Thriving and Surviving Today
The future of HR is collaboration, communication, and credbility. It's in the hands of HR professsionals, business leaders and communities of well-intentioned, idea-driven, and thought provoking people. On most days, the future of HR is an energizing, possibility generating conversation.
On other days, the future of HR is not much more than me making it to the end of the day, project or action with my sanity intact.
From employees expressing their displeasure in words that send an HR pro to Dictionary.com, to suspenses looming like the dementors of Azkaban and staff members not playing nice, HR leadership is not for the faint of heart.
For those in the game, it goes with the territory and each instance is an opportunity shine. Before I start sounding like I've got my head in the clouds, let me stop and say, it's all how you play the game. Call it perspective, priorities or emotional maturity - it's still the same.
The madness is there. It's yours. Manage it.
Right there alongside my Black's Law Dictionary, Codes of Federal Regulations and employee relations resources galore, I have a few other tools of my trade. You won't find these at a SHRM Conference but let me tell you, they are just what the doctor ordered when the tensions rise and your psyche is strained.
Left to right we have "People," "People Pieces," and "Noone is Immune."
Elementary? Yes. Fun? Yes. Effective? Yes. For me. At the risk of you questioning my emotional maturity further, I ask, "What HR pro couldn't use a little voodoo every now and then?"
Why do I have these? First, they were both given to me as gifts and second, I doubt I'd be able to convince my staff to line dance Joe's Crab Sack or Texas Roadhouse style to add a little pressure release in my day.
Seriously, it comes down to dealing with what comes my way every day so I can get back to the business of making a difference today - and in the future.
When the tensions rise and you need to thrive and survive, what works for you?
April 12, 2011
Reader Comments (3)
I also have a Mr. Plankton from SpongeBob who has a whip that I keep on my desk. I push his head, he cracks the whip and says something snarky. What's HR without some snark???
And my favorite is a talking blue blob toy I stole from my nephew years ago. He moans "why me" and "owww" and other painful expressions. I throw him against the wall. Better him than my head.
Mr. Plankton and Bob the Blob are very popular with the co-workers :)
Credibility, communication and collaboration -- yes, yes and yes! Creativity and character could be 4 and 5 on that list. But not competition -- that's definitely 2000-late! Great post!