Delivering The Goods

The role of human resources has evolved considerably since the days of Harry Levinson. If we're doing our jobs effectively we should be at the forefront of many organizational initiatives: employee impact, driving accountability, aware of and educating leadership on the ever changing regulatory environment, leading the way with social media, pushing leadership to make decisions, and so many others.

Our job is not to simply toil in a transactional world of forms and compliance paranoia. That was personnel...you work and lead the human resources function now.

Risk Is Your Ally

In order to move from the comfort of saying "no" as quickly as we could spit it out, and transitioning to a mindset of "I'm going for it" we must first embrace risk. Now I'm not advocating a reckless leadership style. What I'm saying is that we in HR must push ourselves, and our organizations to try new strategies to communicate, engage, hold accountable, and recruit like we've never done before.

The world of work (which is made up entirely of people by the way) has changed so dramatically in the last few years it seems to me that those of us in the people leadership profession are now poised to make the most dramatic impact we've ever made.

How About You
For most of us taking that first step is a bit scary. I know it was for me. But once I realized that not only would I live through it, but I would actually begin to transform my HR team and how we interact with employees and the world, I realized there was no turning back.

Do you deliver the HR goods?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



photo credit

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.



photo credit

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.

photo credit

Don't Waste Another Day

TGIF! The end of a long and busy week! Time to kick back and relax! It's all about finding some "me time" this weekend!

Or maybe not.

Leading Outside the Office
We all work hard, get up ridiculously early to get to work, and spend more than half our waking hours commuting to, working at, and commuting home from work. Squeezing in a couple of hours of family/personal time each day sometimes feels like only a few minutes. But when we reflect on the many positives in our lives, its important to remember there are many who would trade places with us in the blink of an eye. They might be a neighbor, one of our kid's friends, or someone who needs a quick helping hand at the store.

We can make a difference in their lives.

Leading Inside the Office

Part of our daily routine is just that...routine. When we're rushing around the organization to this meeting or that meeting, signing stacks of paperwork so they can be sent to someone else to sign too, I wonder if we ever slow down enough to notice the people outside our departments?

In our rush to power through our routines, do we notice those who need a helping hand? Just because they have a job doesn't mean they aren't in need.

We can make a difference in their lives.

How About You
What are you going to be doing this weekend? Hopefully you (and I) will find a way to balance some down-time with some giving-time too. That's what real leaders do, right?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



photo credit

Show No Mercy

Files, email, conference calls, meetings, stacks of paper, phone calls, tweets, voice mail messages, and on and on and on. Sometimes work can become so...well...routine...that we forget just how impactful human resources can be.

Power
One of the most important, and often most stressful roles HR plays, has to do with employee terminations. During those difficult times it's important to remember that regardless of how stressful the moment is for the HR practitioner (which other than an employee death, terminations are the worst part of HR); we must not perceive separation meetings as an opportunity to punish.

Impersonal Is Best

I'm not sure who originally advised HR leaders to only "stick to the facts" or "remain professional and somewhat distant regardless of how emotional things get." I get it, but maintaining our professionalism is supposed to happen all the time right?

I guess my definition of professional includes the "human" part of human resources. For example, I believe it's perfectly appropriate to acknowledge how difficult the situation is, particularly for the employee who is losing their position. It's a fact, isn't it?

How About You

Have you ever been released from a position? Maybe it was from a unfortunate mistake, or a reduction in force, or perhaps you were caught up in the recent economic chaos. Whatever the reason, if you've had to sit in the other chair during a separation meeting, you fully realize that how the message is delivered can be extremely important.

Separation meetings are not HR power trips. In fact, they are one of the rare moments HR practitioners can show a sensitive side of themselves despite the difficult and complicated circumstances involved.

What do you think?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



photo credit

Messages to the Workforce

We're all hiring these new members of the workforce. What messages are we sending to them?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Having Goals Is Dumb

Summer is officially winding down. Schools are open in the South, and soon will be everywhere else. Vacations are just a memory now, and the anticipation and excitement about all that summer has in store has become a more mellow and subdued feeling.

You may be experiencing those same emotions at work. Perhaps that long sought after promotion has drifted off your radar screen. Or maybe projects that you were so fired up about didn't quite get off the ground the way you expected. Could it be that you've reached a certain level of success and there doesn't seem to be anything new on the horizon?

Maybe things are just a bit...flat.

Traditional Goals
Goals have become such an over used term that they often lose their luster. Personal goals, professional goals, life long goals, exercise goals, weight loss goals, and on and on and on. It seems we're always looking ahead in every aspect of our lives...never quite getting there...never being good enough.

Maybe we haven't quite figured out the right way to use goals.

Modern Goals

Have we ever considered that making each day a meaningful and productive experience could be the most effective goal we could set? I know we all create lists and obsessively manage our calendars to be as efficient as possible. That's not what I'm talking about.

I'm wondering if we could adopt the mindset that each day is a special moment in our lives and careers and that we have the opportunity to change everything? Forget our lists for a minute...they will be there when we flip those 'to do' items to tomorrow just like we've done so many times in the past.

Maybe having modern goals means we're going to attack each day as if we were about to change the world?

How About You
Do you feel stuck...empty...a bit flat? There is so much more ahead of you than what is behind you. What you do today matters more than you think. Go for it.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



photo credit