It’s Just “Eh”

This weekend we were fortunate to get our first hint of Fall weather. It has been oppressively hot to the point where you didn’t want to even venture outside. Now that it was cool and brisk, we had to take advantage and jump into an activity that allowed us to enjoy the outside once again. My wife and I hopped in our car and trekked over to see our daughter in Indianapolis to take in the Penrod Arts Fair.

I was particularly giddy because I am an art fan !! I have taken my wife and kids to countless museums on a regular basis. Art fascinates me in all its forms. I was eager to see the various booths because there was a hint of uncertainty about what would be found. The fair is so large and draws a huge number of people that you are bussed in from a parking lot 10 to 15 minutes away because there isn’t enough onsite parking.

There were four separate sections filled with tents of artists. The pieces ranged from paintings to photography to jewelry to pottery to glass and metal works. The art could either be delicate and dainty or vast and abstract. Some booths drew many visitors and buyers while others got interest but people moved on. There wasn’t any way to predict what art was attractive to people. Each artist was eager to engage anyone who was willing to stop and chat. They wanted to share what they could about their creations. I enjoyed speaking with many of them just to hear their perspectives on things.

As we were milling through the crowds at a leisurely pace, a gentleman passed by me wearing a light blue sweatshirt with the greatest saying – “The Earth without Art is just ‘Eh’.” It’s a quote from the brilliantly eclectic comedian Demetri Martin. I laughed out loud when I read it and shared it with the group who was with us. They laughed as well. Even though it is a funny observation, it rings true.

After seeing the sweatshirt, I contemplated the art that was all around me. The span of creativity was hard to comprehend. There were some pieces that made me wonder how those images were in someone’s head. I found them a bit unnerving but I respected that they were how the artists chose to express themselves. Others seemed “simple” and I even quipped, “I could do that.” I know that may not be likely because I was observing while they were creating. It did pique my interest though !!

I loved that each artist was willing to share their vision and put it in front of the public. They all were unapologetic and original. It was invigorating and refreshing. It made me wonder what our workplaces would look like if we encouraged our people to be artists themselves. You see, too often work becomes “Eh.” It’s repetitive and mundane far more than it should be. We long for innovation and creativity aspirationally, but don’t allow for it to occur.

It would be an entirely vibrant environment if people knew they were allowed to unleash their creativity. Imagine what would happen if people were approached for their input, ideas, and insight instead of only focusing on throughput and outcomes. How cool would it be if people looked at each day as an empty canvas where they could add their own version of the work they were responsible for?

It’s our job to tap into that hidden artist. We would offer so much value if we viewed our employees as contributors vs. producers. Also, HR would be more exhilarating with this as our focus. It’s well past time for us to also be traditionalists in our field. Let’s commit to eliminating the “Eh” and bringing forth the art !!

A Blank Page

I remember having a conversation over 15 years ago with a friend who encouraged me to take my HR Net forum which was driven by emails and develop a thing called a “blog.” I researched what he suggested and felt my approach was fine, so I didn’t pursue it. Little did I know that four years later I would have a blog myself that I’ve enjoyed writing for 11+ years now.

My wife and I were driving back today from a gathering with family friends after watching my beloved Cincinnati Bengals open the 2023-24 NFL season poorly. She asked, “Are you going to write something tonight?” I responded, “I’m not sure what to say.” That was the truth. No keen idea came to mind. Work has been full lately with the normal challenges one faces day to day. Nothing seemed to stand out or felt significant. I hadn’t had any “aha” experiences that jostled any creative juices.

I faced a blank page.

When you write on a regular basis, a blank page can be either a friend or an enemy. You want to share something that is inspirational, life-changing, and memorable. However, you see an open white page daring you to type the first word. It can make you freeze, halt, and even become discouraged. It’s more than having writer’s block. It’s as if the page stares back at you mockingly knowing it’s going to win. Keeping you silent will give the page another victory and keep any form, thought, notion, or idea locked away yet again. Life continues its normal set of interactions. Nothing fresh is shared. Ugh.

However, a blank page is also an opportunity to just toss something out to be considered. It may not necessarily be a new idea or something earth-shattering. But, once it’s typed it can be read. Once it’s read, it can cause whoever reads it to take it in, question it, agree with what’s presented, or challenge it. The thoughts are no longer hidden or in the shadows. They’re in the open and invite others in.

If we take a blank page as something to work from and create, then we at least have the chance to alter the norm. We give room for the work we do to be altered, tweaked, improved, or dismantled. Getting ideas out into an open forum calls people to give their attention and peak their interest. Filling a blank page may give people the impetus to no longer be stuck, stagnant, or mired in inertia.

I encourage you to not dread the blank pages you face. Instead, see them as a catalyst to unleash what’s flowing in your mind. Take the countless thoughts that pull you in so many ways and get them down on paper or on a screen. If you choose to share them, great. If you don’t, at least they get out and give you space to let the other gems floating in the background a chance to move up and get your attention.

A blank page is a good thing. You never know what is waiting to come forth. It may change the world !!

I Have an Idea

I had a unique experience growing up in Ada, Ohio because every grade of our school was in one building. You could attend kindergarten and graduate from your senior year in the same place. It was all I knew so it was normal to me. Every class you took was relatively small and there were 20 to 30 classmates with you. I enjoyed this class size because you got to know the teacher, and they also took the time to know you.

Being in such a small environment also led to some interesting interactions. Our teachers chose to engage us and allowed us to challenge things at times. At times. One year, my best friend, Tom, and my brother, Mark, were in Geometry together. The teacher was new to the school and wasn’t familiar with the community culture that had been built over years. One day she was discussing the number zero and stated it was an even number. Tom and Mark respectfully disagreed. They felt the number was neutral and was neither odd nor even. The teacher didn’t like that they were challenging her. She felt they were being disrespectful when they were only trying to offer an alternative thought.

She shot back at them to “prove it” and gave them a day to do so or they’d get detention. Now, we were going to school before the internet existed. In fact, there weren’t personal computers at all. If you wanted to find information, you needed to go to the library and look up things in books. There’s a college in Ada and Tom’s dad worked for the university. Tom and Mark went to the college library and dove into as many math books as they could find. They copied pages from the books on a photocopier and triumphantly returned to Geometry the next day.

When they arrived, the teacher asked them for what they found. They were pleased to show her they found supporting information which said the number zero could be seen as “neutral.” Therefore, it was neither odd or even. The teacher did not like being upstaged and gave them detention anyway.

Sound familiar?

This is what happens in organizations all the time. We claim to want environments which are innovative and support new ideas, but when new thoughts are given we pause. Ideas are needed all the time to keep organizations moving. However, if they’re not ours we are not as keen to accept them. We can be just like my brother’s teacher and shut things down instead of looking at situations from various angles.

As HR professionals, we can change this. We are in a position to bring people together and encourage differing ways of thought. We can do this by having a culture focused on development and enrichment. Give those who manage others the latitude to experiment and explore a variety of ideas to address operational obstacles. Allow people to challenge how things have been done in the past to see if they could be improved. You may find out that the methods being used are still effective, but you may also hear/see a new way of working.

We need to listen to what people have to offer. They may come across just what is needed. Take the steps needed to give people the latitude and permission to share ideas. Learn from each other. You’ll be pleasantly surprised what happens when you do !!

Time Frames !!

We’re getting ready to have a Rummage Sale at our church at the end of May and that means people are bringing donations in. It’s heartwarming to see people so generous, and it’s fun to go through the items to see what “treasures” they’ve decided to give. My kids are home from college, and they were automatically roped in to help. As we were organizing items, I heard an audible squeal from them.

“Look at this !!” they exclaimed. “Can you believe it?”

They held up a box full of video game cartridges, controllers and a precious Nintendo 64 gaming system. Also, buried in the bottom of the box was a Sega Genesis system. They both wanted to leave instantly and plug it in to see if it worked. When we got back home, they wasted no time running to the basement to see if a glimpse of their past would come to life.

I don’t blame them. They’re acting like all of us. We relish and cherish the past. One of the great realities of how our mind is wired is that our past (even if it’s been challenging) is remembered fondly in some aspect or another. We may remember a favorite vacation spot we visited, or a certain toy that we always played with, or a song that evokes certain memories.

The music side of the past is where I find myself living. Sirius XM just announced it’s going to have a Beatles station, and I can’t wait !! As I thought about this though, I’m geeked about a group that started over 50 years ago !! The more I contemplated this, the more I realized that the majority of the music I enjoy is 30 to 50 years old. Eek !!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I dig finding new artists and music to enjoy as well, but it takes a conscious effort to do that. I’m much more comfortable listening to the catalogs of artists I already have in my music collection.

This “living in the past” mentality is something that hinders us personally and organizationally. There’s nothing wrong with having great memories and experiences from years gone by. However, using the good old days as our frame of reference keeps the status quo as the norm. It also explains how challenging it is to move things forward in companies. People desire innovation, but few make that happen because they’re trapped in the past.

You can learn from history, and you should. Your past accomplishments can be a great foundation from which to build. The key is . . . build !! Being excited about the past is not generational (as noted above.) Every generation wants to keep hold of those great instances. Another challenge that arises though, is that each generation thinks their idea from the past is the one that should drive how things are done.

As HR pros, we need to be wary of the trap of time ourselves. Things changes too quickly now and thinking that we can just maintain the status quo and be successful is a mistake. I think WE should be the one who help honor the past, but force things to move forward and not allow things to get stuck in the mire.

Always remember, we are given the responsibility of caring for humans. Let’s keep them moving !!

To show that I believe in modeling the behavior you expect in others, here’s a great new musical find that a friend shared with me recently aptly fitting HR. Take some time to enjoy “Human” by Rag’n’Bone Man !!

I Am HR !!

I am SpartacusIn the classic film Spartacus, Kirk Douglas leads a revolt against Rome.  He and his fellow slaves are face-to-face with the Roman troops when the commander demands that Spartacus reveal himself.  All of his fellow slaves stand and declare that THEY are Spartacus until the entire throng claims to be Douglas.  He stands defiantly facing his enemy while everyone rallies around him.  It is timeless and a call to arms for people to support a just cause and overthrow the empire !!

This past week a true revolutionary in our field of HR, Laurie Ruettimann, released her new e-book, I Am HR: 5 Strategic Ways to Break Stereotypes and Reclaim HR.  To put it simply, it is magnificent !!

Laurie has been a trendsetter in Social Media and HR for several years.  Her punk rock approach to what we do is edgy, challenging and intentional.  She hasn’t settled for HR to remain in stasis, and that doesn’t always sit well with people.  In fact, I know that people tend to either be hot or cold with Laurie since she rarely takes a stand in the middle of the road.

I respect Laurie for being a boundary stretched in a field that cries out so desperately for this.  For too long HR has bemoaned how it “isn’t this” or “isn’t that.”  We are the ONLY profession that does this by the way !!  Laurie and I have different approaches to being passionate about HR, but I consider her a dear friend who makes me think and not accept the norms that are often set as standards for our industry.

I am HRThis e-book takes the stereotypes of HR and peels them back.  It doesn’t pile on or reinforce them, but it does ask you as the reader to face what we’ve become.

The true appeal to Laurie’s work is that she offers some tangible solutions for each of these stereotypes to be addressed and thwarted.  Some HR books give lofty theoretical models filled with catchphrases and false motivation to get you jacked up to “act” into yet another phase of corporate ambiguity.  This book doesn’t do that.  In fact, Laurie gives real world examples of HR professionals that she has observed as people who break these stereotypes.  You can find each of these HR pros active in all facets of the field and from all types and sizes of industries.  Ironically, each of the people she lists are also visible and active in Social Media trying to move the entire profession forward as well as where they work.

This book will push you to look introspectively and then ask you to stand and proclaim.  I know that when I read it, I readily exclaimed, ” I AM HR !! ” as if I was rallying with Spartacus.  I encourage you to download the book, keep it on hand, refer to it often and join the throng to proclaim that YOU ARE HR !!

Have You Played Lately ??

I have !!  Man, the past few weeks have been full of FUN !! And, I work in HR !!  How cool is that?

We had our Christmas Party for our store Managers at Star Lanes at Newport on the Levee.  There was bowling, eating and billiards surrounded by tons of laughter and stories.  It was very casual and loads of fun !!

I also had the privilege of speaking at the chapter meeting of the Greater Cincinnati HR Association (GCHRA) and the event sold out !! Yikes !!  The presentation was on Leadership through HR, and I had a blast.  Lots of laughter, stories and food !!

Then, this weekend I went to the National Museum of the US Air Force on the Wright Patterson Air Force Base with my Boy Scout Troop.  We went through the miles of planes and years of history on a scavenger hunt, took in an IMAX movie and even got to tour through past Air Force One planes.  The boys (and certain adults) let their imaginations run wild and pretend we were fighter pilots.  We all picked our favorite planes that we just HAD to have !!  Again, more laughing, fun and memories.

The ironic thing during all of these activities . . . no one got hurt.  No one was upset.  No one was negative.

It made me start to reflect about what we do in HR.  Is it fun?  Do we allow people to play?  Or, are our processes more important than people?

How about our Associations, Conferences and gatherings?  Fun ?? Parts of them are, but there are also a myriad of rules and structures with good intentions, but limit people from enjoying themselves.

Why is this?  Is someone playing at work, or having fun that threatening?  I’ve said this before. Do you know what happens to kids when they grow up?  They become our employees !!

This week start a new practice before people make silly New Year’s Resolutions that they will strive to break vs. keep.

Have fun at work !!  Quit looking for others to engage you.  Be engaged first yourself !!  Fun is different for all of us, but look around at your company’s culture and see if it fosters creativity or compliance – innovation or conformity.

I plan to play more and more and pull others along with me. Let’s see who’s more productive in the end !!