There Aren't Any "HR Problems"

I can clearly remember the moments when the senior team was sitting around a conference room table, the tension was palpable, and the pressing issues were shared with the group.

"It's an Operations issue."

My gut reaction: thank God it's not HR.

So Wrong In So Many Ways
As I look back on that moment (of which there have been many over the years) I am...well...I am embarrassed.

How is it that I could be grateful that whatever challenge was facing my organization, was somehow made better for me simply because it wasn't based on my direct scope of responsibility?

Did I, in that moment, consider how my colleagues felt? Might they have appreciated a kind word, an offer to help, or even me stepping up to lead a team to help them solve their problem?

I didn't do any of those things. I stayed quiet, and went on with my day doing my "HR things."

One Company, No Departments
Over a period of time my view of "whose problem is it" changed quite dramatically. I engaged with my senior leader colleagues in a more deliberate way. 

I did offer to help, and not just empty-talk, but real roll-up-your-sleeves type of help.

It's far too easy to look down on someone who is struggling and be grateful that it's "not you" that time. 

Until it's you.

How About You
The change for me happened in my head. I decided that I had responsibility (to a greater or lesser degree) for the entire organization.

Every. Single. Part.

When everything matters, there are no more HR problems, or Operations problems, or Supply Chain problems. There are only "our" problems, right?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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The Lost Art of Leadership Savvy

I'm often asked about the work I do, the issues I deal with, and the tasks necessary for me to be successful. I run through my story and explain how cool my company is, and discuss some of the innovative work we do to support our clients.

But there is an essential component of the work I'm involved with that is very difficult to explain...

...the ability to demonstrate leadership savvy in the face of questions, challenges, or outright crisis.

In my twenty years in leadership roles I've identified a few key elements that can make or break both new and well tenured leaders.

Understand the Organization

This sounds absurd, right? How could someone in a leadership role not understand how the organization operates, generates revenue, and takes care of it's talent in the modern world? It is quite simple actually, and here's how I've seen it happen over and over again.

Bright leaders who specialize in a certain discipline (finance, accounting, information technology, human resources, nursing, operations, marketing, executive leadership, etc.) rise through the ranks based on their ability to lead their specialized scope of responsibility. 

What they fail to do is think across the enterprise and ask questions:

- How does my work impact the organization's ability to generate revenue?

- What is the current state of talent attraction and retention and what specifically do I need to do to ensure I support the organization?

- Do I consciously live the values of the organization and role model them 100% of the time to all of those employees that are watching  me as a leader?

Challenge yourself as a leader...it's what you're getting paid to do.

Humility

The savvy leader not only understands the organization, but is also courageous enough (yes, courageous) to be humble. This is where so many talented leaders fail miserably. 

They may say all the right things (or at least most of the time say the right things); however, their delivery is so poor, and their behavior often does not match their words.

Think for a moment about the leaders that dominate meetings, talk and talk and talk, and insist their view is the "right" one. 

Do they earn the respect of the team; or are there eye rolls, smirks behind their backs, and a sense of fear among their team that unless they comply there will be consequences?

"When the focus of the work is no longer about proving how valuable you are, and shifts to making everyone feel valuable and understanding all of the work being done...that is leadership savvy."

How About You

What steps are you taking to ensure you are a savvy leader? Are you quick thinking on your feet? Are you keenly aware of the negative energy in a room, and you understand what the real dynamics are that are playing out? Can you connect all of the drivers in an organization and understand how they fit together?

What about your colleagues who've lost their way? Have you had the hard conversation with them to help them get back on track? That's part of our job too, right?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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HR and the Power It Holds

I love modern, sleek furniture. The days of giant dark wood desks and foreboding offices are gone for me. I prefer a more open style that sends a message to everyone that I'm not hiding behind my over-sized mahogany (esque) structures anymore.

Doesn't the HR job title already get in the way of employees being comfortable in our workspace?

More Power

There's another furniture discussion  we've all heard in the HR universe. I don't like that one for a couple of reasons.

First, HR has lots of power. Don't believe me? Just ask any employee that has been in trouble since 1950. Still don't believe me? Try randomly selecting an employee and asking them to come to your office because "you need to speak with them." I wonder what type of reaction you would get?

Second, whining is lame, it detracts from the credibility of the profession, and erodes the HR leader's personal brand. Oh yes, personal brand. By now we all realize that EVERYTHING we do affects our personal brand. There is no distinction between personal and professional life any longer.

There is only life.

Share the Power

In what seems like a never-ending attempt to cling to the power crumbs thrown from the operations leaders, HR can lose focus. Our reality is that through reaching out and allowing other leaders to feel they have some of HR's power, we will actually grow our value to the organization.

Consider this...a manager who is stressed about a difficult situation in her department reluctantly reaches out to HR for support. Feeling as if she's failed and has to give up control in order to get her problem resolved, HR has a decision to make.

The shrewd HR leader does much more than "coach" the leader through her problem. The real opportunity for HR is to focus on ensuring that leader feels valued. 

The performance planning process no longer equates with the leader's failure. Instead, it becomes a partnership with a colleague vs. an exercise in waving the white management flag.

Don't let the leaders in your organization surrender. The connection you build with them in lieu of "telling them how to handle the situation because they couldn't figure it out" will push your value and power through the roof.

Everybody wins. I like winning.

How About You

Who holds the power in your organization? You have more than you think. Respecting that power, and sharing it with your colleagues will go a long way to building your brand, and your HR team's brand too. Everybody wins.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Lateral Leadership

Stay focused.
Don't lose sight of your goals.
Distractions will only slow you down.
Worry about your own business, not someone else's.

These are great little sayings...if you're not a leader.

A Broader View
The world has become very specialized. Academic programs, computer programs, physical training programs, and on and on...all target very specific skills or areas of interest. The same holds true in human resources. We have specialized many of the functional areas of HR in order to provide expert service to our customers. There is nothing wrong with that, unless you are in a human resources leadership role.

Why? Because in order to be a successful HR leader you must be able to see your company through an organizational lens, not a human resources lens.

"Tunnel vision is a blessing and a curse...on one hand you are able to focus your energy and resources to achieve important objectives; while simultaneously missing other critical factors that directly affect you and your team's success."

What's Your Viewpoint
Seeing both the end point and the never ending stream of variables hitting us each day is a skill we are not born with...it is acquired through glorious failure after glorious failure. That's why failure is so helpful! Let's take a look at a relevant HR example:

An employee needs to be terminated, and even though the documentation is clear and the process has been followed, there might be other considerations. 

Question: Will terminating the employee today compromise the weekend staffing plan and otherwise create a much larger problem?

Answer: Assuming safety and gross negligence are not involved, it is essential that HR discuss the operational impact with the Department leader before finalizing the timing of the termination. It may be best to wait a few more days.

This is taking a lateral view in an HR world that clings to a tunnel vision perspective.

How About You
Are you so caught up in doing the right "HR thing" that you are inadvertently losing credibility because you're out of touch with your organization's operational reality? Add a lateral view to your HR practice and challenge yourself to see things differently.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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