This morning, we’re going to continue our conversation around skill portfolios and developing skill inventories within your business. As I’ve looked back on previous posts, I noticed that we’re missing some key set-up logic and definitions.

When I was entering the job market after completing my time as a graduate student at University of Iowa, my mentor, Carl Schweser, asked me a question that has stuck with me ever since.

"Be Good to Yourself" by Journey is one of my favorite songs. The message really resonates with me.

During the construction of the annual budget, we develop highly detailed estimates for capital expenditures, payroll, operating costs, new product development, etc. Then when planning turns to implementation, we often don’t see the results we hoped for because of human capital misalignment - we don’t have the right people in the right roles with the right skill profiles.

In the U.S., Labor Day marks the “unofficial end of summer” and, according to the U.S. Department of Labor website is the “annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers.”

Everyone seems so angry these days. Maybe it’s due to the proliferation of one-way, anonymous communication tools where one can spit vitriol with no consequences or repercussions. Embedded within this anger is a deep feeling that rights and personal freedom have been infringed. Through my lens, it seems as if the concept of “freedom” has somehow been uncoupled from that of citizenship.