The (Brand, Marketing, Digital, HR) Beast Inside of Me

I get fired up about work. Specifically, my work. I've had the privilege of being a human resources leader for many years; and the longer I work in that space the more opportunities I see outside HR that can dramatically improve how I get my work done.

More Than HR
In the early part of my leadership journey I couldn't get enough of good "HR" content. I was like a sponge soaking up every legal tidbit, compliance-related issue, or best-practice I could find. I was on a one man HR scavenger hunt. 

Sad, when I think about it now; but at the time it seemed like I was focused, driven and learning my craft. That may be true, but for the contemporary HR leader of today, the nuts and bolts of HR represent only a piece of what is important.

Brand
The energy around the term brand crosses many disciplines in the world of work, and HR is one of those that should embrace a brand strategy. Going far beyond a consistent logo on recruitment ads, a brand strategy that integrates organizational strategy with HR outreach (both personally and professionally) is essential. 

For those HR teams that still believe they should come up with their own strategies outside of what the corporate plan is are woefully ill-prepared to compete in the modern world. Gone are the days of separate "HR" and "PR" campaigns. The contemporary HR leader leverages the work done on the organizational-side and uses that to multiply the effectiveness of their brand strategy.

Marketing
The breadth of terrific content marketing resources available today feels like finding buried treasure. That is, if you realize these resources are treasure! The strategies, tools, and opportunities to partner with your Marketing colleagues are more important than ever before. Scarce resources, and the ability to leverage similar content across multiple channels makes for wise leadership. But only for the savvy leader. 

Convincing yourself that "you can do it better alone" is not only a waste of time...it's wrong too.

Digital
Every effective HR leader should now be comfortable in the digital world. Notice I didn't say "a" digital world...I see "the" digital world. Social media, web strategies, sharing content, building and supporting personal and professional brands, and adding value to the profession all happen in the digital space we live in.

There is no point to try and "get by" or "avoid technology" any longer. If you're not on board, you're living in the 1970s. Open a twitter account and get on with it. The time to move forward is now!

How About You
Has your approach to effective HR changed over the years; or, is the idea that "all this new fangled thinking" is just too much for you? It's never too late to get started. Expand how you think about contemporary HR, start making a difference in your organization and career, and let the beast inside of you break free.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Choices

“If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” 
 - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

When you think about where you are today...does it feel like you are on the wrong train? 

If so, what are you going to do about it?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Don't Tread...On the Brand!

Recently I walked into the building where my office is located, and one of our Security Officers stopped me to ask a question. She wondered why I step to the side every time I come into the building as the doors slide open? 

I thanked her for asking me, and explained there are rugs with the organization's name and logo printed on them at the entrances to every building, and that I refuse to step on the logo for any reason. I told her it's one of the ways I show respect for our brand.

All In My Head
I have been doing this little maneuver for a long time, but it is rare that any one notices. I've wondered if it is worth paying attention at that level...we have a lot of rugs with logos on them! What came to me next was quite surprising.

Even if no one ever notices my private sign of respect, I know I'm doing it. My consistent respect for the brand reinforces in my head each time how important the brand is and what it represents. It doesn't matter if anyone every notices. I know I'm doing it, which is a little jolt of energy around how important the brand is each time I step to the side.


How About You
What action do you take to ensure you respect your company's brand? 

As leaders, our personal and professional brands are interwoven to such a degree, that everything we do can make an impact. 


Using designated hashtags (like #ACHculture for me), re-posting or sharing company generated content, or writing in forums like this are just some of the ways we can represent our organizations and ourselves. 

What do you do?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Everything Is So Clear Now

The world of work can change in an instant. One minute life is on track, and then suddenly we're faced with a turn of events that we didn't anticipate. Or did we? How often have we heard the phrase "I never saw that coming." How is it possible that we don't see everything coming?

Eyes Open
Many organizations have gone through periods of massive change over the last few years. Post-recession alignments, acquisitions, and new leaders have triggered a flurry of different approaches in all aspects of corporate life. The savvy leader has paid attention to these changes and has been preparing for "the unexpected" twists and turns that naturally come during times of change.

The Head and The Heart
What often gets in the way of a full understanding of what is happening around us is the emotional connection we feel...to our work...our organization...our colleagues. Those emotions are important strengths that build culture and drive our companies forward. 

However, when there are simply too many changes to track at one time, it is also important to step back from the emotional energy that can cloud our vision, and think strategically about the impact of that long list of changes that is being implemented all at once.

Are you tracking each change? Are you connecting with and supporting other key leaders in the organization to ensure the changes are executed consistently and fairly? 

Have you provided candid feedback regarding your concerns, or is that not an option in the new world order?

The intentional decision to step back and critically examine the changes in your organization will help you be both thorough in your work, and fired up on the emotional side as well.

How About You
What is happening in your world? Are you examining the impact with both your heart and your head? Both will be important as you lead the way for your organization.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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My Most Productive Day...and a Fail

Recently I was at a surprise retirement party for a colleague. After we all yelled "surprise!" and the battle to keep the tears from falling was well underway, I settled into a conversation with a new member of our organization about the nature of work.

Productivity
Our talk ran the gamut of shared experiences in cities we had both worked and/or lived in. But then quickly moved to how we get work done, and how the world of work has changed in such a way that being at work actually limits our ability to accomplish our work.

We both realized that the physical act of being in our workplace, more often than not, limits our ability to truly be productive. This got me thinking about all sorts of issues: 

- Why I spend so much time at work if I know I could use some of that time differently and be much more productive?;

- Why corporate culture equates long hours sitting in a room in a building (my office), with being a great leader and dedicated employee?

- Why I haven't been more assertive in taking charge of this (despite encouraging my team to spend time away from the office getting their work done!)?

Coffee, Wifi, and Solitude
As our conversation went a bit deeper I tried to remember what I would consider my most productive day ever. It didn't take long. I was in Baltimore on business, but my schedule was a bit odd. I had a Tuesday evening meeting, and then no formal commitments until Thursday.

Oh the guilt! I certainly couldn't fly back to Florida for one day, so I realized I needed to get myself organized to try to make the most out of an "open" day in between my scheduled meetings.

...and it was the most productive day of my life...

Enter The Daily Grind along Baltimore's waterfront. A terrific coffee shop that has good wifi and plenty of seating. I know what you're thinking..."Jay, have you ever heard of Starbucks?"  

The real issue here is that during my six hours of uninterrupted, focused time I accomplished more than I have on any other day in my work history. 

The real issue here is that I didn't seize the moment and build a completely different approach to my work, despite knowing this made sense for me.

The real issue here is that I quickly fell back into the trap that long hours in a room filled with interruptions equals  good leadership.

How About You
Do you know something makes perfect sense but the pressure around you in the workplace is holding you back from taking action? Why do we continue to do that to ourselves and our teams? Maybe we're the generation of leaders that will finally break the pre-technology notion that sitting in meeting rooms all day is the best way to get things done?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.




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What Were You Expecting?

The world of work is changing so rapidly I almost feel out of breath trying to stay current. My love/hate relationship with my task list (love the tool...hate how many items are on it!), seems to have me chasing my tail every day of the week. What about other parts of my world? I don't think I'm trying to balance any more issues than the next person, but it does make me wonder if I'm doing something wrong.

What was I expecting?

The Way It Should Be

This issue has been weighing heavily on my mind lately...the notion of my expectations and others expectations of me. Should I conform to a particular view of how I should work, behave, or interact with them? Has the culture of my world shifted in such a way that I've missed something and I am out of step with the cadence of those around me?

Difficult questions to answer as I look at the world through my biased lens. (By the way, we all have our own lenses, which makes this an even more complex set of dynamics to work through.)

Sometimes what I've come to rely on turns out to be very different as I understand more about the new reality around me.

Time Out

In those moments we have to challenge ourselves and ask about our own expectations. What do we believe is in our future? 

Can we rely on what we've grown accustomed to; or, have we allowed ourselves to fall into a false sense of security based on what we "want to be true" vs "the reality of our situation?"

Difficult questions to answer.

How About You

What are your expectations for your world? What about those connected to you? Have you found the proper alignment and balance between the two; or, are you working to bridge a gap that has "suddenly" appeared?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Stop Being Realistic

"One of the saddest lines in the world is, 'Oh come now - be realistic.' The best parts of this world were not fashioned by those who were realistic. They were fashioned by those who dared to look hard at their wishes and gave them horses to ride."

- Richard Nelson Bolles 

As you think about the work you need to accomplish today...this week...this year...spend some time distancing yourself from what is realistic. There is a phrase in sports that "safe is death" which means that simply doing what is expected and avoiding risk will guarantee defeat. The same principle applies to your legacy as a leader.
 
How About You
What about your legacy? Will it be one of transactional work that "kept the lights on?" Or, will you leave a different impression on your team, your organization, and your profession?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 


 
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