‘Leadership’ Articles at Everyday People, Page 7

Spread the Word !!

Last week I was up before the sun rose and was driving in and around country roads in a small town in Ohio. I was hoping that my GPS was guiding me to my destination, but it was truly a matter of faith because I wasn’t near anything that looked like a conference center or meeting place !!

As I turned in the driveway of a small, local office building, I was a bit wary because I was the only car in the parking lot. After a few minutes, a familiar face pulled up and I was at ease. I was there as a speaker for a SHRM chapter. As the room began to fill up, I was getting more and more excited !! I love the opportunity to meet new HR folks and talk about the positive aspects of our field.

Once everyone was seated, I looked around at the 13 smiling faces and launched into my presentation.

That’s right – 13 people. I had traveled the night before for 2 1/2 hours to spend a night in a hotel away from my family to speak to 13 people. We had a great time !!

I’ve been seeing a push for HR practitioners to speak at Conferences which would be awesome to see. But, I think it goes much deeper than that !! You see, I think it is the obligation of professionals in HR to spread the word about what we do. This isn’t something we “ought” to do, it’s something imperative for the sustainability of our field.

We rely on a relatively few number of people to be voices of HR, and that could be for a variety of reasons. The reality is that ALL HR pros need to share the information and resources they learn about with others around them !! It seems very limiting to think that we attend these great events like chapter meetings and conferences to only take things in and never share them with others. How does that help others in your organization?

It’s time for all of us to shift our mindset and see how the things we learn can truly improve our role, our company and our field. If you read a great blog – share it. If you get information about how to do something better – share it. If you hear a great speaker, then tell others about the takeaways you have.

The more we share, the stronger we become. There’s no reason – no reason – for us to be isolated in what we do !!

So be on the lookout !! I’m going to continue to spread the word in what we do. I may even be getting in my car right now to get the word out to a group of HR pros, no matter the size. It’s in my DNA, and I hope it’s in yours too !!

Rallying Cry !!

When you survey the landscape of businesses today, you see the contstant drive for improvement and solving “problems.” That is all well and good, but it tends to be inconsistent because often the problem that is given the most attention comes from the person or group who is most vocal. It may not be what needs to be the focus of the organization’s efforts, but that doesn’t stop them from pouring time, effort and money into randomly moving targets.

To solve this companies launch into strategic planning sessions which are effective and do their best to bring a better set of parameters to keep things moving forward. The “loud voice” syndrome can also take precendence in this format, but it’s harder to do because the plan should be looking at the business as a whole.

Why all this business talk on an HR blog? Well, it’s because we in HR need to understand that we are in business first and we happen to practice HR. When you look at this situation in organizations, HR can bring something to the table that others won’t think of . . . the rallying cry !!

This isn’t something for HR to offer as some sort of cheerleading effort. It’s a way for us to advice our CEO’s about the value of pulling the team together. Most of the time in strategic planning sessions, there are massive amounts of data shared. Decisions are made from the data almost exclusively from a lack of emotion. Rational thought is what tries to take the day. This isn’t an argument against data. Just the opposite actually. People need to be emotionally tied to things as well in order to get behind them and make them come to life. When this happens, the data will play itself out in the results that people are seeking.

When I was at Sea Base with my Scouts, there was a rallying cry that could happen at anytime and without a schedule. There’s an out island called Big Munson Island that all of the scouts/adults stay on at least one day and night during their trek. If a crew yells the word, “MUNSON !!!” at any time, you are obligated to yell “MUNSON !!!” right back regardless of where you are. This simple word provided a common bond to everyone on the Base. It was the emotional tie that everyone could relate to because everyone has had great memories of their time on the island.

HR’s rally cry has too often been “COMPLIANCE !!” or “FORMS !!” or “REDUCE LIABILITY !!” – ugh !! It’s no wonder that we are relegated outside the business conversation. These things are important, but they don’t pull people together.

By meeting with the CEO (and it’s something that should be expected of HR, not just wished for), you can see what he/she want the troops to go after. Being their sounding board to try out the cry is essential and will allow them to test what they are looking to do. The cry should include risk, growth and energy.

Now it’s up to you !! What rallying cry can you make for yourself ?? Your department ?? Your company ?? They’re looking for one and it’s time for HR to bring it to life !!

MUNSON !!!

Why Can’t We Be Friends ??

In a few weeks I’m going to SHRM13 !! The National HR Conference is always a great event. It’s so cool to be surrounded by thousands of HR pros from literally all over the world.

It will be great to see friends, but I’m also looking forward to meeting new folks. This is sometimes a challenge because many attendees are in a mad rush to get to sessions for their credits, or they stick with people from their own geographic region. I get this because I was like that when I first started going to SHRM Conferences. I thought the event was more important than the people who were right there with me.

That’s changed over the years and now my goal is to try and connect with as many HR peers as I can. I think we have the opportunity to take these types of forums and reach across boundaries to be a better profession !! Recently, Hank Jackson, SHRM CEO, shared that he wants SHRM to be seen as a Professional Society vs. a Membership Organization. When I heard this, I was geeked !! I’d love to see this transformation truly occur because the majority of messaging from SHRM over the past few years has been focused on membership.

It’s time for us, as HR professionals though to pave the way for this to occur. The best way for SHRM to move forward is for us to show the way and reach out to each other. It’s never going to shift much unless we move first.

I know this takes some risk, but it’s worth it. I know that by stepping out, I’ve met great people from literally around the world !! It meant taking the first step in most instances, but it’s always resulted in great relationships and even better resources. You have to remember that you share a common bond because of HR !! You’ll always have something to talk about.

So, if you’re going to be at SHRM13, let’s make sure to connect. It will rock and we’ll start setting the standard for others to follow !!

Become a Contrarian Craftsman !!

You have to know that I’m incredibly passionate about HR !! I’m really passionate about most things actually. Most of the blogs, conferences and resources out there are incredible in their observations, perspectives and approaches. You can get people geeked about something pretty easily, but what people want is how they can apply what they read and learn in their everyday roles.

Too often we lack tools to apply the great things we learn. That’s about to change !! I how that you are a voracious reader as an HR professional. It’s a needed attribute because you can stay current and relevant in the field. My newest “find” to do that is something that gives you applicable tools as well.

You need to pick up Dwane Lay‘s new work – Lean HR !!

“Lean” is not a new concept by any means, but it IS a fantastic and unique approach to Human Resources. Dwane takes the tools that have been traditionally used in manufacturing and shows how they can bring efficiency and reduce waste in HR.

The concept of reducing waste is SO needed in HR !! Don’t think so? There are so many layers of unnecessary tasks that it would take thousands of blogs to even try and capture it all. I can remember in one of my roles where a company had an 8 page coffee making policy !!! Eight pages !! Not to mention a policy to make coffee !! Don’t even get me started on my wife’s company who has a current 10-page dress code policy !!

One of the key things that Dwane starts off with is the ability to be a contrarian – a person who takes an opposing view on things. His reasoning is that you need to be comfortable in asking “Why?” and that is something that usually annoys us. However, it’s key to be able to look at things from many vantage points to see if it can be done more efficiently. This is where the cool tools come in !! They are very understandable and you can use the data that exists around you.

I love this book and it’s a double bonus that I know the author !! He’s an incredible resource and has introduced a work that will truly transform HR and give us a new method to make us the business partners that we long to be. You’ll make HR a craft like it deserves to be instead of a field where you feel like you face constant obstacles.

Make sure to get a copy and start eliminating the waste that so desperately needs to be eliminated !! You’ll be glad you did !!

HR is a Rock Ballet !!

If you didn’t know this about me . . . I am a music freak !! Each week I write a song parody about HR in the HR Net. I try to post on Twitter each day using the #HRMusicShare tag to see what other music HR pros are enjoying. Just started sharing music with UK HR friends about what music we are listening to during our work commute using @CommuteMusic with a theme each week !! And, then I make sure to have music constantly playing in the car, at my office, or on my laptop.

I know I have issues, but I’m good with it !!

However, this weekend, I mixed absolutely all of my HR geekedness when I saw Peter Frampton play live with the Cincinnati Ballet performing in front of him and his band !!

It was sublime. Seriously, it was simply amazing to hear music I grew up with interpreted through dance. Frampton was so moved by this combination that the 2nd act was made up of completely new music that he composed just for this three performance event !!

As the notes of Black Hole Sun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Do You Feel Like We Do wafted into the air and over the crowd of the Aronoff Center, I thought about the unlikely mix of rock n’ roll with the artistry of ballet. The creative director for the ballet wrote in the program how difficult it was to convince Frampton to do this and for the ballet community to embrace a completely different medium.

It’s honestly like mixing HR into business !! For years, HR has focused on getting a “seat at the table” which is a silly venture honestly. Great HR is strategic daily in what it does and how it approaches the practice of HR throughout an organization. This isn’t about getting acknowledgement to sit in an Executive Level meeting.

Try this instead . . .

Fully integrating HR throughout an organization is a much healthier, and sustainable, approach. Bringing the constant angst, struggle of people in all their flawed glory (rock music) with the beautiful flow of business (ballet) is more natural than you think !!

Most people say they have to “go to” or “come to” HR inferring that HR exists outside the normal movements of business in an organization. I look at it this way – if you’re department has people in it, then you have HR all around you !! So, quit trying to play on a stage where people have to come see your concert. Bring your concert to them !!

Just like the ballet I witnessed this weekend, this works. This week, strap on your guitar, plug in your amp and crank it up. The ballet is waiting for you !!

Image courtesy of Cincinnati Ballet

What box ??

Creative people are dangerous !! At least, that’s how it feels. You see the word “creative” is bantered about in blogs, articles and books. There are several “step” plans to help people be more creative, but it seems to take some superhuman effort.

Why is that?

What is so scary about being creative? Is it that when we hear the word we give it a massive scale like painting the Sistine Chapel? Or, is it thought to be too scattered, unfocused, blue sky, etc.?

Being creative in HR is necessary. It’s not something that is even an option really because great HR is in the midst of humans. If you don’t have a creative approach in how to work with, for and around people, then HR is going to be massively frustrating !! It doesn’t have to be, but I think that the general malaise and jadedness that fills the vast majority of the social space communicates that HR is rough.

I have to disagree !! I recently had a great conversation with a friend who said, “Man, you (and a few others) always seem to be positive. And, you’ve been in HR a long time, but it still seems fresh every time I hear you talk about it.”

There’s a reason for this. I call it the “what box?” approach. This isn’t another rally cry for you to be outside a box. It’s not allowing yourself to have a “box” at all. Is that possible? It is. Let me share why . . .

I think that the fact of structure and processes still allow for vast amounts of breadth, depth and creativity !! I don’t see them as the enemy or opposite of creativity at all. We need to have vision, direction, focus and structure. People feel comfortable and can perform exceedingly well when they know what the parameters are for them. It clears up ambiguity which is what we all truly long for.

When it comes to approach, however, that’s where you can truly differentiate yourself and not conform to any particular box. Great HR can jump from box to box to box and still be wildly effective. In fact, by meeting people in their comfort zone, you can connect, communicate and create in amazing ways.

I follow a great book that was given to me by a friend who came to an HR Roundtable. He said the coolest thing to me when he said, “I read this book and thought of you.” It’s called Orbiting the Giant Hairball. It’s a personal tale of being creative at Hallmark Cards. He had to fight to be creative in a company who is supposed to be creative in order to make it’s products !! It’s a fascinating and practical read.

You only have to dive into the hairball (box) when it’s needed. If you don’t need to be in it, then you can orbit and create. So, HR where do you find yourself ?? Are you stuck in your own box, or in the boxes of what others expect HR to be ??

This week, get rid of it. Get to the point where you can say . . . what box ??

Photo credit – Outside the Box, Inc.

Grace

When someone wrongs you, how do you react? Are you angry, vindictive, ready to pounce? For most of us, the answer is “it depends.” We’ll take a breath and then decide the best course of action.

However, when it comes to employees, we often forget to breathe first. We jump to the nearest set of policies and then comb through them to see what level of discipline needs to be metered out. It amazes me as an HR person that when employees slip up, the reaction is usually swift, harsh and doesn’t take anything into consideration – really.

Our systems of progressive discipline and layers of breaking Rule 1.0.1, Subsection A litter our field with little regard of how these actions affect the person who broke said rule. We act as if they are the most disloyal, uncaring and detrimental person who EVER worked for the company !!

Here’s a question for you . . . ever make a mistake or break a rule at work?

Did the appropriate action take place? Were you written up, counseled, suspended or fired? What if you were in this situation? How should the Company treat you ??

It’s time for a different approach to HR. Please take note that this path is much more difficult, painful and intentional. However, it works !!

Grace.

Before launching into the employee handbook, remember that your decision and actions are actually affecting another person’s life. That may be their life at work, or their life in general. I don’t think that as HR professionals, we ever think about the person we’re addressing. Our system is more important because we feel we are acting justly and, in doing so, we’re protecting the Company.

I’m not saying that discipline and termination aren’t warranted at work. However, I use a yard stick which says that these only occur based on an employee’s behavior and actions. Even with that benchmark, I still review each case and take into account all of the factors as well as the person who’s about to be disciplined. I want them to come out of any conversation understanding the situation, its context and how we move forward from there.

Now, so you don’t think I’m being Utopian or an idealist, understand that I practice this personally inside work and outside of work. It’s not a popular position because most people want a pound of flesh when they are wronged. I’ll hold out until the last moment that I can before making difficult decisions because I believe in people, even in the darkest situations.

You see, I make mistakes and I have disappointed others – even those closest to me. How can I expect grace from others if I am not willing to be graceful myself? Also, how will others show grace if it isn’t given to them?

I know this works. And, I have reassurance as well because I’ve seen the results. It’s like U2 says in their phenomenal song – Grace from All That You Can’t Leave Behind – “Grace finds goodness in everything.” Try it and see !!

HR Evangelism !!

When I look out today across the HR landscape, I see something that is a great opportunity !! Those in the HR social media community have the chance to truly bridge the gap with the profession as a whole.

I love seeing the great work that others produce in their blogs, their books and in their presentations. There is an amazing amount of material out here that ranges from HR generalist topics to compliance to development. The spectrum is amazingly broad, but not that deep. I don’t mean that as a shot. I think that there are an incredible amount of HR pros who truly are longing for resources, but they aren’t connected to “us” or the work we’re producing.

You see, we tend to want people to “come see” what we do. Whether that be a blog, a webinar, or at events. I want to start a new movement where we PUSH resources out to HR professionals without worrying about membership or revenue. I also think we need to quit trying to qualify which “level” of HR person we should reach. When we splinter and categorize people into levels of importance or impact, we divide our profession – not bring it together.

There is a gap that exists between those in HR that truly have resources and connections, and those that continue to rely on their own efforts. It’s a HUGE number of people. I think we have an obligation to close this gap so that these folks can be great professionals in their corner of the HR Universe.

So, I have a plan. This isn’t just a random observation about our field. I plan to take to be an HR evangelist to truly bring the HR community together. It will take the effort of many, but I think it can be done. Here are the steps:

I am going to push other people’s great work out to the HR community through Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, and other forums. I want people to have your work to see what’s being done, and done well.
I am going to continue to intentionally reach out to HR pros who aren’t as well known as others and ask them how they would like to get resources.
The focus is going to be on ALL HR professionals and not just those who are vocal and visible.
I am going to highlight the good work of others on my blog as they produce it like their books and events they produce.
I am going to continue to look for ways to inform, educate and encourage HR pros to get connected where it makes sense for them.
I will not do this on a short-term basis. This will be my intention going forward.
I will highlight the passion of others to show how HR can be relevant personally, professionally and throughout all businesses and industries.

This is meant to be intentional and ungovernable. It is meant to be persistent and far reaching. It is meant to wake up the HR community and get them jacked up about who we are and what we do. I’m like the Dancing Guy in the First Follower video. A friend of mine shared this with me and said, “The video made me think of you.” The question is . . . who’s going to follow ??

Is Your HR Like Gas Prices ??

One of the most visceral emotions people experience everyday is during their commute to and from work. It may be the pace of traffic, the volume of traffic or the urgency to get to your destination. Driving is never without emotion !! One item that never misses is when you drive past gas stations. The board listing the prices of the moment glares at you every time you pass it.

If the prices are lower, you’re ecstatic – even it’s a few cents. If they are higher in the least, you say something under your breath, or you curse the sign and the unexplained variability from the morning drive to the commute home. It feels like you’re being held hostage. You know you need to drive to get anywhere (at least in the States), and it never makes any sense when you see the price variation. You can’t go to anyone to get an answer for the change. It just happens and you’re left to “deal with it.”

Sound like HR ??

Too often we sit at our desks writing policies and procedures that address the fringes of our employees and then enact them with little rhyme or reason. We do our best to hold people “accountable” through enforcement and inconsistency. How’s that working for you? Frustrated? Emotional?

In order for HR to bring stability through the workplace and a company’s culture, we must have consistency. That doesn’t mean being fair. It means being consistent. We strive to make EVERYONE fit all that we do when that just isn’t possible.

This week try something new that will really work. Look for the inconsistencies in how HR occurs at your company. That could be within the HR department or how things are carried out in action in the field. Take one area and get it to have less variation. Keep it in check and then find the next area. Over time the lack of variation will bring a flow to what you’re doing vs. having to feel that you must react !! Knee jerking only gives you black eyes.

I was listening to The Police this week and heard a real gem from them called Walking in Your Footsteps.It talks about the dinosaurs and how they once ruled the earth, but you can only see them in museums today. If HR doesn’t change its ways to move from compliance to integrating itself into the flow of work, we will become extinct as well.

Try something new this week !! Start removing the variation and you’ll see others outside of HR treating you differently. You won’t be like the ever-changing gas prices. You’ll be the fuel necessary to help them run better !!

Leave a Mark !!

A huge event just happened, but you probably didn’t notice it. No, it wasn’t the Grammys. It was something much more relevant !! What was it?

My dad turned 70 years old !!

So what? People hit milestone birthdays every day. What’s so big about this one? Let me share a story . . .

You see, my “Dad” is technically my stepdad. My biological father passed away when I was four years old, and my mom raised my brother and I on her own for nine years until she met Don. Again, not a significant tale . . . yet.

The night Don proposed to my mom, he came into the bedroom that my brother and I shared. He quietly said, “Boys, your Mom and I are going to get married and I wanted to ask you something. Do you want to call me ‘Dad’ or ‘Don’?”

Now, I was the man of the house as the eldest son, and I was also an ignorant teenager who defiantly replied, “You’ll NEVER be our Dad !! He’s dead and you can’t replace him.” Don looked back at us and said, “That’s fine. I just wanted to ask,” and he humbly left our room. I thought I had put him in his place and didn’t think that I was being awful at all.

That was 1976. He still married my mom and for years I held true and called him Don. He was still the model father and husband regardless of my not claiming that he was. Then high school graduation hit. I was valedictorian of my small school and gave a speech. This was very important to my dad because he loves a great public speaker. I was nervous, but it went well. As I walked out of the gym after the ceremony, he hugged me (for the first time) and said, “I love you Steve.” I broke down and said, “Thanks, Dad !!”

He’s truly been my Dad from the day he came into my life. You may still be asking why this should matter to you as a reader. Here’s why . . .

My Dad has stuck with me ever since he came into my life. He knew that it was his role to leave a mark on my life. He modeled everything I have hoped to be as a father, husband, citizen, man of faith, humorist, speaker, etc. He never walked away even though I wasn’t accepting of him at first.

In HR, we meet people every day and in various situations. Do you look at those interactions as a place to leave your mark, or are you too rushed and busy to see that you could make a difference? Are “things” more important than the time you spend with people?

My Dad showed me the example of who I am, and who I plan to be for the rest of my life. Every person I encounter has purpose and meaning. I have a chance to leave a mark ever day, every moment, everywhere.

So do you. The question is . . . will you?