Posts in the Leadership Category at Everyday People, Page 15

I Am HR !!

In the classic film Spartacus, Kirk Douglas leads a revolt against Rome. He and his fellow slaves are face-to-face with the Roman troops when the commander demands that Spartacus reveal himself. All of his fellow slaves stand and declare that THEY are Spartacus until the entire throng claims to be Douglas. He stands defiantly facing his enemy while everyone rallies around him. It is timeless and a call to arms for people to support a just cause and overthrow the empire !!

This past week a true revolutionary in our field of HR, Laurie Ruettimann, released her new e-book, I Am HR: 5 Strategic Ways to Break Stereotypes and Reclaim HR. To put it simply, it is magnificent !!

Laurie has been a trendsetter in Social Media and HR for several years. Her punk rock approach to what we do is edgy, challenging and intentional. She hasn’t settled for HR to remain in stasis, and that doesn’t always sit well with people. In fact, I know that people tend to either be hot or cold with Laurie since she rarely takes a stand in the middle of the road.

I respect Laurie for being a boundary stretched in a field that cries out so desperately for this. For too long HR has bemoaned how it “isn’t this” or “isn’t that.” We are the ONLY profession that does this by the way !! Laurie and I have different approaches to being passionate about HR, but I consider her a dear friend who makes me think and not accept the norms that are often set as standards for our industry.

This e-book takes the stereotypes of HR and peels them back. It doesn’t pile on or reinforce them, but it does ask you as the reader to face what we’ve become.

The true appeal to Laurie’s work is that she offers some tangible solutions for each of these stereotypes to be addressed and thwarted. Some HR books give lofty theoretical models filled with catchphrases and false motivation to get you jacked up to “act” into yet another phase of corporate ambiguity. This book doesn’t do that. In fact, Laurie gives real world examples of HR professionals that she has observed as people who break these stereotypes. You can find each of these HR pros active in all facets of the field and from all types and sizes of industries. Ironically, each of the people she lists are also visible and active in Social Media trying to move the entire profession forward as well as where they work.

This book will push you to look introspectively and then ask you to stand and proclaim. I know that when I read it, I readily exclaimed, ” I AM HR !! ” as if I was rallying with Spartacus. I encourage you to download the book, keep it on hand, refer to it often and join the throng to proclaim that YOU ARE HR !!

I Can’t Wait !!

In a few weeks, I will be heading to Orlando, Florida for the SHRM Annual Conference. To say that I’m Geeked would be an undersatement !! It’s a chance to break away from the daily norms and be with 14,000+ of my HR peers. Some may find that overwhelming while I see it as welcoming.

There are many reasons that are making this year’s conference even more intriguing. The obvious item that will gather the most attention will be the next steps in the SHRM Certification transition. I want to see where things will go and it will be great to see and hear things first hand. I also have the great chance to meet with the SHRM Board of Directors as part of the Membership Advisory Committee (MAC). I’m fortunate to be a part of a great team of other volunteer leaders from around the US who are seriously intentional and engaged HR pros.

To top all of this off, as if that wouldn’t be enough already, I get to speak !! When I heard that was going to be a part of the program, I was humbled. I truly was. You see, giving the presentation will be a thrill in itself, but even more than that I’ll be talking to my peers. I have been at many conferences and hear that HR folks want to hear from fellow practitioners. Now I get the opportunity to do that. Wow !!

Conferences give you a chance to meet great HR pros from all over, develop lasting professional relationships and get connected to resources that help you do your job better. If you’re going to SHRM14, I’d love to see you and connect !! I mean that. I try to meet as many folks as I can because I find that I have learned more from these great people over the years than I ever would have on my own.

I know that there are several reasons why people go to conferences, but for me it truly is all the people. It’s fascinating to realize that there are so many others who practice HR and have a chance to do it in various ways !! I also plan to see other sessions from people that take a different look at HR. I look for sessions that stretch and challenge me because I want to bring back items that will allow me to improve HR in my workplace. I don’t want to settle for something or sit through a topic just because it gets a certain level of credit.

So, as my level of excitement continues to grow, I hope to see you !! It would make my Conference to get to see you, meet you and experience it with you. Geeked !!

Image courtesy of blogworld.com

Listen.

Human Resources is often written about in vast layers and fantastic catch phrases !! When I see posts about “harnessing the synergy of human capital” I start to twitch. One of the shortcomings of what we do is that we try to make it harder than it needs to be. I think that HR has fallen into the trap that if we sound like we’re more intricate, then people will give us more credibility.

Weaving a broader web of terms and efforts that keep the “mystique” of HR as our brand lends itself to more confusion than clarification. When I talk to many of my peers, they share that many companies just “don’t get” them. This has to be frustrating for those practicing HR and those who work with them.

I’d like to show you a simple alternative. Listen.

It’s an overlooked skill and attribute that we don’t practice in HR, or in organizations for the most part. Please understand that I’m not talking about the different “types” of listening highlighted in communication models. It’s much more simple than that.

Our employees want people who will take the time to hear what is on their mind. We tend to think that these requests are such a hassle because we have so much more that is important and needs our attention. I have to work myself to not fall into this approach. I think that we consider the request to listen to people difficult because our mind tends to think the worst will occur. If we were honest about it, we tend to be more negative about people than positive. Our minds start to formulate all the “what if” scenarios that are sure to come up when the conversations occur, and they never come true.

Just this past week I had several requests from both Managers and front-line staff to meet with them. This wasn’t on my schedule or in my planner. The fact was that I had some fairly large projects in front of me that were due. I chose to fight the urge to put these requests to the side and went to meet with each person. I’m glad I did. In each situation, I was able to be the sounding board that was needed at that time. The conversations ranged from personal issues outside of work to difficultly with a manager who seems to be ignoring his staff.

Honestly, it was the best use of my time because the challenges that these employees were facing were only going to grow if someone didn’t listen to them. I think there are three keys to making listening work:

Be Available – That sounds simple, but as I mentioned before, we put other things in front of people all the time. Being available takes discipline and a ton of effort. If you do this, you’ll honestly differentiate yourself from most HR practitioners !!

Don’t Seek Solutions – This goes against the grain of who we are. We don’t feel we’re being good professionals if we don’t come up with the perfect solution to everything we face. You may get a chance to offer a solution, but just listen first. Seriously, listen and see where things go before formulating what could be done.

Be Consistent – You’ll do better to listen to all of your employees and not just those who are problems. The more you listen to people the more you learn. This will allow you to be closer to your team members, and chances are you’ll hear things early on and be able to anticipate how things will move.

Listening is something that has taken me years to learn. It’s tough to admit that but it’s true. I know it makes a difference. This week start listening and see what happens !!

Dark Matter

The conversation usually starts out like this . . .

“You’ll never believe what just happened !! I have an employee who . . .”

The conversation unfolds and you find yourself deep inside yet another difficult, dark employee relations issue. Before you can say a word, or offer any insight, the mob (usually folks outside of HR) have gathered their torches and pitchforks ready to unleash their fury in the form of some level of progressive discipline – up to and including termination. At least this time they came to you versus handing out their own type of justice first and expect you to pick up the pieces.

The challenge for you is not only that you are delving once again in the dark matter of people’s lives and in the organization, but how do you keep it up? Seriously. If you are always around the dark side of people’s lives and behavior, how do you not quickly fall into that same black hole?

Have you ever been to an HR Conference? It’s like a dark matter convention. If you listen in on what HR pros are talking about, more often than not, they’re unloading the dark matter situations that they’ve been dealing with since the last conference. It becomes a flurry of “Oh, yeah but let me tell you about this one !!” I don’t fault people for sharing because they’re doing it to try and cope with constantly being surrounded with difficult situations. Some of the stories truly are funny, but most of them are tragic and sad.

Add on to this the constant bombardment of people wanting HR to focus on Employee Engagement, being a great place to work, and building an attractive culture. These are definitely items people would prefer working on. The barrier to doing this is the lurking feeling that the next dark situation is just around the corner.

What can be done to combat this fact of working in Human Resources? How can you make it so that you aren’t consumed with the next negative aspect of human behavior? Is there something that isn’t trite or cutesy like inspirational posters on the wall that no one reads?

There is. It’s not easy, but there is.

I’ve been in HR for over three decades now and I continue to enjoy it more and more each year !! That’s not some motivational quote for a blog. It’s the truth !! Have I been discouraged at times? You bet. It hasn’t been for long though. Here’s what I do to fight the dark matter:

Remember that EVERYONE has value !! – We always talk about employees as if they aren’t people. We also forget that we’re people too. We can’t wait to pull out some manual and address people with policies. You need to address people as people first. If their behavior falls into an area that deserves discipline, then be consistent with it. However, you must meet with the employee first and see what’s happening with them before launching into some short-sighted action just to lessen the pain.

Surround yourself with positive people !! – This is more than the usual “be positive” encouragement. If you are around other HR pros who are positive as well as you are, then you have a community that gives your alternative perspectives to consider.

Have an accountability partner !! – You will slip and get dark. It’s impossible not to. However, you need to have an anchor or two who will be there for you no matter what. They are your “confessor” so that you make your feelings known and they’ll be there for you no matter what is shared or felt.

Be the light in the dark !! – I know this sounds like a catch phrase, but hear me out. You have the choice as to how to approach people every single day. If you think poorly about others, it will show. If people constantly bring a sigh to you and not a smile, then you can see where you are.

Turn that around. I can tell you that it’s worth it. I don’t think being positive is some parlor trick. It’s a way of life. Be that light. Start dispelling the darkness. Your company is looking for it !!

All I Want Is You !!

Desire.

It’s an innate human element. Every person has desires about something. You can determine what those desires are typically by where a person spends their time and money. People can say they desire a variety of things or be more focused. Desires are unique. Even if people are wildly passionate about the same types of things, it’s never really the same.

Desire.

It’s something we want employees to have every day when they come to work. There are countless articles, blogs and efforts about employee engagement. When I see these I think more and more of the effort is on getting “buy-in” as to what a Company offers instead of allowing people to bring their desires to the workplace. We aren’t very comfortable with really allowing people to be who they are.

HR spends an incredible amount of its time and focus on limiting behavior and adding stipulations to systems to make sure people comply and fit in. In fact, most managers talk with the majority of their employees only when needed. That includes sitting down for performance reviews, weekly meetings, etc. More and more of our structures force interactions, but they don’t develop communication or bring out the best in our people.

What if we changed ?? What if HR took the opportunity to be less restrictive and chose to work on ways to bring out the best in people? It’s not the norm in our field by a long shot. It calls for more variety and people assume that more variety will bring instability and chaos. I think that’s not true. There is more variability, but that should allow for genuine diversity and not some trumped up program that makes us “feel better.”

Desire.

Think about it. A workplace that is filled with people who can discuss and share their lives. I don’t think this should be a forced effort in the least. However, HR struggles with this too. I’m not sure why we all have relationships, friendships and interactions rather naturally as a social norm, but we don’t try to foster that in the workplace. I think that if we took the time to not just “talk” with people, but just treat them like the desirous, passionate humans they are, we’d enjoy each other so much more !!

I want to encourage you to take a “U2” approach to this. You have to know that I’m a fierce U2 fan and love all of their work. You could say that following them is one of my desires. One of their fab songs is “All I Want is You.” The song lists many things that someone wants, but the signer responds that all they want is that person. It really is a consuming approach to have the feeling that someone wants you that completely.

I know this is a big step. I also know that it works !! I try to take more and more of my time with my co-workers and find out what drives them. I may not share their same interests, but knowing what they are passionate about is fabulous. It allows me to have more of a connection with them as well as something to check in on when we see each other. It’s very enriching and it makes HR wonderful.

You see in the end – I hope our desire is people.

I Love to Laugh !!

How often are you around little kids? I would have to say that I’m not around them nearly often enough !! Little kids “get it” when it comes to life. They see everything around them as something worth looking at, taking time for, and experiencing. They will do this for their entire day and think that it’s normal. When adults step in to squelch their innate sense of joy and exploration, kids respond with some of the most confused facial expressions possible.

One characteristic that I truly enjoy is hearing children laugh. It’s infectious. They see things that most of us consider mundane or irrelevant, and just flat lose their mind. It’s fantastic !! When a child loses themselves completely in laughter, anyone who is near them will be affected . . . in a good way. They usually bust out in raucous laughter themselves.

I have to confess. I’m a laugher. It’s a loud, belly laugh more often than not. I make sure to laugh every day. Every day. It’s not like I put in a planner or on my To-Do lists. There are just too many things that happen every day that deserve laughter and joy. You never know what it will be, but you will miss it if you’re not looking for it.

I wish more HR people would bring laughter and joy to what they do !! When I get together with my peers, and we can peel back the frustrations of the job, we have more laughs than not. The question is – how can you incorporate more laughter in your workplace? The first thing to do is to take on the philosophy that Charlie Chaplin followed (see the picture).

If you thought that your entire day would be wasted if you didn’t laugh, I bet you’d laugh more often !! There are countless studies that show the healing power of laughter and how it reduces stress. If that’s not enough of an incentive, it also clears the cobwebs and allows you to look at something with a fresh perspective. Any feelings of angst just disappear.

Secondly, you have to take on the Mary Poppins approach where Ed Wynn proudly sings, “I love to laugh, loud and long and clear !!” Laughing out loud is essential. We are way too reserved as HR pros in the workplace. We keep to ourselves and don’t feel that we can express ourselves. That’s truly a shame because we have an opportunity to bring life and excitement to our people, our workplace and our culture. If you chose to look at HR with this perspective, would it change your outlook as to what you do?

This week, stop the grousing and start the chuckling !! Something so simple can be something extremely profound. Look for the laughter. I know I will !!

A Daily Mantra !!

This past week we celebrated a Team Member’s 30th anniversary !! This is a rarity in any organization these days. She truly is beloved. When we sent out the notice that we were going to recognize her, many people, including several Executives and Senior Leaders, cleared their schedules to make sure they were present.

Our recognition program is very personalized. We meet our Team Members during their shift and at their location. We finally learned that recognition needs to be focused on the employee and not the HR program or benevolence of the company !! This simple shift has made recognition meaningful for all involved.

What made this occasion so great was the impact that this Team Member has had. EVERY person who came to say congratulations had worked with her including the CEO and the President of the company !! She has literally touched the lives of an incredible number of people who passed her to take on loftier roles in the organization.

When everyone gathered, there were loads of hugs, laughs and stories shared. She had at least one story about everyone who came. Here’s mine . . .

She is truly unique and salty !! When I started in my role, my first interaction with her was because she had hung signs in the kitchen that said, “Make sure to put away your mother*$#*%ing glasses !!” She heard that HR wanted to talk to her and she was ready for me. I told her that I’d like to take the signs down, and asked her why she felt the need to say these things. She didn’t miss a beat. “Do you see all the glasses sitting around ??” There was never any ill will or intent in her approach.

No one has ever felt threatened or hurt by her coarse language. When I talked to her I got to know her better and she got to know me as well. I make sure to drop by and see her every once in awhile and she says, “Hey, Steve, I haven’t put up any f*#$ng signs lately.” And, we howl !! We’ve both learned from each other over the years.

The whole time we were recognizing Louise, it was very emotional. We shed tears, laughed until it hurt and reveled in the stories from her 30 years with us. It was fantastic !!

As we were wrapping up, the President of the company shared this . . . “Recently, I read that to have a full life people should laugh out loud, cry out loud and touch someone else’s life every day – and Louise that describes you perfectly !!” You can guess that tears flowed freely.

I think it’s something that all of us as humans can take on as our mantra. This isn’t just an “HR” thing. You see I believe that our workplaces are full of people like Louise. It’s just that so many people continue to think that HR’s focus is on the negative. I hate when I hear people trying to learn from HR horror stories because that’s when idiotic policies, procedures and programs come to life.

I could have jumped her when I saw her signs. I could have written up a tenured employee because she was using harsh language. I could have overreacted and jumped to conclusions, created a massive anti-cursing policy with 5 levels of progressive discipline. Or, I could talk to her and hear her side of things.

I’m so glad I took the last approach.

I made sure I was Louise’s last hug. It was warm, caring and I told her how much she meant to me and to the lives of so many. She pulled back and said, “Thank You. Now get out of here you . . . “

I Need a Hero !!

We drove to the theater with great anticipation hoping to get tickets in time for the 7:45pm showing of the brand new Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The great ticket seller at the box office confused us when he said, “7:45 ?? The next show is at 7:15pm.” We were early, but that meant we couldn’t get dinner before we went to see the show. We decided to stay and head in to the theater. The staff had us stand against the wall and form a line because the prior showing hadn’t ended. We were an hour early.

As we stood there, the line to get in grew . . . and grew . . . and grew. I didn’t remember a line forming before a movie like this since I saw the various Star Wars movies as a teenager. Everyone was patient, but you could feel the energy building and building as we got closer to the showtime. The line was opened, and my son and I walked in and got the perfect seats for us. The entire venue was filled in the next 10 minutes.

I didn’t know if others had a tradition like I do with my teenage son. You see, every superhero movie that comes out means that we will be there to watch it. I think we’ve made every Marvel, DC Comics, and smaller brand movies that have been released. It is a shared experience that I truly cherish !!

It was a great movie !! (You really should see it !!) I loved it because Captain America is “odd” compared to most superheroes and most people in general. You see, he’s completely selfless. He is 100% others focused. I love this attribute about him and want to encourage this in others as well.

By the incredible turnout at the movie, I can surmise that people find this attribute attractive as well. We don’t see it often enough. We live in a society, and work in companies, that are more self-focused than others-focused. It seemed that people are looking for a “hero” of some sort.

I’m not going to get into the definition of what a “hero” is because most heroes are active behind the scenes doing things that others never notice. You see, I believe you can be heroic by being there for others and meeting their needs. It doesn’t have to be something magnificent, but it does need to be something tangible.

So often in HR, and in articles about culture, we focus on making sure to identify the WIIFM (What’s In It for Me) factor. What if YOU were what’s in it for others? What if YOU chose to reach out and be there to meet the need of someone else in work, life or the community?

What would happen if YOU helped someone else AND expected nothing in return? I think the world would be an amazing place !! I know that it’s unlikely that many people will read this and try this, but I believe that the “Captain America” effect can happen in your life and in the lives of others.

So, this week shed your ego. Open your eyes and see who could use a hero. Then step up and act. You’ll be glad you did !!

Red Card. Green Card.

I am writing my weekly post a bit later because I’m fighting off a food coma !! A group of friends and I just went to Boi Na Braza – a Brazilian steakhouse. It was spectacular and way too much food, but loads of fun. Anytime you can mix friendship and food is great. More relationships are built and deepened when breaking bread is involved.

The system the restaurant uses is incredibly effective and very simple. The servers walk around with skewers of different types and cuts of meat. You can have as much, or as little, as you’d like. The staff never has to ask if you want to consider trying something new because they follow a simple two color card system.

Green means that you would like to see what’s being offered and red means that you want to take a break or stop for awhile to catch your breath (and make some more room.) Since I work in the restaurant business myself, I was fascinated that service was broken down to the flip of a card !!

I wondered what would happen if we could have this two-sided card at work? What if we could use this system in HR when we had to address behavior in the workplace? We could show the green side for all of the behaviors we liked, and quickly turn it over to red the moment a behavior came up we didn’t care for. Wouldn’t that be simple enough?

Unfortunately, I think we get stuck on the red card too much. We think that we can affect, change and control behavior through endless policies and procedures. We spend more time saying “No” than we do “Yes” in our jobs too. I think we get set on this pattern of practicing HR and think that by saying no first we are addressing the situation. However, we really aren’t being effective at all. We’re just avoiding taking the time to analyze, contemplate and come up with a resolution to the situations we face.

I’d love to see us use the green card more often in all that we do in HR. If we tried it, I think we’d develop a more consistently positive approach to what we do. I’m not talking about mindlessly agreeing with things as they come up. You can face situations, look them over and then move forward. It may mean stopping a practice or eliminating something that no longer has use. But, that can be positive as well.

You see, at the restaurant, you kept the green card up to see new things, try new flavors and have a broader experience. That kind of life and approach to HR is exciting and fulfilling !! So, which card are you going to turn over when you go to work this week ?? My green one is already turned up !!

HR is Wicked !!

Last week my wife and I took in a musical. We love to see shows every once in a while and this was one of the best ones we’ve ever seen !! We saw Wicked and were entranced by every single moment of the show.

The story is a much different tale of Elphaba the Wicked Witch and Glinda the Good Witch in the mythical land of Oz. After taking it all in and seeing something “familiar” brought to light in a different way, I noticed a troubling twist to the story. When Elphaba meets the Wizard of Oz, she is put into a position where she is the enemy, and therefore, “wicked” !! The Wizard even states that the people want someone bad so that he can look good. To that point Elphaba was just trying to fit in because her green skin made her completely different than all of the other characters.

I think Elphaba is a lot like HR in many organizations !! She wanted to care for all of the animals in the kingdom of Oz – the outliers of their society. She wanted to use her powers for good, but people didn’t understand what she did or why she wasn’t like everyone else. All in all, she wanted to be included, but others didn’t want to do that. In fact, they forced her to become wicked because they others could “deal with her.”

Unfortunately, HR acts in much the same way. In the end, we too, allow an organization to put us into a box which they’re comfortable with even though we are not. Why is that productive? How does that enable us to practice what we do well in the company? Why have we become a profession that tends to “accept” our fate?

I won’t tell you the end of the show (if you haven’t already seen it), but it’s really fantastic because Glinda and Elphaba sing about how each other have “changed each other for good.”

I think that we have this opportunity as well. In order for HR to “change for good” we have to be comfortable with who WE are and not how others define us. Also, we need to not allow folks to label us as “wicked” – other terms you may be familiar with is “the No People” “The Police” a “Necessary Evil” or the famous “Ssshh, it’s HR !!” Step in and show people that we are far from wicked. We don’t let other employees treat each other this way, and we shouldn’t let other departments treat us poorly either !!

The great thing about HR is that we DO look at things differently !! We bring the human factors of situations to life and make sure they aren’t overlooked. Don’t ever apologize for doing that – ever !!

Wicked has a great ending for all of the characters. The ones who are truly wicked get their due, and the ones who are truly good have the perfect fairy-tale ending. It’s time for HR to understand the good we offer, the good we are and the good in others. It’s not a make-believe situation. It’s WHO WE ARE !!