I Have 99 Problems

...and I think I might be the biggest one.

Ouch.

Not Me
Sometimes I feel like I've mastered the art of identifying what is wrong with everybody else in the world. Corporate leaders, politicians, colleagues, companies, acquaintances, and on and on...

What the heck? Since when was I appointed King of the World?

Um, never.

So what is driving that occasional burst of energy that builds up inside and plays out as a rapid fire stream of negative self-talk? 

Do I truly see how others are struggling? 

Sometimes.

Do I also misinterpret what is happening because my lens is fixed so tightly? 

Sometimes.

Do I need to learn to pause, and understand "why" something is happening before I react?

All the time.

Definitely Me
Pushing ourselves to not only be more humble and patient is one thing. Challenging ourselves to literally be a better person is a far different story. How we move from 'today' to our improved 'tomorrow' feels like a long process. 

But there are steps we can take to get there. Focusing on a positive outlook (which I try hard to do); starting a journal to help us understand the 'why'; and...

...putting ourselves second. When it's always about ME...I can't focus on anyone else.

How About You
How do you ensure that 'you' don't get in the way of the people and circumstances you deal with each day? What works? What doesn't? It matters, right?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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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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I Wish I'd Said That

I'm going to be away from the blog for a few days, so I'm following the lead of my friend Jason Lauritsen and am offering a few of my favorite quotes. How about we each find one that means something to us and then do something about it?

"Leadership is a combination of strategy and character. If you must be without one, be without strategy."
- Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf

"The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas."
- Linus Pauling

"One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency."

- Arnold Glasgow

"Nearly all people can stand adversity, but if you want to test a

person's character, give them power."

- Abraham Lincoln

"To change and to change for the better are two different things."

- German Proverb

"It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

"It's always too early to quit."
- Norman Vincent Peale

"The time is always right to do what is right."
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Rent or Own

One of the things I find most satisfying about work is that there are always opportunities. I mean issues. Okay, there are always problems. These problems aren't necessarily awful, but they do represent items that need to be addressed. I like that... a lot.

Rental Leadership 
For many years I found myself feeling relieved when the problems at work didn't specifically identify Human Resources as the source. Whew! Thanks goodness it's someone else's problem! Sure, I'm happy to help out, but at the end of the day I'll only be slightly involved.

Renting is cool. But not very satisfying.

Owner Leadership

More recently I've found myself taking a different view of problems. They're all mine. Not that I'm actually responsible for solving them all; but I should always try to be part of the solution. Plus, imagine how my colleagues might feel if I jump in and try to help them out even if I'm not expected too? Isn't that what leaders are supposed to do anyway?

Owning is cooler than renting.

How About You

What leadership style have you chosen? Are you a renter, because it's easier to distance yourself from ultimate responsibility? Or, do you take a more serious approach and own? It seems to me that most people are proud to be owners in life. I'm guessing that applies to HR leadership too.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.




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Take The Fall

It's interesting to watch people react to failure. In a world dominated by a CYA mentality, the reactions to problems are as extensive and varied as there are people in our organizations. As an HR practitioner, I see the maneuvering that goes on when problems arise and leaders run for cover. Instead of diving into the issue (which requires leaders to not take failures personally => big issue I know!), they all too often look to place blame.

Don't they realize these maneuvers are so embarrassingly transparent that everyone can see what's really going on? I liken it to the lame attempts to grab power during times of change. The power grabs rarely work, and quite honestly erode the leaders credibility in the eyes of those they attempted to outwit.

What If It's A Member of Your Team?
Let's have this scenario hit a little closer to home. Let's say that the error that occurred is from a member of your staff. How do you react? Are you quick to have a stern talk and reach for a disciplinary form; or, is there another option? What about taking the fall on behalf of your team member?

If you're in a leadership role you probably have invested the time to build your professional equity with those that are dissatisfied with the error. Right? To me, that means you have an opportunity to shield your employee from the blame (or worse, a loss of trust) that is undoubtedly headed their way.

How About You

How do you handle those awkward moments when the area you're responsible for has dropped the ball? How you decide to manage your emotions, and the subsequent action you take will speak volumes about your leadership style.

Have you ever even tried taking the fall?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Starting Over

For as long as I can remember I've been focused on advancing my career...and I can remember a long, way back. Trying hard to think through the right moves, focusing on certain experiences, and taking risks in new roles were part of my career path. Sometimes those opportunities presented themselves in a company I was working for at the time; but usually, any meaningful move forward meant leaving my organization and beginning again.

It's Not A Do-Over
I've come to learn over the years that the process of starting a new job, meeting new colleagues, and diving into new challenges is incredibly rewarding. The issue isn't about "fixing things" that aren't working; but rather, to help create an environment where people can look at problems in a new way, and feel supported as they solve those problems.

A change for me however has come as an extension of this mindset. The deeper I go into working with my team to address issues can result in even more opportunities popping up. This is not a blaming exercise by any means, in fact it's more like a professional challenge to see how many systems we can improve together.

It's All In The Delivery

The challenge for today's HR leader, or any leader for that matter, is how they handle those new problems that come up when we least expect them. Being frustrated is fine. Actually, if you didn't show that you felt some level of frustration your team might not appreciate the importance of the new issue.

However, once we've done a little internal processing, we need to ensure that how we present the challenge is not done in a way that inadvertently blames the staff for not fixing the problem previously. A delicate message for sure, but one that if handled well, keeps everyone engaged and not feeling like a group of scapegoats.

How About You
In your quest to climb the ladder, do you take time to engage your team to make work better? Or, is that brass ring off in the distance so darn shiny that you miss everything else along the way?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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