Periodically I've been approached by colleagues, clients and casual acquaintances, who ask about my compensation writing; why I do what I do, what's the inspiration for my subject matter (my muse) and whether I have a "message" for the compensation and Human Resource practitioners out there.
And the best question of all is, "how do you get people to read what you write"?
So I thought I'd try to answer.
Why Do I Write?
This is an easy one. It's because I have something to say, and God has given me a modest ability to connect sentences into coherent thoughts and tell an engaging story. But there's more. While I was stepping on all kinds on nasty stuff in the minefield I called a career, I had no one to rely on for practical advice. No one sitting on my shoulder to whisper good thoughts. Most of the self-help books, recordings and even conference speakers I experienced seemed to drone on over conceptual blue-sky ideas and (for me) unrealistic initiatives. Stuff that I knew the boss would have nothing to do with. Ideas that I wouldn't be allowed to convert into actions, or even plans for action.
The reality of the workplace seemed very distant from the idealistic preaching of the self-helpers.
Call it a form of giving back, or of simply sharing the benefits of my experience, but I believe that there's a lot to be learned from someone who has walked the path ahead of you. The intent of my ramblings is to help the practitioner with down-to-earth common sense suggestions in straightforward language, with an added flair for understanding what the reader is facing in their own workplace.
Am I always right? Probably not, considering the wide audience I'm talking to. But the "right" wine isn't right for everyone, is it?
And the writing is fun too.
What's My Inspiration?
I start with mistakes. I've made them, and hopefully have learned from the resulting bruises and headaches. Over the years my bosses made mistakes; some learned a valuable lesson over time, while others repeated their judgment errors ad infinitum. And then you have the experiences of my global consulting clients who have suggested constructive ideas to improve the daily lives of compensation practitioners. All have served up a cornucopia of story lines.
Ideas come to me in the shower, while working outside, or even when driving the car.
Often it's the use of flawed policies, procedures and every day practices that encourage me to say, "Wait a minute. Maybe there's a better way."
Why Do They Read?
This is the hardest of all, and perhaps I'm not the one to ask. Why are you reading this right now? would be my counter question. I've been told many times that (for some) my writing is enjoyable, informative, thought provoking and down-to-earth.
That's not to say that everyone agrees with me, certainly not, but if what I have to says gets the reader thinking, that's all to the good.
I prefer to think that I ramble on for the practitioner out there, not the theorist or conceptualist. I have something to say to those with dirt under their fingernails, who live in the trenches, struggling to do the best they can. I write to suggest timely advice, something you can start or stop doing right now.
People have said that my thoughts have made a difference, that it was good advice that they could implement right away. The best compliment of all.
So that's my epitaph; I write to help.
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Caveat: No matter the length and breadth of my compensation experience I am neither all-seeing nor all-knowing. I am but a product of my training and experiences, and those experiences likely differ to some extent from many of you out there. Different industries, different companies, different bosses and different working environments, when blended together provide different perspectives to similar challenges.
Which is why I don't present myself as the "answer man," but rather as someone who has seen a lot, done a lot, and experienced a multitude of different scenarios. So I "suggest" what you might find behind Door # 1 and Door # 2 when you have a decision to make, but rarely would I say that "this is the way it has to be." Because it doesn't have to be, and it's your decision to make, not mine.
I want to make sure that your eyes are open.
And maybe suggest a better way in the process.
So now you know.
Chuck Csizmar CCP is founder and Principal of CMC Compensation Group, providing global compensation consulting services to a wide variety of industries and non-profit organizations. He is also associated with several HR Consulting firms as a contributing consultant. Chuck is a broad based subject matter expert with a specialty in international and expatriate compensation. He lives in Central Florida (near The Mouse) and enjoys growing fruit and managing (?) a clowder of cats.
Creative Commons image, "Friday Cat Photo," by jim_mcculloch
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