‘Intentional’ Articles at Everyday People, Page 19

Go Against the Flow !!

This weekend I had to get my HR Nerd on and go see The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies. It was phenomenal and you should absolutely see it in the theater for the best experience. You may not be a Middle-Earth/Lord of the Rings fan, but I think the movies did a great job capturing the essence of the books that I have read multiple times.

In the final Hobbit, the main character, Bilbo Baggins, is in an uncomfortable predicament because he has the key to make everything “right,” but he keeps the treasured jewel that the King wants to himself. Now, don’t panic. This isn’t an in-depth review filled with a myriad of fantasy terms and characters.

During a key scene in the movie, Bilbo stands up against Thorin, the King, and tells him that the reason there is conflict is because of the King’s behavior. This was not a popular stance to take in the least. In fact, Thorin threatens to throw Bilbo over the castle wall to his death !!

In HR we are in a unique position that others don’t share. We need to remember that we represent both management and employees. Too often, it is perceived that we only represent management. This perception is from employees who only see us take the side of senior management. In many cases, companies only want us to represent management. This is where you should go against the flow !!

Our role is to represent the Company. That means that there may be times where you will be like Bilbo and confront the “King.” It’s not easy to be the person who stands up to management, and it doesn’t make you popular. The key to deciding if you should make a stand is that your action is to make sure that the company is doing the right thing.

It’s an incredible position to be in by being able to represent both management and employees. It shouldn’t be daunting, but it usually is. We fear that if we take a position that is contrary to the normal flow of things, it will damage our status within the company or we could even lose our jobs. I’m not here to encourage you to take a stand regardless of your fear, but you should take a look at how management is treating HR. If you aren’t able to have those tough conversations when they’re needed, then I contend that HR will be limited in its effectiveness.

As we wrap up another year, you have a chance to reflect and see if you are someone who goes with the flow, or if you are someone willing to go against it. When I’ve had those tough conversations, I actually gained more access to the senior management. They are looking for us to give them an objective viewpoint so that decisions can be made for the greater good of the company and also the situations you’re facing.

It’s not easy to be a contrarian, and it’s not something you have to do all the time. Just be willing to step in when you need to. It will be uncomfortable when you’re in the midst of tough conversations, but in the end you, and the company, will be better for it.

It Only Takes 3 Chords !!

I don’t know if many people were as excited as I was about some music news this week, but I was Geeked !! Rock giants, AC/DC, released their seventeenth album called Rock or Bust. I’ve heard a few tracks and it sounds much like their whole catalog.

You may not be a fan of these Metal legends, but I found myself immersed in them because the Classic Rock station on Sirius XM was “taken over” as AC/DC radio. Members of the band shared their past experiences and their excitement over their new work.

AC/DC is one of those bands who people have been critical about because they follow a simple three chord method to their songs. It’s true that their songs don’t have a ton of musical variety, but they have released songs that will be played for generations to come.

So, what does this shout-out to one of my fave bands have to do with HR ?? Everything, but it takes you looking at something that is missing and how this can fix it !!

I continue to come across HR people who are in transition. I am surprised that the first time I meet them is when they are looking for a job. It is disappointing because I have this crazy goal that I want to be connected with as many HR people as I can. I don’t want to see anyone who isn’t a part of a greater HR community.

I don’t understand it. I don’t understand how you can be in HR and not be intentionally connected to others in our field. These connections are so much more than a method to find another HR gig. They result in strong, life-long relationships filled with resources and knowledge that you can’t get on your own. It’s just not possible.

I don’t feel that everyone should try to have as many contacts as someone else, but you should have three !! You see, I believe in the power of mentoring. I don’t follow the definition that you find in many HR circles stating that you set up a mentoring relationships for a set period of time and then it should fade away. I think that this approach often turns out one sided and focuses on someone’s specific need instead of looking at the whole.

So, here’s the model I do follow !! You can’t have a mentor unless you mentor someone yourself. The three “chord” model makes sure that you are giving as well as learning from someone else.

I also feel that you should seek out these triads intentionally. I have a few mentors who I’ve been with for decades and I have a few mentees who have been with me for many years as well. I also make sure that the relationships are as deep as needed. The mentor/mentee relationships I have vary from somewhat more on the surface to others that know no end to their depth !!

In fact, I just reached out to a friend to ask if I could have him be a mentor and work with him in 2015. His response was awesome – “color me intrigued and honored.” I’m excited to see where it goes.

So, I ask you to join me and set up your trio of connections !! Remember it only takes three chords to make a band !! To get you started, I leave you with this . . . (you’re welcome.)

Image courtesy of Old Skool Hooligan Tees

Thankful.

This past week my family, along with many others, celebrated Thanksgiving. I am still a traditionalist when it comes to the holidays and their order. Gathering together over food is always a good thing, but what drives it home for me is that we normally do it around people. These people may include relatives, friends or even acquaintances. More often than not we feel recharged and refreshed after spending time with each other.

Then, we return to work and that level of enjoyment and intimacy dissipates so fast that it can’t even be tracked. We are surrounded with another group of people who drive home the mantra of “get things done.” Don’t get me wrong, productivity is essential for the success of businesses and our own personal careers. But getting things “done” almost completely eliminates the interaction of the people around us. We skim across the surface of everyone picking the one or two items needed to move our work and projects forward because spending time with them personally would be viewed as inefficient.

Don’t believe me? There are entire books and conferences dedicated to this. People flock to these forums and love the “take aways” they get from power points, flash drives or tool kits. However, the best resources they could have found were sitting next to them. Those resources were ignored because they are people we don’t know, and we could be seen as too forward if we reached out to get to know them.

I happened to check an e-mail while I was off for the holiday from a friend and it crushed me. She wrote me to tell me that she was thankful for me because I had made an introduction to her back in 2009 that literally saved her business as a sole proprietor. I couldn’t believe it. She went on to say that this connection has continued to lead to business opportunities to this day. She didn’t want to miss the opportunity to say thanks.

It led to me to think this . . . Who we affect is far more important than what we get done !!

In HR we have the chance, and the obligation, to positively affect all of the people around us and not just wait for the holidays to recharge ourselves around those we know better. We can dive past the façade of surfaces and spend time to get to know the people who make work come to life and drive productivity. It’s time for us to remember that work happens through people and not in spite of them.

So, I’d like to start something that I hope you take forward.

I’m thankful for YOU !! I’m thankful that you’ve chosen to read this blog. I’m hopeful that we are connected, and if we aren’t, I’m hopeful that we can become connected.

I’m thankful that you’re involved in some way with HR and people. It is a challenging field, but it is also one of the most fulfilling careers a person could ever pursue. You have the chance to interact with humans everyday, and you never know how your interaction may deeply impact them.

Here’s how to move this forward. Be like my friend and thank someone who has impacted you. Don’t wait for the perfect moment or a particular setting. Reach out today with a note, a phone call, an e-mail, or something you know will matter to them. Watch what happens. See how you will be recharged each and every day. You won’t have to wait for that next holiday. You’ll see that being Thankful is a fantastic state to be in all the time !!

Squeals of Joy !!

This past week I got to do something that I haven’t done often over the past few years. I was interviewing potential candidates to become Team Members for one of our pizzerias.

Typically, our great Managers interview, but I got to help this week because we had a bigger hiring need. It was energizing to sit across the table to learn about people who are interested in joining us. One thing I forgot about interviewing was the nerves, anxiety and anticipation of the candidate. Each person I spoke to was eager to give answers and share their experience. A few of them were worried they’d give the “wrong” answer, and a few were very confident with every response.

At the end of the interview we decide whether to make an offer or not. That’s when it happened. When I offered a job to some of the candidates, they actually squealed !! They were so excited that they were going to get a job that they couldn’t help but express their joy.

I guess I’ve been in HR too long because I lost the experience and thrill of what it meant to offer someone a job. I think that’s true for most of us especially when I hear people speak more about metrics and not people. The majority of how our focus in recruiting and hiring has come down to statistics like “time to hire” or “cost per hire.” Where is the statistic – changed my life ??

Think about it. When you make a hiring decision, you trust that the person you just interviewed is someone who will add value to your company. You have been given the responsibility to identify and meet someone who is going to bring their lives, experience and talent to your organization !! Isn’t that more important than a report or making sure that your next job requisition comes off the board?

When we hire someone, we change their lives. They are so excited to have this new opportunity. We miss this squeal of joy because we’re so eager to move onto the next task, interview or project.

It’s time for us to step back and take in the fact that we are adding talent to our company. If we are doing anything else, then we aren’t doing our job effectively because if the people we hire are just to alleviate pressure or ease some uneasiness in low staffing levels, then we’re missing the mark.

What if you approached hiring and job seekers with the same joy they hope to experience by landing a job? What if you met each person with excitement, anxiety, nerves and anticipation about who you’re about to meet? How do you think you’d view the “task” of recruiting and hiring with this type of attitude?

One of the people I hired asked if she could call her dad to tell him she had just landed her first job. I said, “Of course,” and I listened as she shared the news. It was a great wake up call for me. What we do in HR is full of joy everyday in our lives, and potentially in the lives of others. Let’s see if we can make that happen !!

Beyond the Exam !!

In a few weeks, I’m attending the SHRM Volunteer Leader Summit in Washington, DC. I get to attend as one of the Membership Advisory Council (MAC) members. I love volunteering in this capacity, and I just found out that I will be the MAC for the North Central Region again for 2015 !! Very geeked about that !!

While I’m there, I’ll get a chance to take the tutorial and get the new SHRM-SCP certification. I’m eager to see how this goes and add it as a certification along with my SPHR which I earned from HRCI.

As the new SHRM Certification comes to life, I’m seeing another wave of people making arguments for one certification versus another. The discussions aren’t productive, in my opinion, because people are asking people to choose a side and discredit the other.

Here’s the side I choose. I choose to be on the side of Human Resources.

My certifications are important to me. I know how difficult it was to earn my SPHR and I value it – and will continue to. People continue to focus on the exam, but certification is far more than that !! The exam was important and a gateway to more opportunities. The next step is on each of us personally.

As HR professionals, our focus needs to be on continuous professional development and moving HR forward. To do this, each of us need to own our certification from each body we receive them from. These certifications don’t belong to SHRM or HRCI. They belong to us !!

Secondly, we need to educate ourselves and choose why we belong and give our time towards any organization. If you are a member of SHRM, ask yourself why you do this and if it adds value. If you want to get certifications from SHRM, HRCI, or other bodies, ask yourself why you’re doing that and if it also adds value.

Stand up and own who you are as an HR professional !! Don’t get caught up in the arguments. Set a new norm of being excited about what HR does and what it will do in the future !!

You see, I’m very intentional. I became certified because I chose to. I joined a local SHRM chapter and took on a leadership role because I chose to. The other roles I’ve been fortunate to hold are because I wanted to keep moving ahead in leadership to bring the HR community together at the local, regional, State and National level.

I continue to move beyond the exam and I want you to as well. The present and future of HR excites me to no end !! Rise above the discontentment and move forward. It’s what we need to do now and make it our practice going forward !!

Spending Your Time !!

The one commodity that people state they don’t have enough of is time. Our lives are so full that we have this constant sense that we’re either always behind or that something important isn’t being done. This attitude puts us in a position where we are stressed and often focused on minutia that we feel, if handled, will put things back in their rightful order.

This isn’t a post about balance. This isn’t a post about workforce flexibility. This post is about choice.

We are all given the same amount of hours each day. Our lives have patterns that we have chosen that involve our work which consumes most of our time during the week. We rarely look at how those hours are used because we become set in certain methods that keep things relatively stable. This is alluring because we accomplish the things we enjoy completing more often than not if this pattern is maintained.

The challenge with this is that our patterns become our expectations and any deviation from this throws us for a loop. The other aspect of this repetitiveness is that it limits the number of people we regularly interact with and keeps us from having the chance to interact with the countless others who pass by us every single day.

So, a big question for us is WHO do you spend your time with? I think if you sat down and wrote down the number of people who get your time, it would be fairly small. That may be comfortable for you, but why choose to be limited? Why forsake the opportunity to meet and learn about others who, if given your time, could benefit from knowing you and you knowing them.

I have always been a person who is surrounded by people. This has been my choice and I can’t get enough of it. I don’t expect others to have this same perspective. I understand that we all have a certain capacity for the number of people in our lives. My contention is that you should see how full that capacity should be !!

I recently went to a fundraising dinner for the Boys & Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty which is the community where my family and I live. During the presentation, the Executive Director quoted a study that says that kids spend less than 4% of their time with adults these days. Think of that. It’s staggering to think that kids, who will one day be our future leaders and employees, have so little meaningful interactions with adults.

How can we expect them to be the next great generation, when we aren’t willing to spend time with them? This is just one example. There are so many ways to have a positive impact on those around you for the present and to be a legacy for the future. You need to choose if that is something you’re willing to do.

The story which gives us all the perspective of why how we spend our time matters is best told by Lauren Hill. Lauren is a freshman at Mt. St. Joseph University in Cincinnati and she has inoperable brain cancer. Her story has gained national attention because she had a goal of playing at least one college game. Today, she did that and she scored the first two points and the last two points of the game. She may not live until December of this year, but her goal was set and accomplished. When you hear her tell her story of her shortened life, she only focuses on reaching those around her.

This week slow down time. Take a look at how your spending it and who you’re spending it with. Make the time with those you’re with the fullest it can be and then see if you can take on even one more person. You’ll see that it’s the best way you could ever use of your time !!

Be a Builder !!

When I look at the vast field of HR, I have to say that I am swayed to the power of Culture more than other facets. I truly believe that people decide to either stay at a company or leave it because of its culture.

Cultures vary with each company that exists. In fact, you could even note that each department within a company has its own culture. With so many different environments, it seems difficult to think that we keep trying a “one size fits all” approach and think that it will work. There are too many factors to take in, and it’s honestly exhausting to try to make everything fit.

In the past, I thought that changing the culture in an organization was the answer. I fell into the mythical trap that things can only get better if things are viewed as wrong and then fixing them. That is extremely presumptuous when you step back and think about that. To think that a culture can only improve if it’s first destroyed devalues all that has been in existence before you were part of that culture yourself.

This week something hit me like a ton of bricks. It was an actual Aha moment !! What if you built your culture instead of changing it ??

You may argue that this is semantics, but I don’t think it is. Building a culture is working from the environment you currently experience. I’m not saying that everyone has the best culture, but it is what you have to work from. If you have a construction approach and not a destruction approach, you can see where there are opportunities to build. Think of how healthy you would be as an HR person if you were adding to things instead of limiting them or tearing them down.

You need to understand that this is contrary to how we currently practice. We are doing way too much justifying and reporting in our roles. Reporting is important, but reports exist because of results. Without actions that generate results, your reports are shallow and mundane. If your focus were to evaluate, take some measurements and see how areas of your culture could be enhanced and improved, imagine what could happen !!

We are always looking for ways to enjoy what we do, and this can be the start of building our profession to be even better. It takes some risk to see things positively and differently, but it’s worth it.

So, this week strap on your tool belt and your hard hat. There are cultures out there where you can be a builder !! They’ve been waiting for you to get started !!

Image courtesy of People Matters (one of my fave blogs !!)

Sorry, We’re Closed !!

This weekend, my son took a giant step of leadership and initiative !! He began work on his Eagle Scout project. He started building a shed to replace a POD for the Animal Friends Humane Society who currently has to pay to have the POD for food storage for the animals. The project is massive, but he is more than able to take it on. Have to say the “proud father” tears often swell to the surface when I think about how amazing he is !!

One of the keys in doing a project like this is that you get first-hand experience on when things go well . . . and when they don’t.

Josh had ordered the shed from one of those big box hardware stores and everything was scheduled to be delivered on site (a mile from the store) the Friday before his first workday on Saturday. We stopped by the store on Friday night just to make sure that everything was ready. The shipping supervisor looked a bit confused and dumbfounded when Josh asked about the delivery. It looked like it was “supposed” to have happened, but another employee hadn’t entered the firm delivery in the computer, so it didn’t exist.

Another key to an Eagle Scout project is to adapt.

Josh asked if we could compromise and get a rental truck and get some of the material to make the shed’s base and floor for the next day because people were scheduled to come and help. The store agreed and waived the rental fee for the truck and apologized for the mistake and confirmed that they could deliver the remainder of the materials on Sunday. Josh added an extra work day, but still moved forward.

On Saturday morning, we arrived to get the rental truck and pick up the material for the floor. We were directed over to the lumber yard, and we were the first customers for the day. A young man in a Security shirt came out of the guard shack and the following happened.

Guard: May I help you?

Steve: We were told to come back to the lumber yard to get material.

Guard: Sorry, we’re closed.

Steve: What ?! (confused and frustrated from the original delivery being mixed up) They told us to come back here.

Guard: Sorry, they must have told you the wrong information. We’re closed.

Steve: But we need to get the lumber. You don’t understand, we have people . . .

Guard: It’s okay. I’m just messing with you. We’re open. Come on in. Can I help you get to where you need to go?

We busted out laughing !! The young man saw that we were in a hurry and had to “get things done.” He noticed we were missing out on starting the day getting some material to do some project. We weren’t there to enjoy the experience and he was supposed to just do his job.

The thing is – he was doing his job better than anyone could have imagined !! He chose to take a rather mundane job (checking people in and out of a lumber yard ALL DAY) and make it enjoyable. I loved his creativity and told him that I appreciated his approach.

I’m sure if typical supervisors had seen this interaction, the guard would have been coached if not disciplined or terminated. We want people to WORK and be productive. We have spent years beating the passion out of people, and yet we expect them to bring the workplace to life through their jobs.

I had to come back later Saturday morning, because you always have at least 3 return trips to hardware stores during a project, and I saw the guard again. I couldn’t resist, so I said, “I see you’re open now !!” He didn’t miss a beat, “Yeah, you just caught us because we were closed ten minutes ago.”

HR needs to take note to give employees permission to love what they do and who they interact with. Work would be a better place if we looked at how to make people smile in what we do regardless of our role.

That young man made our day !! I’m sure glad he was “closed” !!

The Campaign for HR !!

We’re getting closer and closer to another election season. Even though this is a “light” year for elections locally, that doesn’t stop the candidates who are running for office from filling the airwaves with commercials. And, true to form, there are few candidates who say what they’re going to do. Instead, they spend millions of dollars to smear their opponent. People must feel it works because it gets worse the closer you are to the actual election day.

To me it seems similar to what I see from other bloggers in the “space” when they write about Human Resources. People feel that if they continue to tear down HR, it will somehow get better. I don’t follow the numbers and metrics of posts, including my own, but negativity must sell. When I see posts that focus on division and separatism I get concerned. Why would people want to work in a field that only wallows in things that are wrong?

I had toyed with the idea of seeking political office in the past and I determined back then that if I would ever run, I would only be positive. I think people should make choices on what you can bring and not focus on one and another’s faults. Therefore, I am launching a campaign in support of HR !!

When is comes to HR, I am literally ALL in !! It’s been my career of choice and I try to be active and visible through volunteer work, social media and speaking at events. I only see HR growing and becoming more and more relevant in my organization and in many organizations across the globe. There are creative and innovative people who are changing their approaches and their cultures to have workplaces where people can perform their best and move their organizations forward.

Here are the planks of my platform to share to make this campaign come to life !!

Be Others Focused

We are in the one profession that is built with a focus on other people. Think of what a great opportunity that is !! Seriously, you have a chance to work with people on purpose. It’s built into your job and it needs to be the base of your thinking and approach every day.

Be Certified

I refuse to continue to argue on one certification versus another. Certification should be our ticket to moving ourselves, and the field, ahead. The key to being certified is more than passing a test. Having a professional certification gives you credibility and gives you the base on which to be a continuous learner and seek professional development. We need to know HR to practice HR. Take the time to get your letters and then build on your education from there going forward.

Be Connected

HR on its own is career suicide. You will struggle if you aren’t connected to great people, great resources and great events. Every time I read something, I look to learn from the author and their perspective. When I find resources that help me do HR better, I share them with others. Most importantly, when I go to events, I make sure to meet others to build my network in order to connect others. We’re only better when we’re together as a profession.

So, can I count on your support ?? Will you join me in moving HR forward in a positive way ?? I would love to have you join in and stem the tide of negativity. I know we can do it and am geeked to see what happens !!

I’m Steve Browne, candidate for the Campaign for HR, and I support this message !!

As You Wish.

Tomorrow I am celebrating a true milestone in my life, and the life of another. My amazing wife Debbie and I will have been married 25 years !! It’s incredible to think that we have literally been married for half of our lives (so far).

So, if you will allow me, I’d like to step away from penning an HR post to share our story . . .

I moved to Cincinnati back in 1986 after graduating from Ohio University. I only knew a small handful of people in town and had no social circle. One day at work a flyer came across my desk for Young Friends of the Zoo. This was a group of young adults from all over Greater Cincinnati that met to volunteer at the world famous Cincinnati Zoo. It sounded interesting so I gave it a try.

At the first meeting I attended, the leaders of the meeting were looking for a Chair for the Beastly Ball – the group’s largest fundraiser. I have never been one to shy away from things, so I volunteered to chair the event. The group was a bit shocked I stepped up without being “known,” but they gave me a shot. The Ball was a huge costume party and we transformed an empty warehouse into an Egyptian tomb.

Every meeting I stood up and introduced myself, “Hi, I’m Steve Browne, chair of the Beastly Ball. I need your help to make this happen and I’ll be around to see all of you during the meeting.” The extrovert in me was glowing, and my future wife would make sure to leave the meeting or shuffle around so as to not meet me on purpose. She thought that I was too over the top and brash to want to intentionally meet everyone.

We had several work nights to make the decorations for the Egyptian tomb, and Debbie was there every time. One night she came over to me (after having avoided me for months mind you) and she asked what I was doing that weekend. I said, “Nothing.” (because I’ve always been good with words). And she responded with the best line of all time – “Want to do nothing together?” I was floored and said, “YES !!” immediately.

Our first date was a movie, The Princess Bride. We had no idea that we were seeing a movie about true love and saw this merely as a first date. In this classic film, the main character Wesley, always responds to Princess Buttercup with “as you wish” regardless of what she asks. We loved every moment of the movie and felt connected from that point on.

Fast forward about one year and Debbie and I were going to the monthly Young Friends of the Zoo meeting yet again. I asked her to come a little early and meet at the King Cheetah area. It was there that I proposed to her because the King Cheetah is one of the few animals who mate for life. It just felt right to do. She fortunately said, “Yes” and here we are 25 years later.

Debbie is the perfect balance for me. She is the organized, introverted, brilliant, loving and sensible side that I lack. I am thankful for every moment that I’ve had with her. She is an amazing wife, mother and partner who stepped out of her comfort zone to connect with me.

We come across people every day who can impact our lives. They may be reaching out to see how they can connect. Are you paying attention to this? You never know, you may find someone who will be with you for the rest of your life !!

So, now, I look forward to what will truly be a new adventure as we move towards our next milestone. We are more of the exception in today’s society by being married for 25 years and I dig that. We have found true love just like the movie and, I get to be Wesley, now and forever, who will look to Debbie to respond “as you wish” !!