HR Unleashed!!: Changing the Narrative and Direction of Human Resources 1586446274, 9781586446277

Table of contents :
HR Unleashed
Advance Praise for HR Unleashed
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1. So, THIS Is It?!
Chapter 2. It’s Not the Path
Chapter 3. Tear Down the Silos
Chapter 4. Anchor Your People
Chapter 5. Dump Your Bucket
Chapter 6. Breathe/Check
Chapter 7. People Need to Know
Chapter 8. Finding My Way
Chapter 9. The Myth of Experience
Chapter 10. Into the Storm
Chapter 11. Collaboration, Flipcharts, and Meetings
Chapter 12. Simply Radical
Chapter 13. Discuss vs. Defend
Chapter 14. The Power of Llamas
Chapter 15. Don’t Be an Entertainer
Chapter 16. Thread People
Chapter 17. Crossing the Moat
Chapter 18. The Organizational Molecule
Chapter 19. Time to Develop
Chapter 20. The Talent Abides
Chapter 21. Our Present and Future
Chapter 22. The Best Role
Chapter 23. Keep it Weird
Chapter 24. Enable and Equip
Chapter 25. Let’s Start Here
Chapter 26. When in Doubt . . . Grout
Chapter 27. The Seat Is Gone
Chapter 28. Belong to a Cohort
Chapter 29. Get Rid of Everyone
Chapter 30. Culture Keepers
Chapter 31. The Next Step
Chapter 32. Conclusion
Index
About the Author
About SHRM Books

Citation preview

advance praise for

HR UNLEASHED !!

Get ready to be inspired! Steve Browne’s personal story of lessons learned and leadership in HR is both relatable and actionable. With strategies for unleashing the “buffalo mentality,” he shows us how to fully embrace our roles and responsibilities in HR. Forget about policies — it’s all about people. This book challenges misconceptions and offers a new vision for the profession. As an HR pro, you’ll gain a changed perspective that will transform how you listen, lead, and love your work and those whom you serve. Khalilah Olokunola, Impact Architect & People Strategist, ReEngineering HR, Wilmington, North Carolina A glorious gallop through what HR can and should be. Steve’s infectious energy and insight champions us to unleash our gifts to change the lives of others for the better and forever. Scott Leiper, Creator, The Learning Lab & Imaginocity, South Ayrshire, Scotland In Steve’s other two books, he set the scene for this third part of the trilogy. This book explains the kind of person you need to be, and the way you need to think and behave, to be successful in your HR role and to help your business be even more successful as a result. Steve packed HR Unleashed !! with interesting, useful, and heartfelt personal and professional anecdotes that show how he walked this walk and talked this talk. The book also contains helpful tips on how to be more effective in your own role and why you matter more than anything. Enjoy reading! Gary Cookson, Director/Founder, EPIC HR Ltd., Winsford, England Steve empowers all HR professionals to build networks and take control of how they are viewed, valued, and involved at every level of their own HR journey. With his latest book he will be viewed and valued as an impactful, educational storyteller who walks the talk. Ben Watts, Chief Executive Officer, wattsnext Group, Coorparoo, Queensland, Australia With his third book, HR Unleashed !!, Steve Browne once again writes a must-read for every HR professional. With his powerful weaving of personal stories, work anecdotes, and essential advice, readers will be left feeling not only seen and heard but also empowered, encouraged, and reenergized. Tracie Sponenberg, Chief People Officer, The Granite Group, Concord, New Hampshire

With HR Unleashed !!, Steve Browne once again provides several stellar workplace bon mots that combine HR theory and practice with humor and practical wisdom. Consider it more “chicken soup for the HR soul.” Matthew Stollak, PhD, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, Associate Professor of Business Administration, St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin Steve’s book series is essential reading for any HR professional, in fact, for anyone with management responsibilities. Steve has the ability to share a story and later you realize he also delivered a lesson. Selena Govier, HR Pub Quizmaster, Cornhill, Scotland Whether you are new to human resources or have years of experience, the real-life workplace situations Steve recounts show us we have the power to make a difference. Not only does HR Unleashed !! provide readers with chuckles, it holds the motivation some need to untether themselves from their desks and work directly with people to solve business issues. Tiffany Toussaint, Talent Acquisition Leader, Mortenson, Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota

HR UNLEASHED Changing the Narrative and Direction of Human Resources

steve browne, shrm-scp

Society for Human Resource Management Alexandria, Virginia shrm.org Society for Human Resource Management, India Office Mumbai, India shrmindia.org Society for Human Resource Management, Middle East and North Africa Office Dubai, UAE shrmmena.org

Copyright © 2023 Steve Browne. All rights reserved. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering legal or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent, licensed professional should be sought. The federal and state laws discussed in this book are subject to frequent revision and interpretation by amendments or judicial revisions that may significantly affect employer or employee rights and obligations. Readers are encouraged to seek legal counsel regarding specific policies and practices in their organizations. This book is published by SHRM. The interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations in this book are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., +1-978-750-8600 or www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to SHRM Book Permissions, 1800 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 or https://www.shrm.org/about-shrm/pages/copyright-permissions.aspx. SHRM books and products are available on most online bookstores and through the SHRMStore at shrmstore.org. SHRM creates better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together. As the voice of all things work, workers and the workplace, SHRM is the foremost expert, convener and thought leader on issues impacting today’s evolving workplaces. With nearly 325,000 members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 235 million workers and families globally. Learn more at SHRM.org. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Browne, Steve, author. Title: HR unleashed!! : developing the differences that make a difference / Steve Browne. Description: Alexandria, VA : Society for Human Resource Management, [2023] | Summary: ““This book follows “HR on Purpose!!” and “HR Rising!!” to equip human resource (HR) professionals to ensure they and the HR function are integrated and intricately woven into their organizations and all areas and aspects of how people work-- Provided by publisher. Identifiers: LCCN 2023012078 (print) | LCCN 2023012079 (ebook) | ISBN 9781586446277 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781586446284 (pdf) | ISBN 9781586446338 (epub) | ISBN 9781586446260 (kindle edition) Subjects: LCSH: Personnel management. Classification: LCC HF5549 .B8656 2023 (print) | LCC HF5549 (ebook) | DDC 658.3--dc23/eng/20230316 Printed in the United States of America  FIRST EDITION PB Publishing  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

I’d like to dedicate this book to Fred Eck. He’s been my mentor, sage, roomie, and guide at many HR conferences. He has always been a shining example of how to be joyful, fully human, and present. Our weekly check-ins, convos over coffee, or chances to share an adult beverage are priceless. I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without Fred in my corner !!

CONTENTS

Contents

viii

Foreword xi Introduction xv Chapter 1. So, THIS Is It ?!

1

Chapter 2. It’s Not the Path

7

Chapter 3. Tear Down the Silos

13

Chapter 4. Anchor Your People

19

Chapter 5. Dump Your Bucket

27

Chapter 6. Breathe/Check 31 Chapter 7. People Need to Know

37

Chapter 8. Finding My Way

43

Chapter 9. The Myth of Experience

49

Chapter 10. Into the Storm

55

Chapter 11. Collaboration, Flip Charts, and Meetings

65

Chapter 12. Simply Radical

73

Chapter 13. Discuss vs. Defend

79

Chapter 14. The Power of Llamas

85

Chapter 15. Don’t Be an Entertainer

91

Chapter 16. Thread People

99

Chapter 17. Crossing the Moat

105

Chapter 18. The Organizational Molecule

111

Chapter 19. Time to Develop

117

Chapter 20. The Talent Abides

123

Chapter 21. Our Present and Future

129

Chapter 22. The Best Role

135

Chapter 23. Keep it Weird

141

Chapter 24. Enable and Equip

147

ix Contents

Chapter 25. Let’s Start Here

153

Chapter 26. When in Doubt . . . Grout

159

Chapter 27. The Seat Is Gone

165

Chapter 28. Belong to a Cohort

171

Chapter 29. Get Rid of Everyone

177

Chapter 30. Culture Keepers

183

Chapter 31. The Next Step

189

Chapter 32. Conclusion 193 Index 199 About the Author  205 About SHRM Books  207

FOREWORD

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Foreword

WHEN STEVE VENTURED into the waters, yet again, to write his next book, he heard, “Really?” from some of his well-meaning friends. Okay, I said it. It wasn’t because I didn’t think he could, but rather it came from a wonder as to how there could be more to say. Was this next foray into the written word valuable or could this be “Mistake Number 3” à la the iconic, fab ’80s band Culture Club? And then I read the manuscript. It had to be written. You see, being effective requires constant practice. When I think about the dynamism necessary to make work great, it almost occurs at a pace where calories should be counted. The burn is real. However, the resulting organizational vitality is worth the effort. If we could take “Before” and “After” pictures, we would really see the difference. But organizational change is not an overnight fix, nor is it a one-and-done effort. As with other change management strategies, the implementation takes time and requires consistency. Often, these two needs are short in supply and in patience. The road we travel to make things better is paved with potholes, sinkholes, and steeplechase hurdles. Thrilling, right? Walking the talk of organizational cultural impact is not for the faint of heart. It is a labor, quite literally, of testing hypotheses and course-correcting, often on the fly. Weariness can settle in quickly. But the same road littered with obstacles is also lined with spectators. Those spectators represent our colleagues, our leadership, our subordinates, and our teammates. We have the entire company watching the work we do in human resources, and they want to see how we’re doing. They want to believe you can do it, even if they may taunt you on the journey. They balance high hopes with bitterness born out of experience. And you stand as the ambassador of impact at the threshold of, as Jim McKay would say during the Wide World of Sports, “the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.” Yet, there is one narrower group of people involved here. They stand by those spectators in the bleachers. They are often right along the edge of the racetrack, straining their necks to get a great

xiii Foreword

look of you coming up the road. They have posters with phrases of encouragement or huge cardboard cutouts of your head. They raise those banners high and yell loudly as you approach. They are loving you to win. These are your cheerleaders, your support group, your people. They are in your corner rooting you on. Belief in yourself is key to success. That belief is encouraged, hopefully, by the group closest to you, but it also must be encouraged in you by you. You don’t get to sit back and hope the positive will of the people is enough to guide you to success. Oh no. That’s not how this works. You must get dirty. You must doubt plans. You must weigh pros and cons. You must adjust to leading, to managing, and to serving behind the scenes concurrently. You must show what the absolute best in a thriving organization looks like. Flexibility at work is much more than the opportunity for a hybrid office requirement. The mobility necessarily needs to include things like focus group feedback to change a process, testing workplace theories for productivity and efficiency, and piloting an enhanced program for a department to work out the kinks so that other divisions have a smoother go of it. Learning is a trait of the nimble when it is done correctly. Merely gathering information and calling that a win is like watching a video of someone running and believing that’s enough for you to refer to yourself as a marathon champion. The proof is in the action, and the wisdom is in the evolving approaches. When hearts and minds are affected, the company is changed. People drive work. They drive culture, performance, and branding, for better or for worse. The first time I read Good to Great by Jim Collins, I was sure that if I got everyone to read it, our company would be at the forefront of excellence. Reading that book was helpful to me, just as reading this one will be. What I forgot was that reading the book was not the goal. Learning from the book, applying its principles (at least a few of them), and consistently doing what needed to be done was what would change us for the better. Going to the gym one day a month won’t do much to change your body. Reading the latest and greatest advice once a year won’t fix work either. And knowing Steve as well as I do,

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Foreword

he doesn’t want you to just read this book and pop it back on the shelf. Relational impact is a key driver for the work we do. We push to earn the right to invest in people. We don’t need to have it all right; we need to start by letting people know they are alright. Sit with those around you and affirm their talents. Share stories of failure so they can know how to rise again when they mess up. Speak a future into the lives of those around you who may not be able to see the awesomeness in them that you do. Cast a vision, provide the tools, and travel the road with them. You are someone’s cheerleader as they race on a road that you may have traveled previously. Your encouragement means much more when you have gotten dirty too. Enjoy this latest work by my friend Steve. As you read it, picture Steve holding up posters with encouragement just for you as he cheers for you from the sidelines of the raceway. He believes in you even if he doesn’t yet know you. And having support like that in your corner is empowering. It’s invigorating. It’s life changing. And that is the business we’re all in — changing lives. —John Baldino President of Humareso (and a best friend)

INTRODUCTION

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Introduction

IN MY FIRST “real” HR role, which was the second job in my career, I joined an entrepreneurial manufacturing company. Right after I started, I heard a story that gave me a sobering perspective of what not to do as a human resource professional. I was enjoying lunch with two of my peers and asked them what HR had been like before I joined the company. They both started laughing. “It was a joke,” the plant manager, Ron, said. “The person before you had an office that sat in the middle of the entire floor. No matter how you walked through the corporate office you had to go past her desk. She never left it. Ever.” “That’s right,” chimed in Marvin. “We never really knew what she did, but we were told we had to take people-related issues to her. When we did, we’d get the same answer. ‘You can’t do that. It’s illegal.’ That was her pat answer in every conversation.” Ron replied, “Yeah. It kind of freaked us out. There wasn’t anything we brought up that wasn’t allegedly breaking some law or another.” “Was that true? Were you breaking the law?” I asked. Marvin retorted, “Hell, we didn’t know. It just freaked us out. After a while we just avoided her. We knew what she was going to say so we didn’t involve her at all.” I asked, “Didn’t anyone address her? How could she do HR if she kept pushing everyone away?” “That’s the best part of the story, Steve.” Ron chuckled. “One day, Dick, the CEO and owner of the company, was walking through the office. He had heard us complain that we never found it useful to work with her. We didn’t know what she did and why she kept being such an obstacle. He went up to her desk and said, ‘I heard we’re breaking a bunch of laws. Which ones?’ She was flabbergasted. Marvin and I could hear the confrontation, and we were

xvii Introduction

floored that he was so straightforward. But you know that’s his style. He doesn’t pull punches.” “What did she say?” I wondered. “Nothing. Not a single word,” Marvin declared. I could see how giddy he was in recanting this story. “She was making it up. She didn’t know. She would just tell us we were breaking laws to keep us away from her. Dick let her go that day. He just told her to leave because she didn’t know her job and he didn’t need that from anyone in the company. I hope you know what you’re doing in HR, Steve. You don’t want to follow her antics.” I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. It was scary because I was so new in my role. More than that though was the confusion I had in why my predecessor felt that what she was doing was how to practice HR. I did everything I could from that moment on to never be the person “behind the curtain.” It saddens me to see more than thirty-five years later that HR still predominantly lurks in the shadows and sidelines of organizations. The pandemic pulled back the veil to show executives that EVERY issue in the life of an organization is a people issue. Every. Single. One. It was like a grand awakening !! The challenge in front of the profession is that we’re still located on the sidelines. Much of what HR does remains a mystery to the majority of others working in the same organization. We continue to tolerate this reality instead of taking steps to burst forth and assume a leadership role. Have you ever seen the movie The Wizard of Oz? It’s an all-time classic. As you follow the adventures of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, you reach the climax of the movie when they encounter the Wizard. They enter the palace and the room where the Wizard is supposed to be and they see an enormous menacing green face accompanied by billowing smoke, loud organ music, and an amplified voice meant to provoke

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Introduction

fear and awe. Of course, this is all a ruse. The actual Wizard is a regular-looking person who is found out once the characters look behind the curtain. There’s nothing about him that matches the audacious show he hid behind. This is a lot like HR in most organizations. Many trappings, posturing, elusive maneuvers, and obtuse, industry-specific language are regularly used to keep others at arm’s distance. HR remains a mystery in most organizations even though it could be, and should be, leading the people strategy in a proactive, intentional manner. It’s time to change the narrative of your role, our profession, and the global HR community as a whole. There’s no need to be relegated to a position where you’re only called upon in a time of concern or crisis. At the same time, we need to drop the shroud of how we practice HR. What we do should be transparent, approachable, and tangible and should drive the performance of everyone throughout the organization. This isn’t some lofty aspiration. It’s well within our grasp. The decision that’s before you is whether you are willing to pick up the gauntlet to unleash HR yourself. Join me as we create, define, and take this journey together as HR peers. I’m geeked to see where it will go now and well into the future !!

CHAPTER 1.

SO, THIS IS IT ?!

1

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HR Unleashed !!

THE WORLD HAS changed. This is not a new statement or some unknown revelation. The world is constantly in a state of flux. It moves and changes without us asking or knowing about it. What I’m referencing is the realization that we went through a global pandemic. A friend of mine, Lisa Horn, gave me a phrase I feel encapsulates a deep-seated awareness of the obvious. She told me one time, “Should we talk about the dead moose on the table ??” That grabs your attention !! Most people ask about the elephant in the room, but I like the moose visual instead. It makes you pause and take note because no one would want that to be reality. However, we need to pause, reflect, and come to terms with the fact that work and the workplace will NEVER be the same after the pandemic. Ever. When the world came to a screeching halt in March of 2020, no one knew what to do or how to respond. This was the first global event for most of the current population where we all experienced something in common. The last one was most likely World War II. Think of that. Constant local, regional, and national events occur daily. If you’re in those areas when the disruptive events occur, then it is very real for you. However, if you aren’t personally affected or disrupted, you probably aren’t aware of anything outside of your sphere of focus. You may take in a snippet of news online or catch a newscast and think, “Wow, that has to be rough.” But, if you’re not immediately impacted, it’s just a story. The pandemic wasn’t a story. It was an actual global occurrence. We’ve never seen our daily lives grind to a halt. We were uncertain about our future, and we don’t like uncertainty. Not at all. People were confined to their residences. Isolation was the norm on top of not knowing what was coming next. Add to all of this how the pandemic hit people personally. People became ill themselves and some unfortunately experienced the loss of loved ones. Remember, many of these people were also employees. If they weren’t, they may have been family members of those who worked for companies. It’s tragic that it took a global crisis for senior leaders to realize they were facing a “people issue.” I mentioned this earlier: since

3 Chapter 1. So, THIS Is It ?!

it personally affected people, now it mattered. To react to all that was happening, workplaces took a giant step into the unknown as well. People have spoken and written about wanting employers and employees to grasp the fact that change occurs all the time. Change is usually incremental and subtle. Rarely is there a massive shift in one direction or another. The pandemic caused a seismic shift. We immediately were forced to adopt remote work, which had been fought against for decades. Now there was no choice. This wasn’t true for everyone though. The “essential worker” term came to life because those workers occupied roles that had to be in person. World governments were put into a position of knee-jerk and rapid regulatory efforts. They issued blanket statements and restrictions because they were as in the dark about how to address what was happening as everyone else. You would have thought society would have pulled together during this crisis. There were pockets where that happened. At the same time, there were more pockets that felt like they were going to pull each other apart with their level of divisiveness. The word “unprecedented” became a daily, if not hourly, term in everyone’s vocabulary. Executive leadership then did something that had not been consistently done until this period of time. They looked to human resources and said, “What should we do? This is adversely affecting our people. We need you to step up.” HR responded and did it magnificently. HR became the communication hub for organizations to establish the new ways of working with people being remote. The use of technology leapt light-years ahead to enable work to continue. HR pros also became the facilitators of regulatory interpretation and implementation while being the center point of care, empathy, and connection for all COVID-19 instances. It was encouraging to see HR step into the gap once the door was opened. We are now heading into the third year since the global shift occurred. Things will never be how they were before the pandemic. This is the “new normal” people were longing for. It

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HR Unleashed !!

isn’t what any of us expected or wanted, but it is the norm now. We will continue to have a workforce that expects more flexibility in the schedule of when and how they work. Some form of COVID is going to be present in all of society moving forward. It seems to be less harmful, but it may never disappear completely. Employees have reevaluated life in general, and work may not be their first priority anymore. People are also taking control of their careers and being more intentional about whom they’ll work for. People are not going to retreat from these new expectations of their employers. As HR pros, we shouldn’t retreat either !! The fetters of being relegated to the sidelines and utilized primarily when there’s a behavioral issue have been loosened or eliminated. When the pandemic was just starting, people longed for things to return to the ways they were before the crisis. It’s understandable for people to have this sentiment, but it’s not realistic. We should not want to be back in the corner of the organization ever again. We have been unleashed, and it’s time for us to own that and practice in new ways. You see, every issue is a people issue. This is not only true because a global catastrophe occurred. Just as companies woke up quickly and became agile in order to stay on top of the tidal wave of changes, HR needs to do the same. We can’t afford to be lulled back into the methods and approaches we had been following prior to the pandemic. Our people have always been present and they’ve always mattered, whether that was acknowledged or not. Now that organizations recognize how all aspects of work are connected to humans, we have had an “unprecedented” (sorry, I had to) landscape opened before us. I want to make sure to communicate the weight of how critical this shift for human resources is. I don’t want people to sag and drift backward. You have to understand, I’ve already heard peers at conferences and seen people speak and write about getting work and people “back in line.” Time to crack heads and go back to the uncomfortable world of enforcement. It’s tempting to go back to old habits and patterns, but you need to be aware of a pitfall that is facing you if you do.

5 Chapter 1. So, THIS Is It ?!

Companies had an awakening during the pandemic about how they could be, and should be, a people-first company. I’m not talking about social events and tchotchkes emblazoned with a company logo. Putting people first at the head of efforts prior to work occurring is becoming the norm for forward-thinking entities. These companies are going to lead the way and redefine work on an ongoing basis. Companies and HR pros that choose to regress will become irrelevant. It’s only a matter of time. So, if you’re not a people-first practitioner yourself, you need to know the world of work is passing you by at a phenomenal pace. It isn’t going to stop either. I know making this shift to being people-first is not clear, and it may even be uncomfortable as you maneuver through what’s ahead. That’s okay. Own that. We’ve been given access and support at a level that has been aspirational for decades. How exciting is it knowing we can create, innovate, and improve the entire world of work going forward? We don’t have to know all the answers. We can set new standards and embrace the changes that have happened over the past three years. Stop practicing HR in a reactionary manner, waiting for the next crisis to hit. Turn things around and lead in a manner that moves your company forward through performance. The reason for writing this book is to equip you even more to make this forward movement your norm. In my first book, HR on Purpose !!, I wanted us to stop apologizing for who we are and what we do as HR professionals. We need to own the fact our profession can add immeasurable value through what we do. My second book, HR Rising !!, was a call for us to lead from wherever we are in our organizations. It’s not a matter of having a senior title or working in a giant HR function. Leadership can be given by any HR professional at every level. The third book in this trilogy shows ways for you to integrate and intricately weave yourself throughout your company. HR should be a function included naturally in all areas and aspects of how people work. You have to understand that you have the ability to define how you want to practice HR. There is no limit as to what your role should be. You can, and should, make it your own. We’ve been unleashed. It’s time to step in and step up. Let’s go !!

CHAPTER 2.

IT’S NOT THE PATH

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HR Unleashed !!

MY HOMETOWN LEFT an indelible mark on my life. I lived there through my junior high and high school years, which are already impressionable years because of all of the personal changes you go through. I am grateful that I lived in a village. Not big enough to be a township or a city, Ada, Ohio, is incorporated as a village. As of 2019, Ada was inhabited by 5,941 people. Growing up in a smaller footprint had its advantages. You knew everyone who lived there, including all of their relatives for generations. I’m not kidding. You can walk through the downtown and greet most people you encounter by name while knowing their family history. Another attribute of Ada is its geographical size. It’s a square mile. Seriously. The town is a perfect square: 1 × 1 × 1 × 1. When my wife, Debbie, and I went back one time to visit my parents, I mentioned that we were invited to visit one of my cousins “across town” and we were supposed to be there by 7:00 p.m. At 6:45 p.m., she was getting a bit antsy and said, “Shouldn’t we get going? You said we had to go across town.” I told her we had plenty of time. We’d leave in about ten more minutes. At 6:55 p.m., we went out to my car, and she was even more anxious. She didn’t want to be late because she thought it would be rude. I just smiled and told her we’d be there in plenty of time. I started up the car and took a left out of the driveway, traveled a quarter mile and turned right on Johnson Avenue. We motored along at the posted 25 mph and arrived at my cousin’s house at 6:59 p.m. after going through downtown and over the railroad tracks that split the town in half (literally). When I parked the car, she asked, “Are we here?” “Yes,” I replied. “I told you we had to go across town.” She punched me in the arm. I never told her how small the distance was. She assumed we’d be in the car for some time because her point of reference was the city size she had lived in for the majority of her life. Every time we visit my family now, I still ask her if she’d like to go across town. I still get punched too !!

9 Chapter 2. It’s Not the Path

Another favorite landing place for me in my hometown was visiting my Uncle Ron. He lived out of town (you know where this is going . . .), a little over two miles from my parent’s home. Now, there are two primary ways you can get to Ron’s house. You can take Lima Avenue, turn right on Main Street, drive through town, turn left on State Route 81, and go one mile to County Road 35 and turn right. He’s the first house on the right about an eighth of a mile down the road. Or you can take Lima Avenue straight out to County Road 35 and then turn right to travel the one and a half miles to their house. Both routes work, and they take the same time and are the same distance, so I would mix things up to keep the trip fresh. If you wanted to be radical, you could meander through the grid of streets throughout the village and still work your way out to Uncle Ron’s. It wouldn’t be the most efficient way to get out to his house, but it’s still a possible path. The one difference is that you’d take longer than the other two routes. If he was expecting you to stop by for dessert or coffee, which was often the reason for many of our visits out to his house, that could be a problem. His expectations wouldn’t match what he had been used to when your arrival time for a visit would happen. The paths we take matter. The challenge in most organizations is one path is established at some point in time when the majority of people who travel that path agree that is the only option to be followed . . . for eternity. You hear this expressed in the validated statement of single path users: “We’ve always done things this way.” Once that phrase is uttered, any action that falls outside the well-established norm gets challenged, chastised, and derided. It may be the single most crippling phrase used in organizations. Once it’s stated, all hopes of new directions, creativity, innovation, or even tweaking are dashed. So, we continue using the same path the same way until it becomes a worn groove in the ground. You’ve seen examples of this everywhere. If people cut a corner between a pattern of sidewalks, a dirt path slowly appears as

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more and more people follow the shortcut to save some time from the established method, which is permanently marked with concrete or asphalt. How people traveled defined roadways long before people planned them. We allow a few of these alternatives because they continue to connect two established directions. That isn’t too uncomfortable, and the efforts don’t really change much. This stifling facet of organizations has also infiltrated human resources. The “we’ve always done it this way” phrase rolls off the tongues of far too many HR pros on a daily basis. It allows us to maintain the status quo and not ruffle the work landscape. It conserves our energy and doesn’t challenge us to look at alternatives. In fact, when we have an employee, manager, or department that wants to suggest a new path, we take far more effort to stomp that out than to look at what they are suggesting. One of the defining characteristics of HR is that we have not only become the profession that follows the “one” path, but we also spend the majority of our time making sure everyone else falls in line with that one path too. We have done it for so long that we’re blind and numb to the reality that this is where our focus is. What is really perplexing is that senior leadership is okay with this approach. It seems that they are content with HR’s function and core value to the company being to maintain stability. Think of that. Maintaining the status quo shows that we’re performing !! This can’t be the case anymore. In a global work environment in constant flux and change, how can we continue to feel we’re contributing if we’re satisfied with just keeping people on the path? You see, the path to my uncle’s house wasn’t the key. Getting to his house was. We knew once we arrived we’d have some story, adventure, or experience full of laughter and life. When we spend so much time on path maintenance, we aren’t stretching and looking for a destination. We probably don’t even have a destination in our sights. I don’t know about you, but that is exhausting and unfulfilling. I would much rather put in the effort to move my role, my department, and the organization forward through human resources and not in spite of us.

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You must be tired of how you’re viewed by others as someone who is only “overhead” or a “necessary evil.” I don’t know about you, but I would rather be seen and described as a creative, innovative, strategic performer. One thing to note in repositioning us to this more positive and constructive space: we need to be the catalysts and designers of organizational design, which supports and develops all employees into performers. Roles will be different, and so will the areas of work and responsibility for each person. It’s a massive undertaking to make this our new path, but doing so will lead to more tangible and productive destinations. What paths are you currently supporting and following that have never been surveyed, replotted, or even recently traveled? Take a look at the processes and methods you’ve been using internally within HR and across the organization. Where are they going? Do they have a destination or are they roads to nowhere? There is always value in reviewing, altering, deconstructing, and going in new directions. It’s invigorating and can breathe much needed life into what you bring to the table from the HR seat. I don’t want to be presumptuous and lay out a specific method for you to follow. It’s time for you to do the self-reflection of your work environment. I don’t know the specifics of where you work, what you do, how HR is currently viewed, or what is needed for you to take on this endeavor. However, I can give you a starting point I know will work. The last time I changed jobs, it was very difficult. My boss Kathy and I were very close. She was one of the most talented, selfassured, and empathetic leaders I have ever known. She developed me to move ahead in my career without me ever noticing. There were few formal steps she took. The firm we worked for was small, and everyone always had a full plate. She did far more door opening and obstacle removing than having a rote, step-bystep approach to development. This was true for everyone she worked with. It came naturally to her. When I had taken my next job, I needed to give her my notice. Our offices were about ten feet apart. As I walked down the hall to tell her, all the emotions I had for her started to well up, and as I

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stuck my head inside her door jamb, all I could muster was tears streaming down my face. She calmly looked up, and tears started forming in her eyes as well, and she said, “I guess you’re leaving.” I nodded silently, and then we hugged. After a few moments, we had a great conversation, and she was excited to hear about my new opportunity. I worked out my notice with little fanfare. Two weeks into my new job, I received a card from her. On the front of the card was the Peanuts character Snoopy with a message of congratulations. I kept the card because Kathy wrote this inside: Steve, you need to follow the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and then leave a trail.” Always be a trailblazer! I know you will be. I took those words to heart and became a trailblazer who seeks out and makes new paths. It’s the best thing to become as a leader in HR. It doesn’t mean that you are in a constant state of flux or that there aren’t paths that will become well-traveled and established. However, it does mean you’re not someone who will settle and maintain the status quo. You’re more positioned to be someone who brings activity and energy to what you do. Going forward, I want you to be a trailblazer as well !! It’s time to blaze new paths and arrive at new destinations.

CHAPTER 3.

TEAR DOWN THE SILOS

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HAVE YOU EVER seen a silo? If you never grew up on a farm, you might not have. It’s hard to miss a silo if you drive through rural areas of the country. They seem to sprout out of the ground and shoot up to the sky in various sizes across the landscape. If someone has them on their property, they may be attached to a barn, or you may see a series of them side by side. If you see a full-blown grain elevator, the silos may be over 250 feet tall and up to 90 feet in diameter. They are impressive structures. Silos serve a key purpose. They are great storehouses. You can put massive amounts of grain from any given harvest in them. They’re also utilized when they are emptied into semis or train cars for the grain to be transported to its final destination. We need silos . . . but only when it comes to agriculture. In organizations, silos are destructive but prevalent. They seem to shoot out of the ground just as readily as those dotting the rural landscape. You can find individuals who are siloed as easily as you can a department. What’s intriguing about organizational silos is that most of our time spent on them is complaining that they exist. Very little is ever done to try to tear them down. It’s more fun to grouse and wring our hands, isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but my experience has been that when silos exist, people come to HR to do their complaining. I can’t count the number of times people have come to my office, closed the door, and then just poured out their heart about how difficult it is to work with a given department or manager because they’re such an impenetrable fortress. Very little progress comes out of these conversations, but they need to happen. Unfortunately, HR tends to be the repository of these disconnected sets of people. On top of this, HR can also be siloed. If you step back to assess these dumping ground conversations, you can see how people tend to frame everything as external. They feel the effect of silos, but they don’t see themselves as being siloed. No one wants to be described as, or exist as, a silo. It’s not desirable. Everyone wants to feel they’re working with others on a regular basis even if that isn’t the case. No one truly wants to be seen as an outsider. There may be one or two department leaders

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who appear to be distant and not easy to connect with. The question is, Do you allow them to be siloed? The answer in most cases is yes. There are two approaches most HR practitioners take when it comes to organizational silos. The first is the most common. We try to placate all parties involved and let them know that “it will be okay” if we give it time. I am a proponent of being friendly and cordial in all facets of life, but this “friendliness” approach has never worked. Ever. Silos by their nature cause hard feelings because people are disconnected. Instead of trying to bridge that distance, we feel just being nicer to one another will naturally pull everyone together. It’s far too passive. Practicing HR in this manner only supports the stereotype of being a hands-off function. The second approach is the “avoid and hope.” The idea behind this equally ineffective effort is that if we shut the siloed parties out, they’ll clamor for wanting to be included because they see how left out they are. When has avoidance ever worked? When you take time to reflect on this approach, you see how ludicrous it is. It’s like watching the old Warner Brothers cartoons where Elmer Fudd would set up a trap of a box propped up on a stick tied to a rope. He would crouch behind a large rock or bush and eagerly wait for his nemesis Bugs Bunny to reach for the large carrot lying underneath the trap. Bugs would inevitably sneak up on Elmer and ask his ever-present tagline: “What’s up, Doc?” Elmer would excitedly, and mindlessly, describe how his full-proof trap would finally capture that rascally rabbit whom he was talking to. When Elmer came to realize he’d been duped once again, he’d scream, and they’d chase each other all over the place. Bugs remained free and never fell for Elmer’s flailing attempts. It’s the same with isolating people who are already isolated. All we end up with are empty traps. There is only one approach that works in demolishing silos — building relationships. When you intentionally spend time with others, it is much more challenging to be removed and distant. Breaking through the barriers of disconnectedness is not easy. You need to be wildly

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intentional and courageous to initiate silo busting. When you first attempt to wander into someone’s territory, their defenses will immediately get thrown up. “Why are you here?” “Is there something wrong? I never see you unless something is wrong.” “Did the CEO tell you to come see us?” It’s understandable that defenses would rise. When you’re used to being isolated, you’ll be cautious and wary when someone wants to break through the invisible boundaries that have been in place for so long. But for HR, crossing the boundary is only the first step. Even though you have shown interest in a siloed group when they have been avoided for some time, you can’t assume relationships will instantly blossom. Far from it. The cloud of skepticism will be present for quite some time. It’s hard to gauge how long it will take to dissipate. Being present is a remarkable first step, but it’s only a first step. The following steps are much more difficult because they will make both you and the department or person you’re trying to pull back into the organization uncomfortable. After you’ve made peace with each other and it isn’t awkward for you to cross into their territory, the work starts. You need to have meaningful, safe, and candid conversations with those involved. Sit down and ask how connected they do/don’t feel to others throughout the company. Be prepared for them to justify being a silo because of the lack of relationships they have either built up or allowed to occur. Don’t go in swinging and shaming people for being siloed. Using negative behavior to force a positive outcome is another tool from traditional leadership and HR models that has rarely worked. It takes intentional time with siloed parties for them to establish trust, credibility, and connectedness. That’s okay. Movement toward integrating them organizationally is worth the time of every interaction. Time is your friend in these efforts. Building relationships across the organization between folks is a better use of your time in leading HR than almost any other effort. We should be the function that builds the covalent bonds that hold the organization together. Become the architects who pull departments and employees together. This isn’t the “friendly” model. Building

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relationships will, over time, create a company that is more fully functioning because you no longer have a series of separate entities. You have an organization that sees the value of others and how we can be far more successful working together than standing alone. If your HR efforts are spent more in patching the tears in the silo walls instead of bringing people together, then stop what you’re doing. We don’t need more people who are in the critical repair business. We need HR leaders who are connectors that weave together a seamless organizational fabric. Make the shift. Drop the repair toolkit and open your schedule to visit silos so you can tear them down instead.

CHAPTER 4.

ANCHOR YOUR PEOPLE

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I PARTICIPATED IN scouting for twelve years along with my son. I was our troop’s scoutmaster soon after my son crossed over from Cub Scouts, and I loved being in that role. It was never a matter of being in charge. The role gave me the chance to work with young men and open the doors of adventure, leadership, and skill building. The goal of troops is to allow the scouts to run most facets of the group’s efforts. This includes planning and running meetings, deciding when and where to go camping, and figuring out how the troop should function as a body. We tried to make sure that each scout had a chance to go to a national scouting location during their time in the troop. My son and I had the opportunity to go to Sea Base in the Florida Keys. It was one of our most memorable times together as a father and son. When you attend a national location, the boys are fully in charge and the adults are basically there just in case something goes awry. The scouts decided every activity and the order we’d follow. The other dad and I were expected to fully participate in whatever was chosen, and we were glad to do it. One day we were going deep-sea fishing on the most powerful motorboat I had ever seen. We arrived at the dock at dawn because we had a full day before us. Our six scouts and we two dads piled into the boat and met Captain Steve. He had a glint in his eye that looked mischievous, but he was our leader for the day ahead. Mischievous didn’t turn out to be a good enough word to describe Captain Steve !! He opened the throttle of our boat, and we shot out from the dock at breakneck speed. He made turn after turn in the open water and cackled the entire time. We didn’t see any need for this back-and-forth movement, but we trusted he knew what he was doing. After traveling for almost thirty minutes, he cut the engine and brought the massive machine to an unnerving halt. All we saw was water. There were pulsating waves rocking the boat up and down, but no visible land. Everyone nervously laughed when we heard him exclaim, “Captain overboard !!” followed by a loud splash. We all bent over the left side of the boat to see him bobbing along with the waves

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while drifting farther and farther away from our vessel. “Jump on in. You need to experience this.” Each of us looked at each other sheepishly and no one moved . . . initially. I felt the pull of what he was calling us toward. So I jumped in and swam out to him. His smile encompassed his entire face. “Glad you made the jump,” he said while still beaming. “What do you think?” “It’s so warm and blue. It feels like we’re swimming in bathwater,” I replied. “In a manner of speaking, you are. You see, you’re treading water in the Gulf Stream. It doesn’t get much more inviting and warm than this. I always make sure to stop the trips with the scouts here and jump in. I never want to forget how remarkable this is.” I agreed that this was one of the most amazing experiences I had ever had. Captain Steve encouraged me to look down, which seemed odd in the ocean. However, he had already coaxed me to jump overboard, so I looked down. It was like looking through crystal clear glass. I could see my feet moving to keep me afloat as if I was pedaling in the air. It was astonishing. He saw the wonder in my eyes, and he said, “You’ll never see what’s possible unless you’re willing to take the risk to jump into the unknown every so often.” I nodded my head in agreement, and he motioned for us to return to the crew on the boat. The boys and the other dad breathed a sigh of relief when we got back into the boat. Moments later, the throttle was open and we were finally off to fish. We didn’t know until then that we were going to catch our dinner for the night because we were going to end up on an outpost island for a night of cooking our catch, hiking, exploring, sleeping in a remote setting, and undertaking a service project the next day. As if the boat ride with Captain Steve hadn’t been adventurous enough, when we cast our lines into the water, we all experienced an even more tumultuous situation. After trying a few areas with few fish to show for our efforts, he took us to a portion of the ocean that was extremely choppy. It was water none

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of us had ever seen or been in. We believed in Captain Steve but were scared by where he chose to put us. The waves were so high that we rose into the sky one moment and then sank in a trough where walls of water looked like they would crash down upon us in the next. He saw our concern when he asked one of the scouts to throw the anchor over the side of the boat. We watched the chain quickly roll off the side of the boat, chasing the sinking anchor, for what seemed like minutes. Suddenly, we felt the boat jerk, and we knew the anchor had reached the bottom and taken hold. Now we enjoyed the pulsating waves as we cast out into the churning water. We caught fish after fish. Soon our boat was filled with more than enough to make our dinner for the night. Captain Steve gave instructions to pull up the anchor, and we made our way to our island for the evening. This encounter left an indelible mark on each of us. It was one of the best days of our trip to Sea Base. Captain Steve had beckoned us to step out and take risks while providing safety and assuredness. He exemplified what is needed in our workplaces today and in the future. HR has to be willing to jump overboard, explore uncharted waters, and provide the anchor needed for all employees. You see, I think engagement (as we have defined it for the past twenty years) is dead. Organizations haven’t recognized this yet. They are still following the same paths and methods to survey and determine how engaged people are or aren’t. It’s important to hear from your people, and surveys will always have value. However, they should no longer be the measuring stick of engagement. The reason for this is twofold. The first is that the workforce of today, and tomorrow, no longer falls into the traditional parameters of workplaces in the past. Employees have broken from the mold of “entertain me” and “keep my attention” to a much healthier place. People want to be able to contribute and add value from the moment they join your company. They don’t want to jump through hoops and imaginary gauntlets to prove themselves. They won’t tolerate this, and they shouldn’t have to.

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The second factor facing employers is that employees will leave more easily and quickly than they did in the past. You may not get a chance to measure engagement because to most employees the methods seem to be lagging and stagnant. In a world of personalization, they would like to be able to plug in, get feedback instantly, and then move as they feel led. Please note this is no longer tied to a generational argument. Workforces today don’t want to be engaged. They long to be anchored instead. Now, don’t jump too far ahead with this analogy. Being anchored isn’t meant to imply people will stay at your company forever. We know this isn’t the case. If your people are anchored to their role and your company, then they will have the components people are yearning for both in their work and from their employer. Anchoring gives you safety and security. When the large cross of metal drags along the ocean floor until it bites and takes hold, you will hear the sigh of relief we experienced while we were on the tossing sea. Uncertainty has become a prevalent reality in our society. There never seems to be a break in the waves that keep pounding people daily. These waves can be personal, professional, interpersonal, or societal. We need to move past trying to tie uncertainty to a particular cause or movement because once you try to define it, another challenge arises. People have always wanted to be safe and secure when working. Giving them an anchor helps make that happen. Another benefit of anchoring is the assuredness that people can weather a storm. When the company is struggling or if relationships are rough, having organizational touchpoints where you are anchored is essential. This allows us to meet the need to individualize and personalize work environments. People don’t want to conform or feel they’re unseen in an ocean of other people. They need to know they’re acknowledged and that others support them and have their back if the waves get choppy. We would be better as organizations by developing one-on-one connections with our employees. A series of many anchors supporting individual boats is more sustainable than one giant anchor that tries to address every boat in the water.

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Having an anchor secured gives people that chance to jump overboard and out into new experiences. We can’t expect innovation and creativity from boats that may drift off into the distance. Now, I know our boat wasn’t anchored when I jumped in, but I knew there were others behind who would have reached out to help if it was needed. Our people need a setting where they can both take risks and have people surrounding them to pull them back into the boat if they’re sinking. Organizations want risk takers in the midst of being risk averse. It’s difficult to encourage people to explore when they don’t see others willing to jump in as well. Giving people a solid anchor allows those who want to remain in the boat to do so as others take the chance to stretch and see what lies ahead. An aspect of anchoring we need to embrace is that people can pull up their anchor to sail on to a new destination. We need to come to terms as employers that we live in a fluid, ever-changing workforce. We have people for a moment in time. Some may stay for longer periods, or even their entire career. However, they are now the exception instead of the norm. Employees need to know it’s okay for them to pull up anchor and move to the next step in their journey. As long as we embrace them while they’re anchored with us, then we’ll both benefit from our time together. I have a friend, John Baldino, who is president of an HR consultancy. He practices anchoring and has for years. He has a decentralized workforce across the United States. His people gather every so often at their headquarters, but even he lives and works in Florida while the headquarters is in Pennsylvania. He has set a culture and tone of being intentionally connected to each member of his team on a regular basis. Each member of his company is also connected to various clients and companies at different levels. Some conduct short-term project work and others have had clients for several years. With all of the variety facing him, it’s essential he knows his people are not only anchored to his company but also to their clients in order to provide exemplary work and support. Whenever a new person joins his company, he makes time to ensure they’re not

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aimlessly floating. He ties them to other coworkers, the mission of the company, and the camaraderie that defines the consultancy. They know they’re tied in a healthy way to others and have resources available to them should they need them. His employees are autonomous for the most part while knowing how set and anchored they are at the same time. When he’s had people move on to new opportunities, he is next to them encouraging them as they pull anchor to set sail for a new sea. He sees how anchoring works and practices it with every person within his organization. It’s exhilarating to see anchoring work in an organization, and I never knew I’d learn such key lessons from the captain with a glint in his eye. Look around at your current work environment. Are you a series of anchors set throughout the vast ocean your company covers or are people floating without direction? Time to get folks anchored. You’ll see what true engagement is once you do.

CHAPTER 5.

DUMP YOUR BUCKET

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MY WIFE AND I are very fortunate to have a solid relationship with our kids, who are now adults. One of the things I’ve worked on with them over the years is the fact I’m always available as an outlet. It doesn’t matter the timing, the subject matter, or how big of an issue it is to them. There also is no set time or schedule regarding my availability. Any time on any day is the standard. This has resulted in some emotional conversations over the years. They can involve a mixture of tears, raised voices, and occasionally some colorful language. I never get upset when these convos pop up because I want our kids to know they have a safe outlet to help them work through the various ups and downs of life. They know that they can dump their bucket with me. The key to making this work is to not automatically jump to potential solutions. We’re wired to try to solve whatever is presented to us within moments. Too often, we don’t even allow sentences to be completed before we start offering options to work through whatever is presented to us. Ironically, we think this is being helpful and the only reason someone sought us out in the first place. That is so far from the case, but it’s our typical response. This “jump to a conclusion” approach is limiting and narrow, but it is what we lead with. This is most likely because, if we’re honest with each other, we just want to solve the problem and move on. We feel people are worth our time and attention only if we can provide the expertise to pull them through the situation they find themselves in. In turn, this gives us a great warm feeling because we convince ourselves we’ve been such a critical help. I don’t want to imply there isn’t value in these interactions. The majority of business is conducted via these solution-based snippets, with little to no depth or context expected. Because we don’t take time to let people dump their buckets, you’ll find that their buckets start leaking. People want to have a safe outlet at work. They don’t want to continue to walk around feeling like they’re about to burst. The question to ask

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organizationally is, Are we willing to do this? There is a risk in allowing people to dump their buckets, but it’s a risk worth taking. Whenever I am available for my kids, I know the release they experience helps them clear their heads, balance their emotions, and work through a path toward resolution. The release is what is needed more than any solution. It’s a much healthier method than letting the pressure and stress build up over time. I’ve been there when my kids start leaking. It’s not pretty. They don’t enjoy it, and neither do those around them. The power of allowing people to dump their buckets is so critical that we intentionally implemented this practice at our company. We let employees know it’s okay for them to dump their buckets when needed. It’s been quite a journey, and we’ve had some bumps and stumbles along the way. However, it’s also been the most freeing cultural shift we’ve ever embarked on. Please don’t think that we experience a constant dumpfest with people grousing all the time. It’s just the opposite. Now we have more constructive conversations because people have had the ability to clear the air and their heads before jumping into the old quick-solution pattern. We’ve seen more context, more shared perspectives, and healthier relationships. It’s been needed, and it was sitting right in front of us the whole time. Here is how it can work: When two people get together on a work-related item, they can start the conversation with the phrase, “Do you mind if I dump my bucket a little?” This may sound a bit rehearsed or forced at first, but over time people recognize it as a lead-in conversation starter. The ground rules are simple in principle but hard in practice. Whoever initiates the first request, the other person is tasked with listening. Just listening. They aren’t allowed to jump in prematurely to respond to what is shared regardless of what is said. It takes several of these interactions before anyone becomes comfortable with this approach. Implementing bucket dumping is essential for another reason. Your employees are constantly walking around with some level of interpersonal stress. There is a myriad of reasons why this type

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of stress is present. Some of it may come from past interactions that didn’t go well. You are sure to have people who tolerate each other in a work environment while having little to no personal connection. We want to gloss over these relationships, which hang on by a thread even though they are present at every level of an organization. On top of this, people see interacting with others as a waste of time because the oft-communicated desire is production over everything. The stress that exists just under the surface of day-to-day work is immense, and it needs to be released like a valve on a pressure cooker. Having an intentional avenue to release stress is priceless. You can see the temperature of the workforce drop dramatically. Encounters between folks become enjoyable and you find fewer and fewer instances of people avoiding each other. Fostering an environment from the HR seat for people to safely dump their buckets is some of the strongest leadership you can offer. Taking the time to teach people how to interact is an art we’ve missed. Organizations will be stronger as more people genuinely interact. It seems obvious, but it’s not happening at present. I’ve found that more and more of my time leading HR is making sure that people are dumping their buckets. I’m not always the person involved in the conversations, but I am making sure they’re happening. It’s such a valuable use of my time because enabling these sessions to occur makes people healthier, and it puts them in a better position to perform. We are all expected to perform in our roles. We need to do what we can to clear the path for people to do this at the highest possible level. If they are filled with anxiety, unrealistic anticipation of how a conversation will go, or flat-out fear, then performance is sure to be limited. It’s time we were more observant and looked at the humans we work with. How are their buckets? I’m sure they’re overflowing and even leaking a bit. See what you can do. Figure out how to set an environment where bucket dumping can happen. Put on your wading boots and see the great things that lie ahead !!

CHAPTER 6.

BREATHE/CHECK

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I’M A CHILD of the ’60s and ’70s. Back then, Saturday mornings were a sacred time. I don’t mean to sound sacrilegious in the least when stating this. In my generation, Saturday mornings meant cartoons. My brother and I would wake up early and grab a giant bowl of cereal before plopping down in front of our television to take in a massive dose of animated entertainment. We would sit in front of the screen for hours. This was before the current practice of spending countless hours in front of one screen or another. Saturday morning cartoons were perfection. They allowed your imagination to wander wherever you chose. The characters in the shows could defy the laws of physics by their actions, contortions, and physicality. There was no limit to what they could do, and they always bounced back into shape regardless of the calamity they faced. One of my favorite memories was when Wile E. Coyote was chasing the Roadrunner in hapless adventure after hapless adventure. No matter what scheme he concocted to capture his speedy adversary, he was never successful. He bought countless ridiculously exaggerated items from Acme, which had to be an unknown predecessor to Amazon. Nothing worked, and he usually ended up in some misshapen form of excruciating pain time after time. He would find himself rapidly running in place trying to avoid a boulder that was hurtling down to crush him, which he thought was going to land on the Roadrunner. He was always the recipient of each foiled capture attempt, and his level of frustration made you cheer even louder for the Roadrunner to escape. Sound familiar? Today we’re the ones who are constantly chasing something. It may not be an adversary, but we’re nonetheless chasing things like goals, plans, or ambitions. The pace at which we choose to work and live is cartoonish. The difference is we don’t snap back into shape as quickly as our animated counterparts, if we snap back at all. Yet this doesn’t deter us from running headlong into every facet of the work in front of us. We have fallen into the trap of believing that speed is the most important characteristic of what we have to offer. Place on top of this the

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challenge of others who are like the Roadrunner. They move at a pace that makes you seem like you’re running in molasses. The effort is there, but you’re not really moving. Watch out !! The next boulder is careening off the cliff and is about to smoosh you. You hear people exclaim how exhausted they are before their workday even begins. The fatigue is tangible and permeates the entire workforce every day. When we’re fatigued, we are less likely to perform how we expect, which doesn’t even account for the expectations our companies have when it comes to maintaining our level of performance. So how do we address this dichotomy of super speed and utter weariness? Breathe. I can already see the eye rolls and hear the sighs of disbelief. Is this some kind of holistic inner healing method I can use to magically fix everything? I understand the sarcasm because it’s the most common response to simple solutions. You can’t slow down the madness of the pace you find yourself experiencing unless you take action for yourself first. It’s not possible. Stopping and taking time to breathe may seem an oversimplification, but it takes far more discipline than continuing to see how fast you can move through your day. This isn’t a trick. You need to consciously decide to halt the movement, noise, and activity around you if you want to find a healthier approach to your role and your work. The difficulty we face is that we feel our world will become chaotic and fragmented if we don’t keep flying at the fastest pace possible. We think keeping every facet of work afloat and in motion is a better method because tasks and projects are less likely to be missed or dropped. The opposite is the truth. Because we don’t take time to breathe, these items are falling out of our control every moment of the day. We can’t keep up with the constant state of hurriedness. As things get dropped, the chaos we were trying to avoid begins. Most people take the feeling of a lack of control as a sign to move even faster in the hope that the pieces will fall back into place.

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We must take the time to slow down. It gives us a chance to be more centered, observant, and calm. Since we are, by nature, emotional beings, our every action triggers an emotion. Incessantly running leads to snap decisions, partial discussions, and elimination of context. When you realize this, you can see why people are frustrated working with each other. It’s as if we’re all pinballs bouncing off of each other for milliseconds because we believe that’s all the time we can afford to give. We must rush back to what we see as more important. I consider myself to be a fairly chill person. I don’t get worked up too often regardless of the circumstance or situation. Don’t get me wrong, I have my days and people who know just what button to hit to elicit a more heated reaction. Those tend to be the exception though. The reason for this is that I’ve adopted a breathe/ check approach to work. You have to understand every person in an organization feels their efforts, work, and contributions have value. They’re right in believing this. However, people tend not to see that the work of others has value as well. We’ve fostered a broken model of self-reliance in the workplace to the extent of valuing our own personal output independent of what others do. This builds in instant conflict and consternation. We don’t see how interconnected we are. The breathe/check model addresses this. When you take time to pause (breathe) in the midst of all of the activity swirling around you, then you start to see all that is going on. It’s a lot like Keanu Reeves in the movie The Matrix. When he finally stops fighting his adversaries and breathes, he sees the environment he’s in and he can act to defeat the folks everyone feared and thought were insurmountable. We work in a similar matrix when we never take the time to slow down. Note: You have time to breathe and slow down. You really do. The “check” side of this equation calls you back to action. The difference is that checking involves a twist in how to move forward. Before acting, take another moment to check and see how your

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next action will affect others and who will be affected. Building in this small step will transform how work occurs in your company. No longer will people jump back into their workstream without thinking. They’ll start to recognize the inherent interconnectedness present in every organization. You will have fewer lone rangers who feel compelled to rush into the next fray. People who breathe/check will see the path and direction of their efforts. They’ll realize their actions do affect others. This awareness alone is reason enough to adopt the breathe/check model. When I introduced this to our company, I was met with the aforementioned eye rolls, heavy sighs, and sarcasm. It was just some HR ruse. People even stated they had “real” work to do. I wasn’t deterred. I introduced this concept to the executive team and even put it on the visual business model as a behavior expectation. I knew it worked and that it would make a marked difference if people adopted it. After some time, you started to hear the phrase mentioned during meetings and even in the hallways. “We need to breathe/check, don’t we, Steve?” After my initial astonishment, I replied, “Absolutely.” In fact, the president of our company wrote BREATHE/CHECK on a large Post-it note, which he affixed to his computer monitor. He told me it served as a constant reminder that he had the time to slow down, breathe, and then check how his actions affected others. As HR pros, we need to incorporate behaviors that allow others to thrive and succeed. Instead of spending so much time on lagging measures and senseless tracking, you’ll find your work to have more strategic impact by giving people the tools needed to effectively function both in their roles and in the organization as a whole. To do this, we need to show the way. Take a moment. Breathe.

CHAPTER 7.

PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW

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MY BEST FRIEND in high school was Tom Minich. He didn’t grow up in Ada, Ohio, but came to the village as we started tenth grade. His dad was an engineering professor at Ohio Northern University. He had moved from Cleveland with his family and was a transplant just like I had been in seventh grade. You need to understand that most kids grow up from birth through graduation in Ada. Our peers had known each other since kindergarten, and there is only one school in the town. One school in one building. The level of familiarity and camaraderie was so thick that it was challenging to fit in if you moved to town later. This isn’t particularly unique to Ada. I’m sure it’s true in most small towns. Tom is a quiet, intelligent, sarcastic, and wonderful person. We shared some of the same classes, and I tried to connect with him right when he started at school. We clicked. I am a much louder version of him, but that kept us balanced in our friendship. Soon after meeting, I’d go over to his house and hang out for hours, or he would come “across town” to mine and do the same. We had countless adventures throughout high school that could fill a book on their own. I still fondly remember the shenanigans we perpetrated. You see, the nerdy smart kids get overlooked when shenanigans occur. No one would ever think of us first. Nothing was overt or hurtful toward others. We just had a ton of fun together, and it was great to grow up beside him. Honestly, I wouldn’t be the same person if we hadn’t run together. I’m sure of it. We stayed close during college even though we went to different schools, and I even introduced him to his future wife, whom my wife and I met while volunteering at the Cincinnati Zoo. We both started families and jumped into our careers and got pulled away for the good reason of making sure our kids were involved in multiple activities. We still catch up and see each other every so often, and it’s as if we are still sitting in each other’s houses as teenagers. We fall into conversations easily and laugh constantly on all that life has to throw at us. Having Tom in my life mattered then . . . and it matters now. What in the world does this have to do with work? The answer is — everything.

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For far too long, companies have claimed to value their people in hollow, aspirational words hanging on a prominent poster in the corporate office or displayed vibrantly on the home page of their website. The intention of the words is good, and I’m sure the leadership of the company wants to believe those aspirational phrases, but it’s hard to put those words into practice. The pressure of daily interactions wears and tears on even the most encouraging and positive people. Work is hard, and people are even harder. They don’t intend to be difficult or challenging in the least. However, the reality of the dynamics of human relationships are fraught with many visible and invisible facets where emotions and assumptions collide. In the midst of these collisions, we expect people to like each other and just “get along.” HR pros have spent decades trying to keep the peace between people. We spend far more energy and effort on trying to achieve and maintain this dull sense of stasis than on almost any other action. Human resource professionals are expected to be the referee or the teacher who keeps everyone moving within tight parameters during recess. We “allow” people to stretch, but only in minor increments because the stasis must be upheld. The thought is that if this sense of constant calm fills the environment people work in, then they’ll be productive and not disruptive. It doesn’t work. This organizational myth has been perpetuated for generations of the HR industry. In fact, some people probably got into the field just so they could take up this mantle and put on their referee uniform and obligatory whistle. I’m not sure why we ever believed this approach to people had merit. Maybe we thought that we were adding value to the organization by keeping everyone in neat, clean lines. We’ve been rewarded for this behavior, and some HR pros have risen to senior positions by keeping things stable. There is something far more critical to understand when interacting with our employees. They’ve been longing for this behavior ever since the first workplace was created. People want to know they matter.

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It sounds too simplistic. We want our work to be infinitely complex and layered so we’re seen by our peers throughout the organization as equals. The more convoluted the better. If HR seems hard to navigate, then we think we’re in the driver’s seat in determining how we practice what we do. This is another unfortunate myth about our profession. If we’re honest, we want to know we matter too. We are people as well who happen to be employees. When people know they matter and are valued, then they’ll contribute. Until they are reassured they have worth, their level of genuine output is minimal and possibly done reluctantly. A person who matters and is valued knows they are seen and they belong. Have you ever noticed a child with their parent? The child looks for one thing on an ongoing basis from their parent — their attention. I remember when our kids were smaller and we’d go on vacation and swim at the hotel pool. The hotel HAD to have a pool. You’d hear them both squeal, “Daddy !! Mommy !! Watch this !!” Then, they’d make some move they were sure had never been accomplished before in the history of jumping into a pool and SPLASH !! they’d go under the surface of the water. The wave created would smack you in the face and you’d sputter as their heads popped back up. “Did you see that, Dad ??” “Yes, I did, and it was amazing !!” They’d look at each other filled with joy, love, and pride, which lasted about three seconds before they scampered out of the pool and back to the water’s edge and the next squeal would come forth to watch the next magnificent acrobatic move. Were they going to become the next Olympic hopefuls in diving? No. However, capturing my attention as they performed was all they desired. This is the same desire every employee in an organization longs for. It’s true for the CEO as much as it is for the frontline team member. When people know what they do matters, they will perform at a much higher level. The reassurance that they’re not invisible and that their efforts are not meaningless is essential. If this baseline isn’t established, no effort or program will stick or move them to unheralded levels of activity. It’s as simple as giving

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others your undivided time and attention. You don’t have to make it more complex or layered. You don’t have to create or outthink others through some disingenuous façade. There is a subtle barrier to making people matter. Most people leaders believe they have to do something grander than just being intentional in giving others their time and attention. I was in a recent leadership meeting where we included several key people to discuss strategy, direction, and approach. It was almost entirely driven by the message of our desire to have a people-first culture throughout all levels and locations of our company. I saw a bunch of affirmative head nods throughout our time together, which would imply people’s understanding and acceptance. As I often do, I followed up with those who were new to this senior-level meeting and asked for their thoughts and observations on the direction of the company. It struck me when I heard a few people say, “Yeah, it sounds good, but what do we do with it?” Their comments were candid, and I appreciated their question. It reflects the barrier exactly. We have allowed our leaders to think of people as separate from “work.” Most are very successful in working and completing tasks, but they view time with people as separate from doing something. This is where we can step in as HR leaders. We have to !! We are the ones who can bridge this chasm and help others understand that people and work are intertwined. They’ve never been separate. The approach to close this gap is to share the fact that people matter because of who they are and how they contribute. HR would become a transformative force if, and only if, they put down the traditional efforts of confinement and conformity and switched to making sure everyone knows they matter. You need to look at how you practice now. Which camp do you fall into? Are you willing to step away from tradition and move yourself and your company into the future? You had better. You see, when people don’t truly feel they matter, they’ll leave your company to go somewhere where they get this need filled. Take the step. Make the shift. Do it now. Make what you do matter !!

CHAPTER 8.

FINDING MY WAY

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YOU MAY NOT know this, but I am an all-out fan of the classic prog rock band Rush !! I have enjoyed their music for years. Every song. Every album. Rush is one of those bands people either adore or despise. There’s no middle ground. You don’t find this with many other musical acts. People can acknowledge they like one or two songs from a band at least. Rush usually isn’t seen in the same light. Rush fans know the entire catalogue of their forty-plus-year career. One of the tracks from their debut album encapsulates their style, energy, and approach to their epic contribution to the world of rock music. The song “Finding My Way” is the story of someone who had been meandering for some time and found their way back home to reunite with the significant other they had left years before. The lead singer, Geddy Lee, screams, “Yeah! Oh yeah!” over Alex Lifeson’s blistering guitar riff to start this phenomenal song and off we go. There is unbridled passion in this track. The players involved are driven to get back home at all costs. Joining back up with their lost partner is a must !! Is this how you view being an HR professional? Do you possess that unfettered drive to be fully engaged in all aspects of human resources, or is it just a job? Is it something you’d be willing to pen a timeless rock classic for? If not, why not? We spend an inordinate amount of time making sure the career path of others in our organizations is addressed and defined. We do this because it’s the right thing to do, and it helps with anchoring and maintaining retention. It also is necessary if we’re going to be the catalyst in making succession planning successful at all levels throughout the company. In fact, this facet of human resources is one of the baseline expectations from non-HR departments. It is one of the “value add” attributes we offer that is validated by others. If this is such an essential strength of human resources internally, why don’t we manage our own careers in the field? We are terrible at self-management when it comes to our own professional development or looking at how to navigate our career intentionally. We don’t know how to “find our own way.” This

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shouldn’t be something we settle for because we don’t see how much it limits our effectiveness in the roles we hold — let alone in our future. I’ll be honest. When I hear peers say they fell into HR, I cringe a bit. I understand that may be the case, but it smacks a bit of reluctance. If we view the profession as being something “less than,” personally or professionally, then that is how we’re going to practice. This may sound harsh, but it’s an observation I’ve made over three decades. Whenever you take on a role or work for a company reluctantly, the likelihood of you becoming a peak performer is automatically inhibited. You can change the trajectory of your career in HR if you so choose. There are some steps you need to take intentionally, but it can be done. The first thing you need to do is come to terms with the reality that there is risk in doing this, but it’s a risk worth taking. HR people generally are risk averse because the nature of our job is to reduce liability. It’s difficult to fight the urge to stay put and take a wait-and-see approach. No one is fully comfortable with stepping into the unknown. We often think if we move forward into any uncharted territory, the worst scenario is sure to occur. Rarely is that the case. If we stepped back, we’d see many cases where people refused to manage their HR careers and the company decided to make cuts, conduct layoffs, or eliminate positions. When that happens, people are forced to respond when they’ve taken no prior action. It’s daunting, and you don’t want to be in that position if possible. After you’ve decided you can be a measured risk taker with your career, you need to jump into the fray to combat the biggest obstacle you’ll face. Over my career, I’ve found most HR peers complain about how they’re viewed and utilized in their roles, which are often driven and directed by those who have very few ties to HR. The breadth, depth, and scope of human resources is stymied and limited to compliance, rule-making, and intervention in negative behaviors. Taking a scarcity approach puts us in an awkward position organizationally. When you hear descriptive terms like “necessary evil” or “overhead,” you know how HR is

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viewed by leadership. I’ll keep this simple: don’t tolerate that !! Why should you be seen in such a restricted manner? We can’t keep shrugging our shoulders and shuffling off to the shadows. What we provide an organization should never be diminished. We need to level the organizational playing field so we’re valued as much as any other department. The challenge with making this happen is on your shoulders. That may not seem fair — and it isn’t. However, standing up and standing firm will get you noticed and in line with the next step you should take. It’s time for you to view others as peers and have them view you as a peer as well. This is true whether you are an HR department of one or a CHRO in a large global organization. Being a leader in human resources is not a tier under other professions. It’s on the same plane. When you position yourself as a peer through your behavior and actions, then you’re moving into the realm of taking hold of your career. I don’t view career development and management as a ladder where you move up and attain a larger and more substantial role. You can take control of how you’re viewed, valued, and involved at every level of your HR journey. People confuse title and status with career management. It would be refreshing to have people understand that title chasing and giant HR roles are narrow-minded and shortsighted. It’s interesting to see how upside down our perspectives are when it comes to company size and brand recognition. Please note this isn’t a pro/con look based on whether a company is large, medium, or small. HR pros frequently hold the misconception that bigger is better when it comes to role significance and impact. I had an experience where I was evaluated by other senior HR executives in a 360-degree review after we had worked together. You need to know my title is chief people officer for a small/ medium regional company, and I’m completely cool with that. It plays into the viewpoint and feedback from some of my peers. Overall, I was pleased by the comments on my contributions and level of involvement with this group. One person took the time to say, “Steve will always be a small company HR executive. He

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doesn’t have the ability to work in a large role in a large organization.” Ouch !! Intriguing, isn’t it? You can see how we can either encourage our peers or tear them down by being comparative. We shouldn’t be a field that falsely elevates people purely by surface-level attributes. You can have a fulfilling and meaningful career as an HR professional regardless of your industry, company size, or size of your HR team. The key to having a healthy, balanced perspective on managing a career in HR is looking for and holding onto how you can influence a company’s culture, teaching people managers how to effectively lead and shepherd their people, and being someone who leaves a positive imprint on all those you encounter. This isn’t aspirational; it’s sustainable. The future of our field hinges on these factors as well as making sure your work and efforts are woven throughout an organization. When you establish this foundation and then agree to be intentional about your present and your future, you’ll be finding your way !!

CHAPTER 9.

THE MYTH OF EXPERIENCE

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IT’S HARD TO believe that I’m getting closer and closer to entering the fourth decade of my career. I can distinctly remember the challenge of finding my first job. You see, I was trying to land a role in the newly renamed field of “Human Resources” before the internet was anything to be reckoned with. In fact, I went to a library on the campus of Ohio University at the beginning of my senior year and found a book called Million Dollar Directory. It was a list of companies and their profiles. I picked out a list of two hundred brand-name firms and typed (yes, typed) a cover letter and résumé for each one, and mailed them out (yes, mailed). I had to patiently wait for responses by mail. Electronic communication wasn’t prevalent at that time. You sat by the mailbox in the dorm anticipating any response. Of the two hundred letters I sent across the country, I received a handful of rejections and one positive response. I interviewed with this Fortune 500 giant and was fortunate to get hired. Did I mention that the country was in a recession when I was graduating from college? Also, unemployment was at a record high at the time. Sound familiar? The one difference is that the company I joined was just starting to look for recent college graduates to join the recruiting department. I was the first college graduate they hired. Every other manager in the department had grown up by moving up the career ladder of the organization. I was an experiment in response to a directive that said that HR had to start using the same model that the revenue-driving departments of the company had used for some time. I was at the right place at the right time. I didn’t have any tangible experience. I just wanted to go into human resources. I’ll never forget this story because it runs against the grain of all companies when it comes to hiring people. We continue to rely on old models and expectations with the myth of experience. If we review a résumé that states someone has between X and Y years of experience in a role, we attribute talent and skillset purely based on tenure at a company. That is the first hurdle candidates must pass to hit the next incremental step of consideration. If

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people can’t pass this barrier of chronology, then we keep digging until we find someone who matches. You’d think after almost forty years in this field that things would evolve. You’d hope that with AI, ATS, chatbots, digital methods, and so on we’d have moved the needle. We haven’t, and honestly, we refuse to because we feel if we eliminate the “experience” parameter then we’ll get a mishmash of underqualified people. Here’s a more current example . . . My son, Josh, graduated from Ohio University in 2019 with high honors. He’s a great, talented young man with a degree, but he didn’t secure an internship or co-op during his time in college. I understand that was a choice, but there’s no standard to measure what students do during internships. It’s just key for people to list one on their résumé because it reflects . . . experience. This story isn’t true only for my son. It’s how HR and organizations continue to filter out new graduates, those trying to change industries, and people making career changes from one field to another. When we were on a recent call, he was telling me the steps he was pursuing in his continued job search when he choked up a bit and said in frustration, “How am I supposed to gain experience if no one is willing to give me an opportunity?” There it is. There’s the crux of this long-held contradiction. How does one gain experience to match the job requisition when companies aren’t willing to take a chance on investing in them first? We have all been lulled into complacency as business professionals because we’ve forgotten that when our careers began, someone opened a door for us and invited us in. We lose sight of this because we’re working. I hate to be this candid, but if you have a job, you typically don’t care about those who don’t. This has to change. There is no reason for people to continue to fight through unnecessary steps to prove that they made it through an imaginary gauntlet and have earned the right to work for a company. It’s archaic and unproven. How can we state we are hiring for talent when we’re really looking for people who

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match buzzwords, overly complicated job descriptions, and hidden preferences and biases in our current approach? It’s time for all of us to open doors. As HR and talent acquisition professionals, we need to redefine the landscape that allows everyone access to jobs and then go through a process of consideration that measures aptitude, character, strengths, and potential. We need to come to terms with the possibility that we can train the details of the jobs they’ll take on. We’re going to have to do this anyway. We spend countless hours and dollars on new hire training for even the most experienced person who joins our company. We want to make sure they learn our methods, norms, and approaches to work. We should value the skills, knowledge, and experience people earn over time. But, instead of playing an organizational matching game, we should see how we can take those attributes to our organization in order to have their talent move us forward by adding value. It’s time for this current generation of professionals in HR to change the landscape. I’m not sure how the hiring process is supposed to look. I’m not sure what facets are needed for a design that is inclusive, consistent, and accessible. I just know it can, and must, exist. I decided to try to break this approach at our company, and the results and reactions were intriguing. We had a long-term team member move from her role as director of marketing into semiretirement. She had done an incredible job for over twenty years, but it was time for her to move on, and we wanted to find a new, fresh person to fill the role. I talked with the EVP of marketing, and we thought we’d try something unconventional. We posted the role on job boards and reached out to our respective networks with attributes we were looking for but did not include a job description !! We were hoping for someone with director-level experience, but we didn’t limit ourselves to the traditional bullet list of various tasks that would qualify someone to be considered. It was fascinating to see how job seekers responded. Several people contacted me to have

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a prediscussion about the opportunity. They wanted to get more firm details to see if they wanted to apply. I explained we were trying to move in a new direction for the role in both the short term and into the future for our company’s marketing efforts. We were leaving it open to the candidates to design the role along with us. You could hear the audible pause from people who couldn’t grasp why, or how, we were doing this. Candidates have been conditioned to match the bullet points listed in job postings. They may, or may not, have relevant examples for each point, which is how they’ve landed jobs in the past. Once they see how their past roles correspond with a new opportunity, then they assume the company will concur and the process will be simple for them to be chosen to step in and join the company. HR feeds into this as well. We’ve taken the years of experience threshold, added one to two pages of bullet points, and assumed we’ve found a perfect template for people to respond to. It’s self-fulfilling and narrow, if you step back to look at it. Yes, you have structure and it’s good to have a template to follow, but you’re not doing much to dive in to know the person and see how they think or how they’d add value to the role and your company. It’s a life-size game of connect the dots. We call it talent acquisition, and it’s how most of us have landed roles throughout our careers, but it lacks depth. Here’s what happened when I chose to try a different approach . . . Several seasoned and qualified people refused to apply for the role !! Without a connect-the-dots path to follow, they were flummoxed. The expectations didn’t register, and they felt uncomfortable and uncertain about what the role entailed. I’m sure some even made assumptions about how our company was too loose in how we brought new people in. On the other hand, we had a great group of candidates who did apply. We asked them during the interview stronger questions to see what they thought, how they’d design things, and what they were seeking in this role, a company, and its culture. We found a solid person to join us, and

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she’s thrived in making the role her own. Soon after she joined, we hired a marketing assistant to fill out the department, and I made sure we used the same process to fill this entry-level position. Experience wasn’t going to be the stumbling block or threshold to weed people out. We found many candidates who welcomed the more open method we were experimenting with, and we landed an incredible person who eagerly joined the company. That person has since moved on to a new opportunity at another company, which meant we resurrected the non–job description approach yet again. It still works !! This is only one possible way to deconstruct the myth of experience. It’s time for HR to quit plodding through old systems and processes because they have worked with little to no effort. We shouldn’t go through the motions when adding talented people to our companies. Take a fresh look at how you’ve been practicing. We all desire to have the most talented people possible as part of our company’s makeup. In order to do that, start being a myth buster. Redefine what it takes to be considered while making sure you’re remaining open, inclusive, and consistent. My son, and I’m sure many others, are still looking for a company that is willing to open a door for them. I plan to keep seeing what I can do to make that happen for him and for others. I believe destroying the myth of experience is needed across all industries. We are missing out on extraordinary people who spend more time jumping through imaginary hoops than actually describing how they can make our companies better. This vision may seem utopian, but HR professionals should be door openers in their own companies and for job seekers in other organizations. We have the access and ability to help people land in the best role for them. All companies succeed when talented people can find great jobs. There’s no good reason for us to be insular. Human resources is a field for and about people. It’s bigger than your responsibilities within your company. Join me in making this a reality here, near, and far !!

CHAPTER 10.

INTO THE STORM

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WE SEEK COMFORT in all facets of our lives. It gives us peace and certainty. We don’t like to be uncomfortable at all. Even though that’s what we strive for, it’s difficult to maintain because storms inevitably come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from personal challenges to natural disasters. What may seem trivial to some could be overwhelming for others. The reality of ongoing storms is always present in human resources. Working alongside multiple people means there’s always a potential for a stormfront to coalesce and run through interactions we have. I don’t think people create storms intentionally. There may be a few outliers who relish being the one who stirs the pot on a regular basis. Having those few folks is fine and needed, to be honest. We all need a few people who don’t willingly accept all that’s put in front of them. Boundary stretchers aren’t storm creators. They may challenge norms, which leads to others being uncomfortable, but that rarely leads to confrontation. When you look at how you practice HR, are you spending more time keeping things in line than anything else? Don’t get me wrong, there is value in reaching comfort at times. However, those in HR tend to make this their primary reason for being in the role, and I think this completely overlooks the humanity of the people we work with. We skate along the surface of polite and courteous interactions while skirting around any potential for conflict, controversy, or any action that would be unsettling. By doing this, we are missing out on making a deep and lasting connection with our employees. It’s time we ran into the storms !! A unique characteristic of buffaloes is relevant here. You may wonder where this is going, but you need to know that when a storm comes upon a herd of buffalo, they band together and run toward it to get through it quicker rather than avoiding the storm for protection. In contrast, if cows are in a pasture and a storm arises, they try to outrun the storm but can never do it successfully. In the end, they find themselves engulfed in the storm far worse than the buffaloes who charged into the fray.

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Too often I’ve found myself running on the fringe of storms that happen at work. I get caught up in the mix of circumstances, emotions, and personalities who want conflict to rage on far more than they want to reach a resolution. It’s very difficult to set your feet and turn into a volatile situation willingly. We are wired to flee with the hope we’ll survive to fight another day. Whenever I’ve talked about the challenge of the storminess I face with my peers, I find they take a similar stance and spend more time telling people that things will be okay instead of addressing what they were facing. It’s exhausting and makes you not want to be around others. It may also lead to mistakenly thinking storms will unleash every time you get into contentious situations. We start thinking poorly about people who are in the midst of some struggle, even if they want to avoid it or get away from it as much as anyone else. What would your workplace look like if you were the one who stepped in to know your people more? When you heard about what they were facing, what if you slowed down and listened to them? Just listened. I’m not suggesting that you be cavalier, reckless, or arrogant by thinking you can solve all the storms swirling in the lives around you. This isn’t about bringing about solutions. I’m merely encouraging you to be the person who runs into the storms to help others get through them. You can do this by standing up for those who aren’t regularly seen or heard. You can do this by not always saying “Yes” and challenging supervisors, people managers, and senior leaders in order to do the right thing. My first full-time HR generalist role was in manufacturing. This was a completely different environment from the recruiting role I left in a comfortable office behind a large desk. In my recruiter role, I had a few encounters that resulted in disagreements or misunderstandings, but nothing ever led to a storm of any kind. I wasn’t aware of, or prepared for, an environment where people were far more comfortable in showing and expressing their emotions. I’ve found a significant contrast in workplaces throughout my career. Many office cultures have mini storms, but people keep anything brewing close to the vest. You rarely

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see someone burst out and launch into a full-blown stormfront. Instead, people sit and stew at their desks and inside their cubicles. This isn’t a healthy way to exist. If people churn without finding a safe and constructive outlet, they will let it out at some point. It may not be at work, but it can’t be held in. (We’ll address this in just a bit.) Companies with frontline employees are more open with each other, almost to a fault. People are more likely to share what’s on their mind, and you may fear it will not be in the most professional way when it happens. However, that’s a misconception. The conversations may have more colorful and emotionally laden language. It doesn’t make them less professional, but it does make them more edgy. As I walked the floor of our plants, I didn’t realize how unprepared I was for facing more open interactions. It took me a while to see the pattern of communication that occurred easily out on the plant floor. Once I learned the cadence, I fell right in with the rest of the employees. A more open, expressive environment doesn’t mean confrontation and conflict happen more often or more easily. No one likes conflict. The only difference I saw was that when storms arose, the level of shared emotion was significantly higher. You may be having a regular conversation that seemed stormy, but it was just more elevated. There were times when I was faced with real storms. One day at one of our plants, I was present when the line workers went on break. A loud whistle would sound, indicating it was time for everyone to put down their tools or walk away from their stations for a fifteen-minute respite. Everyone welcomed both the morning and afternoon breaks. I took this time to chat with the staff and also hang out with the plant management team. People were more than willing to chat, share stories, and laugh. I enjoyed these times far more than sitting behind my desk. The workers were given a second whistle indicating when break was over. Like clockwork, people would come back into the plant or leave the break area and head back to their tasks. Well, almost everyone . . .

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I heard some of the men grumbling as they returned to work. I stepped in and asked if there was a problem. “It’s not a problem; it’s a person,” was the response. I asked them for some context, and they explained that Jamie never returned to work when the break whistle sounded — ever. I took a look and sure enough, Jamie was still outside the plant enjoying a second cigarette. I asked, “Has anyone asked Jamie why he doesn’t return when the whistle blows?” They all muttered, a few cussed, and then I heard, “Jamie’s untouchable. He’s the pet of the plant manager.” Interesting. I knew the plant manager, Buddy, and I found him to be very skilled and consistent with the staff. It seemed odd that one person would get this type of exceptional liberty. I told the team members I would address the situation. They rolled their eyes and went back to work. Their sarcastic response landed hard. I had a choice. I could either placate the plant manager and “strongly encourage” him to address Jamie’s behavior and hope he’d fix it, or I could be direct and explain how this was a problem. I went to the manager’s office and explained what I had just seen and heard and asked Buddy for his take on this. “They’re just grumblers,” he stated. I followed up and asked again. Were they right? Did Jamie stay out well past break time on a regular basis? Buddy lowered his eyes and admitted he did stay out. He then passionately explained that Jamie was his best employee. “So, since he’s your best employee he gets to come and go as he pleases? How do the rest of your people view that?” I asked. “They don’t like it. I just figured he’s one person, and what was the harm? He gets his work done far more quickly than others. I don’t see the problem. Besides, you aren’t out here all the time. You don’t know what it’s like trying to keep everyone in line.” “Fair enough,” I replied. “You’re right. I’m not out here all the time. This isn’t about rules, Buddy. Jamie knows he can do what

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he wants, and you won’t address him. I’ll bet you’ve addressed others for the same thing though, haven’t you?” He nodded and his shoulders sank. “I’m not mad at you. I’m not disappointed either. However, I am going to talk to Jamie since you have chosen not to. I just want to set expectations and go on from there. Are you cool with that?” I wanted to make sure I wasn’t usurping his authority. I could tell the entire floor was watching our conversation. Jamie was still outside, by the way. It was time to be a buffalo. I was sure when I met with Jamie, who didn’t know me that well at the time, he’d push back. He had full run of the plant, and I was an inconvenient visitor from the office. I braced myself, and when he came back in to return to work, I stopped him at the timeclock. “Jamie, can I talk to you for a moment?” I asked politely. “Yeah, guess so. What do you want?” I could feel the temperature rise immediately. This wasn’t going to go smoothly. He was eager to confront me. “Did you hear the break whistle telling everyone to return to work?” “Sure.” “Okay. Well, if you heard the whistle, why didn’t you return with everyone else?” It seemed to be a reasonable question from my perspective. “The whistle doesn’t matter. I do whatever the f*#k I want. What’s it to you?” It was obvious he had been successful in the past by taking this approach with others. “It’s not cool, Jamie. We expect everyone to return to work when the whistle blows. We need everyone to get back so we can stay

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on schedule. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to have you do what everyone else is doing.” I kept calm, but knew it was going to ramp up with each response. “The plant manager doesn’t care if I come back when I want,” he replied defiantly. “He does care, but he’s let you do what you want for too long because he feels you’re a strong worker.” “Damn right I am! I’m the best person in this whole f*#cking plant! So, I don’t see what your problem is. Why don’t you go back to your little office, and we’ll go back to doing real work.” I could tell that work had ceased behind me because everything was silent, and people were watching our storm unfold. “I expect you to change going forward. I want you to come back from break when the whistle blows every time. I’ve already talked to Buddy and told him I was going to address this. I need you to go along with this.” “F*#K YOU !! You can’t tell me what to do !!” He tried to walk past me defiantly. I went around him, picked up his timecard, and punched it. “Jamie, you’re fired.” He spun around quickly on his heels and got right up in my face. I thought things could get physical, and I was shaking inside, but I held my ground. “I mean it. You’re gone. I need you to leave. You don’t have a job here anymore.” His eyes grew wide, and he let out a tirade of obscenities. He called me almost every vulgar thing you could call someone. He started crying through his yelling because he knew this decision was going to stick. He looked toward the plant office, and the manager shrugged his shoulders, implying nothing could be done to alter this outcome. He stormed out to his car and peeled out to show how angry he was.

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As hard as that confrontation was, it had to happen. I was hoping to only address Jamie’s behavior, and my plan was to give him grace to return to work. He chose another path. The clouds burst, lightning was striking, and I was faced with the choice of being a buffalo or being a cow. This time I dove in. Trust me. I have never enjoyed ending anyone’s employment because those types of decisions change a person’s life. I hated to see him go. The change in the plant environment after Jamie left was tangible. It turned out he was pushing others around and wasn’t such a great guy after all. I made sure to visit the plant regularly and check in with Buddy. He and I talked about what had happened, and I was able to coach him on not getting to a stage where a storm was sure to happen in the future. He did a great job with the coaching, and he became an even better people leader over time. I know this is a rather extreme example of a storm. Many storms present themselves in a subtler manner. Running into storms takes courage and a willingness to be intentional even when others will advise you not to. The urge to conform and flee from the storms in our path is difficult to overcome. Keep this in mind though: If you don’t run towards the storm, who will? The people in our lives and at our workplaces are yearning for someone who will come alongside them to weather all they are facing. This is a call that HR professionals need to heed. As leaders, we need to be the buffalo in our organizations who both address and quell the storms. We can’t hope someone else will willingly step in. It’s essential that we’re willing to get battered about a bit and press ourselves in to lessen the length and impact of organizational tempests. When we muster the gumption to drive through stormy conditions, we set the stage for more consistent behavior and communicated expectations. Becoming someone who runs into the storm doesn’t ensure that fewer altercations will occur. However, when others see HR as

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willing to turn toward versus run away from difficult conflict and confrontations, they’ll see a better tone and atmosphere for them to safely perform. Let’s band together as a profession, an industry, and a community as HR professionals. Storms are brewing on the horizon. Let’s start running right at them !!

CHAPTER 11.

COLLABORATION, FLIP CHARTS, AND MEETINGS

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MEETINGS. SO MUCH has been written about the pros and, more likely, the cons of this organizational institution. Meetings have always been the backbone of companies. This isn’t a debate of whether having meetings is effective or not. They have been, and continue to be, the primary method of larger scale communication. Whenever two or more people need to come together to discuss an issue, a project, or a strategy, a call for a meeting is sure to be suggested within mere moments. Now that we’re more comfortable with virtual meetings, their number and frequency have exploded. If you were to view someone’s Outlook calendar, you’d see countless blocks of time allocated each day for meetings. In the past, I would have been on the side arguing that all meetings should be eliminated. It sounds rebellious and would give me a feeling of contentment if it occurred, but it’s silly and not realistic. People want to communicate with each other, and meetings can allow this to happen in a constructive manner. Also, bringing folks together to chat always produces the opportunity for new ideas, perspectives, challenges, and consensus. Where we stumble is how we do meetings. Most are an ineffective waste of time for those who have been called together because we take the position of just showing up and being willing to participate. Meetings have inconsistent direction and leadership even if there is an agenda. The factor leading to this inconsistency is not malicious in the least. The person who is the most vocal or holds the highest position drives and sets the tone for every gathering. Every. One. We have become so conditioned to this reality that we just fall in line to get through and hope we don’t receive additional work with no meaningful value. When we just try to survive meetings, we find people having side gatherings after the main event. People have a “meeting after the meeting” so they can talk and contribute more openly when they felt they couldn’t before. You can’t stop these postmeeting meetings, and you shouldn’t. If gathering is intended to foster communication and bring people together, we can’t step in to say conversations that occur outside the confines of set meeting times are out of bounds. When you ask employees the one

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thing that needs to be improved or fixed about their company, the number one answer is “better communication.” Therefore, we should look at ways for communication to freely flow so people are both informed and clear as to what is happening. At the end of 2020, our company faced something it never expected. One of our senior leaders had a massive heart attack unexpectedly and passed away. He had been with us for forty-five years, and his experience, insight, and institutional knowledge were removed in an instant. He was planning on working toward retirement in a few years, so we hadn’t started planning his transition or succession. We thought we had time. His passing forced us to make a significant organizational decision. Should we just replace his role and continue to work as we had been for years? Or could we pause, reset, and determine the best direction we could take? The second choice meant going into the unknown and would call for involving more people than had been included up to this point. It was a risk, but it was a risk worth taking. We chose to reset. We began by not automatically filling his role with one person. He was the chief operating officer at the time he passed. If we had filled the COO opening, we would have been fine, but it may not have led to a full shift in how we did business. A decision was made to develop intentional collaboration beginning at the executive level. After some initial discussions, the next step was obviously to have a meeting. It seemed logical, but something was also missing. Our company is no different than most. We have called meetings at the drop of a hat or because an executive had some intuition about one item or another. We were quick to gather and gather often. There was such a configuration and number of meetings it was daunting. People were stymied, and work was getting stuck at various phases. As part of the reset, my role changed and expanded. I was now in a position where HR could serve as a communication hub for the company. (Please note: I’m including this as a point of reference, not as a point of platitudes.) I took it upon myself to look at how we had been communicating and how we met before suggesting any potential changes.

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Whenever I try to tackle an assessment of a situation, I tend to be more old school than tech savvy. I’m very comfortable utilizing and implementing technology wherever possible, but sometimes you need to break out of your pattern to jostle how you look at things. I printed a blank calendar so I could note and track the coming year with all the scheduled meetings that included the CEO and president. I didn’t even try to track and capture the multitude of meetings happening for the other executives, either with their own departments or across departments. Using several different colored highlighters, I created a visual picture of the commitments that had been established. It looked like a stained-glass mosaic. Yellows, pinks, greens, blues, and purples filled almost every single day of every single week for both of them. This didn’t account for any personal time off or interruptions from other areas of work that were sure to come to life throughout the year. This simple exercise communicated a strong message. Once I reviewed the colorful meeting quilt, it was obvious things had to change quickly. We were going to make sure to meet, but there was no room for work to be performed and completed. Now, in the past, we would have called all the executives together and hashed schedules out. There would have been a brainstorming session, a team-building exercise, and countless Post-it notes, markers, and stickers covering every possible wall. We didn’t do that this time. Remember, we were resetting. We tried a new approach by having a “meeting before the meeting.” This involved a smaller group of people who discussed many items to establish a template to have when walking into the inevitable next larger meeting. I know this isn’t revolutionary or new. However, most people don’t feel they have time to pause and plan. We are wired more to act and pick up the pieces of what didn’t work because companies value action far more than they do thinking. There’s also a paradigm keeping companies in the same old pattern, which says that if action doesn’t occur at every meeting, nothing will get done. It isn’t true, but it has been the dominant model used for centuries. Once we had a loose template and direction, we called together the larger executive team and started moving forward. Even

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though all of us had been working with each other for years, this new method was a bit uncomfortable because of the framework we decided to try. We put together ground rules and expectations of this fresh approach. Here’s some of what was included: • We’re having these meetings to work on cohesiveness and collaboration across the organization. • It’s important that each function leading different areas of the company are represented and that’s why we’ve decided who is in each meeting. • We want to focus on “What Matters Most” when we get together. Please understand we’re coming at this from a people-centric lens. This includes our team members and our guests. • We expect people to fully participate, be prepared to share and discuss, and respect the various perspectives of everyone present. • Understand that each person brings their own strengths and different viewpoints. These meetings are intended to discuss things thoroughly, make sure people are informed, and give us direction on how, where, and when to proceed. • We may keep some topics moving, and others may get resolved. We will assign tasks, as necessary, from the meetings and ask items to be brought back to subsequent meetings. • We’ll be meeting fairly regularly to make sure we don’t become a bottleneck and slow things down. • Agendas will be talking points for the meetings so we have some framework to work from. • If we don’t have enough topics to fill a meeting, we may decide to cancel getting together.

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Notice one key feature of these ground rules. There aren’t weedy details of who the leader is or isn’t or a ton of minutia to restrict the ability to create a workflow from getting together. The first ground rule set the purpose of having the meeting in the first place: collaboration. We took the position that group collaboration was going to be more effective than a traditional top-down funnel approach led by one or two people only. To set the tone for these meetings, we took a few more steps to define the framework. We agreed to meet biweekly for a set period of time, and we incorporated facilitated meeting leadership. I mentioned earlier that I tend to be a bit old school. At each executive meeting, I bring in a set of markers and my trusty flip chart, a giant pad of blank paper hoisted up on an easel. If there is rich discussion occurring, or if we want to introduce a new approach, explore a work effort, or tackle a larger area of the business, I pull out a marker, stand up, and lead the team through the discussion at hand. You’d be surprised how much focus occurs when you ask everyone to look to the flip chart. You see phones laid down on the table and laptops closing. People talk. They participate, tussle, disagree, and work through items . . . together. At time of writing, we’ve been using this meeting incubator at the executive level for eighteen months and we’re starting to develop the framework on how to incorporate this approach for other meetings throughout the organization. We’ve learned how to finally have meetings be integrated as part of our jobs instead of having them lay on top of our work. Teaching others in the company how to adopt this perspective will be a challenge because so many people utter a loud sigh whenever they see another

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meeting invitation hit their inbox. It’s seen as a nuisance and an addition to an already full plate. It’s cool to see a work in progress that is making strides in reshaping how communication is done. We want to break the mold of splintered and ineffective communication. We had to “break with” to “break through.” It was worth the risk of altering how meetings occurred. Take a look at the state of communication in your organization. Is there something you can do differently? What would a reset look like for you? How can you lead those efforts as the communication hub for your company? If I were you, I’d buy a flip chart and a set of markers.

CHAPTER 12.

SIMPLY RADICAL

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I’VE BEEN A volunteer for SHRM for over twenty years at the local, regional, state, and national levels. It’s been great to get to know countless HR peers over this time. One of the highlights of volunteering was working with the Ohio State Conference committee. Each year we’d put in hundreds of hours so we could produce an event for HR professionals throughout the state. On the committee, you could be working on registration, vendor/sponsor relationships, arrangements and logistics, or obtaining speakers for programming. If you wanted to, you could move through the various roles on the committee and someday become the chair of the event. This involved a multiyear commitment because there was a path established where you’d serve a year in each facet of the event so you could gain knowledge and expertise in how the entire conference functioned. You became close friends with everyone on the committee because you spent so much time together in person and virtually to pull a conference together. I was on this path of becoming the conference chair and had enjoyed many events as I moved through the various roles. It was interesting to learn and see the different approaches leaders took. Some were highly organized and detailed, making sure every single item was accounted for at every step of the process from planning to execution. Others were more relationship focused. They spent time developing people and expecting them to perform. They were supportive and knew the majority of the big areas needed, but they didn’t fret about each tiny detail. When I was the chair elect, I had the opportunity to watch and learn from Martine, who was the conference chair. Martine is one of the most approachable people on the planet. When she enters a room, you can feel how welcoming she is. She exudes energy and humor while being fully inclusive of everyone present. This is how she approaches life and work, and she brought these same attributes to leading the conference committee. All of us were eager to have her take the helm to put the next great event together. At our first meeting, she threw all of us off center by what she did. Instead of opening the meeting discussing the conference theme, the financial status of where we were and what we hoped to attain, and our assignments, she pulled out small gifts

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for each committee member. Once the items were distributed, she told a story of why she gave us what she did and why it mattered. She stated, “You are my team, and I’m going to focus on you. I know you’re talented and can pull this off. I want to focus on you so you’ll focus on the attendees who will be coming in nine months. This is a reminder that my expectation is you focus on others. You need to do the work in your role but remember we’re here for the attendees first and foremost.” I could feel my heart swell inside my body. This approach made so much sense to me. You could see the committee members rally immediately. Martine had drawn us together by a simple act in order to both unite us as a team and give us a common purpose to work toward. Every time we met, Martine had a token for everyone to start the meeting and set the stage. It was brilliant !! My favorite item, which still sits prominently on my desk, was a small, misshapen stone figure. It is an Inuksuk from the Inuit people. Martine bought one for each of us when she was in Alaska. The Inuksuk represents safety, hope, and friendship. It’s amazing how some stacked stones can cause such a deep emotional response every time I look at it. We had a great conference that year, and when I became chair the following year, I followed Martine’s example of giving the team a meaningful item each time we gathered. I wanted to carry on this simple approach because of its immense impact. Quick aside: The theme of my conference was “HR Rocks !!” One of the gifts I gave the team was a mix CD (this was back in 2010), compiled after I asked each committee member for their favorite song. It was the most eclectic set of tunes ever assembled, but it reflected who we were. When you look across the work landscape of our companies, you are going to encounter more complexity than simplicity when it comes to leading others. People managers struggle with how to effectively connect with and lead those for whom they are responsible. They can give you the numbers and statistics for their team with ease. Items like headcount, overhead, hiring

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needs, tenure, and level of experience are easy markers to recite. Forget that this is just scratching the surface because when leaders can give this information, most are satisfied, and we consider those people to be strong people managers. HR doesn’t help when it comes to simplicity either and can set up more machinations and obstacle courses for people who are given the responsibility of leading others instead of tools to foster connectivity. We feel fabricated metrics hold more value than having a performance expectation for employees. The systems approach may account for minutia, but these stats rarely inspire or engage. The approach Martine took was simply radical: foster relationships and show each person they are critical to the efforts ahead, and they’ll perform. She found a way to tie everyone together while allowing them to retain their individuality. Having a common bond transformed how each person viewed each other and the tasks at hand. It was personalized attention. That was it. Taking the time to make sure each person was connected was the key. HR would be transformative if we would put the systems approach on a shelf and choose to intentionally work with our various people managers. Tokens and symbols that aren’t just company-logoed swag have more impact because they aren’t expected. Letting people know that you are counting on them to be a viable, contributing member of a team has exponential power. If we would step forward and connect with each people leader, companies would become stronger, more motivated, and more driven. Leaders would see how they’re connected and included in the present and future of the company. HR needs to take up this mantle to realize the vast majority of human resources doesn’t occur within HR offices. It happens out among the various departments and functions of the company. Instead of focusing on making sure managers complete a multitude of forms, we could make the conscious effort to develop people to ensure they are bringing their people together to perform and thrive. We need to deconstruct the layers and layers of HR gobbledygook we feel is critical even though we know it isn’t.

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By equipping people managers, we are providing a value-added service. How you equip them will depend on who the managers are and how your company views people. There is no doubt you can help frame this while doing the good work of connecting your people leaders. Make sure to understand that this undertaking will be ongoing. You will experience peaks and valleys along with a wide scale of willingness from your people managers. They won’t be used to this approach, so you may face skepticism, doubt, or even stubbornness because they haven’t seen it modeled before in their career. It will be foreign and uncomfortable when you start. However, over time, you’ll see people soften and buy in. Simplification opens far more avenues to genuine people connection than creating another initiative or system. It seems counterintuitive because it is. The thought of seeing an industry of radical HR practitioners who are willing to step in to equip people managers is thrilling !! People-focused leaders are needed for companies to excel now and into the future.

CHAPTER 13.

DISCUSS VS. DEFEND

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HAVE YOU EVER seen a refrigerator acting as an art museum? When I was growing up, I had one in my house, and after we had kids, we made sure to establish a museum at our house as well. These curated surfaces are filled with original artwork from very young artists. Their work begins to be displayed at an early age prior to any formal schooling or instruction. Most works lack firm definition and could be considered abstract. Each work is created and submitted with confidence and pride. There is also an expectation that each and every piece of art created should be displayed prominently in the museum. Our two kids loved contributing to their museum. My wife and I would take each piece of artwork and find a place to affix it with a magnet. Soon, the museum was full and overlapping with a mix of wildly unique contributions. Whenever Debbie or I would ask for a description of a new piece to be added to the gallery, the kids would light up and eagerly describe what they had made. Rarely did their description match what we were looking at, although I understand that art can be presented in a myriad of forms and interpretations. We always thanked them for telling us more about their handiwork and placed the art in whatever space we could find. As the kids got older, their artwork became less abstract and more concrete. We didn’t have to ask for much of a description because they began to make illustrations that were more closely related to the object they viewed. Over time, the museum became less crowded, and you could see more of the refrigerator’s surface rather than having it plastered with an excessive number of drawings and paintings. It was the natural progression of their development and education, but I missed seeing new works being submitted for display. We noticed another shift that occurred as their creations evolved. When they brought work home from school and we asked for a description, we’d get a much more defensive response. They were confused why we didn’t grasp what we saw with ease. In fact, they were put off and became hesitant and reluctant at times. They defended what they did far more than describe what they

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had completed. There was a sense of exasperation and frustration with being questioned. The conversations were curt and dismissive, with the hope we’d stop asking over time. Please note that we have great relationships with our kids (now adults) and have been fortunate to have always had constructive relationships with them. Their reaction was as true and genuine as you can expect from people. We don’t want people to question our work. We want to produce it and have others accept it just as it was completed. We may be open to slight modifications or suggestions, but they had better be minor. Sound familiar? I know you’ve been in meetings and interactions at work where people were presenting an idea or an update they have been responsible for. It’s great to see them be confident in what they are presenting. Once they finish their train of thought, there’s an awkward pause because people aren’t sure if they should respond. There is a concern of how feedback will be received as well as uncertainty of how to temper their emotional response. Therefore, when critical input is needed to ask for more understanding or context, people skip over it. They would rather give solid affirmations and avoid any prickliness because they want to prioritize stability over anything else. Avoidance is never a healthy position to take. Never. Without robust interaction and discussion about work, people can fall into a giant pit of failure, which could have been addressed. Also, it’s okay to be a little prickly. This doesn’t give you the latitude to jump on everything being presented at a meeting to make sure your voice is heard. That is as unproductive as avoidance. No one likes a know-it-all. There is a healthy way to make sure people are heard and items are fully considered before they move forward. Remember the earlier artwork example? Parents ask their children to describe their work, not defend it. When kids are given an environment where they know it is safe to share, they do so willingly and without concern. You can establish this same approach in the workplace. Instead of only having someone describe their work or idea for affirmation and acceptance, let everyone who

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is participating know that all work is open for discussion. The discussion needs to be respectful. Agree that there is value in hearing various perspectives so that decisions have a chance to be more well-rounded and thought through. Set a ground rule to not attack the ideas or work presented. Keeping an open forum is essential if discussion is going to occur. Once you’ve created a safe environment for discussion to occur, make sure you also have a facilitator. The facilitator can contribute to the discussion, but they also have the ability to call for a pause if things get heated or if they can sense that people are moving from discussion to defending their position. One thing to come to terms with in organizational dialogue is this: it’s okay to be a little prickly. We all desire nonconfrontational workplaces. We want people to be calm, interact easily, and steer clear of anything uncomfortable. That is ideal and admirable but not always realistic. If you can facilitate and monitor when things become a bit elevated and prickly, you’ll find people lean in because they’re more emotionally invested in what is being discussed. If you avoid conversations when they become a little more emotionally charged, then you’ll find that people will abdicate any final decision to the person who has the most senior role in the discussion. People will wring their hands and then throw them up to just get out of the prickliness. It’s better to work through this discomfort than it is to push it off to the side. When we did our company reset, we were up-front about making the shift to an expectation to discuss versus defend in our meetings. We wanted to have the opportunity to have rich, meaningful discussions with those involved because we knew it would bring more clarity and consensus to the work being conducted. There would be less speculation, and you’d have a larger group of people informed. The more people are informed, the clearer the direction an organization follows. Making this shift has been productive overall sprinkled with a few moments of prickliness. All in all, it was one of the best moves we took.

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If you want to see your company move from being fragmented and having people argue and get defensive of their work, then you need to establish a culture of discussion. This gives HR an opportunity to step into the role of being an organizational facilitator. This is different than mediation because mediation is used to resolve problems. There is a need and time for mediation, but facilitation allows for people to be heard and for work to flow. When work flows naturally, you’ll see discussions occurring easily. It gives us a chance to genuinely lead without being “in charge.” This form of leadership is far more productive and sustainable, and it puts HR in a position to pull people together. Fostering discussions works. You’ll see stronger and more well-conceived ideas come to life. You’ll also see a workplace culture that values the insight, feedback, and perspectives of employees. Having discussions can positively influence retention and build inclusion. Get rid of the defensiveness inside your organization. Have discussions and then add them to the museum of great artwork being created throughout your organization. Pretty soon you’ll see a whole new canvas come to life !!

CHAPTER 14.

THE POWER OF LLAMAS

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SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I was talking to a dear HR friend of mine, Trish. We had met through social media when Twitter was just getting started. She had an amazing blog, and she was also a regular on one of the original HR podcasts, The HR Happy Hour. I reached out to chat and connect more, and we became fast friends. I learned about her work, her family, and all of the cool things she was doing to revolutionize HR. She introduced me to several people who became dear friends as well. One time as we were talking, we started talking about HR llamas. I don’t remember exactly how, but it became a reference every time we talked. We’d make sure to interject some random llama reference and just giggle. It was fun to have such a unique connection that kept our friendship lively and vibrant. The silly thought of HR llamas stuck, and someone asked me why I affiliated this four-legged native of South America with human resources. I quipped, “Well, the llama is the best animal to represent HR because they’re cute and approachable, but if you upset them they might spit on you !!” I made several llama references in presentations at HR conferences, and I even had a few stuffed versions that made it to my toy table, which travels with me wherever I speak. I’ve remained a big kid throughout my life. I surround myself with toys in my office and in my basement at home. Toys have always brought me joy, and they stimulate energy and creativity and serve as a reminder that I can bring life to all I do. When I have the opportunity to present at conferences, I ask for a six-by-eight-foot table, which I fill with a multitude of toys from my office. Adding a llama or two seemed natural. One year as I was preparing to speak at SHRM’s annual conference, a friend and peer of mine, Jason, came up to me before I took the stage. I was setting up my toy table, and he asked if he could have a minute before I went on. I replied, “Of course.” He reached into a medium-sized tote bag and pulled out this amazing rainbow multicolored shaggy stuffed llama. I was floored and speechless. He said, “I saw this and thought you could add it to your table when you go to events.”

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When I could finally speak, I squealed, “YES !!” I took the llama from Jason and started to put it on the table in its new home when he asked me to wait for a second, and I could tell he wanted to give me a story about the llama. “I hope you like the llama,” Jason said a bit emotionally. “I wanted to make sure you read the note attached to its neck before you take it.” I reached under the layers of pink, purple, and teal fur and felt a thin rubber band. Tucked under it was a neatly folded piece of notebook paper with some beautiful printing on it. Here’s the message written out fondly by Jason’s daughter, Sierra, who was nine years old at the time. (It includes misspellings, which make this even more precious !!) Dear Steve, I really want that lama, but Daddy gave her to you! So I wanted to know you would hug her evry night and kiss her evry morning. And one other thing, please call her by her name. I named her myself. Her name is Jelly! Sincerely, Sierra

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I got through the first sentence of Sierra’s note as the tears welled up in my eyes and began rolling down my cheeks. I was speechless again. As I finished, I looked up at Jason, who was also joyfully weeping. We embraced and hugged. This was such a simple gesture, but it made a sizable impact. I thanked him again, folded Sierra’s note, and tucked it right back around Jelly’s neck so it would always be there. Jelly was then added to my office menagerie, and she has traveled with me around the globe since. I was so moved by Sierra’s thoughtful gesture that when I returned from the conference, I looked around my office to see if there was something I could send to her. I saw this wonderful stuffed horse named Bridget, and I knew I found exactly what I needed. I made sure to give Sierra a handwritten note back. Here’s what I said: Sierra, Thank you so much for letting your Dad bring Jelly to me !! She is wonderful and has a new home with me in my office at work. Everyone I work with loves her too. Since you’re so good at taking care of animals, I wanted you to have Bridget. She is looking for a new home and I thought you would be the best choice !! Remember to hug and kiss her so she knows she’s loved. Take care, Steve Jason said Sierra loved getting a note back from me and Bridget was a great gift because she loves horses !! He sent me a picture of Sierra hugging Bridget the horse while swinging in her backyard. Jelly still travels with me and always will. That’s only one story I can share with you because I have enough to fill another book. I continue to get llama gifts of all shapes, sizes, and varieties on a regular basis. I have received artwork,

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books, games, clothing, drink koozies, and more. What started as a silly conversation between two friends has now turned into a meaningful connection between me and my peers around the world (literally). There’s a conclusion I’d like you to take from this tale about the wonderful llama. Whenever someone is thoughtful enough to give me another llama for my collection, it establishes a bond showing care, affection, and encouragement. Working in the field of human resources is exasperating. Intentionally being a practitioner for almost four decades has meant I’ve had thousands of interactions with thousands of people. This includes those I’ve had the pleasure of working with and those I’ve met through speaking and volunteer leadership. Those encounters have ranged from civil conversations to highly emotionally charged confrontations. That gamut could have occurred in one day or even one hour !! I’m not complaining because I will remain steadfast as someone who believes there is no greater profession than practicing HR. It’s the one occupation where you have a chance to positively impact every. single. person. you meet. You may not always have a positive interaction, but the opportunity exists each time two or more people come together. As a leader in HR, it’s key for you to embrace the role of being an encourager. Encouragement carries a weight and power that can break through and survive almost every circumstance and situation. The challenge with being an encourager is how much effort and energy it requires to be consistent and sustainable. It’s easy to get your spirits up and bring joy every once in a while. Even the most negative person experiences sporadic glimpses of light and encouragement. Also, please don’t think being an encourager is naïve or passive. People assume if you’re an encourager then you’re most likely placating everyone just to keep the office calm and in check. It’s a poor assumption. As a business leader, you still have the ability and latitude to be challenging, critical, observant, and contrary

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while maintaining the attribute of encouragement. Encouragers change their company’s culture by being far more approachable than those who choose not to lift others up. Taking on the mantle of encouragement has lasting positive impacts for leaders personally, professionally, and organizationally. Someone has to be the light willing to break through the dark — which brings us back to llamas. You see, encouragers need to be encouraged as well. If those who encourage don’t receive a dose of light themselves, their willingness to lift others up will diminish over time. The many gifts I have received over the years have served as encouragement and affirmation of how being realistically positive and optimistic leaves a lasting impression. It has been said it takes courage to encourage because society and many company cultures tend to consider it unnecessary and try to press it out. Remember Sierra? Her thoughtful handwritten note and sacrifice landed so deep that her story continues to be shared and told. Take the steps as an HR professional to become, and remain, an encourager. It will transform you, how you look at people, and how you practice. You will notice a shift in yourself and in others, which will add more value to your company than any initiative ever will. Need a reminder? Get a llama.

CHAPTER 15.

DON’T BE AN ENTERTAINER

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WHEN I BEGAN my career, no one educated me on what to expect when entering a work environment. People were just expected to go to work, put in their eight hours, and trudge home in an endless cycle. Back then, there were no discussions about employee engagement, culture, or well-being. You were measured on when you came into work, how you looked, and when you left. Rarely did someone ever check my performance. These surface-level, visual observations carried far more weight than any level of contribution. Thankfully, I had a cousin who lived in Cincinnati, and she was aware of the heavy culture of the company I was joining. Men were expected to wear blue or gray suits daily. You also were “allowed” to have a white or blue button-down Oxford shirt. The only expression of individuality you were allowed to show outwardly was in the pattern of your tie. I’ve never been one for conformity. In fact, I’ve spent the majority of my life pushing the norms wherever I could if they seemed to be narrow and confining. My cousin knew the look I’d need to have, and she made sure I did some suit shopping before my first day. On top of dictating what was acceptable in terms of appearance, she also advised me on where I should get an apartment. This baffled me. I was far more concerned about what I could afford than what area of town I lived in. She assured me she had my best interests in mind and wanted to see me succeed as I joined this global establishment. She told me living on the East Side of the city would be best for me. I felt oddly uncomfortable about this because I didn’t see why it mattered, but I listened to her. I found a great place in Anderson Township that was part of a newer apartment complex. Now that the look and location were covered, I felt I was ready to start my career as an HR professional. On my first day, I donned a blue pinstriped suit, white Oxford shirt, and bright blue paisley tie. The first impression I had as I entered the HR office was warm, welcoming, and exciting. I was nervous because every aspect of this new job and environment was unknown. The internet wasn’t in existence when I began my career. I couldn’t do research ahead

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of time, so each encounter was fresh. As my manager introduced me to the other members of the HR department, I noticed the first question people asked me was where I lived. Every person. It was intriguing. Thanks to my cousin’s astute advice, I connected with people easily. When I stated I lived in Anderson Township, I noticed a positive response. Evidently, I had chosen wisely. After the team intros, my manager took me on the new hire tour of the company offices. He explained I should pay attention because he was going to have me write a script for this tour to be used for new hires going forward. I was geeked to already have a project before I had even had an opportunity to see my office or desk !! The tour took about thirty minutes because the corporate offices of this behemoth company take up two city blocks. It was cool to learn about the company and its over-one-hundred-year history. Whenever we walked past other workers who were traversing the expansive hallways, my manager would stop and introduce me. He was such an engaging, approachable, and warm man, and he made introductions with ease. He had been with the company for more than forty years when I was hired, and it was obvious he had made solid connections across the organization. Each person followed the same pattern as my teammates in HR by asking me where I lived. Each time I shared, “Anderson Township,” and got a nod of approval. The more people we met, the more unsettling this question became to me. Bill took me upstairs to show me extra parts of the complex. This wasn’t part of the “normal” tour, and I was fascinated he chose to make this extra effort in parading me around. As we walked through the hallway of executive suites, his boss came up to us unplanned. “Hi Bob!” “Hi Bill! Who’s this you have with you?” “Bob, I’d like you to meet Steve Browne. He’s a new hire as a recruiter in our department and our first college graduate.” (I was the first one to come straight from college in HR. Every other

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person in the department had worked their way up from the front line of other parts of the organization.) Bob reached out his hand and said, “Welcome Steve! We’re glad to have you as part of the company. Bill and I have worked together for years, and he’s a great manager. You’ll enjoy working for him. What part of town do you live in?” For some reason, I wanted to push back and try an experiment. I wasn’t going to tell him I lived in Anderson Township. I shook his hand firmly and said, “I live in Western Hills, Bob.” His response was, “Oh. I see.” There was an awkward pause. “That’s good. Well, welcome again. Good to see you, Bill.” I turned around with my manager to see the color had drained from his face. When we were no longer close enough for Bob to hear or see us, Bill sharply asked, “Why did you tell him that? Do you live in Anderson Township or Western Hills?” I smugly replied, “I live in Anderson Township. I just wanted to see if I’d get a different reaction from somebody by telling them a town on the West side of Cincinnati. I don’t know why it matters where I live. My cousins live in Western Hills, and they’re very successful.” Bill was furious, embarrassed, and speechless. He grabbed my arm and led me to the elevator to return to the HR department. He didn’t talk during the ten-minute walk back. He took me to Becky’s office because she was to be my mentor and help me with onboarding. “Here he is,” he retorted. He stormed off down the hallway to his office and didn’t talk to me for the rest of my first day. “What happened?” Becky asked. I explained our encounter with Bob, and she shook her head. “You have a lot to learn about us, Steve,” she said, and we sat down to complete my new hire paperwork.

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I should have taken the cues that first day to see I wasn’t going to make my career at that company. There were other incidents where I chose to be myself and it ran counter to how others acted. I didn’t stay long. It is an amazing company filled with gifted and talented people, but I just didn’t fit the mold they were asking me to assume. If I was able to ask you how you’re doing as a human right now, how would you answer? I’m sure there would be a myriad of responses. Some would be genuine, and some would be polite. Some would be in-depth and raw, while others would be short and concise. There’s no telling what the answer could be, but it’s a question I think we should be asking on a more regular basis. You see, I’m concerned. I’m concerned about my peers in HR who are plastering on a smiley face every day just to make it through. Some are not faking it and are intensely positive because that’s how they’re wired. I love when you encounter those folks, and I wish more people adopted this approach to life and work. The reality is that people are struggling. There are varying degrees of what people are experiencing, but struggling is becoming far more the norm for everyone in the workplace — especially if you’re in HR. The reason I feel this struggle is more prevalent among HR professionals is that many don’t think they are allowed to be human themselves. We adopt an arm’s length façade to keep people from knowing who we are. HR pros can show all of the necessary empathy and understanding for others, but rarely is that reciprocated back to us. We’re expected to be the entertainers of the organization, and it’s exasperating. We put on a work face to make sure we fit in even if that’s not the case. I’m a giant music freak, and one of my favorite artists is the legendary Billy Joel. One of my favorite songs came from one of his earliest albums, Streetlife Serenade. It’s called “The Entertainer” and it captures exactly what I see happening in HR. The first verse goes like this . . .

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I am the entertainer And I know just where I stand Another serenader And another long-haired band Today I am your champion I may have won your hearts But I know the game You’ll forget my name And I won’t be here in another year If I don’t stay on the charts, oh HR people always feel the pressure to be “on.” Trust me. We feel we need to “stay on the charts” if we’re going to have any meaningful impact on the company. This is true with everyone I know, whether they’re a new practitioner just starting or a CHRO. It’s great that we are the “people” people in companies, but that often means we don’t express our humanity ourselves. This needs to stop. There’s never been a great reason for us to take this posture, and it honestly has distanced us within organizations. It’s safe and okay to be vulnerable, flawed, quirky, uncertain, and curious. We can drop the guarded wall we put up and allow ourselves to be emotional and share our individuality like every other person we work with. We can share our life experiences and our ups and downs. We can be frustrated and elated. However, we can’t experience that freedom if we keep holding on to the entertainer mantle. I’ve never been one to play this game. I understand being expressive pushes boundaries and norms. However, isn’t that what is

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needed in most organizations? If we act like automatons, we only hurt ourselves professionally. We need to realize employees today expect to have an HR connection they can relate to. The days of being the compliance enforcer have evaporated. There continues to be a group of “experts” who pound the drum of being the function that only develops and enforces processes, policies, and procedures as HR professionals. They feel this approach should define everything we do, but they’re wrong, old-fashioned, and irrelevant. With more and more organizations moving to a people-first approach, HR has to set the standard by being people-first themselves. This is the expectation of how the workplace has evolved. There isn’t going to be a retreat. Employees no longer want to be connected to a company that dictates how they look and where they live. If they don’t see your organization as one that allows people to be themselves, they’ll find one that will. It’s time to blaze the trail that awaits us. The only thing stopping you from expressing who you are at work is you. Stop being an entertainer and embrace being a human . . . in HR.

CHAPTER 16.

THREAD PEOPLE

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DID YOU KNOW my wife is amazing ?? It’s true. She’s not only been my better half for nearly thirty-three years, but she balances me in a way few others do. She puts up with all of the involvement I’ve had in various volunteer leader roles, and she’s encouraging and supportive of the speaking and writing I’ve done. She’s given up time together and has allowed me to explore how to connect and communicate with the global HR community. She nudges me each Saturday to make sure I consistently write a blog post each Sunday. How freaking cool is that ?! Whenever I open my laptop to put something together, she coyly asks, “Do you need me to give you an idea again this week?” She giggles and continues, “You know, you rely on me for these ideas every week.” I roll my eyes, and we laugh. She’s the best. Let me take a moment to share a bit more about her because she is unique in today’s workforce. She’s held two jobs during her career. Two. Her first role lasted fifteen years, and she has been at her current employer for twenty-one years. What’s even more astonishing is her boss, who recently retired, had been working at her same employer for . . . forty-five years !! (I’ll wait until you get back up off the floor from shock.) So, to help you with some HR math, Debbie’s boss, Gilda, was at their employer for twenty-four years before Debbie joined. It’s astounding. During their time, they have seen turnover among leadership and coworkers. People have come and gone. Some moved up into greater roles, and others stayed at the company for a relatively short period of time. There were those who moved voluntarily for new opportunities at other companies or locations by moving out of the area. Some were asked to leave. This occurs at every company. Regular movement and mobility in companies isn’t unique. However, Gilda and Debbie represent something that is too often overlooked and taken for granted in organizations. They’re thread people. Please note this is not a derogatory descriptor in the least. They’re the employees who provide stability, continuity, and reassurance, which is vital to a healthy culture. I’m not talking about tenure on its own. Tenure is valuable, but it doesn’t automatically mean long-term employees are productive and performing well. It

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does in many cases, but being a reliable thread woven throughout a company is far different. Those who provide consistency are an integral part of a company’s fabric. You need to make sure you have those who fill roles as threads. These people should be valued and celebrated. If you can go to someone who is a fountain of knowledge and is approachable, willing, and capable of helping you, you should be grateful. They make work appear seamless and reduce the obstacles in your way to perform your job. So often, companies focus on those deemed to be “high potentials” or senior leadership. We become enamored with people who are the most visible, vocal, and charismatic. They are bright, shiny objects that demand our attention. They are the subject of interoffice conversations. We feel they’re going to represent our company’s future. We’re just sure of it. It’s not a balanced approach. We don’t realize we’re ignoring a substantial segment of hardworking, contributing staff. If we’re not careful, these reliable folks get taken for granted. Their diligence is valued because work easily flows from their efforts, but it gets buried because they keep to themselves and aren’t often the people who are “seen.” Inevitably we see the hi-po employee find a new role at a different company. We question whether they were ever loyal to our company, and the sparkle they once exuded seems to dim quite a bit. Or someone gets chosen to go into a larger role without support and infrastructure to help them thrive. They were anointed and . . . they fail. We aren’t taking the time to develop people to move into roles. That takes too much time and effort. (Can you feel the sarcasm ??) During the various shifts and staff movements that occur throughout an organization, thread people quietly keep contributing to the company. These wonderful folks roll with every change and new face they work with and keep doing the work behind the curtain. They aren’t the subject of interoffice conversations, and yet they remain constant.

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It’s time for us to get our head out of the clouds where we watch and pay attention only to employees who want to grow and advance into other roles and levels in the organization. We should agree to be observant and consistent in making sure we see how everyone contributes and performs. Make sure each person is included, valued, and given credit for how they move the company forward. Not everyone has to advance to be appreciated. After Gilda’s retirement, Debbie found herself with a new manager, Jenna, who was twenty-six. She came home and wondered if she should join Gilda and retire as well. She had experienced transition often during her time with her company, but she didn’t know if she was up to having someone more than thirty years younger than her now be responsible for leading her and the entire department. On top the stress of Gilda’s retirement, Debbie’s two other coworkers in the department had only been with the company for a short period of time. She was anxious and didn’t know if she had the energy she knew it would take to work through seeing each of these people get their feet wet and become anchored so they could all perform. We had several emotional conversations about what direction she would take. I was ready to support her in whatever she decided. You see, she’s been a thread person for me throughout our lives together, just as she has been for our kids and our friends. She has the strength of being constant. If you step back and take a look at those you work and live with, you’ll see this attribute exists in many people. She decided to stay on and get Jenna equipped to run the department. She now had the opportunity to be the same person Gilda was for her twenty-one years ago. It’s been a great decision for Debbie and the rest of her coworkers. Her thread stretched a bit, but then snapped back into place. As HR leaders, we need to shift the focus of senior leadership. Instead of taking these incredible thread people who keep our companies afloat and functioning for granted, we should be openly thankful for all they provide. They deserve it every day.

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With them, our companies thrive because they provide the fabric for great work to occur. Don’t allow people to work in the shadows. Bringing them out into the open allows others to acknowledge how critical constant people are to our daily and long-term success.

CHAPTER 17.

CROSSING THE MOAT

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I LOVE READING books and watching shows and movies that were set in the worlds of castles, kingdoms, and mystical creatures. I’m a huge fan of Lord of the Rings as well as the tales of King Arthur. This may also explain why my favorite movie is Monty Python and the Holy Grail !! In many of these tales, you find a gargantuan castle surrounded by a moat. The moat is a deep trench filled with water that separates those within the castle from invaders trying to breach it to get in. Moats keep one side from another, and the only way to span the expanse is to walk across a drawbridge, which is controlled by those running the castle. Some moats also have creatures swimming beneath the surface that are just waiting for some poor soul to try to swim across in hope of scaling the castle wall. It seems today many people have built their own emotional moats around them to keep others out, just like a castle. Emotions are no doubt running high because of all that is happening throughout society and around the globe. We all see pictures of those emotions on display calling for action, justice, and equality. There’s also the reality that much of what we used to do on a regular basis isn’t happening like it used to. Socially, people are pent up and looking for ways to express themselves. We are realizing the power and need for intentional human contact. As workplaces try to figure out how work is going to look and evolve as a result of the pandemic, people are eager to return or anxious of the unknown. At times, these feelings can appear in each person within the same day or the same hour. More and more is being written and discussed about self-care and the emotional strain that seems to be a part of every person’s daily routine. In reaction to this constant pool of emotions, people are digging trenches and building moats to protect themselves, their feelings, and their thoughts. The ones I’ve encountered seem insurmountable. You can see the person on the other side moving around in their castle, but the sight becomes more and more dim as the distance increases. This distancing is leading to more and more

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isolation. You may be aware of someone taking steps away from you. However, a person may also be isolated while standing in a crowded room without you even being aware it’s happening. As humans, especially in HR, we need to check on others and see if they’ll let down their drawbridge and allow us to cross. Isolation may have its time and place to allow you to reflect, collect your thoughts, and recharge, but those are usually short periods of time. We need to step in to make sure that people truly are “okay.” If they are, then that’s fantastic. If they’re saying they are, but their behavior doesn’t match their words, I encourage you to respectfully press in. When you find someone who just isn’t willing to lower the bridge, you need to see if you can recommend resources or assistance so they can connect with someone in an environment they deem safe. The key to crossing any emotional moat is twofold: (1) you must truly want to take the steps to connect because you care about the people you’re trying to reach, and (2) you need to consistently show others that they truly matter all of the time, not just because they’re struggling a bit right now. Moat crossing means making relationships that are safe, appropriate, and genuine and that value all involved. We are wired as humans to be interdependent. This runs across the grain of today’s society, which screams for each person to be themselves. You can still be yourself and have relationships bridge the gap of the emotional moat you’re facing. It may take some time, and you need to be patient because some connections will move forward while others will remain as friendly hellos only. Early on in the pandemic, a near stranger from the United Kingdom reached out to me out of the blue. Most people were confined to their houses because we just didn’t know what was happening. To ensure safety, countries decided to keep us locked down. We were all becoming a bit stir-crazy because we had watched as much streaming entertainment as we could handle. An acquaintance of mine, Selena, asked if I’d like to be included in a weekly gathering she was calling the HR Pub Quiz. You need to

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know how bold this request was. Prior to Selena reaching out, we had never talked. The only way she knew I was on the planet was because of social media. I looked at her profile after I received her direct message and decided to respond. I’ve always been comfortable in taking the leap to talk to strangers. When I asked her for details about what the pub quiz would entail, she shared it would be similar to pub quizzes that had happened in person throughout the United Kingdom back when they were able to see others in person. She envisioned getting a group of people together weekly to answer trivia questions over several rounds. She planned to include a musical round and a picture round. Participants would tally their points, and a winner would be crowned with bragging rights until the next quiz happened. It sounded wonderful because I love trivia and I was intrigued about meeting new people. I did ask her why she reached out to me even though we didn’t have a prior relationship. She explained that she had been watching how I interacted on Twitter, and she liked that I was positive and tried to build community. She was sure others would join the pub quiz if I participated. I was humbled by this and wanted to make sure to help her get this unique gathering off the ground. The pub quiz was done through Zoom, and Selena used a free account. She calculated she could get through the first two rounds of the quiz in forty minutes (the maximum time allowed on free accounts for a single call). Then she’d use Twitter to post the third round as pictures as a direct message to the group. She’d send out a second Zoom link for rounds four and five in another forty-minute block. The format was perfect. On the first quiz, I was the only person from the States. This took me aback for a moment, but then I jumped right in. The rest of the quizzers were from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Spain. It was amazing to see how technology brought together a group of strangers across miles of space and vastly different time zones. The inaugural quiz was a complete success and set the stage for future quizzes.

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We talked about reaching out to other friends to see if they’d like to join in for future pub quizzes, and our group easily grew. Over time, more people from all over the United States came on. We had participants from California, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, and Oregon. As if that wasn’t enough, we also added people from Peru and India !! It was refreshing to see how a global community of peers could come together for an hour a week to try their hand at trivia while laughing and enjoying each other’s company. We met on Saturday afternoon every week throughout the pandemic. Sometimes we’d have almost twenty people playing and other times we’d have ten. There were theme nights some weeks, and I always made sure to bemoan when questions and songs were a bit too UK-centric. It was a joy to see each other weekly, and you could tell friendships were forming. The group began to check in with each other daily online. You started to see people naturally share life’s happenings openly. There were ups and downs, highlights and struggles. People moved from country to country, changed jobs, and had family losses and successes. Those over in the United Kingdom even started to have in-person meet-ups once the environment became safer and regulations lifted. The pictures they share when this happens are priceless. I have chosen to connect with several people who communicate with each other daily. We don’t let geographical distance or time zones inhibit us from making sure we touch base and see how everyone is doing. Yes, this takes a considerable amount of time and concentration, but the investment is worth it. One of the best outcomes of this group of friends sharing is that people aren’t isolated. There have been many examples of intimate, personal situations involving mental, emotional, and physical difficulties. It’s astonishing to see people who have predominantly known each other only on an online basis share so candidly. We have all come to understand we can’t stay in our castles and use moats to keep others at arm’s length. Many have stated they wouldn’t have been able to address and move through what they’ve been facing without this eclectic group of compatriots.

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We need to look around and check in to see how our coworkers and friends are doing. As HR professionals, you can’t allow people to exist in isolation. There’s no reason for this to occur because we’re able to connect with people more easily using virtual technology or just walking down the hall if you’re in person. Don’t assume just because you see people and give them a greeting that you’ve truly checked in. Have a conversation. Spend a few moments to see how they’re doing personally. This isn’t a big ask. It should be the number one effort each of us make. It’s ironic that well-being of others became such a prominent concern because a global pandemic woke people up to notice the other humans around them. Well-being has always been a factor in workplaces. Now that it’s receiving the attention it deserves, step into it fully to ensure you are aware of each person’s status and emotional health. So, put your work aside and start regularly reaching out to connect with others. Once you do, ask them to lower their bridge so you can walk across to have a chat, a coffee, and some meaningful conversations. Don’t leave someone trapped behind a castle wall.

CHAPTER 18.

THE ORGANIZATIONAL MOLECULE

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I REMEMBER THE 1990s as a decade when technology started to blossom and flourish. We went from desktop computers to laptops and the first mobile phones. I jumped in at every possible point I could. One of the coolest gifts I received during this time was a PalmPilot. Looking back, what I thought was an outstanding technological breakthrough turns out to have been a giant electronic rolodex. Still, it was very cool. I also had a BlackBerry, and the thought of a keyboard on a phone blew my mind. One quick aside: I also had an iPod to store my massive music collection and it still works !! I listen to it every day at work, as it is docked in a boom box that is as old as the iPod. This decade also saw the launch of tech start-ups and small shops that would create software to help companies move from a world of paper to a digital world. People were specialized, and it was fascinating to see these entrepreneurs go from an idea to a fully staffed organization. They popped up like popcorn. Everything was so new and moving so rapidly you couldn’t keep up. One of the software start-ups I recall offered to give you the ability to create and draw org charts. This was revolutionary because the only method I was aware of was to try to make them by utilizing an Excel spreadsheet. I investigated getting this software because it intrigued me. I thought it would make it easier to pull an org chart together quickly whenever I was asked to update one. I did end up purchasing a set of CD ROMs to make sure I had this new tool at the ready, and I used it . . . once. It was far more layered and confusing than it was marketed to be. I did have the ability to create a multitude of charts with all sorts of symbols, styles, and line weights. It just took too much time to click through all of the steps needed to even get a full chart completed. Ironically, the software was actually very similar to how people construct org charts. Rarely are these business tools easy to understand. You find lines going in multiple directions with connections to various people. Solid lines. Dotted lines. Notes to help define lines. Colors to delineate the roles of people and the level

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in which they are layered. For a diagram that is supposed to be linear, it turns out to look more like a spider web. Apart from the visual aspect of org charts, you have their purpose. If an employee reads one of these maps, the first thing they’re looking for is their name and position. They’re not as concerned with whom they report to as much as making sure they appear somewhere on the chart. People want confirmation they have a place. If that is unclear, it provokes an immediate sense of anxiety and uncertainty. This is true for employees whether they have an executive role or if they work on the front line. Now, we need to see what senior leaders think org charts do. The traditional intention is to make sure a structured hierarchy is present. Leaders want to see a top-down illustration to ensure uniformity and balance. They also want to see clean reporting relationships. There is little thought if people actually should have others reporting to them. However, producing that clean chart gives people comfort. It doesn’t reflect whether the organizational design is effective at all, but it sure does look good !! The challenge that org charts bring to the surface is the whole “reporting to” connection. Many people managers use these charts to take an outdated top-down relationship to extremes. Reporting relationships are used as weapons more often than not. You’ll hear managers hold it over those whom they work with to give themselves an elevated feeling of power and control. This hierarchical approach leads to hard feelings, broken communication, and unhealthy relationships. I’ve had many conversations with people managers who are frustrated because they don’t understand why their staff doesn’t jump whenever they tell them what work they’d like to be done. They make assumptions that people should blindly accept any instruction purely because they report to someone above them. It’s arrogant and senseless. One time I met with the manager of a department along with another executive because they were stymied and discouraged. I was pleased we were having a conversation to address his

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frustration because he was a talented contributor, but we had seen negative and pointed feedback from his team. As the manager dumped his bucket, we could tell there was a misconception holding him back. Most of his explanation of what was happening involved statements of confusion. He didn’t understand why the members of his team didn’t automatically do whatever he said because “they worked for him.” He stated it over and over. I caught the eye of the other executive in the room, and we gave each other a look of acknowledgment about the root cause of our manager’s frustration. After his examples started repeating, I raised my hand and asked him to pause for a moment. I said, “We think we know what the problem is. You see, the team members in your department work for the company and with you.” The conversation came to a halt. I asked him if what I said made sense. He said it did, and we were able to have a more constructive discussion about how all of his team members could work together. We also made sure to see how we could take steps to alleviate the dissension and disconnectedness. Over time, relationships improved. It’s an ongoing process that needs consistent attention, but the reframing of working together versus working for someone helped. I’ve never understood why companies hold onto organizational charts because they don’t reflect how work happens throughout daily activities. A set of boxes and titles has little influence or impact on the good efforts of employees. Several years ago, my boss and I were having one of our weekly check-ins, and we were discussing the challenge of effectively defining people’s roles. He came from the school of bullet point–filled job descriptions, and I argued that work was more fluid than this. People don’t come to work and pull out a job description and then align their day by working down the bullet points consecutively. Nor do they cease to work if a task comes up which falls outside of that list. I also threw out that I didn’t like the thought that organizations were structured in a linear fashion. Similar to job descriptions, I

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have felt that work is far more fluid and pliable than org charts ever communicated. My boss was always great at pushing me to follow through on ideas. He enjoyed discussing alternative perspectives, but he wanted to see if ideas could move from concept to reality. So he asked me to illustrate how I saw work if it wasn’t reflected correctly in the traditional top-down model. I retreated to my office and tried to capture the ideas flowing through my mind. When I decided on what to create, I realized there wasn’t a good software I knew how to use to make it come to life. I went back to the tried-and-true Excel spreadsheet and began to draw. I drew a series of circles that intersected over an 11" × 17" sheet of paper. Each larger circle listed the areas of work present throughout the company. This was descriptive and not just a list of the various departments. I wanted to capture how work happens more than identifying specific people, roles, and levels. After sketching this part of my diagram, I added the executives who were responsible for the areas of work and showed how everything was interconnected as a system instead of a stair-stacked set of rectangles. At our next check-in, I showed my manager what I came up with. He looked at it, turned it around in different directions, and then laid it down on the table where we met. I took time to describe what I drew and wondered if he followed along. I was hoping for affirmation, but I would have been good with him seeing things as I laid them out. He liked it and grasped how I was looking at the company. He then told me he didn’t feel we should introduce my diagram to others at this time. It was too different, and he wasn’t sure how it would be viewed. He thought it was reflective of how work was done but didn’t feel the company was in a place to comprehend the model. Eight years passed after I had drawn my alternative org chart. I honestly forgot it existed. The bubble chart came back to life after my manager unfortunately and unexpectedly passed away. I had the responsibility of going through his office and files, and I found a folder titled “Organizational Design.” When I opened it, there was my creation. It brought back fond memories of our weekly check-ins. I wondered if I could get this revisited, so I took the folder and kept it. As our company chose to reset, I had lunch

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with our CEO. I brought a traditional org chart and then pulled out the bubble chart that I never had a chance to show him. I was tickled when he pondered this different looking org chart and said, “I agree. This is how work happens. We should try to make this come to life.” In further discussions with others on the exec team, the diagram became known at the Organizational Molecule. Molecules are made up of covalently bonded atoms and are held together by electron pairs. Energy flows throughout the molecule, and the atoms in any particular molecule have their own space to exist and perform. I described our chart as a series of bonds tethered together by our common connection: the work and strategy at hand. The tethers stretch and constrict as needed based on the work and projects being completed. The idea is that organizations are living, breathing organisms. They aren’t static, linear structures set in concrete. Work is a continuum that is flowing and ever-changing. The organizational model should reflect this reality. In order for companies to adapt and be agile, they can’t exist as a hierarchy (and they don’t). As HR leaders, we need to determine our organizational molecule. We have the ability to sit back and observe the behavior and flow of how work occurs. It’s sure to be unique for each company and each department because humans are involved. People aren’t linear, and neither is how they express and experience life. Having a system where employees can freely move but stay connected where needed is far more reflective of what is naturally occurring. Just like the tech surge of the 1990s, org charts need to evolve. See how you can design the best set of bonds, tethers, and people “atoms” to pull your organizational molecule together !!

CHAPTER 19.

TIME TO DEVELOP

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WE LIVE IN a world of instants. We desire instant affirmation, adoration, and adulation. We are impatient during our commutes, the delivery of goods we order, or any time we are required to wait in any line of more than one person. We truncate our communication and make broad decisions based on snippets of words without seeking, or asking for, context. We binge our entertainment and get frustrated when the next season may or may not come out. For those who can’t even sit through an entire show, we consume TikTok and YouTube videos in large volumes, which ironically add up to the same amount of time. We have even bought into the thought that these behaviors help us relax when they seem to make us more entrenched in taking in more and more with no end considered. Layer on top of this environment the fact that we have raised at least two generations of humans who know no other reality. Every moment of their lives has happened at an exponential pace. Every. Moment. They only know immediacy and wonder why those who are older fight against what they see as normal. Expectations for rapid work, reward, and advancement are pressing into the workplace and culture of every company. Don’t think that I’m positioning this as a complaint. I have realized the climate I live in even though I’m old enough to remember when you couldn’t get access to almost anything you wanted instantly. In fact, the majority of my life was lived before the age of instancy. The tendency for patience is starting to reemerge in the workplace. People want to know how to slow down, how to breathe, and how to develop. I fondly remember the days when we had cameras that required actual film. It seemed nearly impossible to load the camera correctly with the roll of film the first time. You then had to advance the film until you saw the indicator on the back of your camera show the number “1” just to get ready to take a picture. After all that effort, you had to hope the scene you wanted to capture held still long enough for the click of the button, for the mechanism to close and open, and for the imprinted negative image on the film

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to get tucked away inside the camera. You couldn’t even enjoy the picture you took until the entire roll of film had been used and after you dropped it off and waited for it to get developed. Ironically, I don’t ever remember anyone complaining that this process took so much time. You had actual anticipation when you went to the drugstore to pick up the prints to see if the pictures had turned out well. The issue of time was built into the art of photography whether you were an amateur or a professional. You couldn’t make it go faster. You were at the mercy of taking your time in order to enjoy the outcome. You see this yearning starting to appear in today’s workforce. People want to be developed more than measured. They want the time and attention of their managers, their peers, and senior leadership. Employees understand this desire exists even in the middle of the mad rush of the day. Many are now choosing to make the decision to change jobs or companies. I think this is happening in part because companies are choosing to not take the time to develop people. This is a giant blind spot. We keep fostering the myth that pace and production are far more important than people equipped to perform. My son took a job at a financial institution while finishing up his MBA in data analytics. This was a frontline job with strict weekly metrics that required him to upsell the various financial services and products the company had to offer. There was no room for adapting or taking into consideration the financial health of the people who were entering the queue, waiting to complete their transaction. None. You were expected to follow the system because it’s how your performance would be measured. Now, you need to understand, each transaction required personal interaction and conversations. He needed to listen to what the person would like to have done, and then he needed to accurately, and professionally, help them with their request. He did very well on the customer service aspect of the face-to-face encounters, but he lagged on the upselling expectations for him and every other employee at his level.

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To help address this situation, the financial institution had weekly “coaching” sessions. As an employee, he expected to have a two-way mutual chat with his supervisor. If you are to be coached, you’d think you’d hear where you’re doing well and where you have opportunities to improve. Let’s just say the time set aside should not have been framed as coaching. Each week he’d sit with his supervisor, who would pull out the production and upselling metrics sheet and tell him how he was underperforming. If he noted that he had the highest customer service score in the entire city (and he did), it wasn’t a part of the session. Production metrics were all that mattered. When he said he felt icky trying to upsell senior citizens who had a fixed income, it didn’t faze his supervisor in the least. If I had to guess, she was judged by a larger set of production metrics for anyone for whom she was responsible. She had pressure for those below her to hit their numbers. If they didn’t, it adversely affected her. His coaching sessions were held like clockwork, even though little changed in his upselling. At the same time, several of his coworkers quit and left the company while he stayed. He tried to bring up how he could contribute differently and look at the analytics of what was occurring, but his supervisor stuck to the rut she was told to follow and didn’t veer outside of the set pattern. After one year, it was time for his annual performance review. Before she started this next-level process, my son asked a simple question. “Why are we doing a performance review when we’ve met weekly for an entire year? How is this any different, and why do you think it’s effective?” She turned red and told him she needed to get it done and that was all he needed to know. A few minutes into the review, my son politely interrupted her. He had the most epic response I’ve heard from a performance review discussion. “Look, you’re going to keep going through this form, and you’ve covered the same thing you’ve been talking about for a year. You

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haven’t given me a chance to talk or give you alternatives to consider. So, why don’t I just sit here quietly and you read through everything. Then, we’ll get done quicker and we can move on.” I know this sounds close to insubordination, but he was trying to get her to break out of the restrictive program that had resulted in no measurable change for my son or his coworkers (if they still remained). His experience is reflective of the approach many people still take. It may not be this stark, but the completion of a form after a formal discussion is still the norm. It hasn’t worked for generations, but we still perpetuate it in some form or fashion from the HR chair. We would be a strategic leader if we’d be willing to step up and fight the myth. I made a conscious decision to make development a priority for all employees on an ongoing basis. Development needs to be assessed, defined, and created on a person-by-person basis from executive leadership throughout the organization. It can happen in every company naturally as long as there is someone willing to step out of old patterns. Time is our best ally if we choose to use it intentionally as we continue to move rapidly. Having an effective, sustained, and robust development focus not only strengthens your people but also improves the potential for retention. You can’t guarantee or force retention, but you can provide an environment where retention is more likely than not. Why wouldn’t you want that for your people or your company? I have to believe HR pros are aggravated with the system they are currently attempting to execute. There have to be approaches that better reflect your team members’ strengths. Regular, intentional development can drive the behaviors you’d like to see. It still gives me a thrill to take a picture, and I’m grateful I can now take a picture whenever I want with the camera on my phone. I’m grateful for the advancements in technology that have improved this process because now I have more time, which I can use to develop those I work with. Reallocate your time. Adjust who gets your attention. Make the effort to develop others. You’ll

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love the pictures that begin to appear from having a development approach. Soon you’ll have a mosaic of people who see how they belong and how they can positively contribute to the success of the company.

CHAPTER 20.

THE TALENT ABIDES

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I AM A longtime fan of the Coen brothers. In my opinion, they have assembled some of the most iconic movies ever. Each one is filled with rich storytelling, wildly unique characters, and unpredictability. They haven’t had what people would consider a blockbuster. However, actors ask to work with them on a regular basis. If you look at their catalog, you’ll see familiar faces show up in one role or another in many films. Their movies tend to be irregular, quirky, a tinge irreverent, and full of extensive dialogue. They create the type of movie where you need to watch every moment or you’ll miss some nuance that is critical to the plotline. One of my favorite of the Coen brothers’ movies is the cult classic The Big Lebowski. Jeff Bridges plays a character called “The Dude.” Throughout the film, he prefers to be called The Dude instead of his name. He’s a drifter who gets into significant trouble because he owes a substantial amount of money but has no viable means to get it. He’s a true slacker who meanders through life. Whenever anyone challenges his approach to constant wandering as a lifestyle, he quips, “The Dude abides.” No one fully knows what this phrase means, but you can infer that, to The Dude, “abiding” means going with the flow of whatever comes your way. He shows little variation from one extreme circumstance to the next throughout the movie. It’s a wonderful dark comedy that I highly recommend you watch. In the world of human resources, we have a splinter group of amazing professionals who focus on talent acquisition. There are TA pros whose full-time job is solely focused on identifying, wooing, considering, assessing, interviewing, and recommending new talent to join an organization. HR departments that don’t have a dedicated TA pro as part of their team also have talent acquisition responsibilities. The process of acquiring and adding talent to our companies is never ending. It has to be. There will always be a need to add new people to your enterprise at the same time as others leave — voluntarily or involuntarily. Knowing talent acquisition is endless is honestly a bit daunting. We don’t like to have anything in our lives where we can’t see it end, and you can see how being in TA could become taxing.

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I mentioned before that TA is a “splinter group,” which is a bit tongue-in-cheek. I’d like to insert a quick aside about our industry. It’s time we understood and valued every role within the HR universe and acknowledge that we make up one gigantic ecosystem. It’s fantastic that you can specialize in talent acquisition, compensation, benefits, safety, training, organizational development, learning management, internal communications, or employee relations or be an HR generalist who gets to dabble in some form or fashion in each of the specialty areas on a regular basis. You can be a department of one or have a role in a large, global corporation where you are one of a hundred HR pros. It’s wonderful we work in a field that is diverse, complex, and vast. We tend to identify ourselves as one facet of HR versus another. We wear this separation as a badge of honor, and we take potshots at others who aren’t in the same facet as we are. This is disappointing and has to stop. It limits us both as individuals and as a profession. We should view who we are and what we do as components of an interdependent mechanism of humanity in the workplace. Each facet adds appreciable components to the success of each person who works for our company. Not one facet has more value than another. We build upon each other to make HR come to life !! This brings us back to talent . . . For far too long, companies and HR pros have lost sight of the reality that people are “talent” all the time. We allow senior leadership to push and spend an unhealthy amount of attention, budget, and effort on the hunting and acquiring aspects of the lifecycle of employees. It is so important to identify the best talent for our organizations to perform. But what happens after they start working for us ?? Have you ever started a new job? Do you remember what it was like? I remember anxiety about what I wore, how to drive to the office, where to park, and what would happen. You weren’t sure who you were going to meet and wondered what they’d think

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about you. What would your workspace look like? Where and when do you eat lunch? Countless questions and thoughts run through your head. Most of the answers assume the worst even though nothing has even happened yet. After you settle in the parking lot, wondering if you’re in someone’s space, you hesitantly go to the front door and the receptionist. All of a sudden, you’re warmly greeted, and they call your new boss, who comes out and takes you to their office to explain how your first day will unfold. Your shoulders relax, and you let out a heavy sigh. The first day flies by with the mandatory HR paperwork, a tour of the company, and multiple introductions to people who say their name too quickly, and then you land at your desk. Lunch is still a mystery because you seem to either miss it or work through it. Then, the commute home. You’re all geeked up after a positive experience on day one. You liked most of the people you met. The work seems to match what you heard in the interview, and you dig your new boss. Then the second day comes . . . Your first-day fears have been squelched, and you are comfortable with the commute and how to get into the building and to your desk. Oddly, this time no one is waiting to greet you, and the receptionist is already up to their eyes in guests, calls, and emails. You walk past your boss’s office, and they wave and say, “We’ll talk later” . . . which never happens. You go to your desk, and you must figure things out on your own. You still don’t know what to do about lunch. Sound familiar? It happens every single day in companies across the globe regardless of industry. It doesn’t matter if you have an office job or a manufacturing, retail, or hospitality job on the front line or if you work remotely. You’re on your own. You were “talent” when you went through the recruiting and hiring process, but now you’re staff. Get to work. In addition, no one ever explains the existence of “assumed culture.” We hope employees will get it because we’re too busy with our own work and don’t want to

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spend time with them. When we stop giving new folks our attention, they start making decisions as to whether they’ll stay with the company. The second day carries far more weight and importance than the first day ever has. It doesn’t stop at the second day. You see, just like The Dude, the talent abides !! Our people remain talented throughout their time working for us. We can’t lose sight of this. Unfortunately, we have. Because we don’t view and value people as talent all the time, they lose interest and quietly move on in search of some place that will fill this innate need. Leadership needs to come to terms with this desire of their employees. The expectation is far from unreasonable, and it’s not generational. If we’re honest, people have always wanted to be seen for their talent. The difference is that prior generations in the workplace stopped fighting for this recognition. They didn’t leave companies. Instead, they shrugged their shoulders, lost their passion, and took up space to build up seniority and tenure so they could make it to retirement. How awful is that? The newer, current, and future generations of workers watched their parents become soulless yet stay stuck in their dead-end jobs. I applaud that they made the shift to no longer mimic this pattern. Their willingness to manage their career is far more appealing and realistic than hallways filled with work zombies. If we truly want people to bring their best to work, then we need to reciprocate and treat people as talent throughout their employee lifecycle with our companies. Please note, this is a baseline and foundational expectation. It comes before items such as development or advancement can even potentially occur. If someone can’t be seen as talented, then you need to change either how you view others or how you allow the company to view people. We can’t afford to see people as expendable. The employment market has shifted in such a way that makes it less likely to return to a position where employers could easily find, add, or replace people. It’s going to remain an environment where people will be in control of whom they work for.

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Employers would benefit from valuing the people who work for them for the time they have them. Allow them to be talent from the time you pursue them until the time they no longer work for you. Their skill level may increase while they’re with you, which will make them even more talented. Companies who set this positive perspective as the norm are going to be the places people seek to join and stay. This isn’t a matter of becoming a “best place to work.” Instead, decide to be an organization filled with talent from top to bottom and work to ensure this is the case. The need to acquire talent will exist as long as your organization does. It’s time for all companies to evolve and prioritize their talent to easily flow. It’s time to embrace the realization — the talent abides !!

CHAPTER 21.

OUR PRESENT AND FUTURE

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TOO OFTEN WE talk about human resources only in terms of the work we do on a daily basis. There is value in being reflective and looking at ways to improve how the art of HR is practiced. It should be a vibrant, evolving, and even radical industry. I believe in looking at ways to incrementally improve personally and professionally. If we only talk about the work we do, we are missing the opportunity to bring about powerful, long-term change and improvement. We aren’t looking at the entire industry when we focus only on our role, our job, and our place internally. We’re very content with this approach, but it’s a big miss. When I started my career in HR, I didn’t even consider my coworkers were in the same field. That may seem myopic and naïve, but hear me out. My coworkers at my first job were amazing. It was the first time I occupied a professional role, and I was the second man to join the department. We had a department of ten, and eight people were incredibly talented women. Some were in larger roles, and some held administrative support roles. Each person was a solid contributor whom I learned from. During my time there, we had daily conversations about the openings we were trying to fill and the projects our department was tackling. I would consider these folks first-generation HR pros because we were just crawling out of the old label of “Personnel.” I never heard one of my coworkers talk about the profession of HR. Not once. It was just never a topic of discussion. After this first role, my next opportunities in HR were in companies of varied industries and makeup. There was an entrepreneurial start-up in manufacturing, two old-school established manufacturing companies, and then an architectural and engineering firm. Each role gave me new and expansive experience. I continued to grow in knowledge and perspective, but similar to my first HR job, everything I learned was within the four walls of the organization I was at. I had no notion to lift my head or consider that HR existed in other parts of the world. I was content to do my job and work with my people. It was fulfilling, and I could have stayed in this track for my entire career. Others would look at my path and consider me successful because I grew the

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impact, voice, and influence of HR at each company, but I had no idea how narrow my view of human resources was. I had been with the professional services firm for a few months when a paper flyer came in the mail. It was an advertisement for an HR Roundtable that met on a monthly basis. I didn’t know what a roundtable was, but I was intrigued because I thought I might get to meet others who worked in HR. I decided that it was worth going and at least seeing what the meeting had to offer. The first roundtable I attended was a group of fifteen people who spent an hour bitching (sorry to be harsh) about their job and the people they worked with. It was shocking because I was hoping to meet people, make connections, and learn from their experience so I could apply it in what I did. Nope. It was an enormous dumpfest each month. I had to believe there could be more to this. I understood the need to get things off your chest because HR can be a lonely desert. You rarely have someone to confide in who understands the nuances of human resources. The person who had been facilitating the roundtable saw I was interested and not jaded after a few meetings. Her name was Nancy, and she asked me to stay after one of the roundtables for a chat. Once the other thirteen regulars left, she told me she had noticed my interest, and then she caught me completely off guard. She explained she was going to be out of town every so often and she wondered if I’d like to facilitate the roundtable when she was out. I’ve always been willing to step up when opportunities present themselves. I told her it sounded like a great way to get to know others. I asked if she’d be okay with me changing the approach and format of our meeting. Nancy was a seasoned and senior HR pro. I didn’t know she was nearing the end of her career. She knew retirement was on her horizon. I think this gave me more latitude to alter the roundtable. When I was the guest facilitator, I didn’t allow people to just unload and gripe. I had a topic and three questions for everyone to ponder and discuss. I took the answers they gave, made summary notes, and sent them back out to the group. I also ended

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the meeting by asking each of them to invite one more person they knew in HR who wasn’t attending. Slowly we added a few new faces who became regulars. When Nancy chose to retire, she asked if I would like to take the mantle. I jumped at the chance and have been the facilitator of the HR Roundtable now for over twenty-two years. What started as fifteen peers tearing everything down became a room filled with 80 to 120 people who looked forward to seeing each other. We transformed into a forum of businesspeople who gathered to network, learn, and share our knowledge and expertise. It gave me my first external connection to the greater HR community. Once I got my taste for this, I wanted to continue to explore and see what else was out in the world. I had a feeling there was more, much more. I was right. The HR Roundtable was connected to the local SHRM chapter in Cincinnati. It was a loose connection, but it was there. Over time, I went to chapter meetings and ended up becoming a volunteer leader and got more and more involved. That’s a story for another time. Amid those adventures, I learned there were more chapters in locations in every state in the United States and even a few internationally. With the dawn of social media, the landscape of learning about other HR pros expanded exponentially. The more I became connected and involved in these avenues, the deeper my external network became. I now had access to people and information I could never have fostered had I stayed pinned to my desk in my office. Once I realized this, I made it a point to make sure others became aware of the wider reach and reality of the global HR community. What started as a colorful memo that happened to land on my desk with the mail turned into a vast, diverse web of humans who happened to practice HR. Although this growth has been personally fulfilling, I sensed there was another portion of the field of HR that hadn’t been discovered. My intuition proved to be right again. As I mentioned earlier, my career started just as most others who entered the workforce four decades ago. Most people finished

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high school or college and walked into the world of work in some capacity or another. We had to find jobs on our own. A few select professions had campus recruiters come and let people know about jobs, but they were the exception for most students. Thankfully, this has changed for the better over these four decades. Now there are established majors, certificate programs, and master’s programs in human resources. The majority of students who are learning about HR are primarily focused on their studies. They want to take in all they can, so they learn the nuts and bolts of laws and regulations. Sure, there are courses about employee relations, communication, and specialty areas of HR, but everything resides in textbooks. Well, almost everything. A dear friend of mine whom I met as a fellow volunteer leader and through a connection from social media has been breaking the mold by giving his students a broader exposure to real-world human resources. Matthew Stollak is a tenured professor at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. He’s been teaching for over twenty-five years, and he’s a boundary stretcher. He’s created and followed a syllabus for his classes, but he also makes sure his students are shown the broader picture of all HR has to offer — warts and all. He has been the student advisor of the campus’s student HR chapter and has taken students to conferences and competitions. He doesn’t allow them to purely stick to the books. Additionally, he has guest speakers who Zoom into his capstone HR class to talk about the books they’ve written about HR. I’ve been fortunate enough to talk to Matt’s classes for several years now. We have an hour together to talk candidly about HR. The kids (they are technically younger than me, so go with it) are asked to read my books and the books of others. Then they have the chance to ask questions and challenge what they read. It’s great to see and hear what others consider takeaways from what you’ve written. Matt takes the Zoom encounter a step further and encourages his students to connect with speakers to build their professional network before taking their first HR role outside of college. I have connected with many of Matt’s students and have stayed in touch with them as they have become peers entering the workforce.

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When I learned of this gold mine of present and future HR pros, I took the same steps I had in expanding my network through the HR Roundtable. I searched out other groups of students and spoke to and connected with them both in person and virtually across the country. Each year at the SHRM annual conference, I make sure to introduce myself to the students who attend. We need to invest in others because they will take our place eventually. Instead of burying our heads in our work and in our jobs, why shouldn’t we be facilitators like Nancy was to me and like Matt is to his students? The profession will not be as impactful and successful as possible if it remains insular. If you have few connections, your passion and drive to keep doing HR over an entire career is sure to dissolve and evaporate. People need someone who is willing to believe in them and what they do. To genuinely thrive as an HR professional, you need to surround yourself with peers who supplement your present network, and you need to bring the next generation into the fold at the same time. If you aren’t currently doing this, you have time to correct it. It’s never too late. Look up from your work. See the people who are in the same phenomenal profession you are. Reach out to connect and see how you will become a stronger, relevant contributor to your organization. There are people who need to meet and know you just as much as you need to meet them.

CHAPTER 22.

THE BEST ROLE

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OUR DAUGHTER IS an amazing young woman. She has always excelled throughout her life. This was especially true in school. She’s now a practicing occupational therapist with her doctorate. The academic side of school came easily to Melanie. She has this inner self-motivated motor and drive. I remember one day she sat at the kitchen table in tears because of her performance on a test. When I looked at the grade on her paper, it was 103 !! I told her she was already over 100 percent, and she looked up at me and said, “But I could have got a 107!” It’s just who she is. Melanie also played basketball during school. She started when she was in elementary school, and she loved playing and being a part of a team. She made the teams in seventh, eighth, and ninth grade and eventually the varsity team her sophomore year. You need to know she was fortunate because the other players on the varsity team were very talented. Basketball came as easily to her teammates as academics came to her. My daughter, like all the kids, had worked for countless hours and years playing basketball. She was a great role player but never the star. When she reached her senior year, the basketball season was different than most. Two days before tryouts, her coach asked to talk to her before practice started. The coach told Melanie she needed to make a choice. She told her how much she cared for her, and that there was a place for her on the team, but she would never play. This was devastating to say the least. The coach explained that the rest of the girls were more talented on the court than she was. Melanie knew that, but it didn’t make the news any better. The coach told her she’d like to offer another option for her senior year: to become an assistant coach. My daughter balked because she thought that was another word for “manager” and she’d be relegated to tasks like getting others water and giving them towels to dry off during timeouts. Melanie was hurt and didn’t know what to do. The coach asked her to think about it overnight and talk to her parents as well as other girls on the team to get input. That night I received a call from the coach asking me how my daughter was doing. I told her she was hurt and confused, and

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there were a lot of tears. The coach asked me if my daughter told me about their conversation, and I said she had. She shared how much she cared for Mel and our family being involved with the program. I told the coach that I absolutely understood her position and that I appreciated her being up-front with Melanie. Then, an amazing thing happened. I said, “Coach, you’re running a team, and you need to put the best team out there. I deal with this every day in HR, and I understand that you’re doing what you can to succeed and I support that.” The coach said, “That’s why we chose Mel to be an assistant coach, because I knew you and Debbie would understand.” Through tears, I told the coach, “Thanks. You see, my job is to raise an adult, not a basketball player.” The coach said, “You’re doing a great job because she’s a great kid !!” So, my daughter was Coach Mel her senior year. She helped in many ways and was more included than she ever was as a player. On senior night, when the school recognizes the seniors from the team, my wife and I escorted her across the basketball court along with all her close friends. My daughter showed her strength as a team player and her leadership as a coach. We couldn’t have been prouder of her and how she took this new role to heart. Her coach made the effort to keep our daughter included and created a role for her because it was critical for Melanie to be present even though she didn’t play. A simple conversation led to an opportunity that had not been present in the past. Our daughter was the first legit assistant coach who was still in high school with her peers. Melanie’s coach did something that we in the HR and business world need to do more of: (1) care for our employees, (2) recognize their strengths, (3) be candid about their role and how they can best contribute, and (4) allow them to do that and flourish. If companies are honest about how they truly view people, the expectation is to work — and little else. Output is the baseline

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expectation with little regard past that. This low bar is true of HR professionals as well. Instead of looking at how and where people reside in their roles, we spend our time focused on the internal work of the HR department. When we step out to interact with employees, it too often comes as a response to a situation of poor behavior or a need to address and rectify someone who may or may not be underperforming. The first move of HR is reactionary and meant to solve or reconcile something broken. This seems ineffective and backward. Please don’t take this assessment as diminishing the good work that is done when addressing challenging behavioral or performance-related issues. It’s only a shame that this is how we’ve chosen to be called into action. HR leaders need to quit being the caboose of the train in the organization. We should move to the front and be the engine. We should take hold of knowing the talent and the work they contribute. We should constantly assess roles and who is filling them. When we see someone who may be able to grow, shift, or move to another role, HR should step in to have this considered. We need to forgo the old tradition of hoping people will rise to the top on their own to prove their moxie and determination. It’s archaic and has never worked. If people were intentionally aligned with roles where they could thrive and excel, our organizations would be in a stronger position to perform. Doing what our daughter’s coach did would give us the ability to shape and drive our companies forward. The coach knew if she moved Melanie into a different role, she could add another player on the court who would contribute her talent and elevate the entire team. We often don’t step in to suggest these types of moves with people managers, and this is a mistake. We should acknowledge that the majority of HR occurs outside of HR in the hands of people managers and do what we can to equip them to better lead their people. No one should be left on their own to try to figure it out. If people managers don’t receive guidance and support, they’ll remain in the pattern of “dealing” with their staff instead of leading them. We don’t recognize how much this limits our organizations. We

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keep ourselves at such a distance that we aren’t mindful of how limited performance is. Many companies and people managers are seen as “successful,” so we are content with leaving things as they are. There is room to improve right in front of us if only we choose to step up. Before advancing to work on organizational design, internal mobility, and succession planning, get everyone into their best role. These other areas of work are important, but they will fall short if your people are not positioned correctly. Pull back and start from the beginning instead of moving forward from the middle. This effort is strategic even though it will seem unnecessary. Too many people have been misaligned for much of their time with your company. It may take a slight move to get things aligned, or it may take a significant transformation. Only you know your company structure. It’s time for each of us to be the coach and look at everyone working at our company as members of the team. It isn’t important whether they report to us. We have the chance to set the lineup needed. When we do this, we’ll see more wins and achievements than we have in the past. Find the best role for everyone and you’ll see that you’re finally in the best role as an HR leader as well.

CHAPTER 23.

KEEP IT WEIRD

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MY WIFE AND I had a chance to venture to Austin, Texas where I was fortunate to be a keynote speaker at the Austin SHRM conference. We added some extra time so we could explore the city for a few days after I gave my presentation. We’re trying to do this now whenever we get the chance to travel and be involved in HR conferences and events. It’s a wonderful way to thank her for the many years she has supported my involvement in the HR community. Austin has a very cool vibe, and it felt like my kind of town. There is art and music everywhere throughout the city. Murals adorn countless buildings with styles ranging from traditional to modern to abstract. The music flows freely through the air and changes with every step you take. As you stroll through the streets, you hear folk, rock, country, and bluegrass all intertwining to make a symphony of eclectic sounds, providing a soundtrack as you tour the neighborhoods. We enjoy going through local shops, and as we wandered into our first small local shop, a drink coaster instantly caught my eye. I picked it up without hesitation. The tie-dyed pattern design covering the coaster would have been enough for me to buy it. The message imprinted on the swirls of colors resonated deeply with me the moment I read it. It was an instant purchase. One of Austin’s slogans as a city is “Keep Austin Weird.” You see it splashed on buildings, signs, and clothing everywhere you look. I learned from a local resident that the slogan came about as local shops were trying to keep big-box stores from coming in to crimp the cool Austin culture and put them out of business. The small business owners were successful in thwarting the big-box takeover attempt with their unique campaign, and the slogan stuck. Keeping things weird is a reminder of how you can practice HR. We often state we want people to bring their entire self to work . . . but we don’t really mean it. This may sound harsh, but if you step back and review the majority of actions HR takes, you’ll see they’re not built to encourage individuality. If someone was trying to “keep things weird,” we’d take steps to get them back into the

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fold. We view those who express themselves openly as someone we have to deal with. This must stop. We need to understand that every person is wonderfully different and unique. They have their weird already wired in. It’s not something they create; it’s how they live. Weird doesn’t mean abhorrent behavior. We’ve made this assumption for far too long, and it’s never been right. HR spends too much time trying to confine, control, and conform, and it’s exhausting. What would work look like if we learned how each employee is unique? What if we built an organization based on people’s strengths and individual attributes instead of maintaining a herd mentality? Learning how to amplify people’s strengths would allow the company to experience how each person’s perspective brings a new angle to the work we have to complete. Years ago, I worked for a tool and die company. It was a manufacturing facility where we produced small components like literal nuts and bolts. The workers on the floor were skilled at all they did. They were essential to the company’s success because the products created came from their efforts. I had a great relationship with the majority of the frontline staff except for one person — Rick. Unlike the other people in the plant, Rick worked alone. The rest manned machines near each other. Rick was isolated and located in the back corner of the facility. He was responsible for making the smallest components in the shop. He used highly tuned machines, and each piece took intense concentration and artistry. He kept to himself each day. I never saw him interact with anyone else. He seemed content to be left by himself, but it concerned me. When I asked the plant manager about Rick, he wasn’t fazed that he worked off in the corner. He told me that his work was the best in the company and there was no need for him to interact with anyone else. Rick was a tall man with golden hair that hung down to the middle of his back. He always wore a black leather coat and had

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a kerchief holding back his long hair. He also was covered with tattoos. You need to remember this was in the 1990s, and having tattoos was not nearly as common or accepted as it is today. His outward appearance and constant silence made him somewhat menacing. I decided I wanted to break through and connect with him because I felt a responsibility to make sure every employee knew I was there for them as their HR person. The other employees discouraged me from approaching Rick. They had tried, and nothing seemed to work. I was determined. I would be respectful, but I felt there had to be a way to break through. One day I made my way back to his hut, and I asked Rick how he was doing. He glanced up from his work for a moment and looked right back at the piece he was polishing. No response. I did get an acknowledgment though, and I was encouraged by that. It was obvious he had no interest in talking about work stuff. He had what he needed and felt no obligation to talk to the HR guy just because I was bold enough to come back to his workstation. So, I tried another tactic. “What’s that tattoo on your arm?” I asked. “I can’t tell exactly what it’s a picture of.” He stopped working. He slowly put the piece he had been polishing down and responded, “What did you just ask me?” “Your tattoo. The one on your left arm. I like the colors, but I can’t quite see what it is. Does it have a story behind it?” He was dumbfounded and struggled to figure out what I was up to. “Why do you want to know?” he asked. “No specific reason. I was just curious. You have tattoos all over, and they look interesting. Do they have a story or are they just random pieces of art you chose?” He paused again and said, “No one’s ever asked me about my art before.”

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I had my “in.” I knew he’d talk to me now. “That’s a shame, Rick. I bet there’s a fascinating reason for each one. I know we don’t know each other, but I’d really like to know if you’re willing to share.” I wasn’t prepared for how Rick was going to reply: “I’ve done all of my tattoos.” “What? You’ve put all that ink on yourself by yourself?” Now I was the one stunned. “Yeah, man. Look at this. This was the first one I drew and did.” He bent over and pulled up one of his pant legs, and there was this phenomenal tattoo of a skull wrapped in flames and vines that went from his knee down the outside of his calf until it disappeared into his sock. It was vibrant, colorful, and beautiful. He was very proud of his artwork. He went on to tell me he decided to put the tattoos on by his own hand because he didn’t trust others to do a good job. I then learned the story surrounding many of his visible tattoos. I never asked how many total tattoos he had because it didn’t matter. Rick opened up because someone took an interest in him for who he was. Someone embraced his weird. It turned out Rick was an actual artist. I made sure to visit him every day after we had our tattoo chat. He showed me a photo album of the tattoos he had done for others and also etchings he had done for national country music artists. He created unique designs for their instruments, and he was well known for his skill. No one at the company knew how accomplished Rick was outside of work. One day I asked him why he kept to himself and didn’t share with others. He told me working for this company was a turnaround for him personally. For years he had been a member of a biker gang, the kind known more for violent behavior and rough living. He explained he wasn’t the type of person people wanted to hang out with. The other workers in the plant knew his past ties to the

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biker gang, and they assumed he was still the same person he had been prior to coming to work for us. He never felt the need to dispel this sentiment, so he kept to himself. I told him I understood why he would take that approach and respected him for doing so. The other workers were astonished I had been able to make a personal connection with Rick. Doing so gave me more credibility than I could have imagined. They felt if I could break through and get to know and appreciate Rick, it was safe for them to connect with me as well. Turns out the others had wonderful personal stories too, and they were touched someone who worked in the office took the time to learn about their individuality without judgment. It wasn’t what they had experienced before. I believe there is immeasurable value in making an individual connection with each person I’m fortunate to have in my life. This is true in the workplace and any other environment where I get to mingle with people. It’s an attribute I’ve found opens doors to unlock the distinguishing characteristics hidden just below the surface. When you’re able to release these differentiating facets of people, you see them feel more comfortable in their own skin. We would do better as HR leaders if we’d embrace our own weirdness and choose to breathe life, empathy, grace, and a peoplefirst approach into all we do. We have the chance to carry this mantra forward and no longer settle into traditional, wornout approaches. The coaster I bought in Austin has taken its rightful place on my desk at work, so I have a constant visible reminder in front of me to keep it weird.

CHAPTER 24.

ENABLE AND EQUIP

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PRIOR TO MOVING to Cincinnati, I’ve always lived in small towns. Not kidding. I was first in Luckey, Ohio (population 1,010), then Gibsonburg, Ohio (population 2,445), and then Ada, Ohio (population 5,265). The town where I went to college was also smaller than most university locations. Athens has 24,311 people. (These numbers are from the 2020 US Census.) I cherish small towns because they have a built-in interconnectedness you don’t often experience in large cities. While living in Gibsonburg, I got to hang out with my neighbor Bill Damschroder. Bill was a year older than me. He was at our house often along with several other kids. We were a great hangout location because we had two attractive reasons for boys to be outside and play. There was a basketball hoop affixed to the back of our house directly on the roof and up against the garage door, and across the street from us was a massive expanse of blacktop, which also acted as the parking lot of the local Catholic church. We were rarely inside our house if the weather cooperated. We had far more fun running around between the basketball court and the parking lot. We created endless games out of the blue with rules made up on the spot that never remained consistent for long. One day as we were shooting baskets out back, Bill watched how I was shooting. He stopped me and told me my form was all wrong. I didn’t know what form I was supposed to have. No one had ever showed me how to properly shoot a basketball. I just liked trying to make a basket. I was in the fifth grade when this all happened, which only matters because I was about a foot taller than everyone in my grade at that time. I never seemed to notice, but Bill did. He asked if I had ever considered playing basketball on a team instead of only shooting hoops outside my house. I replied that I hadn’t because I didn’t know how to join a team either. At the time, my mom was a widow who was working to provide for my brother and me. She was always engaged with us throughout school and life, but she didn’t have the bandwidth to also check into how to get us involved in extracurricular activities. Bill knew about teams because he was the third of five kids. He had seen

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his older brothers get involved and had been on teams himself. When my mom came out to give us drinks of water, he told her he thought I could make the school basketball team if he worked with me. Remember, Bill was in sixth grade, and I was in fifth. I didn’t know he was going to take on the mantle of leader and coach for me. Looking back, it was pretty mature of him to step in and be willing to teach me a new skill just because he thought I might have talent. We kept playing on my backyard court every day throughout the spring and summer. When school reconvened in the fall, he took me with him to the basketball sign-ups. I knew the other boys in fifth grade who also signed up to play on the team. Each team in the elementary school included kids just from the grade they were in, and I made the team and did very well. We had the top team in the conference that year, and I was hooked. I played basketball throughout elementary, junior high, and high school. I even had a few offers to play at the collegiate level. Bill and I lost touch after I moved from Gibsonburg to Ada before seventh grade. It was bound to happen because the towns weren’t close to each other. He never knew that he had ignited a spark that stayed with me as a basketball player for so many years. I kept active playing intramurals in college and well into my adulthood after graduation. When my kids started getting older, I became their coach as they learned the sport I loved. Bill did something that is needed in our organizations today. He enabled and equipped me to develop a skill and talent to perform. Please note he was technically my peer. He wasn’t my supervisor, manager, or coach. He was my friend who happened to be my neighbor. I wasn’t cognizant of what he was doing. I was just grateful he was willing to teach, be patient, correct, and expect I could learn how to play correctly. Think of how forward-thinking that approach is. How many times is this approach missing in our companies? If we could be honest about how we view people, we’d acknowledge more emphasis is given to people having a visible presence

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than anything else. Sure, we hope people do their job well, but little intentional focus and effort is given to enable and equip folks. “Doing” is valued far more than teaching. You may have a large-scale initiative or two that gets launched to urge the company forward in a dramatic fashion every so often, but those are rarely effective or sustainable. The company, or a portion of it, may buy in to such initiatives, but you’ll also see others roll their eyes as the next flavor of the month is attempted. It’s ironic to see companies willing to put time, effort, energy, and a substantial budget toward large-scale campaigns with little care or thought. Individual attention and teaching are considered too timely and costly when they are most often a fraction of what the massive movements cost. Why are we so reluctant to work with our people on a one-toone basis? Why do we continue to think it will fail more than the already proven large-scale failures? I think it’s simple. We don’t believe in our people. Remember the expectation mentioned earlier of people just showing up? That’s our baseline, and we don’t move from it easily. No measurements have ever proven that being seen equates to a level of exceptional performance. This isn’t an argument of in-person versus remote versus hybrid work. Work has never been about location. We’ve just made that our focus, which is another example of a minimal baseline threshold. Bill believed in me and had no reason to. He knew I’d have a built-in advantage because of my height, and he hoped my skill level would increase with focus and over time, so he took the chance to see if I could develop. He could have been wrong. Trust me. My lanky body was not coordinated at all. I wasn’t sure how to make my frame move in sync. I’m sure I looked like a baby giraffe running up and down the court. I assure you it wasn’t pretty or even athletic when I first learned how to play the game. Bill was undeterred. Instead of pointing out my gaps, he remained steadfast on teaching me how to shoot with form, rebound, and keep the ball out of the reach of other players. He kept his teaching within the abilities I exhibited. Nothing more and nothing less.

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This same approach works with our employees. We need to establish a new and more constructive baseline for our people. We need to dedicate ourselves to enabling and equipping them for the roles they hold. We should work with them based on their current abilities and strengths. Stop focusing on what someone isn’t doing. Expect them to contribute to the best of their ability with who they naturally are. Don’t start with launching a training program filled with countless modules. You may need this, or you may not. Drop the program approach to people. Decide to give people individual direction, coaching, and feedback on an ongoing basis so they can thrive. Believe in your people. They’re longing for that from their peers, their managers, and their company. That is their baseline. People at every level of a company want to see visible proof of this. The CEO has this baseline just as much as the frontline team member. If you foster an enable-and-equip approach in your company through the leadership of HR, you’ll see an unexpected benefit. When people get this attention on a consistent basis, they will practice this same approach with others. It’s a grassroots approach to viable performance. People will pull together and want to be connected when they see they aren’t an afterthought or sought after only when a problem arises. The enable-and-equip approach is radical and runs contrary to generational methods that have been, and continue to be, used in companies. You need to be willing to be like Bill. In the middle of normal, everyday work, look for one person who needs to learn how to improve. Then, be willing to show them interest and explain that you’d like to teach them some ways to become even more talented. That’s it. There’s no formula or multistep model you need to create or follow. Take a look across your company and take note of the amazing people already doing good work. Meet them where they are. Start there and see how your efforts evolve. Each person will need their own development and won’t match anyone else. Trust me. Doing the work of enabling and equipping your people will show positive results for years and years to come.

CHAPTER 25.

LET’S START HERE

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I ADMIRE THOSE who enjoy running recreationally. I say that because I am not a runner. Never have been and don’t want to be. I ran when I had to train for the sports teams I was on. Athletic running at times and in short spurts seemed to suit me well. However, running for any sort of extended distance has never been an activity I’d willingly choose to do. I’ve tried a few times to fight my disdain for running. It lasts at most two days before I convince myself walking is more my cup of tea. I have several friends who have taken up running and have enjoyed it (or so they say). Many run daily to stay in shape, and a handful have trained enough to participate in road races. They have run distances of 3K, 5K, half marathons, and even full marathons. The discipline it takes to build up the physical and mental endurance to run farther and farther fascinates me. You need to be willing to push through pain, thirst, and the voices in your head telling you it’s okay to stop, no need to continue. Runners are similar to other groups of people who find a common interest or hobby. It’s a community fully committed to all things involved with running. They’ll have social media groups where people can chat, share, and encourage each other. You’ll see recommendations for road-worthy clothing, footwear, water bottles, and the best training schedules to build up your endurance. They’ll also discuss the pros and cons of where to run and which race events are worth joining. In order to make running a meaningful use of your time, you have to have a beginning. There needs to first be a starting point for you to finish your run or your race. Inevitably though, that endpoint is short lived before the next run ensues. People who find value in being a runner also possess a drive to continue. Staying put and in place is counterproductive. There is surely another course to conquer and a new time to be accomplished. You never have the desire to stop for long. You feel the push for the next starting point. Running is just like work even though we frame things in the opposite way. In the vernacular of work, everything is geared toward completion and attainment. Closure is the goal most

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sought after. Look at a few examples. We are called to set goals as a company, as a department, and personally. Our performance is measured on goal completion and not goal creation. The home for company goals is the traditional strategic plan. Each revenue-driving component of your company sets forth goals to be attained per quarter. The hope is you can see numbers roll up at the end of your fiscal year with tangible, positive results. Ninety percent of a strategic plan is filled with language of implementation and execution. You could challenge if these components are truly strategy driven. They are more completion driven. You may be asking me, Are you making the assumption this approach is wrong? I wouldn’t describe it as right or wrong per se. I would, however, offer an alternative perspective. We tend to position actions at work as either/or scenarios. It’s right or it’s wrong. It’s completed or it’s in process. If you examine how work occurs, you’ll see it really follows more of an if/then pattern. If we purchase our needed supplies on time, then the manufacturing of our parts will remain on schedule. If we assess our companies output, then we can be more proactive when it comes to workforce planning. When work is framed to take one side versus another instead of seeing it as a flowing continuum, we limit how much is accomplished. Here’s the bigger if/then statement to consider: if you only focus on being done and finished, then you’re going to experience a sputtering series of starts and stops. You won’t follow the natural flow of work occurring. Most companies where I’ve worked fully follow the closure model. It’s how finances are tracked. It’s how schedules are built. It’s also how boards of directors expect to hear from the CEO and senior leadership team. It makes sense to strive, stretch, and set goals out in front of people. They want to see what direction to follow and determine what steps could possibly be taken. It gives people some certainty, which is key. Uncertainty gives folks the shudders. The challenge with a closure model comes when you don’t hit your numbers or finish completely. You may have fallen short for a multitude of reasons, and all of them could be legitimate. Circumstances happen, and the best laid plans can be blown up in a moment.

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After we chose to reset our company in the beginning of 2021, we flipped the model around and talked about starting points. By implementing a plan, do, check, act (P/D/C/A) evaluation process that forces the workflow to pause, we were following the flow that was already there and doing all we could to diminish the sputtering starts and stops. If people work within a closure-focused approach, their primary goal is to reach the end and then let out a sigh of relief. They’re spent and want to take time to rest, which is understandable. We can’t expect people to constantly expend a high level of energy just to make sure closure occurs. They’ll burn out, and after some time, they may even flinch with anxiety waiting for the next layer of goals to be established. Reading this, you may be asking yourself, What does this have to do with HR? You’re talking about business as a whole. We only get plugged in when a strategy is HR specific. That’s a big miss in my opinion. HR should never be cordoned off as a plug-and-play function. We can’t continue to think we’re only needed if the company grants us an audience. It’s archaic and no longer relevant. If you follow a closure model, you’d be right that this discussion seems irrelevant to HR. If you use a starting-point approach instead, you’ll see HR is involved everywhere because the flow of work is done by people. Wherever people are, there’s a need for HR. Great work happens because of people and not in spite of them. HR has the opportunity to facilitate the ongoing P/D/C/A process because they can help lead discussions, make sure the voices of many are heard, and analyze where things stand while including the people who are involved. It’s undeniable that actions that happen at work affect humans. Since there are many if/then activities occurring that affect employees, it makes sense HR is in the mix. I recently faced a situation where two departments that needed to work together were not doing so well or consistently. Members of both departments were frustrated because of the disconnected and clunky communication. Assumptions were made, and people made shortsighted comments about members of each department. Few were positive or constructive. It’s easy to sit

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back on the outside and state that the departments should just meet and work things out. That is one approach, but you need to keep in mind each side would want to make their case and hold their ground. You would get more finger pointing, and little consensus would be reached. If consensus was met, people would really have just come to that conclusion to get out of the forced tense gathering. As the chief people officer, one of my new responsibilities was to facilitate. I met with each department separately, and then we set up a P/D/C/A meeting to discuss the working relationship. This wasn’t a mediation or arbitration. It was a chance to pull back from the flow of work — even though it was in a broken state — to discuss, assess, and clear up what wasn’t working. When we reached the end of this session, I thanked everyone for participating, being candid, and not being defensive. The conversation was healthy and constructive. Relationships that had been tenuous due to each side working apart from the other started to lay a foundation to move forward together. I closed our time together with, “It looks like we have a great place to start from here.” We had accomplished some things and even brought closure to items bothering each department. The difference in how we concluded was we positioned the next step as the new starting point. We agreed to see how the clearer parameters from the meeting worked once implemented. The only concrete conclusion agreed upon was that we’d measure how work was going and have another P/D/C/A session in the next quarter. I’m sure when that occurs, the expectation will be to set the next starting point. It’s just like running. We completed our workout or finished a race. After we gathered ourselves, sought some refreshment, and evaluated the metrics of our run, we got ready for the next one. It may mean establishing new workout steps to prepare for a marathon, or it may mean getting ready for a short sprint. Whatever we decide the next run is, we will lace up our shoes and hit the road. The run continues.

CHAPTER 26.

WHEN IN DOUBT . . . GROUT

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DOESN’T IT SEEM like we cram a multitude of life events together in a short period of time? It’s not advisable to group so many things together at once. You add unnecessary stress even though you have the best intentions. You convince yourself you’re great at multitasking and have a limited amount of time, so you can have everything hit and run at the same time. My wife, Debbie, and I decided to remodel our kitchen, flooring, and family room late in 2019. We had saved for it for years and thought it would be exciting to give some life to our house. Our kids had grown and moved out. We felt we had the time and bandwidth to take on a project like this because we didn’t have to run to events every night after school for them. We did have far more time on our hands as empty nesters, so this major renovation shouldn’t have been much of an interruption. We could handle being displaced. It seemed very manageable. A remodeling project at this scale was a big deal because it meant that we would be living in our basement for several months. Of course, right when construction was scheduled to start, a global pandemic hit. We went forward with the project because we had it planned. We never anticipated we’d be working from home and not our workplaces on top of everything. We should have known something unpredictable could happen. We just didn’t think it would be this significant !! The project moved relatively easily through every phase . . . until we neared the end. Materials were slow to arrive, and the tile crew who put the new backsplash up didn’t follow the design. We had lived in the basement for three and a half months, and the tension was starting to mount. Let’s be honest. The “made for TV” shows on HGTV aren’t how projects truly happen. They’re great television, but they’re not realistic. Things don’t get resolved in an hour. Since we were nearing the end of our project, the final touches started to drag out and communication started to dissipate. Please understand we had a very good experience with the company, the designers, and the work crews who had done the work so far. We just wanted to be done !! Several calls and texts were

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shared to try to get the tile mistake repaired. We seemed to have hit an impasse. Just when it seemed like things were going to escalate, I got a text from Aaron, a tile specialist. It said, “Hey man, I heard you needed me to come out and fix the tile work. I’ll be out in a few days. This is my cell. We’ll get this taken care of.” The tension and elevated temperature instantly receded. He texted a few more times, resulting in a few more delays, but we finally landed on a day for Aaron to work on the tile. He was the regular tile guy the company used instead of the first crew who didn’t do the work the way we had wanted. I was working from home when Aaron and Ted, his assistant, arrived. Papers were scattered across our new island, and I was typing away on a spreadsheet I needed to finish that day. Aaron was very gregarious and talkative. Ted was steady and silent. As they entered the house, Aaron exclaimed, “Hey man, I’m Aaron. Nice to meet you. This is Ted.” Ted nodded his greeting. “So, I see we need to finish up this tile and get it back to how you’d like it. Let me grab my tools and some drop cloths, and we’ll knock this out and get out of your way.” I was so relieved and grateful to finally get the help we needed, and I instantly connected with these two gentlemen. Aaron pulled a large black square out of his bag and plopped it on the island. I knew it was a speaker. “You mind if I play some tunes, man?” I replied, “No, that’s fine. I always have music playing when I work.” (In fact, I had Spotify playing in the background as he asked.) “You cool with country music?” he asked. I stated, “If that’s what helps you tile, I’m good with it.” “Cool. I may switch to some classic rock though. Just depends on what I’m feeling.” I let him know I was good with whatever style he chose.

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You need to know that Aaron and Ted are true artists. That is a fact !! They worked smoothly and collaboratively. Aaron took measurements, Ted cut tiles, and soon the entire space came together seamlessly like a puzzle. They didn’t have to remeasure or recut any piece. Each one fit the first time. My conversation with Aaron continued as well. Having two extroverts in the same room ensures talking will occur. We talked about our occupations, our families, the pandemic, politics, and more. We did it with ease, and it was so reassuring to have this experience with him. As Aaron was finishing up, he noted that he’d need to come back one more day. We were short on some detailed pencil tiles. I asked him about the framing of those tiles around our window above our kitchen sink. He noted, “Yeah, I see your window’s crooked. The other guys tried to make some cuts to cover that. I would have made some different cuts, but we can frame it and get it finished.” I replied, “Won’t it look a bit odd because you’ll have to match how the others started the job?” He paused and smiled. “No problems, man. I follow the philosophy: when in doubt . . . grout.” I didn’t understand what he meant. He gleefully explained he would use grout between the seams of the tile and pull it all together. If a space needed a little more grout, he’d fill it in. If it needed less, he’d thin it out so that the tiles all looked like they naturally fit in their designated place. I never expected to gain perspective from my tile guy, but I was wrong. His philosophy is exactly how we should approach HR. We are the grout that joins people together. We need to understand everyone we work with is naturally different. It’s not something forced or contrived. Each person we know approaches life in their own way. That’s true in how they work, how they view others, and how they tackle problems. Each person possesses a mix of unique skills, strengths, and talent. Not one

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person is an identical match to any other person around them. We have the regular opportunity to be the function that brings cohesion to this eclectic bunch while still allowing them to be who they are. Just like the misplaced and misshapen tiles framing my window, some people will need a bit more grout to add them to their place, and some will need less. The key for us is that we’re not trying to keep people set in their ways or make them conform. Employees are looking for ways to contribute while being connected. They want to be part of the bigger picture and understand how what they do adds value to the overall results of the company. Grout is a binding agent. It adds color and consistency. How much better would we be as a valued function if we were more like grout? HR that brings life, adds flavor, and accentuates the uniqueness of each human while being consistent is ideal. When we look for goals to have the company view what we do as meaningful, this is the formula. People want to be connected and together. We are wired to be interdependent. You will encounter pushback on this because the urge to be fiercely independent is a message most grow up believing. What people don’t see is that fierce independence leads to isolation. When your people are isolated, no amount of talent can make them successful over the long term. It is far more productive to have each person tethered to each other. Evaluate if your HR practice is being the grout that fills in the seams in your organization. If you aren’t applying grout throughout your company, change your approach and start bringing folks together. It is far more enriching, and you’ll love how the workplace and culture look when you’re done. Aaron came back out a week after he had first visited. We reconnected, and he greeted me warmly with his typical “Hey, man !!” He placed the remaining pencil tiles exactly where they needed to go and applied a generous amount of grout. When it dried, the project was complete. You’d never know it was fragmented before. He knew what to do to pull everything together. So should we.

CHAPTER 27.

THE SEAT IS GONE

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HAVE YOU EVER been asked what you’d do differently knowing more than you did in the past? My good friends Jon Thurmond and Wendy Dailey had an incredibly successful HR podcast called The HR Social Hour Half Hour Podcast. Over more than three hundred episodes, they interviewed HR practitioners, CEOs, vendors, and others. It is honestly one of the best human resource podcasts ever done. Every episode felt like Jon and Wendy sitting across from their guest at a coffee shop. The chats were always down-to-earth and genuine, and you felt connected with the conversation. You could relate to what was being shared because, if you were a fellow practitioner, you had experienced what the guests experienced in some way or another. The podcast had two components: a series of questions specific to the guest and the “Half Hour Question Connection” — everyone’s favorite part of the show (and it was !!). The reason it was everyone’s favorite part of the podcast is because the questions were more personal and less “businessy.” One of the questions asked was, “What did you want to be when you grew up?” It’s a great question because you’d hear all sorts of responses and potential careers. Few, if any, said they wanted to be an HR professional when they grew up. There were responses from people who wanted to be teachers, musicians, athletes, marine biologists, and even political figures. Every response was given with a sense of fondness and not regret. It was great to hear the aspirational daydreams people had. No one thought these careers were unattainable when they were younger. There was an air of certainty even though none of them came to fruition. I recommend you check out the good work Jon and Wendy created throughout their podcast series because they were able to capture real-world HR through their conversations with people from around the globe !! Contrary to the fab retrospective question asked in the podcast is the aspirational drive of HR professionals for what keeps being presented as the golden ring of the profession: the elusive “seat at the table.” This concept and desire was introduced twenty-one years ago !! At the time the phrase was coined, HR was rarely considered a critical business function. It was a solid rallying cry to pry human resources out of its traditional approach and position

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it to be it included at the executive level of organizations. It was as if HR pros were asked, “Where do you want to be when you ‘grow up’ in human resources?” In response, people would look doe-eyed and fill with emotion as they yearned to gain entry to the mythical C-Suite that had been written about in the myths and lore of corporate structure. The yearning never seemed to gain ground or take hold in spite of conference sessions, blogs, books, and champions of the profession pushing for the seat to be relinquished and finally given to those in HR. This same longing is still present two decades into the twenty-first century. It’s time to be honest. The seat is gone. Don’t get me wrong. Great strides have been made, and pockets of amazing HR executives can tell success stories. Some have transformed their organizations and even the profession as a whole through what they’ve accomplished. HR does have more value, which is acknowledged by companies — well, some companies. There are even stories and examples of people who have attained a seat at their table, and it’s wonderful to see. But I’ve also heard of those who earned access, or were given access, to the executive suite and only given a seat at the kid’s table. Remember the kid’s table? It was where younger people were relegated at holiday or family gatherings while the adults sat at the big table to have meaningful conversations. The kids just wouldn’t understand or comprehend what the adults were discussing. I know it sounds a tad snarky or cynical, but it’s how I’ve seen HR treated during my career more often than not. You’re at an executive meeting, and financial statements are shared. Someone leans over and says, “I know this may be confusing. It’s our P&L. If you need some help, let me know.” If you’re physically seated at the table but conversation toward you is condescending, what’s the point? It says something about us as a profession when people are still beating the drum of gaining access to the highest levels

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of organizations after more than twenty years !! I recommend a few things to eliminate this ineffective hankering. The first recommendation is to refuse to offer your attention and support to those in the field who keep exclaiming this tired sentiment. They’re perpetuating a useless cul-de-sac to keep their messaging in front of you, but it’s doing little to change things. The second recommendation is more difficult because it asks you to be uncomfortable at a level most avoid. Stand up for yourself !! Refuse to allow others to relegate you anywhere outside the core of the business. No longer allow senior leadership to put HR in a corner. You have far more to offer than how others choose to define you or the function of human resources. I’m not recommending you rally the townsfolk with pitchforks and torches to storm the executive castle. This may be fun to dream about, but it is rarely effective or sustainable. The path you can create and follow starts with being self-assured, confident, and even a bit brazen. Remember, no one knows people like you do !! No one. Since you already possess a baseline that others do not, see how you can nurture, develop, and pull others with you. This approach differs greatly from the leadership model most people still project. Most companies still foster and follow a top-down and hyperfocused leader who occupies the most senior role in the company. They define and communicate the direction, vision, and mission of the organization with the expectation everyone will fall in line to make it happen. Understand that the components of direction, vision, and living the mission continue to be critical, but they shouldn’t be owned by a singular leader at the top. Instead of achieving a seat, why don’t you pull the table together? What would your company look like if the talented people seated around every table worked as a combined unit? That’s the reality sitting right in front of us. Change the narrative of highlighting individual leaders and show them how they’re more effective working as a body. There will always be times when one person or another takes the helm to drive the work at hand — including you. This natural shifting of strengths when they’re needed

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is more impactful than looking for one person to carry the load. We’ve forgotten that a table contains many seats and always has. You need to take note that taking the steps to pull the table together will be met with resistance. This approach runs contrary to countless decades of how leadership is practiced. There continues to be the urge for some to lead through control. There’s a belief that if you have control, then people will move in a march-step formation solely out of submission. It’s old-school thinking, and there’s no reason for it to continue. At the same time, you can’t have those who follow this approach think they’re going to be supplanted for the next person to take their place. Trust me. I’ve seen and experienced this reaction. Since HR has not stepped into a collaborative leadership posture in the past, when it happens, the first assumption is you’re trying to become king of the mountain. You need to make the necessary moves to dispel this feeling. It’s destructive and pulls people into separate camps. When those camps are present, work has to go through the linchpin leader to get done. Rearranging leadership will position companies to meet the needs of the ever-changing business environment. This is why it’s time for HR to be the function that helps facilitate a full table of talent consisting of several seats. In fact, we can even identify when to add more seats and expand the reach, performance, and depth of a cadre of leaders. Doing this redefines the true business landscape, which will remain present going forward. Collaborative leadership is a model that can evolve over time and react with agility as volatility and uncertainty keep popping up in unpredictable patterns. So, HR, drop the meaningless pursuit of one seat. Do all you can to fill the table !!

CHAPTER 28.

BELONG TO A COHORT

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I AM AN avowed nerd and proud of it. I have been nerdy since I can remember. It never really bothered me because I was also able to fit in with the jocks, the band and choir groups, and many academic factions. I’ve felt comfortable being involved and connected with whatever group of people I’ve been around. This is challenging for others who would rather have people stay in their assigned group. I hope that I’m never that narrow because there are far too many amazing humans on this planet to get to know and affiliate with. When I hit seventh grade, I was tall and gangly and looked like a giraffe that didn’t quite fit in its body. Clumsiness was more the norm than having graceful moves physically or socially. I was trying to figure out the mystery of being a teenager in a new town and a new school. I had to make new friends out of thin air. The overwhelming majority of my classmates had been going to school together since they were in kindergarten. I was completely out of my element. One day I found myself in the stacks of the school library and discovered the book The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. I had found my place !! The book catapulted me into an entirely new world where I could lose myself. It gave me something to latch onto with all the changes going on in my new world. I learned that this great book was the prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and as soon as I could open the first book, I did. It was time for The Fellowship of the Ring. If you don’t know this book or haven’t seen the incredible Lord of the Rings movies, stop reading and watch them. (Well, maybe finish the book first.) I own all the movies and the books. I have read the trilogy several times as well as watched each movie over and over and . . . The Fellowship of the Ring was amazing because it brought characters together who were very diverse and not cohesive at first. They had several agendas and dislike for the other members who weren’t from their kingdom. Over time, as their adventure continued, they realized that each member of the group had talent

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and skills that were needed at various times of their quest as they tried to destroy the ring so that evil would not be able to take over their world. When I think of how this unlikely combination came together, I think of HR. (Again, remember I’m a nerd and see HR in most aspects of life.) I see so many amazing movements happening around the globe right now, and I am encouraged by more and more HR voices who are sharing on social media platforms. Top that off with podcasts that feature HR practitioners who express new thoughts and perspectives. Unfortunately, there are those who feel they must justify their work in HR personally and in their organizations. Some who write blogs, have podcasts, and make presentations diminish the profession to shift the focus onto them for personal gain. It’s frustrating to seem as if we continue to exist outside the recognized business world. There is a way to combat this, and it calls for the formation of our own fellowships. When you are part of a cohort, infighting and divisiveness cease and you can lift other professionals up so they can succeed personally and professionally. Wouldn’t it be amazing to elevate the many voices and perspectives from around the world so that organizations become intentionally people-first all the time? We can’t continue to practice or exist in isolation. When you are isolated, you have little hope of bringing about change. You’ll be constantly mired down in the mucky part of HR with no tangible way out. A few years ago, I joined the SHRM Executive Network. It provides a peer-to-peer experience I hadn’t fully had until I joined. One of the essential components of the network’s structure is putting people into cohorts, which is the term used to describe these groups. The cohorts virtually gather for two hours each month. The group of peers I’ve been fortunate to join has filled in a gaping hole I had been experiencing professionally throughout my career. I have only worked in HR over my career. This has been my choice, and I’m the better for it. I don’t view HR as a profession that is

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better than others, but it fits me and I fit it. I’m still as passionate about practicing in this field as I was the first day I embarked on this journey. Throughout the years, my drive to continue to practice HR has been supplemented and strengthened because I chose to develop a professional network. What started out as meaningful connection to a handful of people has blossomed into thousands of peers around the planet. I have the desire to continue to connect and build my personal HR community as well as the global HR community. As rich as having this network has been, something still seemed to be missing. The cohort was the missing piece. A cohort of your peers can allow for deep discussions. The level of these types of in-depth interactions isn’t possible within the four walls of your company, even if you have a larger HR team. You may have solid internal connectivity across an HR department, but it also includes people with different roles, levels of experience, and scopes of their job. This isn’t a negative, but the dynamics of an internal department allow for conversations to only get a little deep. The push for execution and implementation means you don’t have the space to dive deep as much as you may want to. A successful cohort should be made up of peers who run at the same level of experience and responsibility. This isn’t meant to be exclusive or keep people out. You can establish a cohort with students studying HR and entry-level HR pros new to the profession. You can make them from mid-level practitioners, HR directors, and HR departments of one. Senior-level HR pros can also form a cohort of vice presidents, executive VPs, and CHROs. The senior level is where I am at this point in my career, and this is the makeup of my current cohort. When we gather on Zoom, the two hours fly by as if only a few minutes have passed. I feel great anticipation and eagerness to turn on the screen and see Sara, Michelle, Teisha, Robin, Ilda, Lori, Valerie, and the three Amy’s — Amy A., Amy M., and Amy C. What started as a random placing of people together to form a peer network became a tight-knit circle of friends who happened to practice HR. Each of us sets aside time in our calendars to make

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sure we’re present. We don’t want to miss our time together. If someone has to miss, we’ll see notes sent offering an apology and a desire to reconnect sooner rather than later. This is much more profound than a network. We spend our time reflecting and checking in on each other personally. Michelle, our adept facilitator, runs us through an exercise each month called I/We/It. You state something happening in your life personally ( I ), something you’re working on with others (We), and something on a larger scale involving you inside your organization on a broader basis (It). I cannot express how renewing and refreshing this simple reflective exercise is for each of us. We unknowingly slow down from the breakneck pace we all find ourselves in to have time away together. We cover more activities with a focus on real-world items we’re trying to tackle in our roles. The conversations are thoughtful, poignant, and deep. I don’t think we realize how much of a hole having primarily surface-level conversations creates in us. Throughout our typical workday we have countless interactions. You can’t measure how many may occur but it feels like a barrage of staccato notes plucked out on a piano. We convince ourselves there’s no way to find even a splinter of time to step aside and have deeper conversations. We have to keep up with the maddening pace everyone else is running. I didn’t realize how limiting this is. We end up practicing HR triage all the time. Triage is needed here and there, but only engaging in patchwork HR keeps us from being as valuable or effective as we should be. You will become a stronger practitioner if you belong to a cohort. I would even go so far as to say it’s essential for your personal well-being and your professional development. Surrounding yourself with peers who are walking in similar paths in their jobs is reassuring. It shows you are not alone. Cohorts also provide you with perspectives you’d never get within the four-wall environment where you work. Consistently broadening your horizons makes you better prepared and equipped to continue to add value in your own organization.

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Do you have a cohort you belong to in addition to your network or community? Probably not. Fix that. This isn’t aspirational. It’s needed. Join, or form, a cohort. The quest is at hand, and adventure lies before us.

CHAPTER 29.

GET RID OF EVERYONE

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ONE OF MY stops during my HR trek was working for an entrepreneurial start-up. The company was primarily a manufacturing entity. We had three plants that built prefab gasoline convenience stores. We also had a corporate office with the functions of purchasing, finance, administration, HR, and engineering. The group of employees responsible for creating and drawing the projects we manufactured were a quirky, diverse set of humans. Each person was technically astute and wicked smart. Most of the drawings and calculations were still being done manually. Computer-aided design was just starting to show up. We had one person who used AutoCAD to draw. We also only had one licensed engineer who was responsible for reviewing, verifying, correcting, and finally stamping the sets of drawing for approval. All engineering drawings had to be stamped by a licensed engineer. The person who held this stamp had an unfortunate nickname. The others at the company called him “The Worm.” This was not a term of affection or endearment. He had an abrasive personality mixed with the knowledge that the entire workflow of the company came across his desk. Nothing moved to the plant to be assembled without his seal. He chose to be elusive and aloof with his peers. They tolerated him at best. The telling nickname came about because you could never pin him down on anything. Ever. He would worm his way out of every conversation about the status of plans and the deadlines we needed to uphold to keep work moving. He wriggled this way and that and never stayed in one place or on one position for any extended period of time. When you tried to corner him to get a concrete commitment or response, he’d figure out a way to maneuver in a different direction. You’d hear him use a common refrain each time he felt pressure mounting for him to commit. He’d say, “I know everyone is waiting on every drawing. I just can’t keep up with the demand from all of you!” Instead of confronting him about the vagueness and generalization of his statement, people would furrow their brow and turn away disgusted and frustrated. The company was in a bind because he held the stamp. No one knew of a viable alternative or a way to not have to work with this difficult engineer. That was until one day, when circumstances changed.

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The owner and president of the company was not involved in the day-to-day activities. He was keenly aware of the big picture and spent most of his time providing strategic oversight and was the company’s primary salesperson. He heard about the frustrations of this engineering bottleneck. He tolerated it because he felt addressing the engineer was the responsibility of the director of engineering. This made sense, but the director of the department was spineless. He was a talented engineer but a confrontation-avoidant people manager. The day when the altercation occurred was one to remember. The owner went to the director of engineering asking about the status of a drawing set he needed to take with him to a prospective client. If the drawings were solid, it would mean more work in the company pipeline, which was a constant pursuit as a start-up. The director stammered and didn’t want to give the owner a direct answer. He knew the set was most likely buried in the stack of paper on the difficult licensed engineer’s desk. This didn’t deter the owner. He needed the stamped set of drawings. He said, “Larry, I need those drawings today. I have a key meeting tomorrow out of town. We’ve had them here for some time, and I was told they should be completed and reviewed by now.” Larry sheepishly responded, “They’re over on Bob’s desk. I’ve tried to push him to get them ready for you, but you know how he is.” The owner sharply retorted, “I don’t care ‘how’ he is. I need the drawings now.” Larry shuffled his feet and looked down, refusing to confront Bob on the status. “Fine. I have this,” snapped the owner. He walked across the office to Bob’s desk. “Bob? You got a moment?” the owner inquired. “Hello there, Richard. Good to see you! It’s been a while. Sure, what do you need?” Bob gleefully answered. Richard continued. “You know those drawings we produced for our prospective new client? I’m having a meeting with them

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tomorrow, and it’s essential I take those with me. It should close the deal and bring us more work. Can you take a look in your stack and give them to me?” Bob started to sweat. He knew he hadn’t completed the review of the drawings. His focus had been on other work. He could sense he was being cornered once again, and he stated, “Well, Richard, I haven’t been able to get to them quite yet. You see everyone has been very demanding, and I do my best to stay on top of it all, but well, you know . . .” “I don’t know,” said Richard. “Why don’t you help me understand?” “Um, well I, er, you know,” Bob stumbled and grasped for something to say. He could see he wasn’t going to be able to worm out of this situation. “Well, all of the workload that comes across my desk is endless, Richard. I don’t know how you expect me to keep up with everything for everyone. I’m only one person.” Richard looked back unfazed. “Who’s everyone, Bob?” “What?” Bob replied with an astonished look on his face. “Tell me, Bob. Who is everyone? Are you telling me that every employee of this department or company has given you work? Is that possible? Every. Single. Person who works here has given you some insurmountable level of work. Is that your contention?” Richard demanded. Bob stood silent. He was at a loss for words, and he surely didn’t want to snap a retort back to the owner as he had with his peers, including the director. He was caught with no explanation of his catchphrase. Richard rifled through the stack of drawings and found the set he needed. He pulled them out and plopped them down on top of the paper mountain. “Here they are, Bob. Drop what you’re doing and finish them. Now. Don’t do anything else. You can forget the work you have for everyone and get this completed. One other thing. This stops

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today. You can’t keep using this catchall excuse. Our work is too important, and I won’t tolerate you holding things up any longer.” Richard went back upstairs to his office. He received the set of drawings he needed and got the new client the following day. He then followed up with Larry and chastised him for how he was leading his people while allowing Bob to be the worm. He told Larry we’d never be in this awkward position again, and he outsourced the drawing approval to a third-party firm. Bob lost his job. He’d no longer have to worry about everyone. (One quick note: Bob did get another job with a local city government, where he was their singular licensed engineer. He finished his career with them.) I’m sure the story of Bob sounds uncomfortably familiar. We’ve encountered employees who use the everyone excuse. Like Larry, many people managers either tolerate this behavior or avoid confronting it because it’s not easy to address. I know that during my career in HR, I’ve encountered the everyone’s on a regular basis. It’s a classic deflection maneuver. The hope is you’ll be tied up in knots whenever you interact with those who deflect. The more distressed you are, the less likely you are to stop them from continuing this destructive conduct. This difficult employee usually leads to the creation of inane policies and overarching actions condemning every worker. We feel making a blanket statement will be enough to make them cease this behavior. It doesn’t, and it never has. As leaders in HR, we need to be like Richard and call the bluff of those who hide behind this catchphrase. We need to get rid of the everyone’s in our organization. We can’t allow people to crouch behind this deflective shield because there is no good outcome for letting it continue. Even if the approach Richard took feels too direct, it’s not. The truth is that being direct, mixed with respect and grace, is welcomed by people. We tell ourselves internally that being direct will result in elevated and contentious responses, and since that fear fills our heads, we end up letting the deflectors continue to avert and avoid their work. We can’t hold them

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accountable because we give them an avenue to wiggle out and persist in blaming everyone. Enough is enough. It is never a good practice to have those who are the exception determine the activity of the majority of people who want to perform and do good work. Look around your company and assess where the everyone’s exist. You know they’re present. Decide today that you’ll confront them and see how the culture and work environment vastly improves. This advice doesn’t mean you should eliminate the people who use this refrain and have them leave your company. You just need to set a new expectation of no longer using generalizations to describe their work situation. Teach them how to be specific, with the reassurance that it’s better to state which actual people are connected and involved. Show them how they can work through any backlog. Train them on ways to improve how they perform. You have a myriad of options to consider. The goal is to eliminate the destructive behavior. Not the people. Make sure to look at every department and at every level of your organization. The everyone’s are everywhere. Let’s go find them !!

CHAPTER 30.

CULTURE KEEPERS

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I AM A proud graduate of Ohio University !! I attended during the early 1980s when the university was undergoing a transition. It had always been an open, liberal environment tucked away in the corner of southeastern Ohio. Athens, Ohio, is not near any other larger metropolitan area. It sits nestled in the Appalachian hills. You have to travel one and a half to two hours to get to a larger city. If you attended OU, then you most likely stayed there all of the time during the academic year. It was a bubble where you could learn about life while getting an education. I was supposed to attend Ohio University with a great friend from my hometown. A month before our freshman year was scheduled to start, he informed me he wasn’t going to go. No other person from my hometown was going to OU at the time. Someone had attended years before, but I wasn’t close to them. I went into this brand-new environment knowing no one. I was anxious and excited at the same time. I was in the roommate lottery, which meant the college randomly assigned who you’d room with. I received my notice in the mail that my roommate was Konstantine Elefteriou. I was a bit flabbergasted reading this foreign name. You need to understand that when I grew up in Ada, Ohio, there was very little diversity. I’m not proud of that, but it was what I was used to. I wasn’t sure if my roommate spoke English or Greek. We didn’t have the internet back then, so I couldn’t look him up, and he couldn’t learn about me either. When my family took me down to get settled in the dorm, my roommate had already moved in. His mom and dad were standing in the room with him. As I entered, my new roommate turned around. He was a massive, muscular man with a dark, heavy beard. We were eighteen years old, and I had never seen someone that young with a full beard before. He grinned widely and reached out his bearlike hand and said, “You must be Steve. I’m Dean.” “Dean?” I answered, confused. “But the slip I received from the housing people said your name is Konstantine.”

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“It is. I’m Greek, and this is my mom and dad. My dad’s name is also Konstantine. You can call me Kosta or Dean. It’s easier for people,” he said, and suddenly I was at ease. “Nice to meet you all. This is my mom and dad. Connie and Don.” Everyone shook hands and greeted each other warmly. Dean’s family helped me move my belongings into our third-floor dorm room at James Hall. We said our goodbyes to our parents, and we were on our own. We took some time to share about ourselves, and we learned we were both going to try to become engineers. Dean was as excited as I was to be at OU, and he wanted to get out and explore to see what lay before us. That’s exactly what we did. We roamed the campus to see where our classes were going to be, and we checked out the downtown area with the college bookstore, restaurants, and bars. We couldn’t believe we were on our own without our families waiting for us back at the dorm. I loved rooming with Dean. We became dear friends, and we added Eric from across the hall into our clan. He had a single room, and we didn’t want him to be isolated. The first year of college flew by, and as the year progressed an interesting transformation took place. I started getting close with our entire floor section and made friends all over. Dean and Eric were part of my circle of friends, but they started to break off on their own. I decided I’d like to work in the dorms as a resident assistant my sophomore year, but that meant Dean and I couldn’t continue to room together. He knew I was following my path, and he decided to follow his. We also both learned engineering wasn’t going to be in our future, and we switched majors. He went into accounting and graduated with a business degree. We kept close throughout our time at school but never lived together again. Dean and Eric remained roommates on campus and then off campus before they graduated. I stayed in the dorms surrounded by people. My major went from engineering to chemistry to communications. As Dean moved on, I became more and more involved with groups

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of people. I led events on campus for the residence halls and had a group of folks I gathered to cheer with me at football, hockey, and basketball games. I also participated on many intramural sports teams and was involved in the local church. People were my thing. It seemed as if whenever I chose to get involved with an activity, I’d find others coming to me and asking me to lead it. I was eager to accept this. It was important for me to be involved and to bring others together for a common cause. That’s where I drew my energy. It felt natural to do this, and it carried on when I graduated and entered the workforce. Fast-forward to the present day . . . On one of my SHRM executive network cohort calls, Amy A. noted she was experiencing something that she hadn’t in some time. She works for a gas and oil company, and a petrochemical engineer unexpectedly chose to leave. Amy explained that the company was grieving the loss of this person because she was a culture keeper. The rest of us on the call were intrigued by the term. I had to ask. “What’s a ‘culture keeper’?” Amy stated, “Culture keepers are people who hold the culture together. They carry the torch of the positive aspects of culture. You’ll see people go to them and ask for their opinion. They’re like magnets, and people naturally are drawn to them. Whenever a company loses a culture keeper, it’s a big loss.” She then turned things a bit and surprised me. “You’re a culture keeper, Steve. I hear how you talk about work and those you work with. It’s also how I see you interact with others outside of work. I think every company needs a culture keeper.” I thanked her and was a bit embarrassed. After the call, when I had a chance to reflect on what she shared, some thoughts came together. I agree with Amy. Companies need culture keepers. If you step back and look across your organization, you’re sure to find them. You may have more than one, but you need

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at least one. Chances are the culture keepers aren’t people who self-proclaim that they’ve assumed this mantle. They are easy to locate and identify because, as Amy stated, they’re like people magnets. As I look back over my career, I can name culture keepers from each stop along the way. There was Becky, who was the informal leader in the HR department at my first job out of college. Everyone sought her input and opinion to balance what they did in the office. She was sharp and knew how to work through the nuances of the company to be effective. Norm was the president of a manufacturing company I worked for who had come into a family company but was not a family member. I learned so much from him on how to lead quietly and consistently. The staff felt at ease with him because he valued each one of them. Kathy was the culture keeper at the engineering and architecture consultancy I worked for. Everyone, including the president and CEO, bounced things off her before moving ahead. She was able to keep the big picture in mind and also care for people on an individual basis. These are only a few of the culture keepers I’ve known. I’ve also known culture keepers who worked on the front line and others in middle management. Culture keepers don’t have to be at the top of the company hierarchy. In my first book, I wrote how HR should own the culture, and I still have a sentiment that this partially works. I wanted to encourage all of us to see that the largest area we can positively affect is the company culture. You can eliminate those obstacles that detract and tear a culture down. You can also emulate the behavior you’d like to see and address people respectfully when their behavior goes astray. If you have the ability to be a culture keeper and practice HR, I think that’s amazing !! Chances are you’ll find it comfortable to connect and interact with people from all areas of the company. It won’t seem forced or disingenuous. You’ll be able to blend in and move through levels and departments of the company as if you were a fellow member of each of those areas. I encourage you to examine if you are a culture keeper and embrace it fully if you are.

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If you aren’t a natural culture keeper, then you still can make a marked difference and impact for your company by identifying those in your company who are. You’ll see how they act as the healthy glue of your company. You could have a conversation with them to make them aware of how they are a culture keeper and that you value them. I’d encourage you to also communicate with leaders about the reality and advantage of having a culture keeper or two in your company. You don’t have to elevate this person, but you should make sure they have the permission and ability to act as a culture keeper. When you provide a clear path for these people, then you’ll see them thrive for the common good of the company. It won’t be a situation where you need to pour adulation over them. They get their buckets filled by having the ability to pull others together. This label is a true find that you should put in your HR leadership quiver. I hope many of you are fellow culture keepers in how you practice human resources where you are. I also am optimistic you can find other culture keepers wandering through the halls and locations of your company. You want them to stay with your company. They truly are “keepers.”

CHAPTER 31.

THE NEXT STEP

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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 we feel like just as 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 everyone had lives filled with activities that brought them 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 might 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 determine the end of what they’re facing. You’ll hear phrases 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 involved in a multitude of endeavors at the same time. I usually have multiple projects moving at work and a list of to-dos at home, and I keep up with several different groups of people on social media daily along with being involved in my church and civic organizations. This doesn’t include regularly

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writing a blog and trying to compose a book. Those are just a few of the things I am doing. Add on top of that what’s 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 on 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, and so on. This approach 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. We all need to make the decision to get off the unending treadmill. It’s not healthy to keep trying to remain on it. Be assured you can still be involved in as many activities as you choose, but change your approach from constantly rushing ahead and instead pause to determine what the next step forward will be. Then take it. As for your next step in HR, keep in mind you’ve been unleashed. There is nothing holding you back from taking your next step in a fresh, new direction. Nothing. Whenever I take the time to write about the field I love, I make sure to steer clear of being prescriptive. It would be presumptuous to state in absolute terms that if you follow a model I’d propose, then all aspects of what you do as an HR professional would happen with little to no difficulty. There is no one-size-fits-all solution

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when it comes to working with people. There can’t be because people come with an infinite number of sizes, approaches, perspectives, strengths, and abilities. No one wants to be confined to a box with set boundaries. I think they’d prefer having an open landscape with parameters that keep them safe and allow them to perform. Past establishing this type of landscape, the next step is to develop and foster healthy relationships. You should never let someone limit you in what you do and how you practice HR. Each company and each culture are unique on their own. Add a group of people to those settings, and the diversity explodes exponentially. It’s not something that can be kept in place. The field of human resources is a wonderful moving and evolving continuum that brings new challenges and opportunities on a daily basis. We need to walk away from the “command and control” model, which has restricted people for far too long. Take the next step in your role as an HR leader. I’ll be there alongside you. Together we can move organizations, people, and the profession forward into the future !! Let me leave you with one more story . . .

CHAPTER 32.

CONCLUSION

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2, 4, 4, 2 Not long ago, my CEO came down to my office, and he was energized. You have to know Michael is always a positive person. Always. His positivity is a strength that drives himself and our company forward. He has a gift for lifting up the spirits of others and rallying them into action. This time he was even more excited !! “Steve, I saw this video yesterday and thought of you. It’s a hippie talking, and I just love his outlook and his message. I want you to watch it and let me know what you think. I’m sure you’ll like it. I want to use it somehow.” He disappeared back down the hall, and I awaited an email to ping in my inbox. One quick aside: I dig that Michael started the conversation by combining a hippie and thinking of me. It’s very cool I’m allowed to be an HR hippie at work. I’ve set the example of being expressive, creative, and a bit off-center. Please note all of our team members are allowed to be who they are. We foster a culture where people feel safe and comfortable to be themselves. You can’t adequately measure the value of this type of environment. The email hit, and I clicked the link. The story came from a local cable news human-interest story in Wapakoneta, Ohio. The reporter was interviewing a longtime resident of this small city. You may have heard of Wapakoneta because it is the home of astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon. The local man being interviewed was a hippie for sure. He was in his late 50s or early 60s with a long ponytail, which grew in contrast to his receding hairline. He had a gentle demeanor and easily spoke with the reporter. The story focused on his unique backyard. He had built an expansive serenity garden covering his entire backyard. The stones in the garden were of various sizes; some were in tall stacks while others formed small areas where someone could sit and relax. He explained he built the garden for himself and for troubled youth in the city. He works with the schools

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and the city to help kids who have struggles, have run astray, or have acted out behaviorally. He asks the kids to meander through the garden and take time to relax, reflect, and break away from whatever they’re facing. After they’ve had some time to wander and take a seat for quite a few minutes, he goes and talks with them. It seems simple and a bit naïve, but he’s incredibly effective in making connections with these troubled youth. They enjoy having someone listen to them, not judge them, and not try to fix them. He’s making a marked difference by giving these kids a chance to work through whatever they’re facing so they can get mentally healthy and move forward. It was an inspirational, feel-good story, but I wasn’t sure what Michael had seen that we could use at our company. I was too impatient, because the reporter then asked about a sign hanging on a wall above the resident’s right shoulder. It showed a square with four numbers in it. It was multicolored and an attractive wall hanging, but its meaning eluded the reporter. He asked the Zen garden caretaker what the numbered sign meant. (Here is the order of the numbers.)

2

4

4

2

The man had a wonderful smile cross his face, and he calmly stated, “Those are the keys to success in life.” The reporter looked confused and said, “I’m not sure I understand. Can you explain that to me?” “Gladly,” the hippie homeowner replied with glee. “You start in the upper left-hand corner. It goes across the top line and then you do the second line. Ready?” The reporter nodded.

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“If you do more to people than for people, then your life is unsuccessful.” He paused for effect. He knew he had the reporter’s attention. “If you do more for people than to people, then your life is successful. It’s that simple.” The reporter sat there silently as the homeowner continued to grin. I sat silently at my monitor as well. That was it !! Michael had seen the keys to success, and that’s what he wanted to incorporate as a message to our team members. I was the person who ran to his office excitedly this time. “The keys to success in life. It’s brilliant and it resonates so well. We can use this to tie our folks together in the people-first culture we’re trying to foster and make come to life,” I squealed. I could hardly contain myself. Michael nodded, and I knew I had to figure out how to capture this message in a meaningful way. We had a company-wide meeting where I drew the 2, 4, 4, 2 square on a flip chart and put it up in front of everyone with no explanation. Everyone was curious as to what the square represented, just like the reporter in the news story. I shared the hippie’s story and the keys to success in life. I closed by stating that we were going to make sure we were doing things for our people and not to them. It was exciting to see people nod in acceptance of the hippie’s mantra. I told our team members we’d figure out a way for them to have a visual symbol of this great message. One of our team members has a talented husband who does woodwork. We worked on a design and sent it to him and asked if he could recreate the image on some wood. He took a standard two-by-four piece of lumber and cut blocks that could sit on a person’s desk or workstation. On the front of the block of wood, he emblazoned our company logo along the top. In the lower left-hand corner, he added the statement “We Are People First,” and he put the 2, 4, 4, 2 Keys to Success square in the lower right-hand corner. Each piece was stained, and all of the components popped out to be distinctly visible.

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I took a desk block to each team member about a month after our company-wide meeting. Each person eagerly took the symbol and put it in a place where they could see it as a constant reminder to act in ways that were for others. I believe in this model because it fits any company in any industry. What would your company look like if all of the people efforts coming from the good work of HR had the intent of being for your people? Think of what would happen if you took purposeful steps to eliminate any activity that was directed to, or on top of, people. You’d find companies thriving and easily moving forward, with all of their people enthusiastically working together for the success of the entire entity. You’ve been unleashed. Time to dive back into your company and unleash the talented people you get to work with as well. It’s time. In fact, it’s overdue. Embrace who you are in HR as a leader, a shepherd, a conductor, an encourager, and a catalyst for the business. Take the reigns and make the move to do the work you need to do for yourself and for the great people you’re working alongside. They’re looking for this type of leadership, and you are more than capable. YOU make a difference in all you do. Go forward, unleashed !!

INDEX

199

200

A

act (P/D/C/A) evaluation process, 156 Ada, Ohio, 8, 148 anchoring, 20–26 creativity and, 24 engagement vs., 23 innovation and, 24 uncertainty and, 23 Armstrong, Neil, 194 assumed culture, 126 Athens, Ohio, 148, 184 Austin, Texas, 142 AUTOCAD, 178 avoidance, 81

B

Baldino, John, 24 basketball, 148–149 The Big Lebowski, 124 BlackBerry, 112 bottlenecks, 179 breathe/check model, 34 breathing, 33–35, 118 Bridges, Jeff, 124

C

Captain Steve, 20–22 careers changing, 11 finding your path, 44–46 management of, 46, 127 trajectory of, 45–46 checking, 34–35 check (P/D/C/A) evaluation process, 156 closure model, 154–156 coaching, 120 Coen brothers, 124 cohorts, 173–176 networks vs., 175 SHRM and, 173 collaboration, 70 comfort, 56–64 communication human resources and, 67–68

Index improving, 67 meetings and, 66–67 community, 174 companies culture, 187 people-first, 5 conclusions, jumping to, 28 conferences, 74–77 conflict, 58 confrontation, 58 controversy and organizations, 57–64 creativity and anchoring, 24 culture assumed, 126 company, 187 keepers of, 186–188 organizational, 92

D

Dailey, Wendy, 166 Damschroder, Bill, 148 destinations, 10 discomfort, working through, 82 discussions culture of, 83 defending a position vs., 81–83 facilitators for, 82 fostering, 83 safe environments for, 82–83 distancing, 106–107 diversity, 184 do (P/D/C/A) evaluation process, 156 dumping your bucket, 28–30 listening vs. solving and, 28–29

E

Elefteriou, Konstantine, 184 emotions, 106 employees. See also workers attention to and performance of, 40–41 being valued, 40–41 coaching, 120 developed vs. measured, 119

201 Index

development of, 119–122 hi-po, 101 knowing they matter, 40–41 loyalty and, 101 thread people, 100–101 enable-and-equip approach, 149–151 encouragement, 89–90 engagement anchoring vs., 23 death of, 22–23 engineers, 178 The Entertainer, 95 essential workers, 3 everyone excuse, 180–182 experience myth of, 50–54 opportunity vs., 51

F

facilitators, 82, 157 mediators vs., 83 roundtable, 131, 134 feedback, 81 The Fellowship of the Ring, 172 flip charts, 70, 196 frameworks, 70

G

Gibsonburg, Ohio, 148 group collaboration, 70 grout, 162–163

H

The Hobbit, 172 Horn, Lisa, 2 The HR Happy Hour, 86 HR hippies, 194–195 HR llamas, 86 HR Pub Quiz, 107–110 HR Roundtable, 132 The HR Social Hour Half Hour Podcast, 166

human contact, intentional, 106 humanity, 96, 125 human resources coaching for best roles, 136–139 communication and, 67–68 community and, 174 educational programs about, 133 enabling and equipping, 149–150 encouragement and, 89–90 encouraging individuality, 142–145 establishing constructive baselines, 151 expressing your humanity, 96 as grout joining people together, 162–163 keeping it weird, 142–146 leadership roles and, xvii, 5 long-term change and improvement, 130–134 people-first approach, 97 as referees, 39 self-management and, 44–45 simplification and, 77 specializations within, 125 status quo and, 10 storms, running toward, 56–64 struggles and, 95 systems approach to, 76 talent acquisition and, 52, 124–125 technology and, 3 hurriedness, 190

I

immediacy, 118–121 individuality, 142–145 innovation, 24 instancy, 118 interdependence, 107 interpersonal stress, 29 Inuksuk, 75 iPod, 112 isolation, 106–107, 109–110 I/We/It exercise, 175

202

J

jobs changing, 11 postings for, 53 Joel, Billy, 95

K

keys to success, 195

L

leadership collaborative, 169 control and, 169 human resources and, xvii, 5 people-focused, 77 strategic, 121 Lee, Geddy, 44 Lifeson, Alex, 44 listening, 29, 57 llamas, 86 Lord of the Rings, 106, 172 loyalty organizations and, 101 Luckey, Ohio, 148

M

The Matrix, 34 mattering, 40–41 mediation, 83 meetings, 66–67 collaboration and, 70 discussions vs. defending positions, 81–83 frameworks for, 70 inconsistency and, 66 planning for, 68–70 postmeetings, 66 premeetings, 68 Million Dollar Directory, 50 Minich, Tom, 38 moats, 106–110 emotional, 106 keys to crossing, 107

Index Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 106

N

nerds, 172 networks vs. cohorts, 175 new normal, 3 next step approach, 191–192

O

Ohio State Conference committee, 74 Ohio University, 184 organizational design, 115 organizational molecule, 116 organizations. See also workplaces anchoring and, 23 conflict in, 58 confrontation in, 58 controversy in, 57–64 cultures of, 92 design of, 115 employee development and, 119–122 engagement and, 22 genuine interaction and, 30 hierarchical approach to, 113 loyalty and, 101 meetings and, 66–67 pace of work and, 32–35 paths in, 9–12 people-first culture and, 41 silos in, 14–17 status quo and, 10 structure of, 114 supporting talent, 126–127 thread people in, 100–101 top-down model of, 115 working together vs. working for, 114 org charts, 112–113 organizational molecule vs., 116 purpose of, 113

P

pace performance vs., 33 of work, 32–35

203 Index

PalmPilot, 112 pandemic, 2, 160 postpandemic worker expectations and, 4 workplace changes due to, 2–3 paths, 9–12 career, 44–46 destinations vs., 10 new, 11 trailblazers, 12 patience, 118–119 pausing, 33–35, 118 P/D/C/A (plan, do, check, act) evaluation process, 156 people-first culture, 41, 97, 146, 173, 196 performance measurement of, 119 pace vs., 33 photography, 119 planning, 68 plan (P/D/C/A) evaluation process, 156 postmeetings, 66 premeetings, 68

R

Reeves, Keanu, 34 relationships challenges of, 39 fostering, 76–78 silos and, 15 time and, 16 remodeling, 160 remote work, 3 retention, 121 roundtables, 131–133 running, 154 Rush, 44

S

scouting, 20 Sea Base, 20–22 seat at the table, 166–169 kid’s table vs., 167 self-expression, 194–195

self-management, 44–45 SHRM and cohorts, 173 SHRM Executive Network, 173 silos, 14–17 avoid and hope approach, 15 building relationships and, 15 busting, 16 friendliness approach, 15 organizational, 15 simplification, 77 starting points, 157 start-ups, 178 status quo, 10 storms, 58 running into, 56 strategic plans, 155 Streetlife Serenade, 95 stress interpersonal, 29 releasing, 30 struggling, 95 succession, 67 planning, 44 systems approach, 76

T

talent acquisition, 52, 124–125 technology, 3 tenure, 100 thread employees, 100–101 360-degree review, 46 Thurmond, Jon, 166 TikTok, 118 time and relationships, 16 Tolkien, J. R. R., 172 top-down model, 115 trailblazers, 12, 97 2-4-4-2 square, 195–196

U

uncertainty, 2, 23, 155

W

Wapakoneta, Ohio, 194

204

Index

The Wizard of Oz, xvii workers. See also employees developed vs. measured, 119 essential, 3 loyalty and, 101 postpandemic expectations of, 4 thread people, 100–101 workplaces. See also organizations employee development and, 119–122 essential workers and, 3 nonconfrontational, 82

patience and, 118–119 people-first, 5 remote, 3 struggling in, 95

Y

YouTube, 118 Stollak, Matthew, 133–134 (We know this is out of place, but that is how HR should be practiced when it’s unleashed !!)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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About the Author

AN ACCOMPLISHED SPEAKER, WRITER, AND THOUGHT LEADER ON HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS, STEVE BROWNE IS DEDICATED TO CONNECTING THE GLOBAL HR COMMUNITY AND HELPING IT LEARN AND GROW TOGETHER. Browne has held HR roles in various industries, including manufacturing, consumer products, professional services, and restaurants. He is a past member of the SHRM Board of Directors and has been a Membership Advisory Council representative for the North Central Region of SHRM and a past Ohio State Council director. He facilitates a monthly HR roundtable, the weekly HR internet forum “HR Net,” and a nationally recognized HR blog, Everyday People (www.sbrownehr.com).

ABOUT SHRM BOOKS

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About SHRM Books

SHRM Books develops and publishes insights, ideas, strategies, and solutions on the topics that matter most to human resource professionals, people managers, and students. The strength of our program lies in the expertise and thought leadership of our authors to educate, empower, elevate, and inspire readers around the world. Each year SHRM Books publishes new titles covering contemporary human resource management issues, as well as general workplace topics. With more than one hundred titles available in print, digital, and audio formats, SHRM’s books can be purchased through SHRMStore.org and a variety of book retailers. Learn more at SHRMBooks.org.