Tag: Positivity

Looking Ahead !!

This weekend, my wife and I did one of our favorite activities by going to see a movie in a theater. We’re both big fans of movies, and there still isn’t an experience as grand as seeing a movie on the big screen. There just isn’t.

I had to do a bit of convincing to get her to see the feature I wanted to see, but she agreed to give it a go. We chose to see Song Sung Blue starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. I was fully engrossed the moment Jackman started the film. The script was wonderful, and every member of the cast was perfect. There were several actors who had been very popular in the past who came back to the screen and crushed it. On top of the story, you laid in the incredible musical catalog of the legendary Neil Diamond.

For me, the movie was very emotional. I think I cried 6 or 7 times throughout the film. The story has giant highs and extreme lows. It’s very human and based on a couple who were featured in an award-winning documentary. They saw themselves as entertainers who wanted to help people forget their troubles for the few moments they saw their shows. Jackman played Mike Sardina, who fancied himself a Neil Diamond interpreter nicknamed Lightning, and Hudson played his talented wife, nicknamed Thunder.

To say this couple experienced “life” would be an understatement !! Much of their lives was fraught with tough choices, poverty, and a lack of what many would consider success. It didn’t squelch their passion or desire to constantly move forward. Their dream to perform never dimmed. Never. They didn’t know what lay ahead for them or their family members, but they kept looking ahead.

It was a magnificent movie, which I highly recommend not only because you’ll enjoy it, but also because it conveys a great message for where we are today as a society. We all wish we had a crystal ball that clearly revealed what would come next for us in our daily lives. We don’t, and it’s a good thing. Life is unpredictable and always will be.

The question is, “How will you react when the unexpected comes?”

We’re on the edge of beginning a New Year. Most of what you read, see, and hear is dripping with disdain, negativity, and divisiveness. “What’s wrong” is the lens that leads most people’s days, regardless of what they’re facing. That is discouraging and could lead to you getting mired down to the point of not moving at all. Even if you choose to be immobile, life continues to move around you.

I think we’d be better off as individuals and as a society if we learned from Lightning and Thunder by pushing forward by first coming together. They realized how much better they were as a duo to tackle what was in front of them than trying to gut things out on their own.

I’m excited about 2026, and I have no idea what will happen. I refuse to succumb to the antagonism and darkness that try to claw for my attention and emotions. I will do all I can to see the best in others, even if they fail me (because I’m sure to fail others myself). I will encourage others to thrive and be there to listen to how life is treating them. I will pursue my passions and make sure to reach out to connect with others any time I can. When something unexpected comes, I’ll pause, assess, and then move forward. That’s how I choose to look ahead !!

To give you just a tiny flavor of the film, here’s a deep cut Neil Diamond hit they played. Just phenomenal !!

Patch and Repair

Spring is upon us and I’m geeked !! Seriously. I love the rain, the storms, and the inevitable greening of the lawn. Some of my best time is spent out working in my yard. I enjoy trimming, mowing, planting, and rearranging our landscaping. Sure, there are days when there’s too much rain or the sun is scorching, but that is to be expected.

When the lawn wakes from its dormant winter slumber, you see how it fared from the prior season. You’re hopeful that it will grow back into one lush, consistent carpet. However, that rarely happens. There is that initial tinge of frustration and a heavy sigh. But, then the juices start flowing and the joy of yardwork begins for another year.

I went to Costco and bought two bags of patch & seed, and felt I would have enough to cover any parts of the lawn that didn’t look like they were going to fill in. It took me quite a bit of time to carefully prep the areas and then spread the material. I was quite satisfied with my progress until I looked around. It was definitely a good start, but I could see that more seed would be needed. I was able to get the first batch spread before an overnight rain which made the work worth it.

Sunday meant another trip to Costco with a more measured assessment of what I’d need. The first two bags were used in the front yard. I didn’t even get a chance to take a peak at the backyard. This resulted in more of an investment and the purchase of five additional bags. I wasn’t sure if it was an overreach, but I wanted to make sure the job could be accomplished.

Our entire yard has very mature trees. They take in a ton of water any time they can. I can’t fathom how massive the root systems running throughout our yard are. They have to encompass a majority of our 1/2 acre lot. That means patches appear and the front yard took a beating. I ended up spreading five of the seven bags of patching material in the bare spots seemingly everywhere. It was a bit disheartening because I still wanted to get to the backyard, and hoped I’d have enough to cover those patches.

Thankfully, I did. The seven bags sufficed. What you need to keep in mind is that 85% of our lawn is in great shape. The 15% that needed attention was in rough shape, but it didn’t mean that I needed to reconstruct the entire lawn (thankfully). Now, I’m hoping that the predicted storms from tonight water the patches, the seed will take root, and new growth will cover the bare areas. A couple of hours of work could result in that wonderful, lush carpet I seek.

This most recent project is similar to work. We’re in a challenging time in the workplace, and honestly, the world. More than I’d care to admit I have heard co-workers exclaim how they feel everything is f****d !! They openly use the word you think it is. That doesn’t offend me. What is concerning is that the bare patches they’re working on have convinced them the entire lawn is shot.

We get so laser-focused on what’s “wrong” with the work we’re responsible for that we miss seeing any other part of the work landscape. A friend and fellow co-worker of mine had this amazing sign she put on her workstation so that when you enter her office, it’s the first thing you see. It gives you a different “F” to use.

Everything is Figureoutable !! It’s a great phrase and I love that it’s a made-up word because it makes you pause and think. If we take this stance to how we do work and how we choose to interact with each other, then I think we’ll make sustainable progress. This frames your day in a constructive way. It allows you to find out what needs to be patched and repaired.

Yes, those patches may take a heavy lift of time and attention, but they are not the entire system of how a company functions. They may represent the 15% of my lawn that needed some care and love. Everything isn’t f****d. It just isn’t. We can’t allow the allure of challenge and negativity to suck us down into the muck.

This week see how you can see things as figureoutable. Get the materials you need to cover the bare spots, and then see how your good work will pull the workplace together !!

Paperback Writer !!

Six years ago I had a blog post with this same title because I was sharing the news that I had written a book about HR called HR on Purpose !! I was not sure what would happen by taking the time to put down my thoughts about the profession I love. The goal back then was to put something out in the industry that ran against the grain of what had been the tenor of people trying to tear down HR. It has been very successful and I’ve heard from people all over the globe who’ve read it. It was humbling, to say the least.

I was glad to see that a message of positivity and encouragement had made its way out to try to stem the negativity that seemed so prevalent. I felt I had accomplished what I had intended and I’d be done with the book business. Three years passed by and my publisher dropped me an email and asked – “Do you think you have another book in you?” I hadn’t given it much thought, but I was wondering if I could do it again. In the first book, I wanted to rally my peers to own who we are and what we do. Be proud of being an HR practitioner. I felt led to lay out an approach to show how HR people can be leaders in what we do. I pulled out my laptop and started writing to see what would happen. A month and a half later, I had put together book number two – HR Rising !! It felt good to keep writing.

When my second book was to be published, the world shut down. We all had far more important things to focus on. I was pleased to see how the world pulled together for a time in order to survive. I also loved how organizations finally woke up to the reality that people are essential. It’s a shame we needed a global crisis for this to be known. HR professionals were asked to step up and lead . . . and they did. HR showed it should be put into a leadership role.

As we continued to try to navigate our way through the pandemic, more and more uncertainty hit everyone like never-ending waves constantly crashing against a beach. I was touched by the wonderful folks I work with who made a giant poster of my second book and they all signed it. To be acknowledged and recognized in this way was so touching. It hangs in my office to this day. Two books. I was good with this.

We had a major leadership shift change at work occur at the end of 2020 which was completely unexpected. My boss, our COO, passed away from a heart attack. He had been with the company for only 47 years. We went through a full reset and my role changed considerably. As we worked our way through new methods and approaches, I was in several meetings where I shared many of the people-centric ideas I had written about more openly. I also threw out new ideas because they seemed to fit.

During one of these meetings, Michael, our CEO, quipped, “Is this going to be in your next book?” I was stunned. He was serious. I asked just to double-check and he really wanted me to do it.

So, six years after attempting to capture my thoughts about HR, I have written book number three – HR Unleashed !! The thought behind this book is to encourage HR not to retreat to the practices of how we had been doing HR before the pandemic. We need to move forward and drive organizations to be intentionally people first. The book is filled with stories and examples of how you can make this happen. I believe companies that make this come to life will remain relevant. It’s the key for HR to stay ahead of the future.

This book was published at the SHRM Annual Conference just as my prior two books were. I’m floored by the response so far and grateful for the opportunity to get another dose of positivity to elevate HR out into the world. I’ve enjoyed being a paperback writer. We’ll see where things go from here . . .