come to request, right? Therefore, all the investigations of our world are only according to our five senses, and thus we cannot begin to see, feel or understand what is beyond these five senses. These are the limitations of our conceptions. Following along this line of thought, if our imagination is the product of our five senses and the experiences that form them, how is it possible for us to ever imagine any object or creature that does not resemble that which is familiar to us from our five senses?

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Health Coaching?

Coaching is one of the fastest growing industries. Recently an associate of mine quipped, “Yeah, the economy takes a downward turn and suddenly everyone is a coach of this, that or another.” At first I was taken aback, but then after some thought I realized that from one perspective that statement has some truth behind it. Over the last few weeks I made a conscious effort to keep an eye for how many coach-type emails, advertisements, etc., came my way. Let’s just say I stopped keeping count, which gave me cause for concern—especially when it comes to one particular area of coaching: Health Coaching.

We are given one body this lifetime, and to put the longevity and wellness of it in the hands of an individual who is not properly trained can be scary. Further, there is no real regulatory body overseeing the coaching industry. Yes, we have the International Coaching Federation and the International Association of Coaches that most certified coaches register themselves through, but I know that having a niche such as health coaching means there doesn’t seem to be any real criteria around how to discern a true health coach and one who went through a weekend crash course certification. Let’s take a few minutes to at least give you a few guidelines to look for when considering partnering with a health coach.

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Perfect Moment Monday: A Husband’s Insight

My Perfect Moment for this week relates to being grateful for my husband. As a business owner, mom and wife, there are many things that weigh on our minds. At times it is easy to allow self-doubt to drain us, to divert our attention from the main reason why we make certain decisions.

The story begins when I was wide awake early one morning and my husband’s alarm clock went off. He asked why was I awake, and I said that I had been up with our son about an hour ago and couldn’t fall back to sleep. He immediately asked me what was I thinking about, and when I shared with him my over thinking a business situation, his response was, “I’d rather you be sleeping than worrying about that. No sleep and you’ll be no good to anyone!

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Attracting What You Don’t Want?

Let’s begin at the beginning regarding the Law of Attraction: like attracts like. It is pretty much that simple, but for some we question all the “bad” or “ugly” in our lives and think, “I can’t possibly be attracting or wanting this in my life!” And for the most part, you would be right. On a conscious level we don’t call or request bad things to happen to us, but on a deeper, subconscious, soul level there may be a part of you that indeed called these experiences forward. The key then becomes asking the question, “Can your mind or thinking override this calling forward of negative experiences?” And the answer is yes, but and there is a big but here: you need to be fully active in your desires of what you are attracting. So, if you feel the Law of Attraction has not been working for you and you have been attracting things you do not want, chances are one of the following road blocks has been blocking your progress – all of which are on a subconscious level.

Wanting versus Believing
If you want something but do not truly believe you deserve it, the Universe will not be able to bring it to you. For instance, let’s say you want a happy and fulfilling relationship but suffer from low self-esteem/self-worth issues. You may not be able to attract the same into your life. It is important to understand that for the Law of Attraction to work, your beliefs and wants must not contradict each other—meaning that just because you say it is so does not make it so. Bringing your beliefs into alignment with your wants means you need to assess, address and accept. Assess your experiences from the past; address each situation from a learning perspective and accept the new perspective or lesson learned into your current belief system today.

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Perfect Moment Monday: A Bun in the Oven

My Perfect Moment for this week happened at 4:20 p.m. on Sat., March 5. There are really no words to describe this particular perfect moment, so I’ll let the video do the talking for me.

As some of you know, I am expecting our second child—a baby girl—and she is set to arrive on or around May 10. I am pleased to share with you our 3D/4D ultrasound that was done this past Saturday. It was the first time our son, who will be three in April, got to see and “meet” his new sister.

To see the video, please go here.

Until next time, embrace your inner wisdom.

Namaste,

Karen

Time: How It Does Fly!

Over the last few weeks I've begun to notice how quickly my son, who will turn three in April, has been developing and moving forward with his life’s journey, especially as my husband and I try to prepare him for the impending birth of a sister.

I realize he is the measure and the reminder that time does not stand still; no matter what we do, the clock continues to tick. We know we cannot turn back the hands of time, nor can we stop the sand from running through the hourglass. But we all feel the need to buy into the idea or notion that it is still possible, one way or another, right? Admit it. The commercials for those cosmetics for fading age spots have hit a nerve at some point. I know they have for me, and at the age of 39 I was still getting carded when buying alcohol at the liquor store! Which, by the way, I don’t mind one bit.

What if we just began to choose to live in the present? You know, like just focus on this exact moment. What does it mean? What does it hold for us? Am I learning something at this time? Or am I teaching someone a new nugget of wisdom?

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The Art of Meditation

Meditation an art? Well, in a sense, yes, meditation is an art. Just as with sketching, painting or drawing, meditation requires a certain amount of creative skill. We know meditation to be a practice or technique that those just starting out normally need the support of focusing on things such as a candle, their breath, a flower or a sound when they are unable to hold their concentration. It is when we take meditation to the next level we begin to embrace the creative element and artist essence of meditation.

Scientific studies have shown prayer or meditation supports a healthy lifestyle, and it is considered one of the best ways to reduce stress. Those practicing meditation on a regular basis know firsthand how meditation supports our ability to ease our minds’ activities, resulting in a more peaceful, calm and focused perspective. Basically, the human mind is the key to removing stress. With the help of meditation we feel calmer and more relaxed while gaining clarity and improved mental focus, which causes an increase in a sense of peace. As we meditate the number of random thoughts occurring diminishes, as does our attachment to those thoughts and our identification with them. This is because we are usually not aware of all the mental activity we are engaged in. As with any creative process in which we engage the ability to allow ourselves to just be is when our inner artist flourishes. Our ability to create from nothing is a skill with which we are all born, but only a few enable themselves to embrace it.

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A Face We All Know and Like: Mark Zuckerberg

This month’s influential individual focus is Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, who was Named TIME’s Person of 2010. Need I say anymore? There isn’t a day, hour or minute that passes where something regarding Facebook doesn’t appear in mainstream media.

Amongst an elite few hundreds, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest of the world’s billionaires. When we think of ourselves at the age of 27, how we cannot be amazed at his genius and influence? Zuckerberg is different from those who inherited their billions because he started his own business and built it from ground up to reach the peak. If you’ve not seen the movie The Social Network, then I recommend it just for the sheer joy of watching how Facebook came to be. Well, and of course a few good laughs along the way.

Facebook’s founder was born on May 14, 1984, as Mark Elliot Zuckerberg. This shy and reserved child has an unparalleled brilliance, and according to Forbes magazine Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in the world for 2008 and the 35th richest person in the USA. Mark’s early years were…

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Employee Training and Development

Employee development training is an essential part of the success of any company. Implementing specifically designed training programs to assist employees in keeping updated (as an example, with current technology) is part of any sound employee training program. It is also important for employers to identify those employees who have the ability to grow within the company and develop their skill sets to fill critical roles that will open in the future – also known as succession planning.

However, it is one thing to acknowledge employee training as vital and quite another to invest the time in developing a comprehensive training program into an already busy schedule.

A few preliminary steps a business owner or leader needs to take are identifying what needs or skills are required for each key position and understanding that the training ultimately enhances your business opportunities. A complete skills analysis to determine the real need for employee training will take care of this preliminary step. As a follow up, you will need to make sure the training opportunity you are providing will address the challenge you are targeting to solve and is, in fact, a basic training issue.

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