Sometimes They're Fantastic

I've worked with many leaders over the years. So have you. The ones I've come to know best are usually dealing with the most problems. They need help, they're frustrated with employee behavior, they need to address major recruitment concerns...whatever it is, they need direct support from me. After all, I'm an HR guy, and the ones who have things under control typically do not need to talk strategy with me. They've figured it out and are taking care of their operational responsibilities. They've already made work better for their employees.

They've already made work better.

How Do I Find the Good Ones?

One of the strongest department leaders is retiring from my organization this week. She has been a consistently high performer for decades. I rarely see her, at least in the context of a problem. In fact, I've had to go out of my way to connect with her because she simply has things under control.

I'm not talking command and control here, I mean she has her vacancies extremely low, her morale high, and the performance of her team is second to none. When I've been confronted with a particularly difficult issue, I've sought her sage advice. She doesn't need me nearly as much as I need her.

She's made work better.

How Can I Be A Good One?
One of the things I've embraced in my life, particularly as I've collected a few more birthdays is that lifelong learning is a good thing. I rue the day that I convince myself I've figured everything out. So I've tried to learn from her...she's one of the good ones.

Here's the inherent dilemma for those of us in HR: if we're constantly spending time assisting leaders that are struggling, when do we have the opportunity to learn from leaders that are so good we never interact with them?

How About You
Who are the fantastic leaders in your organization? Do you make time to connect and learn from them; or, is there a line outside your door waiting to talk about why the employees aren't behaving properly? How are you going to make work better?

I'd love to hear form you.

No Excuses.


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