Patch and Repair

Spring is upon us and I’m geeked !! Seriously. I love the rain, the storms, and the inevitable greening of the lawn. Some of my best time is spent out working in my yard. I enjoy trimming, mowing, planting, and rearranging our landscaping. Sure, there are days when there’s too much rain or the sun is scorching, but that is to be expected.

When the lawn wakes from its dormant winter slumber, you see how it fared from the prior season. You’re hopeful that it will grow back into one lush, consistent carpet. However, that rarely happens. There is that initial tinge of frustration and a heavy sigh. But, then the juices start flowing and the joy of yardwork begins for another year.

I went to Costco and bought two bags of patch & seed, and felt I would have enough to cover any parts of the lawn that didn’t look like they were going to fill in. It took me quite a bit of time to carefully prep the areas and then spread the material. I was quite satisfied with my progress until I looked around. It was definitely a good start, but I could see that more seed would be needed. I was able to get the first batch spread before an overnight rain which made the work worth it.

Sunday meant another trip to Costco with a more measured assessment of what I’d need. The first two bags were used in the front yard. I didn’t even get a chance to take a peak at the backyard. This resulted in more of an investment and the purchase of five additional bags. I wasn’t sure if it was an overreach, but I wanted to make sure the job could be accomplished.

Our entire yard has very mature trees. They take in a ton of water any time they can. I can’t fathom how massive the root systems running throughout our yard are. They have to encompass a majority of our 1/2 acre lot. That means patches appear and the front yard took a beating. I ended up spreading five of the seven bags of patching material in the bare spots seemingly everywhere. It was a bit disheartening because I still wanted to get to the backyard, and hoped I’d have enough to cover those patches.

Thankfully, I did. The seven bags sufficed. What you need to keep in mind is that 85% of our lawn is in great shape. The 15% that needed attention was in rough shape, but it didn’t mean that I needed to reconstruct the entire lawn (thankfully). Now, I’m hoping that the predicted storms from tonight water the patches, the seed will take root, and new growth will cover the bare areas. A couple of hours of work could result in that wonderful, lush carpet I seek.

This most recent project is similar to work. We’re in a challenging time in the workplace, and honestly, the world. More than I’d care to admit I have heard co-workers exclaim how they feel everything is f****d !! They openly use the word you think it is. That doesn’t offend me. What is concerning is that the bare patches they’re working on have convinced them the entire lawn is shot.

We get so laser-focused on what’s “wrong” with the work we’re responsible for that we miss seeing any other part of the work landscape. A friend and fellow co-worker of mine had this amazing sign she put on her workstation so that when you enter her office, it’s the first thing you see. It gives you a different “F” to use.

Everything is Figureoutable !! It’s a great phrase and I love that it’s a made-up word because it makes you pause and think. If we take this stance to how we do work and how we choose to interact with each other, then I think we’ll make sustainable progress. This frames your day in a constructive way. It allows you to find out what needs to be patched and repaired.

Yes, those patches may take a heavy lift of time and attention, but they are not the entire system of how a company functions. They may represent the 15% of my lawn that needed some care and love. Everything isn’t f****d. It just isn’t. We can’t allow the allure of challenge and negativity to suck us down into the muck.

This week see how you can see things as figureoutable. Get the materials you need to cover the bare spots, and then see how your good work will pull the workplace together !!

A Good Nap

This time of year is always exciting for me. I love watching the NCAA tournaments – both the men and women. It’s so fun to see schools participate in an elimination tournament with the simple premise – win and stay in. Lose and, well, better luck next year. I find myself taking in as many games as possible. Debbie often shares that she becomes a basketball widow over these three weeks.

On top of all of this excitement, my favorite team, Xavier University, made the field !! They had a tougher road than most because they had to win a play-in game to even get to the official first round. The game Wednesday night started around 10:00 pm, and we went to a local haunt with family friends to watch the action. Xavier won and it meant we got home around midnight. Of course, I had to work the next day. Thursday was very full at work and was a bit mentally taxing. So, I was tired coming home and still had things to do. Friday is always an early day with my Men’s Group meeting at 6:30 am. Another full day of work, and then our daughter and our granddog were coming home to visit !!

Xavier’s 2nd game was on Friday night starting at 10:00 pm again. I fell asleep after dinner for a quick nap with the hope that I’d be able to stay up and enjoy the game. I did and it meant going to bed at 12:30 am. I was on fumes. My Saturday was packed with a 2-mile walk with Wags in the early morning, making homemade apple cinnamon monkey bread for breakfast, a visit to several stores including a Costco run, and then . . . I was done.

I couldn’t keep going. I was becoming frustrated and conversations were tense for no reason. Little things started to tear at the edges of my exhaustion. I wanted to keep going but I just couldn’t. I somberly told Debbie, “I need to lie down.” I went out to our living room to my favorite sofa and collapsed. I didn’t have an alarm set or any expectation of when I’d wake up. Two magnificent hours later, I felt the heavy breathing of Wags blowing gently on my face.

I awoke renewed, refreshed, and in a much better mood overall. I’m amazed how much better I feel after a nap as if I’m surprised by this result. It’s as if I never remember how great it is. I need to keep this in my memory bank.

I don’t think I’m much different than most other people. We fill our days with as much activity as possible. At the same time, we complain we never get enough done. We’re on the go constantly while feeling we don’t accomplish nearly enough. It’s a vicious cycle that only hurts us. Just like forgetting the joy of having a nap, we overlook that running ourselves into the ground isn’t good for us.

How does driving ourselves to the maximum limit make us more effective? Seriously. Why do we convince ourselves that activity is far more valued than balance? Our bodies, thankfully, are designed better than our brains. If we don’t pay attention to the signs our body gives us, it will shut us down anyway.

I don’t think we can continue to yearn for more balance, when we don’t make the efforts to even attempt to attain a modicum of balance. Naps are just one option for us to make sure we are at our peak on a more consistent basis. Let’s listen to our bodies and fight the pace that life tries to use to entrap us.

I need to get back to the next round of games, take Wags on one last walk before he heads back to Indy, and . . . I hear that couch calling out to me !!

Leave Your Mark

My wife is incredible in many ways !! Yes, I’m biased and am good with that. She is very creative but she would deny that. She has a dedicated craft room in our house that has been her place to make things come to life. She has been a rubber stamper for decades. This hobby has resulted in countless handmade cards for birthdays, weddings, the birth of kids, graduations, and Christmas cards.

They are true works of art. I know many people who have kept every Christmas card she has made for years, and some put them out every year as part of their Christmas decorations. Debbie would tell you that she sees the ideas of others and recreates them. So, I’ll give her that. Let’s call her a structured creative. If you got to know her, you’d see that this description fits well. One of the many other amazing facets of her personality is her joy in structure. She has lists of things to do all over the house.

Every day I’m amazed that she chose to be with me because I represent the opposite of almost every aspect of how she approaches life. I tend to live in the moment. Very little surprises me, and I’m more comfortable adapting on the go. I’m creative as well, but I’d describe my methods as having flow, movement and involving a variety of styles. I like almost every iteration of how art is presented. I am comfortable if things are abstract, modern, distinctly drawn, or classical. Each one has its value.

Eight years ago, when my first HR book was completed, Debbie asked if I’d like to have bookmarks to give out to people. I was floored and excited at the same time. I didn’t know what we could come up with but I was in !! She upped my level of enthusiasm when she suggested we make tie-dye bookmarks. I couldn’t even conceive how this could be accomplished. I was tickled when I found out that we’d mix our creative approaches by using her rubber stamps along with alcohol-based inks to make the tie-dye patterns along with my idea of variety. We put the ink on transparency film (like what we used to use on overhead projectors).

We started to stamp the clear film cut into the perfect shape for a bookmark together. Debbie took one color of ink and dabbed the applicator before applying a beautiful, linear pattern on her piece of film. I took my applicator and put three dots of different colors on it and then smeared the ink all over my film. I continued to follow what felt right as she methodically constructed her set. When we looked up to pause, I had ten done and was moving forward when she commented, “How can you come up with patterns so quickly?” I shrugged and said, “I just see what I want to make and then try it.”

She then made a bright, executive decision. The step after the ink stamping was mounting the film on white, thick paper for backing and strength. She suggested that I continue with the stamping and she’d assemble them after that. Now, please note, her stamped bookmarks were stunning and crisp. We kept them along with my mish mash of variety, and I loved giving them out to people.

Since then, we made a new batch for use at the SHRM24 annual conference. We followed the process of a separation of tasks that we were both responsible for. Very quickly we had constructed 100+ bookmarks. I just found out that I’m speaking again at SHRM25, and I’m grateful for the opportunity. We just bought a new set of supplies and the manufacture of a brand new set of bookmarks will soon be started.

Let me back up just a moment . . .

More than a story of how we take different paths toward creativity, Debbie also had another stunning idea for making these handmade beauties. She said, “If people are nice enough to get one of your books, wouldn’t it be nice to leave behind a little bit of you for them to remember?” How freaking cool is that ??!!

You see, she wanted me to leave a mark. That thought was incredibly astute and she may not have even been aware of the weight of what she had suggested. It was so powerful because as people, we leave our mark on others every time we encounter them whether we mean to or not.

If you ignore someone or push them off to the side because you’re too busy for them, that leaves a mark. If you are pleasant to others to their face and change your story for how you feel with another audience, you leave a mark. When a task that isn’t yet completed takes more of your focus and attention than the people around you, you have left another mark.

We don’t see this or even acknowledge it. It’s time we did. Choose instead to be someone who leaves each interaction as one that is positive, encouraging and meaningful. Leave your mark in such a way that your impact makes their day better. It doesn’t have to be a big gesture. It can be something simple. Something . . . like a bookmark.

A Good Read

Before I moved to the “metropolis” of Ada, Ohio when I entered the 7th grade, I lived in two even smaller locales – Gibsonburg and Luckey, Ohio. Not kidding. My extended family all lived in these smaller burgs that were more rural than residential. I fondly remember when I started elementary school the Bookmobile would come around.

For those of you who don’t know of, or remember, what the Bookmobile was, it was a library on wheels. The vehicle would pull up in the parking lot across from the elementary school and you could wander through the racks and check out books !! The Bookmobile was a converted bus that had one aisle with bookshelves on the walls that stretched from floor to ceiling. It was magical. You could get books on almost any subject, and my mom made sure that my brother and I never missed it when it came to town.

My mother was a teacher for her entire career. Reading was something she valued and she made sure that my brother and I developed the same passion of reading the written word. I remember stacks of books sitting on an end table that we would devour. At first, we started with simple children’s books which made sense. Soon, however, we moved on to books that had more size, depth and content. We read throughout the year above and beyond the books we were required to read as homework for school.

Reading opened our imagination and expanded our horizons. We could travel anywhere throughout the universe and never leave our couch. This reading habit continued until we joined the local library. It was then that we discovered the summer reading program where you’d get prizes for reading a number of books. It was an on-going contest between Mark and myself. We didn’t want to be the one who lost.

As I entered junior high, I made sure to continue the habit of consuming books. Now I was reading books like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, biographies about Lincoln, and countless books on Civil War history. I began to stretch and take in authors like Orwell, King, Huxley and Dickens. All of the reading I had done on my own for those early years made the books I was assigned in high school seem easy to read through and understand with little difficulty.

As I entered college, the level of reading required for my courses took up most of my appetite. I took advanced courses that allowed me to read the works of Dostoevsky, Ghandi, early church fathers along with authors of various textbooks. I chose to get a minor in History, and that filled my desire to read a broad spectrum of books with various perspectives.

Graduation from college meant entrance into the workforce. Trying to get my career kickstarted took the majority of my time and attention. I had moved to a new city and needed to establish an apartment, friendships and learn what the city had to offer. Unfortunately, for about two and half years, I stepped away from reading books. Then I was fortunate to meet my future wife, Debbie. Little did I know that one of the many wonderful attributes she had was that she was a book reader as well !!

Truth be told, she likes to have a book underway all the time. Her passion for reading rekindled mine as well. I began to read again before we started our family. Once our daughter and son were born, we were able to start the cycle that my mom had started when I was young. We read to our kids and had books of our own going simultaneously. As they grew, I picked up the Harry Potter series, reread the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and asked for books each year for my birthday and Christmas.

I made sure to also read books about work, HR and culture. At one time, I had four to five books underway all at the same time. At the dawn of social media, I began blogging, reading the blogs of others and making sure a book or two got read.

Now that our kids are adults and have moved out, I have a confession to make. The lifelong habit I have enjoyed began to wane. The only reason was neglect and . . . technology. I’m not complaining, but I’ve found that the time I used to cherish diving into the pages of an author has transferred to staring at a screen. I’m not proud that this has happened. Truly. I have no problem spending far too much time behind a screen either at work, scrolling through my phone, or streaming some show.

My wife who is still a voracious reader called me out on it, and I’m glad she did. Just this past week I went back to the books I had started and finished a few of them. I then started to grab the memoir of Bono from U2 and recommitted to becoming a book reader once again.

You see, reading books gets you out of a rut. They open your mind to fresh ideas and renew your desire to be creative and use your imagination. I’m so glad Debbie pushed me to give tech a rest and give books the time they deserve.

This week I want to challenge you to make time to break out of the mad pace we choose to live in. Crack open the spine of a book of your choice and jump in. Revitalize a passion for reading books. You’ll be glad you did !!

Get A Car Wash !!

I’ve lived in the Midwest for the vast majority of my life. I enjoy the four seasons. They’re never as equally balanced as one would hope but that’s okay. We’ve had one of the more robust winters this year that I can recall. We’ve had more snow, more arctic blasts, more ice, and more gray than normal. It’s funny to me that if we have a year where we don’t get much snow we wish we had more. Now that we’ve had a significant and lengthy winter we complain that it’s too much.

One of the side effects of a full winter is salted roads. The wonderful road crews do all they can to keep roadways clear. This is often daunting because the weather rarely cooperates in the manner it is predicted to. They lay down tons and tons of road salt to assist in melting the snow, ice, and slush. This mixture rarely stays on the roadway due to the volume of never-ending traffic. Vehicle after vehicle speed through the concoction which inevitably ends up encasing your car in a thick layer of white, brown, and mucky corrosive material. It’s as if your car is a blank canvas waiting to be plastered with the evidence of winter.

I have a long commute to work from my home. It takes anywhere from forty-five minutes to an hour plus depending on the volume of people joining me on the road. If you have construction or an accident along the way, the time only increases. Throw on top of this the various winter precipitation of snow, freezing rain, or sleet, there’s no telling how much time you’ll be behind the wheel. With my extensive commute, you can imagine how my car’s exterior starts to appear throughout the winter.

The below-freezing temperatures that held us in an endless grip for weeks on end only meant you couldn’t get your car washed. The dirt, grime, and sludge just grew in depth while creating an abstract painting that became a hardened shell. It becomes a nuisance because, even though I’m fortunate to have a garage at home, each time I try to walk around the car my coat and clothing get salt transfer. It only seems to stain or smear when you try to wipe it off. It never gets completely removed.

This weekend, the temperature sneaked just above the freezing point. I decided to chance it and get my car and my wife’s car washed. We have a local business just around the corner from where we live that does a great job. It’s an automatic, ever-moving chain that pulls your car through the various brushes and blasts of water and soap. When I pulled up, I saw that I was one of many who were trying to take advantage of their services as well. The trip through the car wash took less than two minutes. When I exited the building, I could swear I heard our cars sigh with relief. They were clean once again !!

A car that keeps moving through the mix of winter precipitation and road gunk is a lot like working in HR. One of the challenges of being in this field is that we get to experience and hear the dark side of work. This may include the various “life” situations people are facing or the general negative conversations that abound throughout the workplace. It can be, and is, draining. You hope for uplifting and encouraging conversations to be the norm, but they are unfortunately the exception.

I’m not trying to be a downer, and you need to understand that I am generally an overly positive person most of the time. However, even I get caked with layer after layer of road salt at work. It comes with the job and is as inevitable as taking a winter commute to and from work. If we’re not cognizant of our exteriors being constantly covered in road spray, then we too become encased in a hardened shell . . . and heart.

We need a car wash. We need to make sure to take a few minutes on a regular basis to wipe out the darkness that tries to envelop us. Too many others around us don’t see that they too are covered in their own blanket of dirt. When the majority of people start their days worrying about what is sure to go wrong, then you’re already facing an uphill battle. Lay on top of this a poor conversation in the hall, the emotions tied to senseless media and social media opinions with the pressures of performing, and you get folks who are buried.

It’s imperative that we’re more aware of the environment we’re in. We need to wash off whatever tries to hold us captive so that we can be at least one bright spot in the days of others. I’m not asking you to ignore the challenges and divisiveness swirling around us. I’m just encouraging you not to let it encompass or define you. It shouldn’t. Remember, a quick trip can wash away months and months of crud (that’s an official HR term by the way).

This next week, make time to get a rinse. You’ll breathe that sigh of relief as well, and it will allow you to move forward with confidence once again.

It’s Bananas !!

If you’ve been a regular reader of my posts, you know I have some quirks. I think most people do, but they tend to keep them to themselves. I find that they help define who I am and how I view life. I have various collections of llamas, lava lamps, conference lanyards over my entire career, buttons (like the flare when TGI Friday’s was popular), and shoes. Specifically one brand of shoe – The Chuck Taylor Converse.

I had my first pair when I was in 7th grade and joined the Ada Jr. High basketball team. When I started to play basketball, the standard of having nice, high-top, leather sneakers hadn’t yet come to be. I was at the end of the tradition of playing basketball with canvas Chuck Taylors which had absolutely no support whatsoever along with no arch supports. They are not “good” for your feet, but man are they stylish !! Our school’s colors were purple and gold, so my first pair was a beautiful dark purple set of size 13 high-tops.

I loved them and was hooked. Throughout high school, I always made sure to have a least one pair in my closet even after we switched to leather high-top Adidas sneakers for basketball. I just liked wearing them. Their innate comfort was a way to relax as I made my way through those awkward teenage years. During college, I made sure I had a pair of kelly green Chucks as I meandered the pathways of my alma mater Ohio University because the school colors are a proud kelly green and white.

Post college when I started my HR career, I bought a pair of bright red Chucks since I moved to Cincinnati and was a Reds fan. In fact, I went to a Reds outing with work peers from Procter & Gamble, and they asked me to sit in a section away from the majority of them because of my shoes. I was geeked that something so simple could be so disruptive. As my career started to take off, I invested in more pairs of Chuck Taylors so that I had a variety of colors to wear whenever I felt the need.

When I started to speak at HR conferences, I originally dressed like the other speakers. I wore khakis, a buttoned-down Oxford dress shirt, and dress shoes. I was mimicking those I saw who were also on the speaker docket. I thought that following the norm would open more doors for me. It didn’t feel right. I wasn’t being true to myself. At my third presentation, I decided to bring out the Chucks. I went with a solid deep blue. I switched from khakis to jeans, and my Oxford shirts switched to either a rock t-shirt or a sweet 70’s inspired paisley.

You’d have thought I injured somebody when I received comments from tenured HR peers and conference committees. This wasn’t “business casual” or the classic “professional.” Ironic isn’t it? How someone dresses is more of an obstacle and a focus than the content a speaker provides. Now, 20+ years later, I’ve started to see the dress of speakers begin to shift. Some still rock out traditional suits and dresses while others stretch to wear jeans and dress sneakers. I’m cool with whatever they choose to wear. If it makes them feel at ease, and they can bring their content to help others learn, then it all works.

One of my favorite pairs of Converse is covered with bananas. They are reflective of an Andy Warhol painting. I’ve always had an affinity for Warhol. He looked at the obvious things around him and turned them into art. Soup cans, Brillo pads, Coca-Cola bottles, iconic celebrities, and bananas. He even tied the banana to the experimental and revolutionary rock group – The Velvet Underground. They’re also made of leather versus the traditional canvas that most Chuck Taylors are constructed from.

The shoes are a reminder to always view HR, people, work, and life differently. Refusing to follow the norms while still being inviting to others. Being disruptive doesn’t mean one has to be destructive. Far from it. It only means that you don’t have to accept things and just fall in line because everyone else does. It’s a small variance from what people expect. Usually, it leads to conversations, questions, and interest. Then who knows where things could lead?

I think it’s bananas that more people don’t push the boundaries around them to form new ones. It would be great if everyone found whatever their personal Chuck Taylors were. Then, they’d make sure to put them on and walk into the world around them. I think if more people would look at constructive ways to disrupt, the world would be a brighter place !!

Wags

Recently, our family’s life changed for the better. I’ve often written about my incredible wife and our wonderful kids. I do that because so much of my life is intertwined with theirs. We have been very fortunate in the scheme of things. Sure, we’ve hit some bumps and continue to face challenges here and there. Overall, however, we enjoy each other and walking through the journey of life together.

We’re at that stage of life as a married couple where we get to help navigate our adults if they ask for our advice. We expect them to make good choices, and we’ve let them know we’re always available for counsel if that is what either of them need. Melanie has been living in Indianapolis, Indiana for over a decade now. She’s a leader in her role as an occupational therapist and purchased her own home. She’s felt a tug lately to get an addition to her household. Several of her friends have taken a similar step with various levels of success. Now she felt it was the best time . . . to get a dog.

She had been on a few sites to look for rescue dogs. She’s let us know about a few and asked our opinion. We gave her a list of things to consider such as cost, that you had to be available all the time for the dog and to look how she could continue to be active and social without being confined only to her house. There were a few wonderful dogs who didn’t quite make a match with her. That was disappointing and a bit frustrating but she pressed on.

Then, the call came for Melanie to meet Wags. He was in a situation where a family had too many dogs under one roof. They didn’t want to part ways but felt that if he had a great home, he could make the transition. The moment they met, she knew she had found her dog and he had found his person. Wags is three years old and soon to be four. He’s a sheepdoodle who was past the puppy stage, was house trained, and was very interested and comfortable with whomever he met. He is far more intrigued by other humans than other dogs. It seemed to be the perfect match.

The family who had Wags were very gracious. They gave Melanie a ton of his dog toys, food, a leash, and a harness. It was like visiting PetSmart and getting all the needed accessories all at once. Wags eagerly jumped into Mel’s Rav4 to travel to his new home. Once there, he explored each room and seemed to be comfortable. He made sure to stay at Melanie’s side. Wherever she went, he was quick to follow. Their bond was set.

When Melanie sent the news to our family group text, we were all ecstatic to hear this !! Our son Josh even declared that Wags was now his favorite family member. We weren’t surprised. My wife Debbie and I were geeked to become granddog parents. Last week, Wags, made the trek to visit our house in Cincinnati. Debbie had prepared as if we had a new grandchild. She purchased food, dog bowls, an accompanying mat for them to rest upon, and new toys for his home away from home.

When the mighty gray and white dog entered our home, he was instantly interested in meeting us. He skipped through each room of our house and then made sure to be back in the room with us. He loved his new toy pizza (you knew that was going to happen), and he never felt out of place. Melanie brought home Ally, a work friend, with her to visit. So, the following day Melanie and Allie took the opportunity to have adventures throughout Cincinnati. That was fine with us. We wanted to watch Wags.

When the girls first left, he sat at the back door and whimpered for several minutes. He missed his human. It was touching to see. When we were able to let him know that it was fine to be with us, he warmed up to play and run around. Unfortunately, I was not feeling well and was quite run down. That is not typical for me. I tried to push through and took Wags on a walk in a light mist. He couldn’t wait to explore and was a joy to walk with.

During our jaunt, he slowed down and rubbed his head on my leg. It was uncanny. He sensed I wasn’t feeling well and he was checking to make sure I was going to make it. When we returned to the house, I collapsed on the sofa. Wags jumped up behind the crook in my legs and laid down with his head on one of my legs. We took a two-hour nap together. It was amazing and I was grateful he was there to give me comfort.

The rest of Wags’ visit was wonderful. It helped both him and us get prepared for his next upcoming visit where we’re watching him for a week while our daughter goes out to visit our son in California. He has found a place in our hearts and our family.

I share this story because we all need people, or animals, who are there by our side just because. They aren’t asking for anything other than our interest and attention. It could lead to a friendship and that would be a bonus. In the meantime, it’s important to be wanted and for others to want you in return.

The world is full of people who are lonely. They could be in a room full of people and still feel desperately alone. This is true in our workplaces as well. That is why I want to continue to encourage you to be there for all of your people FIRST !! It is so much more important, impactful and lasting. Those connections and moments of your day may be exactly just what they needed.

I’ve already learned a ton from Wags. All he’s done is show up in our lives and give us his full attention, warmth, and interest. It’s a good example for all of us.

Get Your Mojo !!

I used to work in an HR department of one for an engineering & architectural consulting firm. I loved it there because of the people. Also, I had quite a field day being one of the few extroverts working with an entire firm of introverts. I was there for over nine years and didn’t think I’d ever change jobs. (Quick aside – Never say Never. I did change to take on the role I’m in now for the past 18+ years . . .)

One of the great parts of my role at the firm was to incorporate a social vibe into our highly detailed and analytical company. I was surrounded by incredibly smart and talented people. The majority of their day was spent creating drawing sets, cranking out calculations, and working on securing permits for the work they were designing. The employees were at a desk behind a monitor for 8 to 10 hours a day.

I decided we needed to break the pattern of people’s daily existence. So, we had the CDS Open – our version of a golf scramble. (CDS was the name of the firm where I worked.) We opened the outing to all of our team members. There was no qualification for skill level or golfing acumen. The employees jumped at the chance to experience something different. They wanted to have a break from their daily activities. Almost everyone in the firm signed up to play. We had enough teams to rent the entire golf course. This initial idea stuck and we ended up having the Open annually and it was a blast !!

People loved to not be tied to their computers and desks, take time to play, and “compete.” There were a handful of people who golfed well while most of us hacked our way up and down the course. At the end of the day, we’d have a cookout and give out prizes. I organized the outings, got the prizes, and was the emcee for the award ceremony. We had the traditional scramble prizes of longest drive, longest putt. closest to the pin, and the team that needed to vastly improve on top of an award for the best scoring foursome. People were cordial and congratulatory for each winner.

The first year I found Mojo golf balls from Nike. I bought them because of the name, look and vibe. The carton looked like it was designed after the psychedelic rock concert posters from the 1960s !!

Each member of the winning foursome received a carton of Mojo golf balls. When I handed them out I said, “Your team won because you had your Mojo going !!” People would howl – especially engineers and architects. I was fortunate to be on the winning foursome that first year and I still have the carton in my office as a reminder that I need to bring my Mojo to my work every day.

How about you? Is that how you view what you do in HR? Has it become too mundane and/or challenging?

It’s easy to fall into the trap of the daily grind as HR pros. If that’s true for us, you know it has to be true for all of the employees around us regardless of their level or role in the company. We can all slip into a funk that drains the joy, fun and drive to perform and do well.

This week see if that’s the case and then fine something that helps you get your Mojo back. Figure a way to break out from the malaise that threatens to swallow us. You can find a way to untangle yourself from the hairball of work. It’s time to get your mojo back. You owe it to yourself and others.

Work with Purpose

In my second HR job, I worked for a start-up manufacturer. We made the components for convenience stores at gas stations. This included a modular store, the canopy covering the gas pumps, and the sheaths which gave the pumps a decorative look. We were ahead of our time because others constructed stores onsite and from the ground up. We made the full store in our shop, and then delivered them to a site. They were placed, plugged in, connected to utilities and were ready to go.

To perform this intricate work, we hired welders, carpenters, truck drivers, painters, metal workers, and field crew. The employees were hard-working, proud and diligent. Sure, we had some petty things people complained about but not much. I was responsible for every facet of HR and honestly, I was not versed in how to do it well. I understood the administrative mechanics of HR. They came to me easily. What I didn’t know was our business.

I could rattle off the names and roles of every employee, but I couldn’t tell you what skills they needed to do their jobs well. We had the requisite job descriptions, hiring process, and interview template. I interviewed daily and hired regularly. The problem was that all of the front-end steps I was taking didn’t mean I was choosing the best candidates. They breezed through the HR side of joining our company, but many of them couldn’t perform the tasks that were needed to build our products.

The president of our firm heard from the plant manager that the HR guy wasn’t finding the people he needed. I was raw and new. I didn’t have a working relationship with the plant manager so it made sense that he went around me. The president, Dick, told Ron, the plant manager, that he had a solution to see if I could learn the role. He liked me and my approach overall. He also knew how green I was.

He came up to me on a Friday in the office and told me he wanted to talk with me. “Steve, on Monday I want you to go to the plant at Homeward Way.” That didn’t seem like an unreasonable request. I told him that would be fine. I liked being at the plant. “Oh, one other thing. Wear jeans and get some steel-toed shoes. You’re going to learn how to weld on the floor.” Then he left and my jaw dropped.

I chased after him and asked him why he wanted me to weld. He replied easily, “You aren’t hiring well because you don’t understand our work. So, I want you to weld for the next 30 days. Ron knows you’re coming and he’ll get you set up.” I stammered and responded, “But I’m the HR guy.” He didn’t miss a beat, “I know you are. But you need to learn what we do, who does it, and why it matters.”

On Monday, I reported to the plant and saw Ron. “Hey there new welder !!” He giggled after saying this. I went out on the floor with my toolbox from home which looked as if it had never been used with my brand new, ultra-clean work boots. Roy, the welding supervisor saw me coming and he scoffed. “What’s he doing here Ron?” Ron replied, “Dick wants him to learn how to weld. He’s all yours.” Roy swore under his breath and reluctantly took me on.

“First things first,” Roy exclaimed. He then stepped on my new boots and scuffed them with black soot. The other welders on the shift came over and did the same thing. I didn’t know if this was some cruel hazing initiation because everyone did the scuffing silently. “What’s going on ??,” I said angrily. Roy simply stated, “If you’re going to work with us, you need to look like you really work.”

That month was one of the most challenging of my young career. The guys messed with me, played pranks, and also took time to teach me. I learned to value who they were and what they did. We became close and I grew to appreciate them. I hadn’t really noticed them as talented people. I thought they were necessary “workers.” I couldn’t have been more wrong.

After my one-month training session, I returned to interviewing. Before my trek, 8 out of 10 of my hires failed. Afterward, I was hitting 9 out of 10 who stayed. Later I took some time to be a carpenter, metal worker, field crew member, and painter. (Never did learn to drive a semi-truck and that was best for all involved !!)

I learned something back then that has remained with me to this day. People who work with purpose are truly talented. They don’t go through the motions. They want to bring their best every day not only to produce but also to make the company succeed. By valuing what our people did and understanding it because I worked alongside them, I now had a full appreciation of their contribution. Along with this, the guys on the floor had a better sense of who I was and how I could help them through my role as their HR person.

Do you work with purpose?

Have you stepped back to ponder that? I’ll bet you haven’t. For far too long you’ve been going through the motions because tasks have become rote. You know the patterns you follow, and you make sure others are following theirs.

The reason I want you to reflect on this is simple. You can’t expect others to work with purpose if you don’t do it yourself all the time. It’s like trying to hire welders without knowing what it entails to be a great welder. It would be amazing if you decided to stop working how you’ve been working and go back to working with purpose.

After you have this practice mastered, you can start developing a culture where working with purpose is the norm versus the exception. The lesson I learned decades ago rings true to this day. Value what you do and value what others do. Encourage them and acknowledge them. Do it. On purpose.

HR Can Be Cool

On the eve of the college football national championship, I felt I needed to share a story from the first university in the State of Ohio – my alma mater, Ohio University !!

When I was a student at OU, I went all in. I’m not kidding. I went to every sporting event and did every activity in my dorm. I made sure to spend time in the downtown area with my fellow students, and I checked out several groups to get involved with. I was the first person from my hometown to attend OU in many, many years. When I arrived on campus, I had no friends or connections. I went in cold. Instead of fretting about this, I chose to reach out to meet as many other students as I could with the hope of anchoring with at least a few of them.

I was fortunate to be at a dorm that both fit me and my mission. James Hall was an all male freshmen only dorm. The fellow residents were from all over the United States and the world. I was thrown into an instant pool of diversity and it was magnificent. One of the main reasons my transition to college went so smoothly was my Resident Assistant (RA), Bob. I had never met someone who was so chill, calm and cool. Nothing ever seemed to rattle him. He was a junior and had been working in dorms for two years.

Bob treated everyone with respect and allowed most of us to have a pretty wide berth when it came to how he viewed the dorm rules. He felt rules were needed, but he also wanted us to have the full college experience. He knew we were young and were trying to figure out what life was like on our own. I made sure to spend a ton of time with Bob. He kept his door open every night. He welcomed anyone into his room at almost any hour. He never seemed put out by any visitor.

As my freshman year progressed, Bob approached me and encouraged me to become an RA myself. He shared with me the pros and cons as he had seen them. He thought I had the makeup to be someone who could be a shepherd for others just like he had been for me. I took him up on his suggestion and applied to become a Resident Assistant. There was a series of interviews and then an excruciating waiting process. There were no cell phones or email back when I entered this gauntlet.

After about a month, I received the good news that I had been chosen to be an RA. That was the first hurdle, and the next one was waiting to see where you’d be assigned. You could put your first, second and third choices on your application but that didn’t guarantee much. I wanted to be like Bob and be an RA in James Hall. I wanted to work with freshmen to help them make the same transitions Bob helped all of us with.

We didn’t hear anything before the school year ended, and the anticipation was awful. Two weeks after going home for the summer break, I received notice that I got my first choice. I was going to be an RA in James Hall. I was ecstatic !! I returned to OU about a month early for training, team building and prep time to get my floor section ready for the next incoming class of freshmen. This time was encouraging, supportive and allowed me to build a network of peers across the university campus.

Once my “guys” came to school for their first year, I was ready to go. I followed Bob’s example and shared my expectations of each of them. I explained the “rules” and closed with the guidance that if you stayed within the parameters, you’d have no problems. If you were blatant in your behavior outside those parameters, I would address it. That was it. Simple. Broad. Effective.

I made sure to make time to meet and get to know the 30 gentlemen in my section. Some of them warmed up to knowing their RA and others wanted to be left alone. It all worked for me. The ones who chose to be closer enjoyed the university, did well in their classes and made other connections fairly easily. Many of the students who wanted to remain distant didn’t make it through their freshman year. That crushed me but their engagement was their choice.

As with any job, you were part of a team. My fellow RAs were an eclectic bunch. Some of them were enjoying their job and others thought it was daunting, miserable and their section was full of awful people. That wasn’t the case. THEY were the ones who struggled and they projected this onto their students. While we were at a staff meeting a few months in, one of the other RAs asked me, “How can you stay so cool all the time?” I didn’t have a great answer. I explained that I wanted to be the person who watched over my section, help students where they needed it, hope they enjoyed being at OU and James Hall, and watch them grow up. Most of them shook their heads in disbelief because they didn’t see how they could follow this approach.

A few weeks passed and then something odd was taped to my dorm room door. It was a comic strip called “The Adventures of Cool Steve.” One of my fellow RAs had drawn it. Everyone wondered how I’d take it, and . . . . I LOVED IT !! Seriously, how could I not? I was humbled and touched. They were very funny. It actually brought my guys together as well as those throughout the dorm. Kevin, the artist RA, kept adding strips on a weekly basis. People waited for the next one to come out.

After several months, he asked the Director of the dorm for permission to make a mural. The strip had become so popular that he sketched it out and painted a mural of Cool Steve on the wall between my room and one of my next door residents. This was bold because dorms are so transient. I was floored by this !! Our sophomore year wrapped up and I asked to be reassigned to my room, section and James Hall for my junior year. The school approved.

My third year in James Hall was even better than the prior two. I became VERY close with all of my residents. Many of this group became lifelong friends. I did make a switch to become an Assistant Director of the Graduate Student dorm during my senior year. It was time to move on from James Hall, but the new one I worked in was still close by on West Green. When I was getting ready to graduate, the “kids” from my junior year made sure Cool Steve would go with me.

They knew that my mural would be painted over by the new staff who had no idea who Cool Steve was. So, they took one of the bathroom doors and drew the mural for me. It made its way to me when we went out for dinner the last month before graduation. I was moved once again.

(Quick note: The bathrooms in the dorm were being remodeled with new fixtures and doors, so it was okay that my guys had procured mine.)

This great story is now almost 40 years old. As I look back on it, little did I know that the approach from Bob and my time as an RA was actually a training ground for how I’ve practiced HR throughout my career. I learned how to see people for who they are, meet them where they are, and expect the best from them. It is okay to be cool and still practice HR in a meaningful and productive way.

This week, step back and reflect. If someone described your style and approach, what would they say? I recommend you do what you can to make HR cool. It works !!