‘Creativity’ Articles at Everyday People, Page 4

Be Disruptive !!

This past week I hope you felt a shift in the time warp continuum in the HR universe !! Over 200 people gathered at the incredible Rhinegeist Brewery for the beginning of a new movement – DisruptHR !! I was fortunate to work with Chris Ostoich, from BlackbookHR, and Jennifer McClure, from Unbridled Talent, in making this groundbreaking event come to life.

The employees from BlackbookHR and the sponsors we had made the event literally seamless and “set the stage” for what erupted. 13 speakers from a variety of backgrounds and companies took the mic to give their presentation in a way that was truly new to the normally conservative Cincinnati.

To be a presenter, you were given five minutes and 20 slides which automatically transitioned every 15 seconds. Even though I’ve given many presentations, I never had to compress everything into that tight of a time frame.

The rules were cool because the audience was encouraged to be supportive of the brave souls who stood in between the two gigantic screens that seemed to be racing as fast as they could !! The presentations ROCKED !! The styles ranged from a more traditional feel to complete presentations with pictures only and no words. People were much more relaxed and felt at ease after Chris became the first ~~martyr~~ speaker to take the stage.

Now, I know that Ignite talks, TED talks and Unconferences may be the “norm” in other cities around the globe, but DisruptHR was truly a pioneering effort !! It’s not often that you can be on the ground floor of a new movement and direction for HR.

There were some key observations that came from the night:

There are MANY more voices in HR that we need to pay attention to and get to know. It was exciting to meet new folks and hear their perspectives. I think we get too narrow too quickly to follow certain people. This isn’t being critical – it’s a call to open our horizons and make sure we continue to take new voices in.
There are TONS of HR people who aren’t connected to the greater HR community !! There were so many people who came to DisruptHR that aren’t normally at other HR events. What a great opportunity !! This forum drew a new group out to connect and get engaged. So cool to get a chance to meet more HR people !! Seriously. I am geeked whenever I can meet new HR people !!
People are wanting to hear new messages in a new way !! We can’t continue to think massive conferences that take days away from the office as well as immense amounts of training/traveling dollars are the way to reach people. One night, in a brewery . . . for FREE and people flocked to be a part of it. We need to change our models if we truly want to reach HR people where THEY are vs. where we expect them to be.

The coolest thing about DisruptHR wasn’t its initial success. It was the fact that it’s only beginning !! This was just the inaugural event. Now it’s going to grow to other cities and to other venues. So, be on the lookout !!

Get ready to attend, or even better, get ready to present !! In the end, I hope ALL of you are disruptive from now on in HR !!

Here’s a little taste to get you hooked !!

DisruptHR – Cincinnati 12/4/2013 from BlackbookHR on Vimeo.

Do You Teach or Demand ??

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go camping with my Scouts again. It’s always a great time that inevitably involves rain !! I’m used to that and so are the scouts. It’s truly fascinating to watch the interaction that happens during an outing because the adults aren’t in charge of any facet of what happens.

The scouts plan the outing, plan the meals, pack the gear in the trailer, set-up camp and also plan all of the activities that happen throughout the weekend. The reason it’s so fascinating to watch is to see which style of leadership the boys choose to employ. Adults want to step in to fix and correct things, and that’s where I come in to remind the adults that we’re basically on the outing to ensure safety and that the boys carry out their plans.

Here’s a simple example . . .

At EVERY campout we play Euchre !! If you don’t know what Euchre is, it’s basically the card game of kings. Seriously !! The boys can’t wait until some down time to get cards out and start playing. They play each other and relish the chance to take on the adults. Euchre is not an easy game to learn. It has some twists that don’t seem logical. Hence, the nuances of a game. All great games make you think and react. We play for hours at a time and set up tournaments.

If a scout doesn’t know how to play, you have to teach them. For people who are seasoned Euchre players, teaching someone is tedious. You want the new player to “get it” but it takes time and several games to learn. Once a new player understands the game, they take off !! They can literally play the game, and enjoy it, for life.

It’s amazing to watch a new scout struggle to learn and understand, but most everyone is understanding. However, once a scout starts playing for one or two outings, they become extremely frustrated and intolerant of those who don’t know the game’s rules or how to play well. They completely forget that they just learned how to play Euchre just a few short months ago.

You can take this example to almost every facet of an outing. The kids either teach each other how to do skills and are patient during the process, or they demand that people just catch on to what they’re supposed to do. If they don’t do the task well or right, the boys just want to skip working with others and will even avoid them or work around them.

Sound like work ?? Sound like HR ??

I think it’s exactly like the interactions we have at work. In fact, at work the “demand” approach is what is followed the vast majority of the time. HR needs to recognize this and destroy it. When I see HR that is built on compliance, discipline, writing people up, “building a case”, and policies that only measure what goes wrong, I see the demand approach in full bloom. HR isn’t the only department that uses the demand method, but it IS the department that can eliminate it.

Teaching people how to perform and giving them expectations of outcomes and the ability to use their skills is what we should strive for in any workplace !! When we do it, they’ve learned something they can enjoy and “play” for life. We have to recognize when Managers and Supervisors fall into the demand mindset and “teach” them as well. It’s time-consuming and incremental, but worth every single moment.

So, HR, step up !! Refuse to be like the norm in our field who use the demand system and parameters to feel they’re practicing great HR. Be a teacher instead !!

And, if you need to learn Euchre, let me know. I know some pretty good teachers !!

Folks I Learn From !!

Recently, I’ve been trying to think of more ways to put resources in the hands of other HR pros. When I saw the recent post from Trish McFarlane on HR Bloggers as well as the new e-book from David D’Souza – Humane, Resourced: A Book of Blogs, I wanted to chime in as well.

You see, I have this incredibly audacious goal !! I want to see the ENTIRE HR community connected, informed and able to rock in their roles. I desire to see the “social” HR folks connect with HR practitioners and vice versa. I believe that the more we’re genuinely connected, then we can share the resources we enjoy in order to do a better job in Human Resources.

Also, I’m a voracious reader who always yearns to learn. There are so many great ideas, thoughts, concepts, trends and movements to be taken in. Often, people shy away from information because they load in the filter of “Well, I can’t do that in my organization . . .” and they shut down. If you do this, stop it !! What company wants an HR person who only focuses on what can’t be done ??

What if you took the stance of, “I’m not sure if I can use this, but it’s important for me to learn about it.” Who knows? You may be able to take something from all you take in and apply it to your culture and situation. How do you ever plan to change the norms in your organization if you continue to practice only what you know today? If someone reading this uses the “I just don’t have time” excuse at this point, then just stop reading.

It is an opportunity to use your time differently, creatively and constructively !! Wouldn’t you love to have that freedom everyday? I do, and it is exhilarating !!

So, I wanted to put some folks out there in front of you and off the blog roll so that you can consider connecting with them and learning from them. I do this each week when I send out the HR Net, and now I wanted to highlight some folks every so often to make sure you’re being exposed to folks I learn from !!

First up is Paul Hebert. He works for a cool company called Symbolist. Paul and I have known each other for years now and we chat often. I learn from his blog writing as well as our deep conversations. I mean that. We say hello, ask about families and then jump in deeply to talk about all facets of HR !! He’s an incredible resource and you will enjoy how he looks at the human facets of engagement, culture and recognition.

Next is Michael Carty. We’ve only known each other through social media, but I know that we share an incredible amount of similar likes (HR, Global HR and Rock Music) !! Michael is the consummate curator and works for a phenomenal HR resource – XPertHR. He hails from the UK and it is on my bucket list to meet in person sooner than later. Michael is someone who has a pulse on the global perspectives in HR. Whether it’s through his writing or in his compilations of tweets and blogs on Storify, he keeps others aware of a broad pallet of issues and trends. He’s a phenomenal person (and resource) to know !!

This is just the start and I hope to feature more folks each month. Make sure you’re getting more and more connected to the greater HR community !! You’ll only be better for it !!

Now’s Your Time !!

One of the absolute best things about living in Ohio is that we experience four distinct seasons. The winters can be a little bleak at times, and the summers can be extremely humid. However, spring and fall are magnificent !!

Fall is especially fantastic and my favorite season of all. The crisp weather that is more chilly than warm brings about football, pumpkins, apple cider and hot chocolate !! The most brilliant spectacle during fall are the leaves. To see the trees all around you transform into their natural state which has been hidden under its green mask all year is breathtaking.

I have a 40 to 45 minute commute to work each day one way. Having this extended time allows me to enjoy the changing foliage more than most, and I relish it !! The variety of different shades of reds, yellows and oranges just splits the early morning and early evening skies giving them more life than normal.

So, what does this have to do with HR? I think it’s pretty obvious. You see, leaves wait for months to shed the cover of their original green coloring to reveal their natural beauty. It’s intentional, vibrant and visible !! We should do likewise. I don’t think we should wait for months, but when you see your time to shine – then you should burst forth !!

When this happens with leaves, people travel to see the panorama of color. They drop everything to make sure they don’t miss it. Too often, HR stays in the background and misses the chance to step out and show its value. The more this is done in organizations, the deeper HR fades into the backdrop. Remember this, being visible doesn’t make you arrogant. Bringing forth valuable solutions, viewpoints and approaches is what is expected of us. You don’t forsake your ability to help others. In fact, it allows you to bring to the surface methods that can become your company’s regular practice.

Don’t sit back any longer. Make the transformation and let your true colors take their rightful place. Trust me. Having this happen will not only change you, but it will improve HR and your company’s culture for many seasons to come !!

Listen to the Deep Tracks !!

I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic lately. If you don’t know this about me, I’m a huge music freak !! I have music playing constantly in the car, in my office and when I’m working around the house. I’m not very particular when it comes to styles of music either. I prefer to keep the iPod on shuffle so that there is a constant mix flowing around me.

The reason I’ve felt nostalgic is that I grew up in the era of Album Rock. You looked forward to the full LP from an artist vs. anticipating the next hit single. This isn’t a rant against Pop Music. There have always been artists who are more known for their hits more than their body of work and there always will be. Unfortunately (in my opinion), the pendulum has swayed back to the hit single now instead of enjoying an artist’s full album.

I love vinyl records. Everything about vinyl is great. The look of the record. The size of the album. Knowing that you have to turn the record over in order to hear all the songs. And, yes, I love the scratches, pops and snaps that emanate from the speakers while the songs play. When you hear the first crackle as the needle drops and you don’t hear any notes for a few seconds, it’s bliss !! Enough reminiscing . . .

The true joy of vinyl is that you are almost forced to listen to an entire side of an album. It’s really difficult to skip a song, so you make time to listen to all of it. That’s when it happens. You discover a gem of a song by an artist you enjoy. If you were given the chance to pick and choose songs, you’d probably only listen to the hits from the set. But now you find that the deep tracks of the LP are actually better, more creative and show the depth of the artist. Granted, there are some misses, but not that often.

In the workplace, we tend to pay attention to the employees who put out “hits” and are very visible, and we ignore the steady folks who are those “deep tracks.” HR needs to play the part of the stereo arm and guide management to pay attention to the “whole album” vs. being enamored with the employee who may be a “one-hit wonder” !! HR has the chance to take the hitmakers and show them how to develop their body of work into classic albums as well.

I know there a tons of comparisons to music in this post, but seriously, look at your systems HR. They reward the people who have your attention at a particular moment. This is true of performance management systems, compensation systems and how you promote people. We need to be more focused on development so that we can enjoy all of the contributions people make.

I can tell you this, I’d much rather have a stack of vinyl to work with all the time instead of a quick single from iTunes from someone I may never hear from again. This week dust off your vinyl, drop the needle and enjoy Track 8, Side 1. It will be great !!

What are you reading ??

Whenever you talk to HR people these days, heck really ALL people these days, they always bemoan that they don’t have enough time. I don’t buy it. If your perspective is that you’re too “full” it’s because of the things you are choosing to fill your time with. It’s true !!

Look. I know we all lead incredibly full lives, but there are amazing statistics about how much time people spend watching TV, using technology, etc. And, many people don’t have a problem catching a movie or a great dinner out on the town.

This isn’t a post on time management because I honestly don’t believe in it. Instead, I think you need to look at life as – what do I choose to fill my time with ??

One thing that almost consumes me is reading !! I find myself taking on two to three books at a time plus countless blogs. Why ?? Because reading allows me to continuously learn about endless things. Those within my field and about life in general.

Recently I’ve read QBQ! – The Question Behind the Question by John Miller and two great books by Andy Andrews – The Traveler’s Gift and The Noticer. I’m also waist deep in trying to take in The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. What’s so cool about the Ayn Rand book is that it was a gift from the great folks at Kinetix. Each year at Christmas they send out a classic book. I take it as a reminder to delve in and read something that I may have not seen in years. It’s a fantastic, and memorable, thing to do for people.

As for blogs, it’s hard to highlight them enough. There are so many folks who do great work. I have them listed in my blogroll on the site, but here’s the difference. I have all of these blogs in my Feedly reader. I make sure to read them all because I think that there are tons of information that needs to be taken in, used at work and shared with others.

So, this week – start reading. You’re kind enough to read my blog and I truly appreciate that. Expand your scope even wider. Take up a book. Find a new blog to read and follow. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll discover !!

Challenge for you as well – List what you’re reading in the comments section below. Let’s share the great items you enjoy. Fill it up and let’s see what happens !!

HR is Surreal !!

This past week I was fortunate enough to be on vacation in Clearwater Beach, Florida with my family. We’re a close family that tries to explore the areas we go to. We’re not the sit on the beach for 7 days group.

One of the things that my wife and kids “tolerate” is my art fix. You see, I love to see art of all kinds. I need to get a fix when we go on vacation just to refuel creative juices. I love to see how others express themselves and am fairly open to most types of art. We spent one day in beautiful St. Petersburg which has a very cool art vibe to it. After exploring local artist shops, we went to a mecca . . . at least for me. The Dali Museum !!

Salvador Dali was his own person (to say the least). It was so cool to walk through the museum to see that he started out “normally” to learn from the contemporaries of his day and used a more traditional style. This changed as he aged and he found his own voice. Listening to the walking tour, you found out that Dali’s extremely different surreal paintings were his attempt to capture what people’s dreams really looked like. His images are vibrant, intricate, deep in meaning and disturbing at times.

If you haven’t looked into Dali’s work, you should. I’m sure you’d recognize his work and images.

As odd as it may sound, I saw HR all throughout the Dali museum. In fact, I dig the fact that he was so radically intentional in what he did, what he painted and how he lived. He also tried to express the innermost thoughts and images of himself and others.

In our field, we hear the thoughts and feelings of people every single day. The question is – do you take the time to delve into the layers of these encounters, or are you just placating people to get them to “move on” ?? People are like art. They deserve to be observed, examined and enjoyed. They may not always fit your taste, but they all have value to offer. They shouldn’t be skipped over to get to the “more attractive” or “more well known” piece.

Like Dali’s work, people are also fluid, unpredictable, layered and unconventional. That’s what makes them amazing !! The key to understanding this approach though is to be like Dali – intentional !! You don’t have to go with the flow in your organization, or in HR !! Going against the flow is much more freeing and gives you a perspective that others who just going the same direction never see.

So, this week look at the palette around you that make up the canvas of your corner of the HR universe. Put your touch on it and bend it, shape it, crinkle it and make it shine. Release your inner Dali !!

Going Deep !!

The majority of our days are spent with people in some form or fashion. In the workplace, you encounter people in many situations and often with different outcomes. Even though we spend the bulk of our time at work, we don’t really have “deep” relationships.

This isn’t bad. In fact, the reality taking relationships deeper at work can be tenuous. The dynamics in the workplace need balance in order for them to be effective. Collaboration comes from a healthy give and take with folks. You can have very close friends you work with, but I think that leaves a gap that most of us want filled.

Do you have folks you can “get real” with? Someone who really challenges you and makes you dissect your views, opinions, etc. to have you take time to be introspective. Someone who doesn’t automatically agree with you. If you don’t, you should.

Why do you need someone like this?

It’s necessary because the culture in most organizations strives for conformity. Conformity of thought, actions, appearance, etc. And, unfortunately, most HR people love this !! The least resistance makes our jobs comfortable. If people “fall in line,” then we think we’re being effective and doing our jobs.

The opposite is actually what should be our goal. One of my great friends who makes me go deep just reminded me – “If you’re comfortable, you’re not growing.” So true !! Having someone who you can bounce ideas off who isn’t in your organization is great because they don’t have the same filters and assumed culture that your workplace inherently has.

There are some key things to consider if you have someone to go deep with:

It has to be interactive and not one sided !! – This isn’t a forum or venue for someone to just be a sage, mentor or someone who espouses their opinions. This is dialogue. You both have to press each other.
It has to be intentional !! – You can set time aside to have conversations, but make sure it’s top of mind and timely. This isn’t a therapy session. It’s a chance to lock horns with someone when you need to hit them up. Also, anything goes in these interactions. You have to understand that you’re trying to be stretched here, but that it’s still safe.
It has to be genuine !! – Whenever I have these conversations, it’s raw, passionate and direct. You never hear catch phrases or HRspeak – EVER !! In fact, it’s how most people would love to express themselves in companies if they could. You know that you can be open with the others involved because they have this expectation as well.
It has to be limited !! – I would limit the number of folks you engage in deep conversations. Why? Most people won’t do it well. That’s a real shame, but most won’t take the time or really dive in when they talk. People want to keep things at the surface level which is cool. But, it also never fills the gap to stretch beyond your norms.

So, this week, if you don’t have someone you can go deep with, find somone. If you have someone, give them a ring to talk to them. This goes beyond electronic forms of communication and demands a relationship. Trust me. If you get a few of these folks around you, you will become the businessperson that your Company truly wants around !!

Better as a Whole !!

It seems like I’ve been in HR since the dawn of time. Not really, but as a point of reference – there were no HR majors in college when I went and it was called “Personnel.”

Even though it’s been a long and exciting trip, I find that I get more and more excited the longer I’m in the field. I read a troubling post lately from an Anonymous HR pro in the UK that my good friend Michael Carty posted called “Sincerely Yours, Deeply Disengaged.” It is an all too familiar tale of how an HR pro is discouraged in how their company looks at and devalues HR. (You really should read this post and add your comments.)

It sounds like this HR pro feels isolated and on their own which is too often the case. I’m amazed that HR people, who are in an occupation that calls for them to be among people, tend to be the most disconnected professionals out there. This isn’t healthy !! It leads to the factors noted in the post above and ultimately in a person who is discouraged about Human Resources who will, in all likelihood, leave the profession.

There are healthy ways to protect yourself from disengagement and discouragement !! One key component to being healthy in HR is to surround yourself with great peers and folks you can learn from. People often tout the notion of “continuous learning” but few take the time to do it. I see more and more people longing for connections, but not knowing how to make that leap.

I’m very fortunate in many ways. I’ve always enjoyed being connected to people. It’s genuinely deep in my DNA. This isn’t unique, but there is a factor that is. Great connections are intentional. And being intentional makes us better together as a whole.

I’ve always believed in modeling the behavior you expect in others. So, I’m involved in a community that keeps me grounded, encouraged and also gives me the opportunity to learn. I’m a blogger as part of the Performance I Create team. It’s a very diverse mix of HR practitioners, and I truly dig that. Each member offers different perspectives, views and takes based on who they are and how they practice HR in their corner of the HR universe. I love reading their work on their individual blogs and on the PIC site.

These folks – Jay Kuhns, Chris Ponder, Melissa Fairman, Tiffany Kuehl, Chris Fields, Sarah Williams, Justin Harris and Dave Ryan – are truly my “Everyday People.” I encourage you to connect with each of them individually and as a whole team.

This isn’t just to highlight one group of HR pros vs. another. I want to truly see you branch out and connect across the field. There are countless amazing HR pros who will make the time and effort to see you learn, grow and succeed !!

Remember – we’re stronger together. Make it happen !!

Image courtesy of tfisherart.com

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 !!