Tag: Difference

A Fresh Coat of Paint

This past weekend, my wife and I traveled to Indianapolis to see our daughter Melanie. This is a normal occurrence for us. This past Christmas, I gave her a coupon book for a year’s worth of workdays. It’s always fun to visit and get our hands dirty. Melanie bought her house four years ago. We knew it would be an adventure because the house is over 100 years old !!

We spent much of the first year of her home ownership on major projects like painting, landscaping, laying flooring, improving walls, and cleaning out items the prior owner left behind throughout the house and garage. Since then, we’ve been adding touches to the house that she wants. It’s amazing to see the transformation from all we’ve done.

One of the last projects that needed to be tackled was her buffet in the dining room. It’s a beautiful piece, but it looked worn out. The first task we worked on was replacing the janky mix of glass and plexiglass in the four doors on the front of the buffet. We bought some wicker, measured it to size, and then stapled the material to the frames. It went very well . . . with one exception.

Did you know that staples come in different sizes ?? I didn’t. This matters because some of the staples we used broke through the frame. This chipped the paint and left the sharp ends of the staples protruding through the wood. To address this, we visited her local hardware store and found staples that were smaller but did the job. We loved the wicker. The chips in the paint were discouraging, though.

So, it was my task to get the buffet back in working order. Debbie and Melanie worked on organizing her basement, which took a detail-oriented focus (not my strength). I folded the edges of the staples that had broken through back into the frame and filled all of the holes with wood putty. There was a large section on the top of the buffet that had water damage. This needed a significant patch of wood putty. After the putty had dried, it was time to paint.

The buffet had been a dark, chocolate brown. We didn’t want to match the color. Melanie thought it needed a bit more vibrancy and life. We found paint called Leather Brown. We knew it could make a stark difference. We were right !!

With each brush stroke, the old, weathered buffet began to shine. The gloss from the paint popped as the sun shone through the adjacent windows. The small knicks, past water stains, and paint drops of other colors all disappeared. The surfaces looked new. You could imagine the furniture letting out a sigh of relief, knowing that it was going to have a renewed appearance. The first coat looked brilliant, and I was hopeful that’s all it would take. Not quite. There were some areas I missed, and some of the putty was peaking through. A second coat was needed. Not a problem. Thirty minutes later, every blemish had vanished. It was so refreshing to see how it turned out. Melanie was geeked to see it in its new state !!

As I was waiting for the paint to dry between coats, I went outside to do some trimming of plants in her back alley. It gave me time to think about how something so simple as a fresh coat of paint was so effective in giving the buffet new life. Couldn’t the same be said of our employees ??

Each one of us (Yes, we’re included) gets knicks, scrapes, and damage over the years. That just comes with time working together. It’s interesting, when you hear managers talk about their people, you hear how broken they are. It’s never the case, but it becomes the perception they have of others. We want to fall back on traditional methods to fix people, like performance reviews, coaching, or disciplinary action. We convince ourselves that if we have a stern enough talk and approach, people will snap to a new state of awareness and performance excellence. It’s folly. It always has been.

Our employees are like my daughter’s buffet. What they need, and long for, is our time, care, and attention. We have the opportunity to invest in our people so they can be renewed. Intentionally giving others our time is like giving them a fresh coat of paint. Each minute and hour we spend starts to make all those damage marks fade and eventually disappear. We need to quit thinking that building relationships is a waste of our time. Just the opposite. Every time we can clear our schedules, avoid distractions, and listen to those we work with, the company improves.

This week, get out your wood putty, painter’s tape, paint brush, and a fresh, new color. Sit down with your people on purpose and start adding that fresh coat. Trust me, they’re waiting for you to do this !!

Your Legacy . . .

When I look over my life and career, I am humbled by the number of people I’ve been fortunate to meet. Some people you meet for mere moments. Others you have as part of your life for years. I tend to lose sight of this too often due to the constant hustle and bustle swirling around us. That shouldn’t happen. I don’t believe in chance encounters or fate. I believe the people who come in and out of our lives happen on purpose.

I’m feeling reflective because of some news I received in mid-December. I wanted to share my thoughts about this wonderful person at the time, but I needed to wait until her family made the news public themselves.

My dear friend, Sandy Manjura, passed away in mid-December. She and I are the same age, and it crushed me when I heard the news. Sandy and I met as volunteer leaders for our SHRM chapters. She lived in the Akron area, and I was in Cincinnati. The moment we met, our friendship started. She exuded genuine interest and energy whenever she met anyone. Fortunately, we connected and volunteered together for years through the Ohio State Council and the Ohio State SHRM Conference committee. When she was active in the Akron chapter, she invited me to speak to the chapter often. While there, she introduced me to tons of other great people who also became dear friends. I met her partner, Scott, as well as her wonderful black lab – Hoagy. Whenever I’d visit, we’d make time to catch up and talk about life, music, and changing the world of HR.

I cherished her friendship. As our volunteer roles changed and came to an end, we didn’t get to see each other as often. We’d go to State Conferences and pick up right where we had left off before. Sandy was a rocker !! She loved all forms of music and would listen to Iron Maiden while jogging. She was an avid golfer and lived life to the fullest. The world is a little less bright with her passing.

One of my favorite memories was when I was chair of the Ohio SHRM State Conference with the theme “HR Rocks !!” I had a surprise to open the conference and needed someone to help me get ready. The only two people I let in on my secret were my best friend and roomie, Fred, and Sandy. I was planning to dress up as AC/DC legendary guitarist, Angus Young, to take the stage, but I needed help getting all of my costume ready. Sandy was all in and helped me don his famous schoolboy attire. She kept lookout for me, and she whisked me backstage to get ready to bring down the house. Her words for me were, “This is perfection. Get out there and set the stage !!” We both wept a bit because it really was perfection.

I share her story for a couple of reasons. First, everyone should know my friend. If you had known Sandy, I know your life would have been impacted positively just as mine was. We should always share good stories about the great people in our lives while they live and celebrate them when they pass. Secondly, we need to know that we live out the Maya Angelou quote listed above, whether we’re conscious of it or not.

We can’t keep getting bogged down by the things around us that seem wrong. We can’t keep being distracted by those people in our lives who do all they can to drain our souls. The vast majority of humans on this planet are amazing once you choose to let them into your lives on purpose. They deserve our time and attention far more than those who try to tear others down.

I don’t want any person who passes through my life to be overlooked, taken for granted, or brushed off. I don’t know how long I’ll be on this planet, and neither do any of us. Therefore, it matters to give others my time willingly and without expectation. You never know. You may be THE person that someone needs to encounter just at the right time. You don’t want to miss that.

Sandy touched my life and the lives of many others. I will hold her in my heart and cherish her friendship and legacy. She rocked, and I was fortunate to have had her in my life. When I hear that next heavy chord emanate from a speaker, the first person I will think of is Sandy !!

Remember to Play !!

Do you remember when you were a kid ?? I can remember pretty far back. My earliest solid memories were from when I was five years old and in kindergarten. It was my first experience with school, and it had the perfect mix of learning and play. Heck, even the lessons were laced with fun activities. Throw in daily recess, and you have sheer perfection. There was structure, but it never felt confining.

Fast forward fifty-six years to the present day. As a “mature” adult, you’re not expected to play anymore. Sure, it’s acceptable to be a fan of multiple sports teams. But, that’s the extent of what people feel still falls in the realm of adult behavior. If you participate in sports recreationally, you aren’t pressing the boundaries too much. Other adults will support your efforts while also bemoaning how their body can no longer perform like it used to.

Board games are also deemed okay if there is a family or neighborhood gathering. They can help pass the time if you also have enough to eat and drink. These games must be limited to short bursts of time because you don’t want people to slip into that younger state where they used to laugh and act more carefree. How awful would that be ??

It saddens me that the art of play has been replaced with the myth of being a responsible adult. When did “responsible” become defined as reserved, demure, and lifeless? Why did we get lulled into a state of stress, frustration, anger, and disappointment while calling that success? A telltale comment I received after giving a presentation at an HR conference helped prod me to respond. The person stated that my style was sophomoric. As a fellow senior HR practitioner, he didn’t know why I spent time using toys for my examples instead of concrete business practices. He was also confused as to why I spent the majority of the presentation focusing on people. He wanted to focus on business !! That was far more important. I venture to say, this person doesn’t play.

I play. Always have. Always will.

My wife Debbie and I co-host an over-50s group at our church. She does an amazing job organizing activities for each night, and I am the ringleader who makes things come to life. Whenever we meet, we incorporate play, arts & crafts, friendly competition, and storytelling. We get a huge turnout of people, and I’ve heard them share with others how much fun they had for a few hours. You see, they forgot how to play . . . but they still know how.

Recently, I also had an opportunity to speak to a class full of 5th graders on the importance of being good. I brought my props (toys), which caused them to squeal when I used them. I also challenged them to a fierce smiling contest where everyone had to hold their smiles with teeth bared and not laugh or giggle. It was spectacular !!

I play at work as well. I go out of my way to connect with as many team members as I can daily. I ask how they’re doing and respond in a radical fashion by staying to listen regardless of what they share. I also regale them with stories from my weekend or encounters with team members from other locations.

Here’s what I know . . .

People who play enjoy themselves more than those who don’t. Laughter is healthy for you and helps you retain information. Not taking yourself seriously reduces stress, frustration, and anger.

I’m sure there are many who feel this approach isn’t professional or befitting of someone who is a Chief People Officer. That’s cool. I’m good with it. I know the relationships I have bring the best out in others because I play.

This week, as we take a break to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, pause and reflect. Are you content or wound tightly? Are you consumed with worry, or are you eager to see what lies ahead? I could keep going, but I think you get the gist.

I hope your time with friends and family is meaningful, full, and memorable. Take time to be thankful and step out a bit to play. It could be a great start to a new set of habits and approach to life, personally and professionally !!

Make the Call !!

A few weeks ago, I received a message on LinkedIn from an HR peer. We had been connected for a few years since she attended the SHRM Annual Conference in Chicago. She was kind enough to attend one of my sessions and introduced herself at a book signing I did.

All of that is wonderful in itself. Her message tugged at my heart because she told me that she and her co-worker were getting burned out. She wondered if I had any ideas that could help her get inspired. She explained that they were just worn out.

Her name is Lauren, and she’s been connected to the HR Net forum since she attended the conference. I think it took courage to reach out to someone you barely knew to ask for help. So, I decided to call her.

I didn’t feel a return message on LinkedIn would do the trick. We set up a time, and I gave her a ring while on my commute home. I have a daily drive of 45 minutes to an hour to get to my office from my house.

When Lauren picked up, we talked as if we had known each other for years. I learned about her family because she was in the process of dropping off her son for soccer practice. I mentioned she didn’t have to chat if she was doing that. She replied that she didn’t want to miss this opportunity. I was humbled and a bit perplexed by that. I felt I was putting her out. He made it to practice easily, and we continued to talk.

We were able to talk the entire commute. I did give her ideas to consider, but mostly I wanted to encourage her. As a fellow HR practitioner, I understand that the work we do can be challenging, overwhelming, and draining. People are a mix of messy and wonderful (just like us). At times, HR can threaten to crush you if you allow the darkness to encompass you. I explained to Lauren that this conversation was the best possible use of my time. It made my day !! I also shared that I’d continue to check in with her to make sure she knew she had someone in her corner.

Too many HR people try to do the good work we do as if they’re on an island. That may be true inside your company, but it isn’t true in general. As humans, we were not designed to be alone. We are meant to be connected and together. I know that Lauren’s story and situation are far too common in our profession. The difference is that she took a chance to reach out.

When I got home, she texted me pictures of her kids, their Halloween costumes, and her wife. I was moved that she took my word on how important it is for us to make human connections with HR peers. Before I wrote this, I checked in to see how she was doing and asked if I could share our conversation. She gave me an update on how some things are getting better while she’s working on other things at the same time. She was geeked that I was going to share this.

This week, reach out. Give someone a call. Make sure you have at least one person in your corner. Trust me. When you do, you’ll see how much it makes your day !!

Festival Culture !!

This weekend, Fall finally arrived. It is my favorite season by far !! The leaves change colors, the temperature drops, and you break out your favorite sweatshirt. You spend more time outside even though there’s less daylight. It’s the perfect season in every possible way.

Another aspect of the arrival of Fall is the abundance of festivals. It seems like people can take any singular item and launch a festival. Around here, there are multiple Oktoberfest celebrations, an Apple Festival, a Sauerkraut Festival, the simply named Fall Festivals, and Pumpkin Festivals. My wife told me about one such Pumpkin Festival in the city that adjoins ours. It’s appropriately called Operation Pumpkin, and I wanted to make sure to check it out. She did as well, but she needed to attend a baby shower of one of our cousins. She encouraged me to go anyway. I’m so glad I did !!

Our granddog, Wags, was visiting once again, and he loves to get out and about. He’s very comfortable being social. We made the 15-minute drive over to Hamilton, Ohio, and saw the Festival seemingly pop up out of the ground. We were diverted from the main street running through the city because the festival had taken over. Once we parked, I removed the ever-eager Wags from the backseat of my Equinox and quickly grabbed his leash because he was so excited to join the throng.

There’s no mistaking where the festival started because a display of MASSIVE pumpkins was at the event’s entry point. People were gathered around, all with their phones out, taking pictures. After that eye-catching spectacle, you fell in with the hundreds of people inching their way up and down the street. Booth after booth made up a boundary for everyone on either side. There were crafts, food trucks, beer, tschotskes, a glass blowing exhibit, and countless pumpkins. Artisans were cordoned off in the middle of the street as they did live carving on some of the behemoths.

Wags and I were enthralled with the sights, sounds, smells, and genuine camaraderie of everyone there. People from all walks of life filled every possible space. They ranged from infants to the elderly. You came across people whose arms were so filled with purchases that they could hardly control their finds. Wags was the center of attention, both young and old. I made sure to have him meet some people who were chair-bound, and just wanted to show and receive some affection.

Also, even though Hamilton is a fairly large city, I saw people I knew. That even included one of the teachers from our kids’ daycare who had known them as infants !! She gave me the biggest hug. I couldn’t believe she even recognized me, as the kids hadn’t seen her for 20+ years. It was a wonderful surprise. The others were folks from our church and some HR peers.

As we sat on a wall in front of the County Courthouse to take a break and eat some lunch, I was taken by something unique to festivals. Everyone wanted to be there. Everyone. There was a general sense of joy and engagement. People had a myriad of choices. The variety was available so that you weren’t stuck with just one activity, food choice, or purchase option. If something didn’t pique your interest, you could move to the next booth.

The conversations happening were vibrant, excited, and passionate. You’d hear about people’s experiences and recommendations of what they were seeing. It was as if they didn’t want anyone to miss what they saw. It was encouraging and welcoming. It made me wonder what would happen if our workplaces adopted a festival culture. I’m not suggesting we have booths, food trucks, and carnival rides (although that would be cool). However, if we were intentional about having activities that mattered and interesting conversations, I think we’d see a shift. Festivals are focused on people providing services. Workplaces are focused on work, work, deadlines, stuff, and work. People are an afterthought.

We’re overdue in turning the tide regarding our culture and our approach toward people. When we know we have people who want to be involved, contribute, and add value, why wouldn’t we do everything we could to have an inviting culture ?? People flock to festivals just because they’re happening. I think that is how we should look at having a colorful, energy-filled, and inviting culture in our workplaces.

When I Fall . . .

The primary story everyone seems to be talking about and is enamored with is the viral video of the CEO and CPO of Astronomer at a recent Coldplay concert. I was as intrigued about it as anyone. I couldn’t believe what I just saw, and I made snide comments and shared/viewed memes and gifs that were made instantaneously. I had countless friends reach out to me to ask if I had seen the video and how it involved a person who is in HR. I’m not proud of how I responded and got caught up in the media storm. This is why . . .

I don’t condone the choices these two adults made. It captured our attention because of how they responded when they got caught. Isn’t it telling that this story of two people publicly failing garnered far more attention than the many, many challenges and atrocities happening across the planet right now ?? We yearn for salacious stories. The grittier and more gossipy, the better. This is true in situations that are in the public eye, in our workplaces, or among our families and friends.

Falling in some magnificent way grabs us far more than seeing, hearing or experiencing positive and encouraging stories. Isn’t that concerning ??

I think it is. We’ve allowed ourselves to become a world that enjoys the downfall of others as a primary source of our entertainment and our own personal value. Don’t believe me?

Attend an HR conference and just listen to the conversations happening around you. The majority of what is being shared is about difficult people who frustrate us and suck out our souls. We act as if they are so detrimental that we can’t even adequately do our job. When those stories are shared, they’re contagious. People willingly jump in and pile on. It’s like we want to exist in an ongoing game of truth or dare to see who can share the biggest dirt pile they’re facing.

I felt compelled to write this because I fail. Often. I fall down in my words, my actions, and my attitudes about others. Again, not proud about this. The story about the folks from Astronomer made me reflect. What would happen if the camera were focused on me when I have failed others? How would I react? What would the response be from my peers and friends? Would they be snarky, create memes, and smear me all over the place? Would it bring them joy to feel they had not made the same mistake(s) I have?

This eats at me. I believe we are in a field where we need to focus far more on behavior versus compliance. We are faced with far more behaviorally motivated interactions between people than any actual work occurring. We need to understand (as I shared on LinkedIn this past Friday) that:

” . . . we all need to remember that as humans, we are frail, prone to fail as well as succeed. When someone falls, let’s pick them up – not tear them down.”

The two people from Astronomer had their lives changed in an instant. It’s going to affect them personally and professionally for years to come. They’re most likely not going to recover from this for some time. This doesn’t even account for those with whom they are close or related to.

There are consequences to every decision we make in life. You can’t escape that. Even so, my hope is that someone is in their corner to lift them up after this horrific fall. I would want someone in my corner.

So, when I fall, which is inevitable, will others be there for me? I can tell you this. When others in my life fall, I will do my best to be there for them.

Leave Your Mark

My wife is incredible in many ways !! Yes, I’m biased and am good with that. She is very creative but she would deny that. She has a dedicated craft room in our house that has been her place to make things come to life. She has been a rubber stamper for decades. This hobby has resulted in countless handmade cards for birthdays, weddings, the birth of kids, graduations, and Christmas cards.

They are true works of art. I know many people who have kept every Christmas card she has made for years, and some put them out every year as part of their Christmas decorations. Debbie would tell you that she sees the ideas of others and recreates them. So, I’ll give her that. Let’s call her a structured creative. If you got to know her, you’d see that this description fits well. One of the many other amazing facets of her personality is her joy in structure. She has lists of things to do all over the house.

Every day I’m amazed that she chose to be with me because I represent the opposite of almost every aspect of how she approaches life. I tend to live in the moment. Very little surprises me, and I’m more comfortable adapting on the go. I’m creative as well, but I’d describe my methods as having flow, movement and involving a variety of styles. I like almost every iteration of how art is presented. I am comfortable if things are abstract, modern, distinctly drawn, or classical. Each one has its value.

Eight years ago, when my first HR book was completed, Debbie asked if I’d like to have bookmarks to give out to people. I was floored and excited at the same time. I didn’t know what we could come up with but I was in !! She upped my level of enthusiasm when she suggested we make tie-dye bookmarks. I couldn’t even conceive how this could be accomplished. I was tickled when I found out that we’d mix our creative approaches by using her rubber stamps along with alcohol-based inks to make the tie-dye patterns along with my idea of variety. We put the ink on transparency film (like what we used to use on overhead projectors).

We started to stamp the clear film cut into the perfect shape for a bookmark together. Debbie took one color of ink and dabbed the applicator before applying a beautiful, linear pattern on her piece of film. I took my applicator and put three dots of different colors on it and then smeared the ink all over my film. I continued to follow what felt right as she methodically constructed her set. When we looked up to pause, I had ten done and was moving forward when she commented, “How can you come up with patterns so quickly?” I shrugged and said, “I just see what I want to make and then try it.”

She then made a bright, executive decision. The step after the ink stamping was mounting the film on white, thick paper for backing and strength. She suggested that I continue with the stamping and she’d assemble them after that. Now, please note, her stamped bookmarks were stunning and crisp. We kept them along with my mish mash of variety, and I loved giving them out to people.

Since then, we made a new batch for use at the SHRM24 annual conference. We followed the process of a separation of tasks that we were both responsible for. Very quickly we had constructed 100+ bookmarks. I just found out that I’m speaking again at SHRM25, and I’m grateful for the opportunity. We just bought a new set of supplies and the manufacture of a brand new set of bookmarks will soon be started.

Let me back up just a moment . . .

More than a story of how we take different paths toward creativity, Debbie also had another stunning idea for making these handmade beauties. She said, “If people are nice enough to get one of your books, wouldn’t it be nice to leave behind a little bit of you for them to remember?” How freaking cool is that ??!!

You see, she wanted me to leave a mark. That thought was incredibly astute and she may not have even been aware of the weight of what she had suggested. It was so powerful because as people, we leave our mark on others every time we encounter them whether we mean to or not.

If you ignore someone or push them off to the side because you’re too busy for them, that leaves a mark. If you are pleasant to others to their face and change your story for how you feel with another audience, you leave a mark. When a task that isn’t yet completed takes more of your focus and attention than the people around you, you have left another mark.

We don’t see this or even acknowledge it. It’s time we did. Choose instead to be someone who leaves each interaction as one that is positive, encouraging and meaningful. Leave your mark in such a way that your impact makes their day better. It doesn’t have to be a big gesture. It can be something simple. Something . . . like a bookmark.

A Good Read

Before I moved to the “metropolis” of Ada, Ohio when I entered the 7th grade, I lived in two even smaller locales – Gibsonburg and Luckey, Ohio. Not kidding. My extended family all lived in these smaller burgs that were more rural than residential. I fondly remember when I started elementary school the Bookmobile would come around.

For those of you who don’t know of, or remember, what the Bookmobile was, it was a library on wheels. The vehicle would pull up in the parking lot across from the elementary school and you could wander through the racks and check out books !! The Bookmobile was a converted bus that had one aisle with bookshelves on the walls that stretched from floor to ceiling. It was magical. You could get books on almost any subject, and my mom made sure that my brother and I never missed it when it came to town.

My mother was a teacher for her entire career. Reading was something she valued and she made sure that my brother and I developed the same passion of reading the written word. I remember stacks of books sitting on an end table that we would devour. At first, we started with simple children’s books which made sense. Soon, however, we moved on to books that had more size, depth and content. We read throughout the year above and beyond the books we were required to read as homework for school.

Reading opened our imagination and expanded our horizons. We could travel anywhere throughout the universe and never leave our couch. This reading habit continued until we joined the local library. It was then that we discovered the summer reading program where you’d get prizes for reading a number of books. It was an on-going contest between Mark and myself. We didn’t want to be the one who lost.

As I entered junior high, I made sure to continue the habit of consuming books. Now I was reading books like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, biographies about Lincoln, and countless books on Civil War history. I began to stretch and take in authors like Orwell, King, Huxley and Dickens. All of the reading I had done on my own for those early years made the books I was assigned in high school seem easy to read through and understand with little difficulty.

As I entered college, the level of reading required for my courses took up most of my appetite. I took advanced courses that allowed me to read the works of Dostoevsky, Ghandi, early church fathers along with authors of various textbooks. I chose to get a minor in History, and that filled my desire to read a broad spectrum of books with various perspectives.

Graduation from college meant entrance into the workforce. Trying to get my career kickstarted took the majority of my time and attention. I had moved to a new city and needed to establish an apartment, friendships and learn what the city had to offer. Unfortunately, for about two and half years, I stepped away from reading books. Then I was fortunate to meet my future wife, Debbie. Little did I know that one of the many wonderful attributes she had was that she was a book reader as well !!

Truth be told, she likes to have a book underway all the time. Her passion for reading rekindled mine as well. I began to read again before we started our family. Once our daughter and son were born, we were able to start the cycle that my mom had started when I was young. We read to our kids and had books of our own going simultaneously. As they grew, I picked up the Harry Potter series, reread the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and asked for books each year for my birthday and Christmas.

I made sure to also read books about work, HR and culture. At one time, I had four to five books underway all at the same time. At the dawn of social media, I began blogging, reading the blogs of others and making sure a book or two got read.

Now that our kids are adults and have moved out, I have a confession to make. The lifelong habit I have enjoyed began to wane. The only reason was neglect and . . . technology. I’m not complaining, but I’ve found that the time I used to cherish diving into the pages of an author has transferred to staring at a screen. I’m not proud that this has happened. Truly. I have no problem spending far too much time behind a screen either at work, scrolling through my phone, or streaming some show.

My wife who is still a voracious reader called me out on it, and I’m glad she did. Just this past week I went back to the books I had started and finished a few of them. I then started to grab the memoir of Bono from U2 and recommitted to becoming a book reader once again.

You see, reading books gets you out of a rut. They open your mind to fresh ideas and renew your desire to be creative and use your imagination. I’m so glad Debbie pushed me to give tech a rest and give books the time they deserve.

This week I want to challenge you to make time to break out of the mad pace we choose to live in. Crack open the spine of a book of your choice and jump in. Revitalize a passion for reading books. You’ll be glad you did !!

Welcome to My Hotel !!

Last year, my wife and I traveled to Houston, Texas. It was our first time there and I was speaking to an HR team from a construction firm. It was a small event in a cool, industrial warehouse that was converted into a meeting space. We had a great time and got solid recommendations of where to go and where to eat from the local folks. We gathered all our belongings and traveled less than a mile to our hotel. We added a few days of PTO to extend our stay and visit the city.

As we wheeled our suitcases down the hall, we turned the corner and I heard a voice jubilantly exclaim – “Welcome to my hotel !!”

I perked up immediately and sauntered up to the hotel check-in counter when the clerk cheerfully said, “Welcome to my hotel. I’m Yolanda. Are you here to check in?” I was floored by her exuberance and replied, “Why, yes we are !!” My wife rolled her eyes a bit and whispered, “That’s what she’s told to say,” and I’m sure she was. That didn’t deter my excitement.

Yolanda went on to tell us about the hotel’s amenities and offered to be available for us whenever we needed it. I was so geeked by her approach and thought she went above and beyond in showing her hospitality. My wife and I went out to be tourists and as we strolled back into the lobby hours later, we heard Yolanda say, “Hi there Mr. and Mrs. Browne !! How was your time out in my city?” I was giddy once again. “We had a great time Yolanda !! Thanks for asking.” One thing to note – The lobby was teeming with people moving back and forth involved in various things, and yet Yolanda took the time to check on us in the midst of this hurried activity.

On the day we were going to leave to fly back to Ohio three days later, I was having problems getting our boarding passes to load on my phone. I decided to go down to the lobby and try out the “business center.” It didn’t work because I’m sure it’s overused. I decided to go to the front desk and ask for help and I heard, “Hello, Mr. Browne. Can I help you?” You guessed it. Yolanda was manning her post yet again. She was so helpful and we were able to get checked into our flight and print our boarding passes.

While I was spending more time with her, I was filled with curiosity. I asked her about her approach and her joy toward the guests of the hotel. She brimmed with delight and shared she had been a front desk clerk for 20 years and she couldn’t be more proud of the work she did and the place she worked. I told her I was in HR and I was so moved by our experience and I knew she offered this same level of engagement and service to everyone she encountered.

This made such an impression on me that I incorporated our experience with her in one of the presentations I give at conferences and I end by asking – “Is this how YOU view your job in HR ??” The response is a mix of “not really” or “I wish I did.”

I first used the story while speaking at the SHRM Annual Conference in New Orleans in 2022. After the presentation, someone came up to me at the front of the stage and pulled me to the side. “Hi, my name is Kimberly. Did you stay at the Embassy Suites while you were in Houston?” I told her I did and then she floored me.

“I work with Yolanda !! My team and I heard your story and we’ve been texting her during your speech to tell her that you were bursting with elation as you told this room filled with thousands of people all about her.” I burst into tears. I couldn’t believe it. We hugged and I asked Kimberly to tell Yolanda thank you for letting me share our time with her with others.

A few weeks passed, and Kimberly sent me a picture through Linked In. Here’s what I received. That’s Kimberly on the left and Yolanda on the right.

I couldn’t believe it !! I added this picture at the end of my presentation and have been fortunate to share it many more times. At SHRM23 this year in Las Vegas, I shared about Yolanda again, and after the presentation, as I was signing books at the SHRM bookstore, another person approached me. “Hi there. I’m Jamie and I work with Yolanda. Thank you so much for continuing to share about her. I wanted to get her one of your books so she had a note from you.” I started weeping again. I couldn’t grasp what continued to happen.

This past week I spoke at the HRUnite! conference in Frankenmuth, Michigan. It was an amazing smaller HR conference which was more intimate than others I’ve been fortunate to speak at. After I presented, I received a note from Kimberly through Linked In. She said, “I thought you’d like to see this . . .”

I read the post from Avion Hospitality and the tears began to flow again. You see, Yolanda was recognized at her national conference. They showed me speaking on the stage using the closing slide I’ve been using showing the picture of Kimberly and Yolanda. They said –

“For the second year in a row, Yolanda Johnson was highlighted at the National Society for Human Resource Conference and shown on stage as an example of finding a company and career you love. Yolanda is Guest Services Manager at Embassy Suites Energy Corridor and clearly had a positive impact on this guest. Congratulations, Yolanda, on succeeding in your quest to welcome every guest and make them feel like family. We should all be so lucky to encounter your energy and enjoy our work as much as you.”

I left a comment on the post and the Embassy Suites account wrote me back. Yolanda’s story just keeps going on and on.

So, I’ll ask again. Is this how you view what YOU do? If not, why not? Yolanda has chosen to bring her whole being to all she does and her story is now touching people around the globe. May we all learn from her and change how we view our jobs. You never know who will tell your story to others !!

Is vs. Has

As I mentioned last week, my travels have filled my quiver with new stories and experiences. I would encourage you when you have the opportunity to attend events to make sure you do this as well. It never made sense to me that people would go to events to get credit hours to ensure they kept their letters behind their names. I know it’s important and I turn my hours in too, but it’s the last reason I go to anything.

It brings me to this week’s story. I was fortunate to meet and connect with the wonderful and talented, Rachel Druckenmiller !! I knew she was a fellow speaker at the conference, but I wanted to get to know her as a fellow human. (This is another thing I do at conferences. Treat speakers like approachable humans and get to know them.)

We hit it off and jumped into conversations as if we had been friends for years. I loved hearing about her family and getting to know all about her. Taking the time to hang out made it even more meaningful when I saw her take the stage to open day two as a keynote. I loved her people-centric message and approach. She had tons of relevant content that was instantly applicable to every person at their company.

One point she brought up was how all of us tend to view others in the workplace. We, unfortunately, overlook the amazing people around us and get sucked into the vortex of those who are challenging. If you don’t think that’s true, step back and listen to the conversations happening in the halls. I guarantee you that the talk is negative and focused on how people disappoint us. I think we secretly enjoy talking about people this way because we then feel we have value when we address and “fix” this.

It’s not healthy and it’s misaligned. I was agreeing with Rachel when she dropped a bomb to switch this approach altogether. She said, “Too often we say the person is the problem when it may be that the person has a problem.”

Look at that sentence again !! Changing one word from “is” to “has” completely reframes everything. Imagine how HR and the workplace would look if we had a “has” mentality in working with others. I believe it would radically transform you personally and would assuredly transform your workplace.

Yes, people can be challenging. With this, we need to remember that we are people too !! I would want others to see if I was facing a problem or working through some facet of life instead of having people label me and talk about me negatively. I’m sure you would as well.

I find talking about people as if they’re the problem is exhausting and never-ending. This must change. If we want to foster, develop and sustain a people-first culture, then we have to come at our work from a positive perspective. This week adopt a “has” approach and drop the “is” approach. Trust me, you’ll see immediate results and begin to understand you have always been surrounded by amazing humans.

This HAS to occur !!