Better as a Whole !!

It seems like I’ve been in HR since the dawn of time.  Not really, but as a point of reference – there were no HR majors in college when I went and it was called “Personnel.”

Even though it’s been a long and exciting trip, I find that I get more and more excited the longer I’m in the field.  I read a troubling post lately from an Anonymous HR pro in the UK that my good friend Michael Carty posted called “Sincerely Yours, Deeply Disengaged.”  It is an all too familiar tale of how an HR pro is discouraged in how their company looks at and devalues HR. (You really should read this post and add your comments.)

It sounds like this HR pro feels isolated and on their own which is too often the case.  I’m amazed that HR people, who are in an occupation that calls for them to be among people, tend to be the most disconnected professionals out there.  This isn’t healthy !!  It leads to the factors noted in the post above and ultimately in a person who is discouraged about Human Resources who will, in all likelihood, leave the profession.

There are healthy ways to protect yourself from disengagement and discouragement !! One key component to being healthy in HR is to surround yourself with great peers and folks you can learn from.  People often tout the notion of “continuous learning” but few take the time to do it.  I see more and more people longing for connections, but not knowing how to make that leap.

Better TogetherI’m very fortunate in many ways.  I’ve always enjoyed being connected to people.  It’s genuinely deep in my DNA.  This isn’t unique, but there is a factor that is.  Great connections are intentional.  And being intentional makes us better together as a whole.

I’ve always believed in modeling the behavior you expect in others.  So, I’m involved in a community that keeps me grounded, encouraged and also gives me the opportunity to learn.  I’m a blogger as part of the Performance I Create team.  It’s a very diverse mix of HR practitioners, and I truly dig that.  Each member offers different perspectives, views and takes based on who they are and how they practice HR in their corner of the HR universe.  I love reading their work on their individual blogs and on the PIC site.

These folks – Jay Kuhns, Chris Ponder, Melissa Fairman, Tiffany Kuehl, Chris Fields, Sarah Williams, Justin Harris and Dave Ryan – are truly my “Everyday People.”  I encourage you to connect with each of them individually and as a whole team.

This isn’t just to highlight one group of HR pros vs. another.  I want to truly see you branch out and connect across the field.  There are countless amazing HR pros who will make the time and effort to see you learn, grow and succeed !!

Remember – we’re stronger together.  Make it happen !!

Image courtesy of tfisherart.com

5 thoughts on “Better as a Whole !!”

  1. Inspiring message as usual, Steve! The isolation in HR has been a pressing topic in a lot of the forums I am conducting on behalf of NCHRA. Our collective have suggested a few ways to combat the locked door/locked out syndrome:
    1. Be a cultural icon – take the leadership role in educating the employee population of your mission, vision and values.
    2. Make the aforementioned cultural contributions part of the performance review process to offer line managers support in building their team’s objectives.
    3. Develop strategic succession planning that creates opportunity for engagement through achievement across the organization.

    I know, easier said than done….but it’s better than being marginalized to the “policy police”!!

    Cheers – Dave

  2. Steve, I came across your post about the need to overcome isolation after reading the “Deeply Disengaged” post on Michael Carty’s website. Everything you say here is true. Especially this:

    “I see more and more people longing for connections, but not knowing how to make that leap.”

    My goal is to help people make those connections. Everyone needs what you’ve got: “A community that keeps me grounded, encouraged and also gives me the opportunity to learn.” Let’s get people connected.

  3. It’s always upsetting when you hear of cases like these. And, unfortunately, you hear about stuff like this a lot. HR being considered as a joke, people not trusting the HR department, and all that. It is a preconception that can be overcome by convincing the upper management to give more power to the HR department. Present all the good things that you can do if they take you serious and allow you to really do your job. I mean, REALLY do your job, with all that implies. Maybe, a good idea would be to create an HR department that could carry its own weight, and then prove that to whoever is in charge and strongly make your point.

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