‘Encouragement’ Articles at Everyday People, Page 7

Remember when ??

Recently, LaRosa’s, opened a new location called Eastgate. I’m fortunate to be the Executive Director of HR for this iconic Cincinnati company, and we had a pivotal role in this store opening. HR interviewed every new potential Team Member because we were looking to add 70+ folks to this much larger pizzeria !!

You may think that this isn’t such a unique story. I mean, EVERY HR person does recruiting !! That’s not always true. I haven’t had to interview for over five years. It’s great to be in a role that is highly strategic, but it felt fantastic to be back in the field to meet potential new employees. We interviewed the candidates on-site and in booths in our restaurant. Again, not unique, but it was for us because typically the hiring is done by the Manager in his/her pizzeria.

So, why was this experience cool ?? Interviewing is just a “natural” skill in HR. There’s nothing special about it. Ahh, that’s where you’re wrong !!

You see, the great new people we were talking to were going to be filling an incredible role !! They are the front line connection to our guests who eat at our locations. Getting the best people is key for outstanding guest experience !! Every hire counts. Every one.

Also, I forgot an incredible experience that I should have never taken for granted. The cool thing about a store opening is that we interviewed people, and then offered them a job right on the spot if they were going to join our team. To see a person get a job is a gift. Not giving them a job, but seeing their reaction. Often, we are a person’s first job ever. We also had people who were looking for new opportunities or a chance to work for our great company. In every case, the joy of their reaction was spectacular !!

This new beginning should never be overlooked or seen as something mundane. When you hire someone, you change their lives !! Often in HR, we become numb to the great things we get to do that alter people’s lives and careers. Don’t overlook it. It matters. If you don’t think so, ask a jobseeker.

Take a new approach to what you do HR. Look at it as how it impacts and affect’s humans. Trust me, you will never be jaded again !! It will always give you that new sensation !!

Thanks Mom !!

Yesterday we had the chance to thank all of those fortunate to be mothers. It is incredible to see the outpouring for moms, and every bit of it is perfect !! I hope you took time to thank the moms in your life yesterday because they deserve your thanks EVERY day !!

Honestly, this is a huge work issue as well. Please note one thing here . . . I think ALL moms work !! The mothers who are able to be at-home-moms work hard every day with their families, communities and kids. Don’t ever think that this isn’t valuable. It’s an incredible gift that they give with immeasurable value.

For those great moms who also have a job outside of the home, I think we need to give you more validity and attention. It’s an amazing testament to you as a professional to be able to do all that you do in the workplace !! You see, I have a marvelous example to draw from – my mom.

My father passed away when I was 4 and my brother was 2 back in 1968. So, my mom became a “single” mom as a widow during a time when that was much more of an exception than today. We have an amazing extended family who pitched in to watch my brother and I during the day so she could work an entry level administrative position as well as take college courses to become a teacher. She earned her degree from Bowling Green State University and began teaching in the vocational school system. She taught future administrative assistants who were predominantly women. So, she modeled her success to those who would go on to have careers of their own.

Now, I know everyone says their mom is the best. I’d have to chime in with that as well but with a twist. My mom has influenced and encouraged hundreds and hundreds of young women to pursue a skill and impact workplaces. She has seen them grow into incredible adults, been to their weddings, held their children and seen many of her student’s children graduate.

Before she retired after 30+ years of teaching, she received her Master’s Degree, remarried a phenomenal man, and started her career as world’s best grandmother. She continues to put forth a witness of grace, joy and encouragement to all that she encounters.

So, today, I’d like to say THANK YOU !! Thanks to my mom and to all the moms who are out there in homes and in the workplace. You make the world a better place because of who you are and all you do !!

Geeked !!

If you know me at all, you’ve heard the word “geeked” !! My wife would even say that I use the word a little too much. I can’t help in though.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to be the opening keynote at the SCIHRA Conference. We had a great time, and a true highlight for me was when an attendee came up to me after the presentation and said, “Wow, it was great to hear HR in a positive and fun way !!” I thanked her, but then thought that it was telling if someone had to come to an event to get HR pros geeked about what we do.

I couldn’t let this pass so I asked her how she saw HR. (Get ready . . .)

“Well, most everyone we read or hear from is either negative, snarky or sarcastic. It’s hard to be motivated when so few are encouraging. You took the things we do everyday and brought passion and humor. It was great to laugh !! ” Ouch !!! I thanked her again and it made me think.

You see, being geeked to me isn’t just being “positive.” It’s really a choice of how to approach life – not just HR.

Trust me, I know what it’s like to be in a blue funk, have a frustrating day, or be negative. To take a different approach to life takes a ton of effort and a commitment to being intentional.

Being geeked isn’t always taken very well by others either. Unfortunately, most people start every day with a heavy sigh and a negative thought about what’s not done. Then, it usually gets darker from there.

I’m sure there will be folks who read this and think that being geeked is some “act” or just being naive and a utopian. Someone who’s dodging reality. Not true in the least.

People relish the chance to have someone with them who’s excited about who they are, what they do and what’s happening in their lives. It’s an incredible feeling to see folks come to life when you get them all geeked up !!

You see, there are tons of blogs, books and articles on people bringing their “whole self” to work. I get that, but few practice it. If you try this approach, you might get to see your whole self emerge. That would be awesome !!

So, this week pick something and go for it. Get geeked and tell others about it. Post it on Twitter or Facebook. Send it in an e-mail. Take a picture. Whatever works for you, do it. Trust me, you’ll love your day just a bit more when you do !!

I’ll be looking for the great things you’re doing. Need to go now and see the next new thing. You know I’ll probably be . . .

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.

Dissolve the layers !!

The field of HR is vast. I dig that. You can seek a career in HR and going in many different ways. Not many other fields can do that. The ironic thing about this breadth though is that we don’t embrace it. In fact, we do our best to have massive barriers built between the different areas so that each one can place its stake in its respective ground.

Here’s an example . . . vendors.

HR people don’t like vendors. Vendors, in turn, don’t like HR people. However, we need each other in order to do our job well. But, instead of embracing each other and seeing each other as resources, we tend to tell each group to stay in their camp.

Another one . . . Sr. HR Executives.

I know I’m heading into treacherous water in calling this out. But, when did Sr. HR pros forget that they weren’t always Senior ?? Is there an apex in our profession where we can avoid those “below us” because we don’t deal in the transactional work that lower level HR people have to address?

I don’t get it and I refuse to. I have a different approach that I’d like us all to consider. Let’s dissolve the layers that separate our profession and work together as talented parts of an amazing whole !! I’m not asking us to become an HR commune. I’m asking us to truly be strategic and understand that each part of our profession brings a strength and value to what we bring to the business community.

Last week I spoke at a very small HR chapter along which had four students from a SHRM Student chapter. An a “Sr. HR professional,” I could have taken the stance that I wasn’t with those “of my kind” and that this was a waste of time. Or, I could see it as an opportunity to meet great new HR folks that I didn’t know and maybe, just maybe, one of those students could meet someone that remembered how hard it was to start in HR and give them my time and attention.

So, let’s rally together !! Vendors, recruiters, OD, Training, Consultants, Generalists, Comp & Bens folks, HR Admins, HR Analysts and Executives. Together we make up HR. Let’s quit trying to splinter our field. Let’s be the example of how together we are a vital, relevant and strategic business entity !!

Be a Giant Slayer !!

This weekend my whole family went to see Jack The Giant Slayer. We love going to movies in general, and I have to say that I enjoyed this take on an old fairy tale because it gave it a new spin. Jack was truly involved in the tale as a hero with character and not someone who was out to dupe the giant.

It got me thinking about HR because EVERYTHING can be tied back to HR !! So often I find myself, and my peers, getting stuck on the minute and minuscule things at work. We spend endless time and effort on something that gives us angst, but has little to do with the scheme of things in general.

Why is that? Why does our focus jump to something so insignificant? Do we feel that if we address whatever it is, we’ll be free and unfettered to do something amazing? No, in most cases we jump to the next small item.

In the movie Jack and the princess “long for adventure” in their lives. Both feel that there is something out across the horizon that will bring excitement, thrills all mixed with the knowledge that the “unknown” is driving them. That’s what I long for as well !!

HR should never been mundane or minimized !! Seriously, when you have the chance to work with people, the landscape of what can happen is truly endless. What would happen to your perspective if you saw every day as an adventure and that there were giants out there for you to go after and slay? I’m telling you that you would be geeked and couldn’t wait until the next challenge showed up !!

Many HR people I meet are exasperated with their work and they don’t understand why HR truly invigorates me. I honestly don’t know if I can explain it. It’s just the way I’ve always approached it. I’m not naive. I know there are daunting aspects to HR. But, to me they’re an adventure !!

So, this week see where your adventure can begin. Identify the giants that are in your path and seek them out instead of avoiding them. Take hold of your corner of the HR kingdom and jump in with both feet !! When you do, our paths may cross because I am already seeing what’s next on the unknown horizon !!

It might be good for your soul. Take a note from the great group They Might Be Giants !!

Image courtesy of Film.com

Are you a safe haven ??

Too often we hear people say “Shhh !! Here comes HR !!” I know that most HR folks shudder when they are treated in that manner. When that happens, what does that say about how people view HR in your organization?

Now, this isn’t a post that chides HR for not being visible, or tries to geek you up about making HR more vibrant and engaged. Those should be active ways of approaching HR everyday in my opinion. They should be in your fabric.

What needs to be added is the ability to be accessible and available. Do employees look to you as a safe haven? What does that entail? It’s a bigger jump than you may think.

You see, most employees do the “hush thing” when we come by because the only time they interact with HR is when there is a problem or something has to be addressed. If employees only feel that they can approach HR at times of dire need, or the classic need to put out a fire, then you’ll never be a safe place for them to share.

Also, this isn’t just for a certain level of employees in the company. You need to be a safe haven for front line staff as well as executives. It’s like we’re Switzerland – a neutral body that is open and willing to listen, counsel and empathize. In my opinion, it’s an opportunity to be an incredible asset within an organization !!

If you want to bring the “human” factor into your workplace, and make it a fact versus a passing trend, then you need to become a resource that is known to be safe. Trust me, people yearn for this but few HR people do it. We feel that we need to take sides with either Senior Management or the staff. Great HR needs to position itself to say – I’m here for the people. ALL of the people !!

Don’t you love it when you have someone you can confide in? Those conversations may lead to working through tough situations and stronger employee relations. I’m not asking you to cover for someone, or do something unethical or illegal. However, turn off your Compliance First mentality and try the Human First approach. Trust me, people want it from all of us.

This approach takes patience, energy, an open heart and most of all a genuine willingness to be there for your people. I encourage you to become a safe haven. It will make HR more rewarding than you ever thought it would !!

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?

Eat. Sleep. Do HR.

Hey HR folks !! Is the first word that comes out of your mouth when you head into work – “Ugh !!” Seriously, does the dawning of a new day in your corner of the HR universe generate excitement and anticipation, or drudgery and a loathsome feeling?

The answer most people reading this would say – “It depends on the day !!”

You know, that’s fair. The question you have to ask youself is what mood, or tone, do you regularly set as an HR pro? As a department? Do people like interacting with you, or do they do the classic, “Shhhh, it’s HR !!”

The are approximately 4 zillion posts on HR and engagement out there on the Internet now. I suppose that even as I type, more are being typed and posted. Rarely, however, do I see a post asking if HR is engaged.

Let’s go back to how you approach this field that deals with people. A friend of mine recently gave me this fabulous button. ( I collect buttons, by the way. Great hobby !!)

When I saw it, I just had to add it to my collection !! I wear this button along with my “HR Rocks !!” button on my coat. When Team Members see them, they either snicker or roll their eyes. I’m actually cool with that because I want to get a reaction from them. I ask them why they give the reaction they do, and the answer I get the most is “You sure are an HR geek !!” Sweet !!

The other reason I got this button is to turn those of my peers who see our field as a giant mire pit of one problem leading to the next. If any of you reading this feel this way, it’s time to reflect and see if this is the field for you.

I don’t want anyone to ever leave HR, but if any profession is defined by a black cloud or black hole approach, then you should get out of it. I think HR is dynamic, challeging, uplifting, passionate and messy !! How many fields can say that? I don’t want HR to be soft and fluffy. I don’t want HR to fall into the stereotypes that people often tie to us.

I do want HR to be inclusive, intentional and individualistic !! We should meet people where they are – not where we think they should be !!

Recently, I met with a Team Member for the first time to recognize her for her 5 year anniversary. We have over 1,200 Team Members who work various shifts on various days. I wish I could know all of them personally, but that’s very difficult. When she met with me her eyes were huge and she was anxious because she was meeting the head of HR. When I explained that I was there to recognize and thank her for her 5 years of service, she burst into tears and gave me a bear hug !! “I love what I do !! Thank you so much for this !!” Messy and emotional. HR at it’s finest !!

So, this week as you get ready to jump back into the mix. You have to ask yourself – am I going to just DO HR – or am I going to ROCK IT ??!! I think you know the answer I hope we ALL say . . .

Enough or Not Enough ??

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 !!