Hr quotes

1. HR Quotes
When we learn something from
each other, we're formed by the
experience.... we are authors of
each other. - Doc Searls
“I just don’t like quotas in the
boardroom or in the office. Winning
companies are meritocracies. They
practice differentiation, making a
clear distinction between top,
middle and bottom performers.
This system is candid and fair, and
it’s the most effective way for an
organization to field the best
team.” – Jack Welch, Winning, Pg
346
“First and most obvious, bring out

2. the three old warhorses of
competition – cost, quality, and
service – and drive them to new
levels, making every person in the
organization see them for what
they are, a matter of survival.” –
Jack Welch, Winning, Pg 342
“It’s always my weakest people
who want the most flexibility from
the company. That’s frustrating –
to put it mildly.” – HR Director in
NY quoted by Jack Welch, Winning,
Pg 330
“Not surprisingly, work-life
moaners tend to be a phenomenon
of below-average performers.” –

3. Jack Welch, Winning, Pg 330
“You know the type. They bank
vacation days. They hand in slips
of paper noting how many half-
days or holidays they’ve worked.
They remind bosses and colleagues
of company policies regarding
overtime. They are little
technocrats who show time and
time again that they are not
working for fun or the passion to
win. They’re just logging hours.” –
Jack Welch, Winning, Pg 328
“So every time you think about
your work-life balance issue,
remember what your boss is
thinking about – and that’s

4. winning. Your needs may get heard
– and even successfully resolved –
but not if the boss’s needs aren’t
met as well.” – Jack Welch,
Winning, Pg 323
“The fact is: work-life balance
concerns are actually a luxury –
“enjoyed” largely by people who
are able to trade time for money,
and vice versa.” – Jack Welch,
Winning, Pg 320
“bosses want to win – that’s what
they’re paid for. And that’s why
they want all of you – your brain,
your body, your energy, and your
commitment. After all, they have a
big game to win, and they can’t do

5. that effectively with absentee
players – in particular, if the other
team draws its players from
countries like India and China,
where work-life balance is not
exactly a cultural priority.” – Jack
Welch, Winning, Pg 320
“In any business situation, seeing
yourself as a victim is completely
self-defeating. And when it comes
to your career, it’s an attitude that
kills all your options – it can even
be the start of a career death
spiral.” – Jack Welch, Winning, Pg
301
“it is very, very hard to get ahead
without being a positive person

6. because, very simply, no one likes
to work under or near a dark cloud.
Even if the “cloud” is very smart.”
– Jack Welch, Winning, Pg 294
“I still believe the business media
is such a good teacher that I am
always amazed when I meet a
young person who doesn’t just
consume it.” – Jack Welch,
Winning, Pg 293
“As I’ve said, the first and best way
to get noticed is with results.” –
Jack Welch, Winning, Pg 290
“The point is: Don’t make your

7. boss ask the perfect question to
get information from you. If you
want your character to stand up for
you and make life easier for your
boss, open up and tell it like it is.”
– Jack Welch, Winning, Pg 287
“Take lack of candor. … I’m not
talking about boldface lying, but a
tendency to withhold information.
That behavior is far more common,
and it frustrates teams and bosses
to no end.” – Jack Welch, Winning,
Pg 286
“If exceeding expectations is the
most reliable way to get ahead, the
most reliable way to sabotage
yourself is to be a thorn in your
organization’s rear end.” – Jack

8. Welch, Winning, Pg 282
“Think of a merger as a huge talent
grab – a people opportunity that
would otherwise take years of
searching … Make the tough calls
and pick the very best – whatever
side they’re on.” – Jack Welch,
Winning, Pg 237
“Compensation for individuals is
not linked to performance against
budget. It is linked primarily to
performance against the prior year
and against the competition, and
takes real strategic opportunities
and obstacles into account.” – Jack
Welch, Winning, Pg 198

9. “When it’s time to let someone go,
do it right. No surprises. No
humiliation.” – Jack Welch,
Winning, Pg131
“there are three main ways
managers get firing wrong –
moving too fast, not using enough
candor, and taking too long.” –
Jack Welch, Winning, Pg 124
“If you want to manage people
effectively, help them by making
sure the org chart leaves as little
as possible to the imagination. It
should paint a crystal-clear picture

10. of reporting relationships and make
it patently obvious who is
responsible for what results.” –
Jack Welch, Winning, Pg 115
“You can never be afraid of your
stars; they can’t hold a company
hostage.” – Jack Welch, Winning,
Pg 111
“Companies cannot promise their
people lifetime employment. Global
competition is too fierce and
economic cycles too frequent for
any such guarantees. But they can
promise their people every chance
for employability – skills that will
make them more attractive if they

11. are forced to part ways.” – Jack
Welch, Winning, Pg 109
“If you’ve hired the right people,
they will want to grow. … A good
PR person will want to learn how to
communicate more effectively on
the web.” – Jack Welch, Winning,
Pg 108
“How many of you have received
an honest, straight-between-the-
eyes feedback session in the past
year, where you came out knowing
exactly what you have to do to
improve and where you stand in
the organization?” – Jack Welch,
Winning, Pg 104

12. “the best HR people are a kind of
hybrid: one part pastor, who hears
all sins and complaints without
recrimination, and one part parent,
who loves and nurtures, but gives
it to you fast and straight when
you’re off track.” – Jack Welch,
Winning, Pg 102
“To manage people well,
companies should … Elevate HR to
a position of power and primacy in
the organization, and make sure
HR people have the special
qualities to help managers build
leaders and careers.” – Jack Welch,
Winning, Pg 98

13. “The key is: Listen closely. Get in
the candidate’s skin. Why a person
left a job or jobs tells you more
about them than almost any other
piece of data.” – Jack Welch,
Winning, Pg 96