Recruiting a chief executive officer or executive director is a high-impact decision. When a board of directors is involved, the process can be complex. Recently, HR Full Circle helped several corporate and nonprofit boards recruit their next leaders. Here’s how we navigated the searches with clarity, alignment and trust. 1. Meet the whole boardBefore anything […]
Kelly Gust
Kelly Gust is the CEO of HR Full Circle, a Springfield-based consulting firm that provides talent management and human resources consulting to organizations of all sizes and stages.
Posted inProfessional Development
Leadership: A journey of transformation
Leader shifts: Evolving your skills for greater impactIf you’re a leader who is overwhelmed solving everyone’s problems – congratulations, you might be the bottleneck in your own organization. I recently worked with a director of operations who couldn’t resist the temptation to roll up his sleeves and “get out on the floor” to help his […]
Posted inArticles
Sick of absenteeism?
Absenteeism isn’t just a human resources headache. It’s often a larger symptom of an unhealthy organization. When it gets out of hand it can become a business problem: chronic, unplanned or prolonged absences hurt morale, slow productivity, damage customer relationships and can hurt your bottom line. But how can you address it without making problems […]
Posted inColumns
Small shifts, big gains
How many times have you and your co-workers discussed a process in your organization and thought, “It would be better if we could change … (insert clunky or inefficient process here).” These conversations tend to happen at after-work happy hours and often involve cocktail napkins. Sound familiar? It’s easier to have great ideas when we […]
Posted inColumns
When to step back from a leadership role
Taking a step back: Does less responsibility lead to more fulfillment? For many seasoned leaders facing burnout, the idea of stepping back into an individual-contributor role can be tempting. The memory of simpler days, when success was measured by personal output rather than team performance, and evenings were free from after-hours emails, can be alluring. […]
Posted inColumns
They work hard for the money
I recently worked with a 30-person information-technology firm based here in central Illinois to benchmark its compensation and time off package. Working on this project and needing to strike the right notes from a compensation perspective had me humming songs about money, like the Donna Summer classic, “She Works Hard for the Money.” Just for […]
Posted inColumns
Pass the baton: Be a mentor worth following
My son signed up for track and field recently. Not to brag, but back in my day I anchored a state-qualifying, school-record-breaking 4×400-meter relay team. As my son lined up for his first attempt at the same race, I got to thinking about what it means to pass the baton. In today’s fast-paced and increasingly […]
Posted inColumns
Hire for merit with equal employment opportunity
I was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin. If you’ve been to Lambeau Field, you know that the energy of the crowd and the overall aura is unparalleled. If you sit down next to me at a Packers’ game wearing green and gold or with a big block of foam cheese on your head, it doesn’t […]
Posted inColumns
Speak up or shut down?
With a background in business psychology, I have to admit that one of my guilty pleasures when out and about in the community is to observe and study organizational culture. Are the employees chatting and helping each other? Do they seem happy? Are the manager’s actions supportive and upbeat, or terse and punitive? Between client […]
Posted inColumns
Motivation: spread something positive
Flu season is upon us, but do you know what’s just as contagious as the flu? Motivation. A recent Johns Hopkins University study found that when we see other people challenging themselves and achieving “exceptional success,” we’re more likely to do the same. This is tied to motivation – when you see others do something, […]
Posted inColumns
Critical thinking jiujitsu
In my son’s jiujitsu practice, coaches help competitors remain calm under pressure. In fact, emotional outbursts in a match result in disqualification. Once your emotions take over, you’ve lost the ability for rational problem-solving and decision-making. This is advice I’m leaning heavily into these days (takes deep breath). It seems like any conversation is just […]
Posted inColumns
Work hard, play hard
I fancy myself a pretty funny person. In my house we don’t tell dad jokes; the punny zingers are usually delivered by mom and are met with exaggerated eye rolls (and for an especially good one, exasperated sighs) by my 12 and 14-year-old sons. I often use humor to lighten a tense mood, ensure others […]