One observation I’ve had about HR professionals is that they have historically been very isolated both professionally and personally. This has to be either by choice or by design within organizations. This observation continues to be affirmed when I attend conferences of any size. HR people seem astonished that others would intentionally like to be connected to them.
Something I’ve been trying at my work, and toying with in general is this philosophy – Model the behavior you expect in others.
To that end, I’d like to talk to you about the Inner Sanctum !! (cue scary theme music) What I mean by this is that I have a tight knit group of HR professionals who make up my personal inner sanctum. This isn’t a “Personal Board of Directors” as you may have seen in other blogs. There is something more substantial to this group. They have some incredible shared characteristics that I think are essential for this to work. They are:
- They all challenge me in some way !! – These are boundary stretching folks and I need that in order to not remain stagnate myself.
- They are willing to be candid !! – They speak their minds openly both positively or critically. They aren’t afraid to address my blind spots.
- They are consistent !! – Each of them is incredibly consistent while remaining creative and unpredictable. They each have strengths that I learn from.
- They are all genuine !! – Something I cherish in others is to be “who you are.” These folks don’t have pretense and don’t support it in others.
- They are all my friends !! – I mean that. We talk about all things in our lives. Families, work, faith, ups, downs, etc. All subjects are regularly discussed.
Without this group of people to gird me in what I do in HR and business, I would be less effective. It’s just a fact. I think that having folks you can count on is a professional differentiator. This isn’t networking or being in a clique. It’s intentional, fascinating and exhilarating !!
This week step out. Start looking at who would make up your Inner Sanctum and then pursue it. If you choose to do this, you’ll see a marked difference in how HR looks, feels and acts !! I hope you do it and let me know if you do !!
Steve,
Thanks for this post. I struggle with this myself, regularly. At OHSHRM this year, I purposefully met and connected with 2 new HR folks. It all goes back to the word, intentional. I am SO lacking at being intentional, but I am working on it! Thanks for the encouragement.
Nicole
Steve – you are the master connector and I so appreciate all you do. You are one to constantly engage with your connections and truly love connecting others. I appreciate you and your willingness to help others. What a great article.
Yes Steve- what Susan said. You are “modeling the behavior you expect in others.”
i’m one of those guys who uses the term “personal board of directors.” in fact, i may have even coined it. despite the fact you all but threw up all over the term, i dig your post…as always. and, by the way, i consider you in my inner sanctum AND my personal board of directors!