‘Encouragement’ Articles at Everyday People, Page 10

I’m Certified !!

Three years ago, I went through one of the most harrowing professional experiences that you can have in HR !! I sat for my SPHR certification. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this trial, let me explain . . .

To get your certification in HR (either your PHR, SPHR or GPHR) from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI), you need to pass an exam which takes up to 4 hours to complete. It is monstrous !! When I went to take my exam, I entered a testing facility where you had to empty your pockets and put any personal items in a small locker before entering a room full of computer monitors.

The certification test is multiple choice, and you’re thinking, “Multiple choice? That’s cake. I loved those types of tests in school. If all else fails, guess ‘B’ ” Remember? Not the same by a long shot. They have study classes that last 8 to 10 weeks just to get you prepared to take this test !! I remember taking the practice exams between 40 to 50 times just to learn material. (And those were old tests whose questions didn’t appear on the one I took !!)

The test allows you to skip questions, go back to them, line out answers you think are wrong, and then choose what you think is “right.” Most of the questions have at least two of the four choices that could be right. When you see “All of the Above” as an option, you start to get the shakes !! How could ALL of the answers be right?

I finished the test with about 45 minutes to spare. I reviewed my answers and made sure I was ready to “submit.” Then in classic SHRM/HRCI style, when I hit submit a survey popped up asking me what I thought of the process and the exam. I was ticked !! All I wanted to see was pass or fail. I rapidly hit “5” for everything was awesome, now please give me my results. Then when I submitted the survey, the screen went blank. BLANK !! I thought I was going to pass out !!

Then . . . it said I passed. I received my SPHR !! I wanted to scream, but I thought the test proctor would taze me. So, I hurried out of the room and burst into tears. The proctor looked up and said, “You must be one of those HR folks. Congratulations.” Through my sobs, I thanked her, gathered my belongings from the locker and went home.

This week I recertified which means that I had enough professional development to retain my certification for three more years. So, what does this story have to do with anything?

One of the keys that CEO’s, who were interviewed by SHRM, said was needed from HR in their organizations was that HR was knowledgeable in what the field does. This was more than the administrative necessities of the job. It meant that Senior Management expects us to be experts in what HR is, does and contributes.

When we yearn to be “part of the business,” the first thing we need to do is be experts in all things HR. Being well versed in what HR does, and then gaining professional development to keep current and relevant is critical !!

It’s time for YOU to take that step that I honestly avoided for too many years of my career. Getting your certification shows you have credibility and allows you to be in a position to take that step into a senior role when it arrives.

Harrowing or not – it has been the best thing I’ve done professionally and I encourage you to do the same !!

Ah, Creativity !!

This past weekend, my wife and I celebrated “date night” by going to see the new movie Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson. It was spectacular !! A quirky love story that was colorful, insightful, well acted and involved incredible visual images and dialogue. Also, it portrays Scouting in a perfect way which made me proud to be a Scoutmaster. But I digress . . .

This post isn’t a movie review, but an observation. You see, this movie is rare in this day and age of film. Companies tend to opt for the bombastic blockbuster with the hopes of pulling in mass amounts of revenue regardless of the quality of the characters or the story. Don’t get me wrong, I’m right in line to see these visual joy rides as well. My son and I have an agreement to see all comic book related movies (except Ghost Rider – I mean . . .) We love the distraction and the ability to pretend to be Superheroes. It is fun !!

But . . . it is also short lived. We keep wondering “what’s next?” Will there be a sequel, and will it “live up” to the one we just saw? It’s honestly a lot like many people approach HR.

We want to have the blockbuster program, change, initiative that would make the Senior Management team take notice and give us that strategic position that we yearn for. So, we focus so much on grand moves and positioning within our organizations to get noticed and justified, that we stop being creative.

Whenever I hear the term “best practices,” it just means that you’re copying what someone else is already doing. That may work for you and certain components to transfer between companies in their HR efforts, but many do not.

It’s time for us to be creative !! When you were a kid, you could take ANYTHING and make it into something incredible and limitless !! As adults, we keep forcing ourselves, and our employees, to be rational and pragmatic beings. Creativity gets sapped when it runs into policies, procedures and rules.

So, what can YOU do about it? Willing to be the Moonrise Kingdom in your organization? Willing to look at things differently and see how they lead to have long-lasting, meaningful change?

I am. I hope you join me !! It’s a far brighter adventure !!

I call him “Dad” !!

Other than being married, the greatest joy I have in life is the gift of being a father !! You’ve seen me write about both of my kids, Melanie (18 and soon heading off to college) and Josh (14 and planning to take over the world). I’ve even written about my biological father who was a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. Today, however, I’m writing about my dad.

You see, I hail from the Center of the Universe which is also known as the Village of Ada, Ohio. This is where my brother and I grew up during our formative Jr. High and Sr. High years and where my parents still reside. This story starts about one year before we moved to this incredible mecca !!

My mother is in the 1st wing of the “Mothers Hall of Fame” !! That is not an exaggeration. ANYONE who has met my mom would say this within minutes of meeting her. Since I was the “man of the house” since the age of four, I was very protective of my mom and didn’t quite get why she had to meet someone else. Thankfully, I wasn’t really in charge and the good Lord brought Don into my mom’s life. He seemed cool enough, but I didn’t want him getting “too close” to my mom.

One night after they had been “courting” (that’s what they called it – not me), he came to the room where my brother and I stayed and we had the following conversation:

Don – “Boys, I wanted to talk to you and ask you something.”

Steve – “Sure. What do you want to tell us?” (I didn’t allow my younger brother to speak because I was – and still am – the firstborn)

Don – “Well, your mom and I have decided to get married.”

(My brother and I were stunned and shocked. How could she do this? We didn’t need him !! He went on . . .)

Don – “Well, boys, I just wanted to ask. When we’re married, do you want to call me ‘Dad’ or ‘Don’ ??”

(Get ready for it. Here comes the most calloused response in the history of families !!)

Steve – “We’ll call you ‘Don’ because you will NEVER be our father !!”

(Did I mention that I was an idiot 13 year old punk?)

Don – “That’s fine boys. Good night.”

He didn’t put up a fight and was incredibly gracious (as he always has been.) Later that summer in 1976 during the glitz of the Bicentennial, my brother and I stood in polyester suited glory at my mom and Don’s wedding. We moved to Ada and the rest is history – well, sort of . . .

Don raised my brother Mark and I as if we were his own sons. He was always fair, structured and showed us amazing things. He taught us about work ethic, manners, treating women with respect and most of all . . . love mixed with incredible humor !!

The day of my high school graduation, he grabbed me and hugged me and told me he loved me. He followed that with, “So, when are you moving out?” Through laughter and tears I embraced him and said, “I love you Dad !!”

He always had been my “Dad” and now I realized it. He has been nothing but amazing my whole life with him. He showed me, and continues to show me, the mantra I live by:

Model the behavior you expect in others.

He’s now a grandfather five times over and he comes to most of the grandkids events. He never missed one event my brother and I were involved in – EVER !!

This week he made sure to let me know that he was retiring at the young age of 70. I adore my father !! If I can be half the man he has been for me, then I know that I will have left a grand legacy.

Happy Father’s Day to anyone fortunate enough to be a Father. Never take it lightly for you are leaving a legacy to each and everyone you touch !!

Staring at a blank page . . .

Who here lives a “full” life? One where it seems you never have enough time to get done what you wanted to accomplish?

The answer is that everyone has a life that’s full. What’s different for us is what we choose to use to fill it. Whenever I hear someone say they don’t have enough time, I truly am skeptical. It doesn’t seem like they’re bored. In fact, when you ask them, they say they’re “busy.” When you ask what they’re busy with, there is rarely a good answer because they really don’t know. They just know they’re exhausted being busy.

Whenever I make a surprise phone call to friends, our first question to each other is, “So, how are you doing?” I usually answer, “Man, I’m full and I love it !!” Then we talk about the amazing things going on in our lives, our families, our friends and our work. I do my best to get off the HR “what’s the new project” talk to make sure that we talk about all facets of our lives.

There are days that do seem to get away from me. I’ve given up the notion that I control much at all. Being in HR, I truly want to be in a position to move things forward while including everyone around me as much as possible. I look at each day as a blank page.

This isn’t some idealistic, pie in the sky, you really can’t live that way approach. It just allows for things to happen at different paces and within the flow that they need to occur.

I mentioned last week that I’ve been on this crusade to list 3 great things a day in my journal. At first, I looked at the blank page in front of my journal and the regular anxiety of what to write crept in. “Would it be interesting enough?” “Am I just going through the motions?” “Did anything great really happen?”

Now, the words pour out of the pen themselves and I stop at 3, but I could write pages and pages. You see, before doing this, being busy was easy and it followed the path of everyone around me. I was frustrated. I felt overwhelmed and out of control. That’s lessened considerably because having the blank page is honestly welcoming.

As you start this work week, and your to-do list is already 14 behind when you roll over to hit the snooze button – stop, breathe, and start over. Start with a blank page and let your day be filled with the great things that are sure to happen to you.

Remember, when you hit the office, you’ll be running into people who are already “full” and won’t be able to get past being busy. Help them out. Add them to your page and see what stories unfold !!

Carnival of HR – What’s Good About Edition

To say I’m geeked to host this edition of the Carnival of HR would be an understatement !! I asked great HR folks to send posts this time that were positive. Therefore, the “What’s Good About” theme.

Too often we get caught up in what’s not working in HR. I wanted this edition to take a break and reflect on the amazing things that happen in our field and with our people.

For those reading this . . . I’d like you to take a new approach as well !! I look at the Carnival as a great resource connecting me with folks that can help me do HR even better in my little corner of the HR universe. I make sure to read these folks work all the time and have their subscriptions in my Google Reader.

I have some new voices that I’ve added because of hosting the Carnival. Any time I can get more input, I’m good. So, sit back, read the teaser below of each entry and then go out, get to read their good work and make sure to connect with the authors through Twitter, Linked In, etc. !!

There are a ton of submissions below, and I encourage you to take in each and every one because they ROCK !!

Peace to one and all – Steve (It’s ALL good !!)

Starting things off is Naomi Bloom (@InFullBloomUS) with Reflections on a Long Career – Part IV – great list of “to-do’s” to keep you viable and active !!

Ian Welsh (@ianclive) adds a strong post with Passion for Human Resources and our Voyages of Discovery! – any time someone combines “passion” with “HR” you get my attention !!

This post from Daniel Crosby (@incblot) shows you how he always makes the mix of Organizational Psych and HR so cool ! – Career and Happiness: How They Relate.

I can’t wait to meet the next contributor, Doug Shaw (@dougshaw1) in real life this Fall at Ohio SHRM !! Until then, I can enjoy his post – Olympian – great take on teamwork !!

The rally cry from Cathy Missildine-Martin (@cathymissildine) gets you pumped up in HR Has Its Game Face On!

The folks at i4cp chime in with a solid post about Stragegy in Action. Make sure you follow this intriguing group on Twitter @i4cp.

Fellow #HR rock music freak, Paul Smith (@Pasmuz) brings our profession to life with It’s What You Know In HR.

I love the perspective from Mike Haberman (@MikeHaberman) because I am a storyteller myself !! Check out – A revisit to Storytelling: A Key HR Competency?

A new voice to me, but one I now subscribe to is Sandrine Bardot who’s blog Compensation Insider hails from Abu Dhabi !! How cool is that for global HR ?? Great read from her with her summary from the Middle East Human Asset Summit.

This post from Matthew Stollak (@akaBruno) brought back great memories about “Must See TV” when NBC ruled the television world – One True Passion.

Nancy Saperstone, another submission from the UK (awesome !!) – gets right to the theme with Happy in HR.

The prolific author Paul Hebert (@IncentIntel) entered a great post that was featured on another great resource – Fistful of Talent – HR Should Run Volunteer Organizations.

The driving force behind the scenes of the Carnival of HR, Shauna Moerke (@HR_Minion) takes a fresh look at What’s Good About Job Hunting.

Jessica Miller-Merrell (@blogging4jobs) did the coolest thing by submitting a person who guest posted on her site, Lisa Bonner. Really cool perspective from her in How Do You Stay Sharp & Focused?

The title of this post, Assume the Best, is a great reflection of its author Ben Eubanks !! Make sure you connect with him on Twitter at @beneubanks.

Another post about passion with an “ad lib” twist from Chris Ponder (@Chris Ponder) is really a cool approach. Could you do it ?? Can You Speak About Your Passion Ad Lib?

Michael Carty (@MJCarty) popped in from his holiday (vacation to us) to share his Best of the HR Blogs from May – all great reads !!

Stephanie Thomas (@proactivemployr) makes the EEOC cool and fun !! Check out her conversation with the EEOC Commissioner !!

A true genuine heart, Brad Galin (@bradgalin), gives a great post in Good Will in Bad Times.

Always showing how leadership and HR are intertwined, Jay Kuhns (@jrkuhns) adds his submission of You Have the Power.

Mervyn Dinnen (@mervyndinnen) nails the theme with this gem – reasons to be cHeeRful – Love it !! Very creative !!

Cool archive post from Buzz Rooney (@TheBuzzonHR) that I just had to stick in – The Founding Fathers Would Have Loved HR

I love when Tim Gardner (@TimJGardner) shares about his family. I love doing this too and it always shows me what’s good !! – Heritage

Dwane Lay (@DwaneLay) offers compelling and down-to-earth advice with this great post – What’s Good About a Bad Boss

A great post that pulls us all together from Susan Avello (@susanavello) – What’s Good About Community

Closing out this phenomenal compilation of HR voices, is Chris Fields (@new_resource) with the appropriately titled – Let me tell you what’s good about HR

ENJOY THE CARNIVAL !!!

3 Great Things !!

Yesterday we celebrated my daughter’s graduation with a party where family, friends and fellow seniors came from her class to wish her congratulations. Our party was “scheduled” from 2:00pm to 6:00pm, so it made sense that it wrapped up at 10:30pm with friends sitting around a fire pit taking in the great day that we all experienced !!

This day just fit in with what I’ve been following lately and telling others about. There is an amazing book out there from Shawn Achor called The Happiness Advantage. I love the book personally and I’ve taken just one of the many nuggets from the book and have put it into practice. One of the chapters talks about writing a journal and listing 3 great things that happened the day before. The study that was conducted said that people who did this for only one week were more positive for up to six months later.

I shared this with the State Council of Ohio SHRM and asked everyone to start a journal because they work with great HR folks in their chapters and their workplaces. There were two great folks from SHRM their as well and I asked them to join in (and they have). Sensing the momentum and the incredible response, I introduced the 3 great things journal to my own HR department that I head as well as the GM’s from our restaurants, the leaders of our Ops group and some of our Executives !!

The results have been amazing (and we’re two weeks into it.) In fact, a group of the OHSHRM presidents and I have been listing one of our “great things” on Twitter every day since the Council meeting – EVERY day !!

There are so many great and positive things around us, and we have the option to choose whether we’ll face each day negatively or positively. It doesn’t mean that things don’t get rough or that challenges aren’t present. However, HOW you approach things is in your control. As humans, and as HR professionals, it’s time to change how we approach the phenomenal people that are all around us.

I know it works !! It’s not some parlor trick or “trend,” it’s a way of life. Try it out and let me know how your journal builds and flows. You’ll start noticing amazing things that have been right in front of you all the time.

By the way – journal entry from yesterday:

1) Scout friends coming over to set up the massive dining fly/tent we had for the party early in the morning !!

2) Sitting around the fire pit and taking in the day’s memories !!

and (most importantly)

3) My daughter with my Mom getting a hand made quilt for graduation. A family tradition of love and creativity that my Mom does for all the grandkids. Here it is . . .

Take the Detour !!

As I traveled to my nephew’s high school graduation this weekend, I was forewarned that the main highway to my brother’s house was closed for a 20-mile stretch in Tennessee. Being from Ohio, and not knowing the sundry back roads of Tennessee, I was a bit concerned. You see, we got a late start and we would be getting to the road closure at night. Yes, I have a GPS, but you know as well as I do that they look for the shortest route to their destination and don’t like when you wander off course.

On top of having to leave the main highway, my brother advised me to follow the detour of the wide load trucks and not the flow of traffic. I asked him why, and he said that it would be quicker. Others coming to the graduation who had arrived earlier took the flow of traffic option and it took up to 2 hours to go those 20 miles.

My wife asked if we should trust my brother’s advice. Being someone who doesn’t tend to follow the flow very often, I said, “Sure, let’s see where the road takes us.”

It turns out that it was a much quicker route. However, during the detour our car was sandwiched between two semis barrelling through mountainous roads with little to no lighting. Also, whoever designed the roads must have loved the art of massive and quick changing curves versus having straight stretches of road. It was challenging, harrowing and exhilarating !!

My brother was right and our trek was much quicker than what the others had to suffer through. I was glad to have taken his advice and also the route that I wasn’t “supposed” to take.

It made me think of HR (of course). You see, we are a part of the most risk averse profession around. It shouldn’t be that way, but it tends to be. Whenever we are pressed with a decision, we tend to take the “flow of traffic.” It’s a shame because there are a multitude of other routes availabe, we just need to try them !!

You see, the route I took gave the same result as the others who also had to leave the main road. However, I was only one car among many trucks !! I had to have faith that my intuition would pay off.

This week, take the detour a different way than what you normally do. Be creative !! See where the road leads and what outcomes occur. It’s worth the risk !!

We’re Everywhere !!

I just returned from an incredible conference in San Antonio, Texas for the HR/TD group of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA). This was my second time with this group of HR professionals and I have to say that, as a whole, they are some of the most welcoming folks I’ve met in our field !!

I never take it lightly when I get the opportunity to speak in front of any group – especially peers in my field. I know the challenges they face in their organizations, how others outside of HR view the field and that working with people can be tough. However, I also know that they have the ability to be amazing in what they do and where they work !!

It was truly fascinating to be inside an HR group within an industry. Because, you see, most of us don’t even know these great HR pros exist !!

The majority of people in HR have a very narrow focus. You can read all you want about being “broad,” but most people have either a comfort zone or a personal capacity where they keep their HR community pretty close. Be honest, we tend to look for HR “voices” either in Social Media or through SHRM National, or local chapters. These are all great avenues to connect with HR people, but it’s not the only place we exist. The fact is . . . HR people are everywhere !!

Since that is the case and HR people are everywhere, what keeps us from connecting? Let me throw this out to you . . .

We’re surrounded by people every day, and we lose site that there would be an advantage to get to connect with other great HR pros. The “negative” voices rear their ugly head like – “They’ll probably want something from me.” “What if they’re creepy?” “I really don’t have time for more people in my already busy life.”

We’ve bought into the myth that our current relationships can provide all we need to be effective HR folks. In fact, some companies HR people NEVER leave the confines of their own organization because they’re gigantic and they feel they have all the resources they need internally.

Don’t buy it !! I can give you countless stories of great HR people I continue to meet, interact with, and connect to others. I’m glad this faction of the HR world asked me to venture to Texas. I told them that I was writing about them and hope to see more of them get connected in the greater HR universe.

My hope is you do this as well !! This week, step out. Meet one new HR connection. I guarantee it will only improve what you do and how you look at HR !!

I Don’t Get it !!

This past weekend I had the privilege of seeing my cousin’s daughter get married. My generation is getting older and now our kids are adults !! It’s cool to go through this though to see the continuation of life pass through the generations.

I don’t know if I mentioned this or not, but I grew up on a farm with my grandparents. My mom was a widow and had to work, so my brother and I grew up (and worked) on the farm as young kids. I mention this because the wedding this weekend was between two farming families. It is always great to be with my extended family and get reminded of the joy that farming offers.

You see, farmers have EVERYTHING pulling against them !! The weather could be too hot, too dry or too wet which all affects planting and harvest. Can they control the weather? No. Then there are pests, weeds, disease, etc. These affect and attack crops and livestock. You can limit some of the damage these things can do, but it’s never ending. A farmer’s day starts at sunrise, involves some form of hard labor throughout the day and you fall into bed late after sunset.

Every farmer I know loves what they do. They understand the challenges, and they can be monumental with the slightest shift in everything from the economy to equipment failing. They are some of the most wholesome people I know and I’m proud to have grown up in a family that still continues this tradition to provide for others.

As I am driving home, I think of all that I have. Phenomenal job, fantastic wife and great kids. A home, transportation, etc. As I listen as I enter back into the burbs, all I hear about is what people don’t have and how we’re missing the newest bauble of technology or convenience.

And I think to myself – I don’t get it !!

Don’t get me wrong, my farming relatives have many of the same things we’re fortunate to have, and I know they’d like to have new things as well. However, with all this plenty that surrounds me, my family and my friends/co-workers – why is there never enough?

I don’t have an answer to this. It just puzzles me because in HR we constantly deal with the “not enough” syndrome in the workplace. Oddly, the farmers get up every day to do amazing things and life moves forward. I think I’m going to get a model tractor to put on my desk to remind me of my roots . . .

How about you ??

It’s Opening Day !!

This week I participated in a true Cincinnati tradition !! My family and I went to Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds. It was truly a spectacle to behold !! Everyone was smiling, laughing and anxious for the start of a new baseball season. The smell of bratwurst, pizza, beer, popcorn and peanuts filled the air.

People didn’t want to miss any second of the festivities. The Reds have always valued this tradition since they were the first Major League team ever. Fans are loyal and educated about the storied past as well as being encouraged about the current team. They know stats, performance indicators and have strong opinions about their favorite players.

All eyes were glued to the field when they paid honor to wounded veterans who had proudly served our country. Next was the unveiling of a gigantic American flag that covered the outfield as an enormous plane flew over the stadium at the perfect moment amid roaring cheers !! The ceremonial first pitch followed and then we moved onto the game. You could hear all types of conversations going on all around you, and every “ooh” and “ahh” of the plays on the field was palpable.

Seeing this event was truly a treat for my family and me. It also made me think . . .

42,000+ people were filled with awe, joy and hope for baseball players that don’t even know they exist. We go to work everyday with a team of people we need to have succeed more than any sports team ever will.

So, what if we treated the beginning of the day like Opening Day at work? We were geeked to see everyone !! We cheered their performance on and wanted to see them bring their best in all they did !! We knew that each person had a role that made the team thrive and we built on it, encouraged it and gave them the equipment to “knock it out of the park.”

As you start this work week, you can have that Opening Day feel !! What do you say?