Note: I just noticed that I published a “10 Posts Not to Write About HR” back in September. So this is a bit of rehash. It has more in it and I’ve already written it so … what the hey… enjoy.

I normally don’t do resolutions. I just decide whenever the mood hits me to do something (or not do something) and away we go. In 1999 I decided to lose weight and 6 months later I was down 62 pounds. Kept it off for about 8 years and then decided I didn’t need to pay attention. Scales don’t lie. Now I got a closet full of clothes I will never wear. But I have as they say …. “Hiiiiii-aa-iiiii-gh hopes.”

I’d get rid of those clothes but I’m just too mentally lazy to admit failure and too lazy physically to bag them up and bring them to Good Will. (Note to self – do that now!)

What’s that got to do with blogging? Well, I used to force myself to write a minimum of 4 posts on this blog every week. Then it went to 3 – then well – it’s been a while since I posted at all. Not just because I’m lazy. I have been busier than normal on client work and some very interesting internal work needed to put down roots for a very impressive future (seriously – it will be …legen… wait for it… dary.) I’m a big believer in doing the foundational things right if you want the long-term results you want. And we’ve been putting every extra ounce of effort into getting our foundation right and I’m geeked about it. But that has meant I’ve had to shift some time from blogging to that work.

But for 2017 I’m hopeful that I can put more effort into my blogging. I even created a mindmap with topics and timing and tried to stretch my thinking and stretch my scope. That’s commitment right? I’ve also been thinking about how to expand my range of topics. I’ve been a recognition, engagement, HR adjacent, influence and behavior blogger for most of the 11 years I’ve been writing with just a few forays outside that realm. Going forward I’ll probably focus a bit more on overall incentives and rewards for sales, dealers, distributors, independent sellers of products, VARs as well as consumer, employee and distributor loyalty programs. While the basic human psychology of influencing behaviors is similar across program types and audiences, the tactics can vary widely. I’ve seen too many badly designed programs because some amateur decided that since they were in a consumer promotion that worked they should apply the same structure to their big dealer incentive and then wonder why they lost money on the program. So I’m deciding to write more about those things.

But to paraphrase the immortal words of Meatloaf …. I will do anything for blogging but I won’t do that…

So you know a bit about what I will be posting about. Now I’m going to give you my top 10 list of “won’t do’s”. I would also suggest you put together a list of “won’t read” – and it should mirror this list. Far too many pixels and bytes have been, and continue to be, wasted on topics that should be forgotten or writing that is just plain bad. We’ve drunk the “content is king” cool aid and now everyone with a business card has a blog and we’ve gone from information as a trickle to a firehouse to a tsunami… but now that water is filthy. Finding good, quality content is hard.

My one resolution this year is to not contribute to the filth. I’m cleaning up the blogosphere around incentives, recognition and rewards one post at a time.

So – if you’re ready – here’s my TOP 10 list of won’t post for 2017…

  1. No posts about Millennials. Over 50% of workers are millennials. Can we just call them employees now. We didn’t keep talking about Gen X after they became the dominant cohort did we?
  2. No posts about Generation C (or Z). Please – let’s learn our lesson from Gen Y and just say – youth have different needs. That is factual and actionable.
  3. No posts about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It is bunk. It doesn’t work. It is a lazy way to explain a very complicated structure of influences. Just stop it. Read this before you use it again. Read this first. Seriously. Read it. Now!
  4. No posts about pulse surveys. They don’t work. They are consultant smokescreens and simply give a company a way to feel like they are doing something. It’s like doing one push up a day and expecting to get stronger and get in better shape. People don’t have a daily set-point so we shouldn’t manage to it.
  5. No posts on the ROI of Employee Engagement. There isn’t one. No more than there is an ROI on telephones or computers. They are minimum requirements for today’s workforce. If a CEO asks for the ROI on engagement ask them what the ROI of their parking spot or mahogany-walled office is. Or their car allowance. Engaging people is what smart, caring humans do at smart caring companies. NEXT!
  6. No posts on why incentives don’t work. They do work. Really, really, really, really fricking well. That’s the problem. When they are designed poorly they work and then we’re unhappy with the results. If you want to use incentives call a professional. Like me. Don’t ask your mechanic to do surgery and then say “surgery doesn’t work.” Surgery is a great solution when it is done by a Doctor.
  7. No post that talk about CEOs owning culture. That’s a lie. We all own it. If you’re not enforcing your culture then you’re the problem too. The minute you blame someone else for culture you have abdicated your responsibility for it and you become part of the problem.
  8. No posts on which award works best. They all work – in the right place and the right time. Travel is good. So is cash. Merchandise awards work. So do gift cards. If you think this is a binary discussion and that ONE award rules them all then you are the reason you think incentives don’t work and wonder why your mechanic can’t fix your sciatica. You’re in idiot.
  9. No posts with no content and a link to “here’s something interesting.” Too often I get that kind of post and I ask – “why is this person writing this?” If you don’t have a point of view stay out of the discussion. Simply sharing someone else’s brilliance on your blog hoping to have some smarts rub off on you is just lazy. I won’t do that. My posts will have some value add. Promise.
  10. And finally. No post just to hit some self-imposed number of posts. I’ve done that before and I’ve seen the quality go up and down on my posts. As I’ve mentioned. The water in the blogosphere is pretty dirty. Me posting just to say I posted just adds to the effluent and takes time from my day and yours. I want quality. You want quality. So, while I hope I write more. I also hope I write better. You will have to be the judge. And I’m good with that.

So… Happy New Year everyone.

I sincerely hope you have the best year you deserve. I hope your 2017 truly reflects the effort you put into making other’s dreams come true. That is the measure of success in my book.

So let me know how I can help you – without of course violating the 10 “won’t post” rules I just wrote.

Now… where did I put that draft post about the coming war between Gen Z/Y/X and why boomers will be the real winners? That is clickbait gold right there!