‘HRCommunity’ Articles at Everyday People, Page 4

The Beauty of Discipline

As I compose this post, I am blissfully exhausted. That’s because I spent another weekend working at our daughter’s house. This time it wasn’t due to the age of her house resulting in another repair to modernize the 105-year-old beauty. Now, we’re on to making the interior of her house her own. That, of course, means painting.

Quick aside – I love to paint rooms !! I really do. It’s a great workout and I can get lost in the activity and wonderment of adding a new color to the walls. I usually isolate myself, turn on a Spotify playlist, and zone out. I don’t mind the mess, the clean-up or the level of taping and/or difficulty. The only thing I dread painting is ceilings. Ugh. They are the worst !! Guess what we painted this weekend . . . ceilings.

Not only were we going to tackle ceilings, we had to disassemble three ceiling fans and five of the seven rooms had textured ceilings. (Can you hear the screams which happened in my head ??) To make sure we were prepared, we referenced the number one resource available to one and all – YouTube. Thank goodness we did. Did you know that you need to use the roller in one direction instead of pulling it back and forth when you paint a textured ceiling? I never did. If you paint them like you’d paint a wall, the texture can become too heavy and pull away from the ceiling. Eek !!

We also saw how to use a paint screen in your 5-gallon bucket so you don’t have to lug a paint pan around. The next challenge was about my approach and had nothing to do with a method of painting. I’m not a very focused person. I tend to have a multitude of thoughts and ideas swimming in my head at all times. There’s usually some musical tune resonating as well. That is my normal. Put this reality to painting white paint on a white, textured ceiling. It was so difficult to see what areas I had covered and which parts I may have missed.

I realized I was making little progress so I did something completely against my nature. I paused, took a deep breath and decided to use a disciplined approach. I looked at the ceiling in sections and then made sure that each stroke of the roller (in one direction) slightly overlapped the next one. It seemed to be tedious to my normally frenetic brain, but it worked. Methodically, I worked down the family room and completed the first coat. Moving into the dining room I felt more confident understanding that discipline was going to be the key to becoming more efficient. And, it was !!

Most HR pros don’t view the word “discipline” positively. It’s the tar pit we find ourselves in when we have to address the behavior of someone. It’s usually not positive behavior either. Because of the negative implications of the word and the work of disciplining others, I never like hearing the word. This is a mistake because having discipline is much different than having to discipline someone.

So, I’d like to throw this challenge out to my HR peers. Let’s embrace the beauty of discipline so we can “coat” the landscape and environments we work in. By having a steady sense of movement we’d find ourselves moving forward far more than we would be stuck in the negativity of the profession. What do you say? I think it’s worth the effort. Let’s see what happens !!

By the way, I finished all the ceilings and had a fabulous weekend with our daughter.

Be a Bracket Buster !!

If you’re a member of my immediate family, then you know that this time of the year is occupied with one thing . . . basketball. I grew up playing myself for years and when I got married, my amazing wife came to games I played as an “adult.” I started coaching local teens before I had kids of my own and then they started playing !! Our daughter played through high school and our son played through elementary school.

Layer on top of all of this frantic basketball activity we’re avid in-person and TV basketball watchers. We became fans of Xavier University living in greater Cincinnati. For years we were fortunate to go to games at the Cintas Center and we loved every moment. Throughout the college basketball season, one game or another is sure to be playing. My wife has even mentioned she’s often a basketball widow. It’s taken her decades to understand the nuances of the game, but now I’ll hear her scream, “That was traveling !!” It warms my heart.

During the NCAA tournament, nothing else is on TV. Nothing. We watch teams we cheer for and also ones we don’t know. We have a family bracket (of course) and more often than not Debbie wins (the one who never played.) We’re glued to every result and we exclaim disappointment and angst when any of our picks are wrong. They are inevitably wrong because it’s nearly impossible to choose the winner of every game. When a lower seed upsets an upper seed there’s added excitement even when it busts your bracket.

In fact, we love when the underdog surprises the favorite and wins. I especially like it because the sportscasters become flummoxed and tongue-tied. They are at a loss for words because they’ve been conditioned to primarily focus on the favorites. The networks also appear to do research and stats for the bigger programs and schools of note. The cynic in me also feels the networks want the favorites to win because that means more people watching and bigger advertisement dollars.

This makes the win of bracket busters even sweeter. The lower seeds are filled with talented players. They may not be future NBA superstars, but any athlete who has the skills to play at the collegiate level is more talented than most. It’s great to see the players who are on the teams who caused the upset talk because they ALWAYS talk about their team as a whole. Always. This is true even if one or two of their players excelled more than the others. There is a team mentality that makes them more cohesive and effective.

I believe we should have the same mentality and approach you get from the bracket busters in the workplace. Every employee who you work with is talented. Every. Single. One. Bringing employees together as a collaborative team is what we should strive to build. It’s great if you get a few people who may have a stronger skillset in one area or another, but they perform even better when they’re part of a larger team.

We need to move away from focusing primarily on a few people and see how each person can thrive and move the organization forward. Start making the effort to pull folks together into teams throughout your company. Make a group of bracket busters and see how you unlock the talent that is already present !!

Always On

One of the truly surreal aspects of my life is that people send/give me gifts. Even typing it sounds weird. You need to know how much I appreciate if/when it happens because I see the thoughtfulness behind them. You see, most of these objects reflect my quirks and personality traits I openly share through interactions online and during presentations. I never take any of these meaningful actions for granted.

Recently, when I had the chance to speak at HR Tampa, my dear friend Carol gave me something and said, “I got this to add to your collection.” There is nothing more heartwarming than that sentiment. For some context, when I travel to give presentations, I take my office. I have a table set up next to me filled with various and sundry objects. You’ll find llamas, lava lamps, Magic 8 Balls, a KISS Pez dispenser set, and more oddities. I refer to this assemblage of items during my talks. People love toys. We loved them as kids. We couldn’t get enough of them. As adults, we lose sight of the joy of play in work and in life so these are a constant reminder to keep that joy alive !!

Back to Carol’s gift . . .

She got me a wonderful “On Air” sign like you’d see at TV or radio stations. It lights up and I love it !! I reference it when I have a chance to be on a podcast, prepare for an upcoming presentation or whenever I sit down to write. I wasn’t sure where I could find a good place for it. I would love to have it travel with me and turn it on at a conference, but I’m afraid it would get damaged. I looked around my house and found the perfect place for it in my basement. It’s the one room my wife has deemed “okay” for me to fill with my countless “treasures.”

As I looked at the glowing sign, I was reminded that too often as people we feel we always have to be “on” when it comes to interacting with others. Very few people are comfortable enough to put themselves forward without a bit of hesitation when meeting others. There may be a good reason for this because of how people see themselves or how others have treated them in the past.

Being “on” is tiring though, isn’t it? Having the feeling that you can’t be yourself when you’re surrounded by other people has to be exhausting. How do you keep up the image and face you want others to see? Do you feel it’s truly protecting your self-esteem to do this? Isn’t this constant feeling of being on a stage actually keeping others at arm’s length when it may be safe to have them get to know the real you?

I am an uber extrovert. Always have been. When I get into a situation where others are present, I get excited !! I want to meet each and every person and get to know them. I’m interested in hearing their stories about who they are, what they do and how they view life. I realize this is not how most people view meeting or interacting with others. I also know I can be a bit overwhelming if I just jump into a situation with extensive amounts of energy. People have made the assumption that I’m just acting that way to be “on.”

That’s not the case at all, but I can see how you can construe this. People also assume that since I express such extroversion I have no downtime. I can understand that misconception because all of us base our pictures of others on snapshots. When you evaluate how much time you actually spend with others, it doesn’t add up to much time at all. However, we can create full-blown images of how people must act ALL. THE. TIME. from these short encounters.

I would like to suggest we step back a bit and try not to project such a complete judgment of others. It’s rarely on-point and puts people in a box. Since most people do feel the pressure to be “on,” we may not get an accurate take on them as wonderful humans. This is such a miss in our company’s culture and the workplace as a whole. Instead of having people feel they need to be on or that we construct a box for them to neatly fit in, why don’t we look at things differently?

Wouldn’t it be perfect if when two people came together, they turned on their “On Air” light to show how talented, engaged and amazing they are? There would be no other expectation. People would feel safe to turn on their lights because YOU turned yours on first to show genuine interest in them for who they are. No pretense. No gamesmanship. Just a welcoming light to let them know you couldn’t wait to hear from them.

I love Carol’s gift. It’s a solid reminder. We can unlock the light of others when we choose to turn ours on and focus on them. When it’s time to rest, recharge and contemplate, we can turn off the light for a moment. It’s good for our well-being to not always be “on.”

This week shift and realize that it’s better to be yourself – quirks and all. When it’s time to turn your “On Air” light on, do it to intentionally engage with others. You’ll start to see you’ve always been surrounded by amazing people, and they’ll see you as well.

I Know A Guy . . .

This past weekend I took a look outside in my yard and saw various tufts of grass starting to grow a bit more than in other areas. The flowers in our beds had begun breaking through the soil and mulch. You could see that Spring was trying its best to squelch the unending Winter, which was encouraging. It also meant that the next season of working in the yard was inching ever closer.

I’ve mentioned several times before that working in the yard brings me joy. It’s increasingly exhausting the older I get, but I wouldn’t trade one moment of that exhaustion. I love being outside, taking in the sun, getting my hands dirty, and especially making the looping walk of mowing the grass. Of course, that means I need to make sure my sturdy lawn mower is ready to go. I consider myself somewhat handy, but not when it comes to mechanical things with motors.

So, I folded the seats down in my Chevy Equinox, laid down a blue tarp, and hoisted my mower up into the car for its annual check-up. Years ago there was a large store that sold and repaired mowers in my town. I’m not sure why it went out of business, but one day it was just gone. I was at a loss for what to do now to get my mower maintenance done. One of my dear friends Bob told me that another one of our friends, Dave, “knew a guy.” I was geeked because I needed a new place to go. I called Dave and asked about this new option. He told me the name and location of this new haven and I went to check it out.

When you go to Jericho Mower Services, you find yourself heading through neighborhoods and over into an area of small industrial shops nestled into a series of cul de sacs. When you enter the minuscule lobby, you smell oil, gas and hear the clang of wrenches working on the mowers lined up in the back of the shop. It’s magnificent !! The owner is the person who warmly greets you with, “What’s up brother?” and you’re set to go. The team at Jericho always takes care of your equipment and they give you a detailed explanation of what they did or what’s needed.

I dropped off my Toro self-propelling unit at Jericho this Saturday and was told it would be about three weeks until it was ready. The owner was warm as ever and I knew I was in good hands. Talented hands. I was comfortable because someone who had a skill set I lacked was not only able to meet my needs but exceed them !!

What we forget in the workplace today is that there are so many talented specialists who are “go-to” resources when a fix is needed. Often they are overlooked until the time we need to contact them for help. We all “know a person” who we can rely on to provide laser-focused assistance. They may be a tradesperson, an IT professional, a mechanic or maintenance person, or a specialist in a department who excels in having a narrow focus.

I’d love to see us change the narrative and perspective on this. We all need people who possess various talents and we should value who they are and what they do. There is no hierarchy of importance that needs to be followed. Each person in an organization or who provides support for an organization from a third-party effort has immeasurable value !!

Be thankful that you “know a guy” when it’s needed. Just understand these wonderful people are essential and needed all the time and not just in a pinch. I can’t wait to get my mower back and get the chance to see the Jericho owner another time to thank him for all he does for me and others. Bring on Spring !!

Unhurried Conversations

This past weekend I traveled up the road for two hours to my hometown. I was there to visit my Mom and help her with some tasks. We’re at the stage of life where I’m now the trustee of all her financial decisions. Quick note – my mom is 84 and is in excellent health !! She is far more active than most people I know.

I know whenever I visit there will be places where I can lend a hand. I love doing it and am grateful to have such a healthy relationship with my mom. I’m fortunate to say I have healthy relationships with my extended family. I tend to see more relatives from my mom’s side, but it’s true with my stepdad’s side of the family too. My relatives from my biological dad’s side of the family are scattered all over the globe. We connect every so often and it’s wonderful as well. I don’t take this for granted. I’m well aware of many people who don’t have healthy or strong relationships with those in their lives. It touches my heart and I wish it wasn’t the case for anyone.

Mom and dad have had some rental homes for decades and she’s trying to get them sold now that my dad passed in 2020. So, after signing papers at the local law firm’s office, meeting the new landlords, and signing papers at the local bank, we squeezed in some other errands and items she wanted to be attended to. The entire time I was with my mom we were talking. We talked about the work at hand, my job, my wife’s job, our kids, and life in general.

There has always been an ease in talking with my mom. This is not only true with me and our family, but with every person she encounters. It’s almost as if you feel compelled to share openly with her. No matter who she’s with, they get her full attention and interest. She never states something and then moves on before a response is given. Time seems to stand still for her when it comes to other people. Even though she has the next “thing” to do, the person engaging in a conversation with her would never know it.

The best time where we chat is over meals. There’s a regular cadence of getting the meal ready, saying a prayer over the food and for things happening in our lives, and then we dig in. She may be one of the best cooks on the planet. I know I’m biased, but her home cooking is always on point. We talk and talk even though we know other tasks need to be addressed later in the day. And, of course, you end with a dessert of some sort because she has the most enormous sweet tooth. Saying “no” isn’t even an option.

After a magnificent dinner of Irish Stew, we cleared the table because my aunts and uncles were coming over for the Friday night tradition of playing dominoes. My aunts and uncles are also in their 80s now. They didn’t know I was visiting and there was true joy, warm embraces, and a gentle kiss when we saw each other. I headed into the dining room to start playing when my mom grabbed my arm and said, “We visit first.” So, everyone went to the living room and an unhurried conversation ensued. It was glorious !!

We covered the obligatory “catch-up” items since we don’t see each other regularly. Then we easily transitioned to talking about what was happening in their lives. I was a keen observer who chimed in every so often but spent more time listening and enjoying hearing them share with each other. There was laughter, friendly poking at each other, and also updates on concerns about the health of family and friends. (Remember, they’re in their 80s.)

After about 45 minutes, my mom said, “Well, Steve was hopeful he’d get to join in our weekly dominoes game.” And, it was on !! How cool is it that I got to play a game with my mom and my aunts and uncles? There are 13 rounds in a full game of Mexican Train and I hadn’t laughed so hard during several ooh’s, aah’s and “Why did you play that there Steven?” The game flew by and we ended with the mandatory dessert and coffee. We had cherry pie for Februcherry (insert groan here) and vanilla ice cream.

The unhurried conversation flowed throughout the hours while we played the game. It was a thread keeping everything knit together. The ribbing of who was in what place was also wonderful. I ended up in 4th place out of the six of us and it didn’t matter at all. Having meaningful time with my family was what mattered.

The time at home was a reminder of the value of slowing down, paying attention, and enjoying each word that is spoken and shared. In our world, we spend far too much time sprinting from task to task like a giant pinball. Nothing, and no one, gets our total focus or time because we tell ourselves if we dare to alter our lightspeed life, then our world will fall into utter chaos.

IT JUST ISN’T TRUE !! (and it never has been)

I don’t know how long or how many times I’ll get to see my mom and aunts and uncles over the coming years in the future. I hope there are many more times versus fewer. We’re not guaranteed a certain amount of time on this planet. I wish we were, but it’s a true unknown.

Since that’s our reality, I’m going to be more conscientious and spend my time like I did this weekend. I’ve learned from my mom. I cherish unhurried conversations and do my best to have them with everyone every time we meet. Nothing is more important to me than giving others my time. Nothing.

This week slow down. You can and you should. There is an unhurried conversation waiting for you to initiate or join in. Life is too short to miss these. Be unhurried.

So That

I was recently thinking about my dad. He, unfortunately, passed away at the end of 2020 after a fall and a brain bleed. I miss him for many reasons. One of the biggest things I miss the most is hanging out and chatting with him. He had a razor-sharp wit and loved to recite quotes he had memorized. We would tussle each time we had a conversation. It was friendly banter which always led to meaningful discussions.

My dad spoke often about leadership. He admired when he saw good leadership in practice. He also didn’t tolerate weak or poor leadership. He understood how a strong leader could positively impact a group or organization. I agree with him. The challenge is that there are so many approaches to what leadership is and how it can look.

I believe leadership is most effective when people are given context and can see what lies ahead. This type of approach is not focused on any one person. It’s focused on the action given. It’s an example of “so that” leadership.

My wife has always liked to have a clean, organized house. I appreciate that and concur even though I tend to be more of a cluttered person. One of the daily activities we do to start the day is to make our bed. I know people reading this will counter and give reasons why this is not needed or even a waste of time, but it gives her serenity and order. When our kids were young, our daughter dutifully made her bed, but our son . . . not so much.

This simple household task turned into a point of contention because Josh didn’t see any reason to make his bed. Whenever Debbie would ask him to do it, he’d dig in his heels ready to confront and launch into a diatribe filled with objections. It was easier to walk away from the argument instead of fighting to get him to do this task.

One day, I pulled him aside and decided to talk to him about the bed making. I told him, “Josh, do you know why I make our bed with mom?” “No. It’s stupid,” he retorted. “Not really,” I shared. “You see, I make our bed so that she starts her day in a great way. It gives her a sense of order and that’s important to her.”

He told me understood . . . and then . . . didn’t make his bed. Ironically, when he moved out on his own he started to make his bed. He told me it gave him a sense of peace and order. Huh !!

“So that” leadership is easy to incorporate into how you work. Giving others a simple reason for the direction and decisions you’re making takes little time or effort. We tend not to do this and we get the same reaction my wife got from our son. Without context you invite confrontation. Wouldn’t your day go better if you took the few moments it takes to give others context?

This week, start using some “so that” leadership yourself and teach others how to do it as well, and see how much smoother your day goes. Trust me. You’ll find people you once viewed as challenging soften and consider taking the action you suggested. Give your people the “why” so that they feel they’re aware of your expectations. (See how easy this is ??)

The Next Step

Our lives are ever-moving. We try to maneuver through a flurry of activity and make it seem like we have it all together. Internally we are bound in knots because just as we feel like we make progress in one area of life, we get upset that another area slips. It can be overwhelming and feel like you’re trying to run in quicksand. Add to this the fact that every person walking around you feels just like you do.

We tend to do one of two things in reaction to this hurried pace. We either suffer and complain about the state we find ourselves in, or we add more activities. It seems odd we’d choose to take on more thinking everything will balance out. The math doesn’t work. Living in a state of hurriedness is neither healthy nor sustainable. Few of us, however, do much to combat it. If anything, we supplement this rapidity with caffeine, poor eating habits, or worse.

There’s nothing wrong with living a robust and full life. It would be fantastic if that was true for everyone as long as it would be filled with activities that brought us joy. This includes the work we do. We can’t get torn up about our jobs because we need to work. Now, our jobs could be difficult and challenging for many reasons. We could have managers who make work miserable. You may need to change where you work and who you work for, but you’ll still do better having a job.

There’s another facet that impacts our life journey. Too many people look to try to determine the end of what they’re facing. You’ll hear terms like “work with the end in mind.” It appears to be an optimistic, forward-thinking aspiration, but when you feel out of control you can’t see an end to anything. So many moving parts and so many people vying for your time and attention lead to people getting more stuck than moving in any distinct direction.

I’ve always been a person who is involved in a multitude of endeavors at the same time. I usually have multiple projects moving at work, a list of to-do’s at home, keeping up with several different groups of people on social media daily along with involvement in my church and civic organizations. This doesn’t include regularly writing a blog and trying to compose a third book on HR. Those are just a few of the things I am doing. Nor does it include what’s also happening with my wife, kids, and extended family.

It sounds like there’s too much happening in my life, but this is “normal.” I’m sure it’s the same for you. I rarely feel like I’m sinking though because my focus is not on the end of the activity – it’s the next step.

You may think this is short-sighted, but I beg to differ. Having a “next step” approach keeps me moving at a regular steady pace. I don’t take one step and then freeze. The first step leads to the next step then the next step and the next step, etc. Doing this allows me to maneuver from one area of life to another since each one involves the next step of one kind or another.

One “next step” may require a high level of energy and intensity while another may call for calm. A next step could be to pause and reflect, or it could mean concerted time for an extended period. The key to all of this is simple – stay at a next step pace on a regular basis. It’s more important to experience consistency than it is to wallow in a state of hustle and bustle.

This next week make the decision to get off the unending treadmill. Be assured you can still be involved in as much as you choose, but determine what the next step will be. Then take it.

A “New” Year

It’s hard to believe it’s the year 2023. It truly is. The fear and pandemonium of Y2K are now two decades behind us. Sure, there continue to be significant shifts of global magnitude which throw us, but we’ve made it. It will be interesting to see what another year brings to each of us.

It’s ironic that we expect a drastic alteration to all facets of our lives when the calendar moves from December 31st to January 1st. It’s as if we hope for some imaginary switch to flip in the universe and then anything which is less than where we’d like gets magically fixed. I wonder who created this mindset. I understand there will always be things to improve in all areas of our lives. The movement of one day to the next will not automatically make that happen.

I don’t mean to be negative in looking at this. I consider myself an optimist in most things and with most people I encounter. I believe in humans now more than ever. Looking at all we’ve been through, it could be easy to see the worst in people. Some have even earned some consideration to lose faith in them. However, it’s because of this tendency to think the worst that I want to offer a better, yet contrary thought for the year ahead.

We need to move forward.

That’s it. Wherever you find yourself in life, there is room to move forward. That may be all the “new” you need. It may be all the “new” you can handle.

You may be saying to yourself, “Life isn’t that simple. You don’t know what I’m facing, or you just ‘don’t understand.'” I don’t want to presuppose or assume I’m aware of what’s in front of you. That wouldn’t be possible honestly.

The reason I want to suggest this notion is I find too many people who are stuck. It may be because of circumstances they’re facing or their general outlook on life and the status of the world. Instead of moving in any direction, people remain stagnant and inertia keeps them exactly where they are. The longer someone remains immobile, the less likely movement will occur at any time.

I plan to take my own advice. When I look at all that could be moving ahead at work, I get excited. There are so many ways to continue to integrate HR throughout the company so we can strive for performance as a whole. When I think about HR as an industry we have to move forward and not settle back into patterns that keep us on the “outside” looking in. We stepped up during the pandemic and now it’s time to move forward.

This doesn’t include how I’d like to see the relationships in my life also move forward. I’m looking forward to having quality time and experiences with my wife and adult kids throughout the year. Regularly connecting with my peers across the globe to make sure they know someone is always in their corner. I want to see them move forward as well in whatever is in front of them as an opportunity. Add to that some fantastic opportunities to speak and publish another book.

I’m not naive. I know there will be obstacles and challenges which will pop up. That’s no different than any other prior year. The difference is I won’t allow them to stop me from making progress.

I hope you feel this advice makes sense and is attainable for you. Yes, the year is new. Let’s make sure we all move forward and see what happens !!

The #HRCarnival – Shedding Light !!

I’ve been a big fan of the Carnival of HR for years. For those of you who are unfamiliar, each month people submit blog posts to share their thoughts and content for all to enjoy. Sometimes there are themes and other months are purely a curation of great HR blogs/articles.

As the host this month, I wanted to have a theme. When you look around the world, it can seem challenging, bleak, and unyielding. It feels like a cover of darkness is always trying to envelop all areas of life and work. I, however, have been someone who believes that people can shed light to make the darkness disperse. So, I asked people to chime in and contribute their perspectives on how they chose to do this. Enjoy the following submissions and make sure to reach out and connect with each of the authors.

Jared Narlock encourages us to recognize that we can make time for Courage, Grace and Kindness.

Jonathan Segal shows how a great distraction can give us much-needed balance. White Lotus: What’s Work Got to do with It?

Michelle Harte channels her inner Ed Sheeran and the power of supporting each other in Celestial (You Make Me Feel).

Nicole Roberts nudges us all to give back to others in the HR and Business space by Giving A Hand Up.

James Dean encourages people to make sure you’re choosing to watch and consume positive content with Shining a Light On . . . Social Media.

Jessica Beck shares a wonderful story about her Grandfather and the power of A Cool Drink on a Hot Day.

Mary Kaylor shares the good work of Jordan Quigley who she works with at Robert Half on the Search for Empathetic Leaders.

Meghan Brown has a truly uplifting post that shows us how we can Shine Bright This Holiday and Always.

Christie Engler talks about how much she enjoys gifts and wonders what gift(s) HR can give others in 2023 in Presents Are My Favorite.

Andrew Bull helps with the combination of reality and expectations of Team Performance.

John Baldino channels Sir Paul McCartney about the power of Coming Up – Joy at Work, Home and Within Self.

Jamie Bearse gives us a broader perspective by reminding us that HR Alone Can’t Create a Great Culture.

Steve Williamson asks us to consider we may have more impact than we think in Is Inspiration Your Secret Power?

Angie Redmon has put together a great set of approaches for HR leaders with End of Year Tips and Ideas.

Scott Leiper brings a ton of energy, creativity and a dash of Warren Zevon with Enjoy Every Sandwich.

Baskaran Ambavalan wraps up this Carnival with a fantastic list of suggestions for HR Priorities for Success in 2023.

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Thanks to everyone who participated in this final HR Carnival of 2022 !! Great work and great people.

I hope everyone in HR and the global HR Community chooses to be people who shed light next year every. single. day !!

All The Lights !!

I drive all the time. I’m in my car for a rather lengthy commute each day, and I go to our many pizzeria restaurants. I enjoy being in the car. It gives me a chance to think and enjoy music and podcasts, and I love getting out of my office to see people. I wish I could say that driving all the time was calming and not frustrating, but that wouldn’t be true. Like most people, I think every other person is not as good a driver as I am. That probably isn’t true because I’m sure I frustrate others too.

This Sunday I was heading to church early. It’s a simple, five to seven-minute drive all on roads that are a mix of residential and retail. To make the small drive you go through several traffic lights. On this day, I hit EVERY red light. Every. Single. One. There wasn’t an abundance of traffic around me to slow things down. It was just a matter of timing. I had left my house early enough that I wasn’t significantly delayed. Also, since I was going somewhere I enjoy, I wasn’t frustrated by the constant stop/start journey. I giggled after the fifth red light and knew it was just going to be one of “those” trips.

Hitting all of the red lights made me think about work. I know that may sound a bit odd but stick with me on this. As we start every day, we have the hope we’ll have a smooth trek with few obstacles. We yearn for the opportunity to dive into what’s in front of us with the desire to not experience any unexpected stops. It’s okay if we choose to stop, but we don’t want others to interrupt what we’re focusing on. Our ideal never occurs. Ever.

Each of us has the “commute” I had on Sunday morning. We hit every red light out there. They aren’t all in one line either. At times, red lights pop out of nowhere, but we still have to stop. When this is what we go through, we get frustrated. We don’t understand why there’s this endless series of starts and stops. We also think this is ONLY happening to us (just like other drivers are bad – not me.) The truth is the red lights are affecting the traffic of work throughout your organization.

Instead of having your blood pressure rise and your stress level increase, let’s look at those red lights differently. The reason traffic lights exist is they are meant to control the flow of traffic so everyone can move about safely. They may feel like they inhibit you from reaching your destination in a speedy manner, but they may have helped you avoid an accident you didn’t anticipate.

It’s okay to have starts and stops throughout your day. It gives you a chance to interact with others, seek context on what you’re doing, or be a resource for someone else. We won’t be able to have a seamless excursion during our work day. If we’re as integrated as we should be, then we should expect we’ll be in thick traffic all the time.

This week change your view on the red lights you’ll hit. See how they help you monitor the flow of what comes up. At each stop, take a breath and see what’s next. I’m sure you’ll start enjoying the pace you find yourself in so much more !!