Ever wondered how super rich places like Martha’s Vineyard & Beverly Hills got their name? Who was Murphy and why is there a bed named after him? What history buff wouldn’t be interested in learning more about female fighters of World War II? Or what about five crazy ways people amused themselves before television, which includes public dissections and riding escalators?
Full of random, interesting, {sometimes useful, sometimes zany} facts and figures, mental_floss is the self-proclaimed site “where knowledge junkies get their fix.” For those who like to be in-the-know on just about everything, check out mental_floss. Use it to make your next recognition presentation more lively. And it’ll make conversations during tomorrow morning’s coffee break or next month’s book club gathering much more enthralling.
What do you get when you cross a high-end global cosmetic brand with a 90-year-old model?
A wildly popular make-up collection and an ad campaign that draws accolades from media and customers around the world.
M.A.C. Cosmetics’ Iris Apfel collection proves women are beautiful no matter the age. And, the company put their money where their mouth is, doubling down on the statement by hiring fashion icon and interior designer Iris Apfel as the pitchwoman for their new line.
The bold bet paid off. The Iris Apfel collection hit the market in January, and sold out in just a matter of days.
We tip our hat to M.A.C. Cosmetics and Iris Apfel—for doing what’s right—simply because it’s the right thing to do. This unique work is the textbook definition of great work we love.
The ten-year anniversary of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City is being celebrated today. I have many great memories of the 2002 Winter Olympics. I lived in Salt Lake at the time of the Olympics and enjoyed the excitement, energy and camaraderie the games brought to the city. Because of my work, I was fortunate enough to meet a few athletes, attend some of the sporting events, and even see victory medals presented to winning athletes at the downtown Medals Plaza.
Interestingly, one of my most memorable Olympic experiences didn’t begin in Salt Lake City. I had just wrapped up a business trip and after boarding my flight at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, bound for my then-hometown of Salt Lake City, UT, I started searching for my seat. The plane was not very crowded so the flight attendant told me I could sit anywhere I wanted. Since I’m 6’4”, I moved back in the plane, hoping to find a spot with some extra leg room near an emergency exit.
Hurricane-force winds. Widespread damage. In December 2011, Northern Utah experienced a wind storm unlike anything it’d seen in generations. Powerful winds uprooted trees, plucked power lines from the ground, knocked down fences, shattered windows and peeled shingles off roofs.
Homes, businesses and communities were in need of major repair, and in the midst of that chaos was a woman who needed help. She works as an accounts receivable specialist for an outdoor recreation company and her fence blew down in the storm. Her husband was set for major surgery in a matter of weeks and she needed that fence repaired in order to keep the lid on a busy household of kids and pets. Her co-workers knew she couldn’t do it alone and instinctively jumped in to help.
In honor of all the things human resources does to make the holidays festive
’tis just before Christmas, a good time to cheer
for the folks who put “merry” in this time of year
to the procurers of turkeys, the gift-giving stars
the catering wranglers: those folks in H.R.
for in each corporate culture where traditions loom large
where magic’s created: HR is in charge.
Call us crazy. But our clients (who happen to work in the field of Human Resources) are some of the coolest people we know–there’s hardly a Toby from The Office among them. And we’re pretty sure that in addition to pouring over World at Work and HR Magazine, the folks we work with are trend-spotting and shopping and doing all kinds of interesting things.
Cool Hunting is designed to bring daily inspiration to creative people. As described on their Twitter page, it’s a “daily update on ideas and products in the intersection of art, design, culture and technology.” But as we always say, people are people. Recognizing great work is what our blog is all about. Share the site with your team, your friends and your employees and make Cool Hunting itself like a little reward.
It’s actually more about social media and customer relations than human resources, but Vaynerchuk’s book is profound in the way it highlights how the internet has impacted and shaped pretty much everything. It’s marketing focused, but human resource managers will find easy to extrapolate principles that apply to employee engagement too. It’s all about sending good vibes. Through social appreciation, word-of-mouth, and viral goodness. And what better day to celebrate living with thanks. Happy Thanksgiving.
Employee Engagement Advice from FIS, the Winner of the 2011 O.C. Tanner Recognition Leadership Award
I recently had the great honor of travelling to interview employees and executives at FIS. A Fortune 500 company that counts employee engagement as one of its guiding principles, FIS focused on rebranding itself to its 32,000 employees following the biggest merger and acquisition in the company’s history. A big part of its strategy: employee appreciation– including a full week of thanks and fun each year for the people who make it all happen.
