Tuesday, August 28, 2012

It's The Relationship...Duh

I know, I know...our days are packed with stuff...meetings, email, drama, and well..whatever the heck else comes up. That's how we roll in HR. We seem to be in jobs that have a steady stream of issues, pressure and sometimes crises that come at the most inconvenient of times. When those issues pop up, we need to ask if we've invested the time necessary beforehand to make sure we are ready to react.

What do I mean by 'ready to react?'

More Meetings
One of the strategies I've adopted in my HR practice is to meet regularly with other key leaders in the organization. These are on the calendar, scheduled for an hour, and are a priority whether or not I have anything to discuss. Some may say this is simply not possible due to their hectic schedules, and they just can not squeeze any more time into their day. Fair enough...but tell me about how much time you spend when a problem arises? Do you have time in your day for that?

I didn't think so.

Now Is The Best Time
I have found that the relationships I have with my key colleagues are much stronger using this approach than they ever were in the past. Think about it...now I have the luxury of knowing the leadership team outside of the normal meetings and occasional organizational conflict that arises. We trust each other, and understand what each of us is going through in our respective roles because we've talked about it during our one-on-one meetings. If that isn't worth your time, I don't think you quite understand what HR is really all about.

How About You
How do you spend your time at work? Do you think it's worth connecting with your key organizational leaders? If so, I'd like to know how it's working out. For me, it's changed everything.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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