Author Archives: Rusty Rueff

About Rusty Rueff

Rusty Rueff, author of purposed worKING. Rusty Rueff is the former Chairman Emeritus of The GRAMMY Foundation in Los Angeles. He most recently completed the successful 16 month leadership role as Coordinating National Co-Chair for Technology for Obama (T4O) for the reelection of President Obama and ten-years of Board service and President of the Board of Trustees of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Corporately, most recently Rueff was the Chief Executive Officer at SNOCAP, Inc. until the acquisition of the company by imeem, Inc. in April 2008. Before joining SNOCAP in 2005, he was Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Electronic Arts (EA) from 1998 until 2005. He was also with the PepsiCo companies for more than ten years, with the Pratt & Whitney division of United Technologies for two years, and in commercial radio as an on-air personality for six years. Rusty holds an M.S. in counseling and a B.A. in radio and television from Purdue University. In 2003 he was named a distinguished Purdue alumnus, and he and his wife, Patti, are the named benefactors of Purdue’s Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Visual and Performing Arts. He is a corporate director of Glassdoor.com and runcoach. He is the co-founder and Executive Committee Member of T4A.org, serves on the Founding Circle of The Centrist Project and a founding Board Member of The GRAMMY Music Education Coalition. He is also the co-author of the book Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business. Rusty and his wife, Patti, reside in Hillsborough, CA and Charlestown, R.I.

day 446: Bonus Time

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Yes, even in these days, some companies are continuing to pay bonuses and beginning to add back on some of the extras that were taken away over the last few years. Bonus plans are usually built around the time frames of the business cycle. For some that is annually, others semi-annually, quarterly or monthly. As we have just come through the April, May, June business quarter and the halfway point of the year, there are many who are calculating their bonus payments or getting ready to deposit a check. A bonus, by definition is what we receive when we go above and beyond and what is paid to us above and beyond what is regular to receive and expected. Bonuses can be great things but they can also be dangerous. A number of years ago when companies were going to direct deposit instead of paper checks, I had a lot more people that I ever imagined who came to me and pleaded to not have their bonus checks go to direct deposit but instead to have them given to them personally as a check that they could go and cash themselves to deposit. Every reason imaginable was given to me including some that seemed honest, although sad, like, “I don’t want my spouse to see this money” and “this is my fun money and I don’t want to mingle it with my other monies.” Regardless, it proves that sometimes when we receive something extra that we don’t always do the best things when they come our way. As humans, I have long thought that we aren’t well built for too much, too fast or too often. God was saying the same things to the Israelites about what happens when prosperity comes. His words were words of warning; “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.” The next time an extra or a bonus comes your way, think about what God would have you do with it. He wants you to remember where it comes from so that our human nature doesn’t take over and we not only forget but we deny the true source of our talents, abilities, opportunities and rewards.

Reference: Deuteronomy 8:11-14 (New Living Translation)