When you get to work on Monday, what’s the first thing that goes through your mind? You’re in HR and you get the opportunity to do something great yourself and through the people that work with you and around you. But, is that how you view things?
This isn’t just the “half full / half empty” question. It’s much bigger than that !! I was reminded of this just last week when my good friend, Brad Galin, crossed State lines from INSHRM to speak to the State Council at OHSHRM. He spoke on moving from Scarcity to Abundance. The title may seem a bit heady, but it is a reality we all face when we hit the door this week.
People are difficult. The odd thing that we forget in HR is that WE’RE people !! So, if we’re difficult too, then how can others see HR differently? In moving from scarcity to abundance, you change your viewpoint, your approach and your behavior. It’s not enough to much wish that you’ll do better. You need to move !!
Why is that important you may ask? Isn’t in “enough” that we get our work done? Aren’t we measured (and measure others) on productivity? People aren’t processes or things. We keep losing sight of that, and, in turn, HR suffers.
Thinking, and acting, abundantly isn’t some wealth strategy where you’re promised some mythical get rich quick solution. Being abundant means that your view starts positively and then moves forward from there. It stays positive too.
Brad shared a great example from his work with Stone Belt, a non-profit group who works with adults with disabilities. He stated that the adults who are his clients are thankful for everything !! If you stubbed your toe, they’d say, “That was awesome !! Way to go !! You did that great !!” The room laughed, but it was refreshing to hear as well.
So, do you have enough or not? Can you be a great HR person where you are, with what you have and who you work with? Are you even asking these types of questions, or are you putting your head down and grinding through?
There’s too much of life around you to keep your head down !! Remember that you’re difficult . . . just like everyone around you. Isn’t that freeing ?? Now, jump into this jumbled mix of humanity and live it up !! The folks around you have been waiting for you to join in !!
Well done, Mr. Browne, over the years we all go through bouts of being negative and find ourselves surrounded with “ney-sayers” wherever we turn. It is important to look at things in a more positive fashion and if the environment doesn’t change, we must!
Good point – think of the change we can make in our community if we all lead the positivity charge!
Steve you are so right. People must understand they are either bringing positive energy to a siutation or they are draining energy from everyone around them. We need to be ‘life-giving spirits” wherever we are. HR’s primary role is to facilitate their organization’s success through people, plain and simple. Sounds like a worthwhile calling to me, something worth doing every day.