An HR Style Thanksgiving

I’m one of those guys who is a very big fan of Thanksgiving dinner. I like to help with the menu, the shopping, the preparation and the presentation. I enjoy the noise of a football game in the background and sneak peeks at the TV for a quick cheer and scream. And once the table is set, the wine is poured, toasts are made and the plates start to pass, I relax in the knowledge that an avalanche of near-death caloric intake is about to be unleashed.

Afterwards, in between the quiet belly moans and tryptophan-laden eyelids, I reflect on this gluttonous display while the dishwasher fights against crusted gravy and red cranberry stains. Sleep beckons but I know I’m only minutes away from pie-related questions, a whip cream vote, and a fork standing on end as if to declare definitively that “this meal is not yet over!”

So by now you’re asking yourself, “What does this have to do with human resources?” Maybe nothing, but I believe that this is the same mentality our industry has when times are good:

• Consume everything
• Digest very little
• Be lulled to sleep
• …and go back for more

So enjoy the break and indulge yourself a little. Come next Monday we can start worrying about our HR diet and how to exercise good judgement into the New Year. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

P.S. – Don’t forget to check our Rowan Manahan’s special Thanksgiving Edition of the Carnival of HR over at Fortify Your Oasis. It’s chocked full of delicious posts by some of the best bloggers in the industry. Bon appetite!