Judgment Day

"If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that sometimes our assumptions and preconceived notions are wrong, and therefore, our interpretation of events is incorrect. This causes us to overreact, to take tings personally, or to judge people unfairly." 
- Elizabeth Thornton

Persistent "Problems"
I work with people approximately...100% of the time. Whether it's in meetings, on site with clients, at my company's home office, interacting on the phone , or using any of the many digital or social media tools I use to stay connected. I am constantly working with people.

And, well...sometimes that makes things complicated.

One of those complicated issues appears in the form of "ongoing problems:"
- the difficult leader
- the hiring manager who is never satisfied
- the blame game that seems to take on a life of its own
- and the endless litany of excuses that are nothing more than an attempt to deflect the "leader's" inability to address complex issues

Unfortunately those excuses often become the corporate world's alternate facts, and in turn drive a wedge between business partners that should otherwise simply sit down and talk through the various problems that need to be resolved.

Do It Yourself
Our assumptions, and faux reality of the dynamics are often complicated further as we try to be so sensitive to every one's feelings that we don't step in and take charge.

I'm not talking about bullying...I'm talking about understanding that the team around you has tried their best, but they simply are not far enough along in their development to actually understand what to do next.

That is when savvy HR leaders step up.
That is when savvy HR leaders take control.
That is when savvy HR leaders do not allow the noise to interfere with achieving results.

How About You
Do you have issues in your organization that don't seem to be going away? Have you heard the same tired excuses as to why "this person" or "that department" are so difficult? If you're worried that others "won't like you anymore" if you jump in, you have missed the point.

It's time to tell your team to step aside. 

Now.

You are the leader...remember?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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The Harsh Reality of Politics & HR

There is a sinister being floating around the HR profession. It permeates all aspects of leadership, and often has deadly consequences for the brave HR pro who doesn't understand it.

Politics.

Not Savvy? You Have No Chance

But first, let's discuss the critical skill of having organizational savvy. The workplace, and specifically HR's role to play in it, is a path fraught with peril. Competing executive team interests, fear of change, and the intimidating effect modern business and social tools have on old-school leaders are significant political landmines. 

Add to that the demands of an ever changing and contemporary candidate pool puts tremendous pressure on those leaders who want to move away from traditional approaches (read here outdated and horribly ineffective), and move to something that aligns with how our digital world actually works (read here, it's 2017.)

For the highly motivated leader who lacks the organizational savvy to understand that simply putting forward good ideas is not even remotely close enough to a real strategy, the missteps can derail one's credibility in a matter of meetings.

"Because organizational savvy entails "high-integrity" political skills, retaining a moral compass is the cornerstone component. Savvy individuals use ethical means to achieve what's good for their organizations. They advance their careers and maintain high moral standards."

- Brandon Partners

Good Ideas and Getting Results

One of the questions I'm asked constantly is how I was able to move forward with an aggressive employer brand strategy (social media, blogging, podcast, etc...) while working in an industry that is conservative, and candidly, one that rarely understands how contemporary talent acquisition work gets done.

It was not as complicated as one might think. The biggest issues that had to be overcome did include internal politics; but fear and lack of insight from the other executives were the real barriers. It was all about me and my approach. I had to be savvy.

First, I stopped using HR jargon. No one cares about it except HR people. It doesn't drive business results or help the bottom line. 

Second, I used the business language of the industry, because that is what matters. Period.

Third, I linked my contemporary approaches that were clearly necessary, to the strategic plan of my organization. Your HR plan doesn't mean a thing if it is not linked to the organization. (see HR jargon reference)

End result? Success across the board: employee engagement, recruiting, employer brand, and job satisfaction for the team.

How About You

Are you still using HR lingo and wondering why everyone is not excited about your every word? No one cares. Do you understand the political landscape of your company? Really? How? Step out of your HR shell, embrace the industry you are in, and watch your influence and success grow.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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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